Coltrane Curtis, founder and managing partner at Team Epiphany, joins Cheddar News to discuss his influencer marketing company and to offer advice to black entrepreneurs.

Between Bells

Entrepreneur Coltrane Curtis Talks Influencer Marketing

and welcome back everyone to between Bells, our next guest is an entrepreneur marketing mogul and a style icon and he recently launched a complex magazine. Well he launched and ran Complex magazine created a partnership with 50 cent and created G unit apparel and is also the first MTV style VJ leading coverage of the entire networks, red carpets and fashion news as well. That's right, joining us now is Coltrane Curtis founder and managing partner at Team Epiphany, Welcome to the show, Let's go high, let's go back to 2005. You start, you started the first modern influencer agency team Epiphany. Okay. In 2005 we were using slip flip phones, get alone understanding what influencing was and how we know it today. What led you to creating Team Epiphany Also the form of influencer marketing that we kind of work with our clients is an earned format, right? And so when you really think about word of mouth, it's been a tool, a marketing tool since the beginning of time, uh influencer marketing is just the same. And so when I started the agency, my dad ran an agency for 25 years and he always told me the world doesn't need another agency and what's your differentiation point. And while we have a lot of access to celebrity, um our relationships go a lot deeper, our relationships actually go into the network that and that build celebrity, we believe that celebrity and all celebrities engineered and you have access to that network that can engineer celebrity, You can actually utilize that network to work for brands and what it does. It really makes the brand not really relying upon a celebrity endorsement or conversation, what it really does. It makes the brand the celebrity. And so that's what we really were then and now. So if you think about it, we were 14, 15 years early to the influencer game. But for us, influencer is a way of living, is a way of life. It's who we are. Um and that's the reason why we believe that our philosophy and the way in which we work is better than any agency in the game. Well, yeah, on that note, culturing, I mean, as somebody who's been in the game for so long, how is sort of influencer marketing evolved over the years? I mean, you've seen it really at the beginning, but like how was it now? Yeah, I mean, I'm an influence of purest. You know, I believe that the most influential people tend not to be on social, um you know, they're probably doing things that make them influential. Um and so, you know, specifically to your question, I really feel like it's taking a negative turn, you know, I think when you really think about what influencer marketing is, it's truly about trust. Um, and as soon as the industry flipped um, and started being about a paid a pay to play model? What we were looking at currently is no longer an influencer model think about it like are you influenced by people who are paid to tell you things the reality, paying these people is the complete contrary to the actual um output that brands actually want. What you really want is to create an earned relationship with these influential people and then you use paid to then kind of uh kind of like amplify um, the messaging that you've already earned. But for us, influence is always earned first. And so what we're really looking at through this new model of paid influence in these pieces were really looking to just pay media and a diff form of media, right? Looking at people based upon how many people follow them. It's more of a metric play. It's not really an influencer play, it's not really an earned play. And so for us, influencers earned first page second. This conversation is so interesting. Such a different approach to it that I love. You actually started a scholarship in your father's name. How are you working to ensure you're making spaces for black creatives Coltrane. Yeah, I mean, we can start to points um, one I think the first part was making space for true creators. Um, what we really just found and shed the light that, you know, um like surprised, um its its creators of color who are left out right? Um Good creators first, creators of color second. And I think that happens for us internally and externally. I really like to hire people who are experts about culture first. And so we like to say that we're a culture first agency and everyone has to play in culture. Um and so that's like the biggest piece for us. I think a lot of times brands hire people who say that they can do things, I can teach you how to do things, I can't teach you how to be an expert in culture. And so that's one of the things that I think really just change the way and the reason why our agency has been so successful for 18 years and independent. Um to kind of like, no, it's because we're giving people who are experts about color um about and that can help us generate accurate insights around consumers. Um and that's the first piece you need to shop. The problem is that most brands and agencies really look for people who have a talent that you can teach them. I'm looking for people who are embedded into the cultures in which we're looking to be a part of. And so that was the first piece that I would say that we're opening up the doors for True Creatives. And then um obviously, you know, we really, really, really want these people to stay for a long time. Um and we have a very, very low turnover rate here at Team Epiphany in terms of employees and clients and it's really about because we give people the opportunity to actually do the things that they're passionate and the things that they love. What a novel. Huh? So true. So, actually let's dive into this just a little bit deeper, but expand this just a little bit culture. And what advice would you give to fellow black entrepreneurs out there who are maybe trying to start a company and want to basically get to the same spot that you're at here, What sort of advice would you give them? Well, this is a family run business, you know, um and, you know, I started it, but it's run by my wife um and, you know, the beautiful thing about our relationship is it extends to the relationship of everybody else here at the agency. Um we're all family, you know, um and we all can look at one object completely differently. Right? And so the one piece that I would always say is keep a diverse network around you. You know, if you look the same and think the same, it's not really a beneficial network for you to build a sustainable business upon. You really want to find people who literally are experts at craft. Um and that's the piece that has really separated team epiphany. Um and so, you know, we want people who are looking at things completely differently. That's the the big thing. So diversity and thought is really the diversity that's most important here. Um and I think a lot of times, you know, you get through, you know, demographic information, but, you know, we believe that people really, and the way in which we market, we believe that people align, um, psycho graphically first, um, obviously culturally first or second. But the reality is that's the place that we really stay, really fascinating conversation. Coltrane thank you so much for joining us. Coltrane Curtis founder and managing partner over at Team Epiphany. Thank you so much Coal train.