If you were asked to name the biggest talent managers of all time, we think you’d likely struggle.

Diehard golfers may know the name Mark Steinberg (Tiger’s long-time agent at IMG), and if you’re a basketball aficionado, you might know of David Falk, the man who sent that famous telegram announcing Michael Jordan’s 1996 return to the NBA, a simple two words – I'm Back.

For the most part though, talent agents and managers are low profile types who fly under the radar. They’re savvy and personable yet are fierce and committed to protecting the both the personal and commercial interests of the world's highest profile artists, sports stars and media personalities.

However, as any seasoned high-profile celebrity will tell you, they’re not just gatekeepers.

A good talent representative is also an opportunity creator and master negotiator, somebody who can tactfully navigate intricate contractual discussions and create returns for their clients that far exceed the 10-20% commission fee they typically charge.

This month, we were lucky enough to have had the chance to sit down with:

Henrie Stride – Managing Director | Henrie Stride Management (Chrissie Swan, Sam Pang, Matt Preston, Grant Denyer etc.)

James Pitcher – Head of Sports | Bravo Management (Gary Ablett, Jack Riewoldt, Dane Swan, Darcy Moore etc.)

Lisa Sullivan – Managing Director | One Management (Julie Goodwin, Taryn Brumfitt, Neale Whittaker, Justine Schofield etc.)

Andrew Taylor – Managing Director | More Talent (Jim Jeffries, Ben Elton, Mikey Robins, Nikki Osborne, Christian Hull etc.)

In our chat, we discuss everything from how they got their start to the principles have guided them throughout their careers.

With over 100 years of combined experience, there’s more than a golden nugget or two for those reading on. We hope you enjoy!

You may pour your blood, sweat and tears into negotiating a deal and then it all falls over at the 11th hour, which don’t get me wrong is absolutely devastating, but you've just got to resolve it and learn to move on. - Lisa Sullivan (One Management)

What attracted you to the talent industry and was there anybody in particular that you admired or were lucky enough to be mentored by?

Andrew: I don't really know to be honest, but i was always mixed up in the industry when I was younger, working in TV, managing bands etc.

Mentors? That’s easy, it was always Michael [Gudinski] that I looked up to. Between 2017 and 2020, I was lucky enough to work really closely with him, which was eye opening and hugely transformative.

His big thing was always putting the artist first and for me, that really resonated. He also really influenced the way we toured artists. He never rushed into a tour and always told me to give myself plenty of time to announce and then build hype before going on sale. It was all about building momentum with him.

Lisa: It was kind of an accident! After working as Sponsorship and Marketing Manager for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, I moved down to London and started answering phones at Jamie Oliver's newly opened restaurant Fifteen whilst I considered my next move. One day, Jamie's Brand Strategist approached me after hearing me on a phone call and asked if I’d like to work with her across Jamie’s brand partners and opportunities. Jamie was blowing up at this stage, it was an incredible opportunity.

A couple of years later, Jamie decided to start up his own talent management company ‘Fresh Partners’ so I moved across to the new company as their first talent manager, and so that’s how it all started really.

Mentors? That’s easy, it was always Michael (Gudinski) that I looked up to. Between 2017 and 2020, I was lucky enough to work really closely with him, which was eye opening and hugely transformative. - Andrew Taylor (More Talent)

One of Australia’s most famous and loved personalities, Matt Preston

What’s a timeless principle of talent management?

Andrew: Putting the talent first. All too often I see, or I think I see people putting their own interests first and rarely does it end up a happy ending.

I also think transparency in the artist-manager relationship is extremely valuable. I would say pretty much critical.

James: In no order, you've got to have a good reputation, you've got to be punctual with your talent and you've got to have relationships that can benefit the talent. They're the three key pillars for me.

Lisa: Loyalty and integrity, not only to our talent but also extended to the client or third party. One of the things I've always prided myself and my company on is being fair and reasonable to deal with. I was once patronisingly told I was a ‘soft touch agent’, my response to that is to look the length and success of our talent and client relationships. Compromise and flexibility goes a long way in this industry.

In no order, you've got to have a good reputation, you've got to be punctual with your talent and you've got to have relationships that can benefit the talent. They're the three key pillars for me. - James Pitcher (Bravo Management)

How do you think the industry and your role has changed over time and what do you think the future looks like?

Henrie: In many ways, the role hasn't changed much at all in terms of being required to do everything from booking the car to the airport to negotiating a multimillion-dollar deal. But that keeps it interesting right?

What’s changed post COVID however, is that there's not an expectation to be at everything anymore. In the past, you would go to every single photoshoot, event etc. with the talent and hold their hand, that’s just not happening anymore though.

James: Something that will always remain constant within the industry is the importance of the honest and transparent relationship you have with your talent. That’ll never change.

What has changed however, is the amount of opportunity available for the talent to earn outside of their playing contracts. With that has come an added level of responsibility for talent managers to be selective with how companies and brands are able to engage with the talent.

That’s where a platform like acta is really beneficial, in that it vets talent bookers before they’re able to access the talent and present opportunities.

That’s where a platform like acta is really beneficial, in that it vets talent bookers before they’re able to access the talent and present opportunities. - James Pitcher (Bravo Management)

How do you stay sane and achieve longevity in this industry?

Andrew: For me, it's all about family time, exercise and maintaining perspective. It helps you respond to situations with a slightly more stoic perspective which is exactly what the talent needs.

James: Talent management is essentially a 24-7 job and really tests you, so for me you’ve got to be passionate about it. Whilst initially hard during the phase that you’re building a relationship with your talent, it’s also really important to learn to set boundaries that protect your personal life and down time, things like blocks on the weekend when you can spend time with the kids and family.

Lisa: You learn early that you can't sweat to the small stuff or more to the point you can't sweat the big stuff. You have to keep going, you have to let it go.

You may pour your blood, sweat and tears into negotiating a deal and then it all falls over at the 11th hour, which don’t get me wrong is absolutely devastating, but you've just got to resolve it and learn to move on.

What’s something that’s happened with a talent booking over the years that’s completely blown your mind either in a good or bad way?

Andrew: Jim Jeffries’ first ever arena show for sure. All we could book on the date that fit was the Brisbane Convention Centre on a Monday night, and we were absolutely petrified that we were going to turn up and there'd be a thousand people in this, 8,000-9,000 seat arena.

Luckily, when we put it on sale, it went bananas and sold out within a few hours.

I’ll also never forget when Jim turned up in the afternoon. He's looking at the setup and he goes, I've never done an arena before. What do we do? And I'm like, I don't know, mate. I've never done an arena either, we laughed, winged it and the rest is history.

Henrie: The work I've done with Matt Preston internationally has really blown me away. From food festivals and safaris in South Africa to being served the entire menu at restaurants. Oh and there was also that one time that Matt was brought down from the ceiling as an angel at the Nickelodeon Awards… that was an interesting one.

Crowds all around the globe go wild for comedian Jim Jeffries.

So, as we celebrate onboarding the 100th talent agency/management company onto acta, we hope you enjoyed hearing from some of the talent industry's most respected operators.

Once again, we thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to share a few timeless principles, provide insight into evolving industry dynamics, and even divulge a few of their most memorable experiences along their journey.

As always, you can find all the talent that are represented by these incredible managers and much more on acta’s marketplace, so go and check them out.

Looking to book talent? We'd love to assist!

Register today for exclusive access to the industry's leading talent booking platform – actaapp.com