Gaming and digital media veterans Mike Lee and Darren Yan have joined together to launch ISO, a talent management firm that specializes in representing the hottest commodities in marketing and media these days: creators and livestreaming personalities.
“What we’re trying to build is something that is dedicated to the digital creator,” Lee tells Variety.
“If we really believe the next household name is going to come from the internet, then why aren’t all of our services optimized toward that internet star? We kept thinking, what if we were to actually blow everything up and we didn’t have an office and we weren’t spending millions of dollars on rent and theaters and showcases? Because our clients aren’t asking us for that,” Lee says. “There are no gatekeepers when it comes to digital media. It’s not four networks. It’s not seven channels. The gatekeepers are just the algorithms that feed your timelines. That’s what’s so incredible about working in this space.”
“All of our clients are like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna break some eggs the way that we’re going to do it, and if you guys want to ride with us then you’re going to ride with us.’ That’s always been what we’ve always attached ourselves to. What they want when they look for partners or representation is who’s going to be able to move with us and say to our crazy ideas ‘This is possible.’ Because the talent that we work with will say, ‘Well, if it’s not you guys, then we’re going to do it ourselves. We don’t need a label, we don’t need a studio, we don’t need any of that. We have the money, we have the ingenuity, and whether or not you’re going to support us, we’re still going to build it and we’re going to win.’ ”
Influence Media Partners is based in New York and specializes in developing and acquiring premium music and entertainment IP. Influence is supported by strategic partnerships with funds and accounts managed by private equity giant BlackRock. The interest in the digital native arena by one of the world’s biggest private equity firms is a sign of the times that Lee and Yan intend to capitalize on.
ISO staffers gather to mark the company’s formal launch
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“At Influence, we look to invest in partners who bring an innovative approach to the business of culture and entertainment. Mike, Darren and the team at ISO are reimagining talent representation for a creatoreconomy that has fundamentally transformed how audiences are built, culture is shaped and revenue is generated,” said Lylette Pizarro, founder and co-managing partner of Influence Media Partners. “ISO’s playbook directly aligns with our values and investment philosophy, and we’re excited tosupport their growth.”
“We really have three pillars main pillars of the business: Talent driven by Mike’s team, our brand business and our music practice, which is artist management consulting,” Yan says.
“The way we think about it is, every six months there is a new defecting faction out of some talent agency starting their own management company. And largely it is for very common reasons. The way we looked at it was, how do we prevent that from happening? How do we retain great talent, not just on our roster but our employees,” Lee says. “We don’t want to get to a point where we’re building this business with them, and then four or five years later they’re going to feel exactly how we felt, that we could own our own book of business and go somewhere else and make you know a lot more money that way. For us, we want to create an environment where [employees] feel like they can do that with a group of people that they trust. They’ll have stability but be making multiples of what they could make anywhere else.”
(Pictured: ISO founders Darren Yan and Mike Lee)
