Emma Grede

Well, you know, probably. You know, maybe they should have ushered that introduction slightly more, but hey-ho. Yeah, I just called her. At that time, you know... At that time, Chris wasn't the Chris of now. She was still extremely famous. I remember when we went for lunch, there was like a little crowd forming outside. But it was very different from how it is today.

Well, you know, probably. You know, maybe they should have ushered that introduction slightly more, but hey-ho. Yeah, I just called her. At that time, you know... At that time, Chris wasn't the Chris of now. She was still extremely famous. I remember when we went for lunch, there was like a little crowd forming outside. But it was very different from how it is today.

Amazing. You know, but also like not in that way that when you go and meet someone, for me, it was just like meeting any other manager, agent, publicist. And of course, it was Chris and she was, you know, on the show. And so I had an understanding of who she was. But also I was trying to get something done. You know, I would have been doing some type of endorsement and trying to, you know,

Amazing. You know, but also like not in that way that when you go and meet someone, for me, it was just like meeting any other manager, agent, publicist. And of course, it was Chris and she was, you know, on the show. And so I had an understanding of who she was. But also I was trying to get something done. You know, I would have been doing some type of endorsement and trying to, you know,

get some information about whatever it was that, you know, I was working on at the time. So it was just like a means to an end. Wherever I would go at that point in my life, you know, I was meeting with managers, agents, publicists all the time. And that was part of my job and part of what I did on behalf of brands.

get some information about whatever it was that, you know, I was working on at the time. So it was just like a means to an end. Wherever I would go at that point in my life, you know, I was meeting with managers, agents, publicists all the time. And that was part of my job and part of what I did on behalf of brands.

So it was a really interesting time for me, actually, because there was this big shift. And what I'd done in the agency was built this, you know, entertainment marketing agency. And we really kind of sat at the intersection of where, like, brands and entertainment get together. So film product placement, endorsement deals, influencer packages.

So it was a really interesting time for me, actually, because there was this big shift. And what I'd done in the agency was built this, you know, entertainment marketing agency. And we really kind of sat at the intersection of where, like, brands and entertainment get together. So film product placement, endorsement deals, influencer packages.

And that was, like, the very early days of influencers. We were calling them bloggers at that time, right? Yeah. So the agency was growing and I'd opened an office in New York that was really doing like the majority of the business and it was fantastic. So the business become very kind of US facing from a client base point of view. And then this idea of like.

And that was, like, the very early days of influencers. We were calling them bloggers at that time, right? Yeah. So the agency was growing and I'd opened an office in New York that was really doing like the majority of the business and it was fantastic. So the business become very kind of US facing from a client base point of view. And then this idea of like.

talent-based equity deals kind of like raised its head. And I've read something about Ashton Kutcher taking, I don't know, equity in some Silicon Valley startup. And I started to get calls. And people would always phone me when they wanted to put an A-list talent in a fragrance ad, for example. But people started calling me and saying, hey, we've got this startup.

talent-based equity deals kind of like raised its head. And I've read something about Ashton Kutcher taking, I don't know, equity in some Silicon Valley startup. And I started to get calls. And people would always phone me when they wanted to put an A-list talent in a fragrance ad, for example. But people started calling me and saying, hey, we've got this startup.

We'd be willing to give X, Y, and Z 10% of this thing for an endorsement. And I was like, well, that's interesting. how do I commission that, right? Because usually I would be getting paid a percentage of whatever cash was taking, was crossing hands. So for me, it was this new, interesting part of the business that I had to figure out how to monetize. So fast forward, I did a couple of deals.

We'd be willing to give X, Y, and Z 10% of this thing for an endorsement. And I was like, well, that's interesting. how do I commission that, right? Because usually I would be getting paid a percentage of whatever cash was taking, was crossing hands. So for me, it was this new, interesting part of the business that I had to figure out how to monetize. So fast forward, I did a couple of deals.

And instead of, you know, taking a piece of equity, like, you know, because at the end of the day, my agency wasn't in that way, shape or form. It wasn't figured out that we could like bring equity into the business. Like, where does that go? That wouldn't go to me. That would go to the shareholder base. It would then mean nothing to anybody. So I was like, do you know what? flat fee.

And instead of, you know, taking a piece of equity, like, you know, because at the end of the day, my agency wasn't in that way, shape or form. It wasn't figured out that we could like bring equity into the business. Like, where does that go? That wouldn't go to me. That would go to the shareholder base. It would then mean nothing to anybody. So I was like, do you know what? flat fee.

And so I did a bunch of deals with a bunch of talents and I'd say, you're going to pay me a couple of hundred thousand dollars. I'm going to work out for X to take 10% of your company. And I did three that were very, very successful. Then what happened is I kind of sat back and I was like, wow, it's so interesting. And I remember this company reporting some Just reporting some numbers.

And so I did a bunch of deals with a bunch of talents and I'd say, you're going to pay me a couple of hundred thousand dollars. I'm going to work out for X to take 10% of your company. And I did three that were very, very successful. Then what happened is I kind of sat back and I was like, wow, it's so interesting. And I remember this company reporting some Just reporting some numbers.

And I was like, I cannot believe that they've gone from there to there. And in my head, I made a direct correlation between the talent that had been brought into that company. It was Pharrell Williams at the time. And I was like, wow, because Pharrell did this thing, the value of the company jumped like this. I got my little couple of hundred grand and wasn't incentivized.

And I was like, I cannot believe that they've gone from there to there. And in my head, I made a direct correlation between the talent that had been brought into that company. It was Pharrell Williams at the time. And I was like, wow, because Pharrell did this thing, the value of the company jumped like this. I got my little couple of hundred grand and wasn't incentivized.