It’s hard to be the nice guy in business but worth it. You’ll get taken advantage of and screwed over sometimes. But in the long run, you’ll filter out all the bad people, know who all the good people are, and have good relationship karma that has compounded to come back your way.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jake Webb.
Jake Webb is Entrepreneur, Producer, and the President/Co-Founder of Slash MGMT. Jake has independently produced multiple films, TV pilots, live comedy events, music videos, and applies his traditional Hollywood skills to his clients’ strategies in the digital world, including originally concepting the Spotify Original Podcast “Internet Urban Legends” that he later co-produced with Wheelhouse. As a manager, Jake specializes in building a comprehensive ecosystem; for example, he guided Nikita to launch her cosmetics brand Dragun Beauty in 2019 and then Executive Produced her docu-series for Snapchat, Nikita Unfiltered which garnered over 20M views in 2020.
Previously, Jake served on two Pitbull & Enrique tours and one tour with Kelly Clarkson as the sponsor and led entertainment marketing strategy for brand clients like Shell Gasoline, Cricket Wireless, & gay dating app Scruff. Jake’s eye for talent lies in untapped stories and uniqueness, most likely linked to his experience growing up abroad in countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan. Jake manages clients like Snitchery, Loey Lane, Hrush, Nikita Dragun, Laith Ashley, and Pressley Hosbach.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always wanted to be an entertainment executive who would cross the lines between strategy, producing, creative, and execution — a Jake of all Trades if you will. This vision naturally translated into talent management. However, I never knew I wanted to build a whole company (or a few…).
Up until a certain point, I’d worked in many different settings: large corporations, startups, companies going through mergers, so I had a lot of experience in assessing different types of company culture. I wasn’t happy at the talent management firm I was at the time and realized if I left, I’d risk jumping into another environment controlled by someone else’s leadership style. That’s when it clicked that for me to thrive in the environment I wanted, I’d need to create it myself. I wrote the business plan and ultimate vision for Slash MGMT & Slash Studios in the Weho Library — it was basically a free WeWork that validated parking! I had just broken my ankle, so I had plenty of downtime to work on the plan & vision.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
Slash launched successfully. We had a ton of momentum, started investing in the growth of our team, and then BOOM — a global pandemic shuts down business in general. That first month of the Covid lockdown was really scary and I truly worried if Slash would shut its doors. Luckily, after a small hit to the business, the world realized the value of digital and our industry thrived. It was definitely a roller coaster, but not necessarily one you’d want to ride again and again.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
Every challenge presents an opportunity, it’s just about redirecting your thoughts so you can see the opportunities in the moment. If you think this way, failure is really just a learning experience to keep improving your business as you KEEP GOING.
When you’re in the business of talent, it’s not just your employees who rely on you. Your talent depends on your support as well. Since our clients were the voices who would take their audiences through a difficult time and offer escape, the talent managers at Slash MGMT knew we had a responsibility to focus and find the opportunities in the moment to keep the business growing.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I booked a huge campaign with a major fashion brand that solely consisted of Slash MGMT clients in our first month of business. We had a huge commercial that even ran in Times Square — again all Slash clients. It was a good sign for a new business and I was proud!
What I didn’t know is that hackers search for new LLCs being filed because new companies are easier targets for cyber attacks. So when the brand was ready to pay Slash’s invoice after all the hard work, the payment was intercepted by phishers. Yup, somehow an over six-figure payment was sent to an unknown third-party hacker and offshore bank.
It was stressful, to say the least.
Luckily, we had security controls in place & the banks were able to get the money back. Had we not had any cyber security set up yet, it really could have been a big issue! We did implement extra accounting processes to ensure nothing like that would happen again & it hasn’t. The key lesson: love is in the details and the foundation of your business. Your accounting, your cyber security, your overall processes need to be airtight before you go to market. This ensures fewer mistakes & fire drills and thus, less stress!
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Slash MGMT has the most inclusive roster in the industry, not out of intention, but a reflection of our heart. We find ourselves attracted to personalities who feel unseen, have been the underdog, have been marginalized, and it’s our mission to empower those individuals to be seen, to win, and to build their own empires of longevity. Our goal is to build a better media ecosystem led by talent. We act differently because we think differently.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
It might sound trite but it’s simple! Life is about balance, so you have to carve out pieces of time for yourself to exercise, rest, and engage in hobbies outside of “work”. My escapes are workout classes, the gym, and reading. When you allow yourself to disconnect and recharge, you come back ready to be a better leader, strategic thinker, and have the energy to elevate your work.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
The biggest key to my success has been in the team I’ve built. We are tight-knit, we are a family, and we work hard / play hard. Again, I didn’t originally want to start a company, but I did want to work in a healthy work environment. One of my first bosses, Liz Coughlin, was my first mentor. She was someone who knew how to inspire & lead a team. Many of my other bosses later operated out of fear, but Liz led with an approach that was confident & fostered trust within the team. That trust and communication allowed us to work better & achieve more. I have aimed to recreate that sort of environment at Slash, thanks to Liz!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
As a mission-based company, we gravitate towards clients & projects that make the world a better place. For example, Slash actively identifies one project each quarter we can donate time & energy towards to supply digital consulting, talent seeding, volunteer days, and strategic partnership support to nonprofits. We’ve previously used our talent to partner with & support organizations like the LA LGBT Center, Downtown Women’s Center, Encircle, Camp Lightbulb, and various voting initiatives.
In 2022, we will announce the launch of a new initiative Slash is starting that will lead the charge to demand new inclusivity standards in the beauty industry. More to come on that.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my company” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- The best teams are the ones that know how to overcome conflict.
- Conflict resolution comes from trust, communication, and a shared goal to make the project better.
- In order to foster an environment for conflict resolution, everyone needs to let go of their ego. The project is owned by the team and the goal is to make it better, there are no egos in that equation.
- The only way around is through. So get the hardest task over without delay, it will be nice to relieve that lingering sense of dread.
- It’s hard to be the nice guy in business but worth it. You’ll get taken advantage of and screwed over sometimes. But in the long run, you’ll filter out all the bad people, know who all the good people are, and have good relationship karma that has compounded to come back your way.
Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder”?
Business is an infinite game (read the book by Simon Sinek on this concept to really get into it), which means there is no winner or ending. It just keeps going. So you have to think and build your company for the long-term. If you’re in it for a quick exit, then you’re not thinking the way a leader needs to build a sustainable company that can inspire a team and last for the ages. & if you successfully adopt this mindset, the lows are opportunities for learning and growth, the highs are a time to celebrate that growth, and you enjoy the whole adventure because that’s what it is.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Follow @slash_mgmt @slash_studios and @jakobwebb on Instagram and Slash MGMT & Jake Webb on LinkedIn.
You can also follow us on Twitter @slash_mgmt & @JakobWebb
This article was originally published on Authority Magazine by Angela Spirer. Read more from Authority Magazine.
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