Currents Management positions itself as the go-to talent firm for the creator economy’s elite influencers. Co-founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Cameron and Nilou Ajdari, the Los Angeles-based agency is carving out a niche providing full-service, 360-degree management tailored to marquee digital talents. Rather than just brokering brand deals, Currents embeds itself as a strategic partner that helps clients build multimedia businesses that can transcend social platforms. The firm is actively expanding its “rockstar team” of professionals dedicated to giving white-glove treatment and cultivation to talents they believe can become “one-of-a-kind, standout brands.”

The Ajdaris Saw a Gap for Full-Service Creator Support

The husband-and-wife team spotted an untapped need in the fledgling influencer economy. “There was a gap in the marketplace of that level of true management service,” says Cameron. “Genuine talent management, which we think is more strategic guidance, a deeper partnership with creators.”

Before Currents, Nilou managed some of YouTube’s biggest stars since 2013. She saw firsthand how top influencers benefited from hands-on support in building multimedia businesses. Cameron’s background in media strategy complemented his wife’s creator expertise.

“Her experience in the industry, paired with my background in media and business strategy, came together to create what we think is the perfect recipe for helping creators elevate their platforms,” he says.

Rather than simply brokering brand deals, Currents actively co-manages every client to chart their long-term trajectory. “We emphasize true partnership over just business,” states Cameron. “We’re not an agency that’s just working on branded partnerships. We go deep with the creators that we work with.”

The approach is resonating. Originally focused on YouTubers, Currents expanded to represent top influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms as the creator economy boomed. 

Currents Management’s 360 Approach for Creator Partners

When it comes to working with top digital talent, Currents Management takes an all-encompassing approach they call “360 management.” At the core is developing an overarching strategy for each creator client. “We offer what we call content strategy,” Cameron explains. “What is the mission and objective that our creators are focused on? And what is it that we’re going to do to get there?”

From that strategic foundation, Currents provides a comprehensive suite of services spanning branded partnerships, licensing, merchandising, product development, publishing, original series development across platforms, podcast launches, public relations, personal branding, and coaching.

“We help our clients procure, whether it be red carpet events or interviews with different press outlets,” Cameron says. “We help them think through what their personal brand is. And then overall, just kind of talent development, coaching, training, helping our clients improve their skills in the marketplace.”

The full-service approach is tailored for marquee influencers and creators who have broken through with singular voices and visions. The co-founder notes triple-threat talents with that “one-of-a-kind” appeal require white-glove treatment.

“If you are a truly one-of-a-kind talent, you require a certain level of service and a team that truly understands how to maximize and drive marketplace value for you,” he says. “We work on higher impact opportunities, higher impact campaigns. It may mean slightly lower volume, but bigger projects.”

According to Cameron, elite creators also hold their teams to higher standards. “The top-level creators have the highest bar for their team. They look for a team that has the same mindset, and that could match their energy or hopefully even exceed it.”

In selecting creator partners, Currents doesn’t follow hard metrics but instead looks for talents with unique perspectives, clear creative missions, and big ambitions that could benefit from professional management.

“We like to work with people who have meaningful missions,” Cameron reveals. “We tend to work with creators with really strong values who are authentically working towards something that’s inspiring.”

While every creator faces distinct challenges, the entrepreneur says one unifying hurdle is cutting through the immense noise and competition on social platforms. Having an experienced team to develop strategy, identify opportunities, and provide support allows creators to go all-in on their creative visions.

“When they have the right team come on board, they feel this level of confidence that what they’re building is sustainable and can be lucrative,” Cameron says. “They’re able to double down and focus and ultimately take what they’re doing even more seriously.”

Striking the Right Creative Balance for Brands

One of Currents Management’s most successful recent campaigns allowed creator clients to showcase their comedic talents while putting a creative spin on an important social message.

The campaign for Unisom centered around the “Great Sleep Divide” – the familiar struggle in many relationships where one partner falls asleep instantly while the other lies awake.

Currents creator duo Jon Bouffard and Alexandra Madison brought the relatable idea to life with their signature humor and knack for viral digital content. The resulting video was a massive hit, garnering over 10 million views across social platforms.

“It was kind of a major media event as well,” says Cameron, who credited the success to Currents’ approach of fostering truly collaborative creative partnerships between clients and brands.

“We push upfront in any partnership to make it very clear what the objectives of the campaign are,” he explains. “Then we make it abundantly clear that both parties can come together and agree upon a creative concept.”

Currents works closely with creators to develop detailed concepts and script outlines to get full buy-in before any content is produced. The firm sees itself as the connective tissue between talent and brand, translating creative visions into strategic executions that resonate with audiences.

“The biggest thing is us in the middle, playing our role correctly and helping to bridge the gap,” says Cameron. “Helping to translate their creative concept over to our brand partners in a way that makes everyone feel heard.” The Unisom campaign’s success demonstrated the impact of that collaborative approach.

Building the Premier Boutique Talent Firm

The creator economy is maturing, and Currents Management has set its sights on becoming the preeminent boutique talent firm for elite digital influencers.

“One of our biggest goals is scaling our team with some of the best,” Cameron reveals. “Not scaling to be the biggest, but very much scaling to be the best.”

Currents is actively hiring to expand its “rockstar team” of passionate professionals dedicated to giving creator clients comprehensive, meticulous service. The agency prides itself on providing a full suite of offerings.

“We can’t do it all ourselves,” says Cameron, reflecting on the early days as a husband-and-wife founding team. “We’ve been very careful to make sure we’re bringing on people who are truly passionate about talent, truly passionate about digital.”

Moving Beyond the Daily Grind

Currents’ ambitions extend far beyond the typical manager’s slate of brand partnerships and endorsement deals. Cameron sees an opportunity to facilitate bigger swings that allow creator partners to transcend social media stardom.

“We have a goal of working on truly one-of-a-kind projects,” he says. “Going above and beyond the day-to-day brand partnership and typical talent manager agency role.”

This year alone, Currents has produced co-branded merchandising capsule collections with creators and greenlit original scripted series. Moving forward, the firm hopes to launch standalone creator-owned product lines, secure unscripted TV show deals for top influencers, and guide more clients into areas like filmmaking.

The push into massively scalable brand extensions and new verticals is born from Cameron’s belief that elite creators deserve to control their own media empires in the same way traditional Hollywood talents do.

“Creators are the production company, the editors, the actors, the creative geniuses of their own platforms,” he states. “If someone is promoting something on their platform, it’s because they know what is going to work with their community.”

By treating its roster of digital luminaries as true creative partners, Currents aims to open up new realms of possibility and cement its standing as a vanguard firm in the creator renaissance.