Donnelle Branche

Talent Manager
Digital Brand Architects
Los Angeles, CA

What were some of your professional highlights of 2022?

2022 marked an incredible year for me as a Talent Manager. I signed diverse new talent to my roster, including Patricia Bright, Oyin Edogi, and Samo Frais, and secured partnership opportunities for my talent with leading brands, including American Express, Meta, Amazon, and Prada. One of my highlights from last year includes: securing a sizable amount of revenue for Black talent at Coachella. In addition to traditional brand deals, I also expanded my talent’s platforms beyond social media, successfully negotiating and executing deals for them in the podcast and TV spaces.

Above all, I am most proud to have opened up new opportunities for creators of color and helped bridge the racial pay gap within influencer marketing. I am fueled by the empowerment of Black creators and strive to continue advocating for proper representation of the Black diaspora within influencer marketing and the creator economy at large.

What was your biggest professional lesson of 2022?

I learned the art of balance. Between my professional and personal lives, I was struggling to balance time for my talent, my friends, my family, and myself! Due to the nature of my work and having close relationships with my talent, I found that the lines between personal and professional can often be blurred. Still, I made it a priority to ensure that my time was being allocated appropriately based on what was currently in front of me. I learned to take a step back, pinpoint the areas in my life that needed the most attention and prioritize from there. Balance is something that I will consistently work on throughout my career, but the lessons I’ve taken away from the last year will guide me moving forward.

Trusting the process was another big one for me this past year. Going into 2022, I had big goals and wanted to ensure that I’d meet them. Despite knowing how hard I was working consistently to achieve these goals, I often let my imposter syndrome get the best of me. I worked hard, made smart decisions, secured great deals for my talent, and effected change in my industry, all things I set out to do at the top of the year. Going into 2023, my mindset is much different. I am confident in my abilities to deliver and know that as long as I put my best foot forward, it will all work out!

What is your theme word for 2023?

Impact