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Hannah Holland
Words Hannah George
Founder and Managing Director of HLD Management, Hannah Holland loves to see women supporting women so it’s no surprise that her all-female led talent agency who works with models, reality tv stars and influencers, stands for that very thing. For the young entrepreneur, it’s far more about building a strong community of women who push each other than the money. Having only founded the agency in 2019, Holland speaks to WOTC about knowing when to be represented by an agent and why she’s all about pushing women.
Once upon a time, if we were speaking about the Entertainment industry, we would refer to actors and actresses - the ones who would grace our television screen in our favourite weekly shows and movies. The performers; singers and rappers. Now, Entertainment has expanded far beyond turning on your tv. Social media has created a platform for millions to enter into the industry and many have taken it by storm. Amid the early months of the global coronavirus pandemic, we saw Chinese video-sharing app TikTok go viral as quite literally the whole world began making making short video clips on the platform.
The Entertainment industry is digital now, giving the very women that Holland manages the opportunity to be new age entertainers. Social media influencer Demi Rose, reality tv sisters Eve and Jessica Gale and of course October issue’s guest editor Yvonne Victoria who is a social media influencer and feature girl Siân Carys Owen who is a DJ, are just some of the names on her roster at the agency.
Before beginning her own management company last year, she began working for a magazine ‘Time 66 magazine,’ where Demi Rose was one of the first cover girls, and inevitably where her journey with Demi Rose began. “I was a PA to Demi and I just noticed that I started to get better and better. Everyone was coming to me, instead of my actual manager and even my old boss, who's my biggest fan. I realised I really loved people branding - watching how people really progressed and helping them in their career.” Holland, not a fan of the spotlight, had a passion to see the girls that she managed on billboards, highly visible - in the public's attention. What fueled her interest in working in the entertainment industry was her sincere curiosity of the power of the media. “It's always interested me.”
It was not long before Holland felt the urge to take a leap of faith in her career. She left her position and started her own management company, HLD Management. She had no intention of taking any clients with her. “It was my director at the time who was like ‘I know Demi should come with you’ - so, Demi came with me.”
Whilst working her notice, Holland signed Harley Brash “in middle of Love Island!” she exclaimed. Her dedication was beginning to pay off. “when I left the job, I had Demi and Holly! I don't know if I felt as if it was just going to boom - I didn't know what to expect.”
Prior to working for a publication and running her own management company, Holland attended University. “I went to university and I left - I dropped out actually.” Having partially attended Manchester Met University, she realised that it just was not for her. “I really loved it. It just didn't work for me.” Funnily enough, one of her staff who is her Head of Creative also went to Manchester Met university with Holland and also didn’t finish.
Her resilient attitude meant that thoughts of giving up, even after leaving university were not on her mind and sitting down and doing nothing was not possible. “I DM’d every company imaginable and I DM’d 66 magazine, you know, they really fit with me. It is a bit quirky centric, I'm a bit centric and you have to be in this industry. I can't take anything too serious, too positive, even in a negative way. I sent them over a whole pitch. I was head of marketing. Then from there I started HLD and I don't really know what I thought it was going to turn into - now we're here a year and a half later!”
Holland highlights that when she was a marketing manager it was “stressful,” as she quickly learnt that quite a few men (there) didn't necessarily like to be managed by a woman. “That’s not a generalised statement, that was just my experience, which is why I chose an all female company, because I just felt that, you know, sometimes men don't realise that women are a bit more sensitive.”
Finding the right staff is a priority for Holland as she wants to ensure that they will all be attentive to the girls needs. “Management is like marketing with the people,” she states.
“I knew what I wanted, and I just kept going.”
Holland’s dedication to her clients and her uncompromisingly positive lifestyle, is part of her success and what makes her great at what she does. “We are there from every single aspect, from if there's a death in the family, if they have a break-up, to the highs, the lows and that's kind of how I wanted my management company to be - all women, really powerful, joined together.” Holland does what she can to unify and encourage the women around her. “Now we have a group chat with all the girls and friends that really support each other.”
“Women supporting women is just something I've always really had a strong belief in.”
“We call ourselves the sisterhood. It describes us a bit more because we are all girls, except for Joe, who is like my right-hand man. We are not sexist, but we only manage women.” Holland possesses strong family values which are expressed in many aspects of her leadership and amongst the women she works with.“ Last night, we had Siân, who, for her, it was her first time on KISS and all the girls all tuned in and everyone did stories and that's kind of how it is.”
Everyone in business is there to make money but you can make money and care.” Holland understands that the careers of those she manages are in her hands. ”Focused from the start, she ensures they prepare a three-months plan for them. “Everyone looks at the celebrity, but we are like the team to ensure they really push themselves to the maximum.”
It is evident that Holland had a vision, and she ran with it. “I think especially if you have your own company as well, like you would eat, sleep, breathe what you do.” She mentioned, “my screen saver on my phone is all about goals, like all of our goals as a company. We've ticked off a few, so I've covered up some… I'm a big believer in manifestation.” She emphasised that she stares at the goals on her phone everyday - even if she is having a bad day! She truly wants the best for everyone around her.
When asked what advice she would give to women in the same generation as herself. She hesitated for a couple of seconds and then stated “I think you have to be smart when starting a business and make sure it's an original idea. It's hard to have an original idea now. We're in such an oversaturated market of everything.” She continued “I learnt a lot of things as I went, but I spent a very long time figuring that out. For anyone even my age, the best advice I can give is do your research and then start and don't expect that it's all going to go well straight away. You might read a billion books or read Richard Branson's story. Everyone's story is so unique and different, which is why your company would succeed.”
Faced with rejections, closed doors and many no’s, she explains “There's been a million times where brands have said “no” to me or “no” to my clients, but we were one of the first to do a shoot that we own those image rights to and show those to the press and have those girls really being shown in a different light. We really invest in our clients.”
“I guess the best advice to give is follow your passion, but be smart about it. Put everything you've got into it.” She didn't have a lot of money to start off with but now she invests into everything they do. “At the start it was just me and my two clients and some micro-influencers. Joe started in my Kitchen. We had our first office, and our first office was this 50 square foot box and I could literally do a lunge to the end of the wall. Our clients like being part of the family and they can call us at any time and believe me they do - there's no cut off and that's fine.”
On being represented by agency as an influencer Holland explains, “it's very different now. Starting off as an influencer, you don't want to have management straight away. You want to really find your aesthetic. The only niche now is aesthetic. I think you find your identity, you keep working and you start engaging with your audience, even from a thousand followers there's nothing wrong with replying and commenting on other girls' photos - that's how you build it and you find friends within that same bubble.”
“I think it's just building that aesthetic and then once you kind of get a certain level of followers - put yourself out there. Make yourself a little media pack. We have so many girls come to us with media packs, and I'm so impressed when I see it. I'm like, you know who you are as a person. When you are your own influencer, you are your own brand. You know who you are as a person, you know your stats and you are posting around those stats. If you've got a busy audience at 3 pm, you should definitely post on Wednesday at 3 pm. If your deadest audience is at nine o'clock, why will you ever post at nine? It does not make sense. You go with the algorithms and things like that. I think only get a manager once you realise that you feel like you can’t do any more on your own and you need the next step. Otherwise, you're losing a percentage before you have even begun as management takes a percentage. I think it has to feel right for them and they know that that's the next logical step and that's how they're going to grow. Especially on the PR side of things. Bernicia Boateng, she killed it! She knew exactly the right time to get a manager or PR to, like, push it to that next step.”