We were lucky to catch up with Darlene Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Darlene, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I started my career in music working in tech – I was first an intern at Apple Music and grew to lead Latin Music Business Partnerships. From there, I moved on to TikTok to oversee the Latin Music Business for North America. In both roles, I saw how big the learning curve was for Latin music artists to understand these digital platforms, and how much less access to resources and knowledge they have compared to mainstream and general market artists.

Understanding that gap meant that I was in the perfect position to explain digital platforms to Latin artists, and explain Latin artists within these digital/tech spaces. I realized during my time at TikTok that I could do more for artists by working with them than I could being inside the building.

So, I launched my digital marketing agency, Evoke Creative, with the mission to thrive at the intersection of Culture and Technology. The mission is to use the power of digital platforms to create the impact that resonates with fans and attracts new audiences through the curation of evocative content and culturally authentic campaigns. The ethos is to evoke Latin culture in the digital age and usher our presence on a global level. This all starts by making us aware of what tools and opportunities are out there to use and share our music, culture, artists and more.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a first-gen kid of immigrants, the first goal I had was to go to college. After that, I was left to my own devices to figure out how to build a career for myself. So, I decided to go to grad school! I wanted to work in Entertainment, so in 2016 I started at USC Annenberg in the Strategic Public Relations program. After internships for the Los Angeles Rams, Universal Pictures and El Rey Network, I landed an internship on the Latin music team at Apple Music and that kickstarted my career in music. I spent five years at Apple, helping to grown the Latin music business globally and overseeing the music business partnerships for the US. Working for Apple was one of the biggest milestones in my career – I never thought I would work in tech or in music. I was a part of many moments in Latin music, from album releases from artists like Bad Bunny, to launching emerging artist campaigns with artists like Natanael Cano.

In 2022, I made the jump to TikTok as the Artist Partnerships Lead for Latin, and eventually absorbed Label Relations and Programming, so I oversaw the Latin Music Business for North America. My time leading the business helped me to structure a holistic strategy that helped Latin artists align with one of the biggest tech platforms on the planet to help globalize the genre. During my time at TikTok, I championed artists like Fuerza Regida, Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera – leveraging TikTok’s platform to scale Mexican music globally.

Now, I am applying my experience and expertise to building out my first business, Evoke Creative. Within the first six months of launch, Evoke Creative became an official TikTok Creator Agency & Shop Partner. Now, we specialize in live streams and live stream shopping for music artists, releases, and moments. Evoke Creative is also one of few Latina-owned TikTok agency partners, and the only one with an expertise in live streaming for music. In our first year, Evoke Creative produced a live stream for global Mexican music band Fuerza Regida’s album 111XPANTIA. We had over 215K unique viewers, sold close to 2K albums, and broke the platform’s records for the most registered users of any TikTok LIVE. It defined the agency’s lane in this new e-commerce space and we were able to build a pipeline for Latin artists and creators to thrive in this space. Additionally, we offer digital workshops and trainings for small businesses and independent artists who need to learn about social media and platform strategy.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Our first winter, there were no clients. The music industry gets pretty quiet from mid-November through the beginning of the year, and I was worried about acquiring clients. I started to question if I had to apply for jobs and scrap the business. I remember crying to my mom, who is also a small-business owner. I had savings that could cover my expenses, but it was worrisome. It challenged me to think outside the box and I reach out to various partners, contacts and former colleagues to promote my services and look for opportunities. I was referred to a few folks as well and was able to acquire clients for the first quarter, but it taught me to have a backup plan.

This year, I have already started planning for the Winter timeframe. Evoke Creative has expanded to manage creators who want to sell third-party brand products for a commission. Now, we work with brands like Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Viyant Beauty, Sarelly, and more. While music releases slow down during the holiday period, online sales and holiday shopping ramp up into the new year, which is the perfect opportunity to keep fueling operations and growing our digital footprint when not focused on music.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Running your own business means losing the shame – it means embracing the meaning of “closed mouths don’t get fed.” One of my seasoned industry friends once told me, “tienes que perder la pena,” (translation: you need to lose the shame) when it came to being independent. Once you no longer have a big brand or company backing you, you have to ask, call, meet, follow up, and leave no stone unturned to get a client or to get the time to pitch your services. Most people are supportive and excited, but some need some convincing and multiple conversations. Some folks may doubt you, but if you don’t advocate for your business, you are not giving yourself the chance to be successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: evokeculture.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/instadar
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/darlenelopez
• Other: tiktok.com/@evokecreativeagency