We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Idalia Salsamendi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Idalia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

One of the reasons I left Corporate America and started my own boutique agency was so that everyone that works with my company, Idalia INC, can have that one-on-one personal experience. We focus on quality not quantity – meaning we only work with those that are willing and able to put in the hard work it takes to succeed in this industry. We treat everyone as individuals and focus on their specific needs and wants. The beautiful thing about this work is seeing talent evolve throughout the years, and how that reflects not only in their business but also their personal life.

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.

I grew up in the entertainment industry—by the age of eight I was already in various TV shows and commercials. It wasn’t until after I graduated college that I started to dip my toes into the fashion industry and started working more behind the scenes. When I started managing top models 13+ years ago, I instinctively knew that ‘bloggers’ were going to be the next big piece in this marketing/advertising puzzle, so I started managing them. Imagine, this was right at the precipice of the industry. I was part of the management team for Chiara Ferragni, Rumi Neely, Julie Sarinana, Shea Marie… the real ‘OGs’ in this industry. From there, I left corporate America to start my own company, Idalia Inc. and break more of the glass ceilings I was encountering.

Since its inception in 2016, we’ve done business strategy for the most sought-after talent in the fashion industry including Chriselle Lim, Marianna Hewitt, and Brittany Xavier. We’ve also have done social media and campaign strategy for the most prestigious of brands like Chopard, Valentino and L’Oreal.

We take tremendous pride in the work that we do because we have such close relationships with everyone that signs with us – talent and brands alike.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One thing I always tell anyone that asks me what’s the secret to success is that they have to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work. Nothing compares to being in the trenches. It simply sets you up for greatness.

In today’s culture where social media really does distort what success means, and how to actually attain it, anyone starting the industry (or already in it) need to take a step back to realize it’s more smoke and mirrors than the actual truth.

A personal example of mine dates back to the middle of the recession circa 2009 when I was working at a bar in Los Angeles at night to make ends meet. During the day from 9am-6pm I was interning at a modeling agency (ahem, back in the day internships were non-paid) and then from 7pm-12am I would be working at the bar. This one experience re-instilled in my mind that if you want something, make no excuses and go get it. I believe in the power of dreams, and I believe that everyone does have that innate resilience in them. Sometimes it just needs to be dusted off the shelf and put to work.

So to anyone reading this that may be doubting the power the have within themselves – please don’t.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting has to be one of the greatest skills any worker or entrepreneur can attain. You always have to be vigilant on not only where the industry is headed, but also where you personally want to be headed as well.

When I started managing models, this thing called “blogging” had just started and I was noticing that some of the girls doing it were being paid to promote brands. I remember going to the president of the agency I was at with a presentation on why we should start a Blogging Division. Unfortunately back in 2010, they were not keen on the idea at all. As in, I was shot down before I could even rebuddle my case. I knew I had to leave. In my gut I knew that the industry was shifting, and I had to jump on this wave and quick.

That’s where I switched over to NEXT eventually moving to NYC to head their Talent Division. Because I pivoted and because of my unwavering foresight, I can now say I’m one of the first five managers in the world to ever represent influencers/bloggers/instagrammers. This is one of the key things that makes not only myself but my company so unique in this space – we’re thought leaders, we’re ahead of the curve, and we’re always looking for what’s next.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.idaliainc.com
• Instagram: idaliasalsamendi
• Linkedin: Idalia Salsamendi

Image Credits
images: personal archive