We were lucky to catch up with Jen Proctor recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

Prior to launching my company, I was in house at a large production company- handling all their talent development and talent booking. I was handling an insane number of projects and shows all by myself and I knew there was a way I could do it on my own. I wanted my own terms, my own rates and also the ability and flexibility to say yes when I wanted to, and no to projects that didn’t align with my interests. My first client ended up being my former employee. I have a wonderful relationship with them and there was never any bad blood. Rather, I was and continue to be fully supported by them in pursuing my own business and dreams.

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 always wanted to be in the Entertainment Industry. Since I was a little girl, I was a singer and dancer- anything and everything that had to do with entertainment, I was in. When I got to college at USC, I decided to pursue a degree in communication and journalism. I had already spent most my years studying music and always felt at home on the stage; journalism seemed like the perfect angle for the my career beyond music. Upon graduating, I jumped right into the industry and held jobs over the years at agencies, networks and production companies. I worked across all types of talent deals from simple appearances for promotion all the way to complex multi-layered deals. I always loved the beautiful balance of negotiating and business with the creative side. It was the only way I wanted to exist in my career. In launching Cultivated Entertainment, I did just that.
Cultivated Entertainment is a full service talent booking agency- we provide services across all things talent, such as research and ideation, outreach and confirmation, negotiations and tracking of deliverables. We tow that beautiful line between transactional deal making and working with talent teams on bespoke creative. Our clients range from networks and production companies to brands and events. No two project are the same and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am beyond proud of the space we have carved for ourselves in this industry. We are experts across all sectors of talent such as celebrity, musician, athlete, lifestyle, thought leader, creators, influencers and beyond. We work with them all and bring them opportunities across all sectors of media and entertainment. There is no one out there that has the breadth and depth of both services and knowledge across multiple spaces like us.

The most important thing to me in running a business is doing work that exceeds all expectations, and doing it with a smile. We take immense pride in being good people and working with folks who also posses that quality, and I know that sets us apart.

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

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, I wasn’t sure if we would make it through. All of our projects were at a stand still as productions haulted, live events stopped and no one was appearing in anything. We quickly pivoted, and, working with some of our favorite producing partners, we were able to create and book talent for a multitude of things like Celebrity Substitute, Dear Class of 2020 and The Primetime Emmys (which were entirely remote).

We not only made it through the pandemic with flying colors, but as a company we grew in knowledge, size and skills that have enabled us to adapt to nearly any situation- such as the current strikes happening with the writers and actors.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Cultivated Entertainment was launched and continues to be completely funded and supported by me as the CEO and Founder. We have never raised capital or sought out investors or acquisitions. The only thing that mattered and continues to matter, is how much I believe in myself, my team and our work. As a leader, when things are hard or business is slower, I am directly impacted by that. I know this is what makes me a great leader; I am in this with every part of me and in the trenches for every negotiation and building out future plans.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cultivatedent.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultivatedentertainment/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cultivatedent/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-proctor-55405b10/

Image Credits
@jess_isaac (for office photos) @paigeraycreative (for headshot and group shot)