Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nathalie Dortonne. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Nathalie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?
When I look back at my career—or better yet, careers—you could say it was one big failure. Let me explain.
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and my upbringing in the city’s vibrant, diverse culture sparked my love for storytelling from a young age. I entered the University of Florida bright-eyed and certain I’d be a journalist. First I thought investigative reporting was my path, then internships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Florida House of Representatives and Politico convinced me I’d be a political reporter. Eventually, I landed what seemed like my dream role at CNN International/CNN en Español in Atlanta. My first major story—on “the dangers of poverty porn”—made the CNN homepage, garnered international recognition, and is still cited to this day.
But instead of building on that momentum, I pivoted. I left journalism to chase my dream of writing for TV and film—my love of screenwriting started to bloom after I took a “Blacks in Film” class my senior year at UF (I have a minor in African American Studies!). I was drawn to comedy in particular because I loved how you could talk about serious subjects but do so in a way that made people laugh. While developing sitcom scripts, I worked with director Joshua Marston on Come Sunday, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor. I was also involved with the BET+ series “Bigger,” produced by Will Packer, and worked on productions featuring talents like Daniel Radcliffe and Teyana Taylor. I earned praise and respect, but when it came time to move up, doors kept closing. You know the saying: sometimes when you’re too good at your current role, people don’t want to let you grow beyond it? That was me. It was frustrating and honestly disheartening—I felt invisible, like no matter how hard I worked, I’d always be the dependable assistant but never the creative voice. Eventually, I realized no one was going to move me up the ladder—I had to step up myself. Even my role at Capital Arts Entertainment as a producer’s assistant/executive assistant to Mike Elliott taught me invaluable lessons about producing, particularly through work on numerous Universal 1440 productions with budgets under $5 million—lessons I now apply to commercial and branded projects at Celine Media Group.
At the time, walking away felt like failure. But in hindsight, it was the start of a new chapter. That pivot opened doors I never expected: motherhood, entrepreneurship, winning The Mamie & Jimmie Collier Writing Fellowship, and even seeing one of my scripts “La Sirene” produced off-Off Broadway. I also had the chance to meet with an executive/producer from Atomic Monster—the team behind The Conjuring and Annabelle—who showed interest in my psychological horror thriller rooted in Haitian Vodou and real-life history, validating my voice as a first-generation Haitian American storyteller. Separately, my drama script advanced to the top 10 out of 1,400 entries in the 2024 Fox Writers Incubator program and earned glowing remarks from a Fox Network Drama executive. My scripts also consistently ranked in the top 1–10% of national competitions, demonstrating my ability to craft stories that resonate with audiences and industry professionals alike.
These experiences not only reinforced my creative confidence but also helped shape the storytelling and strategic thinking I bring to Celine Media Group, giving me a unique perspective on how to help clients tell compelling stories and grow their brands. I still plan to keep writing and producing my own projects, though now I’ve expanded the mediums I work in. I was also fortunate to be part of the inaugural cohort of Unlock Her Potential mentees, a selective mentorship program founded by Sophia Chang, and was mentored by Jon Rubinstein, CEO of Authentic Talent & Literary Management. It was meaningful to connect with industry leaders and gain perspective that informs my work today. What at the time felt like defeat actually turned out to be failing forward. It gave me the foundation to create Celine Media Group and fully embrace the creativity and freedom I thrive in today. Every closed door taught me how to build my own.
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.
Before I launched Celine Media Group, I worked at Jukin Media (later acquired by Trusted Media Brands) as a Creator Partnerships Manager. My role was to source DIY clips for Family Handyman’s new streaming platform and acquire content for flagship brands like People Are Awesome, The Pet Collective, and FailArmy. This was my first deep dive into licensing and partnerships. Prior to that, I had only begun scratching the surface as a film/TV researcher, often searching Jukin’s library for clips to use in commercials. So when the opportunity arose to join Jukin and build long-term relationships with creators, it felt like the perfect move.
I loved connecting with creators from all walks of life and offering them a way to make passive income. But I began noticing a troubling trend: I was signing far fewer Black creators compared to white creators. At the same time, I realized that thousands or even millions of views didn’t automatically translate into money. The real value was in licensing and strategic partnerships. I often use the HGTV analogy—those couples with million-dollar budgets where one person walks dogs and the other stays home. It’s not magic—it’s licensing and deals. I was tired of seeing Black creators miss out on their share and wanted to help them understand how to profit from their work.
That chance came sooner than expected. After multiple rounds of layoffs at Jukin, my role was outsourced overseas. I took it as a sign to finally work for myself. Transitioning from two incomes to one was an adjustment, but my husband supported me while I took the leap. That’s how Celine Media Group was born.
At first, I focused on branding, partnerships, and reputation management. But as the advertising and partnerships landscape grew more fickle, I pivoted into web design. I quickly discovered how much I loved helping small business owners bring their vision to life online. From there, I expanded into content creation, SEO, commercial production, and eventually built a full IT support suite and post-production studio—powered in part by my husband, Edson H. Philippe, a Senior Software Engineer featured in Business Insider. Together, we provide both marketing and tech solutions under one roof.
What sets us apart is that Celine Media Group isn’t just a marketing agency—it’s a tech and marketing powerhouse. We make complex things simple. Our services range from domain and hosting setup, web design and development, to custom AI-powered Augmented Reality filters, paid media advertising, PPC campaigns, SMS mobile marketing, and data-driven retargeting that helps clients reach their exact niche audience. We even design mobile apps. On the tech side, Edson leads with deep expertise—he holds a bachelor’s in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida and a master’s in Computer Science from Georgia Tech, specializing in computing systems. There’s virtually no problem too complicated for him to solve; he even built an online face-blurring application to protect privacy in user-generated content (available on the Celine Media Group website).
Our client list is steadily growing and diverse, including a dance/aerial fitness studio, a physical therapy practice, a sacred death practitioner, and a home healthcare company. What sets us apart is dependability. Business doesn’t always fit neatly into a 9–5 schedule, and when something urgent happens—whether it’s an email server crashing after hours or a scheduling glitch on a client’s app—I make sure they can count on us to step in quickly and resolve it.
I believe in treating people how you want to be treated, and I bring warmth and dependability to every project. (Fun fact: I was once asked to step in as an intimacy coordinator on a production because of the trust I’d built with the cast and crew!)
I’m most proud of the positive impact our work has on clients—whether it’s solving a tech issue that keeps their business running or producing a video that captures their brand perfectly. Seeing them satisfied with our services is truly priceless. I also value our reputation management work, because your online footprint follows you forever, and maintaining it is crucial for growth.
At its core, Celine Media Group blends creativity with reliability. We’re here to help small businesses and underrepresented creators not just show up, but thrive in the digital space. That mission drives me every day as both a founder and a storyteller.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Pre-pandemic (2016–2019), I was working as a producer’s assistant with dreams of becoming a screenwriter. I thought I was on the right track—after several years, I expected to finally step into an associate producer role, which would give me stability while I pursued writing opportunities. I was already helping to crew up productions, managing standing sets, and acting as a liaison between producers, crew, and executives.
In 2018, I had written, directed, and produced my own series, Aaron & Kadeem. This powerful coming-of-age story follows two childhood friends from Atlanta, whose brotherly bond faces a crossroads when they must choose what’s best for their families. Their destinies take an unexpected turn, reuniting them as adults in a way they never imagined. We self-funded the project and purchased our own state-of-the-art equipment, which allowed us full creative control. Through this project, my producing partner and I aimed to create high-quality films that entertain, inspire, and offer thought-provoking perspectives —while giving a voice in media to the Black diaspora. This remains our goal to this day. My husband—now Chief Technology Officer of Celine Media Group—served as camera operator, director of photography, and producer on the project. We are not strangers to betting on ourselves and building from the ground up.
Not long after, I became pregnant with my daughter and worried about how motherhood would affect my career in TV/film. I’d seen firsthand how women were dismissed—one supervisor interviewed a candidate for a travel coordinator role, then tossed out her resume the moment she left, saying she “wouldn’t be dedicated” because she had kids. Between moments like that and the grueling hours, I was scared of what the future might look like.
My last show wrapped a week before my daughter was born in September 2019, and soon after, the pandemic hit. For the first time since 2015, I was out of work. I went from twelve-hour days and being “on call” to being at home 24/7 with a newborn and navigating postpartum. It wasn’t the career trajectory I’d imagined for myself at 26—passed over for promotions, ghosted by a showrunner who had promised me my first writer’s assistant role, and lacking the credits I expected by 26 was discouraging.
I took on occasional freelance work, including writing an unreleased episode for The System, Kim Kardashian’s criminal justice podcast (I had been booked for multiple episodes), and a commercial spot featuring Olympian Aliphine Tuliamuk for Hoka One One’s global Time To Fly campaign. But I didn’t want to return to set just to be an assistant. I needed something sustainable—something that allowed me to build a career while being present for my daughter.
Out of the blue, I was offered a film/TV researcher position I hadn’t even applied for on LinkedIn. That role led to a position in Ongoing Partnerships, where I discovered the world of content licensing and brand partnerships. I fell in love with the work—helping creators find passive income and showing businesses how to grow through strategic partnerships. What began as me testing the waters and trying to see what would stick unexpectedly grew into a true passion. Those early lessons taught me to create opportunities for myself, which is why I now thrive across multiple roles at Celine Media Group.
By 2023, after another career pause (thanks to a layoff and broken big toe that forced me off my feet for months!), I finally took the leap and launched Celine Media Group. Today, as Founder, CEO, and Marketing Director, I get to merge creativity with strategy to help minority-owned businesses thrive, while also having the flexibility to take my daughter to her activities and be home with our 6-month-old son.
What once felt like a setback—missed promotions, rejections, and an unexpected layoff—became the foundation for the freedom and purpose I have now. I’m not just a stay-at-home mom; I’m an entrepreneur, marketing director, web designer, wife, autism mom advocate, writer, and filmmaker. Being multi-hyphenate is my strength, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
One of my most challenging—yet most rewarding—marketing experiences was handling a reputation crisis for one of my clients, Pink Poles Studios (also known as Pink Dance & Aerial Studio). They had launched a “Mommy and Me” class, and almost overnight it sparked a firestorm online. The criticism spread quickly, and their brand’s reputation was on the line.
While the situation was stressful for the client, my role wasn’t to panic—it was to rebuild trust and take control of the narrative. I immediately wrote and published a blog post on their website that addressed misconceptions and presented their perspective clearly. It was a calculated move, because in moments like that, one wrong word can backfire, but I trusted my gut to jump in front of the media circus before the internet think-pieces grew legs. Because of that, my post became the first thing people saw when they Googled the controversy. Soon after, outlets like People Magazine were reaching out to us for interviews, which I coordinated. Over time, the negative ledes were pushed down and buried under more favorable press.
But I didn’t stop there. I also secured one of the viral ‘Mommy and Me’ videos in the Jukin Media licensing library—the largest distributor of user-generated content in the world. That was huge, because not only did it create a stream of passive income for my client, but it also flipped the narrative: a clip that critics had used to attack the studio could now be licensed by major ad agencies, TV shows, news organizations, and digital publishers. It sent a powerful message that the studio was in control of its story.
And reputation management is only one piece of the job. I had previously re-designed the studio’s website and continue to manage it today, along with their booking platform, email marketing, partnerships, and video production. To me, crisis management isn’t just about putting out fires—it’s about creating systems and a brand presence that leave a business not only stronger and sharper, but positioned for greater profitability and trust than before.
What I love about experiences like this is that they bring together everything I’ve learned—whether it’s staying calm and strategic in the middle of a storm, or drawing on my background in Hollywood where I learned how to solve problems under pressure and manage big personalities. It reinforced what I tell all my clients: when it comes to reputation, you can’t hide from controversy or negative reviews. You have to face it head-on, take control of the narrative, and show the public you’re still standing.
For me, this wasn’t just about managing a crisis—it was about proving what Celine Media Group does best: helping small and minority-owned businesses protect their brand, leverage their content, and turn challenges into long-term opportunities for growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.celinemediagroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celinemediagroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celine.media.group/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/celine-media-group/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CelineMediaGroup
- Other: Google Page: https://g.page/r/CVkDbmpmGx8lEAE
