A-List Me, a talent management agency founded in 2016 and headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island, now represents nearly 400 content creators while maintaining a singular focus on ethical representation. CEO David Gosselin, a former mechanical engineer, established the company after witnessing widespread exploitation in the entertainment industry, specifically to serve creators who were consistently undervalued in brand partnerships.

“We put the creator first – someone talent can trust and depend on,” explains David. “At the simplest level, it’s negotiating deals and getting them the best offer so they’re not undervalued. But it goes beyond that.”

The agency serves as the business structure for content creators across primarily U.S.-based platforms, handling everything from pitching and incoming brand inquiries to rate negotiations, campaign logistics, and payment processing. 

David believes this kind of support allows creators to focus exclusively on content development and audience engagement, while ensuring they receive fair compensation for the thousands of hours invested in building their communities.

From Engineering to Creator Advocacy

After earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, David began working at General Dynamics Electric Boat, which was building nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. His initial ambition was to rise through the corporate ranks.

“I went in thinking I’d be the hardest-working employee, bringing fresh ideas and motivation every day. In 10 years, I thought I’d be the youngest CEO this company had ever seen,” David recalls.

This enthusiasm quickly faded when he realized corporate advancement was more about time served than performance. “After a couple of months, I realized in Corporate America it’s not about hard work or ideas. It’s often just about time served.”

While still working as an engineer, David launched a matcha tea company in 2015, where he first encountered the power of influencer marketing. Simultaneously, his wife, Olivia, a musician and influencer, struggled with finding ethical representation. These experiences revealed a gap in the market for management that prioritized creator interests.

“Everyone we ran across in the industry was not a good person,” David explains. “A lot of people were just looking to take advantage.”

Building Trust Through Transparency

Rather than adopting what David calls the “fake it till you make it” approach common among agencies, A-List Me developed a different strategy. They began by offering non-exclusive partnerships, removing the risk for creators while demonstrating their value through results.

“We’d reach out to influencers and say, ‘We have brand relationships we want to pitch you to. Would you be open to a non-exclusive partnership?'” David explains. “So there was no risk to them. We did a good job, and slowly we could start signing creators exclusively.”

This gradual, trust-building approach stands in contrast to the high-pressure tactics many creators encounter from management companies eager to lock them into exclusive contracts before proving their value.

“Nobody can say we’ve ever acted without honesty and integrity,” David says. “Other agencies may also operate that way, but it’s less common than you’d think.”

Fair Compensation for Both Creators and Brands

A-List Me’s business model centers on creating fair value for both creators and the brands they promote. The agency frequently encounters talented creators accepting rates far below their market value simply because they lack benchmarks or negotiation experience.

“We see creators with hundreds of thousands of engaged followers doing posts for $200,” David says. “They say, ‘A brand offered me this once, so I figured that was my rate.'”

He uses a professional analogy to contextualize creator compensation: “It’s like a skilled doctor. People say, ‘You’re paying a thousand dollars an hour? That’s ridiculous.’ But that doctor spent years training to be the best. Creators have spent tens of thousands of hours building and nurturing their audience. They deserve fair pay.”

Importantly, David adds, this approach benefits brands as well. “We’re not here to rip off brands or push for astronomical rates. We want fair pay for both creators and brands because we want the brand to see results,” he says. “Fair rates bring good results, brands come back, and we build long-term partnerships.”

The Power of Connection

A-List Me prioritizes the quality of the connection between creators and their audiences when matching them with brands, rather than heavily relying on metrics such as follower counts, engagement rates, and demographic information.

“People used to only look at the number of followers. Then they shifted to engagement rates or reach. But all of that doesn’t really matter. The main thing is how you connect on a deeper level with your audience,” David explains.

This focus on relationship quality extends to how the agency views content selectivity. As David reveals, the most successful creators on their roster are highly selective about partnerships, preserving audience trust even when it means declining immediate revenue.

“We have creators who are very picky about collaborations, saying no to deals we thought could work,” David shares. “Some agencies would say they’re leaving money on the table. I don’t think so. By being selective, they’re building trust with their audience and can charge more for the next deal.”

Operational Growth

In its early years, A-List Me grew steadily, driven by its core values and hard work. However, the company eventually hit a growth plateau due to operational inefficiencies, a challenge David addressed through systematic improvements.

“We grew, but our company structure wasn’t set up for it,” he admits. “Everything was a little inefficient, and small inefficiencies add up.”

By streamlining operations and enhancing team communication, A-List Me has grown steadily over the past ten months, doubling its team from 8 to 16 employees, expanding its roster from 200 to nearly 400 creators, and increasing revenue by 50%, according to David.

Despite this growth, the agency remains committed to fostering personalized relationships with creators. “We set up an onboarding call where they meet the team. Either I or the VP of talent management joins every call,” David explains. “We’re passionate about knowing our creators.”

Matching for Sustainable Partnerships

A-List Me has developed practical methods for creating long-term partnerships between creators and brands. During creator onboarding, the agency identifies their “dream brands,” i.e., companies they already use and naturally align with.

“If a creator lands one of those, they’re passionate, and passionate creators deliver great content,” David explains. “When you overdeliver, the brand’s happy, everyone’s happy.”

David believes this focus on alignment benefits all parties in the ecosystem. For creators, it preserves audience trust. For brands, it delivers more sincere endorsements. And for audiences, it provides more valuable content.

“Long-term partnerships are key. Brands should pursue them more, because from a follower’s perspective, if I see an influencer promote Pepsi one day and Coca-Cola two weeks later, I lose trust,” he says.

For brands working with A-List Me, David advises greater creative flexibility. “Allow the creator more creative input and trust them. For many, this is their full-time job. They know their audience,” he says. “If they have a vision, let them execute. It’ll resonate better than anything you dictate.”

David’s Take on Creator Management

As the creator economy continues to develop, with influencers now appearing on mainstream shows like “Dancing with the Stars,” A-List Me is positioning itself to grow while maintaining its founding principles.

“I have a big vision for A-List Me. We have growth plans, but it comes down to doing what we’ve always done,” David says. “We’ll keep putting creators first and focusing on each individually. Whether we rep 400 now or a thousand in five years, we’ll focus on each creator.”

This includes helping creators grow beyond brand partnerships. “Diversifying income streams is important – platform monetization, creator-owned products, and other opportunities,” David notes.

For the former engineer, success in the creator economy comes down to a simple formula that guides both his company and the creators they represent: “I tell our team, I reward passion, hard work, and performance. If you’re passionate, you’ll work hard without it feeling like work. And with hard work and the right resources, you’ll perform.”

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