Kasandra Henry talks serendipitous start, guiding influencers to the next stage
Published:Sunday | March 5, 2023 | 12:39 AMKeisha Hill - Senior Gleaner Writer
Influencer and talent manager Kasandra Henry has been consistent in helping and guiding talent with the overall strategy of their digital career and personal brands. Her career started when she offered support to her friend, Tanaania Tracey, a digital media influencer who works with a wide array of Caribbean brands.
“Along the way, while helping her to develop her brand and negotiating deals, she asked me to be her manager. I said no many times, but she insisted and she was also integral in the signing of the other influencers,” Henry said.
The Meadowbrook High School graduate said she never thought of being an influencer and talent manager when she was growing up. “I always had a love for entertainment though but management was the furthest from my mind,” she said.
With more than 15 years’ experience in the entertainment industry, working with producer Ricardo Chin, and working on events such as Sting, Red Stripe Live, ‘Digicel Rising Stars’ and also shadowing recording artiste Ce’Cile, she has learnt the intricacies and rudiments of the business. She has applied this experience in her current capacity.
“It has always been entertainment and production for me. I come alive in those spaces and I am truly my best self. It does not feel like work ever. I must admit though there is always a sigh of relief when you wrap a production, but the minute I am rested, I am ready for another,” said Henry.
Despite her evident success in management, Henry said it is hard work, especially when it comes to making changes that are necessary to improve an influencer’s brand.
“I work on their personal branding, which is sometimes a struggle because it is hard to change them from doing something they have been doing their whole life but that is where you find a balance because the main key to branding and being an influencer is authenticity,” Henry said.
“Another critical aspect is the negotiation and seeking of brand deals and campaigns, publicity, growing their audience and engagements, providing support with content creation and their career guidance,” she added.
She said her goals for herself and her clients are quite simple: be the best of themselves, and provide the best experience to the brands that they work with and their audience.
“Be intentional and consistent in whatever you choose to do. Even with something that you may deem as simple as posting to your social media, consistency is integral. You can’t post today and disappear for weeks, even if you are not posting to your feed, post to your stories daily and keep the engagements going, the minute you fall off it’s hard to get back to where you were,” Henry said.
In her current role, Henry admires a few powerful and influential women who have motivated her to stay the course in her career. Some of these women include noted manager, media personality and entrepreneur Kris Jenner; Chief Executive Officer of The LAB, Kimala Bennett; Solid Agency’s Sharon Burke, Public Relations and Marketing Consultant Tara Playfair-Scott, and content producer Carlene Samuels.
She currently manages digital media influencers Tanaania, Keticia ‘TC’ Chatman, Kareem Bwoyatingz, Kristia Franklin, Jaii Frais and Christiyana Martin, and continues to explore other areas in entertainment.
“I was one of the producers for the YouTube reality series Dancehall Life, and one of the executive producers of Pitchy Patchy. I have also worked with different brands including GraceKennedy, Flow, Lynk, Scotiabank, Ministry of Health, Pizza Hut and Pepsi, among others,” she said.