In September, two powerhouse talent management agencies merged. The result? The Digital Dept., an unstoppable force to be reckoned with in the industry of influencers. Ali Grant and Sarah Boyd respectively have developed companies filling a sweet spot in the market, and catering to creators who brands lean on now more than ever to communicate their messaging and marketing in the most authentic, consumer-trusted way. Grant’s Be Social and Boyd’s Socialyte merged in the fall, bringing together two of the most trusted and sought out agencies in the creator economy, and proving the value of collaboration over competition. 

The dynamic duo run the agency as co-CEOs, with Grant also serving as CMO, and Boyd as CRO. With over a decade of experience under their belts as pioneers of the digital management field, their partnership is fueled by their passion and expertise of the fundamentals of branding, development, marketing, and relationship building. Although their roster of more than 200 digital talent and viral campaigns amassing hundreds of millions of engaged users speaks for itself, Grant and Boyd sat down with CEO Weekly to tell their story of success in their own words.

Tell us about your individual journeys working in this industry – where did you get started, and how did that impact where you are now?

Ali: I founded Be Social in 2012 to provide a mix of traditional and digital services for a then-nascent influencer space. I saw a gap in the market to represent bloggers and lifestyle talent and took a chance to help facilitate those partnerships between creators and brands. It was a lot of trial and error navigating a new industry, but as we all know now, influencer marketing has become a multi-billion dollar industry and continues to grow, as has our business. We joined Dolphin Entertainment in 2020, and when Sarah and Socialyte were acquired by Dolphin in 2022, we saw a lot of overlap between our two businesses and the chance to merge our complementary offerings into a full-service influencer marketing company that provided both earned and paid media solutions. 

Sarah:  I started my career in 2004 working in Fashion PR at an agency in Los Angeles with clients in the startup phase to global brands.  I built countless relationships with stylists, editors, actresses/musicians, and when social media began – content creators.  In 2011 I took a leap of faith and started my own business named SIMPLY which was an industry conference focused on connecting and learning from fashion & beauty industry leaders.  We hosted tens of thousands of attendees over the years in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Dubai.  A few years into starting SIMPLY, the influencer marketing industry started taking off and many celebrity relationships of mine started working with me to help monetize their social media platforms.  In 2017, SIMPLY was acquired by Socialyte which was a leading influencer talent management company.  I led Business Development and then became President at Socialyte.  In 2022, Socialyte was acquired by Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ: DLPN) and Socialyte merged with Be Social to become The Digital Dept. where I currently am co-CEO / CRO.

When did your paths first cross?

Sarah:  Ali actually spoke at one of my SIMPLY conferences years ago and she was always a super friendly face I would always see in the industry.  I have always respected her and the incredible business she built at Be Social.  

What was the initial conversation like when you first thought about joining forces? 

Sarah: A few years after Be Social joined Dolphin, Socialyte was acquired by Dolphin Entertainment as well!  Ali and I knew it was in the cards for us to finally join forces, so when we were together at our first Dolphin CEO Summit in Miami we discussed the possibility of a merge.  About 6 months later, The Digital Dept. was born!

What is your advice to other female CEOs and Co-CEOs?

Ali: Learn and absorb as much as you can from people you look up to. Great leadership is incredibly difficult, you need to keep learning!

Sarah: The ABC’s – always be changing.  As a CEO or entrepreneur, every day is a new adventure so always be open to pivot and be open to change.  Build strong relationships with the team and customer – take time to get to know them on a personal level so you can understand what motivates them.

How would you describe your leadership style?

Ali: It has been a JOURNEY…and as a really inexperienced leader to where I am now… I have made a lot of strides. A LOT. I am in the mindset that you are on the team for a reason and to allow my team to blossom… I am here for support and guidance when needed, but do your thing!

Sarah: I like to be a cheerleader, letting the team do their best and cheer them on!  After reading many leadership articles, I would be categorized as a ‘Servant Leader’ with a lot of focus on company culture, relationships, and listening/surveying the team.

What are some of your favorite projects so far that you’ve been a part of in your newly-merged company?

Ali: Our launch events in New York and Los Angeles were really fun to put on and a great celebration of all the incredible projects that are to come. We had our talent, brand clients, and team all there to kick off our new era as The Digital Dept. and it was a great way to applaud all the work behind the scenes over this past year as we have merged our two businesses.

What are you looking forward to in 2024, and what are your goals for The Digital Dept.?

Ali: We are really excited about expanding into new talent verticals as well as growing our existing offerings. Two verticals we are actively exploring are athlete influencers and Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha creators. We are always trying to look for new types of creators that get brands excited. We are also continuing to grow our events services with both our BRANDEdit showrooms as well as white-label brand events.

This industry can breed a lot of competition. What is your advice to anyone looking to succeed in talent management and/or merging?

Ali: This is still a small industry in terms of how many people work in influencer partnerships, where everyone knows each other and crosses paths eventually, so it is important to see fellow managers and agencies as collaborators rather than competition. There is enough space in our industry for everyone to exceed and do what they do best.

Sarah: I have built my career based on kindness and collaboration and feel that is important to keep with me as we continue to grow.  I’m always looking to grow The Digital Dept. So if someone is in the industry doing a great job, I try to find a way we can work TOGETHER by either hiring them or acquiring their entire business so we can all work collectively.