With an entrepreneurial background and a passion for content creation, UNB alum Kayley Reed (BPhil’14) is advocating for the next generation of internet influencers.

From her small town of Olds, Alberta, Kayley is founder and CEO of Hermana, a thriving talent management agency now made up of a team of 15 women.

Incorporated in 2021, the agency provides exclusive management for digital creators, through brand deal management, PR and event coordination, ad development, and more.

But their approach to talent management goes beyond simply securing brand deals for their clients. Kayley says their team to talent ratio is one of the strongest in the industry, with each talent manager representing four to six influencers.

“Our relationships with influencers are definitely unique,” says Kayley. “We see ourselves as an extension of their team, helping them with strategy, content, and even launching book deals, podcasts, and merchandise.”

Today, they manage a diverse roster of 30 women content creators, each specializing in their own niche lifestyle, fashion, self-development or cozy gaming content. The Hermana team also currently works with a variety of brands such as Loreal, Netflix, Microsoft, Fairmont and more, securing up to five brand deals per day.

Kayley’s first experience as an entrepreneur began during her days as an undergraduate student at UNB, with a fashion and mental health startup. As she reflects on her own career journey, Kayley says she never dreamed she would become a business leader in the influencer space.

“When I first started out as an entrepreneur, this industry didn’t even exist! There was a huge shift toward influencer marketing during the pandemic. Now, five years later, people understand what it means and it’s a much more established industry.”

With TikTok’s rise in popularity in 2019, Kayley first immersed herself in the platform as a full-time content creator and gained a significant following within months. Soon after, she was creating content for several brands and launching TikTok accounts for high-profile companies, like the Calm meditation app and celebrity John Krasinski’s media company Some Good News.

However, while working as a content creator and hiring influencers for brands, she noticed gaps in the industry around influencer representation and pay discrepancy.

“That’s why I went into talent management. I basically became a business advisor and talent manager for upcoming influencers and that spiralled into starting the agency.  I saw the need to advocate for influencers, especially younger women who were often exploited in the social media space.”

Kayley hired her sister as her first employee and named the company Hermana. Spanish for “sister,” the name reflects the tight knit relationships she envisioned with her clients and became the core of her company’s mission - advocating for their influencers, as if they’re family.

And she’s certainly done just that.

“What’s been most inspiring, and most fulfilling, is to know we’ve helped over 30 women build highly profitable businesses, while also creating meaningful employment for the 15 women on our team. To be able to grow with people and to celebrate their successes has been really cool.”

This year, the agency has three book proposals in the works—a milestone that aligns with her personal passion for publishing. Having recently completed an online publishing course, Kayley’s excited to help creators expand their reach into the physical space.

After spending the first few years focused on building processes, policies, and onboarding materials to ensure sustainable growth for her business, she’s now enjoying the balance of team leadership and working closely with her clients.

“Adjusting to growth at every stage has been one of the biggest challenges in my experience as a business owner. It’s my first time running a company of this size, and each stage - from two to 15 employees - requires a different leadership style and culture.”

With digital creation and influencer marketing only continuing to grow, Kayley says she credits much of her business-minded skillset to her education through UNB’s Renaissance College.

“I can’t imagine having studied in any other program. My first company started as a project in our social entrepreneurship class and was pitched and launched through an accelerator program at UNB. The leadership, critical thinking and problem-solving skills I gained there are truly the foundation of my career today.”