Navigating the spotlight: How to be the face of a business
Being the face of a company comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. Whether you’re steering a business through turbulent markets or captivating audiences on stage, your reputation can significantly impact your brand’s success. Especially, in today’s interconnected world, where every word can be scrutinised and leaves a digital footprint, the art of cultivating and safeguarding a positive reputation is now more critical than ever.
Offering valuable insights, Terence Rodia, Founder of YOU Management provides practical, firsthand advice. From strategies on maintaining authenticity while projecting a professional image to handling critiques and negative comments, here, Terence aims to empower business leaders and performers alike with the tools needed to thrive in the spotlight.
As the founder and public face of YOU Management, how do you approach maintaining a positive reputation both for yourself and your company?
Maintaining a positive reputation for both myself and YOU Management has definitely been a journey, full of challenges and rewards. As the founder and public face of the company, I’ve always believed in presenting a genuine and holistic view of who I am. This means celebrating all facets of my identity, including being a proud gay man who loves to share joyful moments. Whether it’s intimate family gatherings, exciting travels, or lively parties, I embrace these experiences and share them on social media.
I get that my vibrant personal life might not always seem to fit the traditional mould of a rigorous work ethic, however, there are equally many times that I have worked long hours and overtime or been stressed with a mountain of work to finish. But I choose not to share these moments online as they’re not the positive fun parts of my life I want the world to see. I’m dedicated to showing that a passion for life and a commitment to work can go hand in hand. Through consistent hard work and dedication, I’ve built YOU Management into a company recognised for its achievements, driven by heart and passion to succeed for our clients.
Authenticity is the cornerstone of my brand, and I strive to ensure that both my personal and professional lives reflect this. My goal is to demonstrate that being true to oneself can coexist with professional excellence. By staying genuine and grounded in my values—integrity, positivity, and hard work—I aim to inspire my team at YOU Management, our clients, and the broader community.
It’s about showing that you don’t have to hide who you are to be successful. You can be your full, authentic self and still achieve great things. And that’s a message I hope resonates with everyone who interacts with me and YOU Management.
How has social media impacted how performers represent themselves?
Back in my performing days, social media wasn’t nearly as prevalent as it is today. This gave us performers the freedom to separate our personal and professional lives much more easily. We could hit the town after a show, let loose, and not worry about our actions being plastered online and causing issues the next day at rehearsal. It was a different world back then.
Nowadays, things have changed dramatically. Casting directors regularly check social media to assess a performer’s credibility and reliability. For example, if someone cancels an audition claiming they’re sick but then posts about a night out, it can seriously harm their reputation. This is why I emphasise to my clients the importance of integrity. Managing your public persona, especially in today’s social media-driven world, is crucial for long-term success. It’s all about understanding how your online presence can impact your career and making sure it works in your favour, not against you.
Can you share a pivotal moment where managing your reputation as a performer and business leader intersected? How did you navigate it?
A specific moment which springs to mind occurred when I was performing in A Chorus Line. At that point, I had already established YOU Management and was navigating the delicate balance of being a performer while running an agency.
I had the unique experience of signing one of my fellow cast members, a friend I had previously worked with. This situation required me to smoothly navigate the dual roles of friend and agent. Despite our personal relationship, I maintained a professional distance, ensuring that my decisions as an agent were always in her best professional interest, not influenced by our friendship.
As a founder of a global business, what strategies do you employ to ensure consistent messaging and reputation across various locations?
At YOU Management, we’re all about consistency across our global operations, and we’ve got some great strategies to make sure we achieve this. First off, we make sure every agent truly represents the core values and spirit of our company. This starts right from the hiring process, where we carefully screen candidates to find those who naturally resonate with the heart and principles of YOU Management. We believe that maintaining our values is so important that it’s a key part of our hiring process, ensuring that every team member meets our high standards.
Communication is another critical element of our strategy. We stress the importance of valuing and respecting our clients as artists, and this is a big part of our training and everyday interactions. By fostering a culture of respect and client-focused service, we ensure that our agents consistently provide top-notch experiences, which in turn, reflects positively on our brand.
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Terence Rodia is the Founder of YOU Management
