Tamara Taylor, CEO of Mastermind Management, is revolutionizing Hollywood’s fashion scene. The young powerhouse is the driving force behind image architect Law Roach, former stylist for Zendaya; Zerina Akers, stylist for Beyoncé; and Kollin Carter, stylist for Cardi B. Taylor’s innovative approach to management is shaping the future of fashion.
Taylor helps clients build their businesses through financial literacy counseling and helping them understand contracts.
How did you transition from a corporate job to managing the business needs of stylists?
I started to pursue management training programs to hone my skills while preparing for a managerial role. The purpose was to learn the restaurant business from the inside out to eventually become a sales profit and operations coach. After two attempts to promote me, I accepted the third offer, which took me to Orange County, California. I did well in the position and maintained being in the top 10 on the West Coast. Unfortunately, due to company reorganization, I was laid off. My mom advised that the sooner I returned and gave them their stuff, the sooner I could move on with my life. Being the super organized person that I am, I forgot to check in for my Southwest flight and ended up in a C group. I had to get on a plane and look for someone who was the least likely to talk to me on the flight. I saw [Law Roach], with designer glasses on and locks in a topknot, looking out the window. I just knew he wasn’t going to talk to me. I sat down, and for most of the flight, we did not talk. Eventually, we started talking about my skills. He had been looking for someone to help him with his business, and he was in the industry as a stylist. It was a perfect match.
How do you help take your clients to the next level with your expertise?
I refer to them as elite creative artists. Law Roach is the only image architect; he owns that name. All the other artists I refer to as elite creative artists because they have mastered their craft and have clientele in demand for their services. What my company brings to the table is making sure that they can show up and do their job flawlessly. There’s a lot of logistics that go on in the back end, from coordinating travel to negotiating deals to something as simple as submitting expenses for reimbursement.
How can creatives establish a foundation with their brand or business before hiring help?
I think creating some sort of structure is key. Whether that is an hour every evening dedicated to going through your emails, updating your calendar, filling out binder paperwork, [working on] W-9s or just scheduling in some administrative time so it doesn’t pile up. Eventually, you can hire someone to do that. It is better to start off doing things how you foresee them being done than to wait until you have 10 clients that you’re trying to balance and then go back and try to put the systems in place.
