Outloud Talent’s Alex McCarthy and Micah Jenkins share what it takes to build lasting creator careers, navigate brand deals, and scale a management company worth trusting
The creator economy has no rulebook. Outloud Talent, a Detroit-based talent management firm formed through three mergers completed in early 2025, is writing its own. The company represents more than 150 creators reaching over 200 million people across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and beyond, with an average engagement rate of 14%. VP and Co-Owner Alex McCarthy and Talent Manager Micah Jenkins are at the center of that work.
What does Outloud Talent actually do for creators?
Alex McCarthy: In a nutshell, we are a talent management firm. We represent creators, oftentimes their omnichannel across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and some other platforms. We help connect them for brand deal opportunities and other ways to monetize the platforms that they have built on.
Micah Jenkins: I can look at this from the angle of working directly with the talent and providing a service, and basically aiding in the success of their careers.
What surprised you most about this industry?
Micah Jenkins: There is really no rhyme or reason to any of this. A lot of success in this industry comes from just shooting your shot. We focus a lot on analytics and vanity metrics, but so much of it is solely believing in yourself and the content that you put out.
Alex McCarthy: Coming from no experience in this industry, I joined forces with my brother, who is a YouTuber. His channel is @TheGamerFromMars. He worked with companies who did similar things to what Outloud Talent does today, so some of his mindset helped. But the hustle in this industry is super important.
A brand or company providing some type of service or platform to monetize at a greater rate is interested in the people we represent. It is tying up all those pieces together in a tight, legal package, something that is obviously going to produce money for the client first, and then for the company.
How do you decide which brand deals are right for a creator?
Alex McCarthy: It is going to be largely dependent on the creator, who they are and what they want. Sometimes it comes down to not wanting to work with a certain brand, or wanting to. And sometimes it comes down to the dollar. The budget is going to have quite the range. It really is making sure that what the brand wants, the creator can deliver on, and that everyone is okay with what gets agreed upon.
Micah Jenkins: One of the biggest things is making sure the talent can successfully deliver what the brand is asking for. In this industry, you see very quick money, sometimes large amounts of money, and there are creators who just want to grab that. But it may not be in your best interest if you do not directly align with a certain brand, or if you are not able to deliver in the way that brand is looking for.
What does the Creator Portal actually do for talent on a daily basis?
Alex McCarthy: It is a connecting piece to our system, which is our source of truth for every single deal that we do, and it mirrors that immediately to a creator. A creator can see not just a glimpse of the deal but exactly what we are putting into the system and exactly what a brand is requiring.
It helps through the accounting piece too, because getting paid is very important for a creator. It gives insight into payments, and it is a snapshot of what a creator has done. Sponsorship revenue can be an indication of how well they are doing, even if views or engagement paint a different story.
When a creator wants to take a deal that is not right for them, how do you handle it?
Micah Jenkins: Everybody is different. One thing I have had to work on in this industry is communication style. When you are working with a roster of talent, you have to know each nuance from each talent, and you change your delivery and communication style on a case-by-case basis.
Sometimes it is more gingerly, like, do you think this is the best deal for you? Do you think you directly align with this brand? And in other relationships it is more so like, we are not going to do this, this is not in your best interest. It really boils down to knowing how to communicate with different types of people.
What advice would you give someone who wants to build a sustainable career in the creator space?
Micah Jenkins: You have to remain true to yourself. But you do need to listen to your audience. This job depends a lot on people perceiving you well and showing up for you on a daily basis, liking, sharing, commenting, building that community. Take the time to build the community, but also remain true to yourself in how you present yourself online.
What does the future look like for Outloud Talent?
Alex McCarthy: Growing with creators, to sum it up. The creators need to grow, which means we grow. Forming that relationship with creators is essential. They have to trust us. We are dealing with, sometimes, their livelihood. A lot of revenue is coming from the streams we are producing for them. We are standing alongside them, not as a quick money grab.
Historically, this industry has been a big money grab, and that is not how we are looking at it. We want creators to view what they are doing as a business. Our goal is 1,000 creators, but we do not want it to be a vanity metric. We want to support every single one of those creators on an individual level, where people do not become cogs in a corporate machine.
How can creators get started with Outloud Talent, and what services do you offer?
Alex McCarthy: Go to outloudtalent.com and fill out the form. You are going to get connected with the team, and we always get back to everyone. There is a threshold. A creator has to be a certain size for us to put our time, effort, and energy into. But we see potential in creators of both sizes and encourage everyone to apply.
You are potentially going to get connected with someone like Micah, a talent manager managing a roster of clients she believes in, who she is booking for. We have sponsorships, and oftentimes that is the key element of income for creators who work with us. But we are looking to monetize in every possible area.
Is it taking your content somewhere else, monetizing it on another platform? Is it editing services, graphic design? We will make those connections. And we will go as far as to explore business opportunities with you. Do you want a product line? Is it starting from scratch, or tapping into another product line and making your own version of it? These are all things we have done, and all things we will do for a creator.