True talent is innate. It's not something you can learn or absorb along the way. That's the belief of Talent Finders founder, Kerrin Black.
But what exactly is Talent Finders? Black describes it as a platform for all kinds of talent online, in one central database. This is a great way for talent in the creative space to market themselves, as well as for individuals and companies looking for talent, from brand ambassadors to actors, models, musicians, artists, business speakers and more. This creates a cloud base of talent on one portal, making it easy for those looking for talent to connect with those with various talents.
Even better? The Talent Finders site was redesigned and re-launched in October 2014 - Black's proudest moment - and now has excellent positioning in the international market due to the domain name TalentFinders.com. It's a fitting name, as "no matter if you are talent or in search of talent the name is exactly the search term somebody would use to look for talent," Black explains.
I asked Black some exclusive questions on how she went about making the website more exciting, offering a better experience for the talent and the talent seeker alike and differentiating themselves in the online space...
1. Firstly, what inspired you to start Talent Finders? Black: Talent Finders was started in 2007. Coming from an entrepreneurial family, I watched an Oprah show on entrepreneurs in the US and really felt inspired to start my own business. As a freelancer in the industry I wanted to solve the problem of work uncertainty that many face, and offer a solution to an industry that I am truly passionate about. Having worked in the film industry and seen how challenging the casting process for commercials can be, I thought: "What if we came up with an online central database, where talent looking to promote itself and anyone looking to search for talent can come to one place?" The idea was to not only have non-represented talent but also represented talent listed. The target initially was actors and models, but we thought broader and didn't want to limit ourselves, so expanded to include genres across the entertainment industry such as dancers, musicians, speakers and sports men and women.
2. Interesting idea. What made you decide to take the business online? Black: I have always been incredibly passionate about the online and tech space, and wanted to create a service in the online and tech space that supports an industry that I love. I love the concept of having an online business for a number of reasons:
3. Great reasons. Why did you opt for a global talent community, instead of sticking to just local talent? Black: South Africa/Africa has been - and still is - marginalised as far as the world market is concerned when it comes to talent. If we can expose our talent to the rest of the world, we can become part of the world community and create reciprocal relationships worldwide. It's not a matter of SA/African vs global; we need to think bigger than ourselves. I am passionate about all talent and if we in Africa want to be part of a global stage, then Talent Finders provides a window for both local and international talent to connect through this platform and tool. Cross-pollination of talent from all over the world through this cloud base is beyond powerful. I think as Africans we need to believe in ourselves more and know we have the ability to play on a global stage and community. This platform breaks down borders and Talent Finders is the virtual door to international opportunity as well as international talent seekers, to look for talent right here. I don't believe in boxing anything into a box as it limits our beliefs. We need to open our minds and know that we are just as part of a global community as the rest of the world and my goal and vision is to make sure that we compete and have the ability to showcase all talent through Talent Finders, no matter where in the world that talent resides.
4. Tell us how the talent and the talent seeker alike benefit from the site.Black: The talent benefits in so many ways -Talent Finders did not want to be just another database that charges a fee and then nothing happens. We add value for the talent through our easy registration process, as well as easy profile maintenance and our quick tips and coaching videos by professionals who want to give back and assist those who need assistance on how to prepare and give them tools within their industry. That's because coaching is also a very big part of assisting these artists. We'll also offer electronic toolkits to help artists to be better prepared as they become part of a global community.
The talent seeker then gets to search in one central place and connect with the correct representation of the talent. This has often been an issue for talent seekers - not been able to connect with the correct representatives. Connecting both the talent seeker to the talent is vital and the bottom line is that people want to go to one central cloud based global stage to look for all talent, and offers exposure to both the talent seekers and the talent themselves.
5. Sounds good. Tell us how Talent Finders has grown this past year. Black: We had the opportunity to go to LA in January 2015 and research exactly how the entertainment industry works there, which led us to add extra features to the website and set us apart from other online databases. We also opened up doors internationally, and benefitted greatly from being told straight out of Silicon Valley the value of the name of 'Talent Finders' and that the concept of our service is excellent. This makes me want to add more value and improve and develop Talent Finders further. It's about constantly working and improving ourselves and giving both the talent and the seeker a unique experience.
6. Tell us more about what makes your business stand out from the rest. Black: Definitely our involvement with our clients and getting their feedback about what they would like to see and use. It's from this that our additional services and features were born. The talent will soon know this is the go-to website for valid, reliable and up-to-date information on their industry.
7. What's your most effective message of reaching the required audience? Black: My message is that talent needs to learn to treat their profession as a business. Invest in yourself - if everything was given away for free, it wouldn't be taken seriously. Too often I hear the excuse "I don't have the money to do so". If you cannot invest in yourselves, how do you expect anyone to take you seriously? The world's number one wealth coach JT Foxx says, it's about putting skin in the game and building yourself as a brand. The greatest investments you will make are in yourself. Be bold enough to be disruptive.
8. Let's end with some insight into the entertainment trends you see as the biggest still to come in 2015...Black: The main trend I see happening is more collaborations between talent across the board. Take the world of music, it is all about collaboration. In addition, I definitely see more diversification with artists. I believe we'll see more celebrities endorsing products and building not only the face of other brands but also their own brands in self-branding and using the talent of other artists and entertainers to give back to the community. The best examples of this are from the US, so we need to learn from them as they're so good at branding and marketing and don't shirk away from taking risks. We need to think differently, learn from trend setters globally and adapt it for own brands.
Wise words. Black is also the founder of the Faces of Hope Foundation and Faces of Inspiration, which raises funds to assist with cancer treatment - visit the Talent Finder website or follow them on Twitter for more information.
