Last week, during Billboard Latin Music Week, three Latin music Power Players took the stage to discuss the role of managers in today’s industry. They were Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas, president and CEO of FPM Entertainment; Rebeca León, CEO and co-founder of Lionfish Entertainment; and Walter Kolm, founder and CEO of WK Entertainment — all managers with decades of experience who have helped launch the careers of some of the biggest Latin stars.
During the conversation — titled “The Power Players: Managers Edition” and moderated by Pamela Bustios, Billboard Latin/Español’s senior charts and data analyst — the three executives reflected on the challenges they face in their careers and the selfless role of working to fulfill other people’s dreams.
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“Being a manager is being a guide, having answers to many questions, and it’s super difficult. I don’t know if it’s for everyone,” said León, who has represented superstars like Juanes and Rosalía and whose current roster includes Anitta, Danny Ocean, Tokischa and Aria Vega.
Kolm, manager of Carlos Vives, Morat, Emilia and Xavi, among others, highlighted the importance of having a strategy to achieve specific goals. “I always tell artists: ‘You pay us to tell you what we think, not what you want to hear,’” he said, emphasizing the responsibility of always guiding with honesty.
Meanwhile, Ferradas, whose roster includes Camilo, Evaluna Montaner, Rauw Alejandro and Rels B, stressed the importance of reclaiming the manager’s work: “It’s the work that goes unseen. It’s clear that it’s not magic — the locomotive of the train is the music, the song and the artist. [But] behind that, there’s a team.”
Below are some of the best quotes from the panel, which took place on Oct. 21 at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach.
On being a manager:
León: For me, being a manager is having vision… Visualizing how the artist will grow, how that will develop. Always thinking months, years ahead; if you’re in the here and now, you are late. Being a manager is being a guide, having answers to many questions, and it’s super difficult. I don’t know if it’s for everyone, because you’re serving someone else’s dreams, so there’s a personal sacrifice — you have to set aside your own path to help this other person achieve their dreams.
Kolm: What Rebeca says is key. I would add that we’re also strategists; that’s fundamental in an artist’s career. Sometimes artists think the manager is the one who finds them dates or secures a show… No, the manager is the one who designs a strategy to achieve a goal, and that’s what I believe we are. We’re strategists with years of experience in the industry who understand from our own experiences, from studying and from observing the markets, which paths to take. We don’t always get it right, but at least we’re clear about the direction.
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Ferradas: It’s the work that goes unseen. It’s clear that it’s not magic — the locomotive of the train is the music, the song and the artist. But everything that happens around it seems like magic — it seems like no one’s doing it. It seems like no one booked a good hotel, no one hired a quality vehicle, no one prepared the venue, no one ensured the sound and lights were ready. And it seems like no one brought the team of people who enter and sing the artist’s songs. Behind that, there’s a team. And leading that team is someone who plans the strategy and drives it forward. So I think the manager’s role is very important.
On the manager-artist relationship:
Ferradas: When we ask for discipline and work time, it’s because we know it works — it’s not about pressure. In the manager-artist relationship, there are always two questions: The artist will ask themselves why they hired this person, and we’ll ask ourselves why we’re spending all day pressuring you to do something that will benefit you more than it will benefit us. So I think it’s important for us today to leave a small mark by thanking the artists who work and have worked with us for their trust, but also by asking for some recognition of our work.
On the essential elements for building a sustainable career as a manager:
León: You have to have the ability to not take things personally. You have to be able to get rejected by somebody and have dinner with them the same day. You have to just have a very tunnel vision of like, I’m going after this goal, and I’m not going to let anybody distract me, and I’m not going to let any of the politics or the games or any of these things that can cloud your judgment. You have to be very laser-focused. And that requires a lot of growth within yourself… There’s never a relaxed moment. There’s no days off. I’m very grateful to have this beautiful — I think it’s a beautiful life, but it’s a very specific one.
On knowing when an artist is ready to conquer new markets:
Kolm: Everything starts with the music — let’s not forget that this is a business of music and songs. The most important thing is, when the artist works on their repertoire, to see if that repertoire is one we believe has potential. Because many artists think everything has to work everywhere, and that’s not the case. That’s why, going back to the manager’s work, we guide the artist. I always tell artists: “You pay us to tell you what we think, not what you want to hear.” And that’s what it’s about — helping them see how to create that repertoire with good writers, with good producers, to first have the product. And of course, attitude is important — whether the artist is committed… has discipline. For me, that’s the key word: discipline.
