Star maker/talent manager Jojo Ampeloquio has spoken his mind about the entertainment industry and the art of managing celebrities.

 
In an interview, Jojo went way back to his humble beginnings in showbiz and the lessons he learned during those times.

“My first talent was Michele Gumabao and Marco Gumabao then followed by the trio Chico, Delamar and Gino from RX 93.1.

“For 20 years, my career evolved around sales and marketing for several multinational companies. There I got exposed to artists and managers since I choose endorsers for my brands. Ten years ago, I decided to manage talents on my own. Sumubok lang and here we are now. I worked for San Miguel Corp, Caltex Philippines, GSK, and DKT Philippines, mostly in marketing and brand management.” he said

The talent manager revealed that he sets a standard before accepting talents into his team.

“I have a few prerequisites but definitely has to be someone who has a strong inclination to social media and the digital platform because even 10 years ago when I was starting, I already predicted that digital platforms will be the next big thing for artists. Wala naman akong alaga na pasaway, thank God! I'm really happy with my roster. Para kaming isang pamilya sa TMI. I've been managing talents for almost 10 years and I would like to believe I was able to help all my talents transition to digital and not just TV or radio. All of my talents are very strong on social media, and we help them with their personal branding hence making them highly in demand for brand collaborations and content creation,” he added

With 10 years as a manager, Jojo said that there is no exact formula to make your talents succeed.

“Maging totoo, transparent and to have genuine concern sa artist. Give them freedom to be themselves and be creative. It should be co-creation and collaboration and not just to dictate what I think is right. I treat them as family, and they treat me as family too. Also, I believe that the talent manager should be the number 1 fan of the artists he manages. Mahalin ang mga alaga and hope that they will also love you back. There will be differences in opinions or even disagreements or even tampuhan but I learned that there is nothing that you can't solve by sitting down and talking to sort things out with genuine concern and love,” he revealed

Prior to showbiz, he is a successful businessman and a professional marketing person. This played a big help with his instincts and decision-making as a talent manager.

“I also own an advertising agency that does everything digital called AmplifyD Social Influence. I also own a production company, AmplifyD Media, that produces content for influencers and brands. I also own AmplifyD Records, a recording label. Syempre AmplifyD yang tatlo because that's my name. My friends from school call me Ampee kasi. (A little bit of trivia). I also own an HR solutions company that services local companies as well as clients in the US and other countries. My pet project now is Silver Lining. It's a mental health hope line where people can just call if they need someone to talk to. Parang dial-a-friend pero digital na ngayon. Our hope is to be able to help people who are experiencing sadness, depression or even grief,” Jojo said.