From lockdown to leading TikTok agency, here’s how Ben Pawson created Cadence Talent: the voice of a new generation.

With a roster of 45 creators, reaching 150 million followers across three continents, Cadence Talent is the TikTok agency to watch right now. After getting furloughed during the pandemic, founder Ben Pawson did what everyone else did: scroll through TikTok. Unlike everyone else, however, he turned this activity into a multi-million dollar company. Built out of a genuine desire to help creators get properly compensated and avoid being taken advantage of, Ben started working with talent to build their careers.

At the forefront of Cadence Talent is a commitment to inclusivity — in identity, ability, and art form.The company works with a diverse roster, including LGBTQ creators, people of colour, and individuals with disabilities, who work in cosplay, modelling, makeup, activism, and more. In supporting their careers, Pawson promotes equality and helps his roster of creatives expand the industry towards a more equitable place. Key talents, such as Nikki Lilly and Gabe Adams-Wheatley, are at the forefront of such a movement.

“TikTok is the voice of a new generation who see things without boundaries and are embracing of all people. The platform allows each person to express themselves freely. We want to be a part of that, making sure everyone has the right to their own voice, to share that with others and to make a living from it,” Ben Pawson explains.

Photography by Holly McCandless-Desmond (@hmdfilm)

Fashion by Dior

Words by Sophie Wang

Editor Ella West