Client Portal
For decades, the standard path for a successful actor in Los Angeles followed a very predictable script. You would land a breakout role, hire a publicist, and wait for a luxury watch brand or an athletic wear giant to offer you a massive check to be the face of their next campaign. You would show up to a studio in Culver City, take some high-fashion photos, and perhaps record a thirty-second voiceover. The celebrity got a payday, the brand got a recognizable face, and everyone went home happy. But Michael B. Jordan decided that simply being the face of someone else’s company wasn’t enough to build a lasting legacy in today’s economy.
The recent evolution of Obsidianworks marks a significant turning point in how talent operates within the city’s creative ecosystem. By co-founding this agency alongside Chad Easterling, Jordan shifted his position from a hired hand to a primary stakeholder. When Obsidianworks went fully independent in 2025 after buying out its minority partner, it wasn’t just a financial transaction. It was a declaration that the new generation of Hollywood stars wants to own the infrastructure that creates culture, rather than just participating in it for a flat fee. This move represents a massive departure from the traditional talent-agency relationship that has defined Los Angeles for nearly a century.
Understanding this shift requires looking at the actual work Obsidianworks handles. They aren’t just managing Jordan’s personal brand; they are running massive activations for global entities like Instagram and Nike. When you see the intricate details of a Met Gala activation or the complex logistics of an NBA All-Star Weekend event, you are seeing the output of a specialized machine. This machine exists because Jordan and Easterling recognized that the “celebrity endorsement” was becoming a relic of a slower, less digital age. People in Los Angeles and beyond are now looking for authenticity that goes deeper than a signed contract.
The Architecture of Independent Creative Agencies
Independence in the agency world is a rare and difficult status to maintain, especially when competing against the massive conglomerates that dominate the industry. For a long time, the creative landscape was controlled by a handful of giant holding companies. If a celebrity wanted to start something, they usually did so under the umbrella of one of these giants. Obsidianworks choosing to buy out 160over90 and stand on its own feet signals a desire for total creative control. This allows the agency to move faster, take bigger risks, and keep a larger share of the value they create for their clients.
The physical and cultural geography of Los Angeles plays a huge role in why this model works here. The city is a melting pot of tech, fashion, sports, and traditional film media. When an agency like Obsidianworks operates independently, they can sit at the intersection of all these sectors without having to ask permission from a corporate headquarters in New York or London. They are working with Spanx at Art Basel or designing the vibe for high-profile sporting events because they understand the nuances of modern “cool” better than a traditional corporate board could ever hope to.
This autonomy changes the conversation with clients. Instead of a brand coming to an actor and asking, “Can we use your face?”, they come to the agency and ask, “How do we talk to this specific community?” Jordan’s involvement provides the initial spark and the high-level vision, but the agency provides the execution. This separation is vital. It means the business has a life of its own that doesn’t depend on whether Jordan is currently filming a movie or taking a break from the spotlight. It is a scalable platform that produces creative assets, strategy, and cultural impact daily.
Moving from Endorsements to Equity Systems
The traditional endorsement model is essentially a rental agreement. A brand rents a celebrity’s reputation for a year or two. Once the contract ends, the celebrity has the money, but the brand has the data, the customer relationships, and the long-term growth. Jordan’s approach with Obsidianworks turns that on its head. By owning the agency, he is building a firm that accumulates its own data, its own client list, and its own intellectual property. This is a system designed to generate value continuously.
Chad Easterling’s move to launch a strategic advisory further emphasizes this trend. He is now helping other high-profile individuals in Los Angeles navigate the transition from being a “face” to being a founder. This involves a complex mix of media companies, investment vehicles, and equity-driven ventures. In this new world, a basketball player or an actress might look at a potential partnership and ask for a percentage of the company or a seat on the board rather than a one-time payment. They want to be part of the “system” that makes the decisions, not just a line item in the marketing budget.
- Direct ownership of the creative process allows for faster pivots when cultural trends change.
- Building a team of specialists ensures that the business remains professional and scalable beyond the founder’s personal schedule.
- Independent agencies can choose their partners based on shared values rather than being forced into contracts by a parent company.
- This model provides a long-term career path that isn’t solely dependent on physical appearance or public popularity.
This structural change is visible across the Los Angeles business community. You see it in the way new media houses are being built in neighborhoods like Hollywood and the Arts District. It’s no longer about just having a production company that makes movies; it’s about having a full-service engine that can handle marketing, distribution, and brand partnerships. This level of vertical integration used to be reserved for the major studios, but now it’s becoming the gold standard for individual creators who want to stay relevant in a fragmented media world.
The Real World Impact on Los Angeles Talent
When a figure as prominent as Michael B. Jordan makes a move like this, it sends a ripple effect through the local talent pools. Young artists, designers, and strategists in Los Angeles are starting to realize that they don’t necessarily have to work for a legacy firm to have a massive impact. They can join these “culture-powered” agencies where their work is directly connected to the pulse of what’s happening in the streets and on social media. This creates a more vibrant and competitive job market for creative professionals in the city.
Furthermore, this shift is forcing traditional brands to change how they operate. They can no longer simply buy their way into a community by hiring a famous person. They have to engage with the agencies that actually hold the keys to those communities. Obsidianworks’ success with Instagram’s Met Gala activation proves that even the world’s biggest platforms need help navigating the complexities of modern culture. They need a partner who understands the language of the audience, and often, that partner is an agency founded by the very people who defined that culture in the first place.
The focus on Spanx’s 25th anniversary or Nike’s All-Star events shows that these agencies are capable of handling high-stakes, high-budget projects. This isn’t a “celebrity vanity project”; it’s a serious competitor in the professional services space. By hiring experts and building a robust internal structure, Jordan and Easterling have ensured that their agency can go toe-to-toe with any creative firm in the world. They have effectively bridged the gap between the glamour of Hollywood and the grit of high-level business operations.
Redefining the Creator Economy in Southern California
While the “creator economy” is often associated with teenagers making videos in their bedrooms, the Obsidianworks model shows the professionalized version of that concept. In Los Angeles, the lines between an “influencer,” a “celebrity,” and a “business mogul” are blurring. The city is becoming a hub for these hybrid companies that combine the reach of a star with the operational excellence of a Fortune 500 company. This is where the real growth is happening, and it’s where the most interesting career opportunities are opening up for residents of Southern California.
This evolution also demands a new set of skills. It’s no longer enough to be good at one thing. The people thriving in this environment are those who understand the technical aspects of marketing, the financial aspects of equity, and the artistic aspects of storytelling. Michael B. Jordan didn’t just learn his lines; he learned how the business of branding works. Chad Easterling didn’t just manage a star; he learned how to build a scalable advisory firm. This multidisciplinary approach is becoming the blueprint for success in the modern Los Angeles economy.
The move away from minority partnerships to full independence is perhaps the most telling part of the story. It indicates a confidence in the market and a belief that the “Obsidianworks” brand is strong enough to stand without the backing of a larger corporate entity. In a city where everyone is trying to “leverage” their connections, Jordan and Easterling are actually building something tangible. They are creating jobs, developing new ways for brands to interact with people, and proving that the old way of doing business in Hollywood is no longer the only way.
Scalable Business Platforms vs. One-Time Fees
If you look at the wealth of the most successful people in Los Angeles history, it rarely came from a salary. It came from owning assets. The transition Jordan is leading is essentially the democratization of asset ownership for talent. Instead of being an employee of a brand for six months, you become a partner in a venture or the owner of the agency that the brand hires. This changes the math of a career. A fee is spent, but an agency or a media company is an asset that can be sold, expanded, or passed down.
This is the core of what Easterling’s new advisory aims to teach. By moving into investment vehicles and equity-driven ventures, talent can ensure their financial security and their creative legacy. They are no longer at the mercy of whether a casting director likes them or whether a specific movie does well at the box office. They have a diversified portfolio of businesses that are constantly working. This is a much more stable way to exist in an industry that is notoriously fickle and unpredictable.
The success of Nike x NBA All-Star Weekend collaborations under the Obsidianworks banner is a perfect example of this scalability. These events require months of planning, hundreds of staff members, and a deep understanding of brand guidelines and fan expectations. Being able to execute at this level proves that the agency has moved far beyond the “celebrity-led” label. It is a legitimate player in the global marketing space, capable of managing some of the most important moments in the sports and fashion calendars.
Looking at the Cultural Fabric of Los Angeles
Los Angeles has always been a city of dreamers, but it is also a city of builders. From the early days of the aerospace industry to the rise of Silicon Beach, the region thrives when it finds new ways to organize talent and ideas. What Michael B. Jordan is doing with Obsidianworks is just the latest chapter in that history. He is taking the unique resources of this city—the creativity, the diverse population, and the proximity to global brands—and organizing them into a new kind of power structure.
This isn’t just about making money; it’s about who gets to tell the stories. When an agency is owned by people who are deeply embedded in the culture they are trying to reach, the resulting work feels different. It avoids the clichés and stereotypes that often happen when a disconnected corporate team tries to “act cool.” In Los Angeles, where culture is our biggest export, having local leaders like Jordan and Easterling at the helm of these creative engines is a significant win for the city’s global standing.
The Spanx project at Art Basel also highlights the agency’s ability to work across different demographics and industries. It shows that their “culture-powered” approach isn’t limited to one specific niche. They are applying their insights to luxury, fitness, tech, and entertainment. This versatility is what makes a business truly scalable. It allows them to survive shifts in the market and find opportunities in places where others might not be looking. It’s a testament to the fact that good strategy and authentic storytelling are universal, regardless of the product being sold.
The End of the Celebrity Endorsement as We Knew It
As we move further into the 2020s, the traditional “paid spokesperson” model will likely continue to fade. Consumers are too smart to believe that a celebrity uses a product just because they appeared in a commercial. They want to see a real connection. By owning the agency, Jordan isn’t just saying he likes a brand; he is putting his professional reputation and his company’s resources behind the work. This creates a level of accountability that doesn’t exist in a simple endorsement deal.
This shift is also better for the brands themselves. Working with an agency like Obsidianworks means they get access to a team that is personally invested in the success of the project. There is a shared goal of creating something that actually resonates with people. The results speak for themselves. The high-profile activations for Instagram and Nike aren’t just loud; they are effective. They move the needle because they are built on a foundation of genuine cultural understanding rather than just a celebrity’s social media following.
In the hills of Hollywood and the boardrooms of Santa Monica, the conversation is changing. It’s no longer about who can get the biggest paycheck for a sneaker deal. It’s about who can build the most robust creative engine. Michael B. Jordan has set a high bar, but he has also provided a roadmap for others to follow. By choosing ownership over endorsements, he has secured his place as a major player in the Los Angeles business world for years to come.
The independence of Obsidianworks is a sign of a maturing market. It shows that there is enough demand for authentic, culture-first creative work that a celebrity-founded agency can thrive without the safety net of a holding company. This is a bold move, but it’s one that matches the ambition of the city itself. Los Angeles has always been a place where people come to reinvent themselves, and Jordan has successfully reinvented the very idea of what a Hollywood star can be. He is no longer just an actor; he is a system builder, a founder, and a significant force in the future of global branding.
As more talent looks to replicate this success, we can expect to see a surge in independent, talent-led agencies across Southern California. This will lead to more competition, more innovation, and ultimately, better and more authentic content for audiences everywhere. The era of the passive celebrity is ending, and the era of the creative owner is just beginning. It’s a transition that will redefine the economic landscape of Los Angeles and change the way we think about the intersection of fame and business.
Ultimately, the story of Obsidianworks is about the power of self-determination. It’s about having the vision to see that your value is greater than the fee someone is willing to pay you. By building his own machine, Michael B. Jordan has ensured that he is the one pulling the levers. In a town where everyone is looking for their next big break, he went out and built his own stage. That is the most Los Angeles thing anyone can do.
