Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrew Spalter.
Hi Andrew, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I started in Music Management as an intern with Scooter Braun in 2014. This is when I got a taste of what it was like to work as the bridge between artists, labels, press, styling, touring, merch, and so much more. I loved it. Of course, it wasn’t all glamorous; I was an intern, lol – 3 coffee runs/day, daily office/kitchen/bathroom cleanings, trash runs, lunch runs, delivery runs, the usual. But there were days when an artist would come by the office, record in the studio, take a meeting with us because we had ideas to present, listen in on label calls, and help plan larger-than-life marketing campaigns; as a 21-year-old, it was a blast.
After college, I knew that this was what I wanted to fall into. I started managing an incredible band from the UK named Life of Dillon. They signed a major record deal with Disruptor Records (under Sony). After graduation, I got my feet wet with/ management, working with First Access Entertainment (then known as Turn First Artists). Working with Life of Dillon was a blast; we went on tour, released their first EP, and plugged in a ton of radio play. I loved it. I am still friends with the guys today. The company then signed Zayn Malik when he left One Direction, and before I knew it, I was tasked with hanging out with him. We’re the same age and like a ton of the same shit, so it was a blast. I was 21/22, had just graduated college, and had moved to LA. My job was to hang with one of the biggest stars in the world. He bought a new house in Bel Air. My life for those 6ish months was structured around hanging out with my friend, spray painting his walls in his backyard, playing ping pong nonstop, playing video games, going to bars/clubs/restaurants, listening to all of the music he was working on, and just loving life.
After around 6-months of this, I realized that although I had the time of my life, I wasn’t progressing. I was learning a little about the industry and didn’t see a future. Of course, I loved hanging with Zayn, but we were friends, and I wasn’t helping drive his business forward, and that’s what I was yearning for. After having doubts about what was next, I was introduced to Benji + Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. My good friend started working with the guys as they launched MDDN, their management company for artists by artists. We clicked straight away. Benji and Joel could see I was as green as they get and knew I wanted to be molded into something great. Fortunately, Joel needed an assistant, and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Sydney, Australia, as they were judges on The Voice Australia alongside another artist they managed at the time, Jessie J. We were down there for nearly 6-months shooting the show. My friends thought I had moved there.
Over the 6-months, Jessie and I became super close. As did the rest of the whole gang that was down there, and it was, as you can imagine, a blast, and holy shit, did I love Australia. When we returned to the States, I had a new appreciation for the business. Benji and Joel led with proactivity rather than reactivity, which I still lead with to this day. The guys turned me into someone who knew what was next and created that vision/world for himself. I was 22/23 and creating my future.
About 1.5 years into my time @ MDDN, a Chinese TV show producer/manager randomly flew to the States and met with everyone, asking if he could make history happen by bringing a Western artist to the most-watched TV program in China (Singer) that never had a Western guest. Jessie J decided (between taking recording vocals for a song) that she was in. Her Tour Manager at the time decided he wanted to take a break. Before I knew it, I was on a plane to Changsha, China, meeting with producers of the largest TV show in the country (100M weekly viewers), asking about how to best promote Jessie in China while on this TV program. I was 24.
They immediately pointed to platforms I had never heard of before. Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu. After some digging, I quickly learned what we needed: 500M users here, 1.4B users there, and 200M users here. I couldn’t believe it. I’m 24, tech-savvy, and never once had thought, hmm. I’ve heard of the Great Firewall in China, and I know people in China can’t access FB, Twitter, Instagram, Google, YouTube, Spotify, etc. So, what do people in China use then? I never once asked myself or anyone that. Frankly, only a few Westerners did either.
During week 1 in China, I ensured we gained access to Jessie’s Weibo and grew to 500k+ followers virtually overnight. After vetting teams in the channel management space, I was left with an idea because I wanted to avoid managing this platform myself. Each team I vetted charged an arm and a leg for channel management, were all based in China, never worked with Westerners, let alone artists, and a majority of the businesses I connected with based their business on the lack of transparency I had towards the market. So, after gaining a ton of followers virtually overnight, learning how to manage this platform properly, and completing an excellent 4.5-month stint in China, I flew back to the States and found. I do not want to pursue management any longer. I was losing sleep at night thinking of the opportunity I had in front of me. After some research, I found a single Western-based digital media business that worked in China. After a short time back in the States, I decided to close the door to music management and start this digital business, East Goes Global, with a single client. Within a month, I had 10 clients, hired my first employee, and was off to the races. I was 25.
At the time, I launched a Western-focused digital media business whose goal was to help artists reach China through local platforms. Within the first 6-months, I realized we could do this for more than just artists but all types of celebrities/personalities. We onboarded actors like Will Smith, Jessica Chastain, and Gwendoline Christie and content creators like Sidemen and Enes Yilmazer, among other models/influencers. After 2-3 years of this, I set my sites on tech. I thought how cool it would be to build a proprietary reporting dashboard—finally lifting the veil on China. Our client’s biggest complaint is that I can’t see the platforms, so IDK what is going on, and I have no transparency. So, I went out and raised a round to build this vision into reality, and today, we have tech that backs up what we do. Another year passed (Year 4), and I asked myself why we focused on the individual. What about Sports Teams, Brands, and Businesses? We’re missing a massive opportunity with teams actively seeking to reach Chinese consumers. Before I knew it, we worked with 4 NBA teams (more to come), brands such as Reebok and Bonnie Clyde Eyewear, businesses like Persona Pro, Rezzil, and Fortress Gaming, and so much more. Today, our mission has shifted from ‘We help Western artists connect with fans in China’ to ‘We help Western businesses reach Chinese consumers’. I’m 5.5 years in and still feel like we’re a start-up. I love what we’re doing every day.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Can you imagine driving for 5.5 years on a smooth road? Think about being in the car for 5.5 years on a smooth, flat road with no turns, off-roading, dips, bumps, hills, or valleys for 5.5 years. You would go insane. Rough roads are fun; rough roads teach you what to do when you hit a speed bump. Rough roads force you to go off-road to return to the right path. There have been countless rough roads I’ve been on, but all made me who I am today with the knowledge of how to get through and across those very struggles/rough roads I’ve journeyed down. Too high of overhead, upset clients, down tech, late payments, bad hires, you name it, I’ve seen it all. Today, I couldn’t be happier to have journeyed down those rough roads.
As you know, we’re big fans of East Goes Global. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
We help Western businesses reach Chinese consumers. Over the years, we’ve garnered 200M+ followers for our clients on local Chinese platforms, we’ve driven billions of impressions, generated millions of dollars, run the most Western channels on Chinese social media platforms, and we are just getting started. What we’re most known for is being the leaders in the space. What sets us apart is several things. We’re headquartered stateside with boots on the ground in China (most teams are based in China and cannot even meet with their clients, let alone hop on a call during Western business hours; 90% of our team is native Chinese with Western influence (born in China but based stateside), and we thrive on transparency. I am most proud of the fact that after 5.5 years, we’re still here and more profitable than we’ve ever been. Today, I want the readers to know that Chinese people account for 1/5th of the world’s population, are the fastest-growing consumer market, and have local platforms you are most likely not using. You know what’s in for 2024? Global-inclusivity. It’s time for your team, brand, and yourself to connect with the world’s largest population.
Networking and finding a mentor can positively impact one’s life and career. Any advice?
In today’s world, finding a mentor has never been easier. My friend, Kenny Hanson, also Austin-based, started a fantastic company called Mentor Pass (mentorpass.co), whose slogan is: ‘Book 1:1 calls with the world’s top start-up mentors.’ It is that easy. For a monthly fee, you can jump on a call with people who you’ve only dreamed of chatting with.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eastgoesglobal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewspalter/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewspalter/
