Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Sweed.
Hi Erin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am a visionary who took the long route! At an early age, I knew what I wanted to do. I went to college at Texas A&M University, started training at Page Parkes Center for Modeling and Acting, and traveled around the world by 25 years old. Not realizing my goals were fairly easily attainable, I reached a point where I didn’t know which direction I wanted to go, and I was being pulled in every direction. Gaining experience in multiple industries, including sports, film and entertainment, marketing, education, and beauty, to name a few, I became unstoppable. No matter the topic or task, I had experience or at least enough know-how to be an asset to any team.
From 2011 to 2020, I ran around Houston assisting and creating opportunities for models, talent, and businesses to grow their brand and even handling some of the behind the scenes for some local curators such as Marquis Trill, JMulan, Yassy Brown, Melodrama Boutique, OrbitDidIt, and numerous models and actors. As a former Operations Manager for UHNTV, I was privy to how the city works, including how important it is to create trustworthy relationships and enforce non-compete clauses with any business. A former representative of UHNTV had taken all the clientele and started an entirely new company. Once I realized they were not secure, a protection order was activated to establish boundaries and contracts. After a year of voluntarily rebuilding, it was clear that the station was not going to be revived and I moved on to NEB management. Once I signed with NEB as their office manager, I helped them create a better infrastructure for the company and adapted some of their influencer management techniques. During the time with NEB, I was able to work directly with popular YouTubers such as Damien & Biannca of The Prince Family, Carmen & Cory of The Pritchett Family, Dolce & Nesha of The Curry Family, Nyyear & Jalen, Nique & King, The Houston Twinz and more.
While balancing life, family, and influencers at NEB, I started to refocus on myself and my own personal happiness. That meant sharing my life with someone else, so as soon as I started to find balance, I got thrown off again when my fiancé Isaac “Sir Issac” White and I reconnected in 2020. In the midst of turmoil with my daughter and her father, transitioning from TV to on Demand YouTube content, I also got into a relationship with an influencer. As if life wasn’t busy enough, now life changed from being a behind-the-scenes game changer to managing the every day of an active, well-known influencer with not only local recognition but global. Year 1 was like an activation filled with action around the US. We toured Los Angeles, Atlanta, Vegas, Florida, and more, doing productions and taking over any court or basketball event we could. In 2021, I found out I was pregnant; Isaac had a stroke, and life took on a NEW level. We started working with Reebok, then came Red Bull, and now we even partner with Raising Canes for certain ventures.
This year, we have adjusted to life and its many changes, and I am focusing on making firm and long-term decisions. Merging the idea of Rockstar Runway with the activation of Houston’s Got Talent to finally establish my for-profit business as well as my non-profit. Along this journey, I have assisted so many brands and businesses to grow, and I finally reached a point in my life where I must do it for myself. I recently started a non-profit called The Rockstar Foundation in order to provide education, experience and scholarship for the next generation of leaders. Houston’s Got Talent will launch a weekly newsletter starting in May and will also host a Talent Showcase in Summer of 2025. Be on the lookout for Houston’s Got Talent, the series, as we look to highlight some local businesses and talent around the city. Although this process took a lot of thought, I had to learn the long/hard way that you can have both. This year is about establishing each individual leg of the businesses and ensuring I am reaching the right goals, not small goals.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Most definitely not a smooth road. It’s so easy to forget about yourself in a world that uses you up. No one cares about what you don’t do unless it affects them and what they want. For the longest, I didn’t realize I was losing myself because I was making others successful or happy. Growing up, you dream about getting away from the things that hurt you, but when you’re young, you don’t even see the things that are there to help you, sometimes hurt. Now, as an adult, sorting through hurt and pain, I had to realize that I was standing in my own way.
From moving to a new city and being the outsider to running out of resources in a foreign place, nothing worth it will be easy. It took several stints of homelessness, joblessness, and plain-out loss for me to realize that I was in control of my own destiny. Even then it wasn’t easy because now I’m my own decision maker with or without outside influence. I had to find a way to believe in myself when I didn’t even have time for myself.
Moral of the story, believe in yourself first, or you will lose a lot of yourself and have to rebuild it later in life. Start early!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am most proud of my work in Education & Communications. It doesn’t matter the industry; I have always had a special skill to educate others and to connect people. While I specialize in Mathematics because it’s my favorite subject, I was trained to tutor in all subjects when I was in college. I have always had a passion for educating others and sharing my resources, no matter how much I had. This came primarily from being blessed at a young age and seeing those with less and wanting to share with them.
My junior year in High School I finally faced my fear of talking in front of people and started taking theater. My theater teacher told me I was such a natural that I started to take it more serious. Every chance I got to be on stage, I was there. Talent shows, Fashion Shows, Step Shows, it didn’t matter. If I could do it, I was there. By the time I graduated College I had been on so many stages that I wasn’t as eager to hop in front of the camera, I needed to figure out HOW they created the shows.
Along the process of developing my business, I worked on creating the infrastructure with little to no blueprint. By the time I moved to Houston, I had traveled so many places with great public transportation systems. I realized that there was soooo much talent, but they were sooooo far apart due to the landscape of the city and access to public transportation and affordable childcare. Originally, I wanted to spend 1 year in Houston and then move. 13 years later… I am still here.
While I used to have a contract with Alief Hastings High School teaching runway to their Fashion Design class to help with their yearly class fundraiser, I currently work as a Substitute Teacher at The Kinkaid School during the day, an AAU Mom and Basketball Wife in the evening. My Fiancé, Sir Issac, got me back into the basketball world 4 years ago as I was transitioning out of Influencer Management. Somehow, all the years of experience ultimately helped me to develop what is now Houston’s Got Talent & The Rockstar Foundation.
Houston’s Got Talent creates profitable working opportunities for creatives and athletes, such as budgeted Basketball Tournaments, Commercial and Film Productions, event staffing, and more, depending on the project. I am known for being well-connected to a quality network and always lending a hand to others. Houston’s Got Talent allows me to generate a lucrative business but since I am all about giving back, this year I have started The Rockstar Foundation to add in a more community aspect.
What sets me apart from others is my genuine connection and desire to help selflessly. Most people in our industry have a “sold, not told” mentality, and it washes down the industry. If we offer the same opportunities to everyone, no matter the qualifications, because they can afford it, we are simply asking to find the people with money or popular people versus the talented people. The industry has changed, and I have no desire to get rich from it, only a desire to help the future generations have a fair shot at a real industry.
From the beginning of my journey, I have always educated my clients on how to properly run their own business, with or without me. That fact alone creates genuine connections with people who know how to get up and get things done. The world cannot be run by one person; there has to be an army of people with like minds. If the TV and entertainment can control the households, then why not start there? Touching each household one at a time.
This summer Houston’s Got Talent launches our campaign for the 2025 Summer Talent Showcase featuring 20-30 models, 5 Designers/Boutiques, 5 Beauty Professionals/Teams, 5 Production Crew members including some from High School and College Campuses. This series of events will be filmed and featured on the new Houston’s Got Talent Television Show, airing January 2025. Also activating this summer is our 1st Unsigned Seniors Event, partnering with The Rockstar Foundation to provide scholarships to 2 High School students as they prepare for their senior year of high school.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Set your goals high, and don’t let anyone tell you what you cannot do. People made everything seem so impossible when I was just starting out, so my goals were not that specific or high. Once I accomplished those goals, I was stuck and just riding the wave, doing job after job with no purpose. Set goals, revise them when necessary, and don’t doubt yourself!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ErinSweed.com
- Instagram: @BeautyTh3model
- Other: www.HoustonsGotTalent.com
