Become Worth the Money You Want to Make (Carlos Benjamin of High Profile Lifestyle)
Experiential marketer Carlos Benjamin shares how he went from working on film sets and tour managing to founding production and talent agency High Profile Lifestyle. We also dig into mentorship, personal development, and his latest endeavor Freelancers Unplugged.
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Transcript:
Mike: Hey Carlos, how are you?
Carlos: Hey Mike, I’m doing great. How are you, my friend?
Mike: Doing great, thank you. And I’ve gotta say—I love that New York Yankees cap. I’m originally from New York, born and raised. I grew up a Mets fan because I was from Long Island. But when I moved to Arizona in 2000, I still wanted to represent New York. And that was right when the Yankees were really popping off. During the D-backs versus Yankees World Series, I was full-blood New Yorker. But now, 20-plus years later, I’m officially an Arizonan.
Carlos: I love that. And you’re in a new city with a lot of heat, so if you’re not repping strong, what are you doing, right?
Mike: Exactly! So what about you—where are you based?
Carlos: I’m a New Yorker at heart, but I’m kind of a global citizen because of the nature of our work. I’m in different states and different countries all the time. It’s more of a nomadic lifestyle. But lately I’ve been spending time in Fayetteville, Georgia. We just opened a new headquarters there, about five minutes from Trilith Studios. We’re shifting some of our operations to that area.
Mike: Congratulations on the new headquarters! Why Atlanta?
Carlos: Um, a few reasons. Your money goes a lot further in places like Georgia compared to California or New York. And we needed more space to deliver the kind of experiences our clients expect. New York is amazing, but it’s noisy and cramped. I couldn’t even do a podcast without sirens going off outside. Atlanta gives me peace of mind, the room to build, and it’s closer to my parents so I have family support while things get busier.
Mike: I love that—having a home base while still traveling. Especially now, with so much done virtually, you can post up somewhere, get the work done, and still move around when you need to.
Carlos: Exactly. And I was born in Selma, Alabama, so I’ve seen small-town thinking up close. Getting out into the world—north, south, east, west—gave me different perspectives. That exposure has been huge for my career, for how we approach projects, and for how we hire.
Mike: Was that desire to expand your world part of why you chose marketing?
Carlos: In a way, but it also just came natural to me. I’ve always looked for ways to stand out. I originally wanted to be an actor and ended up with a mentor in film, Janet Urban of Friends in Film. She took me under her wing and exposed me to production. But on set it’s a lot of “hurry up and wait,” and you can’t really be a social butterfly. When I discovered experiential marketing, it pulled me in. People actually wanted you to be excited, loud, and engaging. That matched my energy.
Mike: Did you study marketing formally?
Carlos: Not really. My focus was more on acting and training. But I met freelancers along the way—makeup artists, stylists, designers, editors—people living creatively without a nine-to-five. That appealed to me. When I moved to New York, I discovered experiential marketing. It’s huge in major markets. And if you know just a few people, opportunities start appearing. Before long, I was working premieres, concerts, festivals—the whole thing.
Mike: There’s always that gap between meeting the right people and getting paid work. How did you bridge that?
Carlos: My mentor taught me a lot, and one key thing was being willing to work for free early on to get in the door. Back in 2008, the “front door” was crowded. I volunteered on about ten productions—craft services, art department, anywhere I could help. I brought southern hospitality, showed up early, and asked how I could help. When those teams needed paid help on bigger gigs—HBO, commercials—they called me. That gave me experience and trust. When I pivoted into experiential, that track record transferred. I showcased my chops and went from one door to the next.
Mike: Working for free is controversial now, but context matters. Back then it was more expected. Today there are other ways to build a portfolio, like volunteering, making your own content, or internships if you can swing it. The point is still networking.
Carlos: Totally. Everyone’s situation is different. For me, it was invaluable. Another lesson from my mentor stuck with me: if you want to make great money, become worth that money. It’s not just about showing up. It’s about communication, being groomed, being reliable, and learning how to do the things. I took that to heart and kept stacking experience and relationships.
Mike: Was that mindset part of why you launched High Profile Lifestyle?
Carlos: Yes. I became a tour manager around 2010, 2011, and toured for six or seven years—drive tours, fly-in/fly-out tours. I noticed I was basically staffing my own tours because partner agencies often sent whoever was available with little briefing. I’d have to train them on site. But the client would still ask me how it went—so I felt responsible for quality. After a couple of years of informally curating my own teams, peers said, “You should start your own agency.” Eventually I realized freelancing had a ceiling for where I wanted to go financially and impact-wise, so I launched High Profile Lifestyle in 2020.
Mike: And then the world shut down.
Carlos: Right—March 2020. I was working with talent from HBO Max’s Legendary. Live events went to zero, but our clients were suddenly in demand, and virtual performances took off. The timing created an opening. Between my national roster and the show’s momentum, we grew fast—even during COVID.
Mike: Mentorship clearly matters to you—you’ve mentioned it a few times.
Carlos: Absolutely. I prayed for someone to believe in me, and Janet did. Now I pay it forward. Sometimes I even manage personal talent if the chemistry and integrity are there. Numbers matter, but chemistry matters more. If I’ve been on a project with you for weeks and I see the work ethic and character, I might say, “Let’s try three months and see what we can build.”
Mike: Same here. Numbers give context, but chemistry gives conviction. At different phases, the value you can provide to talent changes, and sometimes you’re not the right fit yet. And sometimes you break your own rules because the vision is that strong.
Carlos: Exactly. Sometimes people are worth the roll of the dice.
Mike: Let’s flip to the brand side. What are brands looking for right now, and how do you make sure the match is right?
Carlos: I’ve worked both sides—as a freelancer and talent, and now as an agency CEO. For freelancers, I always say: find reputable experiential or promo agencies. Build a great photo set and a strong bio, apply, and try different environments—festivals, premieres, trade shows—to see where you fit best.
When you’re on site, you’ve got to read the room. Check in with your event lead and make sure you’re delivering what they want. A lot of managers won’t correct you; they’ll just not rehire you. So ask, “Hey, how am I doing? Is there anything I can adjust?” That shows you care and want to align with the vision.
Mike: That’s great advice. I think people sometimes forget that managers don’t always have the bandwidth to give feedback in the middle of an event.
Carlos: Exactly. And as an agency, our edge is attention to detail that comes from real field experience. Brands are spending serious money. We bring diversity, culture, and precision. We’re not just placing people—we’re engineering a “wow” moment that attendees feel and clients remember.
Mike: I imagine that’s part of why clients keep coming back to High Profile Lifestyle.
Carlos: Yeah. Our model is built on intentional staffing. We don’t just fill spots with whoever’s available. We curate the right people with the right look, energy, and reliability for each event. That’s how we guarantee quality. Clients trust that every person on site is aligned with the brand experience.
Mike: You also launched Freelancers Unplugged. Can you tell me more about that?
Carlos: Sure. Freelancers Unplugged is a platform we’re building to help freelancers recharge, level up, and feel supported. We’re providing real resources—photography, financial strategy, travel hacks, health insurance options, and most importantly, faster payment cycles. Our goal is to get freelancers paid in seven days.
Mike: Seven days? That would be a game-changer.
Carlos: Exactly. Freelancers make shows and events magical, but they’re often waiting 60, 90 days to get paid. That’s not sustainable. We want to normalize faster pay and create standards that elevate the freelance experience.
Mike: Beyond pay, what else will Freelancers Unplugged offer?
Carlos: Community and personal development. We’ll host unplugged retreats where freelancers can step away from the grind, connect with each other, and share resources. We’ll bring in experts—financial advisors, health professionals, content creators—to provide workshops and tools. Freelancers spend so much time chasing gigs that they rarely invest in themselves, and that’s how burnout happens.
Mike: That’s really powerful. Taking that intentional time matters.
Carlos: Exactly. And it ties back to what my mentor always said: if you want to make money, become worth that money. Invest in yourself. Learn new skills. Grow. That’s why I’ve done personal development programs like Landmark Forum and Momentum Education. They push you out of your comfort zone. You can’t pour into others if you’re running on empty.
Mike: That’s such an important point. So much of this business isn’t just about technical skills—it’s mindset. If you’re stressed, unorganized, or not communicating well, it affects the entire team.
Carlos: One hundred percent. I’ve seen incredibly talented people get passed over, not because of their skills, but because of their attitude, reliability, or communication. When brands are investing six or seven figures in a campaign, they don’t have time for someone who shows up late or ignores direction. They want people who elevate the experience.
Mike: Let’s wrap things up with the “one advice” question. If you could give just one piece of advice to creatives, what would it be?
Carlos: Invest in your personal and professional development. Don’t just focus on gigs and money—focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Read books, take classes, and join programs that stretch you. Because the better you are, the more opportunities will flow to you. And when that door opens, you’ll be ready to walk through it.
Mike: That’s beautiful. Carlos, thank you so much for sharing your journey and insights. I really appreciate you being here.
Carlos: Thank you, Mike. This was amazing.