From household names to up-and-coming celebs, Lonnie Anthony is a powerhouse manager with an innovative approach.
It’s no secret that breaking into the entertainment business in any shape or form can be nearly impossible. Whether one wants to be the front-facing talent or work behind the scenes, it takes extensive networking, determination, a bit of luck, and a steadfast vision towards your professional goals. Lonnie Anthony is someone who has been able to make his “Hollywood” dreams a reality. Lonnie is the founder of AstoicManagement, an esteemed, black-owned talent agency based in Beverly Hills.
You might recognize a few of the talents he’s worked with, such as Floyd Mayweather, Offset (Migos), Ronnie2K, Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliot, and Cassy Athena (just to name a few). Lonnie has proved to be one of the most powerful young black men in the business, as he’s brokered a plethora of deals with companies like NBA2K, Caffeine, Facebook, Nike, Jordan, Adidas, AT&T, Microsoft, FOX, Stockx, Viacom, Postmates, New Era, Turo, and MLB.
Lonnie’s experience and connections are tenfold at just 28 years old. In 2020, Lonnie creative directed, produced, and managed a campaign between Offset and the Atlanta Braves (MLB) which highlighted the history of black excellence in Atlanta culture. Astoic and Offset were able to single-handedly design, direct, and produce this entire project without New Era’s assistance due to Covid travel restrictions at the time. Most recently, Lonnie has been working hand-in-hand with Floyd Mayweather’s team in order to build out different verticals which Floyd has yet to enter. These platforms include new potential for coverage in tech, gaming, and digital media.
If his resume isn’t already impressive enough, Lonnie was able to create his agency empire in just a few short years. His career as a creative director and manager first began in 2017, where he helped transform Ronnie2K’s persona from a video game executive to a culturally relevant figure. With his marketing expertise, Lonnie grew Ronnie2K’s social media following from 200K to over 1M followers on Instagram in a span of only 18 months.
Lonnie’s creative influence spilled over into the direction of where NBA2K was headed. This led to the cultural revitalization of the franchise as the game began inserting widely known celebrities and fashion brands into the game. Specifically, Lonnie was responsible for the integration of celebrities such as Travis Scott, Quavo, Offset, J. Balvin, Fabolous, Nav, Ben Baller, Zack Bia, and Lil Pump into NBA2K. The creativity did not spot there as Lonnie spearheaded the insertion of fashion brands such as Fear of God, Rhude, Just Don, Visitor on Earth, Union and IhNomUhNit into the #3 sports video game in the world. Industry professionals began to take notice and started flocking towards Lonnie and Astoic Management for their services. Lonnie and his business partner, Rob Martin, made the decision to evolve from simply managing talent to running a full-scale agency, a choice that took their business to new heights.
“Our business was started because people were constantly asking for our expertise or advice in certain scenarios,” he says. “We realized that there was a demand for our knowledge, so we decided to make it a legit business and professionalize our services. We were motivated and inspired by the idea that we were able to help people reach their goals and monetize their passions.”
Now, Lonnie and Astoic Management are considered one of the premiere agencies in the industry; however, Lonnie knows it’s only just the beginning of a long and prosperous journey. We’re sure to see much more to come from this trailblazing entrepreneur and his rapidly growing company in the near future.
Written in partnership with Ascend
