The Digital Marketing Gatekeeper with Charlie Buffin

In this episode, Max Bernstein sits down with Charlie Buffin, founder of Spark Media, for a conversation that spans the explosive rise of influencer marketing, the business of digital creators, and launching an animated YouTube IP with global impact. Charlie shares his journey from a college entrepreneur managing teenage creators during the Musical.ly era to becoming a multi-platform creator agency leader and children’s content executive. He discusses how Spark Media supports brands and creators alike with end-to-end campaign services, why creator autonomy is non-negotiable, and how his Nigeria-based animation team helped build OmoBerry, a kids' edutainment YouTube channel that just crossed a billion views.Charlie also opens up about entrepreneurship, risk-taking, the importance of long-term thinking, and the core value that drives all his ventures: kindness. This is a masterclass in scaling creator businesses while staying grounded in values and vision.Key TakeawaysThe Evolution from Musical.ly to TikTok: How Charlie spotted early signals of TikTok’s potential and built Spark Media into a premier creator agency.Creator-Led Campaigns Drive Results: Why letting creators lead content strategy yields more authentic and effective brand integrations.Case Study: Skechers on TikTok: Behind-the-scenes of one of Spark’s most successful influencer campaigns during COVID.Building OmoBerry from Scratch: How Charlie co-founded a billion-view kids’ YouTube channel with a Nigerian animation team.Real Talk on Entrepreneurship: Lessons on risk, patience, and trusting your gut from someone who’s never had a boss.Key Timestamps00:00 – "Welcome to the show! Today, Charlie Buffin shares how he helped grow Addison Rae and Charli D'Amelio's TikTok accounts to 200K followers in just weeks."02:20 – The early days of Musical.ly and working with young influencers.08:05 – Spark Media now manages a diverse roster of 50 creators across platforms.16:00 – How aspiring creators can still break through if they’re creative.19:43 – Revenue through YouTube AdSense and merchandise for Omo Berry.25:50 – The importance of kindness in building long-term success.33:50 – Final thoughts on building a business and compounding skills.34:44 – Best way to get in touch with Charlie.Follow Our Guest, Charlie BuffinCharlie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbuffin/Charlie’s X: https://x.com/charlie_buffinLinkedIn Spark Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sparkmediala/OmoBerry - https://www.youtube.com/@OmoBerryCharlie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlie_buffin/?hl=enChasing Clout Podcast Aug 14, 2019 - Are CGI Influencers the Real Thing?https://open.spotify.com/episode/3BLupLMYjYTi6yiWVpThys?si=75ae3f38f0d44baaFollow the Host Max Bernstein:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mberns01/X: https://x.com/relationlcoFollow RELATIONL:Website: https://www.relationl.co/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/relationl/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relationlco/