How Two Socialites Built One of the Fastest-Growing Influencer Agencies

In just under 3 years since launching their agency in May of 2023, two Los Angeles socialites have already carved out a significant name for themselves in the influencer marketing world with Staud The Agency. What started as a vision in the heart of Los Angeles, California has quickly transformed into one of the fastest-growing influencer agencies in the industry. With clients spanning from LA to London, New York, Australia, Spain, Canada, and Europe, these two women are redefining what it means to be global talent representatives.

Stacy Lopez, a Los Angeles native, and Andria Carpenter, who grew up in San Diego, both came from backgrounds in the entertainment, beauty and fashion scenes of Southern California. Stacy’s deep ties in LA’s celebrity and influencer circles, combined with Andria’s extensive network in the fashion and digital marketing world, meant that their paths were almost destined to cross.

The two first met through mutual friends, bonding over shared interests in french bulldogs, social media, and brand-building. Their friendship quickly evolved into a business partnership as they began to realize their complementary skills could result in something bigger than just personal success. Stacy brought an understanding of brand strategy/partnerships and celebrity & influencer relations, while Andria offered her expertise in digital marketing, content creation & direction, and management. Together, they formed a powerhouse duo capable of shaping the future of influencer marketing.

“We both had a lot of exposure to different parts of the entertainment industry, and we saw a clear gap in how influencers were being represented,” says Stacy. “We noticed that so many talented creators had huge social media followings, but shockingly, many of them didn’t know where to start when it came to building their own brand, working with companies, or marketing themselves beyond their platforms. We wanted to build an agency that not only catered to their individual needs but also helped them scale and diversify their social media presence and personal branding in a way that felt authentic.”

“We both saw how the influencer space had become,” says Stacy. “There were so many talented individuals with massive followings, but not enough infrastructure to truly support them. We wanted to create an agency that could offer full 360° management across all of their social media platforms with the teams and resources in place to handle every area of marketing, brand partnerships and monetization under one roof, rather than creators having to juggle multiple different teams just to achieve one goal.”

From the very beginning, the founders were determined not to limit their agency to the LA market. While Los Angeles is undeniably the epicenter of influencer culture, both Stacy and Andria envisioned themselves as global players. Their goal was to scale rapidly and curate a diverse roster of talent that could connect with audiences worldwide. In just under 3 years, they’ve accomplished exactly that.

What sets their agency apart is its international reach. While many influencer agencies focus primarily on the U.S. market, these women have made an effort to represent talent in various corners of the globe. The agency now represents top influencers not only in Los Angeles, but in major cities like London, New York, Miami, and Toronto, as well as countries like Spain, Australia, and Canada.

For Andria, expanding globally was a natural next step driven by the growing demand for influencers who can connect with audiences across cultures. “The beauty of this space is that it’s truly borderless,” she says. “Whether you’re in LA, London, or Sydney, people everywhere respond to authenticity. Working with talent from different countries and backgrounds has made our agency more dynamic and adaptable.”

So, what exactly has fueled the agency’s rapid rise? According to the founders, it’s a mix of their deep industry knowledge, a focus on long-term relationships, and their understanding of both influencer culture and the needs of global brands.

A major driver behind the agency’s growth has been its commitment to truly personalized representation. Stacy and Andria understand that every creator’s path looks different. “We don’t use the same structure or strategy for every influencer,” they explain. “The first thing we ask is, where do you want to be in the next one to three years? From there, we build a roadmap that supports that vision whether it’s expanding into new platforms, launching a brand, or breaking into a different market. That level of individual attention has built lasting trust and genuine partnerships with our talent.”

"We've worked with everything from beauty products to fashion, and the key is always authenticity," says Stacy. "The influencers we work with aren’t just promoting a product; they’re sharing something they genuinely believe in with their followers. And that level of authenticity is something our clients value."

At Staud, Stacy and Andria represent top talent across a wide range of spaces, including fitness influencers, gamers and streamers, food influencers, models, TikTok creators, YouTubers, and reality TV personalities. The agency has also partnered with some of the biggest brands in the industry, including Playboy, Insomniac, Snapchat, Twitch, Amazon, I.AM.GIA., SHEIN, Pretty Little Thing, Ulta Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury Cosmetics, Maelys Beauty, NARS Cosmetics, Naked Sundays, VANS Warped Tour, Simmi London, Tom Ford, Thriller Records, Fearless Records, Fashion Nova, Hustler, and Journeys, to name just a few.