Essence Festival | July 2026
If you're a brand ambassador, promotional model, or event staff, I would strongly caution you before accepting work through The NM Agency.
I accepted an activation based on what was discussed with me in person. During the event, Nneka Ukah was in labor, so she wasn't there, and I trusted that the people she put in charge were communicating the job and pay accurately. After the event, that wasn't honored, and I was left fighting to be paid what I reasonably understood I had agreed to.
What hurts the most is that people making these decisions often have no idea what that money means to the people they're refusing to pay. They don't know if someone is trying to catch up on rent, keep the lights on, feed their kids, or, in my case, help pay for my daughter's urn burial. Every dollar matters. So when someone shrugs off a few hundred dollars like it's nothing, they're ignoring the very real impact it has on someone else's life.
The FX *The Drop* activation itself was, in my opinion, a reflection of poor planning and poor execution. Communication was inconsistent, expectations were unclear, and the overall experience felt disorganized from beginning to end.
This is about accountability. If you own an agency, the people you hire to represent you are your responsibility. If they miscommunicate your rates or expectations, that's still your business, your reputation, and your responsibility to make it right.
I won't work another activation through The NM Agency, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. We deserve to be treated professionally, communicated with honestly, and paid fairly for the work we do. read more
