How Derrence Lim and Yeoman Nursalim of OMNI Entertainment Are Helping To Make the Entertainment Industry More Diverse and Representative

We sign talent from all over the world including diverse races, nationalities, and political leanings. Our aim is to build an inclusive roster that represents various gender identities, religions, cultures, and disabilities. We want to show the world that diverse groups can shine on global stages.

As a part of my series about leaders helping to make the entertainment industry more diverse and representative, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Derrence Lim and Yeoman Nursalim, CEOs of OMNI Entertainment.

Omni Entertainment is home to some of the hottest Hollywood talents to date. The investors and entrepreneurs got their start doing diverse investments in a range of different industries such as retail (Zara) and manufacturing (Michelin Tires). Their love for the entertainment industry caused them to dabble with work in it for four years, but in 2019, the two decided to delve in completely, starting Omni Entertainment. Based in Calabasas, California, Omni Entertainment is one of the first entertainment enterprises to encapsulate a full-range approach almost 100% remotely, handling talent across the world ranging from Spain to Canada. Omni Entertainment prides itself on providing a “360 approach” to the talent they handle — going beyond what their competition does by acting as a crossbreed between a few different lanes: taking responsibilities of a label, a management firm, and an investor.

Omni Entertainment’s goal is to connect the “rest of the world” to America and connect America to “the rest of the world.” They strive to develop and educate young talent and their parents, provide guidance in navigating the entertainment industry, and ultimately give them the chance to live their dream. They are responsible for the development of recording artists and digital personalities from all platforms such as The Martinez Twins, Alex Simpson, Zane Carter, and Matt Sato. They have plans to expand their client roster by around 10 talent before the end of 2020.

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

My brother and I have a long history of success in various fields. We’ve invested in fast fashion, manufacturing, finance, and now we’ve set our sights on entertainment. We strongly believe that our deep connections in other industries will streamline artist success because we have endless resources in marketing, merchandising, retail, and many other essentials to developing a thriving brand.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

We took several influencers to Japan to shoot a music video for one of the first acts that we signed. It was incredible to witness the Japanese recognize their favorite social media stars from America. It just demonstrated the international power of social media.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Working with talent can be a challenge, especially young talent. At a meet and greet in a Los Angeles mall, we had so many fans swarm the influencers that we had to wait in a storage room for authorities to clear the crowd. One of the artists decided to rush into the crowd, reigniting excitement from their fans. It took more than 3 hours for the crowd to dissipate.

Ok thank you for all that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our discussion. Can you describe how you are helping to make popular culture more representative of the US population?

We sign talent from all over the world including diverse races, nationalities, and political leanings. Our aim is to build an inclusive roster that represents various gender identities, religions, cultures, and disabilities. We want to show the world that diverse groups can shine on global stages.

Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by the work you are doing?

A fan reached out to the Martinez Twins thanking them for instilling hope in her. She was in a deep depression but watching their videos about resilience and enjoying their pranks or silly content gave her a new outlook on life.

As an insider, this might be obvious to you, but I think it’s instructive to articulate this for the public who might not have the same inside knowledge. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why it’s really important to have diversity represented in Entertainment and its potential effects on our culture?

Entertainment gives people a platform to spread world-changing beliefs and spark important, progressive movements. We believe that diversity isn’t an afterthought; it’s a necessary component to building a sustainable, inclusive business that positively impacts our surrounding community. We empower diverse voices to deliver their stories and viewpoints through their art.

Can you recommend three things the community/society/the industry can do help address the root of the diversity issues in the entertainment business?

1. We need to begin by empowering diverse leadership at larger companies and investing in startups founded by diverse leaders. It’s difficult to solve a problem without first understanding its complexities. Diverse leadership can personally identify and clarify the problems that must be addressed in the entertainment industry, as well as craft thoughtful ways forward.

2. We should invest in diverse talent who has a poignant, meaningful POV.

3. We also must begin to use our voices to address topics that have long been considered taboo for artists to engage in. Art is often a reflection of society and we need to bolster up marginalized voices by giving them a strong platform on which to stand.

How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?

Leadership is defined by service to others. I consider someone a leader when he or she has empowered the entire team and extracted the best performance from those around him or her. Every person has natural talents or gifts. A strong leader positions his supporting team members in roles that maximize those abilities.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Perfectionism is procrastination. You’ll never have the perfect strategy or plan or idea. Just start and problem-solve as you build.
2. Adopt an attitude of learning. Accept that you are rarely the smartest person in the room and various voices bring valuable information to your organization.
3. Surround yourself with your heroes. Find five people who inspire you and make them your best friends. Their magic will rub off on you.
4. Care about people, not projects. A deadline is never more important than someone’s well-being. If you respect your team, you’ll increase productivity and make the work more enjoyable.
5. Fail up. Learn and grow from every failure, but move on quickly. Don’t harp on your shortcomings; simply fail yourself upwards until you succeed.

You are people of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I believe access to technology will provide the most good to the highest number of people. Providing an iPad to children with otherwise no access to schools can have a tremendous impact on that child’s development and career potential. Putting a smartphone in the hands of every person worldwide would catalyze entrepreneurial growth and expedite the spread of ideas.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” I grew up with a deep yearning to learn how to realize a world full of my ideas. I truly believed, despite circumstances that would suggest otherwise, that I could bring my thoughts to life.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Jlo. I’d like to find the serum that keeps her looking so young. It would be a bestseller.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

They can follow us @omnientertainmentinc on Instagram.