Cara Lewis, CEO, Cara Lewis Group

– Cara Lewis

Cara Lewis

CEO, Cara Lewis Group

Cara Lewis has long been an innovator in the agency space, and a force to be reckoned with. 

She’s been at the forefront of the development of hip-hop into a cultural and touring force and, after more than two decades as a fixture at William Morris and CAA, stepped out of the agency shadow to launch her own company, Cara Lewis Group, five years ago. 

In recent years, she’s stood out for and been proudest of steering Travis Scott’s 55-city Astroworld arena headlining tour, the Astroworld Festival in Houston that sold 52,000 tickets before a lineup was announced, Khalid’s 35-city headline tour that for a time ranked only between The Rolling Stones and Metallica; and Eminem’s record-breaking, five-stadium outing in Australia and New Zealand. Lewis is also celebrating a 20-year relationship with Jill Scott, including the singer’s 20th anniversary, sold-out “Who Is Jill Scott?” tour. 

“I am so blessed to represent the best talent (all represented from beginning days of their careers) that have had huge success in the touring space, especially in the past year,” Lewis says. “It is an amazing experience running my own agency (now in year 5) especially coming from two major agencies through my career. It has been really rewarding and I look forward to expanding horizons beyond touring and branding.” 

Lewis credits her mother for raising her with “the code of ethics she’s instilled in me, treating everyone with respect and always looking for the positive.” She attributes “never taking no for an answer” and building great relationships over the years for her success as well as “my CLG team and most importantly the passion and desire to continue to win for my clients.” 

It hasn’t always been easy. The biggest challenge she faced was “working in a non-collaborative male dominant major agency structure. I could have let the displacement I felt at times overcome my vision, but I used it to fuel my goals and plans. 

These experiences ultimately allowed me to become a leader and made me the force that I am today.” Lewis offers some advice for young women coming up in the industry:  “Focus on your plans and goals and how to get there. Commit to a lifestyle that will enable you to dedicate the time for your career. Nothing comes easy. Hard work, perseverance and sincerity will all pay off long-term. Identify a mentor and be a good listener. Be supportive of people in general. Be that person everyone can trust and never take anything for granted.”

Hot Takes:

Your first show and favorite show of all time?
Paul McCartney, the greatest of all times!!

New technology you use most?
Airpods

Where can you be found during a show?
I am backstage ensuring everything is going smoothly and once that is established, watching the show from the crowd,.

Who would you nominate for this list and why?
Tina Farris – A touring powerhouse who continues over the course of 20 years to bring her road experience and expertise to make an Artist touring experience seamless and successful while supporting the team around them.
 
Tina, much like myself, a self-starter, has created a successful business that continues to evolve, solely run by  women.