The Limit Does Not Exist

JoJo Siwa is a merchandising juggernaut. Manager Caryn Sterling shares how, with a clear vision and tenacity, she helped to launch an empire.

Patricia DeLuca

March 3, 2022

Caryn Sterling

Aside from the 1996 film, “Jerry Mcguire,” most are unaware of the dynamics between a manager and a celebrity client. We might hear about the occasional blockbuster licensing deal secured by a manager in the press, but many client/manager relationships are kept out of the news.

Seasoned businessperson and entrepreneur Caryn Sterling met JoJo Siwa in 2015, then a child star best known for her fledgling YouTube channel and cast role in the reality series, “Dance Moms.” Ever the businessperson, Sterling realized Siwa’s infectious personality triple-threat talents could be leveraged into business opportunities beyond reality TV. Sterling arrived with deep experience and a wide breadth of relationships, which gave her an upper hand against other celebrity managers vying to work with Siwa.

“I had a very well-versed background in consumer products licensing,” says Sterling. “I had a very healthy brick-and-mortar business and was a Disney consumer products licensee. I was also a vendor for their

parks and resorts in California, Florida and Hong Kong. When I met JoJo, she told me exactly what she wanted, and I had a fire in my belly. I told her I was going to make her a brand, and I knew just what to do with her.”

Check out the full article in the February 2022 issue of License Global!