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Hallie Harris of HLOVECO on Building Brands for Amazon and Rhone
Inventing new ways for people to work together
Hallie is the founder and CEO of HLOVECO, an agency network partnering with creators, celebrities and executives to build their personal brands. She is a marketing and cultural strategist who has advised, scaled and invested in more than 40 companies across media, tech and the creator economy. Hallie formerly served as CEO of one of the largest influencer marketing agencies in the U.S. and led it through its acquisition by WPP in 2022. She previously held leadership roles at Mekanism and Iconic Entertainment, and has partnered with Jessie James Decker, Jay-Z, Amazon and Nike. Hallie also lectures at UNC-Chapel Hill and NYU’s Stern School of Business.
We spent two minutes with Hallie to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.
Hallie, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
I was born in a small town called Rocky Mount, N.C., but I was raised in Charleston, S.C. I built my career in Nashville and New York City, and returned home to Charleston in 2021.
How you first realized you were creative.
I am an only child and one of the advantages of that is learning solo play. Successful solo play requires one essential ingredient: a wild imagination. I hosted make-believe tea parties, cookouts and birthday parties with imaginary friends. I set the table, created the scene in my head and had full-blown conversations with my “guests.” I had the ability to see something that didn’t exist yet and make it a reality. I draw on that same creativity to power my entrepreneurial engine today.
A moment from high school or college that changed your life.
I worked very hard to be accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill as an out-of-state student. I attended for 3.5 years and then I did the unthinkable: I left before my final semester. That ended up being the best decision of my life. I knew exactly what I wanted to do after college. I had already interned in the music industry in Nashville and thought, “why wait?” So, I pitched my mom a very rational plan: I’d skip my last semester and instead spend 10 weeks in New Zealand and Australia doing extreme team-building with complete strangers. The program, Pacific Challenge, included skydiving, bungee jumping, spelunking into eel-filled water and multi-day wilderness hikes. We learned how to communicate under pressure, to rely on each other’s strengths and how to sit alone with our own thoughts for miles at a time. I came back to the U.S. knowing I could actually do it. I moved to Nashville and landed my first job at a boutique publishing company representing singer-songwriters.
Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.
Music: I’m loving Olivia Dean and Lake Street Drive. And I’ll forever return to icons like Bonnie Raitt and Nina Simone. Their work reminds me that vulnerability and truth never go out of style.
Film and TV: I’ve been binging The Diplomat, which I love for its tension, pacing and commentary on real-world happenings.
Travel: I’m deeply inspired by other cultures, especially Europe, the way time there is treated as something to savor rather than conquer.
Motherhood: It has become an unexpected and powerful source of inspiration. I spend a lot of time watching Moana, Frozen and Tangled—stories about identity, courage, independence, love and finding your way back to yourself. They may be animated, but the themes are incredibly adult and completely relevant to all ages and everyday life.
One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.
In 2017, my team and I led a multi-million-dollar social media and influencer campaign for Amazon. We produced an original branded content series starring influential YouTubers to drive consumers to Amazon Fire. We worked with Phil DeFranco, Unbox Therapy and Mamrie Hart. We were pioneers in building the Amazon brand through people and personalities—long before it became standard practice.
A recent project you’re proud of.
In January, HLOVECO launched our first work as AOR for our client Rhone, the performance apparel brand. The project is called “12 Pursuits.” It is a year-long storytelling platform that brings Rhone’s values to life through mental fitness, physical health, consistency and progress over perfection. It’s not a campaign, but rather a lived philosophy, led by co-founders Nate and Ben Checketts, and extended through Rhone’s community, content and collaborators. It proves brands can lead with humanity and discipline at the same time.
Someone else’s work you admired lately.
Jenna Kutcher has built a powerful personal brand. But what I admire most is that she didn’t stop there. She’s taken her lived experience as a creator and turned it into toolkits, education and infrastructure that uplift the creator economy as a whole. It’s a smart, generous evolution, one that allows her to give back, scale her impact and benefit from hard-earned knowledge.
Your main strength as a creative person.
I’m someone who invents new ways for people to work together, whether that’s designing unconventional partnerships, borrowing legal and economic constructs from other industries or rethinking how value is created and shared.
Your biggest weakness.
My husband says my biggest weakness is that I give people too much benefit of the doubt—and he’s not wrong. I genuinely believe in people. Occasionally, that optimism comes back to bite me. That said, I still wouldn’t trade it.
A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.
Jason Harris took me under his wing when I joined Mekanism. He gave me an opportunity to co-lead and grow his social media agency. But what mattered most was the time investment. He was my boss, my sounding board and my advocate. We are still friends and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to learn from him.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.
I’d build a badass construction company. The construction industry desperately needs what the advertising industry does best—relationship management, clear communication, project expertise and accountability—plus budget and timeline management. I believe if you applied advertising discipline to construction, you’d finish projects on time and on budget. And maybe save a few marriages along the way.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
