MANAGEMENT
Personal Assistant • Operations Manager
JOB OVERVIEW
Like all personal assistants, Mandy KenKnight handles personal errands for the artists she works for, namely Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Additionally, she is responsible for maintaining the artists’ web sites and overseeing fan club operations, including newsletters, and club merchandise design, creation, and sales.
SPECIAL SKILLS
To succeed, you should possess discretion, people skills, and follow through. “You have to be able to work well with people and have a positive attitude. Certainly you need basic computer and organizational skills.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB:
“What I like the most is that Faith and Tim are wonderful people to work with. They are very generous and respectful of my personal life.”
Before she leaves home for the office, Mandy KenKnight starts her day with a phone call. “I generally touch base with Faith [Hill] first thing in the morning to see if she needs anything, which could be having photos developed, returning clothing to her stylist and working with him, or organizing her home office. I'm also the liaison between the management company, the record label, and Faith. If something needs to be done between them, generally I'm the one who is making that happen and running between their offices.” KenKnight works with Hill and McGraw's fan club presidents to write and lay out each artist's newsletter. She meets with merchandisers to design a new tee shirt or hat, and spends time with the webmaster to put up new information on both artists’ web sites. Although she is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, KenKnight says, “Faith is very respectful of typical business hours and she doesn't usually call me on the weekend.”
POINTERS FOR THE JOB SEARCH
“Be aggressive and make connections in the industry. I got my job through someone that I met working on a school project.”
MANDY KENKNIGHT, PERSONAL ASSISTANT AND OPERATIONS MANAGER, FAITH HILL AND TIM MCGRAW
From the age of five, Mandy KenKnight loved to sing, and participated in church and school choirs all the way through high school. “I grew up in a small town south of Atlanta. Music had always been part of my life, so when it came to deciding on a college major, there was no question that music was what I wanted to do.” She earned her associate degree in music entertainment management at the Art Institute of Atlanta, and transferred to Belmont University in Nashville to complete her studies. As part of her student activities, she organized campus artist showcases, and progressed to co-producing one in 1995. Through that experience, she met Faith Hill's personal assistant, who told her that a position was open to oversee Hill's fan club. KenKnight was interviewed and hired for the job. Hill later took a year-long hiatus and her personal assistant moved on to another job. When Hill resumed her career, KenKnight was promoted to that position. Having worked for Hill for more than a decade, KenKnight says, “Working with Faith has given me the opportunity to see this industry from the inside out, and to learn from one of the most successful women in the business.” With that knowledge of the industry, KenKnight is also pursuing performing and her own vocal interests. www.mandykenknight.com
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Additional topics
Job Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search, and Career Choices and ProfilesCareers in the Music BusinessMANAGEMENT - Personal Managers: Artist Manager • Manager • Personal Manager, Manager Of Producers, Engineers, And Mixers