July 13, 2020 • 45 mins
Welcome to Episode 6 of Not Need to Ask podcast "CEO Talk". My name is Amani Duncan and I am your host on this journey.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Karleen Roy, CEO The Vanity Group. Karleen and I have known each other for +10 years and she is truly an inspirational leader. Growing her business from an idea to a successful event planning company has been incredible to watch.
The Vanity Group is a highly sought after boutique agency that specializes in producing bespoke events and other worldly experiences for their elite clientele. All you have to do is watch pop-culture, velvet rope events in the news and on TV and can safely assume The Vanity Group is the brainchild producing the one of a kind event.
On this episode, you will hear Karleen's story - from the very beginning of her career to present day. Karleen is young, bright and a talented CEO. I know her story will inspire many. So make sure you have a pen and notepad ready to take notes that can be applied to your professional journey.
If you like what you hear, please feel free to write a lovely review here.
Until we meet again, be safe and be well.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to another episode of no need to ask
podcast.
My name is Amani Duncan, and Iwill be your host on this
journey.
This episode is CEO talk withCarlene, Roy founder, visionary
and magic maker for the vanitygroup.
(00:37):
Now Carlene is one of my dearestfriends, and I'm so glad that
she's joining us today becauseshe is someone that truly
inspires.
I've known Carlene Roy for about10 years now.
And I have been able to watchher develop into one of the
smartest business women of ourtimes.
(00:59):
It's not easy to have a dreamand try to make that dream
ambitions.
So please join me in welcomingCarlene Roy to no need to ask
podcast CEO talk, Hey, Carlene,stop it girl.
(01:42):
But you know what you just saidright now, I think is the most
important characteristic of aleader of a CEO of anyone that's
at the top of their industriesis humility.
Um, I, I think it's such aamazing quality to have as a
leader and it, I seriouslybelieve that it's what draws
(02:03):
people to certain people thatare at the top.
So ms.
Carlene, I think back fondly onour days with Sean Combs and
propriety, you know, I rememberme starting with you guys.
Oh gosh.
It was 2000.
Yeah, 2008.
(02:24):
And I had just left EMI and youknow, I was greeted by your
incredible smile and wow.
You know, let's talk about thoseearly, early days because you
know, no need to, as podcast isreally, really about inspiring
(02:47):
others, inspiring women,inspiring men and business from
shared experiences.
So I really want to hear, youknow, the, the, the, the
beginning days with you, becauseyou are still so young and
you've accomplished so much andyou truly are an inspiration to
so many people.
(03:07):
So take us back to the days ofMemphis.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Oh my God.
I am a Memphis girl through andthrough.
Um, in a nutshell, I grew uplike the coffee shop like that
condo was my world here.
Um, in Memphis, my parents werea power, couple of Memphis,
Tennessee, which is so funny tome before that even was, um, a
word.
But I grew up in a very lovinghome.
(03:31):
My mom actually was a principalat a performing and creative
arts high school.
So I've been surrounded by crazypeople and inspiring people.
People who love to dance, peoplewho love to draw people who love
to create, um, my whole life.
And my father was a businessowner.
My dad was my, my parentscouldn't be opposites.
And my mom is kind of like me,like she's a butterfly.
(03:54):
And my dad is like aboutbusiness.
I say, my father was a businessowner.
He owned a bunch of cardealerships growing up within
black enterprise, always on thenews.
So all of that.
So as, as darn as my father was,he, they always, um, they
supported whatever my hair,brain schemes were as a kid,
(04:15):
like whatever I wanted to do,like my parents for always for
it.
So they were very supportive.
Um, grew up in Memphis, went toHoward, which is the Mecca of
all things, black excellence.
I think in your life, you havekey life decisions that you make
, the kind of shift your world.
And for me, um, being a Howardexperience in Howard and
(04:36):
graduating from Howard was oneof those life changing
experiences.
I was just surrounded every dayby black excellence, um,
extremely competitive, you know,student body of people who
wanted to win.
So, um, it was great to spendyour formative years and that
type of environment.
And, you know, everybody thatgoes to Howard wants to be a
(04:57):
superstar.
I just think of anybody that'sblack and payments Raji and said
, um, Sean Combs, uh, everybodygoes to Howard law, you know, so
everybody wants to have thatwhole like Hollywood connection.
So I remember as a student, Iwas watching sex and the city
and our like study lab.
(05:18):
And I saw, um, I saw Samanthaand not thought that she was the
most amazing woman in the world.
She was bright.
She was sharp.
She didn't care what nobody hasto say.
She wasn't holding her back.
She was fly as hell.
I had never seen nobody likefell flat and my life just like
everything about her.
(05:38):
And she was doing like coldthings.
And I remember turning to afriend and the study lab, like,
what does she do for a living?
Like what, what is this?
And it was like, she's anentertainment publicist.
And I literally, the next daywent and changed my major to PR.
I'm like, whatever this womandoes, I want to be heard.
This is the lifestyle.
And that really got me to NewYork and opened up my world to
(06:03):
like, Oh, there's somethingcalled entertainment.
Then you can be a publicist andyou can have a fly life and get
paid to do it.
So that is what opened my mind,opened my eyes and opened my
mind to like, you know, the NewYork lifestyle of working in
show business, which we do there.
That's why I think it's soimportant to do speaking
engagements and tell yourstories because some people just
(06:25):
need to hear and that's sparkcould just open up so many
windows of exploration for them.
Cause growing up in this office,you know, you think you can be a
doctor or a lawyer or a teacheror at FedEx, FedEx, you know,
founded here in Memphis, but youdon't know that there's so many
other careers or so many otherjobs that you can actually make
(06:46):
a career out of in New York.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You touched on something so important.
And that's why I love thisshared stories so much.
You know, I was like you, I, Iwas always thinking I was going
to be a lawyer and I followedthe line to be, you know,
exactly that I went touniversity, did a political
science major.
Um, and then I had that momentof like, okay, I don't want to
(07:13):
be a lawyer.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
I don't want to do this, but then know what to do.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Remained open a little stress, but open.
And just one day decided I wasgoing to be in the music
business.
And the rest is history.
The story, because I know it caninspire so many people like you,
you don't always have to have itfigured out.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah.
Okay.
I actually think it's crazy thatat 18 years old, between 18 and
21, that someone is sayingdecide right now what you want
to do for the rest of your life.
It's like you haven't livedlife.
You haven't explored, you.
Haven't met people.
You don't, you don't know.
I'm always telling young peopleto, don't be afraid to explore
(07:55):
and give their self time to justfigure it out exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Coming to New York or were you just like, I'm going to
be in the big Apple.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Aye.
Everybody graduated.
And everyone had jobs at MorganStanley and at Ford and all
these fancy companies.
And I couldn't find a job in PRor public relations.
I couldn't find a job.
And the summer that I graduated,I went to New York and I met a
woman who was the PR assistantat Def jam.
And that was please put me onlike what I gotta do to y'all
(08:29):
need another assistant.
Like I was talking her offsummer.
I was, and she was like, and youknow, from the label, like those
jobs are hard to come,especially, this was like early
two thousands.
So it was like, unless somebodydied at their desk and it's
like, there was no openings.
It just was not a lot of Rapids.
So she was like, there's noopenings at dev dam in the PR
(08:49):
department, but you can come andbe my intern, but you have to be
on the official Renegade internbecause you have already
graduated.
Like our intern program is onlyfor college students.
So, so she gave me theopportunity.
I tell my parents, I said, I'mmoving to New York, I'm taking a
U haul truck.
I'm moving to New York.
I'm going to stay on my friend'scouch.
(09:10):
And her futon actually, causeshe stayed in a studio apartment
and I'm like, I'm going to go toNew York and I'm going to figure
it out.
And my dad was like, you'recrazy.
I'll walk on water.
You're going to get ate up incentral park and all this stuff.
And they was like, don't do it.
Bring your butt back to me.
My mom, my mom was like, I'mrooting for you.
(09:31):
And my dad was like, y'all assback home.
I go to New York and I am anunofficial intern at Def jam,
which means you come in as avisitor and you just stay all
day.
Like you get your visitor passand you just stay in there all
day long.
So I will be the first one there, the last person to leave.
(09:52):
And I interned there on paid forlike damn near a year.
And my mind would like money.
So I can like live in peace andall of that.
So, but that's what I had to doto get my foot in the door.
If I wanted to work in the musicbusiness or an entertainment
(10:12):
industry and I wouldn't trade itfor the world, cause working a
dev jams, it's opened up so manydoors for me,
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Of course.
And you know, I want to stop youand just highlight the gems that
you are dropping right now.
You found a way in, it may nothave been the perfect way, but
you've found a way in, you know,it's like it's I always knew we
had so many similarities, but Ididn't know we had this many
similarities because I was alsoa college graduate intern when I
(10:42):
started at Def jam West.
And, but you know, we weren't,we weren't that official where
we had to like key in and keyout.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah.
I was like, I found my way.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And then once you got in you mean
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Good, good.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Um, that is so incredible.
And I'd love your dad because myparents were the same way.
I mean, I literally pulled themon a Friday that I was moving to
New York and I was on the redeye Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
My mother's crying.
My dad's just,
Speaker 2 (11:22):
I just listened fortune favors the bold.
And I try to tell everyone thatI speak to that is looking for
professional advice.
You got to humble yourself.
You gotta be prepared to be thefirst one in the office.
And the last one to leave, youhave to be prepared to separate
yourself from the masses becausethere's a a hundred use trying
(11:44):
to get a job, trying to hustle.
And it all comes down to whohustles the hardest.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Yeah.
And I don't think our parentsare trying to hate on us.
Like, Hey know your dreams.
I just think that they areafraid and they want the
security
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Back.
Then the music industry wasstill like, is that even a real
job?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Isn't a thing.
Yeah.
My dad never play.
He's not a real dad.
He's like Jana and parent is nota job.
Do you get insurance?
Do you have a business car?
Like, yeah, what's the areacolor.
I didn't know what they wastalking about.
I was just like, I'm in thebuilding.
Like let me just live my life.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
That's real though, because our parents love us and
they wanted the best for us.
But um, it's still funny now.
It wasn't funny then, but it'strue.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You're hustling.
You're at Def jam.
You're interning.
What happened?
I mean, what was
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I'm waiting for the big like, yeah, so I met them
jam.
I'm like number one intern, andthen I'm also just volunteering
around town.
So if it's fashion week, Isomehow work my way into a
backstage helping backstage.
If it's the MTV awards, I'msomehow helping him with the
baby fat show.
Like I'm just like, I have myhands in.
(13:09):
Like everything I could have myhand in.
And I met a gentleman, a dub jamto Sean Gale and at bedtime to
Sean worked in the marketingdepartment and Sean was leaving
and I caught him on his way out.
He said, I'm about to blow up.
I just found this artist namedNeo.
And when I get settled, I'm aholler at you.
(13:31):
And I was like, okay, like Ijust was not big.
And then he was real.
And then like, he literallycalled me maybe a week later and
was like, we want to hire you tolike be our assistant.
So Neil had just got signed.
It was extroverted, like NeoRihanna, Jeezy.
They all got sign that samesummer at Def jam.
And he said, we're going to giveyou a job.
(13:52):
And that was like my firstofficial, like getting put on
jobs.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I want to reiterate what you said.
Like he stopped and said hisintentions for you.
So you're always on stage, right?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah.
People are always watching,
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Even when you think they're not watching you.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And so you always got to come out the gate at your
best.
Yes.
People watch and I'm watchingthem
Speaker 2 (14:25):
In the mouse, seeing how they interact with others.
And I'm also
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Listening to what people say about
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Them when they're not in the room.
So everyone out there pleaseremember you're always on stage
and because Carlene was onstage, it led to her first pain.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yeah.
Very good.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Tell me about working with Deshaun and working with
Neil.
So yeah,
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I was the assistant to Neil's production company,
which is called compounds.
So I assisted to Sean, I don'tknow, you know, tango to Sean
tangle and Mia.
So it was like, it was four ofus.
And I was just figuring out Iwas booking flights with the
label, like the artists, youknow, development department.
Like I was helping pick out hat.
(15:12):
I would be going to the photoshoot, bring in like water, like
whatever they needed me to do.
It was like a quintessential,like assistant job, whatever
they needed me to do.
That's what I did.
And I worked there.
Um, and then I learned so muchfrom Tyshawn.
He's so beloved in the musicindustry.
Um, and very, very much onphone.
(15:33):
I love how calm he is all thetime.
Like it could be like thebiggest fire into Sean, like not
going to flinch about it.
So I learned so much for them.
He was a mentor to me then.
Um, and he's a mentor to me thatnow, so you're right.
People are always watching you,like, even as an intern, he was
watching and was like, yo, thisgirl is moving and shaking.
(15:54):
And like, whenever like my shitpop up, like she's going to be
the one I called.
So I'm always like, from agrateful for him just for like
giving me the opportunity.
So yeah, I leave compound.
I go to legacy recordings, whichis the catalog, the vision for
(16:17):
Sony I'm working in copyrightsound working in con that was
like my first job where I hadlike insurance and I had like a
steady paycheck and I worked atfive 50 Madison.
Um, so that was like amazing forme.
Like I went through training andI'm like, Oh my God, this is
great.
You know, I could get a company.
I mean, employee discount at theSony store, you know, all these
(16:38):
things.
Um, and that my dad, my dad waslike, now that's what you call a
real job.
My dad was very happy aboutthat, but I would work at sunny
during the day.
And then the evening I wouldvolunteer at violator
management.
So I actually went in the motherstory.
I actually got to violatorbecause I went in to interview
(17:01):
to be Mona Scott's assistant andI didn't get the job.
So I was around, it was like,well, we're not going to hire
you, but we need help.
Cause then I'd stay around andjust kind of like get in where
you fit in, then you can.
So I would be at Sony during theday and in the evening I would
go to violator and work in theevening.
(17:23):
So I would work under Claudinedozer and Lori Dobbins.
And they became like my bigsisters and not just was like so
amazed by them and how they werelike running shit.
And they were like working onMissy tours and there'll be like
18 million dancers.
And I'd be like typing up theitinerary.
Like they were running shit.
(17:44):
And for anybody that'slistening, that's young violator
is basically the original rocknation.
Like it was a music managementcompany.
If you were, uh, artists, youknow, like they manage everybody
who's on top of their game.
So shout out to Chris Lighty.
So I know Chris, he was my otherboss once we get there, but not,
(18:05):
he was my boss too.
So of course, of course he did.
So it was at violator who alsomanaged puff that the
opportunity came about to workat bad.
Boy, Claudine was like, yo, theyhiring that bad boy.
Um, we think that you would beperfect for this job.
So again, being in the rightplace in the right town, um,
(18:26):
being very humble working andjust happened to be there when
the opportunity came.
So, um, got the opportunity ofthe lifetime to work at bad.
Boy, let me tell you, I wasthere for a few reasons.
The first time I went in was tobe hard, assistant hard was the
president.
I didn't get that job.
Then, then they remember me andthey brought me back to cause
(18:48):
they were hiring for the[inaudible] for the chief of
staff.
The offense I got that job Ioriginally got in the building
as being a D as first assistant.
So for anybody that's listening,it's like you have the
assistants.
Then you have the chief of staffis so she's like the right hand
to the boss.
So I worked there of via theassistant.
(19:09):
And then at this time puff had amillion assistants.
And so Diaz Dina's firstassistant is actually pumps
unofficial second assistantthat's that's how it works as
far as like support staff.
So pumps first assistant leftand he didn't have an assistant.
So one day he was at the office.
(19:30):
I wanted, I was so scared.
This was late at night.
And you know, for working atBabel, you work late.
Like it's nothing, right?
So, um, mr.
Combs was in the office late oneevening and I thought to myself,
if I want to be his assistant,because he doesn't at this
point, he doesn't know I exist.
I'm just a girl who works in theoffice.
(19:52):
So very much devil wears Prada.
So I go in his office, literallyknock on the door, knock, knock,
knock hammers to Combs.
Um, I don't know if he know me,but I'm Carly, you know, the,
his assistant and you know, thesecond assistant in the office,
I noticed that your assistant isno longer here.
I want to offer my support toyou.
So there's anything you need inthe interim, as you guys are
(20:15):
maybe looking for someone like,I want you to know to like, I'm
here and I'm available for you.
And he was on his library.
It was like, okay, all right.
And then like walked out theoffice.
I was like, Oh shit.
I like walk back to my officewith my hands and my hands.
And that night I got an emailfrom him and it said, book me a
(20:37):
jet to go to DC.
And that was my beginning to, Inever booked a jet in my life.
I hadn't figured it out thatidea.
Like he emailed me and said,book a jet, like what does,
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And that was how I got my job.
I just sent to him fortune forbold, seriously
Speaker 1 (21:21):
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (21:24):
So I want to stop right here and point out a
correlation.
So if you go back to the episodewith Joshua Johnson, the head of
A&R for Hidcote music, you willremember him recounting a story
of him very early in his career,walking up to LA Reed in the
hallway and having aconversation that was so pivotal
(21:49):
that he decided to go into thecreator side and work in ANR.
If you can remember my story ofgetting in, getting a job at Def
jam West coast office as theoffice manager, and then
proceeding to call Kevin Lilesin New York, Kevin Liles is the
CEO of 300 entertainment now andmaking sure that I was on his
(22:15):
call sheet every single day.
And eventually he offered me ajob.
And now Carlene is saying herboldness, even though she
might've been so scared, butwhat boldness, what, what
confidence it took to knock onthe door of Sean Combs and
(22:38):
present a value proposition,which ended up with her actually
becoming his first assistant.
So the correlation it's obvious,you know, you are the architect
of your career.
I don't care at what stage youare in entry level or C suite.
(23:01):
You are the architect of yourcareer and it's up to you to
make opportunities happen.
So don't let that fall on deafears.
That is so important.
And I don't, you know, itdoesn't matter if you are in the
music industry, manufacturing,agency, marketing, whatever,
(23:21):
it's the same fortune favors thebold.
So you might be afraid, but putthat fear aside because you
never know what the outcome canfrom being bold and assertive
for bumps.
That was actually the tagline wecame up with when we were
(23:42):
pitching for the Guinnessfortune favors the bold, and
it's just become part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
What's your favorite quote,
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Positive.
And so many others are proofpositive.
So you are landing literally themost amazing job in your young
career.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
He hyphenated.
Yeah,
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Literally, literally your dream job, you are more
than putting in your 10,000hours.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I watch.
And I would always leave yourarea.
Like, I don't know how they'llcall me in the middle of the
night.
I'm out.
I would still get the phonecalls.
Yeah, I know you've eatendinner.
So
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I watched it, I mean, there's, you know, Carlene was a
force because just imagineeveryone, you know, you really
need to understand how importantthis role is that Carlene really
the architect of everything thatmoves around Arlene.
And she handled it with suchgrace and, and integrity was
(24:59):
like, I love this girl.
And I want to be here.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
You know,
Speaker 2 (25:06):
About, you know, when you say putting yourself out
there earlier in theconversation, just, just taking
hold of these moments, you know,at Howard being inspired by the
people around you.
I mean, you know, you'vetraveled the world.
You've had the opportunity totravel all over the world.
Tell us about an experience, youknow, abroad that was impactful
(25:30):
for you.
That helped shape even more,your perspective, how you viewed
the world, how you viewed yourjob, how you viewed your future,
because I'm a firm believer thattravel is so important.
And I always encourage people,but traveling just opens your
mind to so many things.
(25:50):
So tell us about an experience,um, abroad that really kind of
was that aha moment.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Well travel was any of your ride traveling
definitely will help open upyour eyes and peel back the
layers.
Um, and as, um, pumps, assistantag of course traveled the world.
I probably was on an airplanemore than I was in my apartment.
I actually was on an airplanemore than I was, um, in my
apartment.
So we, we went all over theworld two, three times, you
(26:22):
know, working with him and Ibelieve we were in it's so
funny.
I believe we were in Helsinki,Germany, I believe.
And he was doing a showsomeplace.
We were doing promo for lasttrain to Paris.
We were on an internationalpromo run for last train to
Paris, which was like, we wouldget off, get off the jet, be in
one, go to another place.
(26:44):
And I remember being in Germany,I felt like we were in Germany
and no one spoke English, nobodyspoke English, but everybody
knew who he was like, it was atthat time that I realized that
music was universal.
And just by people respond tosound, the feeling and emotion
(27:09):
that music gives you.
And it really was at that timethat I started listening to a
lot of international music.
It's like, if you can follow themelody and just, I get the
emotion from it, like, it's thelike makes you feel good inside.
So that is when I realized thatmusic is so much bigger than
like lyrics on a sheet of paperor just like what we experienced
(27:29):
here, um, in the United States,um, America.
And I was like, wow, here, herewe are.
He's this global person.
They don't even know what he'ssaying, but they are still so
like, you know, like Google guygot over him just by, they can't
even like wrap their headsaround it.
I was like, wow.
(27:49):
Music is just so much biggerthan, you know, like what we see
day to day.
It is universal
Speaker 2 (28:03):
That you had so, and continue to have so many amazing
experiences.
Like I'm just ready for the bookCarlene.
I'm just ready for
Speaker 3 (28:17):
No real life.
When I was, I realized that Iwas in a lucky place.
Maybe we were like in centralpay or our can.
And we were out shopping puffwas in a crowd and people were
following him like everywherewe've been, we will be in a
Chanel store.
They would have to close it downand we'll be in the mood at the
time.
Like people be outside, likebanging on the doors.
And I realized, I realized thatfor hip hop puff was really the
(28:42):
first to do it.
Do it as such a fly level, likebeing on God's, um, white
flowers, drinking Fiji water.
I remember the first time I'veseen Fiji water was like on the
first making the band, like saypants.
Like the band was like at hispark Avenue, apartment.
Hello.
And then they paint, they pantsup on a yacht and central pay.
(29:05):
He had Fiji water.
And I was like, what is that?
I've never seen water that looksso shake.
You know, like my eyes wouldjust be in a can and just seeing
people's reactions to him andhow, you know, we react to him
in the States.
I'm like, he's the first toreally show on a broad level,
black excellence being fly andbeing black and being on yachts
(29:29):
and doing flat shit.
I mean, we would land andthere'll be like 30 may backs
lined up just the stuff just offdoing dope shit at the highest
level.
And I'm like, yo, if anything,like he is the architect.
And I'm just so happy to have ahand in that.
And it really was him thatrefined my taste as far as like
(29:53):
lifestyle, because he just hassuch a high palate for living
and lifestyle, just from likethe fruit in his home to just
like the clothes on his mother,everything, um, with super,
super important to him.
So he was the first to ever doit.
And it's as far as like hip hopit's.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
So I now want to really talk about the man.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I mean,
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Being up on the top floor and talking with you, and
you were articulating to me,this, this thought that you had,
you know, about this company,you want it to launch and I was
more, yes.
And it was just
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Like, you were just ideating at the time
Speaker 2 (30:44):
To now I just sit back with so much pride, you
know, for you.
I I'm just like I can say, Iremember when you know, and you
are, you are,
Speaker 3 (30:58):
You are such an inspiration.
So talk to us about the vanitygroup.
Yeah.
So it's everybody listening.
I want to publicly give a shoutout to money for believing in me
very early on before I actuallyprobably believed in myself.
So I never, some people go to anorganization like I'm here to
(31:18):
sneak because I want to be aboss to life that never was my
thinking.
I was at bad boy to learn andsoak up the gym.
The thought of working formyself didn't happen to later
on.
And to your point, Amani, I wasjust ideated.
And I'm like, okay, what could Ido next?
I could start my own company.
I could, I didn't know what itlooked like.
So here I go, knocking on theCMOs door at bad boy, like I
(31:41):
know you have a million thingsto do, but do you have a few
minutes to talk to me about likemy life while you were trying to
run a whole global corporationover here and Amani was gracious
enough to take out time to speakto me.
And I came for money and I say,I have this idea.
Or I'm thinking of starting myown business and Amani, when
(32:02):
it's a full almost she called ameeting and our executive
conference room on the fifth.
She has the other marketingpeople in there.
I think we had the art directorin there.
I don't even know the artdirector was like a mining at
all.
These people in there just likebrainstorming ideas with me,
just like what this could befrom like logos.
(32:24):
So like tagline.
But I was just like, Oh shit, isthis like, what really happened?
So thank you Amani for actuallylike lighting the spark for me,
because I had never had thatopportunity before just to like
fit in a room like that for myown being.
I've been in rooms like that, mywhole career, especially at bad
boy, the best of the rows withthe brightest people.
(32:46):
But for someone to call thattalent for me is like, I'll
never forget it.
And it means so much for me andtaught me Monte taught me two
other lessons.
So she did that.
She taught me also to get onLinkedIn.
I had never heard of LinkedIn.
So let me tell you, when you areworking for someone like Sean
Combs, the rest of the world isoblivious to you because you
(33:08):
work all day, all night.
I'm like what?
There's something calledLinkedIn.
Like I had never heard of it.
So she definitely was like, youare a professional, people need
to see like where you are andwhat you do.
You need to be on LinkedIn.
So now I'm obsessed withLinkedIn.
I tell everybody like, you needto be on LinkedIn.
And then from a lifestyleperspective, um, Amani saw me
(33:28):
one day and I had a Chanel bagand it was stuff.
It was just like bunch of shit.
It probably had like ACblackberries types of shit in
it.
And Amani was like a woman neverstuffed her Chanel bag.
That was for me, that was forme.
I said, Oh, this is the flag I'mdoing it to like, at that point
(33:52):
I was like, I have my Chanelbag.
I have a bigger tone, niceluxury, top floor, everything
else.
So that was when I started like,Oh, email, like my accoutrements
is like a young professionalwoman.
Like it needs to be together too.
So thank you for brightening.
I mean, opening that door forme.
Cause I had no, I had all typesof things like falling out that
(34:17):
smell bad.
Like it was stuff to the core.
Yeah, it was for the spark ofthe baby groups started when I
was in bad boy, but I actuallydidn't launch it until 2013.
And the vanity group is a NewYork based, um, event production
company.
But we don't do any of the liveevents.
We do events or your favoritecelebrity, your favorite artists
(34:41):
, your favorite actors.
So we work with everybody fromcommon.
I still worked for puff.
Um, DJ Khaled, Migos, JustinBieber, Cardi B, you name it,
they got Grammys or Oscars.
We probably worked for them.
And I got, when I was, whatmonth I have resigned for bad
boy, I actually was talking to agood friend of his and he said,
(35:04):
curly, whatever you do next, itgot to be the flyers shit ever
because you don't get anopportunity of a lifetime to
work for someone like SeanCombs, all the contacts, you
have all the knowhow and wit andwisdom that you picked up and go
do some regular shit.
You, whatever it do, it has topop off.
So I knew like whatever thisnext thing is, it has to pump in
(35:26):
seven years later, it hascompletely, it completely passed
.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
You could wax poetic about the greatness of Carlene
for hours on end because itjust, I love to see women of
color exercise, their power andtheir potential.
And we're talking about a younglady that was so young and yeah,
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Yeah.
She puts had
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Just, just to see you now is just, I don't know.
It just makes me proud.
And, and everyone needs to checkout.
Carlene's a website, the vanitygroup's website.
You just need to understate thecreativity and the work and the
passion that goes behind everybespoke event that it's bar
(36:14):
none.
And it's, You're a householdname in the industry there.
I don't know anyone that doesnot work with you.
I mean, you, you, you named allthese artists, but you, you
know, we would be remiss not tomention Netflix.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Yeah.
Netflix.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Chip brands, you know,
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I'm trying
Speaker 2 (36:37):
More than trying.
You're doing more than trying,
Speaker 3 (36:40):
But let's talk about the
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Times, like, you know, where we're living through
a novel pandemic, it's, it's,it's mind blowing when you just
stop for a moment and allowyourself to really think about
the times that we're living in.
So you're resilient, you know,you're so creative.
What have you been doing duringthis time?
Speaker 3 (37:05):
What have I been doing?
So at the beginning of thepandemic, I would tell you,
Amani, I literally was likedepressed.
I did not, I could notconceptualize the global plan
and then what was happening.
And it was directly impacting mybusiness because if you have to
be six feet, six feet away, andyou can't gather, you can't have
an event, the purpose of anevent is to be together, is to
(37:29):
gather, you know, regularly,like this is what the purpose of
an event is.
So I, I know all industries tooka hit, but our industries in
particular, cause like you can'twork at all.
You know, there is, there is nolive events if you can't gather.
So I'm gonna tell you I wasdepressed.
I feel like I looked in my bed,looking out the window at the
rain.
Like I was in the RMB Trey Songzvideo.
(37:51):
And I was like, Oh God, like Iwas like, yo, this is a high
Williams video.
I am just like looking like anRV extra right now.
So I was like, looking out mywindow, what actually is
happening.
And then like, once I got out ofmy funk, I had a conversation
with my staff and I was like,now is the time for me to figure
(38:15):
out and work on saving thebusiness.
So we actually have a businessto come back to, right?
This is not going to be the endof us.
And this is not going to be theend of the Vandy group.
So I really had to put my CEOhat on and do the things.
So like a lot of founders.
Cause you know, it's veryglamorous now to be a founder
(38:36):
and say that, you know, you'rean entrepreneur, but like when
the rubber meets the road, likethis was one of those times for
me.
So I had to cut the fat forthings that we no longer needed
and no longer served us.
Um, I had to like cut some hoursfor my staff.
You know, like these are realdecisions that business owners,
um, have to make, you know, youhad to put your big girl panties
(38:58):
on like speaking, like ourlandlord where our office is
making operational changes sothat we had a home, um, to
return to.
And um, I know everybody rightnow is talking about pivot, but
for me, I really think it'spivot or perish, you know?
So I'm trying to figure out now,like what are some ways that we
can remain relevant?
(39:19):
We can remain top of mind.
And so we now are offering likevirtual workshops.
Um, a lot of people, um, werealways asking me for, you know,
advice for, you know, how togrow their event business and a
lot of up and coming women whowant to be even producers or
look up, look up to me.
So I would have never had thisopportunity when we were in Gomo
(39:39):
like we are moving nonstop.
We probably produce an event aweek between New York, LA, um,
Miami and Atlanta.
So I would have never had theopportunity.
Yeah.
So now that I have theopportunity and have a bit more
flexibility in my schedule, weare, you know, offering virtual,
you know, classes to people whowant to get an event business.
(40:01):
And it has been reallysuccessful for us so far.
We had a masterclass it's soldout twice.
Um, so I think we're, we'removing in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
So smart and I can attest you are very booked and
busy.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I love it.
Well Carlene before we, beforewe finish episode, I just want
to thank you
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Leaning in and just being your always authentic
self.
I just, I simply adore you andI'm one of, one of your biggest
champions.
You have so many, I am just partof them and I'm proud to be that
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Before we close.
I always like to
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Ask this question to all of my guests.
It's called trading places.
You could trade places for a daywith anyone current or past who
would that person be and why?
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I would want to trade places circa 2008 with Deseret
Rogers.
So Deseret Rogers was the firstblack social secretary at the
white house.
Um, she worked under the Obamaadministration.
So if you don't know what thesocial secretary does, she
basically basically plants allthe events at the white house.
(41:24):
And I was like, when I realizedthat this was a job in 2008, I
was like, Oh my God, this is mysecond dream job.
So the fact that this blackamazing tall, sharp, like money
she's like you, like, she don'tplay around.
She would live in me.
And she is doing all of theevents for mr.
(41:45):
And mrs.
Obama.
Like, I was just like floored bythat.
Oh, and let me back up.
A lot of people ask, like, howdo I get into events, you know,
as the assistant.
So when you're the assistant,you do a lot of things.
So one big part of my job wasdoing events on behalf of mr.
Collins, whether it be hispersonal event.
And if it's a big event likestarting a Hollywood walk of
fame, I wouldn't be the oneplanning it, but I would kind of
(42:07):
be like the chairperson or, youknow, the chair lead on behalf
of the chairman.
So I got really good at events,especially last minute events.
So if the twins wanted to have abirthday party in five minutes,
it was my job to do it, youknow, and it needed to look like
it took three years to do it.
So I got really good atproducing events with the short
amount of time.
(42:27):
So that is the personality ofthe Vandy group.
But yet Deseret Rogers would bethe one that I would love to
trade places with.
Um, and then before we close, Ialso just want to thank Amani.
So anybody who's ever workedwith the money I was taken by
her the first time I met her,she was like, tar hair was like,
(42:48):
you got to understand there's arecurrent thing would be like,
Samantha.
I'm like, who are these women?
I've always been surrounded bypowerful women.
I'm happy that you and Amani arein my circle.
And people always say like, howis it broken in them and the man
industry?
And I was like, I've always beensurrounded by dope women.
So that hasn't been like mystory or my experience.
(43:09):
I'm so grateful for you.
And another thing just byshowing up and being you, how
you inspire the people aroundyou.
So thank you.
I'm just so happy that you know,the, the star is alive and we
were, we are now in each other'slabs.
Okay.
I'm crying now.
So please,
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Oh honey, I love you.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
I really do.
And thank you for your kindwords.
This is what we do.
You know, when you get in anyposition of note, you gotta pull
up a chair for others.
You, you make yourself available, you reach as you climb.
You definitely.
(43:53):
That definitely is your story.
I love you.
Well, I mean, this needs to bepart one, two, three, four.
I mean, we, I hope because youjust, this is a great way to
start the day.
You are just amazing.
And if anyone has theopportunity to meet Carlene in
(44:16):
person or to attend one of herincredible bespoke events, I'm
telling you it will be lifechanging.
So my dear, thank you.
I love you for having me.
Absolutely.
So friends, this the end of
Speaker 2 (44:32):
No need to ask podcast CEO, talk with Carlene
Roy founder, CEO of the vanitygroup.
So until we meet again, be safeand be well
Speaker 1 (45:08):
[inaudible].
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome to another episode of no need to ask
podcast.
My name is Amani Duncan, and Iwill be your host on this
journey.
This episode is CEO talk withCarlene, Roy founder, visionary
and magic maker for the vanitygroup.
(00:37):
Now Carlene is one of my dearestfriends, and I'm so glad that
she's joining us today becauseshe is someone that truly
inspires.
I've known Carlene Roy for about10 years now.
And I have been able to watchher develop into one of the
smartest business women of ourtimes.
(00:59):
It's not easy to have a dreamand try to make that dream
ambitions.
So please join me in welcomingCarlene Roy to no need to ask
podcast CEO talk, Hey, Carlene,stop it girl.
(01:42):
But you know what you just saidright now, I think is the most
important characteristic of aleader of a CEO of anyone that's
at the top of their industriesis humility.
Um, I, I think it's such aamazing quality to have as a
leader and it, I seriouslybelieve that it's what draws
(02:03):
people to certain people thatare at the top.
So ms.
Carlene, I think back fondly onour days with Sean Combs and
propriety, you know, I rememberme starting with you guys.
Oh gosh.
It was 2000.
Yeah, 2008.
(02:24):
And I had just left EMI and youknow, I was greeted by your
incredible smile and wow.
You know, let's talk about thoseearly, early days because you
know, no need to, as podcast isreally, really about inspiring
(02:47):
others, inspiring women,inspiring men and business from
shared experiences.
So I really want to hear, youknow, the, the, the, the
beginning days with you, becauseyou are still so young and
you've accomplished so much andyou truly are an inspiration to
so many people.
(03:07):
So take us back to the days ofMemphis.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Oh my God.
I am a Memphis girl through andthrough.
Um, in a nutshell, I grew uplike the coffee shop like that
condo was my world here.
Um, in Memphis, my parents werea power, couple of Memphis,
Tennessee, which is so funny tome before that even was, um, a
word.
But I grew up in a very lovinghome.
(03:31):
My mom actually was a principalat a performing and creative
arts high school.
So I've been surrounded by crazypeople and inspiring people.
People who love to dance, peoplewho love to draw people who love
to create, um, my whole life.
And my father was a businessowner.
My dad was my, my parentscouldn't be opposites.
And my mom is kind of like me,like she's a butterfly.
(03:54):
And my dad is like aboutbusiness.
I say, my father was a businessowner.
He owned a bunch of cardealerships growing up within
black enterprise, always on thenews.
So all of that.
So as, as darn as my father was,he, they always, um, they
supported whatever my hair,brain schemes were as a kid,
(04:15):
like whatever I wanted to do,like my parents for always for
it.
So they were very supportive.
Um, grew up in Memphis, went toHoward, which is the Mecca of
all things, black excellence.
I think in your life, you havekey life decisions that you make
, the kind of shift your world.
And for me, um, being a Howardexperience in Howard and
(04:36):
graduating from Howard was oneof those life changing
experiences.
I was just surrounded every dayby black excellence, um,
extremely competitive, you know,student body of people who
wanted to win.
So, um, it was great to spendyour formative years and that
type of environment.
And, you know, everybody thatgoes to Howard wants to be a
(04:57):
superstar.
I just think of anybody that'sblack and payments Raji and said
, um, Sean Combs, uh, everybodygoes to Howard law, you know, so
everybody wants to have thatwhole like Hollywood connection.
So I remember as a student, Iwas watching sex and the city
and our like study lab.
(05:18):
And I saw, um, I saw Samanthaand not thought that she was the
most amazing woman in the world.
She was bright.
She was sharp.
She didn't care what nobody hasto say.
She wasn't holding her back.
She was fly as hell.
I had never seen nobody likefell flat and my life just like
everything about her.
(05:38):
And she was doing like coldthings.
And I remember turning to afriend and the study lab, like,
what does she do for a living?
Like what, what is this?
And it was like, she's anentertainment publicist.
And I literally, the next daywent and changed my major to PR.
I'm like, whatever this womandoes, I want to be heard.
This is the lifestyle.
And that really got me to NewYork and opened up my world to
(06:03):
like, Oh, there's somethingcalled entertainment.
Then you can be a publicist andyou can have a fly life and get
paid to do it.
So that is what opened my mind,opened my eyes and opened my
mind to like, you know, the NewYork lifestyle of working in
show business, which we do there.
That's why I think it's soimportant to do speaking
engagements and tell yourstories because some people just
(06:25):
need to hear and that's sparkcould just open up so many
windows of exploration for them.
Cause growing up in this office,you know, you think you can be a
doctor or a lawyer or a teacheror at FedEx, FedEx, you know,
founded here in Memphis, but youdon't know that there's so many
other careers or so many otherjobs that you can actually make
(06:46):
a career out of in New York.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
You touched on something so important.
And that's why I love thisshared stories so much.
You know, I was like you, I, Iwas always thinking I was going
to be a lawyer and I followedthe line to be, you know,
exactly that I went touniversity, did a political
science major.
Um, and then I had that momentof like, okay, I don't want to
(07:13):
be a lawyer.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
I don't want to do this, but then know what to do.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Remained open a little stress, but open.
And just one day decided I wasgoing to be in the music
business.
And the rest is history.
The story, because I know it caninspire so many people like you,
you don't always have to have itfigured out.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah.
Okay.
I actually think it's crazy thatat 18 years old, between 18 and
21, that someone is sayingdecide right now what you want
to do for the rest of your life.
It's like you haven't livedlife.
You haven't explored, you.
Haven't met people.
You don't, you don't know.
I'm always telling young peopleto, don't be afraid to explore
(07:55):
and give their self time to justfigure it out exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Coming to New York or were you just like, I'm going to
be in the big Apple.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Aye.
Everybody graduated.
And everyone had jobs at MorganStanley and at Ford and all
these fancy companies.
And I couldn't find a job in PRor public relations.
I couldn't find a job.
And the summer that I graduated,I went to New York and I met a
woman who was the PR assistantat Def jam.
And that was please put me onlike what I gotta do to y'all
(08:29):
need another assistant.
Like I was talking her offsummer.
I was, and she was like, and youknow, from the label, like those
jobs are hard to come,especially, this was like early
two thousands.
So it was like, unless somebodydied at their desk and it's
like, there was no openings.
It just was not a lot of Rapids.
So she was like, there's noopenings at dev dam in the PR
(08:49):
department, but you can come andbe my intern, but you have to be
on the official Renegade internbecause you have already
graduated.
Like our intern program is onlyfor college students.
So, so she gave me theopportunity.
I tell my parents, I said, I'mmoving to New York, I'm taking a
U haul truck.
I'm moving to New York.
I'm going to stay on my friend'scouch.
(09:10):
And her futon actually, causeshe stayed in a studio apartment
and I'm like, I'm going to go toNew York and I'm going to figure
it out.
And my dad was like, you'recrazy.
I'll walk on water.
You're going to get ate up incentral park and all this stuff.
And they was like, don't do it.
Bring your butt back to me.
My mom, my mom was like, I'mrooting for you.
(09:31):
And my dad was like, y'all assback home.
I go to New York and I am anunofficial intern at Def jam,
which means you come in as avisitor and you just stay all
day.
Like you get your visitor passand you just stay in there all
day long.
So I will be the first one there, the last person to leave.
(09:52):
And I interned there on paid forlike damn near a year.
And my mind would like money.
So I can like live in peace andall of that.
So, but that's what I had to doto get my foot in the door.
If I wanted to work in the musicbusiness or an entertainment
(10:12):
industry and I wouldn't trade itfor the world, cause working a
dev jams, it's opened up so manydoors for me,
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Of course.
And you know, I want to stop youand just highlight the gems that
you are dropping right now.
You found a way in, it may nothave been the perfect way, but
you've found a way in, you know,it's like it's I always knew we
had so many similarities, but Ididn't know we had this many
similarities because I was alsoa college graduate intern when I
(10:42):
started at Def jam West.
And, but you know, we weren't,we weren't that official where
we had to like key in and keyout.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yeah.
I was like, I found my way.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
And then once you got in you mean
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Good, good.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Um, that is so incredible.
And I'd love your dad because myparents were the same way.
I mean, I literally pulled themon a Friday that I was moving to
New York and I was on the redeye Sunday night.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
My mother's crying.
My dad's just,
Speaker 2 (11:22):
I just listened fortune favors the bold.
And I try to tell everyone thatI speak to that is looking for
professional advice.
You got to humble yourself.
You gotta be prepared to be thefirst one in the office.
And the last one to leave, youhave to be prepared to separate
yourself from the masses becausethere's a a hundred use trying
(11:44):
to get a job, trying to hustle.
And it all comes down to whohustles the hardest.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
Yeah.
And I don't think our parentsare trying to hate on us.
Like, Hey know your dreams.
I just think that they areafraid and they want the
security
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Back.
Then the music industry wasstill like, is that even a real
job?
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Isn't a thing.
Yeah.
My dad never play.
He's not a real dad.
He's like Jana and parent is nota job.
Do you get insurance?
Do you have a business car?
Like, yeah, what's the areacolor.
I didn't know what they wastalking about.
I was just like, I'm in thebuilding.
Like let me just live my life.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
That's real though, because our parents love us and
they wanted the best for us.
But um, it's still funny now.
It wasn't funny then, but it'strue.
Speaker 3 (12:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:41):
You're hustling.
You're at Def jam.
You're interning.
What happened?
I mean, what was
Speaker 3 (12:47):
I'm waiting for the big like, yeah, so I met them
jam.
I'm like number one intern, andthen I'm also just volunteering
around town.
So if it's fashion week, Isomehow work my way into a
backstage helping backstage.
If it's the MTV awards, I'msomehow helping him with the
baby fat show.
Like I'm just like, I have myhands in.
(13:09):
Like everything I could have myhand in.
And I met a gentleman, a dub jamto Sean Gale and at bedtime to
Sean worked in the marketingdepartment and Sean was leaving
and I caught him on his way out.
He said, I'm about to blow up.
I just found this artist namedNeo.
And when I get settled, I'm aholler at you.
(13:31):
And I was like, okay, like Ijust was not big.
And then he was real.
And then like, he literallycalled me maybe a week later and
was like, we want to hire you tolike be our assistant.
So Neil had just got signed.
It was extroverted, like NeoRihanna, Jeezy.
They all got sign that samesummer at Def jam.
And he said, we're going to giveyou a job.
(13:52):
And that was like my firstofficial, like getting put on
jobs.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I want to reiterate what you said.
Like he stopped and said hisintentions for you.
So you're always on stage, right?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah.
People are always watching,
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Even when you think they're not watching you.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And so you always got to come out the gate at your
best.
Yes.
People watch and I'm watchingthem
Speaker 2 (14:25):
In the mouse, seeing how they interact with others.
And I'm also
Speaker 3 (14:28):
Listening to what people say about
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Them when they're not in the room.
So everyone out there pleaseremember you're always on stage
and because Carlene was onstage, it led to her first pain.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Yeah.
Very good.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Tell me about working with Deshaun and working with
Neil.
So yeah,
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I was the assistant to Neil's production company,
which is called compounds.
So I assisted to Sean, I don'tknow, you know, tango to Sean
tangle and Mia.
So it was like, it was four ofus.
And I was just figuring out Iwas booking flights with the
label, like the artists, youknow, development department.
Like I was helping pick out hat.
(15:12):
I would be going to the photoshoot, bring in like water, like
whatever they needed me to do.
It was like a quintessential,like assistant job, whatever
they needed me to do.
That's what I did.
And I worked there.
Um, and then I learned so muchfrom Tyshawn.
He's so beloved in the musicindustry.
Um, and very, very much onphone.
(15:33):
I love how calm he is all thetime.
Like it could be like thebiggest fire into Sean, like not
going to flinch about it.
So I learned so much for them.
He was a mentor to me then.
Um, and he's a mentor to me thatnow, so you're right.
People are always watching you,like, even as an intern, he was
watching and was like, yo, thisgirl is moving and shaking.
(15:54):
And like, whenever like my shitpop up, like she's going to be
the one I called.
So I'm always like, from agrateful for him just for like
giving me the opportunity.
So yeah, I leave compound.
I go to legacy recordings, whichis the catalog, the vision for
(16:17):
Sony I'm working in copyrightsound working in con that was
like my first job where I hadlike insurance and I had like a
steady paycheck and I worked atfive 50 Madison.
Um, so that was like amazing forme.
Like I went through training andI'm like, Oh my God, this is
great.
You know, I could get a company.
I mean, employee discount at theSony store, you know, all these
(16:38):
things.
Um, and that my dad, my dad waslike, now that's what you call a
real job.
My dad was very happy aboutthat, but I would work at sunny
during the day.
And then the evening I wouldvolunteer at violator
management.
So I actually went in the motherstory.
I actually got to violatorbecause I went in to interview
(17:01):
to be Mona Scott's assistant andI didn't get the job.
So I was around, it was like,well, we're not going to hire
you, but we need help.
Cause then I'd stay around andjust kind of like get in where
you fit in, then you can.
So I would be at Sony during theday and in the evening I would
go to violator and work in theevening.
(17:23):
So I would work under Claudinedozer and Lori Dobbins.
And they became like my bigsisters and not just was like so
amazed by them and how they werelike running shit.
And they were like working onMissy tours and there'll be like
18 million dancers.
And I'd be like typing up theitinerary.
Like they were running shit.
(17:44):
And for anybody that'slistening, that's young violator
is basically the original rocknation.
Like it was a music managementcompany.
If you were, uh, artists, youknow, like they manage everybody
who's on top of their game.
So shout out to Chris Lighty.
So I know Chris, he was my otherboss once we get there, but not,
(18:05):
he was my boss too.
So of course, of course he did.
So it was at violator who alsomanaged puff that the
opportunity came about to workat bad.
Boy, Claudine was like, yo, theyhiring that bad boy.
Um, we think that you would beperfect for this job.
So again, being in the rightplace in the right town, um,
(18:26):
being very humble working andjust happened to be there when
the opportunity came.
So, um, got the opportunity ofthe lifetime to work at bad.
Boy, let me tell you, I wasthere for a few reasons.
The first time I went in was tobe hard, assistant hard was the
president.
I didn't get that job.
Then, then they remember me andthey brought me back to cause
(18:48):
they were hiring for the[inaudible] for the chief of
staff.
The offense I got that job Ioriginally got in the building
as being a D as first assistant.
So for anybody that's listening,it's like you have the
assistants.
Then you have the chief of staffis so she's like the right hand
to the boss.
So I worked there of via theassistant.
(19:09):
And then at this time puff had amillion assistants.
And so Diaz Dina's firstassistant is actually pumps
unofficial second assistantthat's that's how it works as
far as like support staff.
So pumps first assistant leftand he didn't have an assistant.
So one day he was at the office.
(19:30):
I wanted, I was so scared.
This was late at night.
And you know, for working atBabel, you work late.
Like it's nothing, right?
So, um, mr.
Combs was in the office late oneevening and I thought to myself,
if I want to be his assistant,because he doesn't at this
point, he doesn't know I exist.
I'm just a girl who works in theoffice.
(19:52):
So very much devil wears Prada.
So I go in his office, literallyknock on the door, knock, knock,
knock hammers to Combs.
Um, I don't know if he know me,but I'm Carly, you know, the,
his assistant and you know, thesecond assistant in the office,
I noticed that your assistant isno longer here.
I want to offer my support toyou.
So there's anything you need inthe interim, as you guys are
(20:15):
maybe looking for someone like,I want you to know to like, I'm
here and I'm available for you.
And he was on his library.
It was like, okay, all right.
And then like walked out theoffice.
I was like, Oh shit.
I like walk back to my officewith my hands and my hands.
And that night I got an emailfrom him and it said, book me a
(20:37):
jet to go to DC.
And that was my beginning to, Inever booked a jet in my life.
I hadn't figured it out thatidea.
Like he emailed me and said,book a jet, like what does,
Speaker 2 (20:48):
And that was how I got my job.
I just sent to him fortune forbold, seriously
Speaker 1 (21:21):
[inaudible]
Speaker 2 (21:24):
So I want to stop right here and point out a
correlation.
So if you go back to the episodewith Joshua Johnson, the head of
A&R for Hidcote music, you willremember him recounting a story
of him very early in his career,walking up to LA Reed in the
hallway and having aconversation that was so pivotal
(21:49):
that he decided to go into thecreator side and work in ANR.
If you can remember my story ofgetting in, getting a job at Def
jam West coast office as theoffice manager, and then
proceeding to call Kevin Lilesin New York, Kevin Liles is the
CEO of 300 entertainment now andmaking sure that I was on his
(22:15):
call sheet every single day.
And eventually he offered me ajob.
And now Carlene is saying herboldness, even though she
might've been so scared, butwhat boldness, what, what
confidence it took to knock onthe door of Sean Combs and
(22:38):
present a value proposition,which ended up with her actually
becoming his first assistant.
So the correlation it's obvious,you know, you are the architect
of your career.
I don't care at what stage youare in entry level or C suite.
(23:01):
You are the architect of yourcareer and it's up to you to
make opportunities happen.
So don't let that fall on deafears.
That is so important.
And I don't, you know, itdoesn't matter if you are in the
music industry, manufacturing,agency, marketing, whatever,
(23:21):
it's the same fortune favors thebold.
So you might be afraid, but putthat fear aside because you
never know what the outcome canfrom being bold and assertive
for bumps.
That was actually the tagline wecame up with when we were
(23:42):
pitching for the Guinnessfortune favors the bold, and
it's just become part of it.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
What's your favorite quote,
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Positive.
And so many others are proofpositive.
So you are landing literally themost amazing job in your young
career.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
He hyphenated.
Yeah,
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Literally, literally your dream job, you are more
than putting in your 10,000hours.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
I watch.
And I would always leave yourarea.
Like, I don't know how they'llcall me in the middle of the
night.
I'm out.
I would still get the phonecalls.
Yeah, I know you've eatendinner.
So
Speaker 2 (24:38):
I watched it, I mean, there's, you know, Carlene was a
force because just imagineeveryone, you know, you really
need to understand how importantthis role is that Carlene really
the architect of everything thatmoves around Arlene.
And she handled it with suchgrace and, and integrity was
(24:59):
like, I love this girl.
And I want to be here.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
You know,
Speaker 2 (25:06):
About, you know, when you say putting yourself out
there earlier in theconversation, just, just taking
hold of these moments, you know,at Howard being inspired by the
people around you.
I mean, you know, you'vetraveled the world.
You've had the opportunity totravel all over the world.
Tell us about an experience, youknow, abroad that was impactful
(25:30):
for you.
That helped shape even more,your perspective, how you viewed
the world, how you viewed yourjob, how you viewed your future,
because I'm a firm believer thattravel is so important.
And I always encourage people,but traveling just opens your
mind to so many things.
(25:50):
So tell us about an experience,um, abroad that really kind of
was that aha moment.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Well travel was any of your ride traveling
definitely will help open upyour eyes and peel back the
layers.
Um, and as, um, pumps, assistantag of course traveled the world.
I probably was on an airplanemore than I was in my apartment.
I actually was on an airplanemore than I was, um, in my
apartment.
So we, we went all over theworld two, three times, you
(26:22):
know, working with him and Ibelieve we were in it's so
funny.
I believe we were in Helsinki,Germany, I believe.
And he was doing a showsomeplace.
We were doing promo for lasttrain to Paris.
We were on an internationalpromo run for last train to
Paris, which was like, we wouldget off, get off the jet, be in
one, go to another place.
(26:44):
And I remember being in Germany,I felt like we were in Germany
and no one spoke English, nobodyspoke English, but everybody
knew who he was like, it was atthat time that I realized that
music was universal.
And just by people respond tosound, the feeling and emotion
(27:09):
that music gives you.
And it really was at that timethat I started listening to a
lot of international music.
It's like, if you can follow themelody and just, I get the
emotion from it, like, it's thelike makes you feel good inside.
So that is when I realized thatmusic is so much bigger than
like lyrics on a sheet of paperor just like what we experienced
(27:29):
here, um, in the United States,um, America.
And I was like, wow, here, herewe are.
He's this global person.
They don't even know what he'ssaying, but they are still so
like, you know, like Google guygot over him just by, they can't
even like wrap their headsaround it.
I was like, wow.
(27:49):
Music is just so much biggerthan, you know, like what we see
day to day.
It is universal
Speaker 2 (28:03):
That you had so, and continue to have so many amazing
experiences.
Like I'm just ready for the bookCarlene.
I'm just ready for
Speaker 3 (28:17):
No real life.
When I was, I realized that Iwas in a lucky place.
Maybe we were like in centralpay or our can.
And we were out shopping puffwas in a crowd and people were
following him like everywherewe've been, we will be in a
Chanel store.
They would have to close it downand we'll be in the mood at the
time.
Like people be outside, likebanging on the doors.
And I realized, I realized thatfor hip hop puff was really the
(28:42):
first to do it.
Do it as such a fly level, likebeing on God's, um, white
flowers, drinking Fiji water.
I remember the first time I'veseen Fiji water was like on the
first making the band, like saypants.
Like the band was like at hispark Avenue, apartment.
Hello.
And then they paint, they pantsup on a yacht and central pay.
(29:05):
He had Fiji water.
And I was like, what is that?
I've never seen water that looksso shake.
You know, like my eyes wouldjust be in a can and just seeing
people's reactions to him andhow, you know, we react to him
in the States.
I'm like, he's the first toreally show on a broad level,
black excellence being fly andbeing black and being on yachts
(29:29):
and doing flat shit.
I mean, we would land andthere'll be like 30 may backs
lined up just the stuff just offdoing dope shit at the highest
level.
And I'm like, yo, if anything,like he is the architect.
And I'm just so happy to have ahand in that.
And it really was him thatrefined my taste as far as like
(29:53):
lifestyle, because he just hassuch a high palate for living
and lifestyle, just from likethe fruit in his home to just
like the clothes on his mother,everything, um, with super,
super important to him.
So he was the first to ever doit.
And it's as far as like hip hopit's.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
So I now want to really talk about the man.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I mean,
Speaker 2 (30:23):
Being up on the top floor and talking with you, and
you were articulating to me,this, this thought that you had,
you know, about this company,you want it to launch and I was
more, yes.
And it was just
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Like, you were just ideating at the time
Speaker 2 (30:44):
To now I just sit back with so much pride, you
know, for you.
I I'm just like I can say, Iremember when you know, and you
are, you are,
Speaker 3 (30:58):
You are such an inspiration.
So talk to us about the vanitygroup.
Yeah.
So it's everybody listening.
I want to publicly give a shoutout to money for believing in me
very early on before I actuallyprobably believed in myself.
So I never, some people go to anorganization like I'm here to
(31:18):
sneak because I want to be aboss to life that never was my
thinking.
I was at bad boy to learn andsoak up the gym.
The thought of working formyself didn't happen to later
on.
And to your point, Amani, I wasjust ideated.
And I'm like, okay, what could Ido next?
I could start my own company.
I could, I didn't know what itlooked like.
So here I go, knocking on theCMOs door at bad boy, like I
(31:41):
know you have a million thingsto do, but do you have a few
minutes to talk to me about likemy life while you were trying to
run a whole global corporationover here and Amani was gracious
enough to take out time to speakto me.
And I came for money and I say,I have this idea.
Or I'm thinking of starting myown business and Amani, when
(32:02):
it's a full almost she called ameeting and our executive
conference room on the fifth.
She has the other marketingpeople in there.
I think we had the art directorin there.
I don't even know the artdirector was like a mining at
all.
These people in there just likebrainstorming ideas with me,
just like what this could befrom like logos.
(32:24):
So like tagline.
But I was just like, Oh shit, isthis like, what really happened?
So thank you Amani for actuallylike lighting the spark for me,
because I had never had thatopportunity before just to like
fit in a room like that for myown being.
I've been in rooms like that, mywhole career, especially at bad
boy, the best of the rows withthe brightest people.
(32:46):
But for someone to call thattalent for me is like, I'll
never forget it.
And it means so much for me andtaught me Monte taught me two
other lessons.
So she did that.
She taught me also to get onLinkedIn.
I had never heard of LinkedIn.
So let me tell you, when you areworking for someone like Sean
Combs, the rest of the world isoblivious to you because you
(33:08):
work all day, all night.
I'm like what?
There's something calledLinkedIn.
Like I had never heard of it.
So she definitely was like, youare a professional, people need
to see like where you are andwhat you do.
You need to be on LinkedIn.
So now I'm obsessed withLinkedIn.
I tell everybody like, you needto be on LinkedIn.
And then from a lifestyleperspective, um, Amani saw me
(33:28):
one day and I had a Chanel bagand it was stuff.
It was just like bunch of shit.
It probably had like ACblackberries types of shit in
it.
And Amani was like a woman neverstuffed her Chanel bag.
That was for me, that was forme.
I said, Oh, this is the flag I'mdoing it to like, at that point
(33:52):
I was like, I have my Chanelbag.
I have a bigger tone, niceluxury, top floor, everything
else.
So that was when I started like,Oh, email, like my accoutrements
is like a young professionalwoman.
Like it needs to be together too.
So thank you for brightening.
I mean, opening that door forme.
Cause I had no, I had all typesof things like falling out that
(34:17):
smell bad.
Like it was stuff to the core.
Yeah, it was for the spark ofthe baby groups started when I
was in bad boy, but I actuallydidn't launch it until 2013.
And the vanity group is a NewYork based, um, event production
company.
But we don't do any of the liveevents.
We do events or your favoritecelebrity, your favorite artists
(34:41):
, your favorite actors.
So we work with everybody fromcommon.
I still worked for puff.
Um, DJ Khaled, Migos, JustinBieber, Cardi B, you name it,
they got Grammys or Oscars.
We probably worked for them.
And I got, when I was, whatmonth I have resigned for bad
boy, I actually was talking to agood friend of his and he said,
(35:04):
curly, whatever you do next, itgot to be the flyers shit ever
because you don't get anopportunity of a lifetime to
work for someone like SeanCombs, all the contacts, you
have all the knowhow and wit andwisdom that you picked up and go
do some regular shit.
You, whatever it do, it has topop off.
So I knew like whatever thisnext thing is, it has to pump in
(35:26):
seven years later, it hascompletely, it completely passed
.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
You could wax poetic about the greatness of Carlene
for hours on end because itjust, I love to see women of
color exercise, their power andtheir potential.
And we're talking about a younglady that was so young and yeah,
Speaker 3 (35:49):
Yeah.
She puts had
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Just, just to see you now is just, I don't know.
It just makes me proud.
And, and everyone needs to checkout.
Carlene's a website, the vanitygroup's website.
You just need to understate thecreativity and the work and the
passion that goes behind everybespoke event that it's bar
(36:14):
none.
And it's, You're a householdname in the industry there.
I don't know anyone that doesnot work with you.
I mean, you, you, you named allthese artists, but you, you
know, we would be remiss not tomention Netflix.
Speaker 3 (36:29):
Yeah.
Netflix.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:33):
Chip brands, you know,
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I'm trying
Speaker 2 (36:37):
More than trying.
You're doing more than trying,
Speaker 3 (36:40):
But let's talk about the
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Times, like, you know, where we're living through
a novel pandemic, it's, it's,it's mind blowing when you just
stop for a moment and allowyourself to really think about
the times that we're living in.
So you're resilient, you know,you're so creative.
What have you been doing duringthis time?
Speaker 3 (37:05):
What have I been doing?
So at the beginning of thepandemic, I would tell you,
Amani, I literally was likedepressed.
I did not, I could notconceptualize the global plan
and then what was happening.
And it was directly impacting mybusiness because if you have to
be six feet, six feet away, andyou can't gather, you can't have
an event, the purpose of anevent is to be together, is to
(37:29):
gather, you know, regularly,like this is what the purpose of
an event is.
So I, I know all industries tooka hit, but our industries in
particular, cause like you can'twork at all.
You know, there is, there is nolive events if you can't gather.
So I'm gonna tell you I wasdepressed.
I feel like I looked in my bed,looking out the window at the
rain.
Like I was in the RMB Trey Songzvideo.
(37:51):
And I was like, Oh God, like Iwas like, yo, this is a high
Williams video.
I am just like looking like anRV extra right now.
So I was like, looking out mywindow, what actually is
happening.
And then like, once I got out ofmy funk, I had a conversation
with my staff and I was like,now is the time for me to figure
(38:15):
out and work on saving thebusiness.
So we actually have a businessto come back to, right?
This is not going to be the endof us.
And this is not going to be theend of the Vandy group.
So I really had to put my CEOhat on and do the things.
So like a lot of founders.
Cause you know, it's veryglamorous now to be a founder
(38:36):
and say that, you know, you'rean entrepreneur, but like when
the rubber meets the road, likethis was one of those times for
me.
So I had to cut the fat forthings that we no longer needed
and no longer served us.
Um, I had to like cut some hoursfor my staff.
You know, like these are realdecisions that business owners,
um, have to make, you know, youhad to put your big girl panties
(38:58):
on like speaking, like ourlandlord where our office is
making operational changes sothat we had a home, um, to
return to.
And um, I know everybody rightnow is talking about pivot, but
for me, I really think it'spivot or perish, you know?
So I'm trying to figure out now,like what are some ways that we
can remain relevant?
(39:19):
We can remain top of mind.
And so we now are offering likevirtual workshops.
Um, a lot of people, um, werealways asking me for, you know,
advice for, you know, how togrow their event business and a
lot of up and coming women whowant to be even producers or
look up, look up to me.
So I would have never had thisopportunity when we were in Gomo
(39:39):
like we are moving nonstop.
We probably produce an event aweek between New York, LA, um,
Miami and Atlanta.
So I would have never had theopportunity.
Yeah.
So now that I have theopportunity and have a bit more
flexibility in my schedule, weare, you know, offering virtual,
you know, classes to people whowant to get an event business.
(40:01):
And it has been reallysuccessful for us so far.
We had a masterclass it's soldout twice.
Um, so I think we're, we'removing in the right direction.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
So smart and I can attest you are very booked and
busy.
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I love it.
Well Carlene before we, beforewe finish episode, I just want
to thank you
Speaker 2 (40:28):
Leaning in and just being your always authentic
self.
I just, I simply adore you andI'm one of, one of your biggest
champions.
You have so many, I am just partof them and I'm proud to be that
Speaker 3 (40:41):
Before we close.
I always like to
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Ask this question to all of my guests.
It's called trading places.
You could trade places for a daywith anyone current or past who
would that person be and why?
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I would want to trade places circa 2008 with Deseret
Rogers.
So Deseret Rogers was the firstblack social secretary at the
white house.
Um, she worked under the Obamaadministration.
So if you don't know what thesocial secretary does, she
basically basically plants allthe events at the white house.
(41:24):
And I was like, when I realizedthat this was a job in 2008, I
was like, Oh my God, this is mysecond dream job.
So the fact that this blackamazing tall, sharp, like money
she's like you, like, she don'tplay around.
She would live in me.
And she is doing all of theevents for mr.
(41:45):
And mrs.
Obama.
Like, I was just like floored bythat.
Oh, and let me back up.
A lot of people ask, like, howdo I get into events, you know,
as the assistant.
So when you're the assistant,you do a lot of things.
So one big part of my job wasdoing events on behalf of mr.
Collins, whether it be hispersonal event.
And if it's a big event likestarting a Hollywood walk of
fame, I wouldn't be the oneplanning it, but I would kind of
(42:07):
be like the chairperson or, youknow, the chair lead on behalf
of the chairman.
So I got really good at events,especially last minute events.
So if the twins wanted to have abirthday party in five minutes,
it was my job to do it, youknow, and it needed to look like
it took three years to do it.
So I got really good atproducing events with the short
amount of time.
(42:27):
So that is the personality ofthe Vandy group.
But yet Deseret Rogers would bethe one that I would love to
trade places with.
Um, and then before we close, Ialso just want to thank Amani.
So anybody who's ever workedwith the money I was taken by
her the first time I met her,she was like, tar hair was like,
(42:48):
you got to understand there's arecurrent thing would be like,
Samantha.
I'm like, who are these women?
I've always been surrounded bypowerful women.
I'm happy that you and Amani arein my circle.
And people always say like, howis it broken in them and the man
industry?
And I was like, I've always beensurrounded by dope women.
So that hasn't been like mystory or my experience.
(43:09):
I'm so grateful for you.
And another thing just byshowing up and being you, how
you inspire the people aroundyou.
So thank you.
I'm just so happy that you know,the, the star is alive and we
were, we are now in each other'slabs.
Okay.
I'm crying now.
So please,
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Oh honey, I love you.
Speaker 3 (43:33):
I really do.
And thank you for your kindwords.
This is what we do.
You know, when you get in anyposition of note, you gotta pull
up a chair for others.
You, you make yourself available, you reach as you climb.
You definitely.
(43:53):
That definitely is your story.
I love you.
Well, I mean, this needs to bepart one, two, three, four.
I mean, we, I hope because youjust, this is a great way to
start the day.
You are just amazing.
And if anyone has theopportunity to meet Carlene in
(44:16):
person or to attend one of herincredible bespoke events, I'm
telling you it will be lifechanging.
So my dear, thank you.
I love you for having me.
Absolutely.
So friends, this the end of
Speaker 2 (44:32):
No need to ask podcast CEO, talk with Carlene
Roy founder, CEO of the vanitygroup.
So until we meet again, be safeand be well
Speaker 1 (45:08):
[inaudible].
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