Today we’d like to introduce you to DaVida Chanel Smith.
DaVida, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always wanted to work in the entertainment industry but wasn’t quite sure how to break in. I was a Sports Information Director at Purdue University, and one night as I was waiting for scores to come in, I read an article about Charles King who at the time was an agent at William Morris.
He talked about how his background as an attorney prepared him for the business and his passion for his career was so engaging, so I decided that talent representation may be a good route for me as well. I enrolled in law school, bought every book I could get on breaking into the industry and learned as much as I could about the business hoping it would help me to secure an entry-level position in Hollywood once school was over.
After graduation, I drove to L.A. and after a few months landed my first official assistant job. That position led to others, expanding my talent management experience to the literary and music side. Eventually, I got to work in production, assisting producers, directors and even cast eventually settling into a groove as a travel coordinator. I got back into management in 2014 and started my own business as a manager and producer in 2018.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My astrological sign is Cancer, and people say we tend to get to our goal with a sidestepping approach. I definitely feel that has been the case with my career. While I wouldn’t change my experiences, I do feel that it has not been a smooth road – many, many detours have occurred along the way!
Please tell us about Etcetera and Company.
The primary focus on my company is talent management, and I am most proud of the diversity of my roster. The majority of my roster are women in a wide range of ethnicities and ages. I also boast several international clients as well as a nice blend of consistently working actors and developmental clients who haven’t secured their big breaks just yet.
I am proud of my roster because I think they represent the landscape of the business so well – regardless of their ethnicity, age or experience level, they are all so very talented. To date, I am most proud that in my first month of business, my client not only booked a pilot, but she was the lead of the show. It felt so great to see her shine in that light.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Although I wish I didn’t have this hefty law school loan payment, I don’t think I would have changed much. Even though my journey has been so slow, I feel that every step has made me stronger.
Contact Info:
- Website: etcandcompany.com
- Phone: 424.316.5800
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: etcandcompanyla
- Facebook: etcandcompanyla
- Twitter: etcandcompanyla
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