Celebrity Personal Assistants Network

Regarding celebrity endorsement success, The Celebrity Source asks: Have you ever wondered about the behind-the-scenes engine of celebrity lives and who makes things happen?

Before you book a celebrity or celebrity influencer it would be good to understand the other people you will likely be interacting with. We recently had an opportunity to interview Brian Daniel, a former personal assistant to Hollywood A-list, American aristocracy, Forbes list families, and royalty. As founder of Celebrity Personal Assistants Network, he is now an elite recruiter for high-net-worth families and celebrities, placing assistants and estate managers in the stars’ homes.

Why is confidentiality so important when dealing with celebrities and celebrities’ branding?

Everyone likes his or her privacy, celebrities included. Confidentiality is so important when working with celebrities, because of the sensitive nature of celebrity endorsement interactions with their teams of Lawyers, doctors, publicity agents, agencies, management teams, personal trainers, significant others, etc.

When working with a celebrity as a personal assistant, you will be privy to privileged information. You will learn their deepest, darkest secrets – both personal and professional. Because of that, most celebrities have their assistants sign confidentiality contracts (a.k.a. NDAs: Non-disclosure agreements). The personal assistant must keep a low profile and be very discreet about their dealings with the VIP with whom they work.

What type of requests do celebrity speakers, celebrity spokespersons, and celebrity brand ambassadors (and their assistants) like least?

At a celebrity appearance, one of the biggest challenges that celebrities face is dealing with the public. Most celebrities like their fans, but sometimes they need their space. One of the toughest things that a celebrity PA deals with is when fans want selfies or autographs at inappropriate times.

There is a time and a place to ask for an autograph, but it’s not right in the middle of dinner at a restaurant. Timing everything perfectly when the celebrity is just leaving and waiting for the valet to pull their car up to the front door would be a better time to ask for a selfie. Sometimes the assistants have to “deflect” the public, who are asking for an autograph at the wrong time. In other words, the personal assistant has to be “the bad guy.”

What is the most challenging thing about working with CEOs and executives who want to hire a celebrity, and the actual celebrities themselves?

Having what we call “thick skin” is very important when being a personal assistant to a celebrity. PAs are constantly working long hours, juggling projects, and meeting break-neck deadlines. It is not for someone faint of heart. Just know that when you work for a celebrity, you’re always going to be “on,” even when you’re “off.” It’s a 24/7 job, and getting calls late at night and on weekends is the standard operating procedure in this line of work.

What skills and qualities do celebrities need & want most from their assistants?

Reliance. Celebrity assistants are constantly faced with tasks that require “out of the box” problem-solving skills. You will be tasked with very important duties, often with short notice and limited resources. It requires a lot of creativity and being able to come up with unconventional solutions to unconventional problems. In short, having a “can do,” no excuses attitude is immensely important in this profession.

One amazing skill that celebrity assistants need is to be tactful. Sometimes celebrities can be impulsive, and you must find creative ways to get the celebrity what they need because assistants aren’t supposed to tell their boss the word “no.” So, for example, suppose that a celebrity tells you at 7:00 pm on a Friday that they want to go to the hottest restaurant in town, and that restaurant is booked-up solid for a month.

The personal assistant needs to get into their car, drive down to the place, and speak with the general manager to work some magic. It will require a great deal of juggling for the GM to shuffle the schedule around to fit the celebrity in. It requires great business savvy not only to get the table at the last minute but to get a good table (one that’s not next to the kitchen, for example).