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https://www.blackenterprise.com/cardi-b-publicist-patientce-foster/
Cardi B has made it clear that she doesn’t need more press–-and it’s in large part due to her amazing publicity team at The Cream Agency, headed by Patientce Foster.
Foster plays multiple roles for Cardi, which includes being her independent publicist. She shared, “We work very closely with Ashley Kalmanowitz, our label publicist, who has done an amazing, consistent job in bringing an immense amount of press opportunities to the table. I am also head of her brand partnerships, and day-to-day operations. [Cardi] has honestly allowed me to be a part of almost every conversation pertaining to her career, including creative, her music, her vision, her ambitions.”
Behind the Scenes of Celebrity Publicity
While onlookers get to appreciate the beautiful glossy images, energetic performances, and humorous interviews Cardi B dishes, each of these requires lots of preparation. Foster shared that the most challenging part of the job is having to work under a constant pressure that never seems to let up. You must make yourself available for everyone else while still trying to be emotionally available for yourself.
“It’s easy to lose yourself and your mind while trying to keep up with the demands and obligations of the job,” she says with a laugh.
[RELATED: WE’RE ALL DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM CARDI B: THE UBIQUITY OF HIP-HOP’S CURRENT IT GIRL]
The industry has its perks too. Foster loves being able to work with kind-hearted people with brilliant minds and genuine souls. Noting, “The best part of my job is having a voice, being able to be vocal about what we’re doing, where we’re going, how to evolve and remain consistent.”
Getting into the Industry
Foster recommends that anyone interested in pursuing this career look to build in every direction that could align with their end goal.
“Don’t be so specific in your direction that you turn down opportunities that will help you to build a Rolodex or increase your experiences. Place yourself in rooms that will help you to build contacts. Place yourself at tables that will open your ears to conversation and educate you. Become so well-versed in the industry so that when your time does come you’re equipped with education, contacts, and networks. Those elements are essentially what the person/brand hiring you wants–your reach and your experience.”
Rubbing Shoulders with Celebrities
Rubbing shoulders with celebs is a dream for many, but there are unspoken rules. Foster advises that your approach and intent are everything. “Some people want to rub a shoulder for a photo opp, rub a shoulder to be able to post on social media and caption the moment as if they are acquainted with the celeb and use the visual for their own leverage. My pet peeve would be how the approach is made. Complimenting a celeb, asking them to possibly look at their art, listen to their music or [ask] for a photo is always OK, but how it’s done is what bothers me. The sense of false entitlement is what bothers me.”
Patientce Foster’s Journey to Becoming Cardi B’s Publicist
While Foster cannot forget her Southern roots being born in Charlotte, North Carolina, she credits her upbringing to Wilmington, Delaware, where she moved at the tender age of 7.
“The city of Wilmington has played a major role in my development as a person and as a professional. The fact that Delaware is the second-smallest state, makes Wilmington even smaller. There’s no radio station, sports team, little to no representation. We are often overlooked. It takes a certain consistency, determination, and tenacity to be visible, to be seen, to be recognized. It’s easy to feel defeated when you’re counted out, or always coming in last. Wilmington lent me a fearless mind, a tough skin, and a confidence I wouldn’t have been able to get from anywhere else.”
Leaving her job at Hertz to start a full-service salon is what led her to Cardi. Foster’s pivots may seem haphazard to some, but she had a clear vision.
“I left Hertz to open a full-service salon in 2013, Vixated. Vixated was able to fuel my ambitions and my journey to being a publicist by allowing me freedom, time, and funds to travel and take unpaid opportunities to build my resume and experience. It was in my second year of business (2015) that I was introduced to Cardi by a friend at the time, and now my partner. She needed hair and beauty services and my Wilmington salon location provided that. God made it so that we met again a month later during a Fashion Week PR internship, and it was then that I was hired. I went from working in Hertz, to building a business that paved the way to a career in publicity.”
On top of being a ‘small town girl’ who took a leap of faith to start her own business, Foster is also a single mother. This responsibility helped to mold her in a massive way,
“Being a single mother is a responsibility like no other. You can’t go out and a build a team to assist you, or ask just anyone to help you, or expect anyone to love and care for your child the way you do. That baby is yours, and yours only, your responsibility and forever obligation. Nothing is about you anymore, everything is about your baby. Every decision you make is for that baby. Every goal you make and plan you execute has one end goal, that baby, and the baby’s future.
“That mindset has become the fuel that burns my fire, it has become the motivation and intent behind every decision I make. It has made me a more aware woman, a more direct woman, a more assertive woman. There’s no time for question, doubt, or error. I have become a more decisive woman. I have to go get what I want, and ask for what I want, and make what I want happen–not for me anymore, but for the future, and well-being of my child.”
Millennials Changing the Game
Foster, a Millennial herself, does not buy into the dialog that Millennials are lazy and entitled.
“I believe that we are in a new era of new approach. How the generation before us achieved success, and the paths they took has changed. Times have changed.
“I believe that this generation is innovative, fearless, doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ [and] will make something out of nothing. This generation has been revolutionary. We have single-handedly changed the world as they once knew it. This generation has changed the digital age, how we listen to music, how we purchase items, how we socialize, how we look for and obtain jobs. This generation has given the power to individuals in becoming whatever they want to be.”
The Cream Agency
Foster is so grateful in what she has been able to accomplish. “[I’m] so humbled to be a part of one of the greatest, most consistent teams in the game. My contributions, my work, and my results have allowed me to build one of the fastest-growing PR and creative marketing/branding boutique agencies in the business. The Cream Agency has only begun to make its mark. The impression we make will be one that will last to the end of time. I’m standing on that!”
Black Enterprise Contributors Network
Cardi B has made it clear that she doesn’t need more press–-and it’s in large part due to her amazing publicity team at The Cream Agency, headed by Patientce Foster.
Foster plays multiple roles for Cardi, which includes being her independent publicist. She shared, “We work very closely with Ashley Kalmanowitz, our label publicist, who has done an amazing, consistent job in bringing an immense amount of press opportunities to the table. I am also head of her brand partnerships, and day-to-day operations. [Cardi] has honestly allowed me to be a part of almost every conversation pertaining to her career, including creative, her music, her vision, her ambitions.”
Behind the Scenes of Celebrity Publicity
While onlookers get to appreciate the beautiful glossy images, energetic performances, and humorous interviews Cardi B dishes, each of these requires lots of preparation. Foster shared that the most challenging part of the job is having to work under a constant pressure that never seems to let up. You must make yourself available for everyone else while still trying to be emotionally available for yourself.
“It’s easy to lose yourself and your mind while trying to keep up with the demands and obligations of the job,” she says with a laugh.
[RELATED: WE’RE ALL DEGREES OF SEPARATION FROM CARDI B: THE UBIQUITY OF HIP-HOP’S CURRENT IT GIRL]
The industry has its perks too. Foster loves being able to work with kind-hearted people with brilliant minds and genuine souls. Noting, “The best part of my job is having a voice, being able to be vocal about what we’re doing, where we’re going, how to evolve and remain consistent.”
Getting into the Industry
Foster recommends that anyone interested in pursuing this career look to build in every direction that could align with their end goal.
“Don’t be so specific in your direction that you turn down opportunities that will help you to build a Rolodex or increase your experiences. Place yourself in rooms that will help you to build contacts. Place yourself at tables that will open your ears to conversation and educate you. Become so well-versed in the industry so that when your time does come you’re equipped with education, contacts, and networks. Those elements are essentially what the person/brand hiring you wants–your reach and your experience.”
Rubbing Shoulders with Celebrities
Rubbing shoulders with celebs is a dream for many, but there are unspoken rules. Foster advises that your approach and intent are everything. “Some people want to rub a shoulder for a photo opp, rub a shoulder to be able to post on social media and caption the moment as if they are acquainted with the celeb and use the visual for their own leverage. My pet peeve would be how the approach is made. Complimenting a celeb, asking them to possibly look at their art, listen to their music or [ask] for a photo is always OK, but how it’s done is what bothers me. The sense of false entitlement is what bothers me.”
Patientce Foster’s Journey to Becoming Cardi B’s Publicist
While Foster cannot forget her Southern roots being born in Charlotte, North Carolina, she credits her upbringing to Wilmington, Delaware, where she moved at the tender age of 7.
“The city of Wilmington has played a major role in my development as a person and as a professional. The fact that Delaware is the second-smallest state, makes Wilmington even smaller. There’s no radio station, sports team, little to no representation. We are often overlooked. It takes a certain consistency, determination, and tenacity to be visible, to be seen, to be recognized. It’s easy to feel defeated when you’re counted out, or always coming in last. Wilmington lent me a fearless mind, a tough skin, and a confidence I wouldn’t have been able to get from anywhere else.”
Leaving her job at Hertz to start a full-service salon is what led her to Cardi. Foster’s pivots may seem haphazard to some, but she had a clear vision.
“I left Hertz to open a full-service salon in 2013, Vixated. Vixated was able to fuel my ambitions and my journey to being a publicist by allowing me freedom, time, and funds to travel and take unpaid opportunities to build my resume and experience. It was in my second year of business (2015) that I was introduced to Cardi by a friend at the time, and now my partner. She needed hair and beauty services and my Wilmington salon location provided that. God made it so that we met again a month later during a Fashion Week PR internship, and it was then that I was hired. I went from working in Hertz, to building a business that paved the way to a career in publicity.”
On top of being a ‘small town girl’ who took a leap of faith to start her own business, Foster is also a single mother. This responsibility helped to mold her in a massive way,
“Being a single mother is a responsibility like no other. You can’t go out and a build a team to assist you, or ask just anyone to help you, or expect anyone to love and care for your child the way you do. That baby is yours, and yours only, your responsibility and forever obligation. Nothing is about you anymore, everything is about your baby. Every decision you make is for that baby. Every goal you make and plan you execute has one end goal, that baby, and the baby’s future.
“That mindset has become the fuel that burns my fire, it has become the motivation and intent behind every decision I make. It has made me a more aware woman, a more direct woman, a more assertive woman. There’s no time for question, doubt, or error. I have become a more decisive woman. I have to go get what I want, and ask for what I want, and make what I want happen–not for me anymore, but for the future, and well-being of my child.”
Millennials Changing the Game
Foster, a Millennial herself, does not buy into the dialog that Millennials are lazy and entitled.
“I believe that we are in a new era of new approach. How the generation before us achieved success, and the paths they took has changed. Times have changed.
“I believe that this generation is innovative, fearless, doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ [and] will make something out of nothing. This generation has been revolutionary. We have single-handedly changed the world as they once knew it. This generation has changed the digital age, how we listen to music, how we purchase items, how we socialize, how we look for and obtain jobs. This generation has given the power to individuals in becoming whatever they want to be.”
The Cream Agency
Foster is so grateful in what she has been able to accomplish. “[I’m] so humbled to be a part of one of the greatest, most consistent teams in the game. My contributions, my work, and my results have allowed me to build one of the fastest-growing PR and creative marketing/branding boutique agencies in the business. The Cream Agency has only begun to make its mark. The impression we make will be one that will last to the end of time. I’m standing on that!”
Black Enterprise Contributors Network
A homeowner’s Nest camera recently captured the moment when a man was scared off a front porch by a bear.
Andrew Crumbie, who lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, said a strange man visited his home on Aug. 14. Crumbie didn’t know who the visitor was, however, he was able to see him push the ringer through his Nest doorbell camera, WFSB News reported.
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The footage, which was shared on Facebook, showed a big black bear running up to Crumbie’s front porch and scaring the man away. Once the visitor was out of sight, the bear paced around the porch for a minute before leaving the area.
“Apparently I had a visitor (or two) while I was away today,” Crumbie wrote on Facebook. “Not sure who the guy was but it’s safe to say he won’t be visiting again.”
Crumbie believes that the man may have been a contractor. He also said that even though he lives in between two reservoirs, black bears don’t typically come close to homes in his neighborhood.
“The bears are in the area often because I see them routinely. In this particular instance though, this bear was startled, possibly by the car as he was crossing the road and ran for safety,” Crumbie explained. “Unfortunately this guy was between the car and safety.”
More on Geek.com:
- Lightning Strike Kills 300-Pound Bear in Colorado
- Bear Breaks Through Wall of Home ‘Like the Kool-Aid Man’
- Here’s What Happened When a Bear Locked Itself in a Car in Colorado
After a nearly 2 year long hiatus, Netflix’s Mindhunter is back. The second season of David Fincher’s moody serial killer series picks up right where season one left off, with the FBI’s newly formed Behavioral Science Unit continuing their research on the psychology of serial killers. The series continues to follow agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), along with psychologist Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) as they travel the country interviewing serial killers and get drawn into open cases.
Mindhunter is an unsettling and engaging show, and a rare entry into the serial killer genre that does not, in fact, feature any kills or violence. All the murders are seen in the aftermath, at crime scenes or in photos. No one is chasing down the agents or their families. And all the killers we meet are already behind bars. The fear comes from the interviews, from gaining insight and exploring the motivations of these monstrous men.
The series exposes the toll this work takes on the agents. Tench finds himself disconnected from his family, while Ford experiences panic attacks following a terrifying hug from serial killer Ed Kemper that lands him in the hospital. Both men try to bury their feelings and fears in a workplace (and a world) that has zero time for men’s feelings.
Their only outlet is the sole female member of the team: Dr. Wendy Carr, a psychology professor who joins the BSU as a consultant. Both men confide in Wendy, whose steely exterior hides a deep reserve of empathy. But Wendy has her own secrets to contend with. She’s a closeted lesbian working for the notoriously conservative FBI in 1979.
Episode 4 of season 2 delves into Wendy’s struggles to create a life for herself outside of the Bureau. After making a tentative connection with free-spirited bartender Kay (Lauren Glazier), the two go on a date to a bowling alley. Wendy’s buttoned-up and professional self stands in stark contrast to Kay, who is living openly and authentically, having left a husband and son because she couldn’t fake being straight anymore.
Wendy is impressed and taken aback by Kay’s boldness, and even goes so far as to share a public kiss with her, a risky move for the late 70s. Days later at work, we understand just why Wendy is so closed off. When the team investigates their first gay serial killer Dean Corll (the notorious Candy Man of Houston) who was murdered by his accomplice Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., Agent Smith refers to homosexuality as a mental illness.
Wendy brusquely reminds them that in 1973 homosexuality was declassified as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association in the DSM, but it’s clear that the negative sentiment still remains.
Later in the episode, Wendy and Smith go to interview Elmer Wayne Henley, Jr., their first time in the field. While Smith chokes, Wendy is able to convince Henley to talk by recounting her own queer experiences with a manipulative older woman. And while she’s telling the truth, all the agents on her team immediately assume it was an improvised lie to move the interview forward.
It’s an important storyline for Anna Torv’s character, as Wendy has previously been relegated to the background. We briefly meet her older lover in season one, but she otherwise spends her time as a sounding board for the men or trying to feed a stray cat in her laundry room (yes, this was a recurring storyline for the only prominent female character on the show).
Wendy continues to date and develop a relationship with Kay, but their connection is hampered by her fear of being outed. Mindhunter is a show about secrets and double lives, both among the serial killers and the agents who interview them. After being largely wasted in season one, it’s exciting to see the series give an actress like Torv a compelling storyline. While she still doesn’t get as much to do as McCallany and Groff (blame the male-dominated FBI of the 70s), she does get to explore deeper storylines and act opposite characters who aren’t cats. So you know, a step up.
Are you watching season 2 of Mindhunter?
(image: Patrick Harbron/Netflix)
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