Meet Brad Lemack | Talent Manager, PR Consultant, Career Coach, Educator & Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brad Lemack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brad, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I moved to Angeles from my hometown of Boston in the early 1980s to begin working as a publicity executive for pioneering producer Norman Lear’s television production company. As a television series publicist, I had exposure to all aspects of sit-com television content creation. From that experience, I discovered that working with talent resonated with me in a very strong way; I really had (and still have) a passion for it. The next logical step was to focus on that aspect of the business, which led me to create, build and launch my own agency that focused (and still does) exactly on that mission: creating awareness, building brands, and developing, nurturing and growing client careers.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I established my agency, Lemack & Company Talent Management/Public Relations in the early 1980s. Our mission was … and remains … to work with established and emerging artists in the development, redevelopment and growth of their careers. The mission has also always included lending creative, artistic and strategic support to not-for-profit organizations in the growth and public awareness of their own missions.

It’s never easy. If it were, the achievement of success (however you describe it) wouldn’t feel like much of an accomplishment. The joy, for me, is in the journey of discovery, challenges met and completion.

It’s been over 40 years … My business has opened the doors for me to many other incredible opportunities that I might not otherwise have been led to. Chief among those is my work in academia. I have been on the faculty at the Emerson College Los Angeles Campus for 28 years (where I teach The Business of Acting and Entertainment PR). I have also been on the faculty at the Elon University Los Angeles Program for 14 years (where I am a professor in the School of Communications, teaching entertainment public relations and strategic writing for the entertainment industry). I am, perhaps, most proud of receiving two awards for my teaching work: the 2019 Faculty Award from the ELAF Chapter of the American Association of University Professors for “outstanding service to the Emerson College Community” and the 2022 Alan L. Stanzler Award for Excellence in Teaching from Emerson College. This recognition means a lot to me.

I have learned many lessons on my way to 2023. Kindness is, perhaps, the biggest one. Be the person you want others to be. Lead by example. Embrace the journey; it’s not about the destination, but, rather, about the people you meet, the road you travel and the stops you make along the way.

I’m still learning. I still have much to discover. It’s all very exciting and I am very, very grateful.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m not much for “tourist spots.” Instead, I like to share with friends and out-of-town visitors some personal discoveries I have made over many years. Vegan restaurants (Sage and True Food, in Pasadena), concerts (at the Santa Barbara Bowl), walks (around the Huntington Library and Gardens, in San Marino), an afternoon exploring Ojai. Small, local theatre. Hanging out and talking at any local (not “chain” coffee shop. That’s a start!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest “shoutouts” of appreciation go to those actors who became my first clients in the early days of my career as a manager and publicist. I was only in my mid-20s then and I certainly hadn’t proven myself as a business owner yet. But these early-on-the-roster people were willing to give me the opportunity to prove myself to them, while I also began carving out my personal brand and building my personal reputation within the industry. Isabel Sanford tops that list.
The Emmy Award winning star of the long-running, hit comedy series “The Jeffersons” (11 season on CBS-TV) was the first person who signed with me. We had become close during my time as the publicist for the series. She saw signing with me as the perfect way for us to continue working together. Three other stars from that series also joined my roster early on: Sherman Helmsley (who played Isabel’s husband), Marla Gibbs (who played the Jefferson’s maid Florence) and Ned Wertimer (who played Ralph the Doorman). After “The Jeffersons,” Marla went on to produce and star in her own sit-com, “227,” for five seasons on NBC-TV. In addition to Marla, I had five clients on that series, including her co-stars Hal Williams, Alaina Reed and a young (now powerhouse multi-award-winner) Regina King. Betsy Palmer, who played the evil Mrs. Voorhees in the original “Friday the 13th” film, signed on soon thereafter, as did Pamela Roylance (“Little House on the Prairie,” “The Social Network,” Apple TV+’s “Puppy Palace” and an almost-queen of Lifetime and Hallmark Channel movies). There have been many, many others over the years … the decades … there still are … and I am incredibly grateful to each of them for their trust, for their friendship and for the journeys together. Each experience has made me (and continues to make me) a better person. So, in short, shoutouts to all of those mentioned and to all of the others who have made a joyous imprint in my life.

Website: http://www.LemackCo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brad_lemack/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradlemack/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BradLemack

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100081355095338

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@insidethebusinessofacting1949/videos

Other: http://www.TheBusinessOfActing.com