Meet Ernest Skinner | Talent & Event Producer – Ernest Skinner He Knows Everyone Inc

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

Hi Ernest, what do you attribute your success to?
There are two things that have been important factors behind my success:

The first thing is one of the Four Agreements…be impeccable with your word! The entertainment business, and business in general, is built on what people say about you when you are not in the room. I have found that in my profession, and in my life, that people have to be able to know that you are going to do what you say you are going to do. I have found that my biggest failures have come when I said I was going to do something and did not live up to what I said I was going to do. Fortunately, I learned that lesson early on. Once people know that they can count on you, they will always pick up the phone when the stakes are high. They will also be your biggest advocate when you are not in the room. There is no amount of marketing dollars that can equate to someone else speaking on your behalf.

The second most important factor to my success is understanding that you do not rise, alone. You need to make sure that as you are on the way up, make sure to reach back and take people with you. Hold people accountable, and be committed to their growth. The same people that you see on the way up, you will see on the way down. The great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar said, “You will get everything you want out of life if you will help enough other people get what they want.” Being committed to the growth and well being of others, will make sure that everyone wins.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my career working in radio in Washington, D.C (93.9 WKYS). I always knew that I wanted to work in entertainment, but my father is from Trinidad, my mother is from Jamaica, and that was not a career path that they knew about, much less encouraged. I started at the radio station as a volunteer, six months later I was working there part time, and a year later, I was in charge of all promotions at the station (both on air contesting and on site events). After 3 years at the station, I decided that in order to continue my growth in entertainment, I had to move to NYC or L.A. Since I am originally from NYC, I decided to move to L.A before it fell in the ocean.

I worked as a Jr. Agent at William Morris, I worked in the Music and Talent Department at MTV, on shows like VMAs, MTV Movie Awards, Making the Video, Beach House programming and many others. While at MTV, someone said to me, “If someone can afford to pay you, then they are obviously making more money than they are paying you.” At that moment, I decided to go into freelance talent and event production. I have worked the red carpet for the Grammy’s for years, handling talent arrivals; I have handled talent arrivals for Elton John’s Annual Oscar Viewing Party; I have worked the Clive Davis Grammy party as well as The Roots Grammy Jam. I have worked as part of the L.A Advance Team for the White House for both Presidents Obama and Biden. I have worked with brands like Trés Generaciones Tequila, Courvoisier, Pepsi, F1, The American Heart Association, Toyota, and many others. I have booked and worked with top tier talent like Mariah Carey, DJ Khaled, Ne-Yo, Laverne Cox, Debbie Allen, Usher, Beyonce, P!nk, Patti LaBelle, Common, Will.I.am, Oprah Winfrey, and countless others.. I am currently the Production Manager for the Toni Braxton and Cedric the Entertainer residency in Vegas: Love and Laughter. I also co-host a dining show on Tavis Smiley’s station, KBLA Talk 1580, called, “Food For Thought with Karen and Ernest.” These varied experiences were the impetus for my company, name…people say that Ernest (Skinner) knows everyone!

Has it been easy? No. It HAS been incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. No two days are the same, which I love. My career has allowed me to travel the world creating experiences that wow! I love that I get to create moments that other people get to experience.

What have I learned along the way? Follow your dreams. Even if no one else can see it, your visions and passion have to be so clear that YOU can see it. As I said earlier, it is important to be honest and your follow through has to be impeccable. Not everyone is going to like me, but everyone IS going to be able to say that I get sh#t done and when I say I am going to do it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The beauty of L.A is it’s diversity. In one day you can experience the Santa Monica Pier/The 3rd Street Promenade and then can be in the mountains skiing that same afternoon.

From a dining perspective, some highlights for me are Joyce and Bestia in DTLA, Mastro’s, Funké, and Crustacean in Beverly Hills are “must experience.” Cento and Johnny’s Pastrami on Adams should make the rotation. Chef Antonia’s Black Market Liquor Bar and Scopa have great flavors. For breakfast spots, Toast, Castaway, 26 Beach, Jumpin’ Java, and The Peninsula Hotel should definitely make the cut. For casual dining, Roscoe’s, Bossa Nova, LaLa’s, pop up stand Beliziana, The Farmer’s Market at the Grove, SmorgasborgLA, and the El Chato Taco truck on La Brea and Olympic definitely needs to be on the intinerary.

Bars/Nightlife to include in the mix Bar Lis, Tao, Highlight Room, The Dime, The Comedy Store, Chocolate Sundaes at the Laugh Factory, Mr Wanderlust in Level 8, Norma is a restaurant that turns into a semi lounge.

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?
Wow, there are so many people that have been instrumental in my journey. I have been blessed to have some really amazing people along this journey. Not a day passes that I don’t show gratitude for the incredible people that make me a better version of who I am, and who I continue to become.

I definitely have to shout out my family; My mother, Dr. Cecile Skinner; my sister, Tamieka Thomasson; and my other sister Odessa Phillip. They are the women that are closest to me and I am in complete awe of how they show up in life, and for me. I also have to include my dad, Ernest Skinner in that also. For a long time we did not get along, and he is far from perfect, but I admire how he stands strong in his convictions. We may not have always agreed, but he always made sure we had a roof over our head, clothes on our back, and stressed the importance of education.

I also need to make sure to shout out my Howard University Family. There are so many of them that are at the top of their fields.

Professionally, I have to say Thank You to two people…former head of the marketing organization, Jim Chabin, and former MTV Chairman, Tom Freston. These two men were pivotal in two very important inflection points in my career. Professionally, I also have to thank the people that have said, “You should talk to/hire Ernest”. As I said earlier, a lot of those conversations happened in the rooms I was not in, and the doors that opened as a result of these advocates, have been life changing.

Website: https://www.heknowseveryone.com

Instagram: @foodforthoughtwithkande, @ernestskinnerheknowseveryone