Alexis Robinson is the CEO of Diamond Marketing and Public Relations. Diamond MPR is a full-service firm that caters to athletes, entertainers and events. As a former collegiate tennis player, she took the same tenacity and focus needed for sports, and transmuted it into entertainment. DJ Duffey, (who is French Montana’s DJ, and a former cast member of “Basketball Wives LA”) is one of her clients and closest comrades. The client-management relationship is unique, which is a focal point in this interview.
Did you have any formal experience with management prior to your partnership with DJ Duffey?
No, I was mostly in the public relations space, but I saw opportunities to go out and get some DJ gigs for her and then quickly just taught myself management tactics for all my clients.
How did you and DJ Duffey build a working relationship?
Duffey and I were family friends and have known each other for years. I moved to Dallas for a little bit and we started to hang out. Once I started to see my work and connections grow, I offered my services to her, and we went from there.
How is Duffey different from any other creative that you’ve worked with?
Duff is like a mad scientist. She is very intelligent and creative. An extensive portion of the basis of our relationship is [she] and I just coming up with ideas randomly, and then from start to finish, we [bring] those ideas to fruition. We’ve achieved so much together, but we also have so much more that we want to do.
What’s been your game plan when dealing with difficult events and situations that happen in her career? I know drama and controversy are commonplace in entertainment.
Honestly, Duffey and I work off vibes. If there’s someone she doesn’t get good vibes from and vice versa, we take that to heart. A lot of the time, Duffey and I don’t even have to tell each other, we just know.
DJ Duffey was the DJ at Amber Rose’s third-annual SlutWalk this year. Share some of the conversations that you and Duffey have about women’s empowerment.
She’s been Amber’s DJ at the Slutwalk for the past two years and had to miss it this year because of an appearance with French. She was truly upset about it. I was in attendance with another client, and face-timing Duffey for a good chunk of it because she wanted everyone to know she still supports. We are working on a women in entertainment and sports event right now because we do realize how lucky we are to be working in this space and it’s important we help and inspire other women.
You are the owner of Diamond MPR. How do you go about obtaining new clients for your business?
I was working at a small PR firm out of Dallas that was mainly working with the Dallas Cowboys. I knew I could bring more basketball, and entertainment clients to the firm so I decided to share my ideas. After about a year, my “boss” wasn’t seeing the vision I had for myself and my clients, so I left and formed Diamond MPR. Most of the clients came with me, and when it came time to obtain new ones, it was honestly word of mouth. Entertainers and athletes are seeing what I’m doing in the respect[ive] worlds and just reach out. I don’t take every prospective client, and I don’t work with people that I don’t want to. I like having that luxury right now.
What do you want to see less of in the world of entertainment?
I want to see less of the misogyny tactics in entertainment. Women are incredible, they do wonderful things, and there doesn’t always have to be a male counterpart defining those wonderful things.
