Destinee Merida is a proud Dallas native. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration & minor in Business from Louisiana State University in 2017. Destinee’s love for sports, music, community & event planning is what led her to starting her management company. She works in the nonprofit sector for her 9-5 career. She is always looking for ways to impact the community and advocate for children and youth. Destinee enjoys attending concerts, a good game night and church.
How did you meet Shanandolan and is there any unique challenges in managing Christian artists compared to other genres?
I’ve known Shanandolan for years. Shanandolan started doing some of her student teaching at my church and later married one of my mentors. We started our working relationship about a little over a year ago which started out as me being her assistant. She trusted me to transition to her manager not long after. I don’t think of it as a challenge, but I think managing a Christin artist is unique in the aspect of being intentional about seeing it as ministry and not performance. The entertainment industry is a challenge in general, but I think all artists, no matter the genre, must keep sound people around them and stay true to who they are.
With your event planning ranging from sporting tournaments to weddings, do you have any weird Bridezilla stories?
No weird stories yet, thankfully. LOL But I love the challenge brides give. They have this vision for their special day that they may have been dreaming about for years, so I can understand the anxiety and anticipation of wanting everything to be perfect.
Is there an event you’re most proud of or you added your personal twist on?
It wasn’t an event per say but a production for sure. Shanadolan’s Black Lives Matter music video was a first for all of us. It included 4 different shooting locations and over 50 extras. From hair & makeup, outfit and scene changes. It was A LOT. Major shout out to my parents and friend, Audrey, for stepping in to assist me that day. I cried the first time watching it after editing and production. The song alone is powerful but knowing the work and time that went into it and to see the finished product was amazing.
You’ve stated in past blog posts that you “oversee my client’s calendars, bookings and appearances, event coordination from vision to execution, music video direction, social media management”. Do you foresee TikTok and Clubhouse, both created during the covid-19 pandemic, becoming essential to market your clients?
Honestly, Clubhouse was a great place to network during the pandemic, but I have seen a decline in usage with the return of concerts and in person events. We were able to learn and connect with industry people who are typically not as accessible, so that was huge. We are currently looking into expanding into TikTok. TikTok is the superior app for entertainment and information right now. It would be foolish not to utilize it.
Is there anything behind the scenes, when it comes to a sporting tournament, that is more difficult than most people would realize?
The hours. Depending on the size and equipment of the tournament or event, we are there 4-6 hours before anyone even arrives. Anyone that works in sports will tell you the hours are long! The event may look glamourous, but please understand those staff members have easily been there 10-12 hours. There are also a ton of moving pieces that go into these events and as the manager for the overall execution, I must be in contact with numerous people. The most difficult part about working with professional athletes is the small window of time they have during off season to fit everything they would like to do.
