Skip to main content
Appalachian Today
News and events at Appalachian State University
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • Accolades
  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Athletics
  • Awards and Honors
  • Community Engagement
  • Diversity
  • Events
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Gifts and Grants
  • Global
  • Health and Wellness
  • Publications
  • Research
  • Safety
  • Scholarships
  • Students
  • Sustainability
☰ Menu
  • Events
  • Webcams
  • Podcasts
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

‘Momager’ for hire: An App State Mountaineer’s company serves young performers in LA

View larger image

Appalachian State University alumna JoCinda Benjamin ’94 lives in Los Angeles and is the owner and CEO of Momager On-Set LLC, a company that provides a variety of concierge services to families in show business. Photo by Brandon Tabiolo

“I graduated from App State feeling like there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I felt prepared to deal with all types of people from different backgrounds.”

JoCinda Benjamin ’94, owner and CEO of Momager On-Set LLC in Los Angeles

By Jan Todd
Posted Dec. 21, 2020 at 9:53 a.m.

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University alumna JoCinda Benjamin ’94 said she believes almost every successful child performer has one thing in common: a parent or an adult advocate at work backstage. Benjamin should know, as she left her own career in radio promotions 15 years ago to manage the acting career of her daughter, Jaida Iman Benjamin, who has appeared on television shows and in commercials and movies.

When her adult daughter no longer required her mother’s presence during shoots, Benjamin started Momager On-Set LLC, which provides concierge services to showbiz families in the Greater Los Angeles area.

“I graduated from App State feeling like there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I felt prepared to deal with all types of people from different backgrounds.”

JoCinda Benjamin ’94, owner and CEO of Momager On-Set LLC in Los Angeles

Momager, Benjamin explained, is a term to describe a mother who is a business manager for her child — handling tasks such as social media posts, photography, styling, transportation, correspondence with industry representatives, contracts and finances.

“Balancing auditions, callbacks, booking, travel, coaching sessions and time on location can be daunting. Oftentimes, parents sacrifice their careers, personal time and savings to support a working child,” Benjamin said. “I am using my own experiences to provide a service to parents who need to work full time or who have multiple children in the industry and can’t be in two places at once.”

Benjamin said her work promotes diversity in show business by leveraging her connections within the industry and looking for opportunities for actors who may not have otherwise been given the chance to compete for roles.

“As an African American woman, a business owner and a former talent agent, diversity and inclusion are high on my radar. Because I work in the field and see so many kids on any given day, I am able to scout and refer top minority child performers to agencies seeking to diversify their rosters,” she said.

“While we’ve seen some growth, Hollywood executives must continue to make room for all minorities to tell their stories and also include minorities as decision-makers to open the doors to new talent,” Benjamin added.

Prepped for success as a Mountaineer

Benjamin said she knows the value of having an advocate and cited her own history as it related to App State.

She shared, “I was more on the artistic side and not an academic standout in high school, so I wasn’t sure I would be accepted to any four-year university. My high school guidance counselor, Charlotte Cannon, encouraged me to apply to Appalachian anyway and wrote my recommendation letter. She saw my light and knew that if given the opportunity, I would be successful.”

Benjamin was accepted to App State through the TRIO Student Support Services program in the Student Learning Center (formerly known as the Learning Assistance Program) — through which she said she received tutoring help and encouragement. “It was the break I needed,” she said. “I hit the ground running.”

Benjamin earned a Bachelor of Science in communication studies, which led to positions in Charlotte as a news writer for a television station, an events director for a top-rated radio station and a promotion director for another radio station.

Activities outside the classroom at App State helped Benjamin build skills that she said have helped her throughout her life:

  • As a member of the App State Dance Team, Miss Black Culture ’93 and a representative on the ’92 and ’93 homecoming courts, Benjamin said she gained confidence to perform and speak in front of large crowds.
  • As president of the Ladies of Black and Gold — the community service “sister group” to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and a member of the Student Government Association and the Black Student Association, she said she developed leadership skills and a passion for serving others.
  • As a liturgical dancer with the App State Gospel Choir, Benjamin said was able to express and build upon her spiritual foundation.

“I graduated from App State feeling like there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I felt prepared to deal with all types of people from different backgrounds — and didn’t mind breaking down barriers if needed,” Benjamin said.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Communication Studies (BS)
Communication Studies (BS)

The Communication Studies (BS) degree prepares students to enter many professions by teaching theories and practical applications of interpersonal communication, small group communication, public speaking, nonverbal communication and persuasion.

Learn more

About the Department of Communication

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Communication at Appalachian State University focuses on preparing students to succeed in the varied fields within the communication industry. The department offers five majors – advertising, communication studies, electronic media/broadcasting, journalism and public relations – and a minor in communication studies. Graduates work in a wide range of positions in media, corporate, agency, government and nonprofit organizations. Learn more at https://communication.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://faa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

“I graduated from App State feeling like there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I felt prepared to deal with all types of people from different backgrounds.”

JoCinda Benjamin ’94, owner and CEO of Momager On-Set LLC in Los Angeles

Communication Studies (BS)
Communication Studies (BS)

The Communication Studies (BS) degree prepares students to enter many professions by teaching theories and practical applications of interpersonal communication, small group communication, public speaking, nonverbal communication and persuasion.

Learn more

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Share

Topics

  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Diversity

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

Share

Topics

  • Alumni
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Diversity

Other Recent Posts

  • Campus emergency siren test to be conducted <span style="white-space: nowrap;">April 5</span>
    Campus emergency siren test to be conducted April 5
  • Troy Johnson named vice chancellor of enrollment management at App State
    Troy Johnson named vice chancellor of enrollment management at App State
  • From waste to wear: App State alumna develops sustainable pigments for fashion, printing industries
    From waste to wear: App State alumna develops sustainable pigments for fashion, printing industries
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">Appalachian Outdoorosity:</span> Dressing for the Cold (Part 2)
    Appalachian Outdoorosity: Dressing for the Cold (Part 2)
  • Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
    Appalachian Journal marks 50 years of spotlighting Appalachia
  • Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
    Honoring women’s leadership and history at App State
  • Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
    Lumbee tribal flag now hangs in App State’s student union, honoring the Lumbee people and their history
  • Fact check: Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than plants [faculty featured]
    Fact check: Mushrooms share more DNA with humans than plants [faculty featured]
    USA Today
  • Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
    Since 1958, App State's Southern Appalachian plant collection has aided research, teaching and conservation
  • <span style="color: #bc8801;">SoundAffect:</span> Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
    SoundAffect: Daniel E. Dawes, JD on how to overcome deep-rooted challenges in the American health care system
  • App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
    App State Office of Diversity brings monthly read-alouds to lab schools
  • 6 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series
    6 award-winning authors to visit App State for spring 2023 Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series

Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

The migration of materials from other sites is still incomplete, so if you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Additional feature stories may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • Photo galleries and videos published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found at Appalachian Magazine
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Galleries
  • In the Media
  • Grants
  • Speakers
  • All Posts
  • Topics
  • For the media
  • COVID updates
  • Contact

App State

Copyright 2023 Appalachian State University. All rights reserved.

University Communications
ASU Box 32153
Boone, NC 28608
828-262-6156
ucomm@appstate.edu

Abouts

Disclaimer | EO Policy | Accessibility | Website manager: montaldipa (beltmr) .. | Website Feedback

Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Snapchat