terrell owens

Get Inside the Mind of Terrell Owens’ Personal Assistant, Adrienne Williams

At some point, we have all wondered what it would be like to work with someone famous.  What are they like in real life? How would we even get the opportunity to get that close? Do I have what it takes to work side by side with a celebrity?  Well, I have the perfect person who can help answer all of these questions and more!  Meet Adrienne Williams!  She is beautiful, successful and more importantly, she is driven!  She went from being the Director of Operations at a staffing agency, where the owner had recently had a baby and needed Adrienne to run personal errands for her, to being the personal assistant of NFL star, Terrell Owens.  I’d say that’s a pretty decent upgrade!  Her work experience allowed her to realize a couple of things: she likes the freedom of working from home (not in an office) and she is good at what she does.  A lot of people dream big and want to be in front of the camera, but there are some career paths that most don’t even think about; let’s see what life is like working for T.O.!



Were you nervous when you first knew you’d be working for T.O.?

Honestly, I wasn’t really nervous because I knew how badly I wanted the job and knew that once I got an interview, I could get the job.  I had a custom t-shirt from his website made with a message on it and sent it directly to him at the Bills’ practice facility. I wanted this job and I was going to do whatever it took to stand out. I got a call the very next day!

What advice would you offer someone who is looking to be a celebrity assistant?

Know that it’s not all glitz and glamour.  Being a celebrity assistant is a lot of hard work, long hours and very little down time.  While there are obvious perks to the job (sporting events, parties, gifting suite swag, etc.), it is a 24/7 commitment. I’m always on-call.

How hard is your job? Do you have a personal life anymore?

It’s a balancing act.  Terrell consumes a large part of my life right now but this is what I signed up for.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I work hard but I play hard too.  When he leaves, it gives me a little more freedom to catch up with friends for lunch or dinner but I always make sure that I’m handling my business.  You will often times find me with my BlackBerry in one hand and iPhone in the other. But hey whatever it takes!

What is your ultimate career goal?

I would love to continue working in the sports industry.  I’m a huge football and basketball fan so this has been perfect for me.  I would eventually like to run my own personal assistant/concierge agency geared specifically to athletes.  It takes a great deal of trust to give someone complete and total access to your life’s details and I think athletes could benefit from a “one-stop shop” for their life management needs.

How is it working for T.O. (he seems like a really nice guy btw)?

It was definitely intimidating in the beginning. Terrell is a pretty quiet person believe it or not so it took some time for him to warm up to me.  Right around the time I was coming up to the one-year mark, we were headed to Cincinnati and I think that was the turning point in our working relationship. He jokes around with me all the time and we talk about everything under the sun.  At the end of the day though, he’s still the boss and I have to respect that. You can never get too comfortable!

For the ladies out there looking to work with male celebrities, how important is it to be professional at all times and not be “that girl” who is attracted to their boss (assuming he’s attractive)?

I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep it professional and strictly platonic.  It sounds cliche but you really shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.  While it’s nice to have some eye candy to look at on a daily basis, you have to look at the big picture and know what your purpose is in this person’s life.  Stay in your lane.  You’ll earn so much more respect that way.

What do you think makes you so successful at your job?

I am a people pleaser by nature so this job was a really good fit for me.  I put Terrell’s needs ahead of my own a lot of the time but that’s what he pays me to do…to be his right-hand.  I also recognize that there is no set list of responsibilities. I have done everything from relocation from one city to another to taking out the trash to filming his workouts and everything in between.  People ask me all the time “What exactly do you do for him?”  The question is what DON’T I do? I have done it all! You just have to put a smile on your face and get things done.

Did you have to relocate for the position? If not, is that something that potential candidates would have to consider when entering into this career field?

I did have to relocate to Buffalo when I was first hired.  Part of the deal with becoming one of two finalists for this job was that you had to pack as if you weren’t going back home because the person who got the job had to start training immediately.  I mean trust me, I never imagined myself living in Buffalo but if it meant getting the opportunity to work for one of the greatest NFL players our generation has known, then so be it.  I definitely think your chances of landing a personal assistant position increase when you open yourself up to relocation.

What’s the funniest/most embarrassing thing that has happened to you on the job?

Oh my gosh! Right after Terrell and I arrived in Cincinnati for the season, we went to see Andy Roddick play in a tournament. I was super excited because this was the very first time Terrell and I had been to an event together.  This being my first tennis match, I’m just looking around, taking in the whole scene.  All of a sudden, they start the Kiss Cam.  I sat there thinking “Omg, they’re going to show us…please don’t show us…”  Sure enough, about 3 couples in, guess who’s on the Jumbotron…Terrell and I!  I played it off and just shook my head like nope, not going to happen. He was such a good sport…just shrugged and laughed it off.  The funniest part of the whole thing was that the match was televised and people started tweeting Terrell asking him why “that girl” next to him wouldn’t kiss him. Talk about embarrassing!



The perks of being a blogger is that you can interact with so many people from all over and in many industries!  Adrienne, by far, has been one of the sweetest people I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and seems very down to earth.  The Dreamworld wishes you MUCH success…T.O. has hit the jackpot with you!  I hope this encourages my readers to think outside of the box and remember that no task is ever too small…a humble beginning can lead to a very rewarding future.

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Dysfunctional Friends…Here’s What I Think About It!

I’m going to attempt to share my thoughts about the film, Dysfunctional Friends, without giving away every detail (for those that haven’t seen it).  For those that did see it, I’m sure you can share in my sentiment of it being a good film.  Starting with the opening act, my attention was solely on the screen watching Persia White, who I think is a phenomenal and underrated actress in the industry (formerly on the hit show Girlfriends), involved in some girl on girl action.  The initial plot build-up was great!  Of course, everyone knows by now that the premise of the story involves a friend who suddenly dies from a freak accident and leaves his estate to his close circle of friends.  However, in order for them to cash in, they need to last a week together and work out whatever issues they have and get reacquainted.  This is an amazing storyline, being as though it relates to so many friendships nowadays where life gets in the way, people grow apart and before you know it, years have gone by!

One of the biggest perks of the film is seeing actors/actresses who are super talented, yet haven’t been on the big screen in a while, i.e. Wesley Jonathan, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Persia White, Tatyana Ali.  Another added bonus is that even though there’s a heaviness of the initial plot (death), there is comedy throughout to provide a healthy balance.  What you will find is that each character is probably a representation of someone that you call a friend or whom you know in real life and because of this, there’s nothing phony or “Hollywood” about the film; it’s actually a very accurate depiction of the real world.

One thing that some may find is that the pace of the movie is steady and almost teetering on slow, BUT for someone like me who appreciates character and plot depth it matches perfectly with the story.  For example, there are close to 10 main characters and the basis of the scenario requires them all to remain in the same house for the majority of the film.  So all of the craziness that ensues forces each character to develop in front of one another, which allows the viewer to truly understand each role and get familiar with who is who and what there purpose is.  How many times do we see a film and there is so much going on that we sometimes forget the name or what happened in the beginning of the movie with them?  Not in this case! Corey Grant does an awesome job with the script and the direction.

The ultimate kudos is for the film NOT BEING PREDICTABLE.  There were plot twists, moments of who’s sleeping with who, what secrets are they hiding, who ends up with who in the end…there is so much that will allow you to really appreciate this independent production.  There were some really awesome breakthrough roles, fresh faces (Vanessa Simmons) and finally great representations of black actors! I give it two thumbs up and strongly recommend purchasing the DVD!  Showing support for independent films is key!

Visit www.amazon.com to make your quick purchase!

Here’s the movie trailer:

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Dysfunctional Friends…A Film You Need to Support!

What if you were rich and larger than life…you died unexpectedly…all of your closest friends came to your funeral…and you left each of them a piece of your estate?  Furthermore, what if the only way your friends could cash in on their piece of the pie was for them to grant you your one last wish?  Want to see how a story like this ends?  You and me both!  This is the plot of Corey Grant’s new independent film, Dysfunctional Friends.

Hailing from Illinois, Corey graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. receiving his Master’s in Film.  Shortly after graduating he relocated to Hollywood to immerse himself in the hub of the entertainment world.  He has a couple of films under his belt, Hip Hop Task Force and Hip Hop Task Force vol 2, but his new project offers something different.  He explains, “This is the first film where I had an all-star cast, had to worry about overtime and union permits…it was also the first movie I’ve done which was strictly character driven so it was a very unique experience.”  For such a big project, I was more than curious to know how he was able to gather his all-star cast.  He held nothing back in letting me know the magical formula:

The lead producer, Datari, reached out to his friends and they reached out to their friends.  I already knew Tatyana Ali and Wesley Jonathan, Essence Atkins and Christian Keyes from another project I had in development that they were attached to, along with Meagan Good. Plus our Casting Director, Phaedra Harris, reached out and it all came together…

It seems like the perfect story thus far, but his journey to getting this film backed by a major studio was nearly impossible.  Dysfunctional Friends is an independent film, meaning that every ticket sale counts!  The film was released in select theaters in NY and LA, so if you want it to come to your city, you must demand it!  I asked Corey how the DMV can show support to ensure the film gets released right here in D.C.and here’s what he had to say:

Spread the links to the trailer online, blast it on Twitter [and Facebook], demand it and show up the opening weekend. The reason we have self distributed this movie is because all the major studios didn’t want to put the promotional money behind it because they believe our audience is unreliable unless it’s Tyler Perry.  I love and respect what Tyler is doing, but it also hurts us because studios only want to put money behind formulas.  To them, Tyler is the formula.  [Nothing] else has enough value for them to gamble promotional dollars on. That’s our audience’s fault for not supporting other quality films and only we can correct that.  Dysfunctional Friends is a different kind of movie and people are responding to it.  Prove the studios wrong and go see this movie and if you like it, tell a friend.

To come back to D.C. with his new project would add another notch under his belt, being as though his story somewhat began here.  Corey lets me know, “Oh, it’s going to be major coming back to the DMV. My time at Howard was what inspired me to write the script.”  His Director of Photography, Richard Vialet, has the honor of being a Howard alum as well.  He adds, “This is where we both started so you can imagine how excited we are!”

If you’re an aspiring writer or simply want to break into the film industry, Corey offers some advice:

You have to learn the craft.  If you don’t respect the craft you won’t be able to make quality products.  Also if you are trying  to get in it for the money, DON’T.  It takes a while to start making money and it’s a hard business filled with ups and downs. You have to love it to stick it out.  Be persistent and don’t give up.  Also, at some point you have to make that trip to Los Angeles. This is where the industry is and there is no way around it if you want this as a career and not a hobby.  Believe in yourself when no one else does.  I’m proof that it can happen because nobody let me in the game.  I had to make the industry take notice of me and then the doors opened.  Confidence, Persistence, Patience, Integrity, and Talent is what it takes.  If you have that you can’t lose.

As if he hasn’t given great insight to his world already, he ends our interview on an amazing note.  When asked what he thinks his God-given purpose in life is he said, “To touch people and spread love.  I love people and positive energy and I feel that if I exude that in my work and life, I have fulfilled my purpose.”  Despite the doors that may have closed on him, another big one certainly opened up.  Dysfunctional Friends seems like it will not only be the next big independent film to keep your eye on, but it just might give any Tyler Perry film a run for its money. Support, support support!

*Check out the movie trailer here:

*Full Cast: Stacey Dash, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Wesley Jonathan, Persia White, Jason Weaver, Stacy Keibler, Terrell Owens, Datari Turner, Hosea Chanchez, Christian Keyes, Tatyana Ali, Vanessa Simmons, Essence Atkins, Keith Robinson, Meagan Good

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