Name: Iyanna Newborn | Personal Assistant/ Producer
Age: 27
Can you imagine being the right hand to Jamie Foxx, one of the most talented men in the entertainment industry? Well, it takes a pretty talented, driven, and organized woman to make sure the man that does it all stays on point. Iyanna Newborn has the responsibility of taking care of all of Mr. Foxx’s needs, whether it be his music, movies, television shows, or family matters. From the looks of it, she does a pretty darn good job, as she interrupts our conversation to handle Foxx’s travel arrangements so gracefully.
Recently, Iyanna started her own production company. From her experience working with Foxx, she has learned that she enjoys the movie industry, and can’t wait to have an executive role in such a powerful industry. Her first project is producing a radio show for Amber Rose to be picked up by Foxxhole SiriusXM Radio. From there, she is working with Rose’s management team to coordinate her reality show around the radio show where she is serving as a creative producer for that show as well.
She got started working for Foxx because her aunt worked as Jamie Foxx’s make-up artist. Iyanna always came around the star with her aunt, and became very familiar with Foxx and his staff. Growing up, she always thought the only way into the industry was by being an actor or actress, so she never even considered being an assistant or producer for that matter. As a result, after graduating from college she took a position in sales, a field she ended up thinking was very boring. She eventually quit her job and moved to Los Angeles.
After moving, she started working a little with Telma Hopkins, Rachel from the television show “Family Matters”, taking care of her personal matters. She soon found out there was an opening as Jamie Foxx’s assistant. She inquired, and got the job without an interview. Foxx was happy to bring her on board.
She is a fan of Loretha Jones, whom she met while she was in college. Ms. Jones started off as a lawyer, but moved into production. She has served as a producer on movies such as “Fighting Temptations”. Iyanna also admires Vice President of current programming at the CW Traci Blackwell. Both Iyanna and Traci attended Spelman College, and Iyanna got the opportunity to share her radio show idea with the lady she looked up to. Traci loved her idea!
Her first job was working with her dad. He worked from home, and would hire her to work in his office. She was cleaning, organizing, and even creating holiday greeting cards.
Her best quality is being able to adapt.
People might be surprised to know that she has a very southern take on life. People have a perception that LA is very Hollywood, and that the people are very fake. A lot of times they are correct. Iyanna feels that she is different, because her grandparents keep her grounded, and she has a strong sense of self. People are always surprised that she went to a school down south, and always say to her, “you aren’t like the people here.”
The best thing about what she does is the opportunity in itself. The job is very unique. Foxx diverse talents has allowed her to see every facet of the industry. “I couldn’t have asked for a better stepping stone.”
She advises people that they need to come to whatever job they have with a strong sense of self. They need to be strong and know their boundaries. She remembers reading a book by a publicist that said, “If you have to cry, please go outside.” This is not an industry for a person that doesn’t have tough skin. She also says never take no for an answer.
In the future she plans on working her way up to television production. She also hopes to one day produce successful Blockbuster movies, independent films, and documentaries. You may even see her as head of a major film production company later down the line.
