Meet Amanda Cagan

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Cagan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Amanda, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I grew up in a music business family. My Dad was a composer/conductor/arranger who worked with Melissa Manchester, Diahann Carroll, Bette Midler, and many others. He was also the conductor for the first national tour of “Dreamgirls” (with Jennifer Holliday), and he wrote the score for the 1978 movie, “The Cat and the Canary.” My Mom sang backup for my Aunt who is a Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, And my Grandfather played the bassoon at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. As we always say, “If we grew up in a family of doctors, we would be doctors., but we grew up in the music business so that’s our family business.”

College classes at the time didn’t offer any sort of music business courses, so after growing weary of having to study Calculus and Oceanography, I left CSUN to start my destined career. I didn’t know what exactly that career would be, but thankfully I found it after only a couple of years, thankfully it was all due to my family business.

I sent my resume to my Aunt’s publicist, whom I had known since I was 10 years old. I got the job as his assistant, and the rest is history.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve been the owner and sole employee of ABC Public Relations for the past 21 years. Yes, those are my real initials, I don’t have any affiliation with the TV network, but unfortunately, I get emails and calls from disgruntled viewers all the time.

I love working for and by myself. Taking all of the knowledge from that first PR job, where I worked for 10 years (my entire 20s, working on campaigns for Alanis Morissette, The Black Crowes, Korn, Green Day, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Slipknot, David Lee Roth, and many others), I ventured off to work for one of the biggest entertainment and corporate PR firms as their official “Music Division.” I was having quite an exciting time working with artists like Maroon 5 (I was their first publicist and I’m thanked on their ‘Songs About Jane’ debut album), Nickelback (their ‘Silver Side Up’ album, which featured the smash hit “How You Remind Me”), legendary producer Phil Ramone and R&B maestro Raphael Saadiq. I thrived in doing everything on my own without anyone to coach me anymore.

After a year and a half, I knew it was time for me to take some clients with me and just do my own thing. ABC PR was born on May 1, 2002. Over the past 21 years I’ve worked with artists in all genres of Rock, including Styx (for the past 14 years), The Winery Dogs and Tom Keifer (for the past 10 years), Sevendust (for 10 years), Journey (for five years and through three lead singers), Ann Wilson of Heart, Jonny Lang, Collective Soul, Foghat, dredg, Europe, The Dear Hunter, as well as “Shadow & Bone” actor Ben Barnes who released his debut EP in 2021 and actress Dinah Manoff (“Grease”) who released her debut fictitious novel in 2023.

I’m lucky to have a close group of what I call “PR buddies” who I can turn to for advice, contact help, brainstorming, or a good old-fashioned venting session. They’re what keep my head above water and keep me from going crazy from all the stress sometimes. So in turn, I never feel like I’m doing this alone. I know they’re always there if I need anything on a moment’s notice. They’re always a text or a call away.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’ve always been organized, so even when I’m juggling 10 clients at a time I somehow manage to get things done with a clear mind.

When I sit at my desk in my home office (I’ve been working from home way before people discovered how cool it was cool during Covid!), I put on my background music (SiriusXM’s 1st Wave in the morning and my iPod shuffle in the afternoon), and I’m completely hyper-focused on my work.

It’s not often talked about when it comes to important qualities, but I’m proud to say that a fast typer thanks to three (voluntary) years of Typing Class in High School, ha! I work better on my wireless keyboard that I know like the back of my hand. I’m constantly opening and closing files, moving emails around in my in box, making changes to press releases and reports, doing research online, posting client clips on my socials, and typing up interview options and schedules, so all the typing has to be done quickly!!

I try to stay up to date on what’s happening in the music world, just to stay knowledgeable about it all. I’m going through a very heavy BTS phase right now, ha!

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing my parents did for me was allow me to trust my gut by leaving college and starting on my career journey. Sure they were disappointed, but I told them that I was doing it specifically to start my career, not just for the sake of leaving school.

Sure enough, right after leaving, I got my first job with a high school friend, whose parents owned one of the biggest theatrical lighting design companies in Hollywood. After working with her for about a year, I got my first internship at EMI Records (who had just put out Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘Mother’s Milk’ and Queensryche’s ‘Operation: Mindcrime’ albums). Six months later I had that first PR job.

My parents have been so proud of me all these years, I know this. They’ve been so supportive and accepting of my work-life choices, so that was a big part of becoming who I am today.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Courtesy of Amanda Cagan

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made