Conversations with the Inspiring Miranda Kewley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Kewley.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Miranda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Previous track and cross country athlete at Arizona State University, I studied exercise and wellness with a certificate in Leadership and Management. After medically retiring from track Junior year because of a second broken hip, I turned to coaching. Throughout my little spurt of assistant coaching for ASU, I learned that producing and managing the track meets was my calling. A position opened up at ASU Baseball as a Stadium Operations Intern in which I felt at home. After the internship ended, I decided to pick up and move across the country to work in Stadium Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays. Being a little homesick, I decided that I needed to move back to Arizona in which I randomly applied for an event coordinator position for Steve Levine Entertainment. After flying back for the interview, I got offered the position on the spot. At Steve Levine Entertainment, I had the opportunity to help produce large scale events from Scottsdale Fashion week (4-day fashion show with high-end designers) to Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival (3 day fair that had about 110,000 attendees), to corporate events, concerts and more! After about ten months of working for Steve Levine Entertainment, I found my home at The Duce as the Director of Operations in which I am in charge of large scale events, marketing, floor operations, and staff management.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some struggles include long exhausting hours, broken hips, homesickness, fear of not doing my job well enough, the pressure to make tough decisions at a young age, uncompromising and critical bosses.

Advice for young women would be to not be lazy and the effort you put in will pay off. You are going to have to do some tough jobs to get a job that you dream of. Do not say no to new opportunities because you never know where it can lead. Take initiative in your work and show that you are a leader, not just a follower. Also, speak up for what you believe in, but also be willing to compromise.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in Event Operations in which I put on events at The Duce anywhere from 50 people to 2500 people. For these events, I run floor operations, staffing, rental coordination, and more. These events include large corporate events, to bat/bar mitzvahs, to weddings to small celebrations. On top of events, over time I have been given tasks to help the day to day business of The Duce from marketing to staffing/employment, to floor managing.

I am most proud of The Duce’s event business in which continues to grow yearly in which pride ourselves in the flexibility and uniqueness of our venue. We can do anything from large block parties in which we transform the streets around us to rearranging our venue into a gorgeous wedding hot spot. Our event team can anyone’s vision into reality.

Something that sets me apart from the others is that I am willing to jump in and do anything from a serving shift to helping out bartenders, to jumping in the kitchen, to busing tables. The way I lead is by example and helping others out. I believe that I can work well with others and approach situations accordingly.

Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Asking questions is huge, getting to know successful event planners and learning from them. Taking in and observing how they run things is one of the best ways to improve. Networking for me is just asking for help. Tell people what you are looking for and if an opportunity pops up, you will come to mind because you spoke up,

Contact Info:

• Address: 525 S Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004
• Website: theducephx.com
• Phone: 9516919828
• Email: miranda@theducephx.com
• Instagram: mirandakewley

Image Credit:
Scott Chaffee, Kamden Storm

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