Being an artist is one of the most challenging jobs there is. Whether it’s being vulnerable in front of the world, the countless hours spent touring, or the endless demand to create something new, artists are routinely pushed past their breaking point for the sake of their career. Regardless of how they feel or what their personal circumstances are, creatives are continually urged to pursue creation at all costs. But what if there was a creative entity out there who prioritized mental health? It was this question, in part, that inspired KeiSaundra “Kei” Henderson to launch an organization of her very own. Motivated by her own mental health journey and her years of experience as a Grammy Award-winning music executive, creative entrepreneur, and cultural visionary, Kei established Third & Hayden in 2021 and hasn’t turned back since. We recently had the opportunity to speak with Kei about her vision for Third & Hayden, the importance of caring for one’s mental health, and how she maintains her youthful spirit. 

If you could have any superhero power to use in your day-to-day work, which power would you pick and why? 

I would pick mind control. I don't even know if that's an actual superpower, but we're going to make it one. I’d use it on brands and promoters. Sometimes in the industry it feels like it can take a while for people to get on the bandwagon until they see everybody’s on the bandwagon. I wish that people would subscribe much earlier than they tend to, because it would make my job a bit easier in terms of shortening the window between 0 and 60. I’d love to be able to take control of people’s minds and make them like things earlier than they normally would. 

Think back on all you’ve achieved up through this point in your career. If you had to describe your journey as a single Hip-Hop album, which album would you choose? 

I'm actually being a little unfair in answering this question and going to say an album that's unreleased. There's an album coming out on our label partnership roster with Ben Reilly, titled ‘Save’. It kind of mirrors what my career has been like, because the album is his origin story. Ben gives some background detail as to where he’s been, where he’s going, and what he’s been through to get to this point. My story is a lot similar – I’ve been through different ebbs and flows in my career, and I feel like things are really just now starting. As much as I’ve accomplished, working with Grammy-winning artists and leading digital marketing for projects, I still feel like I’m just getting started. The ‘Save’ album embodies that. 

Throughout your career, what would you say was the biggest thing you’ve learned so far? 

The biggest thing I've learned so far would be that no matter what team or what label is behind the artist, if the artist is hot and has momentum and fans are naturally gravitating towards that thing, you can't beat that. Organic is always gonna win no matter what. Word of mouth and organic growth are real proof that something’s great. There’s nothing the best manager in the world or the best label in the world can do to make an artist pop. It has to happen organically. 

What particular skills did you hone as an artist manager that proved to be useful in other areas of your life? 

Project planning and management. The project management skills that go into working with an artist from zero cannot be understated. There’s a lot of keeping-up with deadlines and keeping timelines on track. That skill translates to almost everything. I also work in retail and design, and there are a lot of projects where I need to know how to reach an end result. It’s kind of like working backwards in a maze. That’s kind of what artist management is – you know an end goal, you see the vision for the artist, and artist management teaches you to work backwards from that. These skills can be applied to essentially everything. 

You’ve worked with a vast amount of artists in your career. What do you believe to be the single most important trait of any great artist? 

Vision, honestly. An artist that has a vision for their brand and an ability to attach feelings and colors to it. Having a vision for oneself is the single most important trait that an artist can have because sometimes, when working with an artist, they have no idea where they want to go. As a manager, I can’t tell you where to go – you have to see it, know it, and believe it. As an artist, you have to have confidence and vision, they go hand in hand. If you have both, there’s nothing that can stop you. 

Third & Hayden is “a creative development agency and incubator disguised as a record label, management, and publishing company.” What was your biggest motivator for launching your own organization? 

I wanted to see things done differently. My approach is incredibly holistic in terms of not caring about numbers, but caring more so about the talent and finding people who work as hard as they are talented. My biggest motivator was just wanting to do things differently. I want to disrupt the industry. I want to shift the industry and the culture. I want to make mental health a normality in the music industry. I don’t want these things to be an afterthought for artists or even for executives. I want to build something that people want to connect with and be a part of. 

One of the pillars of Third & Hayden’s existence is to empower creatives across industries to develop their skillsets and enhance the impact of their art. For any creative out there who may be reading this interview, what is the one piece of advice you’d give them as it relates to developing their craft? 

Find a mentor or someone who is better at your craft than you are. It can go a long way – especially right now. Collaboration is the birthplace for a lot of innovation, and iron sharpens iron. Being around the hottest producer or the best manager will help you get better. It’s important to surround yourself with people who are better than you. That would be my advice to any creative. 

In your time working with creatives, what’s one common challenge that many face as it pertains to development? 

A common challenge is the urge to compare oneself. Comparison is for sure the thief of joy. When artists are coming up and see other artists get on festivals, tours, etc, they allow that to discourage them from continuing to push forward. It’s a natural feeling. We’re all humans who are naturally competitive and want to excel. Some of us want to over excel and overachieve. When you’re looking left and right, it slows down your own progress because you’re so concerned with what others are doing and how they’re doing it. For creatives, it’s very important to put your blinders on and not compare yourself to anyone else. Just focus on your vision and stay true to that. 

If you had to explain what Third & Hayden is to a kid, how would you do so? 

Third & Hayden is like an adult playground where we try to build something greater than ourselves. I might explain to a kid that even their biggest LEGO set couldn’t compare to what this is. I was really big into LEGOs as a kid. I was really into mazes and finding the answers. That’s what Third & Hayden is – we’re trying to find the answer. We’re trying to solve the problem in the grand scheme of things. But yeah, I’d probably describe it as a sort of adult playground. 

Looking ahead to the next several years, what is the biggest goal that you’d like to achieve with Third & Hayden? 

It’s a funny question because we have multiple goals and they all look different. We have artist-focused goals, company-focused goals, and more. One of my big goals is that I'd like to be known as the company that doesn’t only prioritize art and the artist, but also the spirit and mental health of artists. I talk a lot about mental health, but never really dove into why I do that. Pouring energy into my mental health and starting to care about my mental health is what saved me from wanting to quit this industry or even wanting to quit life. I just want Third & Hayden to be known as the place you can come to actually hone your skills and receive support – not just from a creation standpoint but from a personal one too. I want to create a place where artists can come and feel safe and cared for. WIthout that, you can’t really create. You can’t be great. It’s impossible to be great when your mental health is suffering. 

As we age and responsibility becomes more and more prevalent within our lives, many of us lose that childlike curiosity that we’re born with. How do you maintain yours? 

I try to stay really active with my hobbies that aren’t music related. It’s what has helped reinvigorate my excitement for music. Some of those hobbies may be design, collecting vintage furniture, or even building LEGOs. I know it sounds a bit crazy being 40 years old, but I love LEGO sets. The make you feel present in ways that other things can’t. They require a lot of brain work, and force you to focus on the now. But yeah, I’m able to stay childlike and curious about life by doing things that make me feel like I’m a child. I love to doodle whenever I’m writing notes, I journal all the time, and I’m even starting to travel leisurely. Seeing different parts of the world is another way I maintain my curiosity as well. 

What’s one album that you’d take with you wherever you go? 

Donny Hathaway - ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free’. If I had to say something more current, I’d say Maxwell’s ‘Urban Hang Suite’. 

What does the phrase “big ass kid” mean to you? 

For me, it means being very unfiltered. The older I get, the less my filter is present. I truly say the first thing that comes to mind these days. That, to me, is what a big ass kid is, because kids will literally say anything. So yeah, big ass kid means having no filter.