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business newsWhen Your Boss Is a Star: Kelly Bensimon
The Real Housewife needed a real friend -- and witness.
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“I got the job through a friend who worked with me at a PR firm where I had been an intern. Kelly's assistant was leaving,” says Dolbashian. “I went to Kelly’s apartment; she liked me, and hired me on the spot."
From there, Dolbashian handled "anything and everything" for Bensimon, at the time a Manhattan socialite who also produced fashion shows. (Until 2007, Bensimon, a former model, was married to Gilles Bensimon, a fashion photographer and creative director for Elle magazine.)
"I was in charge of her home needs, scheduling, finding camps for her kids -- everything," says Dolbashian.
With Bensimon’s move to television, her assistant's already long hours got longer. The extra work connected to the TV show on Bravo, a subsidiary of NBC (GE), required her to burn the midnight oil.
Then came some bad press for Bensimon, who faced a lawsuit from a designer who accused her of ripping off some jewelry Bensimon promoted as her own on the TV show.
By that time, Bensimon and her assistant had become good friends. "I spent all day with her for two and a half years," says Dolbashian. "You end up knowing so many private things about each other. I knew about her lawsuits and was a witness.
"She said I was like her best friend, therapist, and assistant,” Dolbashian continued. Despite the legal battles (a second case was opened regarding Bensimon's dealings with a design company) and bad press, Bensimon decided to do a second season of Real Housewives.
In October, Dolbashian left her job with Bensimon to pursue a job as an assistant with a high-profile CEO, though she remains friends with her former employer. “It was hard to leave,” Dolbashian recalls. "I learned so much. I was just out of college and learned how to run my own life, hers, and her two children … I can even install a dishwasher."
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THE SALARY: Bensimon's initial offer was $15 an hour, but she soon offered her assistant a salary of $35,000. "I made more when it was hourly, because you work odd hours. She’d call me to come help her put on eyelashes at 10 p.m.," says the former assistant. |
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THE PERKS: Swag, travel, and contacts. "I got so much clothing. If she didn’t want it, I got it,” says Dolbashian. “I got every gift bag from every event that ever happened in New York City.” Her boss also took her on luxurious trips. “We went to Playa del Carmen. She paid for my friend to come, too. She didn’t have us do anything but be there. We traveled a lot to Miami and LA. I could take paid vacation whenever I wanted." And on a daily basis, Dolbashian saw her own Rolodex expand. "I met everyone. I’ve been to Ron Perlman’s house, Donna Karan’s house," she says. "Kelly uses the job to help you meet all the people you need to meet, and then help you get another job." |
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THE LESSONS LEARNED: Working for a celebrity like Bensimon is no joke: "You have to be extremely organized and know how to be tough," Dolbashian explains. If your boss promises things that can’t be delivered, you have to be prepared to take the heat. And if your boss is not punctual, you have to be. |
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