When you hear the job title “music industry CEO,” your mind might automatically go to glamorous parties, VIP backstage passes, and jet-setting to events and festivals. And yes, that can be part of the job. But for Kei Henderson, CEO and founder of Third + Hayden, there’s a lot more to it than that.
“Most people don’t understand or see the fact that it’s probably 70% admin, because a lot of our role is supporting and assisting,” Henderson tells Her Campus. “So, and a lot of that is very unsexy. It’s a lot of Excel sheets.”
A veteran in the music business, Henderson is all too familiar with the grind. She spent many years in the mainstream music system, including as the manager to rapper 21 Savage, before launching Third + Hayden in 2021. An independent management label and publishing company, Third + Hayden is working to reshape the music industry from within by championing creatives across diverse cultures to develop impactful, long-lasting careers.
It’s a deeply personal project for Henderson. “I think I just became pretty exhausted with the way things had been done for so long,” Henderson says. “I mean, even dating back to when Black music was called ‘race music’ at one point. And I think, in general, artists have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to their rights, ownership, sometimes down to payment, how they’re treated in terms of marginal assets of sorts, where it’s like they’re less of people.”
Henderson has already made huge strides in this capacity: In 2024, Third + Hayden became the first Atlanta-based management firm to secure a partnership with Live Nation, a huge step for elevating independent artists and music groups. But, for Henderson, this accomplishment isn’t just about being linked to a big name; it’s about giving emerging artists invaluable access to touring, resources, and opportunities. “I wanted to create a space for seemingly the underdog in the industry, where it may not be mainstream right now, but it’s going to make you feel something, and it’ll catch on,” she says. “I built my label and company around the idea that you can be ‘other,’ and still be successful, and still be well taken care of, and still own all your music, your rights.”
One driving force of Henderson’s business is the goal of bringing humanity back to the arts. “We are providing a space for people to just show up as themselves and actually have the support to do so,” Henderson says. “And by support, it comes down to mental wellness, spiritual wellness, all the things that support you in being a good person.”
This focus on her artists’ wellbeing also extends to Henderson’s employees and collaborators at Third + Hayden. “You know, we have a company where people actually seemingly like to come to work and enjoy their jobs and enjoy what they get to support,” she says. “I’m also just a really big advocate of people only working on things that they enjoy.”
That goes for Henderson herself, too. Despite her commitment to her job (“We work all day, every day,” she says), Henderson is still able to find time to decompress with time dedicated to her hobbies, such as puzzling and doing watercolors, in order to show up as her best self the next day.
That is, of course, after spending her 20s realizing that she can actually say “no” to things and have a life outside of music. “You have to learn to say no really early on,” Henderson says. “That’s something that I think comes from wisdom and just growing and understanding boundaries as you get older.”
Another lesson that’s come with experience? “You can’t just do things for money,” she says. “Like, money isn’t actually real. It’s something that was created to segment people … We are on this floating rock and none of this is really that deep. Do something that makes you feel good and makes you happy ultimately.”
Despite the wisdom she’s gained, Henderson admits she still faces a bit of uncertainty. “I doubt myself at least once a month,” she says. “You know, the music industry, especially right now, is so difficult to feel like you’re making some level of progress. Even the people that have been successful, such as myself, right now is such a time where it’s just difficult to have a win. So, sometimes I’m like, do I know what I’m doing anymore? Like, am I on the right track? But thankfully, I’m able to kind of talk myself down from that negativity.”
In these moments, Henderson has to remind herself who she is — and that what she’s accomplished thus far didn’t happen overnight. “It’s not a race; it’s for sure a marathon,” Henderson says. “And sometimes, when you’re building things, it’s going to look a little different than what everyone else is building, especially if it’s meant to last.”
Interview by Jac Noel.