Media Spotlights – Page 14 – Independent Entertainment Media Coalition

Media Mogul In The Making: Meet Lavern Spruill

This week’s media mogul spotlight goes to none other than Lavern Spruill. Spruill is the owner and editor-in-chief of LV Magazine as well as LV Magazine Kids. Get to know Lavern via our exclusive interview with the mogul below!

You are a multi-talented individual dipping and dapping in a bunch of other expressive fields. So, what was it about journalism or media that piqued your interest?

“I started LV Magazine as a way to highlight the amazing accomplishments and talents of others. There aren’t too many publications that focus on promoting and exposing a wide range of talents for the masses. It’s my way of helping others get their name out there and provide the type of publicity I wish I could have received when I started producing movies. As far as filmmaking, it’s always been a passion of mine. I’ve always had an interest in storytelling and filmmaking allows me to create those stories and give them life.”

How did you get your start in the media field? Did you study communications in college? Internships? Hobby writing?

“No, I learned everything I know from experience and trial and error. I’m also very fortunate enough to have an amazing team, both in my publication and production company, who work with me through the development and implication of my ideas. A lot of the members on my team are also learning as we go along. It’s a great way for those looking to get into journalism or filmmaking to get started without succumbing to student loan debt.”

Tell us about your platform. What’s your mission/goals? Who’s your audience?

“LV Magazine is a monthly digital and print publication that spotlights individuals in the creative industry to highlight their achievements, upcoming, and recent projects. Our writers cover a wide range of topics including sports, entertainment, technology, politics, charity work, fitness, and health. We don’t have a specific audience we market to though our LV Magazine Kids is primarily for youth between the ages of 6-17.”

So far throughout your career, what has been your proudest personal media moment?

“I’m very fortunate that after three years of LV Magazine’s existence, we’ve had the opportunity to interview so many different people including major Netflix comedians, best selling writers, Supermodels, philanthropists, kickboxing champions, actors, and dancers but my proudest moment is seeing the joy every month when those who are featured in our publication take pictures and videos of their cover or articles. For many of them, it’s their first magazine feature and the joy I provide them is priceless.”

What advice would you give aspiring mediapreneurs looking to enter the field?

“Like Nike says, ‘Just Do It’. I didn’t have formal training but I know what I love and if you’re not doing what you love, you’re wasting your time. It might sound simple but a lot of people see an obstacle but can’t see a way around the obstacle. If journalism is your passion, start a blog. There are plenty of sites that offer free Webhosting and nowadays you can get a domain for less than $10. If starting your own publication seems too much, some websites offer guest post opportunities. If filmmaking is your passion, start recording! Most cell phones have decent cameras and apps like Instagram and TicToc are great platforms to showcase your work.”

In addition to owning LV Magazine and LV Magazine Kids, Lavern owns a film production company, Sekhmet Productions. Check out the trailer their new film The Caul below.

Connect with Lavern Spruill on Instagram. Check out LV Magazine on Instagram and LV Magazine Kids on Instagram.

The Independent Entertainment Media Coalition is a 501(c)(7) non-profit organization dedicated to provided financial, educational, and professional resources for freelance media figures. Help in our efforts! To make a donation, please click HERE!

Media Mogul In The Making: Meet Sarah Vega

sarah-vega-of-dique-media — Founder of Dique! Media Sarah Vega. Photo credit belongs to Uniq.

In the past few years, “diversity” and “inclusion” have become hot buzz words across professional industries especially media. Well this week’s media mogul, Sarah Vega, the founder of Dique! Media Network has made it her media company’s mission to elevate the platforms of proving representation matters.

Get to know Sarah via our exclusive interview with her below!

You are a multi-talented individual dipping and dapping in a bunch of other expressive fields. So, what was it about journalism or media that piqued your interest?

“Essentially, being a part of media or journalism; makes you part of the culture some way or another. That is how I always saw myself as someone contributing to the culture. Culture influences the ways of the world.”

How did you get your start in the media field? Did you study communications in college? Internships? Hobby writing?

“I like to mention the anecdote of how my mom introduced me to media via print. She always bought me magazines and somehow she found a magazine plug so I was reading all kinds of grown-ass content my 13-year-old self could handle. I fell in love with the art of the well-written word and that’s how it started. I studied journalism in college. I fell into the lifestyle of media because of my internships lmaooo.”

Tell us about your platform. What’s your mission/goals? Who’s your audience?

“Dique! Media Network was created to showcase the lifestyle, trends, and politics of the afro-Caribbean first generation point of view. This platform was created to spark trends, report news and encourage the conversation in media about our representation. Surprisingly, my audience is black women from the ages of 25-45. Because of them, I know I am gaining the attention of my intended audience which is Latinx men and women ages 25-45.”

So far throughout your career, what has been your proudest personal media moment?

“I know this can be a good moment to name drop, but my proudest media moment was believing in myself enough to trust my intuition and quit my job to pursue my brand full time: and documenting it.”

What advice would you give aspiring mediapreneurs looking to enter the field?

“Do it afraid with no type of “yes men” in your corner.”

Connect with Sarah Vega on Instagram and check out the many media platforms Dique! Media has to offer including the OYE MI GENTE! and The Plot Twist podcast!

Media Mogul In The Making: Meet Anthony Barley

Anthony Barley, co-host of Satyourday Radio. Image courtesy of Barley.

From economic student to emerging media mogul, meet this week’s superstar Anthony Barley. Barley is one of the breakout voices on the podcast, Satyourday Radio. Get to know Barley and learn more about Satyourday Radio below.

You are a multi-talented individual dipping and dapping in a bunch of other expressive fields. So, what was it about journalism or media that piqued your interest?

“Storytelling – I’ve always been interested in story-driven content. If your story is not known then you’re not trusted. If you’re not trusted you can’t change the culture.”

How did you get your start in the media field? Did you study communications in college? Internships? Hobby writing?

“I’ve had an unorthodox start. I’ve always followed media outlets such as Illroots, Hypebeast, THE BRILLIANCE!, and The Madbury Club. These blogs served as my formative training in the media world. I studied Economics in college. The knowledge I gained helped in understanding behavior and decision-making skills. I apply Economics in my life every day. I’ve had many internships but the most applicable to my journey in the creative industry was interning at Been Trill. I got the opportunity from Matthew Williams, at the time he was keen that I wanted to gain experience. There I worked on some apparel stuff, designs that never saw the light of day lol, and many other moving bits and pieces. With an internship like that, you’ll be able to float and get a feel for every department and have a holistic view of what you’re interested in.”

Tell us about your platform. What’s your mission/goals? Who’s your audience?

“Satyourday Radio is a podcast. We share stories from creators, artists, and innovators on Saturday mornings. Our guests vary on the spectrum from people that are prolific in their field and people we believe deserve recognition. We’ve recently launched our ‘Vinyl Room Sessions’ which is an intimate performance for artists to freely express themselves and showcase their true talent in a live performance setting. At our core, we’re a podcast but shaping into a bigger picture, a media company. We also DJ as a collective, 2019 we had an ongoing DJ residency at Burger Walla, DJ’d in Japan and London. We plan to carry the momentum and energy around the world! Satyourday Radio hopes to inspire and enlighten people who are in the same field of art, music, and innovation as us.”

So far throughout your career, what has been your proudest personal media moment?

“My proudest moment so far has been being able to record a podcast with Tom Sachs and film an exclusive studio tour in New York. I personally look up to him and his work — Highly suggest everyone checking it out.”

What advice would you give aspiring mediapreneurs looking to enter the field?

“Stay consistent and persistent! Keep everything you do genuine! Don’t lose sight of why you started in the first place! It’s always your say at the end of the day.”

Connect with Anthony Barley on Instagram and listen to Satyourday Radio podcast!