Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabella Laforet.
Hi Isabella, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story has taken me to many places and into many different directions. I started out in radio on the air when I was a teenager. But when I was 18, while I was in college overseas, I also caught the tour bug. Live concerts and live music did something to my soul. So, I did both while in college. I worked at local radio stations and on weekends, I’d help on various live concerts and tours. And I pretty much continued that path as I started working at WBLS/WLIB in New York City. I had interned at WBLS/WLIB while in college and I was so lucky to have been offered a full-time job there upon graduation. During my time at WBLS, I learned all the ins and outs of radio, as I was in Programming, Promotions, Marketing and Sales. WBLS was a privately owned company and I loved the family atmosphere. I still did Road Management on the side with various artists who only did spot dates on weekends. I felt like I had the best of both worlds! Then, unfortunately, the family lost the company and since my loyalty was to the people who gave me a chance as an intern, I resigned. Not knowing what would be next for me, I took some time off, went to Central America, volunteered and tried to figure it all out.
Having gained some clarity, I decided, next stop for me would be starting my own business and moving to Los Angeles. I wanted to be my own boss, so I’d be able to work in all areas of the industry in which I had experience. I started Quiet Fire Entertainment and I have not looked back since. I’ve traveled the world on tour with top artists, either in Tour Production or Road Management. And I still kept my pinky toe in radio as Associate Producer of a nationally syndicated radio show. Things were going great. I had just signed with my dream client and then… well…, we were all grounded and sent to our rooms by “Ms. Rona”. For us in the live entertainment world, this meant we went from touring all the time to suddenly losing most of our income and sitting at home indefinitely. At that point, I was thankful that I had built my company as a consulting company with various fields of expertise. I was able to work on some virtual events, marketing consulting projects, TV production, etc. I’ve even rediscovered my love for voiceovers. I’ve been taking tons of online courses to improve my skills and add new ones. And I finally have the time to explore my own neighborhood! I ride my bike to the beach, I take long walks and hikes and I am loving the peace & tranquility I have here. The quarantine has been a lot easier for me living a mile from the beach than it would have been anywhere else! I am reinventing myself professionally WHILE enjoying my surroundings until I can get back on that tour bus and travel the world with my favorite client!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It had been pretty much smooth sailing for me throughout my professional career until the company for which I was working that time in New York lost the radio station. I did not want to work for the people who took over the business, so I resigned without really having a plan. I had been working non-stop for a long time in a pretty demanding and stressful career, and I was burned out at that point. I basically started over from scratch. I moved from NYC to LA and started my little one-woman company Quiet Fire Entertainment. And it was rough at first. I was living off my savings. I had a foundation in NYC and people knew me from working at a high-profile radio station. But in LA, things were different. The mentality is different. I had to learn how people do business here, everything seemed so much more laid back. It was a big adjustment for me. But I adjusted and slowly, but surely, I was able to get clients and get my foot in the door with some companies and organizations and get busy again. But I can’t say that it was easy at any point.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Quiet Fire Entertainment, LLC is a Boutique Consulting Company for Tour & Road Management, Event Production/Execution/ Management, Artist Relations, Radio & Podcast Producing as well as Marketing. I am a one-woman shop with decades of experience in various aspects of the industry. I speak multiple languages, which is a great advantage when it comes to international work. The nickname “Quiet Fire” was given to me by one of my mentors in radio, Mr. Hal Jackson and his wife Debi, noting that it described my personality and my style of work perfectly. I named my company “Quiet Fire Entertainment” in honor of them.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I don’t quite use the term “luck”, I use the word “blessings”. I took a leap of faith when I left my career in New York City and started my own business, and my faith has helped me through the harder and more challenging times. I have been truly blessed. Whenever I hit a rough patch, another blessing comes out of nowhere, letting me know to keep going and to never give up.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.QuietFireEnt.com
- Instagram: @QuietFireEnt
- Twitter: @QuietFireEnt
- Other: Clubhouse: @QuietFireEnt
