Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren (‘Lo’) Banis.
Lauren, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As an LA native, I’ve always loved the multitudes of people, places, and experiences that Los Angeles has to offer. It wasn’t until I moved out of California for college that I really truly realized how much my hometown meant to me. After graduating from school and getting settled into my post-grad life in Los Angeles, I was craving a creative outlet. I’ve always had an interest in photography and fashion and I’d had a few people suggest that I start a blog. Between my interest in creating some sort of artistic platform for myself and the fact that I felt as if I was rediscovering Los Angeles after having been away for 4 years, I decided to create my blog, Lo’s Los Angeles. I love that my Instagram account and website have given me a platform to share all of the aspects of life in LA as I’ve experienced it, and additionally expanded my views and understanding of the city through connecting with other locals and learning their stories. Lo’s Los Angeles is a total passion project for me. I have a full-time job working in entertainment news so juggling the demands of creating a successful, interesting and dynamic blog along with my other daily responsibilities hasn’t always been easy but at the end of the day, my blog has come to mean so much to me that all of the time and energy put into it is 100% worth it.
Has it been a smooth road?
Overall, I would say my road, thus far, has been pretty smooth. I have to admit one of my biggest and earliest hurdles to overcome was picking a name for my blog. I was torn between wanting to call my blog something specific and personal enough that people would be drawn to connect with it (and me) while also being wary of picking too narrow of a name for the fear of limiting myself and the content that would be within that scope. Once I (finally) figured out that I wanted to call it ‘Lo’s Los Angeles’, I’d done enough brainstorming and research to have a pretty good understanding of the type of content I wanted to create. Of course, there are some days where I feel like I should be posting but don’t feel I necessarily have anything interesting or valuable to say. Often times, on those days, I opt not to post, instead of posting something that I don’t think benefits, my followers. My advice to other women looking to create their own business, blog, website — whatever it may be — is to not let yourself get scared out of doing something you want. If it’s in your mind and you have the motivation to make it happen, then do it. I thought about starting a blog for years before I finally took the leap and made it happen. I was nervous that it wouldn’t be well received. I was scared that people would think I was trying too hard. I was even anxious about a lot of the logistics of creating and running a website. While those thoughts and feelings still percolate in the back of my mind, the overall reception and positive feedback that I’ve received since starting Lo’s Los Angeles has been so humbling, gratifying and encouraging.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lo’s Los Angeles – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Lo’s Los Angeles is essentially a curated collection of my snapshots and experiences of life in Los Angeles. I love fashion, coffee, cocktails, the beach, and hiking. A lot of my content is simply derived from my everyday life in and around LA. I always try and leave my followers with a little bit of new information and a positive take away. Whether I’m posting about a local event or talking about a great (or not so great…) experience I had at a local restaurant or business, I always aim to provide my followers with my honest, unfiltered, candid opinions. I think I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve had so many of my followers reach out for input or recommendations about various businesses and attractions in LA. I get so excited when I see that someone has DM’d me asking for restaurant recommendations or ideas for where to take out of town visitors. I love Los Angeles so much and I feel so lucky to have the life here that I do, and getting to share that with friends, family, and strangers in order to enhance their experiences in the city makes me unbelievably happy. I think I have a unique perspective on Los Angeles for a few reasons. Having grown up here, I know the city very well. However, in moving away from school and then returning after graduation I see the city through different eyes. Additionally, my fiance is from the mid-west and moved to LA on his own over 6 years ago. I love exploring the city with him because his perspective on the city as someone who did not grow up here paired with my experiences as an LA native results in an eclectic blend of experiences and finds within the city.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
There are so many opportunities for women to succeed in media and content creation. It’s not easy, but if you put in the time and effort you will quickly see that the internet and world overall are hungry for female-driven content. Speaking specifically about the blogging world, I remember feeling very intimidated by how saturated the current market is. There are so many bloggers constantly posting and creating content and the idea of jumping into that pool seemed foolish and terrifying. Now that I’m in it, however, I see how each and every blogger provides their following with a little something different simply based on their experiences and the types of content that they choose to create. I think that the blogging and content creation world is especially beneficial and well suited for women given that it requires a healthy blend of organization, honesty, creativity, and practicality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://loslosangeles247.wixsite.com/mysite
- Email: loslosangeles247@gmail.com
- Instagram: @loslosangeles
Image Credit:
@loslosangeles
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