Today we’d like to introduce you to Sofia Stefou.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sofia. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
The first iteration of VidaCher started in 2011 in Toronto, Canada when I decided to start a video production, company called Sofina Media. Then in 2016, I started to branch out into social media, which given my marketing, acting and producing background was totally a good fit for me.
In 2017, a colleague of mine in Westlake Village – I had been working remotely from Toronto during this time- suggested that I come out to Los Angeles. I hadn’t really thought of the idea, however, I had on my personal bucket list the idea of taking classes at Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Since I love being creative and performing, I decided to move my stuff into storage and pursue this little dream of mine.
Fast forward to 2019, and VidaCher is a growing storytelling agency, where we tell stories for brands and people on different platforms including the web, TV, and Film.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha, it has definitely not been a smooth road! It’s been an interesting experience transitioning from Canada, which on the surface looks and feels a lot like the United States, however, there are a lot of subtle differences. For example, banking, business and people culture, navigate through LA traffic (ha!), etc.
Many of the issues and obstacles in the road were/are with myself and having to face some of my personal struggles head-on. The times when I make a mistakes or something goes awry I try to ask myself “why?” I did something that I did, and often times the answer comes back to things like feelings of insecurity, loneliness, feeling like a fish out of water, etc.
That being said, I love LA so very much. The city and its people have been so kind to me. Its these feelings of joy and love that make me do what I can to deal with these struggles – because pushing them away never did anyone any good- and come back to a place of feeling fortunate and grateful that I get to be among such amazing, driven, inspiring people and experiences.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about VidaCher – what should we know?
VidaCher is a storytelling agency that essentially tells “stories” for brands, organizations, and people. We tell these stories through different communication channels. Whether it’s social media, TV series, short and long-form films, logo creations, pitch deck presentations, blog posts, etc. Whatever form the story takes, we work with talented, creative people here in the LA community to bring our client’s most authentic and creative story to life.
VidaCher came about during a tumultuous time for me in June 2018, so the company name was inspired by what was happening to the company, and my life during that time. “Vida” means life in Spanish, so it was partly the Spanish-speaking influences in and around Los Angeles, as well as the time that I spent in Argentina and Spain in 2018, that helped me come up with that section of the name.
Cher came about from the old adage “After a nuclear holocaust all that will be left is cockroaches and Cher.” Bless them, all my wonderfully caring friends insisted that I shouldn’t call my company after a cockroach, so Cher with all her wonderful talents, flair and strength was a much better fit. And thus VidaCher was born.
I think what sets us apart is our company manifesto, which essentially boils down to our commitment to doing work that matters. It’s this desire to work with people – both clients and staff- who care about doing great work that drives results and who really want to bring their best selves to the table.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think continuing to work on not having too many unrealistic expectations of myself and life in general. Allowing things to unfold in their own time, without wanting to pressure things to happen when I want them to happen.
I think the other aspect is taking the time to be introspective. To check in on how I’m feeling in a given moment, what I’m thinking, and in some cases, acting on those feelings.
Life in LA moves pretty quickly, so it can be easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities. Checking in with myself from time to time, without judgment, has really been key to helping me move forward.
The most important quality, however, is making sure that I am supporting the wonderful people and clients that I get the opportunity to work with every day. Building and maintaing a positive ecosystem, which can be a challenge sometimes, is to me the key behind what will continue to drive VidaCher’s success.
Contact Info:
- Address: 800 Wilshire Blvd Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90017 - Website: www.vidacher.com
- Phone: 323 352 7319
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Kimberly Metz
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