Today we’d like to introduce you to BJ Panda Bear.
BJ, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far?
I was a youth who found Hollywood’s nightlife underground… Got too lit as a teenage degenerate… I had to try to remember what I wore from the night before so I started a blog… Crashed Flaunt Magazine parties… Did time in the whirled of styling, video hoeing, casting and DJing while finishing college. I am quite proud I graduated with my sociology degree. I then pretended to be Carrie Bradshaw and freelanced around from Amuse, Interview, Playboy along with various copywriting/ social media gigs and then ended back at Flaunt…
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Yes, there are always obstacles when it comes to working in media! The culture is very easy to fall prey to when it comes to learning what is real and what is not. It is almost like you are in a consistent levitation from reality, the champagne might taste crisper but at what cost to your spiritual self? I think it has been vital to have a diverse friend group who can check you back to da real world.
Tell us more about the business.
I am the Digital Editor/Producer at Flaunt Magazine, controlling the content that appears on Flaunt.com and setting up fun shoots with various creative teams. I also work as a Consultant and Social Media Webmaster for various clothing and design companies. I am very proud to be an early adopter of diversity in my approach to curation. It is very important to dip into all sorts of philosophies when cultivating identity. I am proud that the companies I work with have allowed me to experiment and take chances of guiding their voices. I think the thing that sets me apart is my capability to seamlessly glide into my subjects. Having been brought up in LA’s creative circles has allowed me to get quite personal with artists and other creatives who eventually leave their mark in the world’s pop cultural dialog, it’s with those relationships that I have been able to forge a rich personal understanding and community with them… I often tell my interns to “remember, that shitty band that played in your friend’s back yard party last summer they might be playing Coachella next spring… Or at least DJ a fashion party at the Parker.”
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I wish I could say luck has been vital to my life and business. Perhaps circumstances are more important as they have guided the way I have had to confront life.
Contact Info:
- Website: Flaunt.com and BJPandaBear.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Gina Gizella Manning
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