Today we’d like to introduce you to Aalia Lanius.
Hi Aalia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In my past, I had already built several successful businesses, but I focused more on health and family since a divorce from my former husband in 2014. My health had been compromised because of several health conditions, including chronic illnesses like two autoimmune diseases, a condition known as POTS, and fibromyalgia. But today, I’m a media executive of a newer breed and I love it! I’m dedicated to creating social impact through media that empower our communities, largely through storytelling. In 2017, shortly after going birth to my fourth child. My current husband, Joseph Lanius, a film Executive Producer and Entertainment Attorney, who has brought over a hundred films to life, encouraged me to do what I truly wanted to do. I wanted to write. Shortly after, I sat down and wrote my first creative work intended to empower other women in toxic relationships. The biographical novel based on my own experiences, “Tough Love”, was released in February 2018. I think one of the most incredible messages I ever received was from a woman claiming to have read my story and subsequently decided to divorce her abusive husband.
In January 2019, I founded and began operating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit media organization, Unsugarcoated Media and it became the publisher of my works which are all geared at social good. In March 2019, with a more tempted wish and growing skill as a writer, I released my second novel, “Jugend”, which translates to “youth” in German. This tale speaks directly to the negative impact of racism and hateful rhetoric on society and has earned three awards in multicultural literature fiction. The reason I formed it as a nonprofit is because it feels good to work for something that does in its nature gives back. So, in August 2019, I produced the one-day social good event, EmpowerCon, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I curated celebrity speakers, empowering performers and trainers all for the benefit of survivors of trauma. Which in 2019 seemed very vague, but turns out in 2020, it’s not. All the content we create seeks to educate, inspire, and empower our communities. We just celebrated the one-year anniversary of my seasonal award-nominated social good podcast, “Unsugarcoated with Aalia”. On it, I have conversations on social issues with a featured guest. We have discussed human trafficking, addiction & recovery, police reform, entrepreneurship, BLM, and even comics! All in an effort to create empathy and better understanding of one another. I’m an advocate in my second act, and I really love it.
Alright, 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?
Any start to a company is a rough road and not linear. 2020 created its set of circumstances that really impeded some of our abilities to do as much as we had planned for, but that didn’t discourage me. As an author, I was affected by not being able to be out there representing my work. As the leader of Unsugarcoated Media, I had to make the difficult decision to postpone the 2nd EmpowerCon until 2021. These are things that have tested my patience like never before. I’m a go-go-go personality unless I’m on vacation. Both of these things were greatly impaired in 2020. As a person with health issues, I’ve had to be careful when I’m in the studio. I have to make sure that I’m doing my best to keep a safe environment for myself and my guests. Prior to COVID, it was almost never my preference to have someone join the podcast via ZOOM. I wanted the quality of the studio to be evident and felt that anything else would compromise our final product.
In reality, it does at times, and I dislike being faced with those technical issues and challenges that come from remote broadcasting. At the same time, it ended up being quite a blessing in the way that I produced the show. Now, my guests were not limited and while many guests still do come to the studio, it is no longer a limiting factor and has really allowed me to share some incredible individuals with my audience. We are currently in our 6th season of “Unsugarcoated with Aalia” and we are moving forward with plans for our next EmpowerCon. We’ve already got the support of Larry Namer, the co-Founder of E! Entertainment, who is one of our keynote speakers. The challenges will come no matter what, this is something I’ve learned. But we don’t give up around here and honestly, that fighter spirit is what carries me through any dark period.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m quite proud about representing a group of individuals in media that have the intent of creating content for the benefit of society. But these aren’t just topics I’m passionate about because they are relevant, rather because they do touch my life. So, a lot of my conversations include the parts of my life that I choose to share with my audience. I am vulnerable and honest. I’ve shared deeply personal parts of my life such as sexual assault that I experienced as a teenager and events that led to me being homeless at 14 years old. People sense that I have a desire to be transparent, but not because I’m extremely proud of all that I’ve gone through, but because of the fighting and recovering spirit I represent. I don’t take lightly what others go through and as hard as I’ve experienced some things, I’m in awe of the power, passion and persistence of others.
For them, I want to amplify the powerful stories that make someone realize you fall, but you get back up. You will meet challenges, but you don’t give in. I ask people to not put me in some category because I am definitely not a “one or the other” type of person. I am not Democrat. I am not Republican. When it comes to the conversations that I have, my loyalties are to humanity and humanity alone and so I hope that the platform and audience I am building is with people who can look past labels and focus on the intention behind what I’m doing and that I am intentionally being “unsugarcoated” about it. Going into 2021, my sole focus is to encourage unity and healing for our society. I’m sure it’s a job that will not end with me, but I’m most proud of what I am building with Unsugarcoated Media because it is intended to go well beyond my lifetime.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was a very adventurous and active kid. You know, played outside, climbed trees and fences. But, I also loved reading because of the places I could go to as a result of picking up a book. I had four uncles, of them three were comedians and musicians. Growing up, I was around campfires listening to them play guitars and put on accents from all over. They told me stories about King Tut and fueled my imagination by taking me to places like the Renaissance Faire to dress up and get into full character, which I loved. But I struggled, often silently as a result of traumas I endured that my immediate family was often unaware of, like being molested by five different men between the ages of four and seven years old. My parents divorced before I knew they were married and at 14 years old I was homeless because of issues with them. But none of these things hindered my hunger to do better or help others.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.unsugarcoatedmedia.com/aalia-lanius
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aalia_unsugarcoated/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unsugarcoatedmedia
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/unsugarcoatedwithaalia
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Jugend-Aalia-Lanius/dp/1733769803
Image Credits
Anna Randall, Ang Amaya
