Conversations with Dana Renee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Renee.

Hi losangeles4everybody , or Dana, 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?

Hi, Voyage LA! I have an Instagram blog about hidden gems and recommend cool things to do in our city – it is an ongoing, digital love letter to Los Angeles for me and stands as a city guide for other people who reside or travel here. It especially focuses on ethnic LA because that is what I admire most about this place.

Built on many things, Los Angeles is a city where immigrants might be the majority, or at least different ethnicities together are. I believe that is what makes Los Angeles so dynamic. Being a coastal metropolis, a lot of families and talented people historically settle here upon arriving to the States from countries all over. With that comes a wealth of ideas and cultures that join here to share our differences and similarities. I have noticed that these take the form of small businesses, mostly by the way of food. I wanted to show that off and support the cause.  Besides, my life got a lot more colorful when I dived into (and started sharing with others) the different ethnic neighborhoods that exist from Little Ethiopia to Thai Town and more.

That is one thing I always really appreciate about Los Angeles. It acknowledges everybody so much to a point where various areas are designated for different backgrounds to thrive together. I lived in Denver, Colorado before and this didn’t exist there. Being from a Vietnamese immigrant family myself, my sister and I talk now about how we were the minority there and sure felt like it. That is not an empowering way to grow up when your culture is important to you. Always assimilating to the majority or always feeling foreign – those are discomforts that don’t have to be felt in Los Angeles. I very much want to celebrate that. It is what my channel (Los Angeles 4 Everybody) stands for.

Also, I saw a need, more and more, for Angelenos to have a place to refer that provides insights on hidden gems one normally wouldn’t come across unless it was recommended by a friend. I wanted to be that easily accessed, friendly resource for finding some of the cool things here.

We live in a city that is often tough to navigate and a lot of people move here alone, including myself ten years ago. I know the frenzy of trying to build a life here while not knowing what is where, especially when things update and change in LA every other week. During the pandemic, I experienced long and deep loneliness. I learned that hidden gems and social connections matter so much. To be honest, this blog got me back out into society and connected with people again. It’s like a fair trade off, I got to slowly break loneliness and create something while people get a fun city guide from 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?

I think the greatest challenge right now is doing it by myself. Not only is it still pretty uncomfortable to film in public alone, it’s hard being my own director, camera-woman, being in front of the camera, editor and social media manager. I will say that teaming with other Content Creators makes it really fun and while I can do it alone, I know I’m a lot more disadvantaged from other bloggers who have at least one other person to consistently help them out. But for now, I’m making the friends I was hoping to and also have better equipment is helping with all the solo missions too.

Also, like any other field in LA, what I do seems pretty saturated but that’s where I do feel motivated to create more personally because nobody can be replicated and I encourage everyone to create not for trends but from the soul.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I try to make my videos the most collaborative as possible and include who ever is behind the scenes of these restaurants. Maybe it’s because I’ve worked in kitchens before or because my older sister and her husband have their own small business, but I love to pull the chef or the staff and see if they want to put their story on the mic. It’s so much more personable and engaging. They get to tell the people what they intend for their business or food. And for the viewers, they get a moment to see what’s behind the product or cuisine. It’s a great way to shine light on LA artists, chefs, people, etc.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?

Often, I collaborate with other LA accounts that showcase different neighborhoods and other Foodies and Content Creators who make similar videos. If anyone who appreciates what LA offers in the same way and has some ideas for us both, please come find me. I try to showcase and promote small businesses as best I can. If there’s a local restaurant that wants a video, really, just contact me and we will see what we can create together.

As far as support, I think I’m building a community as I go. Just be nice to me as I’m putting myself back out into the world again, or be patient with me if I’m a little cringe online. Support your local restaurants and Follow your favorite local Food Bloggers, if it’s me or another someone else, every Follow, Like, Share helps.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @losangeles4everybody

Image Credits
Tom’s One Hour Photo