Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Hernandez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Victoria. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Denver, Colorado. My dad is a big sports fan so we would watch anything and everything sports related, but especially football and the Denver Broncos. This started my dream of being a sports reporter.
After being a football manager for my high school team (which won the state championship three years in a row), I headed to the University of Miami to pursue my dream of working for ESPN. I majored in journalism and sport administration and had a great time covering the legendary Miami Hurricanes for online publications and the Sun-Sentinel. Everyone knows The U as a football school, but one of my favorite memories was covering the basketball team, which won the ACC Championship while I was there.
After trying to find a sports journalism internship, I stumbled upon an internship with HipHopDX, which set my career on the path toward music journalism. My passion was still in sports, but I loved how the cultures of sports and music ran so parallel and found a lot of enjoyment in covering music. Like sports, I actually owe my love of music to my dad because he was the singer of the OC punk band Insted, which was popular in the underground scene back in the day.
Anyways, I climbed the ladder at HipHopDX, going from intern to senior news writer. I then got the opportunity to join the Los Angeles Times and I had to jump on it. I’ve learned so much being at The Times about the art of storytelling and the importance of reporting. I’ve written mostly about music, including features on some of Los Angeles’ most important establishments like Delicious Pizza and Home Grown Radio.
My favorite story to date, though, was for the Image section. It’s a feature on Jerry Lorenzo, the founder and creative director of luxury clothing brand Fear of God. I had heard Jerry speak at ComplexCon a year before I pitched the idea of a story and he just really inspired me in how he uses his faith as the foundation for his conviction and creativity. It was truly an honor to tell his story to the world.
In between everything, I co-host a music podcast called Overly Conversated, write for a soccer publication called Urban Pitch, curate a playlist I love called Born Sinner m.A.A.d City, run a storytelling website called Kick The Concrete, work with Houston rapper Corey Paul on different projects such as our recent video series #AskACop and just try to stay inspired doing meaningful things.
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?
I mean I don’t think if you’re really pursuing your passion and purpose it’s ever a smooth road. My story is no different. The fact that I wanted to be in sports journalism but now focus mostly on music has forced me to shift perspectives of what the road map for my life is. Being in the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, you can get lost in the shuffle or caught up in the glitz and glamour of everything. But it’s so important to stay grounded in your faith, surround yourself with good people and just remember what your purpose is.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As a writer, I work for different people or I guess Kick The Concrete is a company I started with Corey Paul. I’m proud of that because we emphasize the heart behind the art and want people to have a safe place to be vulnerable and share their stories. We are furthering that through Corey’s multimedia platform, Commission, which is now the parent company for Kick The Concrete. I guess that emphasis on authenticity and the soulful side of hip-hop is what sets us apart. ALSO, I have to shoutout T.F go read his VoyageLA story if you haven’t. I’m a proud part of ErThang Skanless and yes we do have a ninja.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t really believe in luck. I believe everything happens (or doesn’t) for a reason. Honestly, everything I do comes from a belief in God and the thought that there’s just a bigger picture than what I can see or understand. But I guess what some people consider “luck” does come from the idea that you can only control so much. “Bad” things happen to “good” people and “good” things happen to “bad” people. That’s just how life goes. We all make mistakes and there are consequences, which sometimes can be very painful, sometimes not so much. I think what matters is how you learn from those mistakes, how you are aware of the other people in your life and how you make your impact. In the end, if you work with integrity, honesty and pure intentions, things are going to usually come together. And if they don’t, don’t get frustrated. That just means there’s something on the other side that’s different (and better) than you originally envisioned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.clippings.me/ladyviii
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lady.viii/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LadyViii
- Other: https://www.kicktheconcrete.com/
Image Credit:
Vinny Nolan, THURZ
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