Welcome to BlogHer Creative Corner. An interview series highlighting our very creative and inspiring publishing partners and content creators across the SHE Media Collective.
If you’re looking for an inspiring origin story, you’ve come to the right place. In conversation with Erika De La Cruz, she breaks down exactly how she came to be the Editor in Chief of The LA Girl. Cruz shares how she overcame the turmoils of the 2009 recession, her efforts to prioritize her mindset, and position herself at top of her field. Read along as Erika tells us how we can make sure we’re continuously evolving in our respective businesses and how to build brand loyalty from your audience. Ahead, we’re getting you an invitation to Erika’s inner circle where she and her community of aspirational women are turning their personal and professional dreams into reality.
Tell us a little bit about your website and/or business or your Founder Story.
I never set out with the goal to own a media publication, but it’s been the most amazing journey. I wrote a best-selling book in 2016 that ranked #1 in 19 categories on its first day including Female Entrepreneurship as well as Self Help/Personal Development, so writing has always been a part of my skill set and personal brand, but publishing is a 24/7, creative and strategic ride that has been an amazing resource to share more of the experiences, trends, and places I love, as it’s the #1 Personal Lifestyle Publication in Los Angeles and also the top ranker for where to shop in LA, which makes me a very happy shopper (I have an affinity for fashion, you see.)
Rather than starting The LA Girl under a new domain, I acquired it from a friend (who I call my Bizz Bestie) who began the website in 2014 (She was also in my book, Passionistas.) She never planned to exit but realized that rather than shutting it down when it came time to move on, she knew she’d rather have someone she trusted at the helm. She is Filipina and moved to the U.S. at a young age, growing into an iconic role model for other little girls of color. She understood my mission and it resonated with her. My mission has been to transform traditional “Mexican stereotypes” prominent in California by showcasing LatinX in leadership roles (“SHE-E-O’s”) in mainstream media in which Latinas are the regal, brunette bosses at the center of the narrative calling the shots (something I never saw growing up with blonde Barbie in the center of everything). The LA Girl has inclusivity and inspiration at its core.
My family lost everything in the economic crash of 2009 (something I talk about in my mindset work and keynotes.) At the time, all of our items were sold through swap meets across California and my mother also chose to join a homeless community, permanently. I had very few resources to forge my path at 19 years old, but I realized I had everything I needed in my state of mind, relationships, and attitude. I’m a true believer in personal power and choice as an agent to change your circumstances. Positive thought practices and personal development healing were instrumental to beginning a career I love, and with that, opportunities aligned with my purpose and my life quality as a whole.
Please share two unique insights or tips you’ve gained as a publisher that others can learn from!
One: Be open to innovating and adapting, no matter how well you think your brand is running. Don’t be the basic one who’s closed off to new things. Owning a publication means that you’re directly connected to how culture is evolving — and Culture always evolves. I cringe when I hear “this generation graduating college doesn’t know how to work” or “AI, are you kidding me?”. It sounds dated to anyone listening. Instead, I’d suggest finding out how your college-grad interns like to work and working with them to fuse a productive work model together. Teach and learn! Know when to investigate something relevant to your industry that’s taking over your news feeds, like Artificial Intelligence. This has been key for me. If you see media trending toward something like Chat GPT for example, investigate it, dabble in it, and see what the big deal is. The way that publishing evolved from paper to digital will be the way that digital evolves into an even more connected format. You should be there to grow with it.
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Two: Building community is a huge part of running a publication, especially if it’s a hybrid of a traditional and a personal lifestyle publication like ours. I am a part of the brand, appearing in every 6th article or so and hyper-connected to our in-person meet-ups. Ask yourself: Do your readers feel connected to the voice of the asset, or are you replaceable to them? Take on the challenge of asking if there’s anywhere for them to “meet” in a local market IRL. Are there opportunities or invitations for them to be a part of the events you’re writing about too? Perhaps there, they could meet each other, or meet YOU (the Editor in Chief) or the brand’s team. These are great prompts to allow for a heightened sense of community and ultimately, brand loyalty from your tribe.
How do you unwind and take care of yourself and your mental health when you’re not working?
I’m a Mental Health Champion for Kenneth Cole’s Mental Health Coalition and my social channels are full of personal development practices, so this one is important to me! I meditate and recite affirmations to remind myself of who I’m declaring myself to be and how that feels in the body. I watch inspirational videos online, take phone-free weekends, and have a clear and set time for just me. Hanging out with myself (and maybe a vogue magazine or a binge-able TV series) has become incredibly relaxing to me.
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Where do you go for learning inspiration? Podcast, newsletter, website, book, etc?
I try to curate the outlets I learn from very strategically through newsletters on the digital news side and physical magazines on the trend side. I include a Vogue, a Cosmo, and maybe a Marie Claire on the paper mag front (they’re especially relaxing to catch up on when I’m phone-free). On the newsletter front, I choose outlets in news, entertainment, fashion, and the industry, in general, to get the headlines most relevant to my role as Editor in Chief.
Tell us about a new project you’ve launched in the new year!
Each New Year I host a Virtual Vision Board Summit that brings in the best, most incredible women from around the world who are also creating their dreams with the agency. This year, I’ll be hosting 3 additional Personal-Empowerment Virtual Events so that I can check in with the group all year long. For details on the next one, make sure you’re subscribed to the community at erikadelacruz.com. It’s a nice way to reconnect with your most powerful state of being once per quarter and also for me to meet more of my community. Rather than just having my Tik Tok as a resource for manifesting all year long, now we can meet and say hello, too!
If you’d like to collaborate with other creators, tell us what you’re looking for or what opportunities you are open to.
I’d love to co-collaborate with published pieces/or joint campaigns co-promoting and highlighting each other.