Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorna Balfour.
Lorna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always considered my self to be an innovative thinker. I pride myself on doing things outside of the box. Being an innovative thinker is what won me my first Emmy Award and how I was able to start three businesses before the age of 30. When I was in college, I knew that I wanted a career in the media industry. However, when deciding between different media programs offered at the University of Utah, I couldn’t find the right for me and my long-term goals. I decided that I should create my own degree. I put together a proposal, found an advisor, and went before a college board to get my very own degree created. This was honestly one of the best things I could have done for my college career. It allowed me to take full ownership over my academic studies and also allowed me to tailor my courses specifically to my interests and life goals. I knew that I wanted to be the owner of a media empire in the future, creating my own hands-on degree became the launching pad to this dream.
I had the stroke of genius to start a multi-media streaming platform my senior year of college and from there, my media empire, LOOMA, was born. Since then I have not only begun creating what will be a multi-media site where people can read, watch, and listen to engaging content that they love but I have also created a Business Development firm called Looma Media that allows businesses to take control of their growth through storytelling, marketing, PR, and content creation. By thinking outside of the box, I’ve been able to begin making my wildest dreams come true.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road to success is never easy. It’s full of struggles, challenges, and failures. What truly determines success is a person’s ability to get back up when they’re down and their willingness to be the hardest worker with the most drive and passion.
I remember that I fell in love with the media industry when I was eight years old. I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where movies and television shows were regularly filmed before the Great Recession. I grew up acting on sets of Touched By An Angel, Everwood, High School Musical, and every other Disney Channel movie that was filmed in Utah. I loved the media industry and everything about it. Growing up as a model and actress, I knew that media was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. However, it has not been an easy road.
Both of my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago. Being a first generation-American child from two hard-working immigrant parents came with a lot of responsibility and expectations. Education was always at the fore-front in my home. A lot of my dreams took a backseat to me being able to secure one of the best educations my parents could give me. At the same time that I decided to make the leap to finally sign with an acting agency and pursue my dreams, I was accepted into The Waterford School, one of the most prestigious private college preparatory schools in the nation. In order to succeed academically, I had to put my acting and modeling dreams on hold. After graduating from Waterford, I was accepted into the University of Utah and a prestigious media fellowship program called the Emma Bowen Foundation. I threw myself into my education, once again, making sure that I did everything I could while in school to set myself up for the best future that I could.
My dreams in media seemingly took a backseat to my education. In reality, my education was creating a path for me to have a bigger and brighter future in media. It seemed like a failure to 15-year-old me to have to place my media dreams on hold. In the long run, placing such and importance and emphasis on my education while sidelining my dreams was not a failure but the key to my success now.
Please tell us about Looma|TV and Looma Media.
Looma|TV is a multi-media streaming platform that will be launching January 2020 on LoomaTV.com and Looma Media is a Business Development Firm that offers services to small businesses to help them grow and scale their business so they can make more money.
I’m proud to be a female-owned and black-owned business. Those two qualities are assets that help me as I grow my business. I’m happy that Looma|TV offers young people a space where they can engage with the content they want to read, watch, and listen to in a new and transformative way. I’m glad that business owners can come to LoomaMedia.com and find resources they need to financially grow their business in a way they haven’t before. Our ability at LOOMA to tell personal stories beautifully allows people to connect to one another and that’s what sets us apart from the crowd.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is one of the best places that young black professionals could come to start their journeys. It allows you a space to thrive with like-minded people.
Pricing:
- 55% off Exclusive Membership Club for new small business owners and Content Creators
- Free One-on-One Strategy calls at LoomaMedia.com
Contact Info:
- Website: http://loomamedia.com/
- Phone: 404-913-9107
- Email: loomamedia@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lornabalfour/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loomamedia/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LornaBalfour
- Yelp: https://www.instagram.com/loomamedia/
- Other: http://sincerelylorna.com
Image Credit:
Bri Percey
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