Inspiring Conversations with Lavanna Corbin & LaKeidra Phillips Owners Of Southern Stars Agency

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lavanna Corbin & LaKeidra Phillips Owners Of Southern Stars Agency.

Hi Lavanna Corbin & LaKeidra Phillips, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
LaKeidra Phillips:
I grew up in Stephens Arkansas, a small town with a population of just over 800 people, but even growing up in a small town, I always had big dreams. I was raised in a loving and close-knit family by my parents, Robert and Renae Curry, alongside my two sisters, DeShara and Deidra, and my brother Carlos. Some of my favorite childhood memories are the times we spent together as a family traveling and supporting one another through everything.

Growing up, I was very involved in school and always pushed myself to succeed. I was a National Honor Student, a cheerleader, basketball player, and part of the Upward Bound program at Southern Arkansas University. Even at a young age, I knew I was different because I was always dreaming bigger than my surroundings. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and knew I wanted to build something meaningful of my own one day.

Education has always been important to me, and I am proud to say that I attended and graduated from Southern Arkansas University, where I earned my associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees. Every degree represents hard work, sacrifice, and determination to create a better future for myself and my family.

In June 2025, my husband Brandon and I made one of the biggest decisions of our lives and moved to Atlanta to pursue my dream and our daughter Kaylee’s dream in the film and television industry and my son Khamani’s dream in music. Taking that leap of faith was scary, but I knew I had to bet on myself, and the vision God placed in my heart. Today, I continue working to build opportunities not only for my daughter but for other aspiring actors and creatives as well. My journey is proof that no matter where you come from, you can dream big, work hard, and create the life you’ve always imagined.

Lavanna Corbin
My story began in the small town of Harpersville, Alabama. Just two weeks after graduating high school, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, where I proudly served on active duty for 21½ years. During my military career, I deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, supported missions in Kuwait, completed two tours in South Korea, and was stationed at several locations across the United States.

While serving, I met the love of my life, my husband, Brian Corbin. Together, we built a beautiful family, raising our four daughters and helping raise three of our nieces. Family has always been at the center of everything I do, and many of the values that guide me today, service, resilience, leadership, and compassion, were strengthened through both my military service and my role as a wife and mother.

When I retired from the Air Force in 2023, I entered a new season of life. For the first time in over two decades, I had the opportunity to discover who Lavanna was outside of the uniform. I intentionally focused on personal growth, self-discovery, and exploring passions that had been waiting for the right season to emerge.

In 2024, my family and I relocated to Atlanta. While there were several reasons for the move, looking back, I truly believe God was positioning us for opportunities we could not yet see. What began as supporting our daughter’s acting career quickly opened doors into the entertainment industry. As I learned more about the business, I developed a passion not only for helping my daughter pursue her dreams, but also for helping others pursue theirs.

That journey led me to begin acting myself, working on film and television productions, and ultimately co-founding Southern Stars Agency and Corbin Family Entertainment. What started as a desire to support one young actress grew into a mission to discover, develop, and empower talent from all backgrounds.

Today, I stand in a place I never could have imagined years ago. My military career taught me how to lead, serve, and persevere. The entertainment industry has taught me how to dream, create, and advocate for others. Every step of my journey, from a small town in Alabama, to military service, to entrepreneurship and entertainment, has prepared me for this season. Although Southern Stars Agency is still growing, I believe we’re only at the beginning of what God has planned.

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Southern Stars Agency came from our own experience as parents navigating the entertainment industry with our daughters. As we were submitting them for acting opportunities, we both developed a genuine passion not only for helping them pursue their dreams but also for supporting other talented individuals on their journeys.

We realized how important it is to have someone in your corner, someone who advocates for you, believes in you, guides you, and helps open doors to opportunities. We wanted to provide the same level of dedication, support, and representation to other actors that we were providing to our daughters.

Beyond that, we both genuinely love the entertainment industry. We appreciate the creativity, storytelling, and opportunities it creates for people to share their gifts with the world. At the same time, we understand that the industry is constantly evolving. Trends change, casting needs shift, and the business can often feel unpredictable. While the landscape may change, we believe your representation should remain a steady source of support and guidance.

Southern Stars Agency was built to be that consistent advocate, a bridge between talent and an ever-changing industry. Our goal is to help talent navigate their careers with confidence, provide honest guidance, create opportunities, and ensure they always have someone in their corner who is invested in their success. We don’t just represent talent; we partner with them in pursuing their dreams.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not been a completely smooth road, but we do not believe the best journeys ever are. Every challenge, obstacle, and unexpected pothole we’ve encountered has served a purpose. Rather than viewing those moments as setbacks, we’ve chosen to see them as opportunities to learn, grow, and become stronger as an agency.

As a newer agency, we’ve had to build relationships, establish credibility, learn the nuances of an ever-evolving industry, and navigate the natural growing pains that come with creating something from the ground up. There have been moments that tested our patience, resilience, and faith, but each challenge has made us more knowledgeable, more prepared, and more effective advocates for our talent.

One thing we’ve learned is that struggles often provide the greatest lessons. They teach you how to adapt, communicate, solve problems, and continue moving forward even when the path isn’t perfectly clear. Those experiences have helped shape the way we serve our clients today and have strengthened the foundation of Southern Stars Agency.

The entertainment industry itself is constantly changing, so flexibility and perseverance are essential. Instead of resisting change, we’ve embraced it and committed ourselves to continuous learning and improvement. Every challenge has ultimately helped us better understand the industry and better support the talent who trust us with their careers.

So, while the road hasn’t always been smooth, we wouldn’t change it. The challenges have refined us, strengthened our mission, and reinforced why we do what we do. They’ve helped us become the agency we are today and continue to shape the agency we aspire to be tomorrow.

We’ve been impressed with Southern Stars Agency, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Southern Stars Agency is a talent agency dedicated to representing actors of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels in the film, television, theater, and commercial industries. Our mission is to discover, develop, and advocate for talent while helping them navigate their careers with confidence and purpose.

On a day-to-day basis, our work involves submitting talent for casting opportunities, building relationships with casting directors, producers, and industry professionals, reviewing projects, negotiating opportunities, and providing guidance to our actors as they pursue their goals. Every day looks a little different, but it always centers around creating opportunities and helping our talent put their best foot forward.

Beyond submissions and representation, we strongly believe in the power of networking and community. The entertainment industry is built on relationships, and we understand that meaningful connections can often lead to incredible opportunities. That’s why we actively create spaces for networking, professional development, and industry engagement, allowing our talent to build relationships that support long-term success.

What we enjoy most about this work is being able to advocate for others, celebrate their wins, and play a small role in helping them achieve dreams they may have been pursuing for years. Watching our talent book roles, gain confidence, or take the next step in their career is one of the most rewarding aspects of what we do at Southern Stars Agency.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next 5 to 10 years, we see both the entertainment industry and Southern Stars Agency continuing to evolve and grow. The industry itself is becoming more accessible than ever through technology, self-taping, streaming platforms, digital content creation, and the increasing demand for diverse and authentic voices. Opportunities are no longer limited by geography, and talent from all backgrounds can now reach audiences and decision-makers in ways that weren’t possible years ago.

For Southern Stars Agency, our vision is to grow strategically and intentionally. As our roster expands, we anticipate building a team of talented agents whose numbers are aligned with the needs of our talent. One thing that will never change is our commitment to maintaining a personalized relationship with our talent. No matter how much we grow, we want everyone to feel seen, supported, valued, and represented.

We understand that the entertainment industry will continue to change, and our responsibility is to adapt alongside it while remaining true to our mission. We will continue learning, evolving, and embracing new opportunities so that our talent remains competitive and positioned for success.

Ultimately, our goal is to become one of the most respected and sought-after talent agencies from coast to coast, not simply because of the opportunities we help create, but because of our reputation for genuinely caring about our talent. We want Southern Stars to be known as an agency that puts people first, advocates fiercely, operates with integrity, and helps artists build meaningful, lasting careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.southernstarsagency.com
• Instagram: @southernstarsagency
• Facebook: Southern Stars Agency