I have always been passionate about helping others. I have sat on the boards of charities, I volunteer at so many non-profits and try to help where I can. I have been doing that since I was a child with my family. Using my platform to bring awareness to topics that I care about is a no brainer. It’s important to get people involved, sometimes people don’t know how to volunteer or where to start and I am there to help them.
I like to talk about things that are meaningful. I feel like I have a responsibility to bring light to topics that are important. I love sharing information on charities that I love and volunteer with, I also talk about things like social justice, our environment and other topics I am passionate about. It is important to use your platform for good and to help educate others. You never know who might read something you are talking about and want to encourage people to do the same and the idea could grow into something bigger than you have imagined.
I personally started two initiatives that I think are important. I am passionate about our planet and the environment and the other is about racism.
As a part of my series about leaders who are using their platform to make a significant social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Loreen Hwang.
She is an LA-based Lifestyle Influencer who has been blogging for over 10 years. She has been featured in Forbes, Refinery29, Parade Magazine, Yahoo! Life and many more. She focuses on beauty, travel, food and wellness. She also is an advocate for sustainability and uses her page to start online initiatives like eliminating single-use plastic in your household. She started a campaign called #oneloveoneplanet challenging her audience to post a selfie with a reusable item. She loves to use her platform to help spread the word for good causes, encourages her audience to do the same and pay to it forward. One of her more recent initiatives has been during the pandemic and she had her audience use the hashtag #riseaboveracism to help end the stop of racism. For everyone who participates in any of her ongoing initiatives she plants a tree for them and has planted hundreds of trees.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I use to be in bio-tech and I had a life-changing moment that made me stop and change my career path. I started blogging as a hobby and I was one of the first beauty blogs out there. It really took off and I wanted to expand into more. I rebranded and turned my blog into a lifestyle blog to cover all the things that I love such as travel, beauty, food, health, wellness, self-care and more. I’m really grateful that I could turn my hobby into a career.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
This was a huge career change for me. I went from board meetings to working for myself. It was a very scary change. I am someone who likes stability and being organized, with blogging it was very different. I had to learn to be really fluid. I started blogging as a hobby and in a matter of 3 months it turned into something more because I was contacted by a Johnson & Johnson brand to become a brand ambassador. That’s when I knew this hobby was more than a hobby. I really put a lot of work into my first blog. I wrote a post every single day. I have to say the most interesting thing has been the people that I have met along the way. I am constantly learning from everyone I meet. My advice is be open. You never know who you meet. I said yes to every opportunity and it took me to some very fun places.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
There is room for everyone. If you want to start blogging just create your blog and start writing about things you know and love. Learn from your mistakes and grow from them, don’t let them hinder you. Be consistent, try new things and know that you will fail at some of the things you try but that’s ok we all do. Find your voice and use it. When I started I said yes to everything. I did work for trade and it eventually lead me to paying jobs just make sure everything you are doing is aligning with your brand. The biggest mistake I see is influencers who are just one big ad with no voice. No one is following pages that are just all ad’s be authentic to yourself and have fun. We all go through points where you feel uninspired remember to take a break a and rest and do something that will get you inspired and for me that is getting out in nature and reading. I would also say that don’t let people bring you down. There will be a small amount of people who will leave negative comments, don’t let it bother you. Focus on the good and keep going.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
I have always been passionate about helping others. I have sat on the boards of charities, I volunteer at so many non-profits and try to help where I can. I have been doing that since I was a child with my family. Using my platform to bring awareness to topics that I care about is a no brainer. It’s important to get people involved, sometimes people don’t know how to volunteer or where to start and I am there to help them.
I like to talk about things that are meaningful. I feel like I have a responsibility to bring light to topics that are important. I love sharing information on charities that I love and volunteer with, I also talk about things like social justice, our environment and other topics I am passionate about. It is important to use your platform for good and to help educate others. You never know who might read something you are talking about and want to encourage people to do the same and the idea could grow into something bigger than you have imagined.
I personally started two initiatives that I think are important. I am passionate about our planet and the environment and the other is about racism.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
We are all affected by both topics that I started campaigns for. That’s why they are both so important to me. I am here to start the conversation and help get others to talk about it too.
The first campaign I started is about the environment and leaving less of a plastic footprint. Plastic pollution is growing everyday. We consume so much as a population that it effects everyone and everything around us. It’s harming not only the environment but the animals we love and the air we breathe, to the water we drink. There are small things that everyone can do and we can all start off small and do what works in our lifestyle. We need to be responsible as a community for our actions to make sure that we have a planet for the next generations. For my #OneLoveOnePlanet this affects us all. We all share the planet and live here and as a community we are all responsible for it. We need to do our part to make a difference and make more responsible decisions. That’s by making mindful decisions on what we buy and consume.
My second campaign #RiseAboveRacism hit closer to home. As a Chinese-American, I was hearing terrifying stories of Asians of all ages being attacked for being Asian. My friends told me they were being called racial slurs and I had a few friends who had been physically attacked. A friend and I talked about it and I asked her if she wanted to create a hashtag on Instagram to get people to spread the word to rise up against racism. The campaign was successful and we had hundreds of people re-share, post and support us around the world.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
For my initiative on single-use plastic there was no tipping point. Since I was in high school I have always had a passion for the environment. I started a recycling program at my boarding school. I always pick up trash and throw it out, I do beach cleanups, and try to encourage others do their part as well. Single-use plastic has been on the rise and it is really hurting the environment. I wanted to bring light to the subject and inspire others to eliminate in their households. It could start with bringing reusable bags to the market when you shop. Using a reusable water bottle, not using straws. Repurposing items and reusing them. There are so many ways to start and I just want to encourage people to be mindful with they buy things to help our planet. For everyone who participates in my campaigns, I plant a tree for them so that we are also giving back in a positive manner.
My more recent initiative is Rise Above Racism. This started because of all the violence that happened towards Asians all around the world. Being a Chinese-American, I had to speak up about this. I was hearing horrifying stories and reading them in the news. I had friends who had experienced attacks and I felt the need to talk about this. Racism has to stop. Many people experience it, it’s 2021 and this seems like a thing of the past but unfortunately, it is not. I would like to see an end to racism and I that starts at home by teaching your children.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Three things people can do is read & research about topics and don’t just get your information from Twitter or headlines. A lot of the time people are creating misleading titles so that you can click the article but many times people don’t read the article. Which leads to huge misinformation in our society. To talk intelligently about anything read and create your own opinions and don’t be scared to correct misinformation. Educate yourself.
Lead by example. If you are saying racist slurs about people at home then your children learn that. Teach them to be kind to people. No one should be discriminated for race, sex, or religion. No one should feel less about themselves for things that can not change. Teach your children to stand up for others, to be kind and compassionate. We all deserve the right to walk down the street without fear because of our race, that should never be an issue.
Use your voice. You may talk to a neighbor about single-use plastic or someone at the market and that may inspire them to eliminate it in their lives. They will talk to someone else about it and it goes on. You have the power to get others to be better. It only takes one person to make a difference.
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
If you have an idea that you want to implement online an easy way is to create a campaign getting others involved it could be by using a hashtag that others can share. Creating online videos, getting your friends & family to support you and post. I always make sure I ask my friends beforehand if they will post to make sure I have a certain amount joining right at the kick-off so that it will grow through their followings as well. When creating a hashtag make sure it isn’t one that is used by a bigger organization because you want to create a unique one.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
Five things I wish someone would’ve told me before starting are:
1. Just start, there will never be a good time to start something. Don’t worry about things like how much it may cost if you do things you love it will come out in your work. Everyone has to take that first step and the rest you just figure out as you go.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I am someone who never asks for help. I probably would’ve gotten further faster if I had asked for advice and help from friends. Even if that is just running ideas with someone.
3. Don’t be afraid of no’s. You will get a lot of no’s when you start. Don’t let that stop you from trying. When you do get the yes, celebrate it no matter how small it is. Sometimes the smallest victories are the most meaningful.
4. Have a plan. Even if it is a loose one. When you meet your goals it will really help you feel accomplished. When I started I really just took it day by day and if I had a plan I probably would’ve done a few things differently.
5. Find a healthy work-life balance. If you don’t you can burn out pretty quickly. I am the type of person who will respond all night to emails. You need to know when to close your laptop. Set boundaries for yourself and you will find more joy in your work.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
There are so many things that I am passionate about. Taking care of our planet, being mindful of what we buy so that we can eliminate waste. That is also with everything from food, single-use plastic and recycling. I also would love to see people be kinder to one another. That could be with helping someone, standing up for people, and using your voice. If you have millions of followers or just one follower you have a platform. Acts of kindness will inspire others to pay it forward. Lead by example and others will do the same.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Never stop learning.
If you take the time to listen to people and hear their point of view of topics even if it something you know about you might understand it in a different way. I learn something from everyone that I meet. It’s such an important thing to do or else we don’t grow.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Michelle Obama because she seems so vibrant and motivating. I would love to work with her.
How can our readers further follow your work online ?
They can follow me on Instagram @coucoujolieblog
and my website is: coucoujolie.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
Also in 2020, Sylvan launched SEGI TV, a free OTT streaming network built on the pillars of equality, sustainability and community which is scheduled to reach 100 million U.S household televisions and 200 million mobile devices across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV and others.
As Executive Producer he currently has several projects in production including The Trials of Eroy Brown, a story about the prison system and how it operated in Texas, based on the best-selling book, as well as a documentary called The Making of Roll Bounce, about the 2005 coming of age film which starred rapper Bow Wow and portrays roller skating culture in 1970’s Chicago.
He sits on the Board of Directors of Uplay Canada, (United Public Leadership Academy for Youth), which prepares youth to be citizen leaders and provides opportunities for Canadian high school basketball players to advance to Division 1 schools as well as the NBA.
A former competitive go kart racer with Checkered Flag Racing Ltd, he also enjoys traveling to exotic locales. Sylvan resides in Vancouver and has two adult daughters.
Sylvan has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and has been seen on Fox Business News, CBS and NBC. Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Social Media Stars Making a Social Impact: Why & How Loreen Hwang Aims To Help Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.