Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Evan Jackson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Evan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
I started Young Bold And Regal in 2013 as a platform in the form of a blog to highlight Black women in the field of the arts, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. Since 2015 I’ve expanded the central focus to be on Black women and women of color in the entertainment industry. At first it was simply a blog but I’ve refined it into a website, Youtube channel, and expanding to social media. I had an idea to feature the incredible Black women and women of color behind the scenes of Hollywood and the entertainment industry. There is such a plethora of talent that people do not see and I thought it would of been cool to feature them. At first it was difficult since we were brand new but I picked up traction writing sincere pitches on why I specifically wanted to feature those I had in mind. Through 2014 and 2015 I branched into doing sit down video interviews as well as red carpet events. I wanted to step it up another level so I learned diligently to apply to press passes and make connections within the industry. In order to make connections I decided my business model is all about customer service: respecting the people I came in contact with, adding value, lauding their talents, and highlighting their contributions to the respective industry they were in. From then on year to year I built the connections and like I tell people its essentially a big game of tag, soon most people you meet are connected. So they have this familiarity to you that have them coming back to you time and time again. Great examples are hearing about specific red carpet events and award shows & my Young Bold And Regal team specifically being asked to come cover the red carpet. That’s incredibly special! That shows me what we do, how we present our brand, and our work is so recognizable that the right people want us there.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
How I started in entertainment journalism precedes me creating my current entertainment media news brand Young Bold And Regal. In 2011 through 2012 I started out interning as an editorial assitant for Pasadena magazine, highlighting the great lifestyle of those in Pasadena, and Los Angeles Confidential magazine, a high end publication highlighting the entertainment and fashion world. I simultaneously wrote for online publications. To get started in that its all about your pitch. The pitch consolidates your ideas for a publication (print or online) about what you will write for them. In order to entice them to hire you, you have to be professional, creative, and most of all speak to what their brand story is as a company. If your pitches are unrelated to where they are going, don’t bother! So study their niche, even ask what their brand mission is and create a business dialogue so you know if its good fit for you to thrive and for them to benefit from your ideas. When I started Young Bold And Regal I initially wanted to write about the stories I’d love to talk about: musical retrospective articles on classics of the mid-2000s, the dynamic between men and women in the form of one of my first articles “The Five Women You’ll Meet In Your Lifetime”, and features on creatives whose work I admired. Then I realized all the publications I worked for had a distinct, clear and unique brand mission. So I refined my articles to focus in on Black women in the fields of the arts, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. That confidence in my brand brought in the right viewers. It clearly states what you are there for and me being creative in my approach attracts new viewers. So in addition to making list articles, video interviews, red carpet interviews, I also went the extra step in being detailed with all of these. Exclusive questions utilizing the latest tools on social media platforms.
I tell people when you’re in the flow of your party, event, or gathering you can’t capture those indelible moments on the red carpet or candid moment of walking in to see a surprise guest. That is what Young Bold And Regal is for! We capture those special moments through visuals on the medium of photography or filming it ourselves. That puts our clients at ease. With using several professional cameras and detailed plan from the point of contact to capture the best moments. Along with focusing on the hottest and best events in the entertainment industry Young Bold And Regal is the premiere entertainment media news outlet to goto.
I’m most proud of myself and the team that I’ve built with Young Bold And Regal and us giving high quality moments on the red carpet. With my media correspondents Rayven Nicole and Niaz Marie they are both stellar! Rayven Nicole is one of the first media correspondents we had dating back to 2015. She was the first correspondent that did sit down interviews with guests that added a different element to us as a brand. It gave a more intimate and closer look at the guests we had. And of recently her red carpet rapport is excellent making the guest of honor and celebs so comfortable and welcomed. Niaz began working for Young Bold And Regal as of 2022 and she brings such a warm and insightful demeanor to our interviews. She did an interview with Sheryl Lee Ralph, the Emmy award winning actress of Abbott Elementary, just a week after Sherly had won her Emmy and it was brilliant! I say its top five interviews Young Bold And Regal has ever conducted because Niaz nearly brought Sheryl to tears of joy and she brought out of her a message to young women in the industry. Those moments you can’t script. It’s all about me trusting my team with the right information (that we collectively do research on) that they’ll ask the great questions but also empowering them to rely on their intuiton when the celeb gives them a gem of wisdom. I’m proud of myself for stepping in front of the camera to interview some of our favorite celebs. I did an interview with the iconic artist and Academy Award winning actress Cher and that was beyond amazing! This was at the Apple TV Plus premiere of ‘Sidney” the documentary on the legend of Sidney Poitier. I feel out the moment and decide who interviews whom and in that moment I called my own shot. I asked her how she feels about the legacy of Sidney and she gave me such a beautiful answer. Moments before I also had met Oprah and these moments are so special. I’m glad I have the courage to step into them.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I always say Young Bold And Regal isn’t only about giving you the very best in entertainment news and specifically great moments on the red carpet: Young Bold And Regal is a lifestyle! Your audience needs to feel your brand everyday and especially every time you post on social media. I carefully curate each post and work with my team in front of the scenes and behind the scenes. An integral part of that is our photographer Cece Chrys who has such a keen eye for the best backdrops immediately when we are at different venues. So its about continuing into feed into the brand mission and emboldening the brand story. I ask people often: what are three most identifiable qualities of your brand. Every time you put out content about your brand it should center on those top qualities. I wanted my brand to focus on Black women in the entertainment space so its making sure I’m on the cutting edge of who is directing, screenwriting, budding stars and the current superstars in those spaces. But even going beyond that giving you visuals, articles and interveiws to guide you in that space. So the qualities of Young Bold And Regal being quality, entertainment, and storytelling. Even with a video post on instagram we are communicating with our audience about a high quality moment that tells the story of Teyana Taylor on a red carpet. Or when I interview Ryan Coogler, filmmaker of the Black Panther franchise, I’m asking him specific questions that are in the realm of the Young Bold And Regal world. It’s a language, a shorthand to the audience saying essentially “We got you, we hear you, and we are here to give you the very best and something unexpectedly great”. My advice is know who you are as brand, solidly your brand story, and fully immerse yourself in the brand qualities you set to exhibit.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
My favorite story to tell is how I started with Young Bold And Regal and how it gave me the gift of patience. As I started it in 2013 I grew a bit frustrated on how it was going because I didn’t feel I was getting much of an audience or feedback. But I doubled down on my brand mission and dove more into the storytelling aspect. I had interviewed Ardena Joy Cota formerly of the R&B group Isyss in an extensive article. I had put so much time and effort into the questions and listening to what she had to say. As I published the article I was disappointed that people didn’t notice my efforts. I pivoted in that I no longer cared about the numbers an article did, how well it was received, or the validation of others. I knew the article was great and it found an audience. A few months later Ardena had reposted the article to her Facebook page and the numbers exploded to become one of my most viewed articles on the website. I knew this particular piece had audience and I needed to be patient and grateful to have different avenues to highlight her story. From there she introduced me to the incredible singer, songwriter, and actress Amy Correa Bell. What was so cool is that the subjects of my articles and interviews see my attention to detail and respect that so much. So when I spoke to Amy I went further into my own writing style and away from the stuffy typical article introduction. So me expressing my thoughts on her career and even in moment noticing how she felt about her own career. That respect for the person I speak with and focusing on them and not the feedback turned it around for me. I became more confident in my brand and in myself in being a great storyteller.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.youngboldandregal.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mrbowtiebandit?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youngboldregal/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-jackson-64254b122/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/youngboldregal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Youngboldandregal
- Other: My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbowtiebandit/