We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful La’Janeé. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with La’Janeé below.

La’Janeé, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Exclusive Deets Media, LLC, was created when I realized that no one would respect my craft or hard work as much as I do. As an overachiever at my former employer, The Shade Room, having the most exclusives, it was only fitting that I created my own media company, giving it the same effort. While I’m still adjusting and building my business as I see fit, it is time to take my career into my own hands and create my platform.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m La’Janeé– a journalist, author, social media strategist, content producer, digital marketer, and owner of Exclusive Deets Media, LLC, a digital media publication– from Moss Point, MS. I graduated from THEE Jackson State University with a B.S. in Mass Communications.

I’ve always been talkative and curious, so going into communications was the only choice for me. Having been in this industry for 14 years, I’ve had the pleasure of breaking some of the hottest stories, including Megan Thee Stallioin’s former bodyguard going missing before testifying in the Tory Lanez trial, the White House denies giving drug paraphernalia to drug addicts and nearly 100 more.

One thing that works for my company is providing content from Facebook. Incorporating this tactic into my business model has improved the experience of Exclusive Deets and set it apart from others. The community can get exclusive information, political deets, and Facebook content all in one place. It’s a place that makes you laugh and keeps you informed.

My ability to merge traditional news and social media has been critical to my business’ success. As we witness the evolution of platforms like Meta and the dissemination of their content through social apps, I’m proud to be at the forefront of the cultural shift. We’re seeing a cultural change in the digital space. As one of my friends pointed out, Facebook and TikTok will be where the next creators emerge.

As a former employee of The Shade Room and currently at BET, having the eye to know what works and package it for consumption sets me up for success.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’m in the middle of a pivot now—professionally and personally. Going from employee to business owner is no small task, especially when you know what to do and have to live up to your internal standard because there’s only one way to do it—the right way.

I’m not going to lie; it gets a little heavy juggling personal and professional life simultaneously. It would be much smoother if there weren’t so much change on both fronts, but that’s not my reality. In this season of my life, I’m genuinely excited about what I’m creating and the lifestyle I’m building. I feel like I did when I was in my 20s—fearless, not tainted, and just going for what I know.

With age comes experience; sometimes, it can be both a blessing and a curse. As we go through life, it can sometimes knock the wind out of us and take away our dreams and bliss. These days, I’m reclaiming all of that. I’m not worried about what happened in the past that would allow me to be too fearful or pessimistic to try new things, having a negative mindset. I have experience entering this chapter of my life and look forward to having the childlike curiosity and zeal of a 20-year-old.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Exclusive Deets Media, LLC is relatively new—it is six months old. Honestly, I started it one day out of the blue. I knew I wanted to launch my media company but never set a date, so I immediately activated my funding ideas to get substantial ad dollars.

I had a colleague of mine to reach out and set up a meeting with a well-known brand. We met and had a good conversation. I pitched my ideas, and they loved them and my content, especially my Facebook posts and packaging. They brought back an extremely low offer, and I countered, but they would not budge. I passed on the offer but kept the door open for future partnership opportunities.

After a while, I would sell a few ads and get nearly what they offered with significantly less work. I’m still working toward my goal, but I’m glad I passed. Lowballing myself as soon as I started would’ve created an unnecessary loop that locked me into a low offer for longer than anticipated. Learning to look at the bigger picture in business saves me from many inconveniences. It truly has to make cents for it to make sense!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://exclusivedeets.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_lajanee_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lajaneealford/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_lajanee_/

Image Credits

Jacksonian Media (Magazine Cover)