Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thomas Orlina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Thomas, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

At a very young age, I wanted to work in the entertainment business. When I was in college, I started researching applicable courses that would lead me to the right door opening. After graduating, I began working internships and got my first job opportunity to work for one of the biggest studios in the world. From having multiple roles in different spaces in the entertainment business, such as public relations and corporate communications, I started pursuing my passion of being on camera.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to navigate everything, but if there was one change I could make, I would have made deeper industry connections more quickly.

In terms of essential skills, I would say networking. In this business, if you want to grow your brand or build your audience, it’s all about who you know. The obstacles I faced were a lot of people saying “no” to some of the earlier projects I would work on, but that ultimately led me to the opportunities I have today and I’m grateful for those experiences.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My entry point in the industry was working as an intern at an entertainment news organization. From there, I learned how to work with the media and adapt to a fast-paced environment. From that experience, I learned the value of building my network and focusing on relationship connections with people in the entertainment industry.

After getting a taste of the corporate world in entertainment, I wanted to pursue my on-camera career so I joined a broadcasting network that was created by Emmy winner, Maria Menounos. I started hosting after-shows on a weekly basis and had opportunities to interview celebrities and public figures on television. I think the exposure of that experience led me to creating and producing my own YouTube series, “Your Time With Thomas” which went on for 2 seasons and is still thriving on YouTube today. The show captured my lifestyle in Los Angeles and covered pop culture’s current events plus important subject matters such as mental health, diversity, and much more.

I believe being a pioneer in having my own show and producing the content in my own creative way set me apart from a lot of influencers. I took matters into my own hands and the show went on to get international coverage in Asia and across the United States on various global notable publications like Forbes.

I’m most proud of staying true to who I am and focusing on promoting important topics that are relatable and relevant to today’s society. I want my fans and supporters to know that everything I put out, whether it’s content or music, is one hundred percent from wanting to spread joy and positivity to the world. My team and I consistently work to enhance and elevate what we do to provide the public with the best entertainment.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to continue to create meaningful content that will leave a lasting impression. Since I started creating my own content in 2017, I stand by all of the videos and content we’ve put out. A lot of the messaging I’ve pushed has been either through experience or something I’ve wanted to advocate for. I truly believe that pushing messaging, whether it’s about mental health, diversity and inclusion, LGBTQ matters, or the Asian-American community, is so important to keep discussing in order to evolve as individuals. My hope for my content is that someone out there watches it, learns about my story, and gets inspired to create change in their own environments and mindsets. I’m appreciative for organizations like GLAAD, Forbes, CNN, and more who’ve covered my work and continue to push my work forward on their platforms.

For my music videos, I’ve championed mental health with “This Time”, a song charged with motivational lyrics to inspire others to charge forward with their life mission, and also “I Want It Right Now” which celebrates feeling comfortable in your own skin and owning who you are.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media has played a vital part in my success. In high school, I was always fascinated by the idea of connecting with people on the Internet. I first joined social media on a platform called, “MySpace” and from that platform, I was able to bring my audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X and now newer platforms like Threads and TikTok.

When I was featured on CNN Philippines, that’s when I started to gain international recognition. Celebrities like Paris Hilton started to follow me and other notable public figures, which really helped me jump-start my audience. I use my social media to connect and network, so I advise anyone who joins social media to have a purpose and to be authentically you with whatever you post and say on social media.

I recently performed live at the OC Fair for the first time ever, performing my discography which includes “Brush It Off”, “Journey”, “This Time” and “I Want It Right Now” along with my dancers. A lot of this opportunity came from social media by organizers finding me online. It’s important to make sure you represent yourself and your brand in the best way possible to continue to gain more opportunities and interest in what you’re doing.

Contact Info:

• Website: thomasorlina.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasorlina/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasorlina
• X: @thomasorlina_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBZLkuMI-uEZL_khP-2fOWw

Image Credits
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