We had the good fortune of connecting with Ranier Maningding and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ranier, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In 2020, I created LLAG Media for the sole purpose of serving BIPOC creatives and progressives who’d been historically excluded from the marketing and branding industry.

I wanted to create a branding agency that prioritized BIPOC brands, influencers, and non-profit organizations that dedicated their work to helping marginalized people.

I also witnessed the massive explosion of right-wing media on social media, and I became convinced that BIPOC brands and influencers needed to elevate their communication and grow their online communities or else we’d continue to lose supporters.

Our agency is like a boxing gym where BIPOC creatives and progressives can develop hard and soft skills in content creation and learn how to build a sustainable online brand.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As an introverted artist who grew up in a traditional Filipino American family, I struggled with accepting my creative identity.

I was told that pursuing an art career would leave me broke and homeless, which is why I ditched my paint brushes and sketchpads so I could pursue a business degree. But once I got into college, I found myself fully in love with blogging and writing content on social media.

Eventually, all of my interests collided and I began my journey towards a career in advertising and marketing: the perfect industry to tap into both my creative and business side.

What I learned throughout this journey is that the key to success is knowing how to combine everything that makes you unique. You have to learn how to combine your talents, your skills, your passions, and your ambitions so you can find a purpose in life worth chasing. A purpose in life that makes sense for YOU, and you alone.

You can’t spend your life chasing other people’s dreams. You need to define “the good life” on your own terms.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve never been a fan of highly organized trips and vacations, so I would first check-in with my best friend to see what they’d like to do first.

No matter what they had in mind, every day would be filled with delicious local food from places they couldn’t visit back home. We’d try local Mexican and Indigenous cuisine, visit a ton of popular food carts, and shop at the nearby markets so we could cook a tasty meal back home.

Every day would have a balanced mix of planned events and free time.

If my best friend felt like taking a nap and hanging out at the park, we could do that. If they wanted to walk around Costco and the Asian market, I’d be down too. And if they wanted to stay home and play with my dog Yoko, we could spend hours chilling on the couch.

Our itinerary would be flexible with plenty of time for rest, adventure, and time to catch up and talk.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I give all my thanks to the thousands of followers and supporters from LLAG community who’ve been there for me all these years. From my lonely days as a WordPress blogger to my hectic years as a public speaker traveling around the country, these people have stood by my side and supported my work as an activist and a business owner.

No matter what direction I took with my brand, the LLAG community shared, commented, and uplifting my work, allowing me to reach new people and new opportunities.

As much as I’ve shared resources and information to educate my community, they’ve done even more work to open my eyes and help me develop a more nuanced understanding of identity, politics, and culture. I’ve learned so much from this diverse community and I wouldn’t be where I am today without their constant love and their high expectations for me to always do better.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/LLAGMedia/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.llag/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/theLLAG

Facebook: facebook.com/thellag

Youtube: youtube.com/llagmedia

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.llag

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.