Meet Ron Epstein | Publisher of L.A. Parent and President of Epstein Custom Media Inc.

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

Hi Ron, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Without a doubt, it’s having the right team. I love what I do and look forward to work every day, but no one does it alone. I’ve hired some outstanding people over the years who have helped us grow, and I’m forever indebted to them, including the all-star team we have now. I look for three traits in people: solve problems, deliver excellent customer service and work well with others. If you check those boxes, you’ll probably do well with us.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My wife Elena and I own L.A. Parent, which is a bi-monthly magazine, a website, a newsletter, socials and other ancillary products all aimed at parents in Los Angeles. Our goal is to make parenting easier for this generation of moms and dads. Our content is about education, enrichment, family-friendly activities and places to go, summer camps, family travel, pediatric health and anything else that is on a family’s radar. It’s a great niche. We are a team of parents researching, writing about and sharing what we know.

We purchased this business in late 2012. We knew the brand from when our kids were young and always relied on its content. It had fallen on hard times, and given that Elena and I had spent our careers in different branches of media, we jumped at the chance to rebuild L.A. Parent. It was a wild and crazy ride in the beginning: moving offices, hiring new people, changing vendors, etc., but we learned something every day and never lost sight of where we were going. We invested in the business and our people and soon were on solid footing.

The key is customer service — internal and external. We do our best to share our vision and challenges with our employees and listen to their ideas, and most of the time we come up with the right solution. Similarly, we listen to what our clients and audience say. Oftentimes, they’ll tell us about something we should cover, and the next you know we launch a product to fill that niche.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So many things to do in LA that are unique. Here are my top 5.
A day at Zuma Beach with a frisbee and a boogie board. It doesn’t get any better than this — and it’s free.
A night at the Hollywood Bowl. I’ve seen dozens of concerts here, the Sound of Music sing-a-long and fireworks on the 4th of July. It’s one of my favorite venues. The acoustics are great, the views are beautiful and how fun to enjoy an evening of music outdoors with friends and food.
A game at Dodger Stadium. I’m a baseball nut and have been to stadiums across the country, but there’s something about an evening game in LA watching the Dodgers that is unlike any other stadium. With the mountains in the background and the Dodgers perennially in the playoff picture, it’s a great atmosphere.
A few days in Santa Barbara. Somehow the sun always shines in Santa Barbara, and it’s such a beautiful spot with lots to do, from bike riding along the beach to walking along State Street to visiting the zoo and eating outside year-round.
The Warner Brother Studio Tour. It’s super cool to see where and how TV shows and movies are made.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m fortunate to have been surrounded by smart and kind people for most of my life. People who helped me develop a work ethic and a sense of integrity and, as I progressed in my career, who helped me understand business. Here are a few of them, and the lessons they taught me:
My Dad, who ran his own business, taught me that you’re going make mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Don’t dwell on them.
My friend Mike Dilbeck, who is also a small business owner, who told me the importance of trusting the people you hire.
My friend Tom Wolfe, who was the CFO of a company where we both worked, taught the business side and finances of publishing.
My friend Terry Thompson, who was the VP of Sales of the company, showed me how to connect with people, and that not every conversation with a prospect or client needs to be about sales.

There are more, of course, but those 4 stand out. From there, I love to read/learn about people. Success in business and life goes beyond having a good product, it’s about the connections you make.

Website: https://www.laparent.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laparentmag/

Twitter: https://x.com/laparentmag

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAParent

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPATBs3QXX9UjfNhNVfJwQg

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