Meet Darlene Danielle Ricabo | Digital Marketing Specialist, Media Producer/Creative Director, & Talent Relation Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Darlene Danielle Ricabo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darlene Danielle, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business comes from being the talent in this case. Because I modeled for so long and have witnessed the fashion / entertainment industry in LA in its many states of flux it provided me a different take on media production. As it goes, most industry-specific talent end up transitioning to the other side of the camera in some capacity. The thing about me is I am here to optimize media production processes, LA has made a bit of a mess of itself and I’m here to clean this shit up. It comes from a state of caring. Cause who really gives a fuck about anyone anymore? There’s really been a loss of production value and integrity in how we operate and it actually really makes me sad. So I continue to create and provide opportunity for the community & building it in that manner, the community that I came from. You want to be the person that would have been that ONE to help you realize your power and take you under their wing. The acknowledgement gives people so much more confidence in what they’re capable of and I love to pull it out of them. I’m working from the bottom all the way to the top so I can see where things can be streamlined to make all parties involved happy, not by just cutting costs but being able to cut the third party out of the picture. I want brands and talent to cultivate relationships within the studio, to bring back the days of the muse. We are an ecosystem of content production, not just a casting company or marketing agency. We don’t want to just send out the boxes to make those PR Unboxing Videos that we are oh so tired of watching. We create a place where you want to come and create, we just facilitate the process to make it as organic as possible. I always believed you make better content when you’re having fun and you’re safe and you’re valued.

What should our readers know about your business?
I think the hardest part about what I do is pinning it down. I’m everywhere and anywhere and nowhere all at once. All creatives have to maintain cash flow and their passions. It’s never easy. The whole thing has been challenging therefore I continue to do what I do and hold myself to making it better for everyone. I always joke that I didn’t name it madhaus cause I wasn’t pissed. To be honest I almost called it spite studio. If you’re not just a little bit mad at the world around you, you’re not paying close enough attention. But I advocate to turn it into something and let it fuel your creating. There’s a lot of toxic positivity in LA don’t let it trick you into thinking that your feelings aren’t justified. Just make sure you take those feelings and channel them in a way that benefits the world. Something like alchemy or whatever. It doesn’t happen overnight but it’s worth it. I’ve had a lot of lemons thrown at me, I turn them into Hibiki Highballs with a lemon twist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would probably start my way from LAX/South Bay Area & move inland. I am from the South Bay/Long Beach so I have beach life close to my heart. I’d spend my day in Palos Verdes go hike the cliffs & then hit Redondo area and go eat at Captain Kidd’s. Maybe do some paddleboard yoga or drunkenly bike to Hermosa Beach & go see my friends at Ryla. Then we’d have to do the Weho/Beverly Hills couple days, I’d take them to the boys town strip, Funke, maybe hit Adults Only & go have Urth Cafe hungover: Real Entourage like. And then I’d have my last leg in downtown central area. Carnitas El Momo, El Cid in Silverlake, Griffith Park, & Filipinotown to Dollar Hits cause I’m Filipino and it’s a must. Definitely a Little Tokyo run. Suheiro Cafe, Far Bar, and Wolf & Crane. These kind of represent the neighborhoods I’ve spent the most time in growing up here.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this to all the kids who wanna put themselves out there, keep being yourself & everything else will come follow. And I don’t mean just followers, that’s definitely not the point! And also to all the people who help me do what I do, I’ve been fortunate to find just as many wonderful people in this industry as well. Invest in your team, your friends, your peers. Show love, cultivate relationships genuinely, what’s the worst that can happen?

Instagram: @darlenedaniellericabo @madhaustudio

Image Credits
Dave Tada
Kaitlyn Franklin
Bil Brown
Eternalized Productions
Feat. Marino (cg)