We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren “Lo” Burchill and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Lauren “Lo”, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
When I first started my blog Lo’s Los Angeles almost 4 years ago I was excited to share all about the people, places, events and activities that make this city so special. While I still love to post about all of those things, I’ve found the content that most resonates with my audience is slightly more personal, raw and real. Through sharing about my day-to-day life—post-grad adventures, wedding planning, building my career, experiencing pregnancy during a global pandemic— I feel I’m really able to connect with my followers on a deeper level. I love having a platform where I’m able to showcase the local artists and small businesses that make this community so special. I find such joy in being a resource to tourists and locals alike whether it’s by helping them find the perfect restaurant for date night or by curating a list of the best hotels, shops and hikes in a specific area. The community I’ve built through Lo’s Los Angeles is full of creators, writers, travelers, mothers, business owners and so many other special individuals who help make Los Angeles such an invigorating, vibrant and special city to experience. Whether it’s a post about postpartum struggles I’m facing or a roundup of my favorite local brands, I take great pride in being able to serve and promote the community that I love so much with my content.
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.
My journey as an artist and creative has been a little bit all over the place— but that’s what has made it so fun! Growing up I always loved fashion, writing, visual art and photography. Since social media didn’t exist for all of my childhood, I never specifically knew that I wanted to pursue a career in social media and digital marketing. I did, however, know that I wanted to build a career that allowed me to incorporate all of my passions into one neat package. I studied journalism and broadcast media in college and after graduating I began my career working at NBC’s Access Hollywood. After more than two years of growth and unforgettable experiences at Access Hollywood, I was ready to pivot into a position that allowed me to work directly within the social media space. I am currently serving as the Social Media and Marketing Coordinator for an LA owned clothing company and I absolutely love it. Being able to be creative and use my skills as a writer every single day is an absolute joy.
As my professional career as grown and evolved, I’ve always maintained focus on my blog. Lo’s Los Angeles started out as a personal space where I could post some of the photos I had just sitting on my phone’s camera roll and it’s turned into a thriving platform that features a variety of local businesses, brands, events, and other information.
My Lo’s Los Angeles page is certainly nothing huge— I don’t have a massive following and I don’t get tons of brand deals and sponsorships (yet!)— however I still find incredible value in that space. Through all the ups and downs that come with blogging as a side hustle I’ve learned that I love posting, creating content, writing and sharing resources even if it all only reaches a few people! I truly enjoy being able to love on all the people, places and spaces that make LA so special and I will continue to do so regardless of how many people are or are not following along. While the Instagram algorithm, follower counts, engagement rates and posting strategies may change my devotion to sharing all about the community that I love so much never will.
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?
If I had to outline the perfect weekend in Los Angeles, it would look a little something like this:
Day 1: Pasadena/ LA
-Grab breakfast burritos at Lucky Boy then head to Lavender & Honey to get a delicious coffee or tea.
-Morning stroll around the Rose Bowl Flea Market or Huntington Library and Gardens
-Lunch at Joan’s on Third (get the fried chicken sandwich and Arnold Palmer…thank me later)
-Afternoon hike at Griffith Observatory to soak in all of those dreamy views
-Happy hour at Magnolia House in Pasadena— the Belgian truffle fries and specialty cocktails are to die for
-Dinner across the street at The Arbor. Hands down one of the best restaurants in LA. My go-to fancy dinner/date night spot.
Day 2: Long Beach/ Orange County
-Brunch at Vibes Café in Long Beach. Highly recommend trying one of the craft beers or specialty drinks they have available. I also love their breakfast pizza!
-Bike ride along the beach. Remember to bring some water and wear sunscreen!
-Cruise over to Balboa Island (by bike or by car) for a picnic lunch on the beach!
-Rent a duffy boat and go for a cruise with some friends. Make sure to pack some snacks and drinks to enjoy while you’re out on the water.
-Finish the day with drinks and dinner on the beach at the Beachcomber Café in Newport Beach
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by powerful, bold, creative, relentlessly ambitious women for my entire life. I was raised with the knowledge that I could achieve and accomplish anything I set my mind to as long as I was willing to put in the work and make it happen. My parents, sister, husband, close friends and other family members have always been my biggest cheerleaders and they still are to this day. As I got older and began pursuing a career in journalism and social media marketing I was lucky enough to work with some of the coolest, kindest, most innovative women in the game. I worked as the personal assistant to Liz Hernandez, an entertainment news host and journalist. Liz showed me that no matter how high up the ladder you climb there is not greater career accolade than being beloved and cherished by your co-workers. Her constant kindness and consideration for every single person she interacted with on set always stood out to me. She was such a wonderful person to work for and I enjoyed learning from her so much. Another standout early job experience was interning for the Charm Queen herself, Taryn of Pasadena Charm! Taryn has turned into a dear friend of mine and I learned so much about how to cultivate a real, genuine online community from her. Taryn always emphasizes the value of supporting local businesses and vendors and as I’ve worked to grow my own platform I’ve always done my best to highlight local faves of mine as much as possible. Finally, I’m blessed to have some of the most talented and creative friends in the world who cheer me on and support all of my crazy endeavors. My friends and I value community over competition and support each other’s side hustles, businesses and platforms in every way possible. Nothing I’ve accomplished would be possible without all of the people I’ve mentioned (and so many more not mentioned) and I’m truly so grateful to be surrounded by such incredible people.
Website: https://loslosangeles247.wixsite.com/mysite/about-lo
Instagram: https://instagram.com/loslosangeles?igshid=ut3wz6uug1o7