Rising Star Sonia Isabelle of ‘Celebrity Page’ On the Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
Eliminate what doesn’t help you evolve.
We’re here to make the most of this human experience. We’re not meant to be stagnant and stay in the same place most of our lives. We should be constantly growing, evolving and becoming better versions of ourselves. For me, that’s meant a lot of change over the years. And I think many people view change as negative, but it’s simply the universe filtering out what no longer serves this new, highest version of you.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Sonia Isabelle.
Sonia Isabelle was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Los Angeles. She began her career as a television reporter and eventual news anchor for local affiliates including ABC and NBC. Sonia was a 5-Time Emmy nominee as a news anchor as well as receiving 3 Associated Press Awards and presented a Folio Award by the Fair Media Council. While at the ABC affiliate in Connecticut she was voted the best local TV reporter by Connecticut Magazine, named top local TV personality by the New Haven Advocate, and was listed as one of the top 20 Noteworthy Women by the New Haven Business Times. Sonia has left the world of news to host the daytime talk show The Juice on the national health and wellness network Z Living. Currently, she hosts the nationally syndicated hit entertainment show Celebrity Page which brings viewers inside access to red carpets, celebrities, and pop culture. When not working in front of the camera, Sonia is producing ad campaigns and content through her production company LUSHPOP such companies as Tiffany & Co, Revlon, Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, Vogue, Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, Coach and many more.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in both NYC and L.A., so I would say I’m a blend of both coasts — the edginess of NYC, combined with the laid-back nature of Los Angeles. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY until around age 11 when I moved with my family to L.A., which instantly felt more like home to me. Although I’ve been back working in NYC for quite some time, I’m hoping future projects will give me a reason to spend more time on the west coast again.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I developed a passion for storytelling at a very young age. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, my dad would record me interviewing people walking by on the street. That desire eventually led me to become a TV news anchor and reporter. But at some point, during my career in news, I started to feel less like I was doing a public service and more like I was spreading fear. I no longer wanted to be someone who delivered negativity. Instead, I wanted to use whatever platform I had to share only positive information, whether it be a focus on health, wellness, mindfulness or even featuring others’ accomplishments and empowering stories. I also really craved a larger creative outlet and eventually started a production company, LUSHPOP Productions, where I could merge everything I had learned in television with cultivating brand partnerships and helping to create a brand identity. In addition to LUSHPOP, I also co-host a nationally syndicated entertainment show called Celebrity Page, which focuses on positive pop culture.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
Just this past week I interviewed the music group TLC about heading back out on tour. I also shot a special Emmy episode of Celebrity Page, highlighting this year’s nominees. I also just wrapped up producing a video podcast focusing on minority and LGBTQ+ representation in the media. In terms of projects with my production company, LUSHPOP, we’re currently producing/ shooting projects for brands including Revlon, Estée Lauder, Herve Leger, Tiffany & Co, MAC and more.
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
As cliché as it sounds, we really do create our own reality. If you think you’ll fail, you will. If you think you’ll succeed, you will. Our mindset creates everything we experience in our environment. It can be difficult to see since oftentimes limitations might be hidden in our subconscious mind. So, my advice to those who want to embark on this career is just to dream. Envision yourself doing it. Feel yourself doing it. Believe you can have it. Then remove any blocks or limitations in your mind or your environment that might be keeping you from achieving it.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
I recently had the opportunity to help produce a video podcast for Pride Media which focused on minority and LGBTQ+ representation in the media. The webisode focused largely on pop culture and how influential the media can be when it comes to diversity and equal representation. It can be so impactful, particularly on young people, to be able to grow up and see themselves not only portrayed in the media but more importantly, accurately portrayed. That representation can truly set the stage for someone’s aspirations and goals. It has the ability to show them there are others like them and that they too can achieve big things. I do think much progress has been made in recent years, but it’s very important to keep the dialogue going and to continue to raise awareness. One of the organizations creating change in terms of women being accurately portrayed in the media is called SeeHer. Each week on Celebrity Page we feature a SeeHer Spotlight where we focus on women making a difference in the entertainment industry. I do think we’ll continue to see more and more initiatives like this one until the scales have been balanced.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. Go with your gut. If something or someone doesn’t feel fully aligned, move on.
2. Push through the fear and stop trying to find reasons why you can’t do it. There will be lots of challenges along the way, but the challenges are only there to show you whether or not you truly want it.
3. Eliminate what doesn’t help you evolve.
We’re here to make the most of this human experience. We’re not meant to be stagnant and stay in the same place most of our lives. We should be constantly growing, evolving and becoming better versions of ourselves. For me, that’s meant a lot of change over the years. And I think many people view change as negative, but it’s simply the universe filtering out what no longer serves this new, highest version of you.
4. Be YOU! You’ll never be happy trying to fulfill others’ wishes for you. Once you embody who you truly are, you begin to attract like-minded people and situations that are in alignment with you.
5. Be your own boss. Stop working just to make someone else’s dreams come true.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Work/life balance is so important, but it has to be authentic in order to truly create a balanced lifestyle. Having a life outside of work can be counterproductive if you’re not surrounded by the right people or environments. I got to a point where I started eliminating everything that wasn’t in alignment with who I truly am and started to embody what it truly means to live a balanced life. Every single thing I do now is done with intention. I’m also very protective of my energy and what I allow in. If a certain person or environment alters my mindset in a negative way, I simply don’t engage or I find a quiet place where I can shut out the negativity.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Humanity is currently undergoing a major shift in consciousness. Many of us are awakening from outdated beliefs and structures that have held us down. Therefore, systems are falling. Anything that’s been out of balance is being broken down, only to be rebuilt in a far better way. We’re all at different stages of this journey and I think most people aren’t fully aware of what’s happening. What’s being portrayed in mainstream media isn’t what is truly happening beneath the surface. It can be very difficult for people to navigate these chaotic times when information is being withheld and censored. I would love to inspire a movement that can help rebuild how we receive our information once the outdated system collapses. I would love to be a part of building a mainstream outlet that delivers truth, where the public can trust that the information they’re receiving is truly intended to help them.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve always been very independent and have had to navigate much of this on my own. I’ve faced a lot of judgment and labels because when you don’t try to fit in, people don’t know how to categorize you, and that scares them. That said, I’ve had countless teachers along the way. I find lessons in every interaction that I have, whether they be positive or negative. These days I’m constantly inspired by many of the people I collaborate with and work with on different projects. I’m inspired by people who speak and live their truth. Surrounding myself with those types of people over the last several years has really empowered me to find out who I truly am.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” — Carl Jung
This quote basically means that in order to find your true authentic self, you must look inside your heart. Many people tend to attach to relationships, jobs, a house, a family, pets, etc in order to fill voids and holes in their lives. The only way those holes can truly be filled is to stop attaching to the outside, and instead, go inside and find out who you truly are.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow me on…
Instagram: @sonia.isabelle
Twitter: @SoniaIsabelleTV
Facebook: @soniaisabelle
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
