I found out about L.A. Lady as she had interviewed my friends, Bri and Thais. I loved the concept of the site, which features “honest conversations with the most influential women of Los Angeles.” When I finally met Michele in person, I knew right away that I wanted to introduce you to her!
Tell us about yourself in a tweet.
I am the Creator and Interviewer of L.A. Lady. Also, I study Italian for the heck of it, and surf the Malibu waves every weekend!
Where are you from?
I was born in Orange County- Huntington Beach, raised in Chino Hills, went to college in Long Beach, and now I live in the Valley. I guess you could say I like Southern California a bit! Each city has it’s own personality, and I definitely have my favorite spots; but as long as there’s sun and a beach nearby, I feel at home. I don’t think I’ve ever had consistent tan-lines in my life.
What brought you to LA?
When I graduated from CSULB and then my acting program, I moved here to be closer to the industry action. I feel very lucky to say that 5 years later I am still doing what I love; and now, with the unexpected surprise of also running L.A. Lady! Needless to say that I am very happy with my decision to follow my heart.
What’s your favorite thing about LA?
I love that there is something for everyone here. No matter what mood you’re in, there’s a neighborhood or some kind of activity to fulfill it. If I’m feeling just fabulous then there are plenty of places I can go to have fun with that; but if I want to be a little more quiet or reflective I can easily find mood matchers for that too. I love knowing that I will never run out of things to do, that I will never have to worry about being bored.
Also, being surrounded by so many other people that also came to this city to pursue their creative or entrepreneurial efforts is probably the biggest deal-sealer for me. You don’t have to explain yourself or your dreams to anyone here. Everyone gets it. We’re an interesting bunch that you can’t find just anywhere. I’ve found my people!
Who is your favorite person in LA?
Whichever taco truck person is handing me my tacos at any given time…
Where is your favorite place to go in LA?
Sunset Point in Malibu Beach! It’s where I do most of my surfing if the conditions are good. Water is slow and smooth there. No electronics, no noise. Just being dirty and trying to stay alive. As much as I love the energy of the city hustle, I like that nobody is talking about any of that out there. It’s pretty much just chatter about the waves or nothing at all. It’s rejuvenating. And this spot is nice because it’s all cliffs so there are no beach goers. Less witnesses when I eat sh*t.
Also, if you’ve seen my Instagram feed then you know I’m ALL ABOUT my LA cafes. Any of them, anytime.
What is your favorite neighborhood in LA?
I would say the Downtown Arts District for creativity and inspiration. Toluca Lake if I want to feel like I’m somewhere a little homey-er. And Malibu always because… Malibu.
What has been your favorite LA experience?
Anytime I’m on set for a job. That’ll never get old.
What is the best advice you’ve received from one of the LA ladies you’ve interviewed?
This is a hard one as I honestly learn so much from each girl. Different moods will bring me back to reread different interviews to get my dose of whatever inspiration I need at the time.
One interview that consistently stays with me though, is probably the one that I was the most caught off guard by, which was with Ellen Bennett of Hedley & Bennett. Her answers were so short and blunt and I didn’t know how to take it at first because pretty much every answer was her saying she has no insecurities and that nothing scares her! I was like, “Huh?”.
I’m so used to the girls chatting about how nerve-racking their journey was (which was my experience too) that this one threw me off a bit. But I realized: wait, there really are people out there that just plow through and make stuff happen without ever looking back. Like, that’s an actual mentality for some people. It was really inspiring to publish/witness because I’m definitely an over thinker and worry wart.
My favorite line from the interview was this:
“Sometimes people just get caught up in the thinking and not the doing so they never make something happen!” -Ellen Bennett
What inspires you?
This might sound weird but I’m actually not totally sure! I’m a super curious person, and so anything has the ability to catch my attention and inspire me I guess. I think that’s why I love having one-on-one conversations/interviews- because I’m so interested, or inspired, by anyone’s story/advice/situation. I can walk away from almost anything inspired!
When it comes to more specific things, like being inspired for a role or a business thing, I’ll usually just refer to an accomplished figure who has gone before me and already achieved what I’m trying to do. It’s helpful to be reminded that what I’m trying to do is, indeed, do-able.
You can find Michele Carroll’s amazing interviews at L.A. Lady and you can also find her on Instagram!
