Authentic Storytelling, The Gnar Gnar Honeys & Iced Matcha Lattes with Guest Trifecta Monica Medellin

Episode 26 – Pitchin’ and Sippin’ – Authentic Storytelling

Monica Medellin is a director, producer, CEO, and co-founder of The Gnar Gnar Honeys. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Monica focuses on stories related to diversity, identity, and social justice. Her work has been featured on Vice, Conde Nast, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and at The Women’s March on Washington. Previously a video producer at The Los Angeles Times and Define American, and a member of the Global Social Content team for the World Surf League, today Monica works full time as the CEO and Co-Founder of The Gnar Gnar Honeys—a creative collective of directors, producers, cinematographers and editors that bring a fresh perspective to filmmaking through authentic collaborations and unapologetic badassery.

In today’s episode, Monica and I dive into the world of filmmaking and authentic storytelling. We talk through the importance of inclusivity not just on the camera, but also behind the scenes, and what really goes into creating and producing genuine and successful content.

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Highlights:

• Monica walks us through her journey after college, from working at the LA Times, to the creation of The Gnar Gnar Honeys, she was able to blend her passion for filmmaking and sports with stories that focused on authentic storytelling, diversity, and inclusion.

• At the LA Times, Monica was part of a diverse team with different perspectives. This helped them to create short documentaries about issues that affected different communities and to connect and build trust with them.

• What does it mean to be a director or a producer?  Monica gives us a quick break down of both roles.

• Monica’s work has been featured across many major media outlets. She talks about how she landed such coverage.

• What is The Gnar Gnar Honeys? A collective of women that share a common passion for sports and creative industries. They make content that resonates with other women while working to get more diverse women behind the camera.

• How do you create authentic, engaging, and successful content? Monica shares her best tips.