Welcome to another episode of our series SLG Meetups by Super Luxury Group, where we connect with some of the most interesting players in the Luxury market. My name is Alvaro and today we'll be having with us a very special guest. His name is Christo Fere Yallanella. He is the group publisher at Modern Luxury, one of the largest Luxury Media Networks in the country.
Chris will be talking about how he has been able to help multiple brands in the Luxury Space share their story, connect and make a positive impact in the community. We will be also discussing the latest trends in the email media and how to adapt your company during this initial time to overcome the challenges. Enjoy! More please!
My friends are going on. How are you? I don't know what time it is where you are, but it's eight or twelve AM in LA on a Friday. Listen, I appreciate your time.
Thank you so much for being here today. How are you? Of course, when you just touch the camera everything has to just look so right, right? Look at the magazine behind me.
Where is that? That's our girl Chrissy Teigen. Chrissy Teigen who is married to John Legend. Yeah, yeah, yeah, our cover star from I think that was 2016 maybe that's when it was so I love it I got something beautiful for this Friday.
I love it. I think that brings the whole tone into it because Chris I mean you are among all celebrities working with multiple luxury brass and you are obviously in where all the good stuff is at South Kyle so fast rain or Los Angeles come on not bad at huh? So, you know, it's funny I've been in that way for since 1994 so half my life So now I finally consider myself to be a true Angelino So yeah, I'm working with New Jersey and I get my way out west and you know now I'm here to stay I think who knows for now, right? Yeah, exactly so Chris I was making a quick intro by yourself because you are the group publisher for mother luxury one of the largest Luxury media networks in the whole country and obviously you have a lot of magazines under like Angela right there So I wanted to say because you are currently making out of this media such an important thing because more and more these days You need to be present and you need to get exposure and you need to be able to connect with the audience And you guys do it in a very unique and sexy way.
So how do you end up if more than luxury and making it so successful? Yeah, well, thank you by the way for the for the nice intro So basically my role here is I'm the group publisher here in Southern California for LA in Orange County and Palm Springs So we've got a few different titles under our belt. So in LA We've got the Angelino brand the LA confidential brands brand and we have the Riviera brand on Orange County And then we do home design we do a home design magazine called California interiors and then we do a California weddings magazine So, you know the brands all speak for themselves and underneath each brand. We've got print which is our magazines We've got digital opportunities.
We've got experiential when it comes to events and connecting, you know consumers with some of the businesses We've got a PR element obviously without a tutorial. So that's really my role is to oversee all these different aspects of the business You know, I started back in 2000 It was really interesting story my girlfriend at the time Who's now my wife brought a copy of this magazine home and said you should call the gentleman who's the publisher of that magazine So I did his name our original founder was Michael Kong and I called Michael Kong and he literally I'd me command and I said, you know, I understand salespeople because I was interested in sales and I understand salespeople get paid commission So you really have nothing to lose so give me a shot So next thing you know, I'm sitting next to him in his office because we were you know tiny But mighty then and I you know learned a lot and really it was pretty much walking up and down the street meeting potential businesses and building relationships You know and the funny thing I'll throw is I do the same thing now You know, I'm still doing the same thing 20 years later where I'm knocking on doors making phone calls and just connecting businesses with like-minded businesses and businesses with consumers And we've been very successful on that because we're able to get a nice audience engaged with our advertisers and with our with our content Absolutely, you guys have over 60 million right that are currently engaged with your with your content I really got 88 titles, you know, so we're very busy people the way that you're connecting with the communities and showcasing really nice High-end content is what really brings people into these stories away from that negativity that we are living And I see that you also have a show hanging with Chris where you bring also interesting people to talk about the brand Obviously, I think we're all kind of finding new ways to think the word that I'm hearing a lot is pivot So you're finding new ways to connect and I feel Alvaro my saying your name correctly. You're saying perfectly All right, I feel Alvaro that right now with zoom and all this, you know everyone virtual you have more of an opportunity to connect with people Because let's say the pandemic never happened would you and I connected like this maybe maybe not? I feel I started doing this hanging in with Chris Should really give my advertisers my friends really a platform to be able to talk and talk about what was happening You know in the world and I think it provided some really cool content That's a really interesting people on there from local business owners obviously in the beginning I had some restaurant owners who were really suffering during the pandemic in the beginning where their restaurants were shut down So it gave them a platform to talk about you know their delivery service and how they were protecting You know, they're protecting us with how they were utilizing different ways of wiping down their menus and you know Making sure it was safe then I had you know some celebrities like I did something with Vanessa Williams The legendary singer and actress and Vanessa my host at a wine tasting and it was really interesting So, you know, it's fun when you when you have the opportunities like this to kind of create fun exciting things that are Meaningful because I like to do things that actually make sense I believe that when you have access to such a large network You can do things with a purpose And I wanted to ask you this because with the leverage that you have with Mother Luxury and bringing all this community together How are you seeing the impact in the community?
You know, it's interesting for certain businesses right now. I know in Southern California real estate is doing very well Home design is doing very well So we're also seeing it an uptick in local hospitality picking up where people from Los Angeles are taking little vacations to Palm Springs or Orange County or San Diego So we're seeing a lot of business kind of moving that way as well But Chris with all the things that are happening. What are some of the stories that you are showcasing the most and that you see You're repeating right now So, you know, we did something really interesting when when the pandemic hit we wanted to really keep up with the times because you couldn't really write About the best in your restaurant or the best place to travel So we literally threw our editorial calendar out for the month of May because the pandemic hit in March And we already gone to print with April and so we decided to do our first ever hope issue Which was an opportunity for us to create Sort of a you know honoring the heroes on the front line type issue So we literally had about 25 individuals who were doing great things during the pandemic also had our advertisers You're like we're there to support that message in so, you know, normally modern luxury work We might get people away from the news and what's happening But we felt like you know We had to do this because really we wanted to make sure that we were Represented in a way and to show that we really do care about what's happening around us amazing No, I can definitely see that because I all you guys and what you guys are doing is phenomenal now with all these different brands That you're working in different businesses in the luxury space. How do you see the transition of what we call luxury moving forward?
Yeah, I think luxury could define be defined in so many different ways I mean for me and luxury is connection luxury is community Luxury is building your brand and you know, I think they're very wealthy people are still gonna spend I think they still have the money to spend so in our sector, you know, we see it continuing So, you know, that's the good part of our business that I think people will start getting out and traveling again Hopefully in you know Q2 of 2021 So we're already starting to see an uptick and we've actually keeping track of what's happening in China with with the economy and how people Buying, you know, for a mess scarf and bags and you know, so our business kind of represents that model as well Well, I think that's a good a good way of looking at it And well, well explained because it's very important that also they look so it relates to communities because when you are part of our community And you help each other with a bigger purpose, there's always good things ahead So I think that you have access to one of the largest, you know media networks in the whole country So I think that looking at that bigger purpose is always important and one of the great things Alvaro of what we do is let's say you're a store Or they'll drive right here. How are you Winston, for example? We partner a lot with these luxury grants because it gives them the opportunity to get local people into their stores or local people involved in what they're doing So that's the beauty of what modern luxury does is we provide local access to a high net worth of consumers within an integrated area So, you know, obviously the markets were going to capture the very wealthy So also like down in Orange County, like South Coast Plaza, you know, it was a mecca of shopping destination They've been closed they reopened and they closed again Obviously they're at minimal capacity if we can go there But we're able to capture a stronger audience of the right people to get in there because modern luxury is not about how many We're about who many so we're always going to continue to kind of keep that mold of of our, you know, audience Definitely, definitely and if you were having a conversation with somebody that is looking to expand their business in the luxury space You know take advantage of this new way for digital media that everybody's into will be your number one suggestion Yeah, so obviously, you know The days of just selling a print page in the magazine or you know far in view between so we like to sell packages So whenever I meet with a customer, we really in a for me It's always like a first thing you're asking so many questions to figure out if it makes sense to continue this relationship, right? So that's how we really we do a we do an axe of their business You said it right there delivering the message and gaining brand equity because right now It's more important than ever to really gain that piece of market into your customer's ideal scenario on your brand because right now There's so many options out there.
So it's who delivers better the message and consistently in a well-branded way now in a more personal level What would be beautiful success in your eyes? For me, I think you kind of nailed it I mean success I think for me right now is time and family and having the opportunity to spend a lot of time with your family because I don't know how you're personal or in your business like this But for me, you know, I'm out a lot at events and meeting people and connecting people where sometimes my family I don't want to say come second, but sometimes it's sort of the nature of our business But this time is giving me the opportunity to really spend a lot of time So I think success for me is really being able to be with your family and and having the access and the opportunities to do that I mean, you said yes you did perfectly You know the day when you build the business that feels your passion everything comes natural And as long as your vehicle is part of the element that is gonna thrive you through your lifestyle You know your family is in the mix. So it's all combined. You said it well, right?
And look I do appreciate your time But if somebody wants to reach out to you to work together or do something with you, what can they find you? Well, easily I mean obviously on Instagram my my handles at Christopher Gia and QE DM I respond to everybody, you know literally so feel free to send me DM and go here for me And I'll kind of direct you to the right right route whether you want to do anything in Los Angeles or any of other markets I'll steer you in the right way or you could excuse me go to our website You go to modernluxurymedia.com and get up have an opportunity to see all the magazines that we do So anyway, that's the best way to contact me. No, I'm very glad that we go to connect Chris It's always a pleasure And you know if I think of somebody that is like the global connector or I will say the local expert with the global reach That'll be you so I'm glad I appreciate it. Did you join us today?
Well, I'm gonna have to have you on my show so I could ask you a lot of questions. Oh, there we go Let's do it. Let's do it. Happy to do so.
But no, so I look forward to seeing you in California or whether you come down to Miami Pleasure as always and Chris will be touched. You got it. Thanks for having me. Take care They had a pleasure And thanks again for everybody tuning in today.
We hope you enjoyed it I remember embrace it's beautiful success in life. My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time