We had the good fortune of connecting with Angela White and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My first company was Silver Lining Entertainment, founded in 1997 while I was in law school. At the time, I accessed looking at my future that I was going to need to be an owner of my company for true financial freedom and success. This was paramount for me while I was studying mentors, people that I admired, and highly successful people. They all had one thing in common. Every successful person owned their business, and I wanted to follow that model and make sure that I set up my family for true financial freedom in the long run. Also, having your own business creates a legacy for you and your family that can’t be erased easily.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a proud woman filmmaker of color who produces movies and television series for a living. I love being a producer, as it’s one of the most creative forms of expression in telling a story, educating others, voicing your opinion about a serious or political topic; using art as a way to express yourself has never been more powerful than today.

I started in the entertainment industry as an entertainment lawyer, then a talent manager, and traveled to Los Angeles, California, and was introduced to the world of film and TV. I was amazed at the process and how writers could tell a story, and then a producer would make it come to life. This fascinated me in the early 2000s, and I just knew that I had to be a part of it.

I was blessed that a seasoned producer took me under her wing and offered me the opportunity to work for her and teach me the art of producing. More doors opened up for me from that opportunity, and I started my career slowly being a part of short films, indie feature films, comedy specials, documentaries, and TV series.

It has not been an easy road, but well worth every lesson, trial, and tribulation. You become a better business person when you go through some bumps in the road. It prepares you for the next level, and every challenge has been met with a solution-oriented mindset. You must be a problem solver to be an excellent producer, so challenges come with our industry.

I would want people to understand that as a person of color, we must tell stories that represent us and show how we are not monolithic. We have many experiences from all over the global diaspora. There are so many stories to be told from many different perspectives.

I want my brand to tell all of our stories to the world from a multi-cultural perspective for the masses.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I live in Los Angeles, CA, I have to brag about our beaches, food, and healthy lifestyle. The first thing we would do is go for a hike at Runyon Canyon to see breathtaking views of the city but get a good workout at the same time. Then we can go to Sunset Blvd. and have breakfast at the Griddle Cafe, which has some of the largest pancakes you have ever seen. I would recommend brown sugar pancakes.  Later in the day, if you want a good drink, head over to Javier’s in Culver City for some of the best margaritas freshly made.

Last but not least, for dinner, we must go to the Water Grill in Santa Monica for the best oysters and lobster.

We would start the next day with a bike ride on Venice Beach and end the night having dinner in Beverly Hills at Crustacean or go to Hollywood for the amazing Tao restaurant. So many choices in our great and sunny city!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to shoutout the main person responsible for any of my success, my mother, Deloris White. Without my mother’s love, patience, wisdom, prayers, finances, in the beginning, belief in me, and overall inspiration, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My mother deserves all the recognition as she was the first to take a chance on me and make me a believer in myself.

Website: www.msangelawhite.com

Instagram: @msangelawhite

Linkedin: @msangelawhite

Twitter: @msangelawhite

Facebook: @msangelawhite

Youtube: @msangelawhite

Other: My company websites: www.asilverliningentertainment.com www.backstagepasstothemovieindustry.com