MoAnA Luu is challenging the status quo while nurturing the global sisterhood of ESSENCE.
When Essence first announced their plan for independent operations early last year, they knew that it was time to set a firm C-Suite in place.
Under a new owner and a rapidly changing foundation, a realignment was needed — and fast.
Enter MoAnA Luu.
The Caribbean-born powerhouse is a creative leader, producer, philanthropist and interior designer with quite an extensive background in media. Having worked and lived in Martinique, Paris and The Phillipines (just to name a few) she is no stranger to documenting and celebrating culture. Most recently, she served as Chief Creative and Brand Officer at Trace Media Group, one of the leading media companies in Africa.
These days, she's settling into her newest role as Chief Content and Creative Officer of Essence. With an audience of 24 million — Luu is preparing for the brand's 50th anniversary equipped with a plan to further curate their global audience. I got a chance to chat with her about their new strategy for revenue and growth, why it's important for women to be in C-Suite positions and provide tips for women transitioning into high level leadership positions.
Danielle Hughes: Your background in media has led you all across the world. From Paris, to The Philippines, to most recently, Africa. How big of a role do you believe your global experience has served in your newest role as Chief Content and Creative Officer at Essence?
MoAnA Luu: Everything that I’ve done and everywhere I’ve lived has prepared me for what I’m experiencing right now. All of it has contributed to my journey. I’ve always tried my best to keep an open mind to other cultures. Essence is a community of black women from all around the world. At the time that I joined Essence, the brand began to focus on global expansion. My focus is to ensure that we are representing black women from every corner of the globe. I encourage our editorial team to have a broad perspective in that respect. We are committed to celebrating our uniqueness and our diversity.
Hughes: In your opinion, how important is it for women of color to be in positions of power especially as it relates to advertising and media.
Luu: It’s extremely important for a black woman to be in a position of power in every industry. We deserve to be in the room and at the table. Working on strategy and decision making – not only for black women but for all races. It’s clear that gender equality and equal representation ensures the authenticity of decisions made. With respect of the media — it’s important that we see ourselves so others can be inspired. From magazine covers, to movies to the board room.
Hughes: Under your leadership, where do you see Essence in coming years as it relates to creatively amplifying the voices of women of color and seeking opportunities for readership and revenue growth?
Luu: At Essence, we have a global sisterhood. Our goal is to continue to expand on that sisterhood while celebrating and amplifying who we are. We will continue to produce innovative content – television shows, podcasts, etc. We actually already have a very successful podcast called; ‘Yes, Girl!’ with 2 million downloads. We’re going to continue this because we want to reach her everywhere that she is. Our next goal is to expand digitally. We’ve already started to experiment with this with the redesign of our website. We now also have a focus of content and creative expression. We are embracing more diverse women. We are here to tell her stories and support her in every way, from business to mindset. I believe this is what makes a big difference with Essence, we’re not a fashion magazine or company – we’re a cultural brand. As far as experiences, Essence Festival is the largest cultural empowerment experience in the world. This will be my first time at Essence Fest and we are celebrating 25 years this summer in New Orleans. This will be the center of culture for black people. This is very important to me.
Brag Ogbonna
Hughes: On a global scale — how is the world impacted by women having a seat at the table? Specifically, black and brown women in executive level positions?
Luu: The world is much better when women have a seat at the table. As I mentioned earlier, it’s extremely important for black women to be empowered to have executive level positions in every industry. Women of all races deserve to be in the room. Women run the world and it’s important to have our outlook and our perspectives making decisions.
Hughes: What are your top 3 pieces of advice for women looking to obtain a position in the C-Suite?
Luu: First and foremost, I’d say it’s important that you give back – not just earn a title. Be yourself, work hard and do it your way… you’ll make it.
