Her Story
About Valencia
Valencia Bey owns My Local Media, a music and video production company in the entertainment industry where she has spent 25 years. A lifelong creative who sings, writes, and produces, she began focusing on her own music and video work about 20 years ago after earlier careers that included 20 years in tech as a digital consultant. Bey holds a bachelor's degree and is engaged in graduate and master's program work. She produces a puppet show centered on Granny, who has dementia, and her daughter as caregiver, creating relatable content that helps audiences feel less alone. Her work recently earned a Hometown Media Award for best producer in the mixed and transmedia category, presented by the foundation of the Alliance for Community Media. Bey attributes her success to persistence and following her creative vision despite criticism, and she values bringing laughter, positive messages, and meaningful differences to people's lives while balancing digital outreach with in-person engagement through her puppets and performances.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Valencia
01What do you attribute your success to?
Not giving up and not listening to what other people say, because I'm a lifelong creative. I've had people call me weird, criticize the puppets and music, but I just have to do something and it all makes sense because the puppets sing.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Do what brings peace and satisfaction and the money.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Keep going, don't give up, figure out a way to make it happen, even if you have to take a job that you can't stand for yourself and your creative endeavors. Just don't give up, stay the course, because everybody I know who has stayed the course has been able to make a life, and they're satisfied, and they're happy.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Keeping up with all the different ways to reach people. There's a big push for digital during COVID, but people in my generation (Gen X) never let go of in-person contact. The challenge is figuring out the balance between real-life contact and digital. The digital space is an extension of the work I'm doing in person. It's a welcome challenge because I want kids and adults to touch the puppets and engage on creativity, fun, on joy - to be more tactile and present physically with each other.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Making people laugh and make a difference in someone's life in a positive way. The puppet show is about Granny who has dementia and her daughter as caregiver, making content that's relatable so people feel less alone. Trying to be a light and share positive messages and experiences because the world is what it is. If I can bring a little light and a little levity and make people laugh, then my job is done.
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