Yvonne Faison

TEXT SHANNON M. HOFFMAN

VISUAL ASHLEY GUO

Yvonne Faison strolled into On The 30 in Sherman Oaks wearing a long grey cotton dress and oversized sunglasses. Fresh off the massage table, she was dressed down and wore no makeup, because she said she wanted to be “real” for the interview, a stark contrast from her glammed-up photoshoot. 

We talked about how we both feel more like ourselves when we wear minimal makeup — which led into a conversation about the entire point of this issue of SOVO// Magazine — that women can be themselves and succeed; be strong, independent, and worthy. 

I arrived early because I was afraid we were going to have to wait for a table, given LA’s obsession with brunch. But the place was almost empty. It would have been quiet were it not for the loud Bob Marley soundtrack playing inside. Marley was our icebreaker: Faison talked about the power of Marley’s legacy, and how that was passed down through his children and the different brands the Marley family owns — including the “Welcome to Jamrock” cruise she once sailed on from Miami to Jamaica and back. 

Over brunch and a buttery California Chardonnay, we talked about NFL football and the current controversy over Colin Kaepernick, whom she admires as a hero, and how she wanted the restaurant’s renowned lobster roll back on the menu. 

“Happy Labor Day,” she said. “To those who labor!” 

We shared a feeling of gratitude, as we agreed that we both never really felt like we were “working.” For both of us, that was a pivotal way of measuring whether we’ve “made it.” In Faison’s case, she unequivocally has. 

“A door opened and I stepped through it,” she said. “I always knew that I wanted to be in entertainment.” 

When she was growing up in Massachusetts, her parents’ jeweler, Tony, jokingly called her “Hollywood.” Too private of a person to be in the spotlight, she felt comfortable working on the management and production side of the business, and she did it through networking and hard work. 

In fact, Faison’s story relies heavily on networking, networking, networking — from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, to Washington D.C. working with Dizzy Gillespie, to Los Angeles. 

“Believe it or not, I started my journey in the entertainment industry working for jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, for his management and production company in Washington D.C.,” she relates. 

She says that from working with Gillespie and his colleague Charlie Fishman, and other musicians involved with them, “I learned a lot about everything, from touring to contracts, to how to get a travel visa in less than a week, to all the different things that go into an artist’s life. And so that was an incredible opportunity for me.” 

But then she remembers that her journey started even before that. She adds, “I guess I should back up a little bit, one more step, to say that I went to a really great school, Wesleyan University, and I studied psychology. I always knew that I wanted to be in entertainment, so for me the goal was always to try to find a job in entertainment.” 

For that purpose, she moved to D.C. and “just honestly lucked into this job working for Dizzy, but it was an extraordinary introduction into the entertainment industry.” 

The passing of Gillespie in 1993 awoke something in Faison. 

“I realized I needed to be in Los Angeles in order to fully make my mark on the industry in the way I envisioned,” she says. “Plus, I just love the sunshine and the lifestyle of being in Los Angeles. So I came to LA with no car, no job, and no place to live. And I got my first job out of the classified section of the Hollywood Reporter, back when they actually did have a classified section. It was working for a music supervisor whose best friend happened to go to my same school, Wesleyan, which is how I got the interview.” 

From then on she worked for a variety of independent producers. 

“I had another opportunity that I took, to work for Yvette Lee Bowser. She’s a television writer and producer who is award-winning and is known for creating Living Single. She also had another show called Half And Half that I worked on. It was produced on the CBS Radford lot in Studio City.” 

Although Faison loved that gig, the show was cancelled due to the UPN and WB merger that created the CW. So, Faison found herself out of work.

“Again, it’s all about connections, and who you know in this town. Coincidentally, Yvette had gone to high school with a woman who worked at The Recording Academy, who was looking for someone to work in membership for the Los Angeles Chapter. So Yvette recommended me for that position, and I was able to get an interview and ultimately got that job.” Faison adds that she found her experience at The Recording Academy inspiring. “I had the opportunity to work with so many gifted musicians, across genres, by introducing them to the organization for the first time and getting them involved.” 

“Music inspires me every day and it’s wonderful to see talented young artists like Daniel Caesar, Childish Gambino, H.E.R., Tori Kelly, Maren Morris and Jorja Smith doing their thing, with unique sounds and beautiful songwriting, arrangements, and overall production,” she asserts. 

But how did she get into h Club LA? More networking and connections, of course! 

“A friend and colleague of mine, Angelia Bibbs-Sanders, who was once Vice President of Member Services at The Recording Academy, and now works at LA Film School as Senior Director of Career Development, gave me a recommendation. I worked in membership at The Recording Academy for over 11 years, and was very immersed in artist relations and connecting artists and producers and other people in the music business,” she explains. “Angelia thought I would be a great fit, she saw me expanding my opportunities, and kind of branching out into other areas of music, which is why it’s so exciting to be a part of h Club LA.” 

After much deliberation about leaving her comfort zone at a job she held for more than a decade, she accepted a position as Senior Membership & Development Manager for h Club LA, which is a “members only” social club for creatives. 

Faison explains the h Club LA concept is “really about celebrating and integrating all these different areas of creativity that already exist within our city. Whether its technology, film, television, music, visual arts, sports, fashion, all the things that make Hollywood go round. Right now Hollywood is such a vibrant and exciting place to be!” 

h Club LA found its home at the old Redbury Hotel on Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood. The club will feature two restaurants, a performance lounge, recording studio, screening room, pool, gym, co-working spaces and 35 luxurious rooms, among numerous other amenities. 

Faison describes her own journey as a woman in the industry. “In my experience, it has been challenging to get opportunities, or to be recognized for promotions. It’s always an uphill fight for us as women, especially women of color, because the industry is still a man’s world in many ways.” Faison does see that things are changing. There are so many more women who own their own companies and really are bosses. We just have to work that much harder…” 

But it’s all up from here, she believes. 

“I would say it has gotten better. There’s more focus on diversity and inclusion. Especially how we’re approaching membership outreach at h Club LA, diversity is certainly something that we talk about all the time. We need to make sure there’s balance between men and women in the club, but also that there’s balance across different cultural backgrounds and industries. Really, that’s the most exciting thing, when you get creative, intelligent people together in a room – that’s when magic happens!”