IN THE MIX BY MIC DIAZ
When we launched In the Mix Magazine by Mic Diaz Presents this past June, I didn’t know exactly where the journey would take us. I just knew that I wanted to create something that brought together the things I care deeply about: storytelling, culture, creativity, community and connection.
On June 14, we officially introduced Issue Zero during In the Mix: Live! at The Noypitz Bar & Grill in Long Beach. The event was more than a magazine launch. We were also celebrating five years of Mic Diaz Presents, surrounded by artists, entrepreneurs, community leaders, businesses, friends and supporters who have been part of our journey.
Seeing the magazine finally become something people could hold in their hands was special to me. Issue Zero gave us an opportunity to introduce what In the Mix Magazine could become. Inside its pages, we shared stories about entertainment, food, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, community, events and lifestyle. I wanted the magazine to reflect the communities I encounter every day: interesting, creative and diverse, with so many stories waiting to be discovered.
Now, we’re preparing for the next chapter of In the Mix Magazine, our quarterly magazine. This October, we will release Issue One of In the Mix Magazine, celebrating the theme Filipino Excellence, with Ogie Diaz and Mama Loi — two of the Philippines’ popular entertainment personalities and hosts — together on the cover.
In my conversation with Ogie and Mama Loi, we talked about their individual beginnings in the Philippine entertainment industry, the different paths that brought them to where they are today, and the trust and partnership they have built together. Ogie shared stories about his career, raising his children and his approach to managing the artists he has worked with, while Mama Loi talked about his unexpected journey into entertainment after exploring banking, creative ventures and other fields.
We also talked about trust and credibility, two things that have become increasingly important in today’s media environment. Their story is not only about entertainment; it is also about relationships, perseverance, adaptability and building something that audiences continue to believe in. Throughout Issue One, we’ll continue exploring Filipino Excellence through stories about entertainment, business, food, arts and culture, community and lifestyle, while introducing readers to people making an impact in Los Angeles, the Philippines and beyond.
One of the things I’m especially excited about is the continued growth of our contributing writer team. For Issue One, our contributors include Paco Arespacochaga, Isabella Alonzo-Gatti and Pedro Morante, along with other voices bringing their experiences, expertise and perspectives to our pages. We are also looking to add more contributing writers, professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, community leaders and subject-matter experts who have something meaningful to share. I don’t want In the Mix to represent only my perspective. I want the magazine to be a place where different voices, ideas and experiences can come together.
The magazine itself is also becoming part of a larger publishing effort. In the Mix Weekly, our digital newsletter, will soon enter its third month of publication. It gives us an opportunity to regularly share what’s happening throughout Los Angeles, from concerts and cultural celebrations to food destinations, art exhibitions, film screenings, community gatherings and special events. The magazine gives us room to tell deeper stories, while the newsletter allows us to capture what’s happening in the city from week to week.
Sometimes people simply need a place where they can talk and know that someone is listening. That’s part of the reason I created The Belonging Project, a place for real conversations, connection and community where people can share their experiences and feel seen, feel heard and feel that they belong.
The project is also connected to a book I’m writing, Things I Wish I Heard When I Was Young. The idea comes from thinking about the words, encouragement and lessons many of us needed when we were younger but may not have received. What did we need someone to tell us about ourselves? What would we tell our younger selves now? And how might hearing those words help someone else today? Those are some of the conversations I want to explore through both the book and The Belonging Project.
When I look at everything we’re building through Mic Diaz Presents, I see these projects as connected rather than separate. In the Mix Magazine, In the Mix Weekly, Chat With Mic, The Belonging Project, KMDP Radio, our live events, digital content, partnerships and collaborations are different ways of doing what we’ve been trying to do from the beginning: tell stories, introduce people to one another and create opportunities for connection.
A conversation can become an interview, an article can introduce someone to a new audience, and a story can create a new connection. To me, that’s what being “in the mix” is all about.
Six years into Mic Diaz Presents and only a few months into the life of the magazine, there is still so much I want to build. As you read Issue One, I hope you discover someone you didn’t know before, learn something new, find a place you want to visit, support someone’s work or encounter an idea that starts a conversation. In the Mix Magazine and In the Mix Weekly newsletter are available online at MicDiazPresents.com, where you can also keep up with our latest stories, interviews and events
Most of all, I hope In the Mix Magazine continues to become a place where different people and stories can come together. Whether it’s through the magazine, the weekly newsletter, an interview, an event or simply sitting together for a conversation, the purpose remains the same: to help people be seen, be heard and be connected.
And in many ways, we’re just getting started.