Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Anne Frye-Thomas.
Hi Leslie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The youngest of three siblings, I grew up between Queens, New York, and Scotch Plains, New Jersey, with my mom and two older brothers. My parents divorced when I was around five years old, so much of what I learned about hard work, determination, and perseverance was from watching my mother. I always loved to write, and in high school would often collab on short stories with my word-nerd bestie.
I studied both communications and screenwriting in college. And after graduating, I found work in Warner Brothers’ Creative Services Department. For the next eight years, I scaled the corporate ladder— working my way up from Production Assistant to Senior Writer Producer. The 2009 recession hit my department hard, and many people, including myself, were laid off.
As fate would have it, my job was outsourced to a North Miami production company. I was shocked and incredibly grateful when they offered me the job that I had just lost. In a matter of weeks, I’d accepted the offer and moved from Los Angeles, California, to South Beach, Miami.
In addition to producing promotional content for nationally syndicated television shows, I developed tons of new skills: directing talent, scouting talent, editing videos, and voice work, to name a few.
In 2013, with an accumulated 30 + years of expertise between us, my wife Carthy and I launched Reel Stories Creative—a multi-faceted arts and entertainment house whose primary objective is to curate content that educates, entertains, and inspires. My novel “Pum Pum Rock—There’s No Place Like Homo” is an example of art that meets our goal of producing purpose-filled work. In fact, authoring “Pum Pum Rock” has opened the door to a world of LGBTQ+ youth advocacy opportunities in the form of workshops, seminars, and more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Next to being a mother, being an entrepreneur is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. When we first launched Reel Stories Creative, finding clients was very hard. Even getting certain clients to uphold their end of our contract proved challenging and often time still does. While being an entrepreneur can be a constant hustle, in the early days, I found myself with tons of downtime. I dedicated a lot of this time to writing “Pum Pum Rock,” but like finding clients, securing an agent and publisher for the romantic thriller was a struggle. Rejection became par for the course and ultimately the fuel I needed to blaze my own unique trail.
The experience was essential and provided invaluable lessons in humility, patience, and time management. I went on to self-publish “Pum Pum Rock” in 2021, which triggered a domino effect of opportunities to not only educate, entertain, and inspire but to advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As an artist-activist committed to enlightening and entertaining the masses with my work, I’m moved every time someone slides into my DMS with a “Pum Pum Rock” quote. Recently, a young reader DM’ed me and reiterated my lead character’s mantra: “I’m safe, I’m breathing, I got this.” Because I believe in the power of manifestation and mantras, this seven-word DM made my whole spirit smile. It’s fulfilling to know that I’m supporting readers through both creativity and my daily spiritual practice. In fact, I’ve been saying the same mantra since the early days of the pandemic: “I am a healthy, happily married, successful artist, and nurturing mom. I am grateful, and I am paid greatly to do what I love to do.”
As an author, what sets me apart is my television production background. My goal with the novel has always been to adapt it into a televised series. To reach this goal, I leaned heavily into my professional skill set. I hired actors to bring to life the novel’s most dramatic scenes. Then, I edited the content into several promotional campaigns. Beyond the text, I’m incredibly proud of the advocacy work that I produce alongside and in support of the LGBTQ+ community, specifically queer youth. Representation matters, so as an artist-activist, each time I contribute content, I take comfort in the fact that I am doing my part to normalize the LGBTQ+ community.
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
At the end of the day what matters most to me is easy — it’s the one value that my wife pour into our kids at every turn, and that’s integrity. That means being honest, forthright, and, as my dad likes to remind us, doing the right thing, especially when no one else is looking. Integrity is huge for me because every move I make is rooted in it. From my work ethic to my political stance, I believe in equality, honesty, and humanity across the board.
Contact Info:
- Website: LeslieAnneFrye.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pumpumrockbook/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PumPumRockBook
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqrjdSBitgEKKRoatWh16KlrW3B5VE04c
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/leslie-anne-frye/sets/pum-pum-rock
- Other: ReelStoriesCreative.com
Image Credits
@thouartwoman, @miamibeachpride, and @pumpumrockbook
