Bossing It: Melina Osornio-Andrade Says “Be a Good Human. Period.”
Raised in the artist-driven community of Taos, New Mexico, Melina Osornio-Andrade is the managing director of LOS YORK. Melina earned her BFA in photography at the University of New Mexico and spent more than seven years as a staff producer at award-winning Stardust Studios in Santa Monica.
Based in Los Angeles, Melina not only oversees LOS YORK’s day-to-day operations, she inspires a collaborative, flexible culture, where all teams are encouraged to create breakthrough campaigns that disrupt industry norms and defy conventions.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Melina> Producing in post production was my first leadership experience. It takes leadership to shepherd projects through all the various capabilities in post, and I realised when I first stepped into the world of advertising and production that the great thing about our industry is that everyone’s role is pivotal.
No matter what position you hold, you’re “leading” in some capacity.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Melina> I’ve worked for a few assholes in my life, and that taught me what kind of leader I definitely don’t want to be. My motto is: “Be a good human. Period.”
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Melina> When I was asked to step into the managing director role at LOS YORK, it was a pivotal time for the company. We faced the challenge of merging a creative and branding agency with a design studio, and a production company, and we succeeded.
The key to our success lay in the how—how we would operate on both a human and business level to ensure the health of our company. Seth Epstein, the founder of Los York and my greatest mentor, has always challenged me to set audacious goals, and that's exactly what we did.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Melina> The term "leadership" hasn’t always resonated with me—I’ve always seen myself more as a “coach,” focused on helping people realise their potential. Having played sports all the way through grade school, I think this style of leadership has been heavily influenced by my upbringing and experiences on the field and on the court.
That said, I started realising I had it in me to lead when I was an office manager at a motion design studio and I saw upfront how CG production worked. I told my boss I can do that. He said, "okay here’s a project, go produce it" - it was a NASCAR job. It was sink or swim. I’ve been swimming ever since.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?
Melina> This one is tough, but I firmly believe that with the right drive, anything can be learned and achieved. I'm a strong believer in the power of hard work, determination, good vibes and commitment to turn your desires into reality.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Melina> A very challenging part of leading is confidence in decision making and taking risks but I've learned that taking risks is important and part of the process, sometimes you succeed and other times you fail, and failure is something you learn from.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Melina> As we all know, we learn from our failures. I always feel like I’m failing on a daily basis but this really stems from my desire to continue learning and growing.
LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Melina> I believe transparency and authenticity are key, but they must be paired with intentionality. It's all about finding the right balance.
LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?
Melina> My partners at LOS YORK Seth Epstein and Scott Hidinger have been my biggest mentors. Always challenging the status quo and always leading with good intentions.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Melina> By taking the challenge and looking at it through the lens of opportunity; flipping the situation on its head to find new possibilities and creative solutions. And always remaining optimistic.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritized diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Melina> Everyone has full autonomy at our company to bring new ideas and solutions to the table. We encourage people to have a voice, take the lead and lead by example. We hire globally, as we are true believers in bringing diverse perspectives into the work, reflecting the complexion of consumers around the world.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Melina> Company culture is everything; our team and community are the foundation of our company.
In our remote work environment, we emphasise more 1:1 touch-points to discuss things beyond work, keeping it personal and checking in regularly. Additionally, we've established monthly in-person meetings and biannual company retreats to keep our culture vibrant and connected.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Melina> The most useful resources for me are my people - the creators, dreamers and believers on our team. They inspire me. They challenge me. I could not be a leader without them.
