PRESS: Downtown Zen NOMIC Spotlight

Lauralie Ezra was featured as a "Spotlight" in Downtown Zen Magazine HERE

Have you heard the story of Lorelei, a giant rock on the eastern back of the Rhine? Legend has it that a maiden would sit atop the rock distracting sailors with her beauty. She was a siren of sorts, although perhaps not as ill intentioned, and you can guess how the story ends. For Lauralie Ezra, a born-and-raised Las Vegas, the story behind her name isn't about the potentially tragic ending: it is a story of the power of enchantment.

"Crowd Siren helps businesses build brands that get people to pay attention without being able to look away." she says. The marketing firm accomplishes this by managing everything from online and social to traditional media, and this year, they are offering a new service: social media models. Ezra and her team have a staff of promotional models trained to capture social media content for brands in real time during events.

What are Las Vegas's hidden gems?

There are places I go to write. I will escape to Sunrise Mountain. There are some beautiful lookout points there to see the entire valley. Red Rock, too, even though it's not so secret. There are some great hikes where you can really feel like you're out in nature. It's quiet. It's away from it all.

What is your favorite thing about downtown?

I love that the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive here. I couldn't find that in other parts of the city, where you can go to a coffee shoo and bump into other business owners and other people who have startups. You feel the spirit downtown.

Crowd Siren is located at Emergency Arts. How would you describe Emergency Arts to someone?

It is a collective of artists and business people, galleries and offices. It's like something you'd find in Williamsburg. Every room is something different, and there are records being played downstairs.

New year, new you, right? What advice would you give to people who want to improve their online identity this year?

First, Google yourself and understand your online brand now. Then, decide what you want to show up there, and spend the new year creating that content.

Photo by Aaron Glassman of aaronglassmanphotography.com