Shira Lazar: How a woman became a leading female voice in NFT

The gravitational pull of the NFT space is undeniable. We’re building a new creative economy in real-time, and, over the years, the strangely expansive world of nonfungibles has ballooned, bootstrapping a robust community of creatives and professionals from every industry along the way.

As the rising stars of the NFT ecosystem rise to success, Shira Lazar, founder and CEO of Emmy-nominated digital media brand What’s Trending, has become one of the most vocal proponents of blockchain technology and culture. A woman of many hats, Lazar is not only an avid collector and advocate for NFTs, but a media personality advancing the conversation about how Web3 can positively change society.

Host of the popular Audacity podcast called Inside Web3, Lazar uses his platforms to create educational content around the sometimes mysterious and misunderstood sectors of blockchain culture. Still, while he’s quickly becoming a recognizable name in the NFT space, his prominence has been anything but random.

“I’ve been in the digital culture media space for almost two decades,” Lazar says in an interview with nft now “I came up in entertainment in LA with one foot in traditional and one foot in digital… I found myself in the middle of those two worlds, but always gravitated toward the digital world because, for me, it rewarded enthusiasm and care.”

These days, you can catch Lazarus in all his passionate glory through him Recurring Twitter space #Alpha Monday and “Women on Web3” Wednesday, time spent behind the scenes as a self-starter turned executive helped shape the forward-thinking powerhouse broadcaster she is today. We sat down with him for an in-depth look at how he’s brought his legacy media sensibilities to the new paradigm of digital experience.

Make a path of your own

Those who enter the NFT ecosystem usually do not do so by chance. While stumbling down the NFT rabbit hole can certainly be an unusual experience, people interested in crypto and digital ownership are likely digitally native or at least already deeply immersed in digital media and internet culture.

And for Lazarus, this is absolutely true.

Having first become interested and involved in the media landscape shortly before the age of the iPhone and YouTube, Lazar cut his teeth at the bottom of the corporate ladder hoping to find a balance between his expertise in traditional media and his passion for all things digital.

“I always tried to get into the traditional [media]. But I would go to a screen test for a big TV network or something, and then I would always be disappointed,” Lazar now tells NFT. “Digital [media] It has always made a way for me to continue practicing what I love without asking for permission.”

From working with websites like WireImage to Yahoo, Lazar quickly found his way into the vlogging world with a gig with CBS News. As one of the first vloggers hired by news companies, he covered the Internet and digital culture, solidifying this niche as his long-term beat.

From there, he started his own company and streaming show, “What’s Trending,” which led to his continued interest and innovation in the growing world of digital media.

“‘What’s Trending,’ at the time we started, was one of the first live streaming shows by people on the Internet for people on the Internet,” Lazar said. “It’s not traditional people saying, ‘Here’s what we think.’ We’re saying, ‘Here’s what people really like about the social watercooler. So this is really the first time someone has done news editorial from a social perspective.”

As he established himself as an entrepreneur and an executive, he remained steadfast in his love for broadcasting and content creation. But, after a decade of growing “key trends,” Lazarus got burned out and then felt the Covid hit.

Converting to Web3

And that changed everything for Lazarus. As he embarked on his own personal growth journey, the media landscape changed before his eyes. And, as fake news, misinformation, and widespread uncertainty became prevalent, he noticed influential people in his circle taking an increasing interest in Web3.

“In 2021, I started seeing the term Web3 pop up. A lot of people I knew from the Web2 space, from Gary Vee to Randy Zuckerberg to Britt Morin, started projecting into the Web3 space,” Lazar said. “And of course, then my radar went up, ‘Okay, what’s going on?'”

During that time, Lazar was deeply invested in Peace Inside Live, the online yoga, meditation and Breathwork studio he co-founded. Yet, when NFTs reached this relatively niche sector of his multifaceted career, he began to notice more.

“I started collecting [NFTs] And posting about them on my socials, and I started seeing responses. I realized that I’ve seen this excitement before and I’ve felt it,” Lazar now says of NFT. “It was like when I was at the first Vidcon and people were lining up to see YouTube stars. And I thought, ‘I’ve seen this before, but Now it’s different.’

As the young NFT industry continues to snowball, Lazar has found it easy to plant her flag as a leading female voice in the space. As NFT enthusiasts and professionals began to take notice, linking him to “What’s Trending” and his many other new media endeavors, he began receiving requests to take center stage at major conventions and events, including NFTLA, VeeCon, NFT.NYC, SXSW, and more.

An earlier name of Business Insider The Most Influential Tech Woman on Twitter, 2021 and 2022 Throughout, Lazar has been consistently recognized as both a creator and tastemaker within the NFT space. Quickly, his metaverse soapbox expands into an amphitheater. When things started to stabilize and then cool down in the crypto and NFT markets, he leaned into the idea of ​​creating a sustainable future for Web3 culture.

Web 3 inclusion and long-term viability

Over the years, it’s been a bit of a misnomer to label or be labeled an “NFT expert”. As the strangely vast world of nonfungibles continues to grow and develop, people who claim to know everything about NFTs often fall under suspicion. Even the most seasoned NFT influencers succumb to braggadocio, but with decades of accomplishments under his belt, Lazar seems to have maintained his humility through his transition to Web3.

“As a broadcaster, I’m learning about this space and sharing my journey as someone who plays in the game, but I’m still learning like everyone else,” Lazar said. “It changes how you report on content and community vs. always looking at it from the outside… It takes time, trial and error to be curious, build those relationships, and distill that information to others.”

Still, if one thing has become clear about the Web3 “game” over the past few years, it’s that not everyone is treated equally within the NFT space. The NFT ecosystem may be a melting pot of art, technology, and culture, but the racism, sexism, and discrimination present in Web2 have yet to be banished from this latest iteration of blockchain technology.

Society – notably as a niche internet microcosm (ie, the NFT space) – won’t change overnight. As a prominent voice in the NFT and wellness spaces, Lazar said she understands how race, gender, trauma and other unconscious biases affect how we exist and perceive each other. This goes for real life and online discourse, and the NFT space is just as much a reflection of our discriminating values ​​as it is an ecosystem tied to the idea of ​​decentralization.

“If we create a new economy and new space, we can change and rebuild the systems that have not worked. With statistics like these coming out, only 5% of NFT sales go to women creators, and only 16% of all NFTs are owned by women – clearly, a change needs to be made as it relates to women and other underrepresented communities. in this space,” Lazar now tells NFT.

A firm believer in “putting your money where your mouth is,” Lazar says the NFT space needs to have uncomfortable conversations about sustainability. And they should focus on the need for diversity in all white male-led companies, or those in positions of power need to do more to support and promote underrepresented individuals and populations.

“The only way we can get there is through education, representation and accessibility,” Lazar said. “As an individual, creator and entrepreneur it’s my goal to bring the content I create and the companies I work with to Web3.”

However, solving the problems of established networks and companies in his own initiative, Lazar says that for community building, especially in a Web3 context, longevity and equity begins when creators and founders pause to ask themselves a simple question: Why?

“I think consistency is important, but also a clear ‘why?’ How you’re not just taking from the space but adding value to the space,” Lazar said. “Be very clear about your value system and your ‘why’… When you are clear about all of this, how do you execute? There are going to be a lot of companies that claim to be doing the same thing, but what separates one from the other is its execution, the people behind it and then the community that stems from it.”

Lazar doesn’t want to be an expert on community building, or even blockchain technology. But that’s because it’s unclear where the NFT ecosystem will go in the next decade. Yet, he still approaches each endeavor with excitement at the prospect of playing an integral role in building toward the future.

“What excites me is bridging the gap [between Web2 and Web3] Not just innovating and disrupting the old, but putting a spotlight on emerging leaders and brands. Also, the potential for: paying artists and creators their dues, shared ownership, and new forms of IP — which could lead to the next Disney, Google or Amazon,” Lazar now explains to nft.

“Or maybe it’s not even about that scale,” Lazar added. “Maybe it’s more about connecting with special interests and communities, and that’s enough.”

https://ift.tt/uxnq5Pm

Baca juga

• Upcoming Drops: October 24-30
• Abbott and Costello have immortalized their legacy as NFTs
• Telegram gears up to launch its on-board Web3 marketplace