The Lez Factor first debuted on YouTube 4 years ago. Located in Los Angeles, California, The Lez Factor offers a platform for lesbians of colour a space to discuss love, sex and relationships based on their own experiences and opinions. The series, which is now in its fourth season allows the viewers to interact with the cast and ask questions they may be struggling to answer themselves. I personally have found the show to be educational as well as reflective but also funny.
AZ caught up with The Lez Factor’s host and creator, Eryn Mitchell to discuss the foundations and of The Lez Factor and the future of the series.
AZ: How did your idea for Lez factor transpire?
Eryn: Honestly, my grandmother inspired The Lez Factor. She’s privy to a lot of my stories when it comes to my “lesbian life”. After overhearing some nights of crazy shenanigans, she told me that I need to write a book or start a show, but I had to do something to document my experiences.
How do you select the panellists?
I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by phenomenal women. I look for cast members who are at least 28 years old because I don’t know if you’d have enough experiences to share with our audience. I look for people who are outspoken, business owners, artists or someone making a positive contribution to the community. There are a number of different factors that determine my choices but ultimately I am looking for different personalities while ensuring that we maintain the chemistry between the cast.
What have been your biggest challenges so far and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been learning not to take things personally. You have an idea and you put it out there, you can’t expect that everyone will support it. Having a show and dealing with social media trolls can take a toll. People feel free to literally say anything, with no regard for a person’s feelings. I’m an outspoken person and I’m used to letting people know how I feel, however, when people have criticisms and are rude…you have to take it and respond diplomatically because you’re not speaking just for yourself but your entire show.
What do you hope to achieve in the next two years?
I have a couple new show ideas that I will be producing in the next two years. I think the end game is to have a network of shows that showcase queer women outside a lens of the typical drama and titillation I see in a lot of online series.
What would you say has been your biggest achievement so far?
The biggest achievement hasn’t happened yet. I’m grateful for the almost 300,000 cumulative views our 30 videos have and the lives we’ve touched, but there’s there’s so much more I’d like to do. I’ve just scratched the surface!
Who would you like to have in your panel for the next season?
Well, we’re taking a new approach this season and going to different events across the country and interviewing different types of people. We started at Krave Spring Break and I’ll be continuing that for Season 5. So, the panel will be any and everyone. It was great to have Whitney Mixter from the Real L Word jump in and join us on our most recent episode.
I think my real strength is just the experiences I have been able to pull from to relate to/or entertain our subscribers. I’m the only person who knows the questions ahead of time and still I never know what I’ll say. Having done stand up for awhile helped me with my timing, so, I’m able to emphasize stories for comic effect.
What do you think has been the key ingredient in making your show as successful as it is?
The key ingredient is the cast! Finding women who are open, personable, funny, smart, and willing to share their lives…I’m eternally grateful for people who were willing to join my movement even while it was a work in progress.
What do you enjoy most about hosting The Lez Factor?
I enjoy knowing that the conversations we have had, travel far beyond the borders I once imagined. Just when you think you’re only making a small mark, you receive an email from someone in a distant country saying you’ve made a difference in their life. It’s an amazing feeling.
Subscribe to The Lez Factor on YouTube