Meet Samantha Brooks: Leverage Lookbook's Editor-In-Chief
We recently sat down with Samantha Brooks, Editor of our new digital magazine, Leverage Lookbook. Samantha's experience as an editor at Robb Report, Daily Candy and other online and print publications brings us a fresh, lively and professional perspective on real estate and luxury lifestyle. Here, Samantha provides a peak inside the making of the magazine.
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Tell us about your background and experiences that lead to becoming Editor of Leverage Lookbook.
Samantha Brooks: I've been a writer/editor for more than ten years, ever since graduating college. In high school, I always thought I wanted to work at a magazine, but I ended up studying Art History in college. I had interned at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles over a couple of summers, and fell in love with the idea of becoming a curator. As I was graduating though, I realized that I did want to be an editor and went back to my first love. I see now that the careers are actually quite similar in that in both jobs, you're creating a specific kind of experience for an audience, it's just a different format.
What do you see Leverage Lookbook providing our partners at Leverage Global Partners?
SB: Our intent was to create a publication that highlights the Leverage partners, properties, and locations in a creative way. Obviously, as a custom real estate publication, the end goal is to sell property, but it's also about showing readers how Leverage isn't just a real estate company, but a lifestyle brand. The Lookbook is an opportunity for the partners to share their behind-the-scenes information,
whether that's exclusive access to a $20 million home, insights on buying/selling trends, or the best new shops and restaurants in their cities. In each city, the Leverage partners are dealing with the top end of the market and have access to a wide net of contacts and resources at that level. As much as we can in the Lookbook, we're letting our partners share their insights on real estate as well as lifestyle.
What kinds of profiles, products, properties, etc. will we see in future Lookbook issues?
SB: Each issue will follow a quarterly theme and be totally unique. However, we'll always include beautiful residences for sale, city guides to destinations both domestic and abroad, and a range of products, from home décor to fashion.
Will the Leverage Lookbook benefit our partners on a local level as well?
SB: Definitely. It's designed to both help brand the company and offer perspectives on specific properties and markets around the world. Every story is created with reader takeaway in mind, so that it appeals to people on both a local and international level.
What is your favorite travel destination, and why?
SB: So hard to decide! I love almost anywhere that involves a beautiful beach, but I've also been fortunate enough to visit Italy three times this year. Even though I studied abroad there in college and have been back many times since, I always feel like there's still so much to discover and enjoy. It never gets old to me.
Tell us three things we didn’t know about you!
SB:
- I'm a fitness fanatic, and love working out at the gym. Everything from jump rope and cardio kickboxing to spinning and power sculpting.
- My weaknesses are chocolate chip cookies and Bravo reality shows. Really awful Bravo reality shows.
- I know it's a little kooky, but I love reading my horoscope.
