Zane Landin - CEO of PositiveVibes Magazine

Zane Landin

Zane Landin is a non-graduating senior from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He will graduate in December 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. He has a strong passion for academics, design, social issues, creative writing, and learning new things all the time. Upon graduation, he hopes to be accepted into the master’s program in strategic communication from Columbia University to work at a public relations firm, the government, a nonprofit, or a university. Zane wanted to inspire individuals and communities to tap into their unlimited potential, and PositiveVibesMag was born.

I’m excited for you to connect with Zane, check out his work, and follow along as he continues to share inspiring, powerful, community-based storytelling evoking transformational, positive change.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Zane Landin. I am currently in my final year at university. I am attending Cal Poly Pomona in California studying Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations. I describe myself as a Strategic Storyteller and Public Relations Imagineer. I am inspired by the power of storytelling and how it has impacted and influenced society. The media plays an important role in driving cultural change. I aspire to use communications, marketing, and public relations to stimulate progressive change, especially of and for the disability community including mental-health. I am the founder and CEO of PositiveVibes Magazine, which is a digital, international magazine dedicated to sharing the stories of powerful people positively shaping their communities.

How did you get started?

Coming into Cal Poly Pomona as a Science, Technology, and Society (STS) major, my priority was landing a job as a science and technology policy writer for the government. As I delved deeper into my major, I realized I was not completely sure what I wanted to do after graduation. I began to explore other career avenues e.g., public policy, student affairs, and even social psychology. I just could not find the passion for any career.

Three years ago, I was serving as the College of Education and Integrative Studies (C.E.I.S.) Council President. C.E.I.S. Council is responsible for overseeing and providing guidance to the clubs underneath the College of Education and Integrative Studies. I served on the leadership board for the council for three years at this point. One of my goals as President was to improve direct communications between the college and the council. I decided to work with Ashley Jones, the Communications Specialist. Her and I had a strong working relationship already from my involvement in the council. She mentioned she was seeking a Communications Assistant/intern. I was immediately interested because I had never been exposed to the field of communications. I was exploring different career options, and after learning about the work she did daily, I wanted to further learn from her. She taught me so much about communications and motivated me to switch my major to Communication.

What Inspired the work you’re doing?

I have always been surrounded by people with disabilities, I just wasn’t inspired to pursue this type of advocacy work until recently, like three years ago when I joined the disability affinity group on my university campus - Access and Disability Alliance (AdA). I was immediately drawn to the organization from its welcoming aura and authentic presence. I became engaged in several activities like planning the Unity Luncheon event with the President, Disability Pride Week, and planning meetings. Since then, I have been involved in several organizations that are advocating for disability justice like Accessible Festivals, The American Association for People with Disabilities (AAPD), and The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). I am now serving as the Vice-President. I have also led the United with Differences organization, spearheading efforts to create a Disability Cultural Center at my university, and am beginning a new student organization on disability - Empowered Disabilities.

My main inspiration has been my mother. She was a survivor of Thyroid cancer and was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. She was always incredibly supportive and encouraged whatever I was pursuing. It was very empowering and she was my everything. My mom recently passed away in January from a heart attack, so my passion has intensified because I know my mom is proud of the work I am doing. I continue to work to inspire her and spread the messages she instilled in me, so she can live through all of us. I will continue her legacy of being a beautiful and kind soul. She always had something positive to say to everyone. She was the light we all needed.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

I am passionate about many things, but my biggest passion right now is PositiveVibes Magazine. In May 2020, I discovered PositiveVibes Magazine. I was taking a class at my university in Copyediting. We learned how to review and edit articles. Our final project for the class was to create our own publication. I decided to create a publication dedicated to positivity because it is something people really needed during the pandemic. The mainstream media have failed the mental-health community with accurate and positive coverage, so the heart of the magazine is about changing the conversation about mental-health. 

I completed the project, but was inspired with my friend - Michelle Allende to actually pursue this. We started off with a small Instagram account. One day, David Garner, a motivational speaker came to us to share his story. This changed the trajectory of the magazine. I never anticipated we would be actually featuring people, but that all changed. Since then, we have featured influential celebrities like world-renowned psychic Patti Negri, Netflix Documentary Directors, Lisa Cortés and Farah Z. Khalid and contestant from RuPaul’s Drag Race, Laganja Estranja. 

I am in the process of establishing PVM as an official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, partnering with different disability and mental health publications, and beginning a scholarship fund for students with disabilities. My dream is for the magazine to become the “PositiveVibes News Network (PVNN)” to share the optimistic stories and events happening across the world followed by an interview with a guest to discuss diverse topics about mental health, disability rights, wellness, empowerment, and holistic healing.  

The magazine taught me what I am truly capable of creating as a leader, entrepreneur and collaborator. The magazine has empowered me with the unique perspective of bringing something from the ground up solely out of curiosity, passion and dedication.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

I love my family and partner. My partner has supported me through everything for the past three years. It feels like we have been together for over 15 years because we have experienced so much. I don’t know where I would be without them or even if I would be here today.

I am a fan of gaming, music, writing, and meditating. I am actually a huge fan of Kingdom Hearts, which is a video game series featuring characters from Disney and Final Fantasy. I have been playing the game since I was a child. The game, story, and especially the music brings me joy every single day. The music connects me with my spiritual being and allows me to experience feelings of nostalgia. 

I try to chase feelings of nostalgia because I believe it connects us to our innermost desires, childhood memories, spiritual motivations, and even our past lives.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

My mom taught me to always do the right thing, even when it is an unpopular opinion. I was taught that as long as I live my life with genuine intentions to elevate the world and build community, I will be okay. This message is something that will help me stay grounded and mindful of myself as a person.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

Throughout my life, I have always had issues with my self-esteem and confidence. I always felt behind with everything I was doing, so I think my younger self would be proud and surprised. I was recently looking at old photographs of myself and my family. The piece of advice I would give to my younger self would be to know you can achieve anything despite what you think and never take time for granted. Time is our greatest friend, but also our greatest foe. I would love to time travel back in time to talk with my mother.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

I don’t necessarily have a go-to mantra or affirmation, but I believe it is important to always be our authentic selves. No matter what anyone says, stay true to yourself. Look in the mirror every day to find something you appreciate about yourself. These small steps will create the spiral staircase to your self-care journey. Self-care is a long and enduring process, but when you find yourself beautiful, the opportunities are endless. 

What is your biggest dream?

I just want to empower people. If that is through the magazine, as a life coach one day, developing a personal development course, supporting the disability community, creating my own television series on positive news, or even as a communications or marketing professional for an organization one day. The universe has a plan which I will never know, but I am open to every opportunity that visits me. I have learned I need to take advantage of anything that comes my way. There is always meaning to everything that happens in our lives.

To learn more and connect with Zane and Positive Vibes Magazine visit them on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can find the magazine on their Website, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube

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