LETICIA REYES-JAMES
@aheadofthetrendtv | 250 Posts | 3.2K Followers
Leticia Reyes-James was a major player in regional media long before she founded her 3.2K-strong Instagram account, Ahead of the Trend TV. A television personality in the early 2000s, Reyes-James hosted what she calls “one of the first Spanglish-bilingual lifestyle-and-entertainment shows in New York City, called En La Escena,” sang onstage with the likes of Valerie Simpson, and represented White Plains in the ABC reality competition show The Quest. However, it wasn’t until 2015, at a public event, that Ahead of the Trend TV was born.
“I created my first episode of Ahead of the Trend at Westchester Magazine’s 2015 Wine and Food Festival, which I loved so much that it spurred me into exploring everything the county has to offer,” recalls Reyes-James. “I realized how incredibly rich the area is, and I don’t mean financially. There is history, culture, beauty, and just amazing culinary offerings throughout a bevy of small towns and villages. I thought to myself, People have to know about this. So, in 2018, I made my first Instagram post under the name @aheadofthetrendtv, and I have been working ever since to expose people in and around Westchester to everything [this area] has to offer.”
“We are focused mainly on experiences, activities, and travel. We feel like we are just getting started: We are expanding, and big things are coming.”
According to Reyes-James, Ahead of the Trend TV “aims to help people break out of their norms and routines, to experience something new and different. We are focused mainly on experiences, activities, and travel,” she says. Currently, Reyes-James is working on a robust rebrand of Ahead of the Trend TV. “We feel like we are just getting started: We are expanding, and big things are coming,” she says.
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Yet, no matter what the future holds, Reyes-James knows Westchester is the ideal spot to meet it. “I live in White Plains, and I found myself going to the same places I go to every day. It made me realize a lot of people are drawn into lives of monotony, but there is so much richness here. You can really add to your life and create adventure and fun around you. I think Westchester is the best place to do that because it has a country element; it has a city element; it has these incredible chefs coming to the area to provide you with experiences that are unique to the county; and you are along the Hudson River, so its beauty adds to your experience.”
