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Lisa Joyner has been working in television her entire professional life and is currently co-host of the TLC show Long Lost Family and. Her passion for adoption advocacy and stories that bring families together truly shines through and I believe many people will find it inspiring.
When I was doing my research on Lisa for this interview I realized we actually have a lot in common. We both have Emmy’s. We both got our start as journalists, reporting news in small markets across the US. And eventually we found our way into the entertainment world because let’s face it, local news can be a huge bummer. Entertainment stories are fun and don’t make you want to cry every time you report it.
Something we both agreed on was how much your perspective on news changes when you become a mom. You suddenly don’t want to report on murders and fires. There is a desire to look for something positive and uplifting. And it was during her time as an entertainment reporter for outlets like TV Guide Channel, the NFL Network and Good Day LA, she found a passion for creating television shows as well as hosting them.
She and her husband actor Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) sound like they have a lot of fun together. To hear her tell it, they just get each other’s humor and have like-minded business goals so working together was a logical step. They started a production company called Discount Sushi and tells me a very funny story about how that name came to be. She tells me they are always looking for great stories to tell and content to develop. I quickly realized she had her own wonderful story to tell when she shared her personal adoption story and why she chose adoption when it came to her own daughter. She says it changed her entire outlook on life and has created a drive to advocate for adoption and give support to families going through the adoption process.
TLC’S Long Lost Family follows the stories of people who have, for one reason or another, experienced long-term separation from members of their family and are seeking to be reunited with them. After a lifetime of separation, birth parents will reconnect with their biological families and children will meet the parents who put them up for adoption years ago.’ Lisa has a special connection to these people because she’s an adoptee who experienced her own journey of finding her biological family.
When you are the in presence of a storyteller it’s hard not to feel inspired. Telling stories is in Lisa’s DNA and I am so honored that she shared her story with me. I can’t wait to see what Discount Sushi comes up with next and don’t be surprised if you see her doing even more to bring awareness to adoption advocacy.
Keep track of Lisa on her Instagram @mslisajoyner, Facebook page and on Twitter @mislisajoyner.
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