LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles is home to the entertainment industry.

It's the place where individuals aspire to make it big, but often, they arrive without the resources or blueprint needed to become successful. 

Queenie Donaldson is a talent executive who has been in the industry for decades and is hoping the blueprint she created will shift the narrative.

Many claim they want to become a TV host, but just are not willing to do what it takes to get there. Aliya Herndon moved across the country to LA when she was offered an entry-level position for "Entertainment Tonight."

“You have to do the dirty work and to me, this isn’t even dirty work, because I genuinely enjoy it,” Herndon said.

She spends 10 hours a day pulling previous interviews of celebrities from what they call “The Vault” and answering countless emails.

Herndon said her job has been the biggest opportunity she’s gotten towards achieving her goals, a reality in the five years she’s been pursuing them. However, as soon as she clocks out, she is putting in extra time, working on her ‘Live with Liya’ show on Instagram.

Herndon said, trying to find her way up the ladder has been very difficult.

It is a story Donaldson has heard repeatedly as a talent executive for some of the biggest networks in the industry, which is why she launched a nationwide speaking series called “A Seat at the Table,” to teach those who are serious about breaking into entertainment how to navigate the business.

“It’s my responsibility as an industry executive to go and make sure people have the right resources,” Donaldson said.

A tailored game plan and mentorship that Queenie said she would not have been successful at BET Networks without.

When she took her first steps into this career, two mentors took her under their wings. Now, she is passing it forward in a time when there has been progress in representation for roles like hers. 

A recent UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report found that when women and people of color hold high-level creative positions, there is greater diversity down the line in casting and likely for crew hiring. It also found that women and people of color are still underrepresented in critical behind the camera jobs.

“If I help one person, then they’ll turn back and help someone else, and that’s how it spreads. And it’ll just change the trajectory of the entertainment industry,” Donaldson explained.

A trajectory Herndon will not stop working to be a part, and said what she lacks in mentors and connections, she has in work ethic and faith.

“That definitely helps me push through, helps me wake up every morning, 7 a.m. and just give my all and I’m excited to see what happens,” she said.

Working not just to interview the rich and famous, but to inspire others just like her, they can do it, too.

Donaldson will travel to Nashville, Seattle, and then Chicago as part of her tour for the series. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit here.