By Lauren Means • Photos Courtesy Mac Huffington
What began as a chance meeting during a night out has led to 23 years together. It has also led to two successful minority-owned businesses, Mac Productions and L.A. Security. Mac and Stallion are perfect examples of the entrepenuristic-spirit we often find in the Middle Tennessee region and a great illustration of following your dreams to make them a reality. We spoke with Mac and Stallion to find out a little about their history, their companies, and how they make working together work.
Tell our readers about you as individuals and a couple.
Mac: Stallion is a born and raised Nashvillian who graduated from Belmont University. I am originally from Chicago. I moved to Nashville and graduated from Fisk University. We met, accidentally, at the club one night while I was passing out flyers for the Mr. Esquire MI (Male Impersonator) Pageant. We began talking and discovered we had so much in common. We started dating and have been together ever since. We are now celebrating 23 years together.
How is it working with each other?
Mac: When I work for Stallion at L.A. Security Company, she is the boss. When she works for me at Mac Productions, I am the boss. We both respect each other and work together like at any job. It helps the rest to fall in sync.
What do you do, together or separately, to recharge and tackle each day?
Mac: We love to laugh, dance, sing and perform at home just the two of us — all genres of music. Each day we also share our workday experiences.
How long have your businesses been in operation?
Mac: Stallion has been in the security business for 20 years. L.A. Security has been in business, licensed and bonded, for eight years. My Ms. Tennessee Diamond Diva Pageant is celebrating 16 years and my pageant Mr. Esquire MI is celebrating 25 years of pageantry
Tell us a little bit about each business.
Stallion: L.A. Security Inc. maintains a safe and secure environment for customers and employees by establishing and enforcing security policies and procedures for all. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, L.A. Security Inc. has over 18 years of experience in security and provides all types of security services in Nashville and all of Middle Tennessee.
Security services offered by our company can be customized and combined to meet the security requirements of any organization. We work closely with each client, listening carefully and applying our expertise to offer a security solution that meets our specialized training and your specific service needs. L.A. Security provides: Guard Services included armed and unarmed, uniformed and plainclothes officers. Special Event Security, Fire Watch, Loss Prevention, Crowd Control, Traffic Control, Concert Security, Body Guard Services, and customized services to fit your needs.
We have trained and experienced officers including current and retired sheriff’s department employees. They can provide 24-hour customer service to handle any situation. You can also feel free to contact me personally if the need arises.
Mac: Mac Productions is a unique entertainment production company. We are an equal opportunity company that is always searching for a variety of diverse people to join our production team! We focus on discovering, developing, and promoting innovative and creative talent. We specialize in the production of show performances and pageantry. We have promoted all types of impersonators, comedians, live singers, rappers, dancers, and more. We are proud to be one of the longest-standing premier pageants in the southeastern region with the Mr. Esquire MI Pageant.
The Ms. Tennesse Diamond Diva pageant for femme girls, now called divas, continues to represent the production company’s new focus on discovering, developing, and promoting innovative, feminine, and sexy creative talent.
What motivated you to begin your businesses?
Stallion: I had worked for other security companies for several years and decided that I was just tired of watching employees being mismanaged and mistreated. I decided to start my own company to begin a better way and try to make a difference. I want my employees to be treated well at the workplace and still have a good strong security company so I started Lashley America Security aka L.A. Security Inc.
Mac: Mac Productions began from just wanting to be a part of the drag scene. Drag queens were so amazing to me but there were very few drag kings. I discovered three at the time. I wanted to make drag kings as popular as the queens and do the things they were doing.
We began promoting drag kings and traveling and performing at every event we could. I was the coordinator of the Nashville Pride Pageant and with the board’s agreement, I added drag kings to the mix. Thus began my own pageantry system, Mr. Esquire for Male Impersonators, which is celebrating 25 years in 2021. A few years later I started Ms. Tennessee Diamond Diva Pageant for AFAB (assigned female at birth) now celebrating 16 years of pageantry.
There were very few drag king pageants in the 1990s but over the years, drag kings and drag king pageants have risen to great heights. There are now national pageants for drag kings. I have owned two national pageants — one for drag kings and one for divas (AFAB).
What are your hopes and expectations for the LGBTQ+ community in Tennessee from a personal and professional perspective?
Both: We hope to continue to be able to work in the community we love. We hope that our involvement in the community makes a difference. We hope that we can help represent the voices and hopes of the community as well as be a vehicle for people to come to us — for them to connect to other people and resources, and continue to advocate for the community.
