Pregnancy hustle to power studio: Dianne Medina’s live selling success story

From extra income to main stage: How DM Studios is helping celebrities thrive in live commerce.

More celebrities are exploring live selling as a serious business move, and actress-TV host Dianne Medina is positioning herself at the center of it.

Through DM Studios, Medina connects brands with personalities who are interested in entering live commerce, including Rayver Cruz, Julie Ann San Jose, Tuesday Vargas, Carla Abellana, EA de Guzman, Shaira Diaz, Polo Ravales, Pancho Magno, and Zeus Collins. 

Dianne said DM Studios doesn’t just book talents but builds strategies, mounts productions, and trains celebrities, influencers, and KOLs to sell effectively in real time.

Live commerce is the future

“This is our future,” said her husband, Rodjun Cruz, DM Studios’ VP for marketing. “Our audience is attracted to them, and they become loyal customers. In live commerce, we’re able to interact with them—not just sell.”

Dianne added: “It’s a great opportunity to create more income or for extra income for celebrities like us.” 

Her cousin, Miss Universe Philippines 2016 Maxine Medina, who handles sales at DM Studios, emphasized that live selling is no downgrade for talents. “Actually, I just found out that live selling is big now. It’s evolving. And it should not be considered a career downgrade. As in, this is what we’re shaping in the future.”

Unlike traditional e-commerce, live commerce allows real-time engagement, product demonstrations, and direct interaction with viewers. “It’s very, very powerful when it comes to conversion,” Dianne said. “Instead of just browsing, viewers experience the products and get to ask questions. You’re building trust, and that makes a huge difference in sales.”

On learning curves and personal growth

Rodjun, who only joined the business a year ago, echoed the learning curve. “Bago pa lang ako. I saw how my wife does it—she started during the pandemic. Hard work talaga. You really have to connect with viewers, study your audience. Three hours nakaupo lang, but it’s not easy work. It’s about understanding the people watching you.”

Maxine also highlighted the personal growth aspect. “To be honest, I felt uncomfortable in the beginning. It was a new world for me. Watching Dianne, I realized she’s really good at live selling. She interacts with a huge audience. As a live seller now, I saw how powerful the connection is with the audience. It’s a new experience for everybody—not just to connect with people in the biz, but in other industries, too.”

The idea for DM Studios didn’t come out of nowhere. Dianne started live selling in 2020 while pregnant with her son Joaquin, helping small businesses—mostly moms—move their products online. 

“There were so many moms asking me to sell their products. I gathered them online and sold for them. Surprisingly, ang laki ng kinita ko without shelling out capital,” she recalled. That early success sparked the vision that eventually became a full-scale studio.

On helping brands grow and training live sellers

Today, DM Studios has its own production setup, team, and training programs for live sellers. It helps brands grow while giving celebrities and influencers a new platform to engage fans and generate extra income.

As live commerce evolves and more celebrities express interest, Dianne’s vision is clear: this isn’t a temporary trend. “Live selling is no longer just an extra income stream,” she said during a recent media gathering to formally launch DM Studios. “It’s becoming the main stage for brands, talents, and audiences alike.”

 

 

I just found out that live selling is big now. It’s evolving. And it should not be considered a career downgrade. As in, this is what we’re shaping in the future.

Maxine Medina

 

 

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