By Britney Grover
Portraits by Stacey Leigh
Ever wonder how movies or TV shows get filmed at real-life mega mansions and ranches, rather than on sets? Or how people like Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck can host a lavish mansion dinner party without paparazzi? Who found the modern mansion
for the party scene in Oscar-winning “La La Land” where the characters played by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone fell in love, and the iconic five-acre estate ranch where Beyoncé filmed her 2020 music video? The answer to all of these—and many more similar scenarios—is Darian Mathias Adair and her Location Connection Inc., with offices in Los Angeles and Bakersfield, California.
Location Connection Inc. pairs private estates with filming and event clients. More of Darian’s perfect connections include 100-plus-acre ranches for the first three seasons of “The Biggest Loser”; an 18-acre ranch for a private Blake Shelton concert in 2019, where a helicopter landed in the polo arena as a gift to the bride and groom; a modern estate for both a 2021 Justin Bieber music video and a NIKE event; the mansion for “Loot,” starring Maya Rudolph, in 2023; and private estates and ranches for companies like Dom Perignon, Rolls Royce, Maybach and Jaguar—where a modern estate accommodated a replica of Steve McQueen’s $17 million car in the living room.
In addition to providing mansions for event producers from around the world, Darian is also an event planner herself. Her parties for Prince attracted guests like Cindy Lauper, Dave Chapelle and The Black Eyed Peas. Darian has been involved with entertainment since she was 12, with over 50 TV and movie credits to her own name: She had recurring roles on “Maude,” “Growing Pains” and “Who’s the Boss?” and was featured alongside George Clooney in a TV pilot.
For Darian, connecting horses and entertainment came naturally—like when, as a teen, she and her 14-hand pony jumped through the mountains of Simi Valley and onto the “set” of “Little House on the Prairie.” Today, she and her husband, Joe Adair, own Over The Moon Ranch in Bakersfield, California—which they also offer as a location for photography and filming.
How long have you been part of the horse world?
I was 5 years old when I officially started “begging” for a pony, just after getting my photo taken on a pony that came door-to-door with a photographer! My family bought me Lightning Prince—a 2 ½-year-old, 14-hand Welsh Pony, when I was 9. He cost $75, and he was my best friend that I rode for 20-plus years—he lived to be 27. I rode Lightning a mile each way, by myself, to take riding lessons from sisters Linda and Karen Zack—they discovered me galloping bareback up a mountain and jumping logs in Newbury Park, California, with absolutely no training—I just rode my pony fast! I don’t know what my riding life would have been 
if they hadn’t found me. I only took lessons for a few years, since both girls went off to college, but I learned the basics. I showed my pony one time at Foxfield in Westlake Village, California, wearing a hunter green coat my mother surprised me with. The framed jumping photo from that show kept my dream from fading away.
What did you do before starting Location Connection?
Shortly after I turned 21, I obtained my real estate license to ensure I had a plan to fall back on. One of my first sales was a 23-acre horse ranch, complete with racetrack, in Somis, California. The purchaser was none other than the famous Zsa Zsa Gabor. Attracting such a big star was not an easy task, or something I ever imagined I could do! Somehow, I managed to convince my boss, Mike Glickman Realty, to allow me to ride my client’s horse into our office as a promotion. I wanted to invite my 300 fellow real estate agents all to my open house an hour away, where they could each ride a horse to tour the ranch, hoping one of them would bring me a buyer. A huge group from my office showed up—but it was actually a neighbor who sent me Zsa Zsa Gabor, and in turn, led to me selling the ranch the first day it was on the market!
When did you start your company, and what gave you the idea?
For two years, I was busy selling homes when suddenly, around 1990, the market crashed, and interest rates skyrocketed. People were losing their homes left and right. One day, a sales lead came through at the reception desk. No one else wanted to help a location manager on the phone—he was looking for a home to film a Warner Bros. television show, so I gladly grabbed the call, took him to lunch and asked him to hire me as their assistant location manager. The very next day, I was managing a mansion in Hancock Park with a crew of 100 via a walkie-talkie. That led me to an idea: I should bring filming income to private property owners to help save homes heading to foreclosure. I thought of the name, Location Connection, drove to Kinkos, sketched my logo and printed business cards. My business had begun! It wasn’t an easy task with no start-up money and a doomed real estate market, but I worked two retail jobs, cleaned horse stalls and exercised Arabian horses in Hidden Hills, California, to survive. There was a silver lining to all my hard work—had I gotten a grant or loan, I don’t think I would’ve worked nearly as hard, or been quite as creative starting out!
What’s the best part about being a woman entrepreneur?
Freedom to create a company made of all things I love! I believe that if I didn’t have my own business, I would’ve settled for a job I didn’t love. It’s thrilling to see others succeed, so over the years I’ve enjoyed mentoring students and grads from USC and Biola University film departments and other schools.
What great things have happened because of your business?
Our miniature horse landed a TV commercial! In 2018, before we found our ranch, we initially purchased a 1/3-acre horse-zoned home in Bakersfield and also bought a 4-month-old mini horse named Emmy who’s now 28 inches. I trick-trained Emmy, and she’s also a service horse for our family member. In 2020, I pitched Emmy to my producer clients Kent Speakman and Kevin Vanegas and she landed a lead role in an NBC Kentucky Derby promo-commercial for Woodford Reserve, which we filmed in our backyard with my trainer, Allie Hyatt, and barnmates and their horses! This inspired us to search for a horse ranch with barns and an arena in 2021.
What’s your biggest achievement in the horse world?
Importing my dream horse and showing her at Paso Robles Horse Park. I never thought I’d ride again, let alone import a horse. It was only 2020 when I started taking lessons again with my inspirational trainer, Allie Hyatt. After a 25-plus-year break, I’m a “comeback kid” finally able to further my dream to ride and jump again, but this time with a trainer and a barn. After gaining experience riding over 20 schooling horses, I tried at least 40 horses from California to Ocala before I got a call from my “trial rider,” Jorge Valiente, in the Netherlands at BK Sport Horses, to tell me he rode Nice Moon Saveniere. With his positive feedback and videos, I knew I’d fall in love with this 16.3-hand Belgian Warmblood pinto mare, though she was only 4 years old. I did indeed fall in love, and my husband, Joe, loves her, too! We call her Luna—she’s a “people horse,” she loves connection and begs you to hug her face. A few months after importing her, Allie and I both showed her and she took home the blue in Green Hunters 
2’9” and I was Reserve Grand Champion Hunters Equitation 2’ Fences. At the show, Luna preferred resting her head on our laps under the golf cart roof.
Tell us about your farm.
We’re so happy owning horse property we named it Over The Moon Ranch, inspired by Luna. Due to the higher costs of owning horse property or even boarding in Los Angeles, I never thought I would ride again but after years working hard and braving the L.A. traffic, my husband and I took a leap of faith and purchased an old ranch in need of a makeover, just 90 minutes north of Los Angeles in Bakersfield, California. With my husband’s contractor skills, we’ve spent the past year restoring and cosmetically designing our dream “modern farmhouse.” We just started promoting Over The Moon Ranch for still photo shoots and TV and film productions—we are thrilled to have guests come over any day of the week to share our ranch!
What advice would you give to other women considering entrepreneurship?
Be ready to work and the work will come! Think of a great business name, create a logo and you’re halfway there. Clean horse stalls and take part-time jobs you don’t love in order to pay your bills as you pursue your passion to start your own company. Don’t believe you need a business loan or grant to get started—avoid debt. You will be more creative and passionate if you have to balance your pennies. Then, you will really appreciate your hard-earned dollars when they start rolling in!
What’s the best thing about your life?
Knowing God loves us and has a plan and great purpose for each of our lives. We don’t need fame or fortune to make a difference here on earth. The road may curve around, have bumps and stops, and you might even fall off a cliff or two, but dust yourself off and get back on track—and back on your horse!—and God in heaven will not fail you.
For more information, visit locationconnection.com or follow @Location Connection and @EmmytheMiniHorse on Instagram and Location Connection on Facebook.
Photos by Stacey Leigh Photography, Instagram @StaceyLeighPhotography, unless noted otherwise
Photo by Grand Prix Photo
