Prior to joining Fierce Entertainment, Lydia attended Emory University where she earned a BA as a double major in Film and History. She then went on to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California where she received her M.A. in Critical Studies at the university's School of Cinematic Arts. While at USC, she presented her paper "From Promotional Gimmick to Artistic Means of Expression: Technicolor's Troublesome Evolution in the 1930s" and "Bad Education: Blurred Identities, Altered States and Laura Mulvey" at academic conferences.

After graduation, Lydia spent time working at film festivals, in publicity, as well as writing for online and print publications. She is currently studying Japanese in her spare time.