Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Santos.
Vanessa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born & raised in Nueva York and currently reside in Miami, FL. I lead business development for Latin America focusing on innovation & digital products at Mastercard, I am chief blogger of a women’s empowerment & lifestyle platform called La Vida Glamour (www.lavidaglamour.com), and I also co-founded Bodega Records, an independent record label based here in Miami.
Growing up I did two things: Play make-believe (a lot!) and created hugely successful imaginary businesses using monopoly money as currency. Being the first born in the US to immigrant parents (my father is from the Dominican Republic & my mom from Ecuador), I saw first hand all of the challenges my parents faced to make ends meet. That instilled in me an insane work ethic and I felt that the only way to get out of the hood AKA “make it” was to be a businesswoman. Yet, growing up, I didn’t really know what being a businesswoman meant per se, but I understood the opportunities it could open up for me and thus my family.
I went to school for journalism & communications, I always had a passion for telling stories both phonetically and written. I leveraged my soft skills and began a career in fashion starting out in retail and shortly thereafter on the corporate side. I enjoyed being in fashion and even writing about it; that’s how my blog got started. I helped many (now hugely popular) bloggers with styling and writing for their blogs that it inspired me to start my own. I learned so many incredible lessons being in fashion and felt like I plateaued in terms of what I could learn in that industry.
I transitioned that skillset to the start-up world, first with an online platform and then the early stages of a widely successful flash retail app called Gilt Groupe. I was bitten by the startup culture and wanted to gain even further insight into driving change within an organization. I was given the opportunity to lead the digital strategy for a longstanding print publication and was able to pull in both my business and journalism experience into this role. However, after a year, I no longer felt that I was being challenged and the day to day felt routine.
I decided to take a leap of faith and take on a role at Mastercard Labs which is the entrepreneurial/startup arm of the organization. While I had experience on the UX/UI and e-comm side of things, I’ve never had a full on tech role. You see, growing up, a career in tech was not one that I envisioned under the being a ‘businesswoman’ scenario. However, with Mastercard, I have had the great joy of both product designing first-to-market and innovative commerce solutions and be a critical stakeholder on the full life-cycle of these products.
Another interesting fact is that at one point in my life, I truly believed that I was going to be the next Thalia or Mariah Carey. I love music and in fact, participated in many choirs and off-Broadway plays. It was a chance meeting with my now fiance that drove me to co-found a record label called Bodega Records, as a way to partner alongside independent artists and enhance their brand both creatively and on the business side. Today, I know that the businesswoman term is not so siloed and I get to be both a woman in tech and a woman in business as an entrepreneur and writer.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been far from smooth but one worth taking. For anyone considering a career change or starting their own business, I say, go for it. Why? Because what’s worst than failing? Not knowing. Your venture could be hugely successful, or at the very least incredibly rewarding.
Being a woman in the tech and music industry is no easy fete. I constantly deal with discrimination and sexism. The road is harder, but I know that if I keep pushing, I could hopefully make the path for anyone that precedes me easier. These industries are also very network driven, and I’m starting from scratch and have had to find creative ways to create genuine connections with people in both industries. I much rather work my way up slowly than sleep my way up in order to get there faster.
It’s an interesting time for women, which is why today, more than ever, it’s important to band together in order to make changes that all industries desperately need: shattering the glass ceilings, eradicate the wage disparity and drive inclusion so that it is a more gender-balanced work environment.
Please tell us about Bodega Records & La Vida Glamour.
Bodega Records is an independent record label grown out of the need to democratize the way major labels operate with recording artists. Both people in the business and labels make promises that they often don’t keep and Bodega aims to work with artists on a 1:1 startup like basis where we educate and empower artists to understand their brand in order to be successful as an independent artist. www.bodegamusicgroup.com.
La Vida Glamour represents the aspirational lifestyle of women like myself who desire all of the glamorous things life has to offer. This blog started an open book into my thoughts on fashion, and it has since evolved to a lifestyle and empowerment platform, covering business/career, style, beauty, music, lifestyle & philanthropic topics.
Under the La Vida Glamour umbrella, I speak at conferences and panels and also mentor and consult women via the contact page. I had so many learnings and figured that the best way to further empower women is to share those openly. www.lavidaglamour.com.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memories are those as a young child with my siblings and cousins playing make-believe. Modest beginnings allow your creativity to soar and in those moments we were free to dream, and those are the fondest of memories from my childhood.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1101 Brickell Avenue #310756 Miami, FL 33231
- Website: lavidaglamour.com
- Email: lavidaglamour@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavidaglamour/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lavidaglamour/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lavidaglamour/
- Other: www.bodegamusicgroup.com
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