Meet Girlari “Gigi” Rivera

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours? I was born in New York and moved to New Jersey with my mom when I was seven years old; right after my parents separated.

For my eighth birthday, my stepdad surprised me with a family trip to Miami. It was my first time in Florida. I remember going on a celebrity home tour on Star Island and thinking to myself “I’m going to move to Miami one day.” I felt so inspired and completely fell in love with the city.

When senior year of high school came around I started to look at schools in Florida.
I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, but I knew I liked to listen to people’s stories. I knew I wanted to be on a large platform. I wanted to engage in important conversations. I wanted to make enough money to where I could give back to the less fortunate. I wanted to have a voice and use it for a greater cause. I wanted to write a book.

I wasn’t sure what category all that fell in, but I found a school that caught my attention; Barry University. It had a broadcasting program, AM radio station (which I thought was the coolest thing ever), and it was in Miami. BINGO!

August of 2014, I started my college journey in Miami; where I had no family or friends.

Freshman year I joined the radio station and hosted my own show. A year later, I was promoted to programming manager. Soon after, in the midst of transitioning to an FM station, I took on the role of station manager.

I became very involved with my Communications department. Along with running the station and my radio show, I was also a writer for Barry’s newspaper. I also produced and hosted a Barry “TV” show – “Talks with Gigi.”

May of 2018, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting with a minor in Journalism.

August of 2018, I started my career at the best job anyone could’ve asked for.

With that being said, I’d hate to fool you and have you thinking everything happened so easily. Throughout the past four years, I’ve experienced obstacles that I thought I’d never overcome. Depression, family problems, and so much more. But you cannot allow your struggles to determine your future.

Please tell us about your art.
I am an on-air personality at 99 JAMZ, Miami’s #1 station for Hip Hop and R&B. I entertain the listeners, give away tickets, interact with them via social media and/ or phone calls, run the operating board, and more.

I am also a correspondent for Baller Alert, a media/news company where I am a talent, content creator, and I reach out to artists to interview them.

As grateful as I am for the position I’m in today, I’m still nowhere near where I want to be.

My message in everything I do is to have an open mind. Don’t be afraid to try new things and to receive constructive criticism. I also try to motivate others as much as I can. I know what it’s like to feel like nothing in life is going your way, so I love to spread positivity.

What you should know about my artwork is that I am still a work in progress. Every day I learn something new; about myself, about my career. Every day I try to evolve and be the best that I can be. And even though I’m still figuring it all out, one thing’s for sure; I’m very passionate about what I do and what I want to accomplish.

Overall, I’m excited to have my audience witness my growth.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?Throughout the years I’ve learned that there is beauty in the struggle. I’ve been inspired by many artists who have shared their stories on being homeless, hungry, poor, etc.

I know it gets tough, but you can’t let being broke stop you from achieving your goals. Especially with all the free tools we have today (the Internet, social media, etc).  It’s important to stay focused on the bigger picture – aka your future.
Also, don’t be afraid to get a side job/s. Aside from my two jobs, I also work part-time at a restaurant. And even though I’m tired as hell and rarely have a day off, you gotta do what you gotta do!

Therefore, my advice is to look for motivation in successful people who also struggled coming up (or even in books, podcasts, etc). And don’t be afraid to get a side job outside of your field.