Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Martinez.
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I was heavily involved in performing arts. I dreamed of working in the entertainment industry someday. I did not know how to get there, but I have always been stubborn about my goals, so I knew I would find a way.
After my sophomore year at the University of Florida, I landed my first internship as a Digital Media Intern at NBCUniversal Telemundo by sheer luck. Even though I was a late applicant, my boss recognized my passion and decided to take a chance on me. To my surprise, this internship would change my life forever.
During my Junior year, I participated in Management Leadership of Tomorrow: a national nonprofit that equips high-achieving students from underrepresented communities to realize their full potential among leading organizations. During this program, I met an incredibly helpful Disney recruiter and landed a Marketing Strategy & Communications internship for the Walt Disney Company.
After graduating in 2019, I turned down a stable sales job to pursue my dream of working in the entertainment industry. As fate would have it, I returned to NBCUTelemundo about a month later, this time under contract as a Digital Communications Manager.
After nine incredible months of managing Telemundo’s corporate and C-suite executives’ online presence, I took a leap of faith as COVID started to spread and took a full-time role at Edelman. Due to pandemic-related effects, my time with Edelman was cut short.
At this point, I set what seemed like an impossible goal and told myself that I would be employed again within the month. Through determination, networking, and some luck, I accepted my dream job in September of 2020 as an Account Manager and Social Correspondent for mitú: the leading digital media company representing the Latino point of view among consumers.
My career over the last two years has been anything but conventional, and I would not have it any other way. I am grateful for those who have helped me along the way; this is just the beginning!
Alright, 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?
I would not trade growing up in Florida for the world, but I did start to feel imposter syndrome when I was an intern for the Walt Disney Company. To be living in Los Angeles surrounded by kids your age who have grown up in the heart of the entertainment industry can be intimidating. They had six internships with major production studios, and there I was lucky to have one.
I realized then that regardless of your resume, your greatest superpower is who YOU are; that is something no one else can say. This realization has carried me through to where I am now.
Apart from this, I would say my biggest struggle thus far has been navigating unemployment during a pandemic. Ironically, my biggest blessing came as a result of this struggle. When I was laid off, I started a microblog named @hustleconsazon on Instagram. I created it to express myself and form a community of Latina millennials. When I realized that mitú’s VP of Brand Development & Strategy had followed my account, I decided to reach out to her on LinkedIn. I had hoped to have a conversation with her about her career and hopefully receive some advice; the rest was history! As I had promised myself, I had accepted a full-time offer at a dream company after a month. I still cannot believe that I landed this job, in part thanks to @hustleconsazon.
It has not been a smooth road, but nothing worth having ever comes easy. Ultimately, I am grateful for how the start of my career has unfolded.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Account Manager and Social Correspondent for mitú: the leading digital media company representing the Latino point of view among consumers. We are an English-language Latino media company, multi-channel network, and digital content publisher.
As part of the Branded Partnerships team, I have the opportunity to lead multimedia campaigns for clients across different sectors. Some clients I have worked with within the past year include Netflix, Disney, Hulu, Prime Video, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Barefoot Wine.
One of the things I love about working at mitú is that you have the flexibility and trust to explore your interests within the workplace. For example, in the past couple of months, I have taken on additional responsibility as one of mitú’s correspondents and have interviewed Latino celebrities such as Edgar Ramirez, Dra. Polo, Chef Aarón Sánchez, and the Derbez Family. Interviewing is a passion I had never gotten to pursue, and it has been an incredible experience so far.
I am most proud of my resilience and determination to go above and beyond. I am grateful to be inspired by my work; as a result, I always give things my 110% and aim to be the best at what I do.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I have always been intentional with work relationships because I believe you can learn many things from your team members. Being the youngest one of the teams I have been a part of, I have been lucky enough to have found great mentors within my bosses and coworkers.
On the other hand, I think social media- specifically LinkedIn- is a powerful resource to network and find mentors. We are living in a time where we’re able to connect in ways we haven’t before. You’d be surprised how many people are open to having a conversation and offer guidance; all you have to do is ask.
Overall though, this is something I’m still working on and learning. I’d love to network with more Miami-based professionals and am open to hearing tips on mentorship and networking from Voyage MIA readers.
Contact Info:
- Email: lau.martinezv@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bylaumartinez
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/hustleconsazon/
Image Credits
Headshot: Ivan Apfel
