We recently had the chance to connect with Cristi Hernz and have shared our conversation below.
Cristi , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is the most important to me because being true to yourself is the real fuel for everything else you do. If you can’t live knowing you need to do the right thing, you end up taking shortcuts that might seem easier in the moment but eventually turn into problems you’ll have to face later. I’d rather take the longer road and build with integrity, because while it may take more patience and effort, it creates a strong foundation that lasts. Integrity clears the path for good energy, and from there, you can use your intelligence to create strategies that truly serve the purpose of what you’re building.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Cristi Hernz. I’m a Cuban-Spanish DJ, music producer, and creative entrepreneur born and raised in Miami Beach. I started DJing when I was 11 years old, and while I grew up with music always by my side, I went on to attend FIU and eventually became a teacher, where I spent 4.5 years in the classroom. After that chapter, I made the decision to venture into my own business and fully follow my creative passions.
In 2023, I founded Selva Beats MIA, a platform that channels Miami’s energy through beats and creates spaces where music, culture, and people come together. What makes my work unique is that it’s not just about DJing or producing, it’s about building bridges. Becoming a member of the Latin Recording Academy has opened doors for me to grow as an artist, and collaborations with organizations like the Sabrina Cohen Foundation have allowed me to align music with community impact. Whether it’s showcasing international talent in Miami, creating educational programs for kids, or curating cultural initiatives, I’m always looking for ways where arts and culture unite people through sound and creative minds.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was simply a girl in Miami with tons of energy, always curious about technology, always building playlists, and always finding a reason to bring people together. I was the kid who had an iPod early, who was just as competitive on the sports field as I was passionate about curating music, and who never missed a chance to turn everyday moments into something fun.
In school, I was the girl who found any excuse to organize a gathering where we could listen to music. I used to plan group outings, like ice skating on Friday nights at Scott Rakow Youth Center, making Facebook groups, inviting everyone, and having our parents drop us off so we could skate and have fun as teens. I loved organizing surprise parties and bringing my DJ equipment just so everyone could dance. Later, when I was old enough to go out, I’d always invite about ten friends from different parts of my life, and by the end of the night they’d all be friends too. It was always about uniting people, creating energy, and finding joy together.
So before the world told me who I had to be, I was already the connector, the one bringing everyone into the same space with music as the excuse, and honestly, that hasn’t changed. It’s still who I am, just on a bigger stage now and with more intelligence on creating intentional projects and initiatives to help people enjoy the creative mindset while gaining joy by unity.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I’ve realized that every setback I once saw as a “failure” has actually been an opportunity to reevaluate, reassess, and become a better version of myself. Not reaching the outcomes I wanted or expected in certain moments felt discouraging at first, but those same detours opened doors I never planned for such as blessings, skills, and experiences I would’ve never gained without that shift in direction.
Now I see failure differently. It’s not a dead end, it’s a redirection. If we don’t embrace trial and error, we never grow. We stay where it feels comfortable and safe, instead of taking the risks that teach us what’s really meant for us. For me, every so-called “failure” has been a stepping stone toward something greater than I imagined.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
A: For me, the biggest lie is that the music industry is only about popularity and fame on stage. Yes, money is often linked to success and fame is linked to popularity, but if you take those things away, what’s left? That’s where the truth of art begins. How do you start producing a track? How do you start painting a picture? You don’t start with numbers or status, you start by connecting to a previous experience, a feeling, a memory, and then imagining it in the way you choose to hear it or see it.
True success isn’t measured by hype, it’s in the story behind the performer, the purpose of the art, and the way it impacts others. Creativity comes through culture. When you learn about your roots and understand the passage of history that brought you here, you gain the tools to create something new for the next chapter of history. If music were a “one-box-fits-all” formula, the world would be bored. Uniqueness is the science. Every human is its own transcript of a message, and art is the way we express and release that message into the world.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What pain do you resist facing directly?
The pain I’ve often resisted facing directly is rejection. Feeling like I didn’t meet the standard, didn’t “fit in,” or that I somehow didn’t “make it.” That feeling started when I was younger, growing up as a child and trying to figure out my place, and it followed me into adulthood as I navigated who I was supposed to be versus who I truly was. A big part of that came from not having a set career path in mind. My degree is in Sports and Fitness, and I never set out thinking, “I want to become a teacher.” It just happened. At first, I saw it as a waiting period, that I didn’t know exactly what I was working toward.
But now, I see it differently. I acknowledge daily how grateful and empowering it is to have that teaching chapter, because I use every skill I learned in the classroom in my everyday work today. I call it “the world classroom”, taking those lessons into my creative career and applying them to how I lead, collaborate, and create.
Over time, I realized the deeper pain isn’t rejection itself, it’s when I don’t feel like myself. The real discomfort comes from ignoring what I know I want or need to do for my own happiness and confining myself to society’s stereotypes. Today, I embrace my journey fully. The only pain I resist is betraying myself, because that’s the one wound that cuts the deepest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cristihernzmusic.com
- Instagram: IG: @cristihernzofficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristina-hernandez-454300b2
- Twitter: @Cristihernzofc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@selvabeatsmiami
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cristihernz
Image Credits
David Aponte – Tutivision
