We were lucky to catch up with Alejandra Ramirez Tafur recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alejandra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

I’m an Audiovisual Producer from Colombia, living in NYC since 7 years ago.

and I feel like all my experience here has been filled out for the kindest people around me as Emigran Profesional.

My First job here was with a Medical Company Located in Queens. At that point 7 years ago to be exact, I was applying for a working visa ( the one that I have right now ) so finding a nice job with that process was easy. I remember I went to a networking for Colombians people in NYC, and I met a girl that we realized we went to the same college in Cali Colombia together, she told me that her boss ( Marketing lead) was looking to make a commercial for this Medical Company, based in NYC, Long Island, Queens; inside on me, it was: How Im going to make an invoice if I don’t even know how the invoice process works here and I do not have a Social Security number at that moment, because I was right in the middle of the work visa application. In the end, I put together a team and soul a creative Idea: The budget started at $3,000 and we closed up the business at $35,000. This was the first commercial for this Company in their entire story.

For me, this was very kind of this community gave me the opportunity to open my career here with some limitations In the end I got all visa approvals during the process of the commercial, and all the legal ( invoice) process was made through another friend company. but just the fact of opening the doors to make money as a Producer in the United States is very valuable for me because that was the first little grain of sand to start my life here as an Audiovisual Digital Producer.

My last job was: One month ago working with Copa America 2024: Soccer tournament with Latin Soccer Teams.
I worked for 40 days on the MetLife Stadium side. two games with a semi-final one. and the situation was kind of similar, I was looking for a job, I got fired on Dec 18 2023 for my very nice Job and I realized I needed to go back to Freelancer life. It was 6 tough months and then someone recommended and gave me this HUGE opportunity to work with Latinos in. my second Home: United States. Working in an international event changed my perspective of life in all aspects. Another kind of thing that someone open the door for me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Colombian, 37 years old, and an extremely Latino proud Woman living in NYC for 7 years.

I am a Visa working holder: O1, which is focused on people with extraordinary abilities if someone asks me what my extraordinary abilities are I adapt and reinvest in all my life aspects, focusing on my professional life.

When I got here, I didn’t speak good English ( Still learning) but I ended up working with nice American Clients such as Stiiizy, NFL, MetLife, Mark Medical Care, Doordash, Plywood, Concafac, Alocane, Casino Arizona. I took multiple English classes and one that I LOVED: was with my personal Teacher: Mark, he is 60-something years old, and we read two books in English that were an amazing experience to learn, and also taught me: “Dont focus your process in change your accent, because that is the most beautiful thing that you have now, focus on learn more words and people understand when you are talking”

When I got here, I worked as a Nanny for almost two years, with a very nice family in downtown Manhattan, they adapted as part of their family and helped me to grow as a professional and person in this new country. I worked as a Host at a restaurant in the Upper East Side, nice experience as well. In the middle of that process, I found that Medical Doctor Gig that I opened my portfolio in a good way. I worked with some of my friends with the same visa as me, all of them live here in NYC so it was a whole community working together.

In the middle of the process, one of my friends/ roommates founded a project called: Playwood, during the Pandemic and the “Black Live matters” protest, one of her coworkers decided to make a project focus on all that black artists and make a plywood piece and make an installation in downtown Brooklyn. That was extremely artistic and different because was about another community as well. We posted the final piece ( Documentary ) to DOCS NYC 2011 and we won screaming for the First time in NYC in the middle of the Festival, one of the Documentaries Festivals in the interim world.

I worked for a Shpaes + Forms animation studio and one of my greatest projects was: Working for the Animation opening for the NFL Super Bowl Arizona 2023.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

On December 18, 2023, I got fired after almost 4 years of working with a very nice Animation studio from home.
It was hard, my bank account savings weren’t prepared. in the middle of winter, I started looking for a job ( not an easy task)

Nothing happened, the only thing that happened was getting more debt and a lot of questions if I should stay here or just move back to Colombia. At that point, I started working in a coffee shop ( which I loved) another experience and I was getting money. I remember one day I said: Need to find another coffee shop, need to make more money. I was fighting with myself because it was getting huge depressing and anxiety episodes, and sometimes when you are in this position your brain CAN NOT think straight. That morning I went out and dropped my resume into all these coffee shops. Just one called me back and I started working in two coffee shops, I feel when you surrender, leave your ego aside, and see what life wants to give you another opportunity, you can see better and realize it’s way more thing for you!

During a hard working month: I got one shooting commercial and an amazing opportunity job: Copa America USA 2024, MetLife Stadium. In that moment I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and makes me open my eyes to different businesses. on the side, I was doing a BootCamp of Digital Marketing focusing on your brand on social media. During the past 7 months of this year, My Profesional changed and my mindset totally grew as a Producer as a Human being.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

1. Keep learning, you need to keep your brain active so your team can be active as well.
2. You and everyone are human, mistakes are the most normal thing that always happens.
3. Everyone wants attention, everyone wants to be part of something, so let your team feel that they are part not just with words with actions as well.
4. Respect every single person, even if their role is not a “big” one, respect shows your capacity as a lead and shows you how really you are! Say: Thank you and a smile is very powerful

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alejandra-ramirez.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alramirezt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejaramirezfilm/

Image Credits

Screenshot 2024-01-08 at 4.54.16 PM: Carlos Sanchez, Photographer