We recently connected with Felix C. Arroyo and have shared our conversation below.

Felix, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was leaving a good paying job for a job that payed way less but offered me more time so that I could focus on my podcast and quality of life with my family. However, it was the first time I ever took a chance like that. I was extremely nervous about how that could negativity impact my family. So far we’ve made it work and I’m grateful to be at a place in my life where my job isn’t taking me away from my family. I’ve also been able to pour more time into JMC which is really exciting for me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started my podcast September of 2021. I had decided that I wanted to do something with my life that was meaningful and something that I could control. Basically this all stemmed from being unhappy working a good paying job but not having any time to pursue anything be it Leisure or with family or even in a business sense. So I decided to take a chance on myself and started the podcast about interviewing local people from Lancaster PA which is my hometown. I wanted to interview people about their journey in life and get to know them but also share their Journey for others so that people could start to realize how much more we have in common. I genuinely believe listening to somebody’s story and seeing how much it could relate to your own is what Bridges the gap between prejudices and even discrimination. The podcast is also become a safe place for black and brown people to come and share their stories as well being that the black and brown experience isn’t typically shared openly without the fear of backlash or push back. I felt that offering a safe space for all people especially black and brown people was imperative and I began to really hone in on how I could provide this safe space in different ways. At the moment I do my interviews in my home but I look forward to getting a studio space and traveling as well. The JMC podcast can be found wherever you listen to your favorite podcast and also on YouTube every Monday night at 8:00 p.m.

One of the things that I’m really proud of is the love and support that I get from the black and brown community. Being Puerto Rican and growing up in a Hispanic household however not understanding or speaking the Spanish language always made me feel like an outsider even though I had so much to offer that was relatable through the black and brown experience I always felt that I was looked at as an outcast. Being able to share my own Journey on the podcast I feel has put me in a position where other people can relate and respect me and appreciate what I’m saying. Hence the whole point of the podcast. Being welcomed by a community of familiar faces people that look like me but also people who don’t know me is a pretty cool feeling. And I feel that I can give every guest that experience when they come into my podcast and I share their story that it’s worth it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building an audience on social media is a crap shoot. I won’t pretend like I have the secret sauce because I’m still getting there myself but I highly encourage following other people that know what they’re doing. I think at first a lot of pride gets in the way and you kind of just want to figure this out on your own but about a year and a half in I finally realized you need to start leaning on mentors, friends, people who know the business that you’re in and how to navigate social media. It’s one thing to just post your personal stuff but to be able to utilize it for your business as a total different game. Don’t be scared to watch a lot of YouTube videos don’t be scared to follow other influencers to see how they do things. There’s different nuances with what kind of language to use what kind of hashtags to use, what time of the day to post, what’s your audience what kind of audience are you trying to speak to? These are all questions and things that you can do but it takes time. I believe that’s the most crucial part of it is be willing to take it slow and take time doing this because as much as social media can help you it can also drive you crazy if you’re doing it wrong and not seeing the results you want but I wouldn’t let that hinder you from at least trying.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal for me is to quit my job and do JMC full-time. In theory I would love to have my own production company JMC productions. I want to be able to be the Hub or the umbrella for other podcasts, documentaries, docuseries, short films, in the films, Etc. I really believe in all of these forms of expression with black and brown people being at the helm. I feel there’s so much artistic expression that has yet to be seen through the art of media, audio and film that I would love to be at a point where I can facilitate that. I have to be honest that’s what really drives me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jmcpod.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jmcpod_?igsh=aXI0OWYyMHBvNGd6
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsthejourneyman?mibextid=2JQ9oc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felix-c-arroyo-314421216?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@JMCPOD?si=SFDXg3gV4mX2ygG8