We were lucky to catch up with Freddy Cruz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Freddy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career.
In general, society tends to put too much focus on winning. That’s not to say I don’t love to win. I do. But we don’t always win. Things don’t always go our way. And by not teaching our kids that losing isn’t the end of the world, we’re doing them a great disservice.
In four years of peewee football, we never lost more than one regular season game. And we lost every single championship game to the SAME TEAM. This particular experience gave me and my teammates a leg up on our peer group and we didn’t even know it! We had the (dis)pleasure of knowing all the glory of winning and winning and winning and then…BOOM. A punch in the gut as soon as we thought we’d reach the pinnacle of peewee success.
Schools should be teaching our kids about failure, losses, and setbacks. Think about how much you think the system should be teaching these concepts and multiply it by ten. Life isn’t always about straight A’s and state football championships and UIL caliber marching bands and competitive cheer squads. These kids, even the best and brightest, will lose. Some will lose in unimaginable ways. Huge losses. Terrible failures. Insurmountable setbacks. But by teaching them that these are inevitable, we equip them with the grit to get up, dust themselves off, and keep fighting.
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
The foundation of my career is built on sound.
I got into radio because I was told it would be a stepping stone for a career in TV. I got hooked and never left. Being on the air was exhilarating. Communicating with tens of thousands of people doing tens of thousands of different things at the same time was at one time impossible. Literally. But there I was, a budding disc jockey playing music and talking with listeners.
Years later, a producer by the name of bc introduced me to the world of radio imaging, which is all the short promos and elements you hear that are not traditional ads. I got hooked and he taught me pretty much everything I know about producing with ProTools.
But it didn’t stop there. I learned the art of copywriting through trial and error and through the counsel of various programmers during my career.
In my twenty-six year career, I’ve worked my way to making myself a triple threat. Voice, production, and copywriting. They’ve helped elite broadcast teams achieve ratings success and generate millions of dollars in revenue, all while serving our communities.
The decentralization of media has afforded all of us with opportunities once seen as impossible. And I’ve reached a time in my life and career when my skills are best utilized by helping small and medium-sized businesses tell their stories and grow their brands.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My daughters are my North Star.
I want them to see me as an example of someone who’s not afraid fail, pivot, and learn from the past.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’m currently living the biggest pivot of my career. Sixteen years with the same employer made me a little too comfortable. Success can do that to a person.
So in November of 2021, I made the decision to leave the party while it was still fun.
The past few months have been nothing short of turbulent. I had it in my mind that I’d work independently while exploring other opportunities for employment. One can only handle rejection and ghosting so many times. Which is why I’ve doubled down on my skills, working for myself and answering to nobody but the clients I serve. Worst case scenario? I find another corporate gig. No biggie.
So far, I’ve landed a couple of clients. And I’ve been fortunate enough to host some high profile guests on my podcast. These are signs that the journey to success, despite the struggle, is 100% worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefreddycruz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefreddycruz
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/thefreddycruz
- Other: https://omny.fm/shows/freddyshugeaskpodcast