We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristen Fonseca a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

In my journey as a business owner, I’ve learned valuable lessons from various jobs I’ve held. Here are a few experiences that have shaped my entrepreneurial journey: 1. During my time as a Private Investigator, I discovered the importance of discretion and the power of information. This job had a significant impact on me, and I eventually decided to leave the profession after realizing that I couldn’t be happy making a living by deceiving people. I also recognized that I didn’t want to continue contributing to a broken justice system. This experience led me to reevaluate my career path and strive to make a positive impact in the world.

2. Working as a waitress: Anticipating the needs of customers and moving quickly to meet those needs has been invaluable in my business. I learned that good service can make a meal and that going the extra mile can truly enhance a customer’s experience.

3. Working at a hotel front desk: I discovered the importance of saying “yes” to customers and seeking ways to make their stay enjoyable. This experience has influenced my customer service philosophy, emphasizing the power of positivity and accommodation in creating memorable experiences for clients.

4. Working for a catering company: Building something from the ground up has been a crucial lesson in efficiency and growth. I learned the importance of creating processes and protocols that contribute to the success and expansion of a business.

These experiences have taught me the importance of adaptability, customer service, and efficient processes in running a successful business. They have also reinforced the value of continuous learning and the power of collaboration in achieving success.

Kristen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Yass, Mija! is a YouTube brand created by a wife and husband partnership. Our mission is to create a community that celebrates and amplifies the voices of Latinx creators. We strive to provide a safe and supportive environment for these creators to share their stories, experiences, and talents.

Our Journey:

We are both originally from the Midwest and moved to Los Angeles together to pursue our creative dreams. After working in various freelance and corporate jobs, we took the leap to go out on our own and create Yass, Mija!

Our YouTube channel has grown to over 50,000 subscribers, and we are proud to have a diverse range of content, including interviews with Latinx creators, personal stories, and creative collaborations.

Our Products and Services:

At Yass, Mija!, we provide a platform to share and connect with a supportive community. Our content is designed to inspire, celebrate, and empower our audience, and we are constantly seeking new ways to amplify the voices of these talented individuals.

Our Unique Approach:

What sets us apart is our genuine passion for celebrating the diverse perspectives and experiences of deeply under represented creators. We believe in building a community where everyone feels welcome and supported without labels, and we are committed to creating a positive and inclusive environment for our audience and creators alike.

Our Proudest Moments:

We recently featured a young lady with autism on our show, facing tough decisions in a corporate environment that often encourages exploiting such stories for promotion. Drawing from our experiences as parents of an autistic non-verbal son, we consciously adhered to our mission of inclusion without using labels. Recognizing that nobody should have to disclose their diagnosis for tolerance, we opted not to emphasize her neurodiversity. Instead, we treated the episodes like any other featuring teens, portraying them as we would want someone to represent our own child—without labels or limitations.

What We Want Our Audience to Know:

We want our audience to know that Yass, Mija! is a labor of love, created by a dedicated team of two. We are passionate about our mission and committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for our creators and viewers. We believe in the power of storytelling to bring people together and create positive change in the world, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this important conversation

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In establishing our presence in the market, the successful launch of Yass, MIja! was greatly influenced by the inclusion of familiar faces. Our prior collaborations had forged strong connections with numerous influencers, providing us with a valuable advantage.

These relationships enabled us to: secure an early foothold in the YouTube arena, collaborate with influencers whom we personally admired and enjoyed working with, uphold a standard of excellence in production and storytelling, and benefit from the public endorsement of these influencers, who stood behind our new brand.

The support extended by these remarkable women played a pivotal role in helping us carve our niche in the market, and for that, we express deep gratitude. Their endorsement proved instrumental in establishing our brand.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

We strive to stay highly engaged with our audience, and reading their comments is a top priority. It’s a valuable reality check moment for us, as our audience openly shares their thoughts in the comments. About 99% of these comments are heartwarming, with messages like “I’ve been waiting for this!” or “This made my day!” However, we also recognize that the world has its fair share of critics. Occasionally, we come across negative comments, but mostly it’s inquisitive young minds asking questions. This feedback helps us understand which storylines resonate most, who they deeply care about, and what they’d like to see more of.

By cherishing our audience and being part of this community with them, we get to enjoy the chisme while maintaining a broader perspective, ensuring we continue to have a meaningful impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: kfonsecaproductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yass_mija/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yass_mija