We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mark Travis Rivera a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark Travis , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I believe that stories connect us. During a time when we are more divided, polarized, and hyperfocused on our differences than ever before, if we embrace the power of our stories, we can create a more inclusive world.

It is hard to dehumanize or hate someone when their experiences and stories reflect parts of your own experience. We need to remember how to listen and converse with one another. We’ve become a society of “us versus them” instead of learning to listen, learn, and engage from a space of curiosity and empathy. I am not naive, though; I know that no amount of empathy or grace will help change a person who is hellbent on hating people who are different from them, but every breakthrough I ever had in my life began with sharing my story and having others see and hear me for precisely who I am.

As the CEO and founder of The Professional Storyteller, LLC, as a creative entrepreneur, author, disabled choreographer, storytelling coach, and speaker, I am on a mission to help others, especially those who belong to my communities (Latinx, DIsabled, LGBTQ+, first-gen college graduates, and creative entrepreneurs), learn to hone the power of storytelling and embrace their own stories.

It is hard to become what we can not see in the stories we consume on television, movies, books, and social media. Stories can be a window into understanding others who are different or a mirror that reflects parts of who you are so you know you are not alone. Despite the vastly diverse population demographics in the United States, representation of storytellers at the margins continues to lag behind our white, heterosexual, non-disabled counterparts. Our stories matter, and stories will allow us to show each other a greater depth of empathy and compassion.

Mark Travis , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an imperfect, recovering perfectionist who strives every day to honor the calling of my life.

As a poor, Latino queer disabled kid who was born at five and a half months, weighed one pound, and had to learn to be resilient from the start, my survival at birth has prepared me for the life I would later live. Growing up in a single-mother household in Paterson, New Jersey, I would become the first person in my immediate family to graduate high school and college and become a creative entrepreneur. The idea that my creative talents would get me out of the city where I was raised and allow me to travel the country as a professional storyteller still baffles me.

Statistically speaking, the likelihood that I would go on to live the life that I am living is unlikely. But, I am stubborn and refuse to allow naysayers, doubters, haters, or societal expectations to stop me from living my dreams. I may not be the most talented choreographer, coach, speaker, or writer, but I sure as hell work my ass off to grow and improve in my craft every day. I was never called the smart kid until I got to college; I was the talkative, respectful, charismatic, talented, creative kid who would rather skip gym class and take a dance class or write for hours than bother to do math or chemistry homework. I would also become the youngest person and person of color to found and artistically direct a contemporary integrated dance company for disabled and non-disabled dancers at 17.

Now, at 32, I am committed to helping others through my company, The Professional Storyteller, which has (4) main pillars of activities for storytelling that help to foster a more inclusive world:

1. Speaking Engagements on diversity, equity, inclusion, and identity topics.

2. Two coaching programs: a) Storytellers Speak, a coaching program for aspiring and emerging speakers who need help learning how to hone their story and grow their business as a speaker. The program focuses on business, content, and personal development. b) Living Purposely, a personal and professional development coaching program that helps people navigate career transitions and supports them in honoring the calling of their lives.

3. Writing for publications, journals, and online outlets to help increase the representation of stories by and about folks who exist at various intersections. I published my first collection of poetry and essays, “Drafts,” in 2017, and I am currently working on my book proposal for my memoir, “Crippled But Not Broken.”

4. Choreography. Telling stories through movement is just as important as telling stories through the written or spoken word. Sometimes, the body can express aspects and experiences that words fail to articulate fully.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I grew up watching the Oprah Winfrey Show every day after school for years. It was routine, and as I got older, I fully began to understand the significance of Oprah and her work. Through Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday series, I discovered Dr. Brené Brown’s work, which would be a significant discovery for me, personally and professionally.

I remember Oprah once asking, “How will you honor the calling of your life?” as I embarked on full-time entrepreneurship in 2023, I kept reflecting on the significance of that question. For years, my work as a creative entrepreneur was either integrated or as a side thing to my 9-5 job, but I knew I needed to dare greatly and take the leap.

But I was afraid– while I know that a 9-5 only provides a false sense of security because you can be let go at any moment, the thought of not getting paid every two weeks freaked me out. I know how to be poor. I grew up living below the poverty threshold, but as a young adult in my early 30s, I didn’t want to stray back to that kind of life. Don’t get me wrong; I will probably always feel like “working poor” no matter how successful I become because poverty isn’t a situation; it becomes a mentality in a society that blames marginalized people for being poor instead of the social conditions and systemic oppression that has led to significant economic and social disparities.

After experiencing my second layoff in two years, I heard a voice say: it is now or never, Mark; either leap and pray you land on some stable ground or sink to the bottom of self-pity and give up. As you may have realized, I am stubborn and don’t give up. My first year of entrepreneurship has been a rollercoaster of a ride, BUT I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I have never worked harder and been more stressed, but there’s something about waking up every day knowing you are honoring the calling of your life that keeps you going.

Dr. Brown introduced me to the now famous Daring Greatly speech by President Theodore Roosevelt, where he said:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

These are just some people and outlooks that have informed how I live, lead, and love.

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

Growing up, I was never called the smart kid. I was a talkative, creative, talented, respectful, and sensitive kid, and I wouldn’t be acknowledged for my intellect until my first year in college. When you are the first person in your family to graduate high school and go to college, you are already questioning your sense of belonging on your college campus and whether you have what it takes to earn a degree.

Every school I applied to, except for William Paterson University of New Jersey, rejected my application for admission. My grades were low, but my SAT scores were high, leading Carmen Ortiz, the then Director of the Education Opportunity Fund program at William Paterson, to interview me before deciding my fate. She wanted to hear my story and learn why my grades were so low despite my obvious intellect, which she realized through meeting me in person and seeing my test scores.

Carmen Ortiz would single-handedly change the trajectory of my life. Her ability to see me beyond my creative pursuits and acknowledge my intellect and potential made all the difference as I navigated my life after high school. Like most first-generation students, I had to work through college to survive and get myself through school. I had incredible highs and lows while in college and considered dropping out many times. But then I reminded myself that throughout my life, since birth, I have had to overcome hardships, and I’ve been better on the other side for not giving up. Call it being stubborn or determined, but I know that I am living my life fully and on purpose, and that has made all the difference for me and has allowed me to experience successes I never thought possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MarkTravisRivera.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marktravrivera/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-travis-rivera/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/marktravrivera

Image Credits
Photos by Merilyn Garcia Photos by Nina Wurtzel