We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Monica Mendoza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Monica below.
Monica , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
I have been an entertainment journalist for more than a decade. When I realized that the line between journalism and being a star in this part of the industry was very blurry, I decided to step away from that and do my job in my own style. No posturing, genuinely and from the heart. I learned a lot from those years, but in my forties, I started to give more space to what fills me now: telling stories at my own pace. I switched from journalism to film directing. Doing that, I found my purpose.
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 have been a freelance journalist for different big media such as Marie Claire, Televisa publishing, Huffington post voices, and Infobae, among others. I had to learn how to take pictures, edit videos, upload notes to the web, and walk around with a microphone, tripod, camera phone, and good light. I’ve enjoyed the job so much that sometimes I’ve even ended up dancing with the celebrities or being hugged by them. I also founded People on the news website and, more recently, Vaina Buena productions. Since the start of the production company, I have been able to make short documentaries, and I am in the development of two projects that are very meaningful to me.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I changed the course of my career at a time when many believe that women are already in retirement, which is a great challenge. As Salma Hayek says, “Women don’t have an expiration date,” and that’s something we need to get into our heads, especially Latinas. The biggest challenge as a woman and an immigrant is to keep fighting for your purpose even though you have a child, a stable income, and are in your comfort zone. There are many fears because if you make a mistake, your children can pay for the consequences of that mistake. But if you don’t, when everyone else has made their lives, you will regret not doing more for yourself.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
Yes. For too long, at least, that’s how I feel. All my energy went to interviews and everything that goes with that, time in preparation, waiting for your turn, editing, and writing the text. Giving all the directions to the editors, etc. I only dedicated to my production company the little time I had free, but I realized that the projects started to require more attention and dedication if I wanted to see them grow. I had to dedicate the energy they deserved, so it became my primary mission, and journalism became much less critical.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vainabuenaproductions.com; www.peopleonthenews.com
- Instagram: @iammonicamendoza
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-mendoza-064ab046/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuidXbRLU8cW0INT96mIeRw
- Other: https://vimeo.com/293737726
Image Credits
Andreina Duven, Luis Couto