Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Cardenas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

With my magazine, I definitely believe that it is different than all the others. What’s Up, Dallas! Magazine is a really unique magazine because of its purpose; bring positivity to the community and all the readers that interact with us on social media. We are so much more than a printed magazine; we are a community resource for the DFW area and a positive source for inspiration, testimonials, and family friendly content. We source local talents, music events, networking events, concerts, and business doing good in the community as well and offer interviews and editorial to help other businesses get their name out there in the DFW metroplex.

Every email, social media post, interaction, interview, and event is personally experienced by the owner of the magazine, Rachel Cardenas. That is what makes every connection unique, the owner is involved in the magazine & events. With the goal to spotlight more positivity in the DFW, I am passionate to make those connections myself because I don’t want to promote or display an event that doesn’t vibe with the magazine’s 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.

My name is Rachel Cardenas, I am the owner of What’s Up, Dallas! Magazine and I am passionate about DFW and all it has to offer. I am also a professional model & actress in the metroplex, and I am excited to offer a Media outlet that others don’t have to question the content. What’s Up, Dallas! Magazine began as a magazine for small business owners and their stories on how they made it through hard times with their businesses. The stories became so inspirational that it slowly gravitated to feature non-profits, community events, local models & actors, and family-friendly news & articles.

I started this magazine in September of 2022, and I have been vibing with it ever since. I love all the connections I have made, and I am blessed to know everyone that has made an impression with the community and with my magazine’s readers. I am especially proud of the growth on our social media platforms and all the organic followers it has. We truly have real accounts following us. I am also honored to be one of the sought-out platforms to cover events in DFW. However, we don’t go to all events we are invited to, but we do cherish the events that we can feature to the community.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Okay, this is a really great question and one that I have been asked several times. How do you have so many followers on your social media that actually interact with you? For me, it is not about the number of followers, but the quality of followers. Each of our followers are organic and follow our social media because of our purpose and content is family friendly. They believe in what we are doing and know that it will be good media, not one where they have to cover their kids’ eyes in the process.

My advice to building your audience, stay true to your vision, purpose, and goals. The right people will follow you in time, but always stay consistent and post regularly. What I don’t do is “follow for follow” or try to get followers by compromising my standards. I always to loyal to my purpose with my magazine because the magazine’s name is built on positive morals, and I stick with that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I have a few that I had to unlearn in my business, so let me begin with:

#1- Family is going to support you in your process. This is truly something I had to unlearn in my journey. I have not had much support from my family to be honest, but I have had to seek outside my circle to build my business. Not all family supports your success, and some actually can hurt it. I ignore seeking praises from them and continue my journey with those that believe in me.

#2- All business connections are beneficial. This is not at all true! In my journey I had my share of businesses that just used my platform to get credit or followers or used me for clout. I learned that association can determent your business more than heal it. So, I am always careful who I promote, support, or even attach my name to as a business. If they aren’t family friendly and their social is questionable, I will not associate my name with them.

#3- You can do it all on your own. Hard lesson I really had to unlearn! I wore myself out trying to everything and getting nowhere but frustrated. I realized that the more people you incorporate in your business, they better it can function. I am grateful for my media partner, A-list Photography who has taught me so much in my business process! You will always need someone to help you in your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.whatsupdallasmagazine.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/whatsupdallasmagazine
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatsupdallasmagazine
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsupdallasmagazine
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@whatsupdallasmagazine
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BYHtBmvuLHChX9MZ3Zeek TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatsupdallasmagazine

Image Credits
Photographer Credits: A-List Photography, ELB Portraits, Mr. U Photography, and Shishir Photography.