We were lucky to catch up with Yesenia De Avila recently and have shared our conversation below.

Yesenia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry?

I think corporate america doesn’t grasp the vast consumer power of the Hispanic/Latin community. They know they need to address it but they always miss the mark.

We want to see ourselves represented. We want to be featured in commercials, film and television. And on an executive level, both in front and behind the camera. We want to be seen as educated, smart and a savvy consumer. Often times corporate America will rely on stereotypes. We are the new mainstream with very strong purchasing power.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I majored in Communications and Spanish in college with the idea and hope that I would become a reporter for Univision in Los Angeles at TV station KMEX where I did my internship.

My second internship was at a publicity firm where I worked as an an entertainment publicist that represented top Hollywood celebrities like Michael Jackson and the Beatles to name a few. This company was also starting a new Hispanic division which is when I came to intern. From there, one of the firm’s clients, Latina Magazine, invited me to work in New York. The magazine was bilingual and bicultural and was a perfect space that represented me. I was excited to work there as it felt more like a mission than work. I devoted seven years there where I worked both on the Editorial and Sales divisions . From there, I moved on to publicity work in independent films, as well as representing celebrities on TV shows for both Reyes Entertainment and Latin Force. I moved on to be an independent publicist for fashion designer, Raul Penaranda. Throughout my work in magazines and publicity I simultaneously did voice-overs for many commercials, mostly in Spanish. I had some success working with great brands such as Lancome, McDonald’s, Disney and others. The pandemic came and brought all my work to a halt. It was then that I decided it was an ideal time for reinvention. I decided to pitch myself to producers as a Lifestyle Expert where I could bring some ideas to viewers on how to successfully go back to school, virtually. My first segment was for Pix11NY. I was very nervous because although I had been in media for many years, it was something different to now be proposing and pitching myself to TV stations. Luckily, it was a huge success and I started working virtually in other markets including LA, Miami, Tampa, Connecticut, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver, San Diego and Sacramento.
All my years working in different media brought me to working independently as a TV contributor and Lifestyle Expert that promotes beauty, lifestyle brands and contributing to segments that are all about things that are trending. I finally felt that I had found my calling. A space where I felt like I knew enough about what brands needed to convey their messaging and also define myself as my own Creative Director, producer and Director for these segments. Each month, I have a theme, whether it be Fall Beauty & Lifestyle finds, Holiday Gift Ideas or Back to School I get to work in both Spanish and English and even though it has its own challenges to be independently doing it, I feel thrilled to be where I am today.

I feel very excited that major brands like Charlotte Tilbury, Olay, Dr. Dennis Gross, L’oreal, Apple, Hyatt and more choose me as their Lifestyle Expert to deliver messaging to their target audiences. When I receive positive feedback from these brands I feel like they are reaching both the mainstream audience and Latinas like me that wear make up, use skincare and travel to exciting vacation spots.

@YesiStyleMedia. and my website. Yesi.Style

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I believe strongly that representation matters. I always worked in media in ways where I could elevate other talented Latinos.

I aim to highlight achievements of other great mentors and pioneers who make way for a new generation of creative talent to emerge.

Celebrating culture and elevating our brands and voices is something I hold closely as I choose partners and showcase my contributions through my segments.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I previously shared the story where I had to pivot my career due to the pandemic.

I had a very successful run as a publicist. It’s something that comes naturally and I always worked in entertainment, media and showcasing talent and film.

I was getting older however and thought that my initial goals of working on-camera were dreams that just never would come true.

I spent a lot of time promoting the project’s of others including shows and films but I decided it was time to bet on myself. Approaching 50 and with very little on-camera experience, I took a chance and started pitching myself.

I was scared but it has made it that much more gratifying to have pivoted at this stage. The possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to see what else will unfold.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Yesi.Style
• Instagram: YesiStyleMedia
• Facebook: Yesenia De Avila
• Linkedin: Yesenia De Avila
• Twitter: Yesenia212
• Youtube: @YesiStyle18

Image Credits

All my own pictures-credit only to me. Yesi De Avila