I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Esmeralda Rodriguez who is a Marketing Strategist and Online Business Coach to discuss how she got to where she is today. Here is what she had to say:
In your own words, what’s your story Esmeralda? How did you get to where you are today?
Mexican-American girl living between Mexico and California. Parents came to USA for a better future and looking for work. I learned early on that I had to work really hard to become successful. Parents worked really hard to provide as much as they could and my father managed to run a couple of small businesses, so we had the freedom to go back to Mexico for months at a time. The US is where we came to work hard, make money; Mexico is where we went we vacationed and spent quality family time.
I grew up thinking that hard work meant success, so I worked really hard in school, always a top student. I started working at the age of 13 at my family’s restaurant and never stopped. I later put myself through college while working multiple jobs and finally graduated. I got a really good job, went back to college, got a master’s degree, got an even better job and I still didn’t feel successful.
I had a great career in the education sector with great pay and benefits but something did not feel right. I had worked so hard and finally had what I wanted but I was not fulfilled. I had done some traveling while working on my master’s degree so I decided to quit my job and travel (I know, scary right?) I bought a one-way ticket to Europe with no plan, no job, and no place to live.
I had played it safe all my life until that time. I decided to jump into the unknown, and it was the best decision of my life. I went on to travel to over 60 countries while sharing my journey on social media and finding ways to make money online. I checked off major bucket-list items like climbing the Wall of China, bungee jumping in Costa Rica, and watching an epic sunset in Greece. My journey was not always glamorous but I found myself really living the life that I felt I was meant to live.
I wanted to scream to the world that taking big, scary steps was sometimes necessary in order for us to find our purpose or our calling. I did social media consulting for big companies, small business, and entrepreneurs building a brand. I found that I enjoyed working with entrepreneurs who had a vision, and were pursuing their passions while making an impact in the world.
Well that is quite the risk! So what happened after all of this?
After non-stop traveling for almost three years, I decided it was time to settle for a bit and start a new project. I asked myself really hard questions about my life, my purpose, and what I wanted to do next. During my travels, I connected with amazing women who were pursuing their passions and making an impact but struggled to make money. I found myself guiding many of them onto the online space and showing them how to monetize their passions. I was doing a lot of being the scenes work for a while, and just recently, decided it was time to put myself out there once again and take another scary step.
I recently started the “For the Love of Women Podcast” and working on last touches for an online course that I poured my heart and soul into. This course is for these amazing women who have no idea where to start when creating an online business or brand. It will help them launch and run the online businesses they have always wanted.
Thank you so much for sharing your incredible story! Do you have any advice or last words you would like to share?
My humble opinion rather than advice is that everyone’s’ success and road map looks different. Don’t compare yourself to someone who has already mastered a skill. Embrace your uniqueness, your journey, and your struggles, because only that way will you be able to tell your own authentic story. Lastly, stop letting your potential go to waste because you don’t feel confident or ready enough.
People with half your talent are making serious moves while you are still waiting to feel ready. Never give up on your dreams because if you do, you will always be working for someone else’s dream.