Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Salinas.
Hi Caroline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and was drawn to the performing arts since I was a kid. However, being a daughter of an immigrant mother and a former farmworker father, I was inspired at an early age to focus on a career path that would help make a difference, which led me to start working in politics. While in college at Cal State Fullerton, I took a course called Mass Media and Ethnic Groups where I learned that I could combine my passion for activism and entertainment, seeing the need for more equitable representation. I was fortunate to meet several talented creators while in college who encouraged me to begin sharing my creative work online. I shared comedy sketches on social media that I wrote and acted in and I began doing collaborations. Through posting these videos, I was able to connect with more artists on Instagram. We supported each other’s work and kept each other in mind for future projects. Taking the risk of sharing my work with the public paid off as it led to opportunities to perform live and in short films.
I also began working in the entertainment industry by landing several internships. I interned for writers, a development team, a communications team, and then eventually became a Post-Production Assistant for an unscripted show on a major network. Although I also enjoy creating, I have always been interested in learning about all aspects of the entertainment industry. Having graduated from college in 2019, I was excited to finally begin working my way up in the industry as an assistant. Then the pandemic changed my plans. In early 2020, I teamed up with other content creators whose work I admired, and together we launched Our Vibes (@OurVibesMedia), a digital brand dedicated to entertaining and informing Latinx Gen Z and Millennials just like us. We regularly share comedy sketches, reaction videos, and other content we feel best represents our community. Our mission is to create our own representation and we have quickly grown this year on Instagram and TikTok! My Co-Founder, Sheryl Desir, and I have dedicated the past year to building the brand and organically growing our audience via social media.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Although I was born and raised in LA County, I never had direct access to the industry. I didn’t know how I would get a job in entertainment without knowing anyone or having a relative who is already established. I’m thankful to have been connected with organizations like the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) while in college. Their programs and events helped me land my first internship in the industry and begin building my network. I also found confidence through finding community. Meeting other Latinx creators who are also starting their careers empowered me to continue creating for my community and turn to them to grow together in an industry in which we have historically been underrepresented.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Our Vibes Media?
Our Vibes is a collective of Latinx content creators from the Greater Los Angeles area who teamed up to create content for Latinx Millennials and Gen Z. We launched in January 2020 and have created PSAs for the Census and the Presidential Election, funny reaction videos, and other videos discussing our Latinx identity and culture. Although we often show our silly side, we are also dedicated to talking about important issues affecting our community such as immigration policies and colorism. We are proud to have also grown an audience over the past year that shares our values. I Co-Founded Our Vibes Media with Sheryl Desir, a fellow alumna of Cal State Fullerton. Being recent grads looking for opportunities in digital media, we decided to create our own opportunity by starting our own brand. We saw a lack of representation for people like us, young Latinos on the West Coast living in the outskirts of Los Angeles, so we decided to create the representation we wanted to see. We recruited other up and coming content creators whose work we admired and created a cast with diverse personalities. We have team members from the Inland Empire, Southeast Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, and the Bay Area. We truly believe in telling our own personal stories, so the team often shares about their Mexican and South American backgrounds on our page. We hope to continue growing our brand through social media and giving a voice to the next generation of U.S. Latinx creatives. We can be found on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @OurVibesMedia.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is when people see themselves in the content I create. There isn’t a formula to this or a way to guess what is universal. I find it special when I create a video that is specific to my experience and others comment that they can relate. It’s a way to connect with people, and those personal connections are what I define as success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thesweetcarols.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesweetcarols/
