Daily Inspiration: Meet Monica Rodriguez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Rodriguez.

Hi Monica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My name is Monica T. Rodriguez. I’m first generation Mexican American and the oldest of three kids in my family and the first to go to college. My journey started with a dream when I was just a kid in elementary school. One of my teachers took our class on a field trip to UCLA. I remember asking, “Who are all these older kids?” and my teacher said, “They’re college students studying their dream careers.” I was amazed. That same day, I told my parents I wanted to go to college and study animation so I could work at Pixar. I had just seen Toy Story at the Walt Disney Studios before it premiered publicly, and I was blown away by the technology and the magic of storytelling on the big screen.

My parents were always supportive. Even though they had never gone to a four-year university and didn’t know how to help me prepare, they encouraged me to study hard and never give up. What made things even more challenging was that I was diagnosed with a learning disability and dyslexia in elementary school. I struggled to keep up with my classmates and failed many tests. I was held back in the first grade and had to split my days between the regular classroom and special education support. It was hard, especially watching my friends move ahead while I stayed behind. But I kept moving forward and didn’t get discouraged. I went to Sylvan Learning Center after school, studied for hours, and worked hard to improve my skills.

There were so many nights I cried because I felt like I was hitting a wall. I apologized often to my teachers and my family because I didn’t understand things as quickly as others. But I never gave up. I refused to let my IEP or my dyslexia define me. I learned to see it not as a curse but as something I could overcome. My dad always told me, “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” and I held onto that.

Through elementary to high school, I took summer school and extra classes just to stay on track. I knew I was going to college no matter what. Even when some teachers told me I wouldn’t make it, I used that as fuel to prove them all wrong. Once I graduated from high school, I couldn’t afford to attend UCLA due to financial issues. Instead, I attended College of the Canyons and earned three associate degrees in Animation Production, Fine Arts, and Broadcast Journalism before transferring to California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where I earned my bachelor’s in Journalism with a focus on Public Relations.

Originally, I wanted to be an animator. I went to workshops, expos, volunteered at industry events, and studied constantly. I even met artists I admired like Brittney Lee from Frozen. But over time, I started to feel burned out. It became overwhelming, and I realized I wasn’t happy. I had a hard conversation with my parents, especially my dad. I told him I wanted to change my path. I was scared to disappoint him because he invested so much money in my education, but he surprised me by saying he was relieved. He had supported my animation dream because he didn’t want me to regret my choices he didn’t want me to ever wonder ‘what if’ or feel like I missed my chance. He told me he didn’t want to stop me from pursuing my dream and have me look back with regrets. But deep down, he always thought I’d eventually find something else that fit me even better.

At that moment, I didn’t know what I should pursue career-wise, but my dad told me to try marketing since it’s a creative field to get into. I gave it a try, but I quickly realized that numbers and I don’t mix. Then I found Public Relations. It clicked. It was creative and strategic, and it made sense with my background in storytelling and media. I became deeply involved at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). In my first semester after transferring, I became the president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) CSUN chapter. I managed their social media, created graphics, scheduled tours at ABC7, and connected with professionals for the club. In my senior year, I was part of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and served as a board member. I helped create and maintain our website and social media, coordinated with PRSA LA professionals, invited guest speakers, and organized workshops for our members.

Even though I applied to many internships in agencies, entertainment, and tech, I didn’t get accepted into the internships I applied for but I didn’t stop. Even after I graduated from CSUN in 2019, I applied for marketing coordinator roles and went on several interviews. I kept hearing the same thing: “We like you, Monica, but you don’t have any work experience.” Most of the roles required at least three to five years of experience just to be considered. Instead of giving up, I created my own path to gain that experience.

Throughout my time volunteering with nonprofits like Women In Animation, ASIFA-Hollywood, and attending networking events, I learned about LatinX in Animation (LXiA). I was given the opportunity to interview with Magdiela Hermida Duhamel, the president of LXiA. She invited me to the Disney Studios lot to go over the pitch deck I created for them. I asked her about LXiA’s goals, their audience, and the vision for the organization. Magdiela shared that one of their biggest goals was to grow their Instagram following from around 3k to 10k all organically, since they didn’t have the budget for paid ads. I said I’d do it and I did.

I officially joined the board in early 2020, just before COVID hit. During the pandemic, my fellow board members and I had to find ways to keep the community engaged while everyone was stuck at home. We came up with ideas like Drink and Draw, Write and Whine, and Drawing Challenges to keep people connected. We saw our analytics improve and launched even more programs like Resume Rallies. Eventually, we gained attention from people across Latin America.

I was promoted to Social Media Manager and led a team of five copywriters and five graphic designers. I created a streamlined process for our team, built onboarding systems for new volunteers, and focused on content that kept our audience engaged. I worked with LXiA for four years, and by the time I wrapped up my work at the end of 2024, we had grown the Instagram following to 13k.

In 2022, I worked as a Social Media Manager for the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), running promotions for their animation and film programs and training 30 volunteers on content creation. I also worked part-time as a Digital Marketing Coordinator for Papi Digital, where I learned from my mentor Julian Espinosa about email marketing, ad strategy, and freelancing. All of this led me to start my own freelance business, MonicaTR, where I now help brands grow their presence through visuals and strategy. I also volunteer for Social Media Club LA and am currently looking for a full-time position at a marketing agency.

Along the way, I’ve stayed grounded in community. I was in Girl Scouts from elementary through high school. I earned the Gold Award the highest honor which is equivalent to the Eagle Scout award. For my Gold Award project, I created a program called Music for Kids, where I taught elementary school children about the joy of music and brought in my high school marching band to perform and interact with the kids. I even got the chance to conduct the band myself. That same year, I was chosen to be a banner carrier for the Rose Parade in 2010 and 2011.

All of these experiences from being a first-gen college student, to managing learning disabilities, to creating opportunities when none were given have shaped who I am. I’m a creative problem solver, a community builder, and someone who believes in showing up with heart, even when the path is unclear.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I was diagnosed with a learning disability and dyslexia early on, which made school incredibly challenging for me. I had to work twice as hard just to keep up, taking extra classes, tutoring, and summer school throughout my education. I had teachers who told me you will never make it to college or even have a career due to having a disability, but I didn’t let that stop me. I kept moving forward, and I knew I would prove all of them wrong because I was going to college and have a career no matter what.

Even after I graduated, I faced rejection after rejection while applying for internships and full-time roles. I kept hearing, “You don’t have enough experience.” That was a big obstacle, especially coming out of college with a strong resume and leadership roles. Plus being the first person and first generation Mexican American to pursue and obtain a college degree. But I refused to give up. Instead of waiting around for someone to give me a chance, I created my own. That’s when I started working with LatinX in Animation, and I built my experience from the ground up by barnstorming event ideas, creating social media strategies, and bringing the animation community together on Instagram during COVID. Every challenge became fuel to keep going until I reach my goals that I set for myself. Even thought there were times I want to give up but there this voice inside of me that I should keep moving forward because someday I will reach my goals and found out where I belong.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve spent the last few years building a career in social media and digital marketing and more importantly, figuring out how to turn that into something truly my own. I started off with four years as a Social Media Manager at LXiA, and later worked part-time for three years as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Papi Digital. Those experiences gave me the foundation I needed to understand strategy, content creation, and what it takes to really grow a brand online.

Today, I’ve taken a leap and created my own path. I now work as a freelance Social Media Specialist under my own brand, MonicaTR. I help businesses grow their online presence through creative, compelling visuals that tell their unique stories. I’m most proud of taking that step into freelancing starting my own business was something that felt really intimidating at first. I didn’t know much about contracts, pricing, or even how to find clients. But I leaned on the connections I made in past roles and started pitching myself to people who believed in me. Slowly but surely, the opportunities started to come in.

Now, I’m much more confident not only in the value I bring, but in building a business that reflects who I am creatively and professionally. What sets me apart is that I’m not afraid to think outside the box. After being laid off, I gave myself space to really study how people are creating content what works, what doesn’t, and where I can bring something new to the table. I’m also working on launching my own content series focused on not gatekeeping sharing real, helpful information about social media and documenting my own journey so that others can learn from it too.

This isn’t just work to me it’s personal, it’s creative, and it’s a space where I get to help others tell their stories while continuing to write my own.

How do you think about luck?
I think luck showed up in the form of people who believed in me when I needed it most my parents, my mentors, my friends, and the professionals I met along the way. It was luck that I came across LatinX in Animation at the right time, but it was preparation, passion, and persistence that got me through the door and helped me grow in that role.

Bad luck showed up too in the form of rejection letters, burnout, and moments when I questioned everything. But even those moments helped shape me. I’ve learned that luck might open a door, but it’s what you do after that counts the most.

What I’ve learned most about luck and opportunity is that you need to be at the right place at the right time, have a great skill set, and be ready to pitch yourself and tell your story. Because if you don’t have a good story to tell, who will listen? And if no one’s listening, who’s going to invest in you?

Pricing:

• Social Media Audit – $500
• Content Bundle – $800
• Social Media Strategy Package – $1500
• Add-On Services (custom quotes available)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.monicatr.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicatr_1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicatr1/
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/monicatr1.bsky.social

Image Credits
These photos where taken all by me and these where past events.