Daily Inspiration: Meet Kristen Fonseca

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Fonseca.

Hi Kristen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband Kevin Stalker and I moved to LA in 2006. We were both looking for more than the Midwest had to offer. I wasn’t aware at the time but this would set me on a path as a “no sabo” kid to find a way to discover my culture as a Latina. I started my career in production as a Makeup Artist and moved into creative directing and producing shoots for brands.

During this time, Kevin, worked for AwesomenessTV and created the “My Dream Quinceañera” franchise. We were always looking for opportunities to work together and eventually, the stars aligned and we decided to bet on ourselves and open our own production company, K.Fonseca Productions Inc. After years of creating content for other brands and owning none of it, we chose to invest in ourselves to create our own YouTube channel. “Yass, Mija!” was born from our desire to increase the visibility of Latinx women and minorities and to close the gap for an underrepresented but endlessly inspiring group.

Now we get to live our dream together, we create all of our videos ourselves. Kevin is a gifted editor in addition to his many other production talents, and we get to tell the stories that matter to us. We focus mostly on docuseries and a Podcast where we catch up with Quince girls from the past. We hope to inspire more young women to be the boss babes they were meant to be and take up space.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing in life worth doing is ever without struggle. Both Kevin and I worked for years a freelancers, so we learned early that it was going to be a grind. We have both taken our fair share of odd jobs to pay our rent. I worked as a Private Investigator and catering waiter, and Kevin taught comedy traffic school.

There have been tough days, weeks and months when we had no clue how we would be able to continue but the struggle is all worth it. For us, success is not wealth but balance, time with our three amazing boys and time to feel like we are contributing to our community. We would be lying if we said we didn’t still worry about whether the next show will be well received or if we will be able to maintain working together but the risk is worth the reward. We have developed character and empathy in ways we would not have been able to without the humble pie regularly in our diets. Life is short and easy is not what we are looking for.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Our team has honed the art of storytelling through visual content creation, with a focus on producing engaging and compelling videos that capture the essence of the narrative. Our approach is always tailored to the needs of the story and the intended audience, ensuring that each video we create is impactful and memorable.

Our goal is to share inspiring stories. I am really making the type of content I wish I saw growing up. Featuring women in positions of power, authority and influence is a top focus of our content.

Throughout the history of mass media, women have often been portrayed as mere accessories or decorative elements. Our goal is to change this by highlighting women, particularly those from minority groups, and giving them a platform. We hope that future generations will grow up seeing women in positions of power as the norm. Additionally, we recognize the significant growth of Latina-owned businesses in the US and want to learn more about these women.

We have an upcoming segment featuring the LadyLowrider Car Club in Pasadena. We will follow the President Sandy and VP Vanessa as they showcase their custom low riders, take us on a tour of their neighborhoods and introduce us to some local eats. The LadyLowriders are truly inspiring and we can’t wait to share their stories with everyone.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Currently, I’m working on unlearning my knowledge of how patriarchy and capitalism impact women and minorities in their daily lives.

TikTok has helped me reframe my thinking and overcome imposter syndrome. As a brown female, I used to feel like I needed to be the most educated person in the room to be worthy, but TikTok helped me realize that societal pressures were to blame. This message is not typically conveyed to young men.

Kevin and I are in all ways a partnership, and to keep that functioning properly, it requires a lot of conversations. Conversations dissecting the systems in place, how we can challenge those and what progress looks like. Though the self-reflection required can be challenging, it is worthwhile in enhancing our ability to help others tell their stories and understand their experiences.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kfonsecaproductions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yass_mija/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yass_mija