Check Out Marissa Vigil’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Vigil.

Hi Marissa, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I actually found Urban Workshop completely on a whim. My boyfriend works in the trades and came across the job posting and thought I would be a good fit. Before this, I spent eight years managing Aroma Di Roma alongside some of my best friends, so my background was really in hospitality, customer service, and managing people. I loved the coffee shop scene, buzzing around and seeing my customers everyday and I miss it. I have been at Urban Workshop for about a year, but it honestly feels like I landed exactly where I was supposed to be. It gives me the same buzzing, chaotic feel with a million moving pieces to solve constantly.

I never planned on working in education, but looking back, it was probably always somewhere in me. My mom was a teacher for over 30 years, so I guess it’s in my DNA. What surprised me most was realizing how much hands-on education can genuinely change people’s lives. I wasn’t someone who thrived in traditional school settings, so I understand how important it is for people to have different paths, passions, and ways to succeed.

One thing people misunderstand about Urban Workshop is how much we truly help the community and underserved populations. Our welding program, especially, gives people second chances. We work with individuals who are trying to rebuild their lives, gain stability, and create careers for themselves. We get to witness transformations within people which is incredibly meaningful to me. Seeing where people come from and where they end up after completing the program is something I am deeply proud of. I’m also really proud of my instructors and watching them grow, gain confidence, and accomplish things they didn’t think were possible. The impact our instructors at Urban Workshop have on students goes far beyond teaching technical skills, they change lives here.

I think one of my biggest strengths is building trust with people. It’s just naturally who I am — I genuinely care about people, and I think they feel that. I’m definitely a people person, and I’ve worked hard to create an environment where the people around me feel respected, supported, and excited to come to work. I think that’s what makes me a little different as a leader, at least I like to hope that.

My hope for the future is that our youth program continues to grow and reaches kids who may have never imagined themselves building, creating, welding, designing, or working with their hands. If we can help even a few students discover a passion or a future career path, that means everything to me. I would love to eventually see Urban Workshop expand into more locations and impact even more communities.

A lot of my personal experiences have shaped the way I lead and connect with people. My parents went through a brutal divorce when I was in high school. My dad hasn’t been in my life for about 10 years and I think that experience changed me. It taught me resilience, empathy, and the importance of creating supportive environments for others. You never know what someone is experiencing outside the scope they allow you to see. I think all of those experiences together have shaped the way I approach leadership, relationships, and community.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Professionally, one of the biggest challenges for me was stepping into an industry I knew absolutely nothing about. I came into Urban Workshop with zero knowledge of the trades, how to inventory these supplies or how to connect with makers. My entire background was in hospitality. After spending eight years helping run a coffee shop, to suddenly putting on a welding hood was extremely intimidating at first.

I had to learn quickly, ask a lot of questions, and become comfortable being uncomfortable. There were definitely moments where I doubted myself or felt out of place, especially working in an environment that can traditionally feel very male-dominated and technical. But over time, I realized that leadership is not about pretending to know everything, it’s about connecting with people, building trust, staying adaptable, being willing to learn and being able to say “I have no idea.”

I think coming into Urban Workshop without a traditional trades background actually became one of my strengths. It allows me to connect with students and families who may also feel intimidated walking into a makerspace for the first time. I understand what it feels like to not know the terminology, to feel unsure, or to wonder if you belong there. Because of that, I’ve worked hard to help create an environment that feels approachable, welcoming, and encouraging for everyone.

Working in a heavily male-dominated industry was tough for me in the beginning. Because of experiences in my personal life, especially with my dad, I think I have always had a harder time trusting men and feeling fully comfortable in those environments. Coming into the trades with zero experience only amplified that feeling at first. But one of the most rewarding parts of my journey at Urban Workshop has been getting to work alongside some incredibly hardworking, genuine people who have completely changed my perspective. Over time, I built real trust and respect with many of the instructors, welders, team members and tradesmen around me. That experience has been really healing and has shown me the value of community, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think I said that in the last one oops! I guess I will tap into my personal life more then?

I think what sets me apart most is my ability to make people feel safe and understood without judgment. My friends come to me because they know I’ll listen. I really value honesty, strong morals, and genuine connection. I pay a lot of attention to people — eye contact, energy, intentions — and I think people can feel that when they talk to me.

A lot of my life experiences shaped me into someone who leads with empathy. I went through difficult family experiences growing up, including instability and hurt within my relationship with my father, and I think those experiences forced me to become emotionally aware at a young age. They also made me passionate about people who are trying to break cycles, heal, and build better lives for themselves. I have a soft spot for people who have struggled with abuse of any kind and are trying to find their way out of difficult situations because I understand how much strength that takes.

I also think people sometimes judge me too quickly. I’m aware that people may see a pretty face first and assume certain things about me, but I think once people actually get to know me, they realize I’m very grounded, relatable, and genuine. I love being in the sun, spending time with people I love, relaxing, working out, and creating a peaceful life around the people closest to me.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I think my biggest advice would be to stop putting so much pressure on yourself to have life figured out immediately. You are not behind. I spent years working at a coffee shop with some of my best friends before ending up in a completely different career path, and honestly those years shaped me just as much as where I am now. And trust me I wouldn’t trade a single moment of that except I wish I lived more in the present and enjoyed it more vs trying to find the next thing.

There’s so much pressure to constantly be achieving something huge or chasing the “perfect” career, but I think there’s a lot of value in simply enjoying your life and doing what genuinely makes you happy. Work at the coffee shop, bartend, travel, spend time with people you love, try different things, who cares?

I also think people underestimate how much life matters. My mom had cancer recently and it really rocks you and makes you think life is way too short. Some of the hardest things I’ve gone through ended up teaching me the most about empathy, resilience, relationships, and who I want to be. You don’t need to have a perfect plan to end up somewhere meaningful. Sometimes the best opportunities happen completely unexpectedly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://urbanworkshop.net/
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• Yelp: urbanworkshop