Today we’d like to introduce you to Estefania Monarrez
Hi Estefania, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
To start off, my name is Estefania Monarrez and I am a 26-year-old, Mexican-American, living my best life in Austin, TX. I was born and raised in El Paso, TX which I love to always give credit for influencing me to become who I am today. I also graduated as a First-Generation student in 2020 from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a minor in Business Administration. I’m currently working as a social media manager for Flash Marketing Agency, working with clients ranging from automotive repair shops to pain physician clinics.
When I moved to Austin, Texas, I never knew if I’d really fit in or enjoy the curated vibe of the city. I was very enclosed to college life and spaces, mainly exploring the surrounding areas of the campus in my beginning years and slowly starting to expand my width as I neared graduation. I benefited from my growth into loving this city when I joined multiple organizations to focusing on Content Creation, PR, and social skills. Some of those organizations including The Daily Texan, Spark Magazine, Afterglow, and Camp Kesem UT Chapter. I accredit these organizations for paving the way to my current position in life.
I’d love to highlight that I also graduated during COVID in 2020 when things started to get bad. I was accepted into MAIP, a multi-cultural advertising program, and was set to move to Atlanta, GA for an internship with Fitzco, an advertising agency. Of course, that all was canceled and shifted online to adapt to the current worldly situation. At this point in my life, I was graduated, unemployed, and had 0 idea where my life was heading. Massive character development happened around this time and battling through the unknown has been one of my greatest personal accomplishments. Luckily and eventually, I did find a Social Media Manager position at Aidan James, an advertising agency where I worked with many prestigious businesses in my hometown.
My next career move, was ultimately what brought me back to Austin which was working as a Junior Publicist and Social + Influencer Manager at Fons PR. It was like a dream working there since I was able to implement my knowledge into the film and entertainment spaces. I worked with clients such as Lionsgate, A24, Amazon Studios, Sony, and one of my favorites, Alamo Drafthouse. Doubling as a Junior Publicist and running our social media accounts and influencer marketing campaigns, I was moving at crazy speeds and working on remarkable projects. SXSW, Austin Film Festival, and Fantastic Fest are only a few of the film festivals I was able to work through allowing me to network and experience moments I had only dreamed of. Of course, life constantly moves forward and I knew my next step was to hone in on what I truly loved to do which is Content Creation and Social Media Management.
This is where we land on my current role, the Social Media Manager at Flash Marketing Agency. As a child, I always knew social media would play a MAJOR role in whatever I wanted to do when I grew up. Whether that was becoming a YouTuber or running social accounts for a business, growing up both with and without the internet molded my perception of this career.
At Flash Marketing, I work with 6 clients as their Social Media Manager and I wanted to highlight one to understand what it is I do. That client, being one of my favorites, is Genuine Automotive and Diesel, which happens to have just hit 100K+ followers on TikTok. From conceptualization of content to filming and editing, I’ve supported GAD in gaining 5M+ views on videos in less than 6 months. Being able to bring my diverse background and personal interest to add a spin on their content is what has allowed me to positively impact their account after acquiring them from our Content Manager. Also being able to develop relationships with the people at GAD is what helps make the content so genuine and real. Observing the process and living with the outcome is really what makes this job all worth it. There are days when we are filming and we’re wondering whether the idea will translate and if it’ll turn out the way we envision it and being able to see it come true is truly remarkable.
I know I’ve talked a lot about my current career, but I do want to preface that I am also an aspiring Content Creator and YouTuber. On my spare time, I love to create content and YouTube vlogs about my travels, music experiences, and my lifestyle. My overall dream is to continue to expand my social presence and hopefully one day, partner and work with brands that I love such as Vivienne Westwood, restaurants, and many more.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not always been a smooth road, but I do have to acknowledge that I am extremely blessed and divinely protected. I believe that God has had my back through every struggle and he has been the light that has continued to shine in my life.
I would say my main struggles developed during COVID. It had felt as though everything I had worked for during college was done for nothing. It was extremely difficult to find a job since there were 0 to none available, I wasn’t able to celebrate an actual, physical graduation and it felt as if I had no distinction between my college and professional self. Not only that but as a first-gen and the oldest sibling, I was never able to share my success with my family who had also worked so hard to support me during my college years. Though, as I had mentioned, I did overcome and learned to develop my confidence and self-perception outside of school and work.
I’d say after that my main struggles were personal. Always dealing with the feeling of whether I was good enough for a role or not. Being 22 and working in the film and entertainment industry also meant dealing with colleagues who had been working for 10+ years in their roles. I definitely experienced imposter syndrome and questioned whether my age would ever allow me to be taken more seriously than what I was being taken as. Of course, those thoughts lead me to only work harder and to pursue the idea of life I wanted to have when I was the age of my colleagues.
Now, my main struggle is understanding how to continue exponential growth in my life and career, while managing any roadblocks. Essentially, how to live a healthier life with both personal and work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Social Media Manager and I believe I am known for being a cultural leader and for having diverse interests. My main goal in life is to be an initiator of trends and viral movements, which is why I love Social Media. I have found myself consistently influencing the people in my life and I want to continue pursuing that. In essence, I am a creator, a lover of life, and a citizen of the world.
I specialize in Content Creation and Influencer Marketing, with a highlight on video production and video editing. Most people would say I am VERY up-to-date with trends and memes, and happen to even know niche trends that most people wouldn’t. I consider myself a citizen of the world because I happen to speak 2 languages fluently, 1 conventionally, and 1 at a beginner level. This has allowed me to expand my knowledge to not only the USA’s wants, but to those of many other countries. I can always find a way to implement an audio or an idea into a real-life visual.
I believe what I am most proud of, is my ability to adapt to any situation in my life and my way to find solutions to any problem. I don’t like giving up when I am set on doing something and will see a project through to the end. What sets my apart is my determination and me personal diversity of interest. Along with that, I have a huge personality and am really good at initiation and making connections with others. All of that, allows me to do my best in any role I am given. Lastly, I am very spiritual and have continued to develop my relationship with God which I know has ultimately been the most deciding factor in a lot of my success. My faith in God and myself.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I would say my faith and my creativity. My mind works in a way where I am consistently vividly imagining things and coming up with ideas. So when I can hit the sweet spot where my mind, my heart, and my gut are all on the same page, there is no stopping my success. All of that goes back to having faith in myself, in God, and in my creativity.
Pricing:
- Pricing is based on the needs of clients if they’re looking to work with me and Flash Marketing Agency.
- My personal social media account rates start at $100 and are rated based on the needs of the client.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emonars.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emonars/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@digitalgirlirl
- Other: https://flash-mktg.com/
