Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Gonzales.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story starts on the inner west side of San Antonio. I grew up in the Alazan Courts near Lanier High School born to teenage parents, so I was with my grandmother for most of my childhood while my mother worked or went to school. My dad was and still is in the picture. Even though my life started in one of San Antonio’s poorest zip codes, my parents did the best they could by telling me to get good grades in order to go to college and succeed. My mother and father were separated, but they both instilled values in me that created the person I am today and so did the rest of my family who helped raise me.
Fast forward to middle school and high school, my mother moved us near Jefferson High School with my step-father.
Even though we lived across town from the middle school I attended (Tafolla), I was still able to go as it was a magnet school where different language courses were offered. I chose Spanish because I knew it, but not enough. I wanted to be fluent one day to be able to better communicate with my mother’s family.
From Tafolla, I went to Jefferson High School closer to my new “home”.
Graduation came around, and I honestly still didn’t know what I wanted to do in life.
I knew I was going to college and I had a scholarship to St. Mary’s University, so that’s where I went.
It wasn’t my first choice, but that is where I met my husband, found a career path I am passionate about and have made lifelong friendships.
The career path chosen was by total chance.
I don’t advise anyone to do this when entering college, but the way I chose my major is not idea.
At orientation, everyone had to go to a registration table to pick a major from this booklet.
I closed it, flung it open, and closed my eyes as I jabbed my finger on the page. I opened by eyes, and saw “International Business” and said, “This one, please.”
Two years into college, I realized… I did really like business administration, but not international business, so I changed it from IB to Marketing.
Marketing struck me in such a different way, because yeah I liked the sound of it, but could I do it?
I thought so at the time. It seemed so natural to me.
Fast forward to graduation (2017), my then boyfriend asks me to move to Austin with him. I had mentioned previously to him that it had been a dream of mine to live in Austin, so he made it happen.
We moved and I was still just interning remotely with Yelp and no, I didn’t have a full-time job lined up, so that was a mistake.
Struggling for months to find a job, then I finally landed a sales role where I had to make a dreadful amount of cold calls each day.
I couldn’t do it.
I had to leave. It stressed me out. I was not a person who could sit behind a desk in a windowless office of a very new startup company in downtown Austin. I quit.
My next role came months later. I worked service industry between roles.
Marketing Manager was the role I wanted and that’s what I got. I felt like an actual grown up working in the CPG industry and traveling for work events all over the country. I visited San Francisco, San Diego, LA, New York and almost went to Europe.
Then, after a year I was “ghosted”.
I had to contact unemployment. This was in late 2019. I was unemployed unexpectedly with no reason or word from the company I was working for. Nothing from my so called “boss”.
I had to find temporary contract work until I found a new role in February of 2020 at a salon doing social media and working the front desk, scheduling appointments for clients. I felt like I had taken ten steps back from where I had been in my previous role. I was lost in a way.
Then, the pandemic hit. I had to go on unemployment again. Twice within a half year? Yeah…I was literally mentally overwhelmed as everyone was in March of 2020.
So much happened in 2020 that changed my life.
After the lockdown, I found out I was pregnant. As excited as I was, it was still during a pandemic where I couldn’t be quite as happy to enjoy it with my family and in public. My husband and I were just engaged at the time and had a baby in December that year. Our baby Maes!
During my pregnancy, I was able to land the role that I have now as a Marketing and Communications Manager with a family who owns several businesses. This happened while I was seven months pregnant. I felt very lucky to land a job right before the arrival of our son. It meant financial stability again and something to do.
I have grown a lot since becoming a mother and landing this role.
I’ve learned more about digital marketing as this role is very entrepreneurial. I have learned how to multitask with a baby crawling around while sending emails and during virtual meetings.
I’ve certainly given lots of grace to myself and others, especially after what we all have gone through in the past couple of years. Life isn’t easy at all, but it is a fun learning experience.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely the pandemic and having a baby in the middle of it all.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a marketing and communications manager with 5+ years of experience and I am most proud of not only my growth as a mother but also a professional since landing my current role. What sets me apart? Well, I’m not entirely aware of what does.
I suppose can adjust to different environments really well.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Just email me! I love creating content and brainstorming with other people no matter what industry.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/crystalgonzales
