Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Alvarez
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?
Hi! I’m Monica and I’m 26, Spanish bilingual, and have been living in Austin, TX for 5 years now. I’m from Edinburg, TX (Rio Grande Valley) and I graduated from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi in 2019. Since moving to Austin, I have become a social butterfly who is always trying to find the best restaurant or find fun things to do in the city. Luckily that formed into a passion of mine and that is when I began documenting it. I’m an Austin Content Creator who wants to grow her community and is a little addicted to caffeine. I love sharing anything and everything I do, eat, and see and where I’ve relatively “been” hence my username @Monisbeenhere. From sharing latino business, food recs, travel adventures, things to do and growth as I navigate life in my twenties.
One thing I am working towards currently is to portray my Mexican heritage a lot more because representation does matter! I’m excited to start posting videos in Spanish soon since I’m fluent and love the idea of making content in both languages. Nadie se queda atras!
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?
I started posting content consistently only a year ago and one thing I noticed was that I couldn’t pick a niche. I would hold myself back by thinking I needed to fit into a box but one day I decided to change my strategy. I have an ongoing list in my notes of content creators that I admire and who post similar content. I started to compare and see what I could do differently and that’s when I started to see significant change. It’s definitely a work in progress! If I can give any creator advice it would be to just get started. Don’t look for perfection that simply doesn’t exist. Have fun and post away that is when you’ll start to figure out what you like and what you don’t. You’ll only get better at it and you’ll build a community.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an Austin latina content creator who specializes in foodie, lifestyle, travel and Austin content. I’ve also been known to post a lot about coffee spots around the city. I’m most proud of the community I built on my Tiktok, I have made a lot of new friendships and have received so many opportunities because of my content. Which wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gotten started!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My biggest advice for networking with other creatives is to follow other content creators on socials and reach out to them to have a content day. Which is when we pick a local Austin spot to explore together! Another great way to network is to join community groups, in Austin you will find a community group for literally any interest. The Geneva app has been a lifesaver as I’m currently part of an art, supper, brunch, reading and Latinx groups. Put yourself out there, you never know who you will meet!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.exploranow.ai/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monisbeenhere/
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monisbeenhere
