Today we’d like to introduce you to Yenis Monterrey.
Hi Yenis, 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?
My journey has always been a combination of media, entertainment, creativity, and connecting with people. I started in entertainment journalism and digital media, where I had the opportunity to interview personalities, cover major entertainment and cultural events, and build relationships within the industry. I was fortunate to experience events such as Tribeca, Sundance, SXSW, and Formula 1 at Circuit of the Americas, which gave me a firsthand understanding of the intersection between entertainment, media, sports, and culture.
Over time, I realized that I didn’t want to be limited to one traditional media role. I wanted to become the media platform myself. That led me into digital creation, social media, brand partnerships, on-camera work, and influencer marketing.
What started as something I genuinely enjoyed eventually became a serious professional career. Today, I work as a digital creator, entertainment journalist, on-camera personality, actress, brand ambassador, and community leader. I create lifestyle, wellness, beauty, entertainment, and pet-related content, while also developing partnerships with brands that align with my audience and interests.
One of the projects closest to my heart is ATX Small Dogs, an Austin-based community I lead for people who love small dogs and want to connect through meet-and-greets, events, and dog-friendly experiences.
Looking back, I think the biggest evolution has been learning that I don’t have to fit into one box. My career has grown because I’ve allowed myself to combine my experience in entertainment and journalism with digital media, entrepreneurship, community building, and storytelling.
Today, I see myself as a storyteller and connector. Whether I’m covering entertainment, Formula 1, creating content for a brand, interviewing someone on camera, or bringing Austin’s small-dog community together, the common thread is people, experiences, and storytelling.
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 not. I don’t think any meaningful career is completely smooth, especially when you’re creating your own path.
One of my biggest challenges has been navigating an industry that changes constantly. I started in media when the landscape was very different from what it is today. We went from traditional journalism and websites to blogs, social media, influencers, creators, short-form video, AI, and an entirely new digital economy.
I’ve had to continually reinvent myself without losing the authenticity that made me successful in the first place.
There have also been moments when people didn’t understand what I was doing because my career didn’t fit neatly into one category. Am I a journalist? An actress? A creator? A host? An influencer? A community leader?
The answer is: I can be all of those things.
I’ve learned that being multidimensional isn’t a weakness. It can actually become your greatest advantage when you know how to connect the different pieces of your experience.
Another challenge has been learning when to say no. As your visibility grows, opportunities don’t automatically become good opportunities. I’ve learned to look beyond the paycheck or the name of a company and ask whether a partnership makes sense for my audience, my reputation, and my long-term goals.
The difficult moments taught me resilience, boundaries, adaptability, and the importance of continuing to evolve.
I also learned that you can’t build a career based entirely on other people’s validation. You have to understand your own value before you can expect other people to recognize it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Today, I describe myself as a digital creator, entertainment journalist, on-camera personality, actress, brand ambassador, and community leader.
My work sits at the intersection of entertainment, lifestyle, wellness, beauty, events, motorsports, pets, and digital media.
I’ve always loved storytelling, but what has changed is the platform. Today I can tell a story through an interview, an Instagram Reel, a brand campaign, an event, an article, a video, or an entire community.
Entertainment and media remain a major part of my professional identity. I have experience covering entertainment and major events, including Formula 1 at Circuit of the Americas, and I enjoy being in environments where media, celebrities, sports, culture, and live experiences come together.
I’m also very passionate about the creator economy and brand partnerships. I understand that creating content isn’t simply about posting a product. A successful campaign requires storytelling, personality, trust, creativity, and understanding the audience.
And then there is ATX Small Dogs, which represents another side of my work. Building a community around something people genuinely love has been incredibly rewarding. It has allowed me to combine social media with real-world experiences and create connections between people, their dogs, local businesses, and the Austin community.
What am I most proud of? Probably the fact that I’ve built a career that feels like me.
I didn’t follow one predetermined career path. I created my own combination of media, entertainment, digital creation, community, and entrepreneurship.
What sets me apart is that I bring media experience and creator experience together. I understand both sides of the camera. I know how to tell a story, interview someone, represent a brand, create engaging digital content, host an experience, and build a community.
I also think authenticity matters. People can tell when a creator is simply selling something. My goal is to create partnerships that feel natural because they are connected to my actual interests and the lives of the people who follow me.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My biggest advice is: don’t approach networking as “What can this person do for me?” Approach it as “What can we create together?”
Some of the most valuable relationships in my career came from simply showing up, being curious, being professional, and genuinely getting to know people.
Go to the events. Introduce yourself. Ask questions. Follow up. Support other people’s work. And most importantly, don’t only network with people who are already at the top of the industry.
Somebody who is building something alongside you today could become an incredibly important connection tomorrow.
I also believe that you shouldn’t wait for someone to officially call themselves your mentor. Pay attention to people whose careers, character, or approach you admire. Learn from them. Ask thoughtful questions. Study how they operate. If the relationship develops naturally, mentorship can follow.
And don’t underestimate the power of consistency. I’ve stayed connected to people for years. Sometimes nothing happens immediately, and then years later a conversation, introduction, event, or collaboration opens a completely unexpected door.
My advice to anyone starting out is to build relationships before you need them.
Be generous with your knowledge. Be reliable. Be easy to work with. Follow through when you say you’re going to do something. And protect your reputation because your reputation often enters a room before you do.
Finally, don’t be afraid to create your own opportunities.
If there isn’t a community, event, platform, or project that exists for what you want to do, consider creating it.
That’s a big part of what happened with ATX Small Dogs. Instead of waiting for someone else to build the community I wanted to see, I helped create it.
Sometimes the best networking strategy isn’t trying to get invited into someone else’s room.
It’s building a room that other people want to be invited into.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vipdiscoveries.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yenismonterrey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yenismonterreyblog
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yenis-monterrey-063345147/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Foxactress
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yenismonterrey9353
- Other: https://atxsmalldogs.com
