La Marina vs. Latin Grammy with Carmery Trinidad

We are highlighting a previous episode of the ¿Quién Tú Eres? podcast, where we explore the conflict we often face between "professionalism" & being our authentic selves.

Carmery Trinidad is a proud hoop-wearing, curly-haired Dominicana from the Bronx who is passionate about working for media and entertainment with content specifically targeted to Latinos. She is a strong and driven Latina who has rapidly grown at Univision. Her knowledge of the Hispanic market has led her from Assistant to Marketing Manager to Senior Marketing Manager in a short time.

In this conversation, Carmery shares some of the challenges she has faced regarding her appearance and how she speaks. And she tells us how she has managed to keep her essence and excel at her job despite the feedback.

These are some of the episode highlights:

“It's not that I'm difficult to work with. It's that I challenge things that I don't agree with.” -Carmery Trinidad

One of those things that have been an issue for other people is how Carmery says things and how she speaks. But speaking up when something does not seem like the best strategy or when something needs to be said is part of her authentic self.

Carmery knows that maybe there are certain things she can rephrase or tweak about how she expresses herself, but she tries to remember she cannot possibly please everybody, and that, in the end, she has made it this far in her career by being who she truly is.

“I have censored myself sometimes because I do feel a little bit self-conscious. It's a battle that I fight. -Carmery Trinidad

Regarding her appearance, Carmery has had to cover up and censor herself to avoid calling the wrong attention at work. And what’s interesting is that she could be wearing the same skirt as a thinner woman, but because she has a curvy body, at least one person would have something to say.

And just like Carmery, many women feel forced to censor themselves to seem more professional, be taken seriously, be respected, or prevent distractions that make people focus on them on a personal level instead of on their work performance and what they can deliver.

Carmery has learned to accept that the shape of her body might be an issue for some people. But regardless of what people say or think, what is important is that her work speaks for itself.

"If you're being yourself, you might inspire somebody else to be themselves.” -Carmery Trinidad

Carmery shares with us an instance when they went out for this program they have for kids to teach them life lessons. The school happened to be in the Bronx. It was a class of fifth-graders.

She tells us that after working with the kids, she could see that they did not have a positive influence or force in their lives and that they didn't have the representation to see many more opportunities than what they were seeing around them.

And by sharing this experience, Carmery reminds us that by being our authentic selves, we can be the representation and inspiration someone needs to accomplish themselves in life as their authentic selves.

***

Carmery shows us that we can grow in our careers by being our authentic selves! 

Listen to this episode to learn more about her journey: Spotify & Apple Podcasts

Have a story to share? Let us know here for an opportunity to be featured in the podcast!