Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cindy Fernandez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Cindy, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I was a very active child with interests that went beyond my age. I was very focused on my academics, because this was my ticket to get to do the extracurricular activities I wanted to do. Let me explain, growing up in the Dominican Republic with pretty strict parents, I learned quickly that my job was first and foremost to go to school and get good grades. I was interested in becoming an entertainer since I was 4 years old, my parents didn’t really subscribe to the idea of this being my career, however they would support me as long as I good grades. Therefore this served as my motivation in order to get to be in Theater, Ballet school, work as a TV host, etc. Getting good grades was the easy part.
The challenge came as I stepped into the entertainment industry. As a child, I quickly learned the biases of the industry. I worked hard and sometimes that wasn’t enough. Many times I didn’t get the part for many reasons including: I wasn’t the kid that their mom befriended the director, or I was too young, or didn’t look the part, etc. As a kid that was something that I didn’t know how to process. However at the time I didn’t necessarily see it as a big deal, instead it developed a mentality of “find another way” which carried on to adulthood.
I was the kid that would talk to call a TV station and ask for directors and set up a meeting on my own. I didn’t really understand NO as a NO, rather as a “not this way”.
Fast forward, as an adult, I have found myself in many situations were I hit roadblocks, but now things are a bit different. The frustration feels inmense and the innocent child is gone. Being more aware of why the “no’s” came my way would sometimes take a toll. Many times requiring for me to take a mental break I’m order to regroup and try again. But at the end of the day, the solution has always been the same – “Find another way”.
An example of this was when I loved in Pittsburgh PA. I had become frustrated with the lack of Latinx media outlets. I had proposed to several TV stations various types of programming and yet there was no hope that anyone would open their doors. After much spinning ideas in my head, one day I was invited to a radio station as a guest to talk about my other career- Engineering- and while at the station I realized that perhaps creating a radio show would be a good idea. I knew nothing about radio production but I was willing to learn. I spoke to the director of the station and he said “Yes, why not” and that is how I started the first Bilingual Radio show in Pittsburgh PA. This show grew in popularity so much that within the year one of the local TV stations that had previous denied my suggestions invited me to co produce one of their shows and in time I became a regular contributer for the station.
With this story I share a glimpse of where my resilience comes from.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I grew up having a very diverse curriculum which led me to my careers today.
I am a full time actress, a fitness professional (focusing on teaching Zumba right now) and a full time Engineer. I also have two little ones whom are much work and the most rewarding one.
You are probably wondering how do I manage to cross these careers. The best way to describe this, I compartmentalize and multitasking.
Engineering is the career I went to college for and one that I am grateful for as it provides much stability. I work as a Sr. Systems Engineer. My work facilitates much within any program/project in order to ensure we are as efficient as possible.
Now, acting and fitness!!! I absolutely what I do with these two careers. I get to connect with people on a personal level. I get to help people feel seen and understand. As a fitness professional, I absolutely love every time a client comes up to me and shares how much the energy in my classes helps lift their spirit.
This became very apparent during the pandemic. I decided to teach my classes at a local park. This gave people an outlet to come out of their house, exercise, interact with others, and take care of their mental health. I didn’t not realize how much people needed this until I had over 100 people that would come and go and participate in my little classes. From there my community grew with folks of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds. The environment is one of community and elevation, my clients come to class not because they want to be the greatest dancers but because they want to feel happy.
After the pandemic ended and I went back into a gym, so many of these folks followed me and I am beyond grateful today, to say that I can help, in a small or big way, so many people . Mental Health is a big deal for me, knowing I can do this is extremely rewarding for me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Persistance, be willing to learn new things, be kind to yourself.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I love to collaborate with folks specially in the acting realm and_or fitness realm. I have worked as a producer, director, choreographer outside of being an actor.
In the fitness world I am always up for new ideas that we can raise awareness about health, be it physical or mental.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Cindyfernix.com
- Instagram: @cindyfernix
- Facebook: Facebook.com/CindyFernandezNixon
- Twitter: Cindyfernix
- Youtube: Youtube.com/CindyFernandezNixon
Image Credits
Kevin McIntyre
