Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rodrigo Gomez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Rodrigo with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from being the first generation. My parents are both immigrants from Dominican Republic. They came to the United States both at 16, They attended the same high school where they met each other. Both of my parents used to skip school to be with each other. It was too late for them to finish high school and being ESOL, they kept them in the same grade where unfortunately they both managed to become high school dropouts. My mom then became pregnant 3 times which was with my sisters and I, and my father had to step up into parenthood and find a way to feed the family. He then became a drug lord, he was successful for 11 years. We had it all. Everything you can think of we had. Until one day in 2006 somebody snitched on him and he was caught by the feds and went to prison. We lost it all. Being the first generation my father didn’t have a mindset to start a savings for his kids and better our future, which resulted in my mother becoming a single mom with three kids. My mother went through a lot, I remember the summer of 2006 my father and my mother were arguing and he was telling my mother that she had to find somewhere to stay and for her to get out of his house. Not knowing he was going to get deported and sent back to the Dominican Republic. Later my mother met this man working at this factory who would soon take her and her three kids in. It was not the perfect life but it was better than staying in the streets. My father didn’t think about his three kids after kicking out my mother. Seeing my mom struggle and me and my siblings not having everything we wanted. Going to school and having to repeat up to three pair of sh0es & three pair of uniform every week and hearing the other kids laughing at me was very humiliating. That put me in a place of manifestation realizing and understanding that when I get older I would want better for my life and to never have to struggle like my parents and make a honest living so i could afford the things I want in life. I couldn’t wait to turn 18 so I can find a job and earn my own money. I never want to go back to that place but me having a kind heart and being funny I never let the kids laughing at me take me to a dark place. I used to sit there and laugh with them but go home and cry to myself in the shower, but I just knew I didn’t have the same opportunity as others and my parents were struggling immigrants with no diploma. So I knew I had to fight for myself to not stay in the same predicament forever. That’s why today Im humble and always thank God for the little things because it could have been way worst. I’m Working for a better life not just only for me but to be able to give back to those in need and become one of God’s Disciple.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m proud of myself. I remember in high school me saying I will never go to college and will become a stripper to make myself successful. Nobody ever took me serious cause I was always a clown, but God had different plans. Now im a first generation graduate from the number one HBCU in the nation, (Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University). I graduated with my bachelors degree with a Major in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Psychology. I thank God for the experience, it wasn’t an easy ride but I’ve learned a lot. More than just education. I’ve met so many people that has taught me so many life lessons. With my personality and being funny I’ve became a TikTok star with over 300k followers which helped me become a social media influencer. Where people all over the world love me. I never knew my energy will have a big impact in so many people’s life. The most memorable and meaning words that I love is when people tell me my funniness has helped them get out of depression and when they’re feeling down they look for my page just so they can have a laugh. That makes my heart smile because people always told me I was funny but knowing people who don’t know me actually finds me funny. Helps me believe one day I can be the next Kevin Hart or Tyler Perry and produce movies in the genre of comedy. I never take anything serious and I can take something dark and find the light of humor in it. Everyone gravitates to me and they can feel my energy as soon as I step in the room and I thank God that he shines that light on me. I’m going to be an entrepreneur where I can have business of multiple things. Anything you can think of, my plan is to make it into a business and make money out of it where I can make over 6 figures and help those who God leads me to help.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Having self confidence. When I was seven years old, my self confidence was took by own family. I was raised around all girls, I was the only boy around eleven females which two were my sister and the rest were my cousins, and every time I would go hang with the boys I was “too gay”. Being around those females all my life I picked up their acts and characteristics. I couldn’t be myself, I always wanted to be funny but every time I tried people will ruin it by just calling me “gay”. I was a kid and adults would sit there and call me gay, I didn’t even know what a sexual preference was, and it was not only family but everywhere I went I remember just being quiet and controlling my act because I didn’t want to act like a “girl”. I was only myself around those female cousins they didn’t judge me unless I did something that made them mad and then they’ll tell me “with your gay ass”. I remember my anxiety rising when people would say “hey I have a question?”. I already knew it was coming. Going to school people used to always do the same thing but since It started with my family It didn’t bother me as much. Going through all that it made know that I can’t change anyone’s opinion and if I wanted to be myself who cares what people thought of me, I know what I am. I just learned to live with it. At that point, I remember my father telling me over a collect call to “never trust anyone and always be yourself”. I also remember random people coming up to me telling me to “always be yourself”, Ive always thought that was God in form of others telling me a message and being myself look how far it has brought me. When I was 16, I decided to be myself and forget who doesn’t like it. Ive came out to my mother, grandparents, and father, they accepted me after that I didn’t care who did or who didn’t accept it. But now I am on top of the mountain and doing way better than those adults that criticized me kids. Being Humble is another skill, your situation could have been worst. There are others around the world that don’t eat everyday nor have a roof over their head and if you got both of those thank God, cause the materialistic things will always come and go. You might have it all today but tomorrow God can take it all away and teach you the lesson you need to become humble. Ive learned that at a very young age and I can say I will forever be grateful. Speaking of grateful, that’s my last skill. Being grateful will take you far in life and that saying “its the thought that counts”, At least you were counted in cause its no worst feeling than feeling left out and having no one thinking of you. There’s been Christmas where I’ll sit back as a kid and see others open gifts and Ive had nothing to open, but it was all an eye opener and I thank God and just will work hard so my kids, nieces and nephews won’t have to go through that. It was all an eye opener and I thank God for those life lessons.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
This question makes me emotional, because I always thank God for putting this girl in my life. Spotlight Shanell, I call her my sister because I feel like God put us together and we call him our father. I met Shanell in 2018, we both worked at Applebees and both of us being from Miami, we just had an instant connection. We attended the same college(Tallahassee community college). I remember seeing her in the student union calling her name and going in the bookstore with her, where after that we just got even closer. We got so close that we then moved In together and still live with each other til this day. God made a way where I went viral on TikTok with my own video and then a few weeks later she than later went viral with her own video on TikTok. Which now we both are stars and well known in major parts of the world. She graduated with her bachelors in Journalism which taught her a lot about social media, and how to conduct video editing & etc. Everytime I have a question I can go ask her and she doesn’t have a problem helping me. Everyday I wake up and thank God for putting her in my life. Everyday she teaches me something new either about life, career wise, or even about myself. One thing we do to keep our friendship alive is keep it real with each other and learn how to accept constructive criticism. Yes, I have other siblings but I feel like God put her in my life so I can learn from another perspective. Everytime I’m down she’s there to remind me who I am and why I have to keep going so I won’t never have to go back to the way I was. God put people in my life for different reasons at different seasons, but this relationship is going to be forever because we scratched each others back so deep that there will always be scars to remember what we went through. There’s also another Person I want to thank Jessenia Ferreira, through my teenage years she was there to help me come out and really accept who I am. Also, helped me through high school where there were days when I wanted to give up but she reminded me why God put me in this world. She was there before Spotlight and that’s someone I will never forget because she has also has scratched my back so deeply that I have scars I won’t forget. We aren’t as close today but whenever she needs me I will always be just one phone call away. The only reason we aren’t close is because I moved to better myself but we still keep in touch from time to time. She will always have a special place in my heart. If I move back to Miami, I know we will rekindle like old times and start new memories.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Ya.boyrod
- Facebook: Rodrigo Gomez
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/yaboyrod
- Twitter: Ya_boyrod
- Youtube: Home of the RS Mafia
