Meet Jesus Chavarria

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesus Chavarria. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesus below.

Hi Jesus, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I think that question answers itself. It’s safe to say that everyone is individual and their own unique person, which I why I know that when I’m the only one in the room that looks like me there is no one else that can do me as good as me. In all honesty, this gives me a sense of security in my skills as a performer because I know no one is going to perform like me, other than me.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

To put it simply, I’m a story teller. I believe its important for people to see themselves represented on screen and on stage alike, and as someone who did not have that growing, I strive to become that representation for someone who looks like me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Some of the most important qualities a person can possess are risk taking, which can lead to bigger opportunities, knowing who you are NOT, which is crucial considering how often people try to replicate others’ form of success, and have passions, they are what make your life worth living and gives you a driving force to keep going.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I’ve actually come to realize that I’m not as strong as I think I am and that’s okay. Don’t let that statement fool you though, I am a strong individual and I won’t go down without a fight, but sometimes it can be overwhelming when your world comes crashing down. I won’t lie to you, when it comes to my life I like to have a plan that I follow strictly, in other words, I like to be in control of my life and when something tips the scale it can be overwhelming for me trying to get my life back in order. I’ve realized that all I have to do is take a couple breaths and tell myself that there are things in life that I can control and others that I can’t, and that is completely normal, but that simple act helps me to ground myself when my life becomes overwhelming.