We recently connected with Katrina Calderon and have shared our conversation below.
Katrina, 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?
As a 28-year-old Chicana who was the first college graduate in a lower-income family, my resilience comes from many sources. Growing up, I witnessed the challenges and barriers that my family faced daily. I refused to let those circumstances define me or limit my future potential. So early on I developed an unstoppable personal drive.
My strong and amazing mother instilled in me a never-quit work ethic and a belief in the power of education. She emphasized the importance of going to college as a way for me to break the cycle of poverty and create a better future. Her constant support and belief in me and all that I could achieve became my go-to source of motivation. Another benefit of my upbringing is the support from a tight-knit extended family. Their support of me and my dreams is another reason for my don’t-give-up mindset that helps me to bounce back from any challenge.
Community connections are another part of why I am able to be so resilient. I love engaging with other BIPOC creators, influencers, and entrepreneurs to share Regal Fierce Media’s experiences, dreams, and success. These connections empower us and when we share resources and step in and support each other, this is what builds the strength we need to move us through challenging times. And I can’t forget my need to create a purpose. I am driven by a positive vibe and a deep desire to bring on meaningful and positive change not only in my own life but also in the lives of others.
I am determined to be a role model and a source of inspiration for future generations. Every day I wake up, my manifestation is to show everyone that their dreams are within reach no matter which obstacles they may face. If I had to sum it all up, my resilience comes from a combination of personal drive, family support, a sense of community, and a clear purpose. I refuse to let anything limit my potential.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In May 2023 Regal Fierce Media was named the recipient of the Spark Award by the Better Business Bureau Serving Southern Arizona. The recognition is given to leaders and entrepreneurs who are committed to a high-character level and believe in giving back to their community. With so many amazing small businesses in Southern Arizona, we feel honored to have been included in the list of nominees. Truly, receiving this award was a beautiful surprise, and my team and I are still beyond excited!
As a media company and an advertising agency, with talented professionals whose combined experience totals more than 20 years, we feel grateful that our clients trust us to help them to build their brands.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
During my conversations with the Voyager team, we have chatted about how my vision to start Regal Fierce Media began back in 2019. Now with four years of experience in our hands of providing a personalized marketing team to build effective partnerships with busy entrepreneurs, influencers, and small business owners, we are growing our client base by providing strategic and effective ad campaigns, video productions, web design and social media management. Looking back over the last four years, these three words define our journey: exploration, opportunity, and connection. As a small business, we must continue to discover and explore what is new in the industry. This exploration builds opportunities that impact not just our journey but the clients we help to build their brand. And with our commitment to keep our clients’ brands relevant, we build a lasting connection that means our clients’ businesses will be sustainable and add economic value to the community.
I believe that all businesses need exploration, opportunities, and connections if they are going to stay in business. For people starting out in the business world, whether they wish to own a business or to step into a career with a company, these three words need to be pillars in their journey. Without an open mind, new business professionals will fall into the trap of FEAR! And when fear is in charge, everything shuts down.
But when we make a commitment to explore and discover new skills, we will create a better self. When we believe that we can find an opportunity in every moment, then the chance for new experiences will fill our lives, and these opportunities will turn into connections with new people, places, and things. Always use your energy to build your best self each day.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Wow! I wish I could share just one book, but that is hard because there are so many authors who have helped my personal development. Mel Robbins, Tabitha Brown, and Jen Sincero are a few examples. As a female CEO, I look for inspiration from other women business owners. It is important for me to see people in the business world who look like me and who have gone through some of the same challenges and barriers that women of color face. Grace Bonney’s book, In the Company of Women gives me that daily dose of inspiration that I need. Besides its beautiful cover collage of diverse female creators, the book is filled with motivational messages, stories, interviews and advice from 100 women in business. The most valuable takeaway from reading this book is what Grace Bonney said about women in business, “…women want to run their own companies and are much more likely to do so if they have the support of other women around them.” This philosophy ties back into what I said earlier in this interview about the value of having connection as a pillar in a business. The support that female creators can share with each other is priceless and brings value to each of us as individuals but also to our communities. Our success starts and builds when we work together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.regalfiercemedia.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/regalfiercemedia?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-calderon
