We were lucky to catch up with Lyanne Alfaro recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lyanne, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose by matching the needs I saw in the community around me to the things I’m naturally good at and enjoy doing. Some people call this ikigai, a Japanese word encompassing what you love, are good at, can be paid for and the world needs. I grew up in a community that didn’t see itself represented in national media for many of its positive attributes: entrepreneurialism, creativity and cultural richness, and I enjoyed telling stories.
Early on I told stories and reported on music, media and culture. But when I fell into business journalism, I was able refine one of many ways that I could achieve this purpose: by telling stories about underrepresented communities (communities like my own) in business.
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?
My name is Lyanne Alfaro and I’m a builder and storyteller. I’ve been writing since I can remember, but my mediums for telling stories have expanded over the years to social media, video, and audio.
Growing up in a working class Latino neighborhood, I saw first builders everywhere. We are lead creators of small businesses in the US, after all. But we were absent US national headlines when I worked in national newsrooms. I set out to change that. I built my career as a reporter at CNBC, Business Insider and NBC Latino and Nasdaq and doubled down to learn the industry and increase headlines about BIPOC communities, Latinos and money.
I created a media platform to cover these stories: Moneda Moves: www.monedamoves.com. Today, we’ve featured Latinos building the blueprint for their kind of businesses and their relationship with money. Guests include Kayla Castañeda, having founded successful CPG canned agua fresca brand, Agua Bonita, to Ana Flores, CEO, of one of the biggest Latina networks in the country, We All Grow.
In the last year, Moneda Moves also started working with BIPOC founders to help them build from a storytelling perspective, including consulting on: storytelling and media prep. We plan on launching events to bring the Moneda Moves podcast to life in 2023.
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?
Three qualities that helped me early on in my career were:
1. Placing myself in the right spaces: I can’t stress enough the value of being physically present in the space where you want to grow. Out of college, I moved directly to New York City because I knew that was the number one market for journalism, which is the industry I wanted to pursue. Being in New York, was very helpful, even if I wasn’t at The New York Times. Just being in the city, I was able to get in-person meetings with editors, grow my network and critical people who sit on my personal board of directors. While I didn’t make a ton of money, and was in student loan debt, living frugally and making the connections for my personal goals was worth it.
2. Invest time in experiences that will make you skill-rich: Some of my biggest professional growth spurts early on didn’t happen where I was being paid the most. I joined nonprofits, headed chapters, fellowships and took on additional to work, to flex my reporting and media muscles. While I fully believe in advocating and getting paid what you’re worth, I also think that should be balanced with seasons of learning in the areas you want to grow to continue to expand. Seasons of learning often take investment: whether it’s money or time.
3. Stay versatile, especially early on: Most of my roles have required me to be a bit of a Swiss Knife. I’ve worn many hats, and especially early on, I think that’s very helpful. You get to understand a smattering of how things are made and build skills that may come in handy later on. I also learned that what you think you want to do may change the more you learn what the job requires, so it’s important to explore.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth has been to look inward and practice gratitude. Setting and reaching achievements is great, but it’s important to be cognizant of your growth and thank yourself for the work all the same. Especially for someone with my background, growing up eldest daughter, first generation with a low incoming upbringing, there are many professional ambitions I have in life, but I’ve found that visualizing all the work you’ve done and sitting in gratitude is very powerful and energizing before driving towards the next goal benchmark. I’d encourage everyone, and especially first generation people to take stock of their progress and reflect on it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.monedamoves.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monedamoves/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyannealfaro/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LyanneAlfaro
Image Credits
Lindsay Eberly
