We recently connected with Maria Medel and have shared our conversation below.
Maria, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I love this question. It really allowed me to reflect on how I view myself. The seemingly obvious reaction, to me, is being a Latina in a setting where that is not the majority. At a very basic level, it could be said that I have “Latina features,’ or that yes, I do “look Mexican-American.” It goes so far beyond that, though. In elementary school, I remember realizing that my childhood best friend and looked nothing alike, but not fully understanding why. While I knew that I was Mexican-American and she wasn’t, it was never considered as a factor to why we didn’t look the same. As I’ve grown up, I have a much better understanding of what our human differences mean to each of us and how it makes us individuals. In writing this, I also feel that I can connect to other groups of people that I may not think about right away. For example, not only am I a woman of color, but I’m also a plus sized woman. I’m also a person with facial piercings and tattoos. I often find myself being the only woman in the room as well, in work settings.
All of these attributes that I identify with help keep me inspired and motivated to continue breaking the stereotypical barriers put onto us. If I can help by holding space or positively representing for someone who identifies with any part of who I am, I’m taking that as a big win. This contributes to part of my personal definition of success because it can be so hard for people to feel confident about celebrating who they are. On a human level, that’s what I care about. And this is not to say that I have the same experience as every Latina, every plus sized person, or every woman either. Even in our similarities there are differences, but that’s what makes us all unique. That’s what I hope to represent and contribute to.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My day job is a Director at a tech company. I take a lot of pride in being the only woman on the executive team, as well as being the only Hispanic on the executive team. Most of my day-to-day interactions are with men, so it feels really empowering to hold space in this industry as Latina woman, and be considered an expert in the field. This role has also helped me become a founding member of a local, charitable group for women in tech.
My post 9:00 to 5:00 work, simply put, is a dance instructor. But I would argue that it’s so much more than that. I teach a weekly striptease class at a studio here in Austin, Minx + Muse. I say it’s more than a dance instructor because it’s not just choreography. It’s a self-love, healing, and pleasure practice. Movement and self expression is so powerful, y’all. The foundations for what we move through and express at the studio go so much deeper than just an 8-count. It promotes a practice with continuous intrapersonal growth that you can carry into every aspect of your life. I love teaching because it allows me to hold space for people at any stage in their journey of self-love.
As for what I have coming up, I’ll be performing in a couple of local shows this fall and as a true millennial, I always post my class schedule and upcoming shows to my Instagram.
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?
The first quality that comes to mind is being a people person. I used to always think it was so silly, or less impactful compared to other characteristics, but now I embrace it as one of my best qualities. It really helps me connect with people. It even grew into helping me identify people as one of my passions. Everyone we meet has an impact; whether it be good or bad. We can influence each other, grow closer, grow apart, and learn new viewpoints. It’s all part of our story.
A second skill/quality, that I think has helped me is my memory. Not to jinx myself, but I have a fantastic memory. If I hear it and actively listen, it’s memorized. I remember names, faces, conversations nearly verbatim, lyrics, and even movie dialogues. This may seem trivial to some, but it’s one of my favorite things about myself. In my movement practice, it’s helped me in being able to quickly pick up sequences I learn, or teach and connect with students. In work it helps me in my leadership role as a go-to person for any question related to our company or industry. And in my personal life, I think it’s helped me be more aware of how situations made me feel, and process previous experiences.
This last one I feel has been the most impacful to my journey, which is my confidence. Some might describe it as pure delusion, but I always tell myself that I can do anything, and believe it! One of my favorite examples of this is seeing an internet trend of people crushing watermelons between their thighs. Most were avid gym-goers or body builders, neither of which I really identify as. Yet after watching a few videos I thought to myself, “I can do that.” And I did! I crushed two back-to-back, actually. Even though that’s a fun, playful example, keeping this mindset really does roll over into everything I do; both with my work and personal life. Always, always, always believe in yourself for who you are, what you’ve accomplish, and what you are capable of. Embrace being your most authentic self.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Doing too much; hands down. I’m truly an extrovert and get my energy, or recharge, from being social and interacting with others, but sometimes this means putting myself second, which isn’t always a good thing. Maybe not even putting myself second, but just never having down time. It was really hard for me to understand that I don’t have to always be doing something to be fulfilled. This is something I’m working on though! I promised myself this year that I would honor myself more, in whatever way is needed at that time. Whether it’s taking the night off to just stay home and scroll TikTok for a bit, or making time to cook for myself everyday, even if it’s not convenient. It’s hard for me to choose those things because I love connecting with people so much, but I have to always remember to honor my mind and my body.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: magnetickunt
Image Credits
-main/cover photo and downtown portraits: Madisen | @momentsbymadisen – splits picture in-studio: Shelbi Aiona w/ Optic Onslaught | @opticonslaught / @shelbiaiona –