Meet Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Fabiana , 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 have been blessed with a really wonderful career in an industry that I am proud to be a part of. But, in many of the agencies I worked at, I was the only Latina in the room, and a lot of the time, I was the only Latina or person of color in the ENTIRE organization.

It can be a challenge when you are the only person of a specific group in an organization. A lot of expectations and questions fall on you and it’s almost like you are expected to speak for an entire group of people. There are a lot of commonalities in all of the Latino cultures, but we are not a homogenous group so certain parts of our experience can be different.

Ultimately, I think my success has come from being able to pull from both cultures. I am a proud Latina, but I also think there are some aspects of American culture that are valid and can, at times, be really helpful — the agility to navigate between both cultures has been my secret weapon, because I understand when to pull from the skillset of each one depending on the situation. And I think the cross-cultural communication shows my ability to adapt with agility.

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?
Recently, I took all of my experience and founded Refuerzo Collaborative, a communications agency creating holistic, multicultural, and dynamic strategies so clients can find their truth, increase their impact, and sustain brand growth.

My co-founder, Ashley Alaniz-Moyer and I really wanted to do things differently. I especially felt like there was a major gap in the worlds of marketing and PR. Many agencies or leaders would talk about the importance of DEI and would say that “diversity is a pillar of the work we do”, but telling complete stories that connect with different people shouldn’t be a small percentage of the work — true diversity should be a core component for the way agencies operate. It should be infused in EVERYTHING marketers and communicators do.

So we set out to do just that. As an agency, we want nurture the stories that reinforce community and eventually go beyond providing services to being a pillar of the community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Be Open-Minded: I didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur and for a long time that wasn’t a road that I wanted to take. I wanted to do good things in the world without starting my own agency, because how many more agencies does the world need? But, after many conversations with mentors and a lot of self-reflection, I realized that the thing I was vehemently opposed to was actually the perfect next step. I had to really embody this open mindedness about entrepreneurship and what I wanted my entrepreneurship journey to look like.

2. A good dose of “Cautious Optimism” is healthy: Starting a business is difficult. Many aren’t profitable until the third year, and there’s a lot of back-end work that goes into it if you want to do it right. Obviously I want the business to succeed so I am optimistic about our ability to thrive, but I am also cautious about how we go about it.

3. Always have fun: I live by this motto of always having fun. Usually, we get in our head when hard things happen and forget that we’re doing exactly what we were meant to do. So, the minute you’re doing something that stops being fun, or stops calling to you, its time to reassess.

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?
Refuerzo’s co-founder, Ashley has been instrumental to my career growth. I first met her when I interned for the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium way back my Freshman or Sophomore year of college. She has been a source of guidance, inspiration, and support ever since — we have connected at various points throughout both of our careers so it felt natural to go into business together.

Contact Info:

  • Website: www.refuerzocollab.com
  • Instagram: @refuerzocollaborative
  • Facebook: Refuerzo Collaborative
  • Linkedin: Refuerzo Collaborative

Image Credits
Erika Bracey and Maggie Eyster

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