We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ignazio Monda. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ignazio below.
Ignazio, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
In situations when I wanted my voice heard and listened to by people who don’t have the same background and experiences as me, I found that if I could make the argument that I was an integral part of the team that I would gain a certain level of respect that would allow me to share my ideas.
So, I made sure to make myself invaluable. I didn’t give them a reason to say I couldn’t get a job done. I learned how to be versatile. For example, I have developed skills in videography, audio and print reporting. I built a skillset foundation and produced stories that were considered successes editorially and on the business side.
With that being said, I stayed vocal with my opinions and story ideas. Since I proved myself with my past production and that skillset, I would make sure to let them know it became time to hear me out. And if you allow your coworkers to share and develop their ideas, they will have more reason to be open to what you are trying to uncover or illustrate with your pieces. There are many perspectives that exist, and it should be everyone’s priority to get to know how each person has viewed the world and lived their lives.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I like telling people that I want to become the new and improved Donald Glover. What I mean by that is I want to be able to leave footprints in multiple sectors of the media world. He’s always going to be better than me at music, but I’m a storyteller. I want my stories to live and to thrive in each medium.
That being said, most of my stories have found a home in journalism, whether that be in print, audio or video. While I have produced on finance, entertainment, politics, immigration, and climate stories, my favorite beat to work on is sports – specifically human-interest sports narratives. I am not the preconceived sports reporter that gives you a recap of last night’s game. Instead, I’ll put together a series on hazing culture in high school sports programs like I did with “ROS Presents: Roughhousing.” Sports is just a setting for larger, connective tales. Sports can also be a metaphor that explains what makes us human and how our society works in unison or through competition.
I’m currently developing a new anthological human-interest sport series with the great Meghan Coyle, so be on the lookout.
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?
1) In today’s day and age, there is nothing more vital in media than being versatile. That can be deciphered in many ways. However, for me, I don’t believe every story fits everywhere. Some accounts are best told through a longform article. Others deserve a medium-length video online. Being able to pivot and know where things can find a home will not only make you more valued to a client or employer, it will also allow the story to breathe and fulfill its potential. The more experience with each medium, the better you’ll be able to read where stories belong.
2) Don’t waste your time. If you’re at work and got down time, use that time to find a new idea to work on or develop a new skill. When I was at Yahoo! Finance, in between quick turn videos, I was teaching myself how to make motion graphics for future projects and videos in a style that best fit my tone.
3) Develop your voice. Find out what’s genuine to your authentic self when it comes to telling stories and run with it. Sometimes, you have to find journalists and creators who can be inspired by, but use that to be comfortable with how you tell your own stories compared to others.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The media industry has grown more restrictive on the kinds of stories its producing. There seems to really be only two kinds of things being produced anymore in my space: celebrities with their own podcast or show and profile docuseries about other celebrities. These are easy to produce and cost-effective. It’s also limiting on the many, many amazingly diverse storytellers out there in the world.
My goal in recent years has been to build my own network of people I enjoy working with and that I know are built on incredible work ethic. People that can challenge me to be better and also help me cultivate stories. I think this is an age where we really need to be open with each other and collaborative with each other because everyone isn’t getting a chance. So, it’s up to us to find our crew.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iggysmallz1/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ignazio-monda-485613113/
- Twitter: https://x.com/IggyMondaNYC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXT9BPYFk_BYnGcGOw9sCNA
Image Credits
Overtime: IMG_7821 & IMG_2646 Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA): IMG_1418
