Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanesa Olvera.
Hi Vanesa, we are thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
It did not happen overnight, that is for sure. It has been years of arduous work, sacrifices and a lot of tears. Around 7 years ago I realized I wanted more out of life. I needed to find a way to pull myself out of a very dark moment in my life and that gave me so much motivation. I have always known I had the determination, the skills, and the talent to achieve anything I wanted but I also knew it was not just going to happen overnight or it was not going to just be handed to me. I did know that I wanted to wake up every day and love what I did for a living. I decided to go back to school for a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. While I was working on that degree, I was advised to join the student media to strengthen my writing skills, this is a powerful skill that is required for anything now. I joined the student media my second semester as a journalist and later was promoted to Editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. During my time there I could not help but always get pulled into our school news broadcasts. I ended up anchoring for a few shows and the feeling was unexplainable. I grew up watching Spanish newscasts on Univision so that was always a childhood dream of mine. I find it funny now because I look back and I wonder what 5-year-old Vanesa was doing in love with watching the news. After I graduated, I was offered a position as a Magazine Editor-in-chief for a Bi-lingual magazine for East Texas and southwest Louisiana. The magazine was owned by the largest Hispanic radio station in East Texas, so it was important for me. Magazine and newspaper publications are completely different, so it was a challenge to learn it all from scratch, especially in a moment where digital was beginning to take over. I was able to take that magazine to a whole new level of quality and distribution. Once I dominated that I began to hop on air and Facebook live with a co-worker and the audience loved it. It was something different, fun, and authentic. Not long after that, I was offered my own show on air. All of this slowly began to build the confidence in me that I did not even know I had. Just as I was finally getting back on my feet and things were going great, my family suffered a tremendous loss. I lost my father in a tragic car accident. I fell into a terrible depression, and it was even harder to see my mother and siblings hurting.
Then COVID hit, and everything began to shut down, the layoffs began, and I happened to be one of them. It was a challenging moment because I began to question myself and my career. I really felt like “all that hard work for what?” As cliché as it may sound, I decided to just trust my journey, I saw a quote that I loved that said, “what’s for you, won’t miss you.”
I took some time to travel and try to figure out what was next for me. When I was starting to give up hope this position landed in my lap. A blessing in disguise. Now I work for the second largest Television network in the U.S (United States) and work for multiple Texas markets, something that as I child I could have only dreamed of. In 2021 I also successfully launched my own clothing brand – right after I started my current position, that was also always a dream of mine. Although my career has kept me busy, I most definitely plan to continue to grow my brand. I have something in the works, but I am not rushing it.
Would you say it has been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you have faced along the way?
Not at all. Nothing in life comes easy. While I was trying to get through school, I had to quit my full-time job because my school schedule was so hectic and there was no way to work around it. To make up for all that lost income I had to work 2 part-time jobs and the student media while being a full-time student and a single parent. It was one of the hardest, most exhausting, and stressful moments of my life. I had to miss a lot of events and a lot of precious time with my family, but those sacrifices paid off. It also took me years of healing to completely fall back in love with myself and I think that has been one of the most beautiful things I have also achieved.
As you know, we are big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
You can say I am a journalist, reporter, new personality slash digital producer for Telemundo affiliate news stations owned by Gray Television. I create content for web pages, newscasts, and social media for 6 stations in Texas. The stations I work for are in East Texas, Central Texas, Laredo, Lubbock, Amarillo, and Odessa. This was a brand-new position that I was trusted to launch for this company, so it really fills me with pride, not only that I was able to take on it but that I have been successful with it and completely owned it. What sets me apart from others is my resilience and the ability to handle a large load on my own. Being able to work freely and independently also helps. I am also EXTREMELY competitive, so I always want my stations to thrive. One of my stories recently went national in both our English and Spanish markets and that has been one of my greatest achievements this year, especially as a ‘rookie.’
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have so many. I had such a beautiful childhood, but I think just being able to live in the era before the digital takeover – when we could play outside until dark safely. I grew up in Nixon, Texas, a small town where everyone knew each other. I think riding our bikes to the grocery store, the library or just anywhere in town is one of my favorites.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.modaimperial.com
- Instagram: vanesaolvera
- Facebook: vanesaolvera
- Twitter: vanesaolvera_
Image Credits
Esther Grijalva Photography