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July 9, 2024 • 18 mins
One of Ad 2 Houston's newest members and Program's chair, Victoria Mendez Vera joins the Admigos Podcast!
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(00:10):
All Admigos, and welcome to thead to Houston Amigos podcast, a podcast
for young professionals in the marketing andadvertising industry who are learning to navigate their
early careers. I am Jacob d'antone, the audio chair and producer of this
fine program, and today joining meis Victoria mendez Vera, the latest programs
chair of Aout two Houston. Ibelieve. How are you doing, Victoria?

(00:32):
I'm good. How are you?I'm doing pretty good. I'm glad
we're here to sit down and havethis conversation. I'm very happy, Poppy
that you guys have me. Yeah, that was very exciting. So before
we get started a little bit,can you tell me a little bit about
yourself. So I am born andraised in Maracai, Venezuela. I came
to the States, especially to Houston, back in twenty eighteen. I came

(00:52):
here for college. I started mycollege career ICC. I always known that
I wanted to do something with communications, and I found my way into advertising
as I transfer during the pandemic.Actually are uh And then after that I
wanted to be really involved in school. I took a bit of a break

(01:15):
a few things happened, And whenI got back into school, I know
I wanted to be more involved.So I found my way last semester on
the last fall. Sorry, Ifound my way into a F you h
and now here we are nice.So as I understand you were the president
of a F you of h aswell. Yes, that's a last brain

(01:37):
right, So how how did thathappen? Yeah? Yes, honestly I
want to know too, how didthat happen? Basically I was with I
had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer andKevin who were the past president MVP for
a F hugh uh. And Iremember I will go to most of their

(02:00):
meetings and I was apparently very extrovertedwhen he came to doing the tours and
the agencies and the industry talks.I was. I never shot away from
a question because I was always likevery intrigued. Yeah, and then they
saw that, I guess in me, and they asked me if I wanted
to become the president for my nextsemester, and I say it's sure.
So here we are has it beenhas it been difficult as a president?

(02:23):
And now you're an add to Houstonas well? So is that is that
kind of pressure. Is there apressure to that or how's that going.
I think it's going good so far. Maybe just because it's a summer,
but I think I think once Istarted juggling both, it's definitely going to
be a fun challenge. It wasdefinitely a learning curb, you know,

(02:44):
just being a casual member to becomingthe president. There's a lot of responsibility.
For sure, it was a learningcurb. And yeah, I'm learning
as I go. It's good.Good, that's great. So you said
you toured some agencies before. Isthere any agency that sticks out to you?
Is was there any like one thatkind of drew your interest? I

(03:06):
would say for sure, I knowit's like a big one, and I
feel like it was the first agencyboth semesters that though we visited when I
was a member and then again whenI was the president last semester. I
know a lot of members really likeit just because you know, it's a
big, shiny building. But besidesthat, I just really like their focus

(03:29):
towards the Hispanic community. I reallylike that, and you know, I
think they're doing a good job.I feel like the Hispanic market is definitely
underrepresented when it comes to advertising andI feel like the fact that they're doing
something about it they are definitely makesthem stand out. Yeah, it makes
them stand out. So that's whyI have so many shiny awards. I
told them that they could not fitanymore, but apparently they keep getting more.

(03:52):
But I think there's a reason forthat, and I think that's because
they put a lot of passion intoit and I really admire them. Now,
is that an agency you kind ofare looking into maybe applying to at
some point in the future. Yeah, I would love to. There's I
know, off like smaller agencies arejust getting started that want to become like
them one day. I would liketo also explore my opportunities. I think

(04:16):
it's early to say, even thoughI'm a senior, I think it's a
little early to say I'm open toanything. I don't know, we'll see.
It's a good mindset that have.Just you don't want to be too
closed off, right, you justkind of I'll take whatever I can get
well to a certain extent, ofcourse. But speaking of you being a
student, I understand you're also anaspiring copy copywriter and creative right, so

(04:38):
obviously you're still going to U ofH and you're still in classes and you're
still studying and whatnot. But hasthere been any piece of copy that you've
been able to work on, youknow, in a class project or maybe
outside like freelance possibly that is yourfavorite. Has there anything that you've done
that kind of like stuck out toyou? Yeah, So let's bring a
high the opportunity to participate in theStudent the Insact then Professional Student Advertising competition

(05:01):
and I participated in the District tencompetition with your Age. I was able
to be part of a group withyour Age with my professor Tinnel shout out
to him. Yeah, he dida great job. It was actually his
first time after Professor Kelly had retiredof just like assembling a team. Yeah,
and then he accepted me as oneof his creatives and that was a

(05:25):
very fun experience. I was ableto dig into some of the copywriting.
I was in the main one,but I was able to do that and
also explore more of what he's liketo be a creative, you know,
just dealing with the experientials and whatto do. It was for a Tide
campaign for a col washing campaign,so targeting gen Z. I don't think

(05:46):
it's a secret anymore, so Ithink I can say it now. But
yeah, it was a really funexperience. I really really liked it nice.
So what goes into copywriting exactly?I mean, I know you're writing
commercial spots or TV spots or justany kind of copy. But is there
is there a certain method you haveto take to it? Is there like
a certain practice you use. Ilike to write, like the first thing

(06:12):
that comes into my mind, Ilike to like throw it up into a
piece of favor if that makes sense, right, get it out, Yeah,
get it, get the ideas out. I feel like maybe because I
have undiagnosed ADHD, that kind oflike just my brain is just like all
over the place and I have athousand ideas at the same time. Right,
But after that, I just kindof like start figuring out how to
make it make sense and what's what'swhat works and what doesn't. So yeah,

(06:34):
it's kind of like a progress likethat. And obviously I need a
second opinion always approf read, yes, approve read, And just asking anybody
does this make sense? Would yousee this in a commercial? Like just
asking questions like that, I thinkthat helps. Yeah, is now,
is there is there any kind ofcopy you use as a reference. Is
there something that you can kind ofgo back to and and try to write

(06:56):
in that same I guess method orform. Yeah. Actually, I had
a chance to read a Whipple Squeizthis the book. It's really good,
like the last edition, it's reallynice. It kind of breaks it down,
like the creative process and just kindof like how the author just kind
of like goes through his own processand his own his own like words.

(07:17):
So I like to see that,and I like to kind of go back
to that and seeing what the heckam I doing? If I'm doing anything
wrong? What am I skipping?Use it as reference or research and just
kind of like I guess, checkingyourself also as you go, right,
and maybe kind of coming up withyour own process. I'm sure as you
go along as well, right,you find out what you like and what

(07:38):
you don't like, and you justkind of evolve it as it goes.
Yeah, I think so. Ithink I'm bi lingual. So something I
do sometimes is like nobody asked meto do it this way. But sometimes
I'm like, I know I needto write it in English, but the
idea is just blinking my head inSpanish. So I'm just gonna do it
in Spanish real quick to get iton my head, and then I'll do
it in English translate it later,right, Yeah, but no, actually

(07:59):
no, not translated, but likejust reinterpret it because I feel like there's
more that goes into it than justtranslating one thing from the other, you
know, like not the same stufffalls right, the same, the inflections.
Yeah, yeah, I honestly thatinfuriates me. And I see a
word for word translated ad or Idon't know a pamphlet anything. I'm just

(08:20):
any piece of media. I'm like, and you can tell, yes,
you can tell. They just kindof just Google translated. They gave it
to somebody to be like, yeah, that looks great, right. I
know. Uh, it's a littleoff topic, but I know when in
terms of like anime, right,Japanese animation, it's there's always an argument
of like subs and dubs, likesubtitles versus versus the dubbing. I love

(08:41):
adam A. I actually appreciate watchingit subbed. If that, yeah,
I don't. I don't like itdubbed. I have to. If I
started in one way, I finishit in that same way. I could
take either way, but I understandthe argument. Yeah, do you have
a favorite anime? Is there somethingyou're watching currently? Let me think my
favorite anime so far? Right now, that's a very hard question. Sorry,

(09:03):
I question. I'm enjoying my hero. Oh yeah, yes, I
see, I haven't. I haven'tbeen able to watch it. I think
I watched one episode and then Ihaven't continued. Yeah, but I'm I'm
deep into One Piece, oh mygod. Yeah, a friend of mine
got me into it. And I'mnot watching the anime so much except the

(09:26):
current arc, just to stay current. But I've I've caught up with the
with the manga. I'm just rightthere by reading it. That's crazy,
that's commitment. It is, itis, but it's all. It's a
lot easier to read when everything's youknow, out and you can kind of
binge it. So, but enoughabout anime, don't worries. So I

(09:48):
kind of want to jump back intothe past a little bit here. You
mentioned you're from Venezuela, right,Okay, so you're also a first generation
immigrant if I got have that correct? What what was that like or what
is that like? What is there? Can you tell me about the challenges
or just the accomplishments that you've madesince you've been here or even from Venezuela.

(10:09):
Yeah, so it was definitely aprocess. It was really hard.
It was a really really hard transition. I moved here when I had just
turned eighteen, so I left allmy friends, all my family kind of
behind. I moved in with mydad, and obviously I did have some
family here on the death side ofmy family, like on the death side
of my family, but all thepeople that I grew up with they were

(10:31):
far away. And obviously there wasthe English barrier. I did took a
few English classes, but I basicallytaught myself how to speak English. So
I got into like the last eSL level at ACC and I've been,
you know, trying ever since.It's it's kind of a missions for me

(10:52):
to wanting to do communications considering whenI got here, I didn't even fully
know the language. But you know, I feel like sometimes that's just why
it is, you gotta you gottago upstream, I suppose, or fight
against the current. Yeah, Ithink as a first generation it's like really
hard to just kind of like Imean, it was, It's not hard,

(11:13):
but it's like a lot to takein to just kind of simulate into
the culture, right and just figureout all the differences and just figuring like
so like how to socialize, likehow to do things, how to make
friends. It's different, I imagine, so I unfortunately, you know,
I can't relate, but I can. I can imagine the the struggle.

(11:35):
It was very, very different,but I can appreciate it now. So
did you immediately move to Houston orwas there somewhere else before Houston when you
came to America. No, soI came from Maracota to here Houston because
my dad had been living here forlike a while now, right, And
yeah, I've been living here sofar, but I've visited Florida a few

(11:58):
times. I went to see atlast summer and yes, nice. Nice.
Do you do you think Houston's likeyour your forever home or do you
have anywhere else you would like tolive at at some point? I don't
want to like, I don't wantI mean, I like Houston. I
love Houston. I feel like it'sdefinitely my second home, but I don't
feel too attached to it. Ifeel like, if there's definitely opportunities,

(12:24):
I completely understand that it's kind ofwhere I'm at at this point. I've
come to Houston to do what Ineeded to do, and I'm a little
bit ready to kind of branch offand expand. So I definitely understand that
sentiment. This is nice. Doyou have anywhere in mine? You know,
it's wherever the wind takes me.In a philosophical kind of way,
I guess. But you know,right now, my my wife's actually looking

(12:48):
at getting a getting into a positionin San Antonio. She works for Biolife,
and so she's she's looking for apromotion and we we may or may
not be moving to San Antonio atsome point. But also her job is
very they're kind of all over theplace, so she can travel easily.
And with my job and with mycareer and what I do with audio,

(13:09):
I can also easily travel. Sowhatever feels right and whoever feels right.
But we're not there yet, soat some point we will be. We'll
see. Yeah, well, I'mexcited for y'all. I'm happy, thank
you. I think we touched onthis earlier in the interview as well.
Is there a dream job or dreamadvertising agency that you would want to work

(13:30):
for in the next like three orfour years. I definitely want to be
a creative. I don't know whatI end up doing, actually, but
I know doing something creative I'm happywith. I don't know. I really
like coming up with ideas. Itjust kind of comes to me not to
be this is not crazy or anything, but I don't know. I like
hanging around with creative people and justcoming up with projects and then seeing them

(13:52):
flourish. I think that's amazing.And the fact that I will be getting
paid for it. It's more thanI can ask for, right, It's
always a good thing. Yeah,and you know what, you're you're still
in college too, You're still you'restill figuring things out. So obviously I
don't have I don't want to limitmyself to like a particular role as of
now. Just I feel like Iappreciate that being a creative it's just an

(14:13):
umbrella term. So yeah, Iknow so many people use it and yeah,
exactly, like oh no, yeah, It's it's really funny like people
assume like I'm a graphic designer andI'm like no, and I'm like,
okay, so you a photographer.No, right, You're like, well
I create, Well what do youcreate? Well? Yeah, it's like

(14:33):
do you want the resume term ordo you want the or do you want
the layman's term? Like I canright, right, So obviously I just
stated it. You know, you'restill young and you're still finishing school and
stuff. But have you have youever thought about maybe at one point starting
up your own agency or business inthe future if you get to that point.
Yeah, I feel like that's definitelya very long term goal I have

(14:56):
for myself. But I do wantto half my agency one day. I
do want to do have my owntake on just focusing on the Hispanic community
and just minorities in general. Iwould love to do that one day and
just be surrounded by creative people andalso strategies and everything you need for an
agency to work just right. SoI would love to do that one day.

(15:18):
I hope I can still be likea creative director, say so,
I don't necessarily have to work aboutworry too much about everyone's paycheck, but
I know that that's probably what's gonnaend up happening. Right, So you
don't want to be you don't wantto be too in charge. You just
want to be at a good level, but not Yeah, but like I
wouldn't mind being also a founder founderof it, we'll see. I think

(15:39):
that's a good thing to aspire to. And I think most most of us
are around our age and just graduating, they do have some sort of idea
of maybe starting their own agency.I know a lot of people do freelancing
as well, so are they're alreadykind of their own business in a way,
so you can to translate that toan agency is too much more difficult,

(16:00):
I believe. Yeah. I sawthat you had interviewed Art in the
past, and I know it honestly. Honestly just took him in a colleague
to be like, what are wedoing? Let's make an agency? So
I kind of take a lot ofrespiration from him. Well good, Yeah,
Art was really cool when we hadhim on a very inspiring interview as
well. Yes, he was orcreative mentor at the inside class nice so

(16:23):
that was really awesome working alongside him. I think he can be really inspiring.
Yeah, that's great. So lastly, before we get out of here,
do you have any advice for anyonegetting into the university role or even
HCC because HCC is a community collegethat's a great place to start. Do
you have any advice for the upand coming people trying to get a start

(16:44):
and trying to get an idea ofwhat career route they want to take.
I want to say that they shoulddefinitely explore the extracurricular activities, like any
clubs that their career may have.Anything, Just like, yeah, join
us many club as you can,and explore any path as you can,
because I feel like just classes arenot really enough to really give you an

(17:07):
idea of what is actually like toyou know, be working in this thing.
Like I think the agency tours werea really good opportunity, and just
listening to the experts in the field, you know, that was like a
really like Okay, this is actuallywhat it's like their everyday life. They
break it down for you. They'relike, this is what I do,
and you know, these are mygoals and it's it's really interesting and I

(17:30):
feel like I only got more passionatefrom it. But I can see how
people can be like, oh,that's not for me. And I feel
like, definitely, as you weregetting started, you know, that's something
like somewhere a good place to startbesides doing school and classes or even joining
an ad too or club in general. Yeah, yeah, I would love
anybody who wants to join the orat too, I would love to talk

(17:52):
to them and be their friend.Yeah. You know what, we do
have a member mix coming up inJuly, so with anybody you know,
here's this and wants to come outand meet us, we'll be there.
Yeah. I'm very excited to go. Yeah, definitely. But Victoria,
this has been a great interview.Thank you so much for coming on.
Lots of great information, lots ofgood insight, and it was it was
great having you on. Thank you, thank you so much for your time.

(18:14):
Thanks, thank you for joining ustoday. The aard to Houston and
Mudos podcast is produced at Radio Lounge. Add to Houston is a collaborative collective
of young communication professionals age thirty twoone nunder. We are looking to make
a difference in the industry. Ifyou would like to be coming at migo,
join us at the Number two Houstondot com. You can also follow

(18:37):
us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedInat add the Number two Houston. Thank
you for listening.
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