The Power of Storytelling in Business
Based on an episode with Andrea Marquez 🇲🇽
Welcome to Latinx in Power, a podcast aiming to help to demystify tech, the way we do that is by interviewing Latinx and Caribbean leaders all over the world to hear their perspective and insights.
We talked with Andrea Marquez (she/her), an award-winning, Mexican-American storyteller. She’s currently on a mission to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs as producer and host of This is Small Business, an Amazon podcast.
In this episode, Andrea shared her wisdom and experiences, serving as a source of motivation and guidance for creative professionals. She offers insights on how to navigate the ever-changing business landscape successfully.
Subscribe to Latinx in Power!
Apple | Google | Spotify | TuneIn | Stitcher | Deezer | PocketCasts
What does it mean to be a Latina for you?
I think I talk a lot about this with my Latinx friends. One way I would describe this is probably the fact that we always seem to find each other. You can be on the other side of the world, and you will find other Latinos because it brings this sense of pride and home, and you feel seen and understood immediately. And to me, being a Latina is being part of something that has so much flavor and color. We often ask ourselves, “So, what makes you Latinx? Is it the language? Is it your parents? Where were they born? Is it about how you were raised?”
I concluded that the reason I feel connected to the Latinx community is because I believe that we’re accepting of this idea that if you want to be part of the community and you identify as Latinx, then you are. Obviously, nothing is perfect. I can’t make a blanket statement for all Latinos, for all Latinx everywhere. And obviously, my perspective also comes from this privileged point of view. But at least that is the experience I’ve had so far. Also, a big reason why I produced a podcast in the past called LatinEQUIS. The way I described that podcast was that it was about having conversations about being part of the Latinx community, no matter who you are, even if you didn’t identify as Latinx yourself. So, to me, being a Latina is about connection, discovery, savor, [giggles] and acceptance.
Regardless of those differences in cultural backgrounds because even you and I have probably very, very, very different — We’re both Latinas, but we have very different points of view, perspectives, and yet, there’s that shared sense of community. So, it’s something that is always hopefully going to stay with me, that sense of home and pride, regardless of where I am in my life.
Can you tell us how everything started?
So, that’s a large question, but I’m going to focus very much on what we’re talking about today, which is how I got to the career I’m in today. And so, it hasn’t been very long, actually. I started working in production around 10 years ago, and that took me through all types of career paths. If you’re in the production world, you probably understand completely what I’m saying, where you have all types of odd jobs, you’re doing a little bit of everything. But the one constant I did have was storytelling across all jobs. I’ve always loved storytelling in all types of ways, be it writing, film, theater, audio, etc.
My first real adult job was actually at A&E Networks. I was right out of undergrad. I think that job was the first time I was taught to think creatively in the corporate world, which I think gives you a different perspective than being a creative as a freelancer or in an agency, because I’ve also worked at an agency, and I’ve also been a creative as a freelancer. In short, I think that it forces you to balance both worlds, which means that you have to create while still keeping all of these business elements in mind. When it comes to working with creatives, I think it’s rare to find those who can manage both while being creative thinkers and doers. So, I attribute a large part of my career journey to being able to manage both of these things.
That all comes back to being a border child, being a Latina who was born at the border and straddling two lives. Because since I was little, I very quickly understood that I had to be able to speak those two languages, understand the two cultures. I feel like that’s what navigating the corporate world as a creative is, because you are speaking two languages and adapting to two cultures. There’s this misconception that as a creative, you really need to protect your decisions and your ideas. But honestly, at this point, I’d say that some of the best ideas or work that I’ve seen comes from this mutual understanding and respect from both parties, be it, whatever you want to call it, the corporate world, and the creatives.
So, with all of that and the journey and learning brought me to where I am today, which is at Amazon. I’m a senior story producer, where I focus primarily on podcast programming. I host two podcasts. One of them is This is Small Business, and its spinoff, Next Generation.
How do you define the intersection of creativity and strategy, and why is it essential in today’s business landscape?
I think it’s rare to find people who understand this duality and can execute on it. But it’s an incredibly important life skill that I advise all younger professionals or students to embrace. If I had to define this intersection of creativity and strategy, I’d probably say Taylor Swift. If we think about it, if we really think about it, a great creative who definitely thinks strategically to an impressive degree is Taylor Swift. In the corporate world, she would be a unicorn. In the real world, she is a unicorn. But if there’s one thing that creatives should do, it’s work on their business acumen.
I think nowadays people understand that much more, which is why all talent and all creatives are trying to monetize their content, which is great, but I also think that it should be more than that, because there’s a difference between long-lasting creative and creating for a quick buck. Both are okay. I’m not judging either. But if you want to sustain your journey, then you want to make sure you’re creating long-lasting, impactful content while also thinking strategically. So, you have to think strategically to create that type of content.
So, by strategy, let me approach this from the corporate perspective. It comes down to understanding the goals of a company and how you fit into them. So, how is what you’re creating aligning with the desired outputs and inputs of the business? What does success look like in relation to how your content is received? How will you know which parts of your content did or didn’t work, so you can keep iterating on it without feeling a massive hit at your core if it’s not a success? Because as creatives, we’re always very tied to the work we do. And how do you maintain a mentality of testing and learning and doing it fast? That’s a key thing, doing it fast, especially with how things are moving today. So, those are all questions that come when approaching creating from a strategic perspective. And I do believe that one cannot live without the other.
One last thing I’ll say to this is, I’ve seen some creatives say that you should just create work, no matter who will like it or not. As long as you like it and you share it with the world or don’t share it, that’s enough. I think there’s some truth to that, but they’re missing the part of having a livelihood. I don’t think it’s possible to think like that anymore because right now we have access to too much content at once to assume that just because we put something out there in the world because we like it, then that’s enough. The truth is, it’s not enough. You have to sometimes make those “boring decisions” that will ultimately help you with your not boring creative.
How do we encourage creative professionals to embrace technology and leverage it to their advantage?
We have access to many resources now. And so, the first thing I think all creatives should do, and it sounds a bit silly and a bit simple, but I’ve worked with enough creatives at this point to know that this doesn’t happen as often as it should, which is researching before you start creating. I know it sounds super annoying because it might feel like you’re restricting your creative mind. But in the long run, it’s tied to making impactful work. Research can be as simple as doing some competitive market research to see what other people are doing or leveraging user testing to understand how your audiences are connecting or resonating with your work. So, embracing everything that’s out there and really doing the work before you even start creating anything is super important.
When we think about AI, and it does come up often nowadays, especially on TikTok, I’m seeing how a lot of these creatives are very scared because Photoshop is basically, you don’t need a human to do anything anymore, supposedly. Or, people are claiming that you don’t even need writers anymore, as we’ve seen with the writer strike. I’ve seen how AI has helped creatives in many ways. And yes, it could help you with some Photoshopping, some creation of quick content, and it also helps you work faster. It forces you to think harder and figure out other solutions to problems. However, the creativity that comes from the human experience can never be replaced. Never. Not even with AI. And so, obviously, there’s this big argument right now that is happening between huge companies and creatives, and we’ll see how that pans out.
However, the creative will always come from us, humans. So, thinking about it from this corporate perspective, I think it’s also worthwhile to understand the tools of your company and how you function within it. So, for example, at Amazon, I’m in a creative role. I’m not an expert, by no means, at every inch of how the company operates. And to me, it’s hilarious because as soon as I say I work at Amazon, people assume I understand why their package is late, people assume I understand why certain decisions are being taken with Prime, and that is just not how it works. It’s too much for one person to handle and to understand. However, I do the work, specifically in the podcasting area, of understanding how customers engage with the Amazon tools and resources, to then, for myself, be able to tell better stories and understand the perspective of the customer that we’re serving.
So, it’s not my job, and I don’t need to know all of it. But as a creative, I think you should force yourself to develop a holistic approach to the work you do, especially when it’s tied to a larger mission or vision of a company. So, obviously, we don’t know how the world will be tomorrow or the next day. But as of today, yes, we’re moving fast. As a creative, I think you have to adopt this natural feeling of constantly wanting to learn and change because if you don’t, then you’re going to be held back, and that is just the natural way of things. But that is also okay. You can keep up. That is what creativity is. I firmly believe that when you’re creative in one area, all of the other creative areas open up to you as well as long as you’re willing to do the work for it.
And how to sell on. I get a lot of questions assuming I just like every topic about Amazon, I just know it all. That’s not how it works. But I don’t think that’s how it works for anyone at any company.
How do you stay relevant with all the things that are happening now?
I will tell you, just with you saying that, it brings up a lot of things. This is not going to sound super… this is a reality check. I will say this. Taylor Swift is one example of someone who definitely thinks way, way ahead of time, obviously, as we’ve all known, where she plans three years ahead, and all of these good things. But she has the financial power and the brand power of who she is to be able to dictate where trends are going. The rest of us mortals do not have that power. And so, it is very difficult to plan three years ahead when you don’t have the power to say what’s going to be relevant in three years, with that, and also the following she has.
At this point, she could be doing many things, and her fans will listen to the music. If she takes a detour into Hard Metal, we’re going to listen to whatever Taylor Swift sings in Hard Metal or whatever. For us who are mortals, I think that we’re seeing time and time again that as long as you have a very clear reason behind what you do, it doesn’t have to be perfect. And that goes across the board for a lot of brands, for people, for independent creators, for anybody. It does not have to be perfect as long as there’s a strong why, and you’ve thought about it and you’ve researched what every action you’re taking means and why you’re taking it.
I think that if you see right now, the content creators that are standing out among the huge, huge, huge sea of so many content creators, it’s because they stay true to who they are and release the content that feels real for them without letting it be perfect, but at the same time, thinking two steps ahead, not three years, but just two steps ahead of how certain pieces of content will resonate. So, there has to be a balance. It is very hard. I agree. There is that little added level of just luck. A lot of it does have to do with that. I think creatives should know that as well. At this point, it’s inevitable. TikTok showed us that as well, who stands out versus who doesn’t?
Well, a lot of it will have to do with the right timing. You can’t really predict or forecast that at least as a long-lasting impact. That’s okay. There are many ways to still make a living without having this huge, huge following or anything like that, and we’ve seen that. So, as long as, again, you’re willing to do the work behind it, I think that you would be perfectly fine. The people who think otherwise and that everything is luck, it’s probably because there’s probably a little bit of the work that scares them, and they’re not willing to go all the way in.
How can storytelling be used to foster innovation within a company, and inspire employees to think creatively and also contribute with unique ideas?
I think storytelling within a company, at least I can say, forces everyone to think outside of numbers, outside of themselves, and reminds them to go back to the customer because storytelling reminds us all that we’re humane. Storytelling, specifically, like that’s why it’s created, we’re all human. We all have decades and centuries of stories to tell, and there’s a mission behind every action we take. It’s a good, great way, and this is connected to what I just mentioned, but it’s a good way of grounding us behind the why of what we’re doing. I think this goes both ways, both storytelling within the company, as in its employees, but also outside of the company by telling customer stories.
So, when doing this, and this is a full-circle moment for this conversation we’ve had, but it’s a communal feeling of like, “Hey, I have a story to tell too. No matter how small it may seem to you, you never know if that might be a life-changing trigger for somebody else.” And you also learn through storytelling, and it opens up other creative words for people. So, in my opinion, storytelling is what makes a company better and keeps it going, and I guess, the same can be said about society.
Can you explain the importance of not making creativity seem overly complex and the idea that everything is possible for creatives?
I don’t want to make creativity sound like this super square, like, difficult thing that you have to learn business. I just want to also make sure before I say what I’m about to say, that creativity, the world is your oyster. Everything is possible beyond even the world. So, I just want to make sure I don’t dull people’s — creative people’s worlds and visions because being a creative and a storyteller is such a beautiful thing to be. This is just trying to see it from a very businessy corporate perspective, but obviously, there are many perspectives to being creative, just want to point that out. But yes, great question.
It’s not even boring, I think if you’re in a creative rut is what we call it, but if you feel that you’ve hit some sort of wall as a creative, just in general, I would say, do a little deviation. Just for two seconds, go and do something that is not in what would be considered “the creative world,” the creative industry.” Go do a business webinar of some kind. Go do a finance class, a legal class. Just something else that doesn’t force you to think with that side of your mind, which actually that’s a myth, but anyways, that doesn’t force you to think creatively like that.
The things I do, at least, and I tell this to everyone, and I’m going to sound like a broken record for my friends if they listen to this, but I read quite a lot. And so, that’s probably the first thing I would tell people. Like, just read books, all books, any type of book, anything that calls to you. Fiction, nonfiction, a playbook of some sorts, whatever. Depending on your career path, this, I stand by what I’m about to say. Depending on any career path you dream about succeeding in. Be it film, be it audio, be it finance, whatever it is, whatever profession you choose in your life, do your homework, be 100% obsessed all in, don’t do anything halfway.
So, if there’s something that for me has been helpful in all of my life and all of my career, it is that I get really obsessive about whatever it is I’m doing. So, before podcasting, I had no idea what podcasting was really, what it entailed, what podcasts were out there, etc. As soon as I chose to do podcasting, just as a side thing, but I knew that there was an itch there, I did all of it. I read all the books on podcasting. I listened to all the greatest podcasts, all the newest podcasts, and took podcasting webinars. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and talking about it, and it just became this obsessive thing.
So, that is why I think anyone who wants to be successful or do well in some sort of industry, there’s no way you will if you don’t become obsessive about it. You can become obsessive about a lot of things. So, it doesn’t matter if podcasting is one season and then you let it go and then you decide to do something else, as long as you decide to do it all in, I think is super important. And then just the other very important point I would say, when it comes to resources that help you in your journey, I don’t know if this would be classified as a resource, but knowing how to network, like, finding time to speak to people who you admire, even if this is like 15 minutes. Knowing how to approach the right person at the right time is super invaluable, and it’s a skill that can make the biggest difference in your success.
Do you have any other resources you would like to share with us?
Apart from reading, obviously, listening to podcasts is a great option. Podcasts provide audio content that can be informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking. If you prefer audio over reading, podcasts can be an excellent way to consume information and stay engaged with various topics.
Audiobooks are also a fantastic alternative for those who enjoy books but prefer to listen to them instead of reading. They offer the convenience of enjoying books while multitasking or during activities like commuting, exercising, or doing chores.
If you find yourself in a job that you don’t enjoy or where you feel like you’re not growing, consider it an opportunity to explore new possibilities. You can take advantage of free courses available online to learn something new or connect with people on platforms like LinkedIn to gain insights into different industries or career paths. Embracing discomfort and seeking change can lead to personal and professional growth, but it’s essential to remember that everyone’s path is unique, and it’s okay to choose the lifestyle and career that aligns with your preferences and goals.
Where can people find you?
I appreciate that, and thank you for having me. And yes, as my final note, I’d like to emphasize the importance of leveraging your Latinx community if you’re part of it. And even if you’re not, we’re a pretty cool bunch. Generally, we’re generous and friendly individuals. Personally, I always strive to respond to all messages, although at times, they can become overwhelming. If I don’t respond promptly, it’s not because I don’t want to. Sometimes, I get swamped, but I promise I will get back to you eventually.
I do make an effort, even though it may take me some time. Moreover, if you ever come across me in person, which has happened at numerous networking events, please feel free to approach me for a chat. What’s interesting is that I’ve had the same positive experience when reaching out to others. People are generally kind and receptive, although I can’t make a blanket statement, but believe me, the worst response you’ll likely receive is a simple “no.” So, don’t be embarrassed to initiate a conversation.
You can find me on Instagram or LinkedIn which are my primary online spaces. Additionally, I have a website, andreamarquezhere.com. For those of you who might not be familiar, I host two podcasts: “This is Small Business” and “Next Generation.”
“This is Small Business” features interviews with small business owners from various fields across the United States. It explores their challenges and how they navigate the world of small business ownership. We also invite industry experts to share their insights. So, if you’re considering starting your own business or are in the early stages of entrepreneurship, this podcast is tailored for you.
“Next Generation” is a captivating miniseries that I highly recommend to anyone interested in pitching or structuring their business to attract investors. The miniseries follows four teams as they compete in the Rice University Business Plan Competition. You’ll gain access to behind-the-scenes moments, learn about their worries and feelings leading up to the competition, witness the three days of intense competition, and finally, find out who secures up to $3 million in investment for their business.
With eight episodes, this miniseries was a collaborative effort with Mitch, an accomplished business owner. I truly hope that anyone listening to this will give it a try. It’s a fun and engaging series, and I’m optimistic that we can create something similar next year.
I hope you enjoyed the podcast. We will have more interviews with amazing Latinx leaders the first Tuesday of every month. Check out our website Latinx In Power to hear more. Don’t forget to share comments and feedback, always with kindness. See you soon.
✨Exciting news! Latinx In Power is now part of the HubSpot Podcast Network, the go-to audio hub for business professionals. Headsup: We receive a commission when you purchase. To learn more, click here: https://lnkd.in/grRP-WNP
📩 Hey you, join the Latinx In Power email list!
We send emails no more than twice a month. Click here to subscribe!
