NEW Women Rule Podcast: “There’s no shame in where you come from. See it as an opportunity.” – Jessica Rodriguez, President of Entertainment & CMO of Univision
By: Olivia Altman
ARLINGTON, VA – In the latest episode of the Women Rule podcast, Women Rule Editorial Director Anna Palmer chats with Jessica Rodriguez, the president of entertainment and CMO of Univision, about how her Hispanic roots have influenced her successful media career.
Palmer explores Rodriguez’s life-long commitment to Univision, and uncovers how the CMO navigated both professional and personal setbacks along the way. Rodriguez also discusses efforts that she has taken to bolster diversity in the c-suite and across the network, bringing more women into positions of power.
Some highlights:
On the pressure to succeed as a Latina woman: “There’s an interesting dynamic that I think tends to happen. And I want to speak as a Latina woman. So oftentimes, when we’re raised in our Latino cultures, one of the things that we’re taught is defer to people in power, to your elders, right? Be conciliatory, be kind, be empathetic, be all of those things that you’re supposed to be, right? So I think that there’s that added challenge of like, ‘You’re in the C-suite and you’re a woman, right?’ Like how do I bring the entirety of who I am to the office, right? And that means bringing the fact that I’m proud of being empathetic, I’m proud of the fact that I multi-task. All of the things that we know that women can do and how do I bring that to the table? But then there’s that added element of being a Latino in the room, and so you feel that there’s that added pressure of making sure that you’re doing good by your community.”
On going outside of her comfort zone: “You’re given an opportunity and you could say, ‘No, that’s not what I envisioned I’d be doing right out of my business degree from Stanford.’ Or you can say, ‘Oh, I know why I’m getting this job: I’m getting this job because nobody else wants to take this job, nobody else sees the opportunity.’ And I took it because I was like, ‘I am going to take the job that nobody else wants and I am going to prove what I said in the interview, which was, ‘You are never, ever going to regret having hired me.’”
On chasing your dreams: “Whatever your craziest dream and desire is, whatever you want to do, whatever that thing that keeps you up at night, that voice in your head—listen to it and actually call it out into the universe. Whether it’s in a whisper, whether you share with a family member or even if you’re just so scared to share with anybody, then just write it down so that you can put it out into the universe and make it happen.”
Source: Politico