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Every now and again, I get questions from passionate, smart young people - specifically Latino/x - who are on the early stages of their sports media career, asking me for advice on how to advance in the industry.
I also teach a semester a year, and I realize the advice I give my students is essentially the same thing.
Specifics aside, my ultimate response is always this: opportunity is, most of the time, going to come harder to black and brown communities. It’s not always the case but
Specifics aside, my ultimate response is always this: opportunity is, most of the time, going to come harder to black and brown communities. It’s not always the case but
most often than not, due to lack of infrastructure or knowing the right people or learning at the “right” school, they will be harder to attain.
So our counter therefore should be the following:
So our counter therefore should be the following:
- HUSTLE YOUR A** OFF. Whatever you think you need to do to work, do triple + don’t expect gratitude. Just do it. Show up. At Vice, I showed up an hour earlier before the doors open and stayed an hour later (I got paid hardly anything) - at the guardian I was just meant to do
a sports fellowship but I wanted to revolutionize the way they they thought of the Latinx audience. At Sports Illustrated, my role was just to help with Spanish content but then I would arrive at 630am on Saturdays to make sure I edited other people’s work, write new pitches and
try and help the entire newsroom understand the Latino/x audience, while also writing 
content, helping with social and then eventually co-host a tv show.
Now, here at CBS, Que Golazo, our pride and joy is a full day project - six days a week, also including writing, HQ
content, helping with social and then eventually co-host a tv show. Now, here at CBS, Que Golazo, our pride and joy is a full day project - six days a week, also including writing, HQ
appearances and much more.
My point is this. I don’t say all of this to show off or to receive praise, but rather to tell you that people - your employers, your colleagues - become your allies, and more so, the TEAM becomes that much stronger.
My point is this. I don’t say all of this to show off or to receive praise, but rather to tell you that people - your employers, your colleagues - become your allies, and more so, the TEAM becomes that much stronger.
My other point is that most employers don’t actually know what they want until they see it. It’s YOUR job to navigate them to YOUR vision and what you can do to improve their product.
So resumes are nice. Former education is nice. But what’s KEY is your tenacious ability to
So resumes are nice. Former education is nice. But what’s KEY is your tenacious ability to
make them see why they NEED YOU.
Finally. Be COMMUNICATIVE. Speak. Look at the people in the eye, don’t anticipate, be proactive. Always show up on time and never take criticism as a personal attack. Learn another language and reach out to someone you may not know. Ask if you don’t know. Help if you do.
That’s it x good luck in your journey and whenever I can help, I am here for you 
Oh, 1 more thing. If you think it’s too late, it’s NEVER too late. In 2015 I was an out of work actor getting rejected 24/7. Knew nothing about sports media. Then I did a short doc, went to j-school for 1 yr and the rest as they say is history. Keep grinding. The light is near.
I don’t for a second want to presume that things are easy now. I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like for young people entering the work force - or trying to - so send me a DM on IG (luismechegaray) am with objectives and what you’d like to do and I’ll see if I can help
