Episode 109: The Dream - From Waitress To Buzzfeed Producer & Viral Video Star In One Year w/ Julissa Calderon

How long would you keep hustling to make your dream a reality? Hopefully, as long as it takes! Writer and actress Julissa Calderon opens up about her journey to success in the entertainment industry and all the life-changing lessons she’s learned along the way. We talk about everything from why she never questioned if acting was for her even, getting fired from her secure day job that paid the bills, landing a dream job at Buzzfeed, why she’s so passionate about challenging Latino stereotypes, increasing representation for Afro-Latino representation, and opening doors for other creators of color… and more. Join in on the conversation on social (@dreamsindrive) and use the hashtag #dreamsindrive.

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ON THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
– What inspired Julissa as a child
– Julissa’s pivot from nursing to theater in college
– How naivety helped launch Julissa’s career
– The biggest lesson Julissa learned early in her acting/theater career
– Nailing your “pitch”
– Managing a 9-5, social life, and acting career
– Why Julissa never left Los Angeles after going for an audition she didn’t get
– Why you need an agent as an actor
– Being an Afro-Latina in the entertainment industry
– Diversity in entertainment
– How getting fired from her waitressing position changed Julissa’s life
– How a Buzzfeed audition turned into a career as a full-time producer
– How to show your worth & value
– Influencing change
– Why you need social media
– Biggest entrepreneurial lessons learned
– The 30 year test
– Dealing with being away from family & being homesick
– The importance of legacy

MORE ON JULISSA CALDERON:
Julissa Calderon is an Los Angles-based writer and actor currently bringing her Dominican background and comedic flare to BuzzFeed’s Pero Like. Recent videos such as “Pelo Bueno, Pelo Malo,” “Sammy Sosa’s Skin Color Rant” and “How I Went from Waitress to Buzzfeed Producer” have been featured in numerous news outlets, including The Huffington Post and CNN Español. You may recognize Julissa from her guest starring role in ABC’s hit show Revenge or as an onstage performer in the Miami productions of he Donkey Show (Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts) and Road Through Heaven (New Theater).

JULISSA CALDERON’S KEYS TO SUCCESS:
1. Phone
2. Faith in yourself
3. Have an open mind

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