I'm first generation American. My mom is from Columbia, my dad is from Honduras, they met in New Jersey. Being children of migrant parents, growing up, healthcare and finances were never really top of mind because they were just trying to figure out how to raise children in America and live the American dream for their children.

My sisters and I, whenever we would go to the doctors at like nine or ten, we'd have to fill out all their paperwork because it wasn’t in Spanish. It was an eye opening experience for myself to understand there's really a lot of barriers for folks who are either non-English speakers, or are migrants, or have disabilities, to really figure out what's going on.

My parents worked very hard, my mom was a housekeeper and my dad worked in maintenance, and so finances were never really top of mind. So, I had to learn what does finances mean? What does healthcare mean? I started really diving into the healthcare and finance space, which I thought was very complicated and very interesting, because people are afraid to ask questions because they don't want to look dumb.

But, folks don't understand because there's so much information out there that's just so freaking confusing. I really honed into this space to really figure out A) what makes people tick? Why are people so confused about these topics? B) why isn’t this taught anywhere? Why are we having such a hard time figuring this out when this is so important to our well-being. Because if you don't understand healthcare, then that really affects your pocketbook. What's a deductible. Do I have the right insurance? If I have insurance is it in network? Can I go out of network? What does that mean?

There's so many questions that are just the tip of the iceberg. So through my own experiences, I sort of got into this market around 2009, when I graduated.

When I go to an organization I bring my authentic self. I think a lot of times we all code switch a little bit because we want to make sure that we present well, but it's also important to be very true to your own values.

When I'm interviewing at an organization, I ask a lot about what does the team comprise of? What is the work that you're looking at? Who are you targeting? And then as we start asking those questions, you start to peel back the layers of does this organization represent my values? Do they understand that a consumer isn't just like one type of consumer? I think other good questions are: How are you targeting folks? What are the different types of languages that you're using as part of like your materials? Have you done any user research?

And I think the second thing is, when I go into an organization, I start to uncover what their gaps are. In my department we work in the LGBTQ+ health space, but my manager, he is an ally, and there's a lot of things that he doesn't understand, and there's a lot of education that needs to happen.

So, I think it's 1) protecting yourself, knowing that there are a lot of things that can happen in your own personal life that you need to understand and be able to create space for. 2) I make sure that I communicate that as part of this organization, I need to make sure that I am presenting myself fully and not just saying yes to everything.

I think part of that is doing the work that represents my own community. So for my community right now, PrEP was super important earlier this year because a lot of insurance providers were denying folks their benefits. As a consumer, we're like, well, why is that? Why are these folks being charged for these services they shouldn’t be charged for? So taking a step back, we thought about our marketing strategies… If we want to communicate these messages, we can't just focus on the gay community, because there's the folks who are trans who also take PrEP. Another example, as the Supreme Court ruling came out regarding abortion. We had to think about, yes, this affects women, but it also affects trans folks who have reproductive systems. We want to make sure that we educate them.

So, aligning my values with my work is taking a step back and really knowing, I only represent one part of this spectrum, so how do I take a step back and really think about like how this affects everybody else? How can I come in with the experiences that I've had and make sure that all of these communities have a voice, while also making sure that I educate my colleagues on we’re doing things certain ways.

It’s funny because I've become a lot more introspective these days than I used to be. I think one of the hardest things that I experienced was when I left Florida and decided to move to New York. I packed two bags. I had some money saved up and I just slept on couches for a couple of months just to kind of figure things out. I've now been in New York for 10 years.

Also, breaking into the startup world, after working in more traditional organizations, very cis-gender white male, buttoned up orgs, that were not very representative of the queer community, the BIPOC community, and while being very young, and trying to figure out how I can make a change in these niche communities. I think we can all figure out, “I wanna like save the world,” but what does saving the world mean? What does leaving your fingerprint in this world look like?

So, I focused on networking. Speaking to folks is really important, specifically at a very young age when you're trying to figure out what is it that I want to do? And then really focusing on some niche areas that you as an individual think are really important to you.

Prioritize the things that are super important to you as you continue growing in your career. Of course you'll have obstacles, you'll have nos, you'll have folks say “I don't think you have the chops for this right now,” but don't take that as like roadblock. Educate yourself. Network. Finding organizations that will help you and more open doors will open.

I think one of the biggest things is advertising for both finance and healthcare.

In the finance space there has been a lot more online banking, and recently, there's a new banking app, called Daylight that's for the queer community. It focuses on how queer folks like manage their money?

So there are niche products that are helping like niche populations, which is very important because right now you can't boil the ocean. You can't target everyone. And if you can great, but you dilute some of your message. So I think as an organization, if you are going to boil the ocean, then understand that there are different demographics that fit into like your consumer base and try to understand each of their needs.

For example, Drag Queens may not have finances in order because they're in a gig economy. So their finances look a lot different than someone who is queer and works for like startup or in corporate America. Make sure that you understand these different nuances as an organization.

Well, that's a big one. Thankfully I have a really great partner that I have been able to talk to about a lot of these different issues. We both have different backgrounds. So a lot of the times it he and I sort of talk about our own different lived experiences. I think that's really important to be able to get that off your chest and really find people that you can trust to talk about things with. When I can't talk to my partner or something's really heavy, really close to the heart, I like support groups and I’m in therapy.

I really like the org Out in Tech, they have such a diverse organization that if I'm really feeling really heavy, I can go on there and just talk about it. Being able to have a lighthearted conversation and just say things that we feel and just have that space is super important.

Finding things you like to do is important. I'm reading a lot more. Focusing on really being more in tune to like how my body feels. I react very quickly to things and like, I try to run away, but really, focus on tuning into your body. And realizing that I need to take deeper breaths. I know that sounds kind of, very easier said than done, but I think having those practices and having those tools in your toolbox are really important.

I think things are just gonna get tougher, and knowing how you need to treat yourself is super important.

And I also really love cupcakes and sometimes I just buy myself a cupcake because that is what I need right now. So, understanding that, while being compassionate towards yourself and the folks around you is how I try to hold some levity these days when we don't have control over how things are going to unfold.

Interested in working with Jon or participating in future Elevate features? Contact ashley@creativepeopleinc.com to chat about how we can work together in the future.