When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Theater and dancing were very close to my heart, but advertising captivated my mind from a very young age. My mother used to tell me, “Stop looking at billboards and enjoy the landscape.” I just couldn’t. I kept driving her crazy talking about ads.
I grew up influenced by my mother’s vocation for community work, and my father’s dedication to his marketing agency. As a result, they got a brand strategist, passionate about consumer behavior, insight-driven health marketing and community programs.
Describe your job in 10 words or fewer.
Cross-cultural healthcare marketing and community education that drives health equity.
What do you like most about working in healthcare marketing?
I wake up every morning motivated by the possibility of having a positive impact in people’s lives. Health is paramount above everything else. It is a human right that should be accessible to all.
I consider myself very fortunate to work with colleagues at Havas and República Havas Health, and brands that are deeply passionate about health equity and cultural inclusivity. We collaborate to ensure that every individual, regardless of background, has access to culturally relevant and in-language health and healthcare information, and resources needed to prevent illness and enhance their overall well-being.
What frustrates you most about working in healthcare marketing?
There are well-known challenges and emerging ones tied to working in healthcare marketing. Regulatory constraints along with slow innovation adoption hinder efficiencies and creativity. New AI-driven strategies that yield “glocalized” approaches can come with their own set of biases, lack of cultural sensitivity and ethical considerations.
However, my greatest frustration as a cross-cultural marketer lies in the persistent disparities that hinder equal access to healthcare. Systemic socio-economic barriers, unconscious bias and racism exacerbate inequalities among underserved communities. Navigating these obstacles requires multidisciplinary expertise, cultural competence, empathy, investment, innovation and a long-term commitment and collaboration from the private and public sectors.
What would you do if you didn’t do what you do?
Integral wellness advocacy and behavioral health teaching. I found fascinating the common grounds between behavioral health and consumer behavior models. Both types of training improve active listening, empathy and strengthen strategic thinking skills.
A personal health experience taught me the importance of integral well-being. Balancing our physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, occupational and financial wellness is not an easy task. It requires prioritization and mindfulness.
What began as a personal journey, led me to pursue multiple behavioral health certifications, join the Board of the National Wellness Institute and found a nonprofit organization to help others.
What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?
Many of my colleagues don’t know that 12 years ago, I gave birth to a nonprofit organization that captivated my heart: The Wellness for Growth Foundation.
I’m blessed to work with a team of volunteers driven by a strong commitment to empower underprivileged women.
Twelve years later, we are growing strongly, changing the lives of over a thousand families through education programs and online workshops grounded in four pillars: integral health and wellness education, skills for economic growth, income generating opportunities and entrepreneurship facilitation. Please reach out if you want to join our women empowerment journey!
Pick one: In-office, hybrid or remote work? Why would that be your choice?
You get the best of both worlds with hybrid work. I find that productivity truly improveswith remote working, because you cut on commuting and social interaction time. On the other hand, in-person work facilitates relationship building and networking, which are key to strengthening teams and nurturing connections that yield growth.
At the end of the day, there are still some of us who are not AI-generated and have social connectedness needs.
Where do you want to be, professionally and personally, 10 years from now?
Let’s focus on what I want to see happening in the industry in the next 10 years. If we do our job right, 10 years from now, there won’t be a need for specific cross-cultural healthcare marketing roles. All marketers will be culture-forward, and companies will be inclusive and aware of the impact of the shift in demographics driven by multiracial, multicultural and intersectional families.
Also, there will be fewer disparities throughout the patient journey. We could even shift from a more reactive to a preventative approach to healthcare, reducing costs and improving overall well-being. Wishful thinking?
Click here to return to 2024 MM+M Women of Distinction homepage.
