Mentors, Personal Growth, and Networking with April Monterrosa - CEO/Editor-Chief, Ep #135

I am excited for you to hear from today’s guest because she has such an interesting resume and is making a big impact in her local community. She will be featured in our upcoming Latin Talks event and I hope you come hear her speak in person.

April Monterrosa is a San Antonio, Texas native, an entrepreneur, a published author, and the CEO/Editor in Chief of Live From The Southside, the first Latina-owned publication in South side San Antonio.

She is listed as an influential Latina in San Antonio by KSAT12 News, and was honored by the 87th Texas Legislature for her achievements as a civic leader and community advocate.

April has a passion for giving back to the community and serves as a board member of the San Antonio Water System’s Community Experience Committee, of the Palo Alto College Cosmetology Committee, San Antonio District 4 Small Business Committee, and a board member of Brooks Give Back and Mitchell Lake Audubon Center nonprofits. April also serves as the Director of Community Development for The Pink Berets and the media sponsor for Fin Addict Angler Foundation.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • How April’s wild youth and teenage years helped define what she is today (3:21)

  • How to transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship (9:42)

  • The things that changed from her parents generation to hers (16:30)

  • Why knowing your own ambition, drive and capabilities is essential (23:17)

  • How action works hand in hand with faith (32:41)

A legacy of entrepreneurship

When April was about 12 years old, she saw her father make the transition from a steady job to being an entrepreneur. She saw the sacrifices and courage it took to leave the stability of a job that wasn’t allowing him to reach his full potential and go for something that would allow him to do better for his family. Though she describes herself as a wild child growing up, her early independence didn’t blind her from respecting and understanding her father’s example. She chose to go to cosmetology school in high school instead of pursuing college, and that led her to a corporate career in beauty for a long time. On the side, she started doing services for her friends and family and over time that side of her business grew. Finally, she was at a point when corporate America wasn’t making her happy and she knew she had a choice to make. She gave her notice, leased a beauty studio, and spent her birthday with her friends moving into it.

How Latin culture is evolving in San Antonio

I asked April how she is seeing the Latina and Latino community evolving in San Antonio since her grandparent’s generation. She responded that it’s changing a lot faster because of the resources available now. Things like entrepreneurship classes, availability of business plans, loans, and network are a huge help in accelerating growth if you are interested in building your own business. Her father had to figure all of that out on his own when he started his own construction business a generation prior. It’s only in the last 15 years that the kinds of resources that have fueled April’s business success really started becoming available, including social media.

How to build supportive relationships

Breaking through toxic relationship patterns that many Latin families deal with is a process that April credits her parents with. They kept she and her brothers away from negativity and groups of people who weren’t healthy or safe. Even though she didn’t understand what they were doing at the time, now she sees the wisdom and gift they gave her. Instead, she saw early on the benefits of being surrounded by positivity and growth. She noticed the same shift when she left her coworkers in her corporate job and started networking with other business owners. 

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