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Kati Fernandez '15
In this episode, Efrain Lozano '19 interviews Kati Fernandez '15 about how the lessons she learned at Holy Cross impact her success in media.
Recorded October 4, 2019
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Transcript:
Kati: I encourage people to go after unconventional jobs, to go after the jobs that don't look as attractive on paper, to go after the things that really do spark joy in their life, in their soul, that makes them better, that makes them want to change, that makes them inspired, that makes them a better person because we need happier people in the world.
Maura: Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. This episode features Kati Fernandez from the class of 2015. Kati currently works as an Associate Director of Content Integration at ESPN Plus, after working as a producer at the NFL Network and Hulu. Her career has progressed quickly, and it wasn't without notice. In 2017, Kati was recognized by El Mundo Boston's Latina 30 under 30 list. Efrain Lozano from the class of 2019 speaks with Kati about what it takes to become a director at a young age. A mentor to Efrain for the past four years, Kati also turns the mic on him to better understand the challenges facing students as they enter today's workforce. Throughout the conversation, Kati discusses how the power of relationships and care for others has contributed to her work ethic and success beyond the hill.
Efrain: Hello, my name is Efrain Lozano. I'm a member of the class of 2019 from LA, and today, I'm here with ...
Kati: Kati Fernandez, from the class of 2015, which sounds insane. My five year reunion is coming up next year.
Efrain: That's insane. That's crazy.
Kati: I'm a real adult. It's does not make sense.
Efrain: We're just going to have some questions just to learn a little more about you, the work that you do and how Holy Cross has influenced you and the real world, what our students are hoping to get at. The first question, just how has Holy Cross' mission or one of the Holy Cross missions influenced your life in general?
Kati: I mean, that's a great question. I think that it does it in a couple of ways. I think one of the biggest things I took out of my four years here was really understanding what it meant to be a man and woman for and with others, and what that means being a real adult, as I joked in the beginning of the podcast, in the world, your social responsibility, what that means in the workplace, in and out of it. And it's also discernment. Once you're out there, it's how are you tackling problems? How are you thinking about them? How are you thinking of solutions? How do you brainstorm around these real world scenarios, and then make a decision based on the values and the core that you know is true to you, and what you've been taught. So, I think that from a work perspective, those are the things I try to bring in day in and day out, is keeping in mind my team, keeping in mind those around me, how I can serve them, how I can be of service to them, no matter what role I'm in, and most of all being conscious and being careful and thoughtful about my responses, my actions, and how that could impact somebody, especially nowaday, where there's so many crazy things happening in the world, I don't take that lightly at all.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. And then, just going back a little, can you talk a little bit about the work that you do currently?
Kati: Yeah, sure thing. I currently work at ESPN Plus on the original content team. There, I am one of the associate directors of content strategy and integration. So, my job really is to focus on how we're envisioning the content to fit into the business needs, and from there, how we then deliver that message to the consumers. So, from inception until production time, I'm really working with a team of development, a team of creative managers, a team of producers that are out in the world executing, making these shows great, and on the back side, I'm thinking about how we're launching this show, what that cadence looks like, what the brand message is, how we're rolling it out on channel, off channel, across a bunch of different verticals, whether it's social media, digital, linear television, paid, the whole 9 yards.
Efrain: Awesome. Just going back on the mission of Holy Cross and how that got you to where you are today, was there a moment that you said, this is my mission. When did you discover that mission that Holy Cross got to be...
Kati: I mean, I think that, when I was a student here, my major was music, and I also studied premed, and that's so different than what I'm doing now. I do think it's really one of those schools that trains you how to be an individual that's ready to tackle the worlds in an efficient, thoughtful and ethical manner. And the way in which we do that is, when you come in and you're focusing on the Montserrat program, which was around when I was coming in, you're really learning what those values really mean and thinking about them and thinking how the apply to your life. And even though at that point we may not give it as much thought because we're too cool for school and we're freshman and we're living our best lives, I really do think it resonates with you and it stays with you in a way that is unexpected. And so, I think for me, it clicked when I graduated and everyone had these fancy jobs, and that pressure is unreal.
Kati: It's unimaginable, it's one of those things where you're like, well, I'm not part of Teach For America, I'm not a finance major, I didn't secure a job in December. When I was graduating, it was maybe around April, I was still looking. And I had a couple of feelers out there, but it was tough. That pressure gets you because it's that idea of I need to succeed, and that's when I had to really rely back on the values that I was taught of patience, understanding where I'm going, my purpose, my divine purpose over my life, and what that meant for me, and that comes in different time. So, I graduate, and I'm still waiting for the NFL Network to send me an offer letter. They had verbally committed to me, and verbal means nothing to me, unless it's on paper. I'm like, this is great and all, but hello people, get with the program. I have some move, I live in Boston.
Kati: And so, shortly after that, I just kept my head down and really prayed on it, and really understood that what's for me, no one can really take from you. It ended up coming three days before I was set to start my road trip to Los Angeles. So here I am, this sparky 21 year old who thinks they know all the things in the world, don't know anything besides the core values I was taught here because you learn a lot in school. We learned for four entire years, eight semesters total, that's a long time. But it's almost what you learn outside of those in parallel to that, that really stays with you and gives you real world experience. So I moved, I have $3,000 in my bank account, and I'm like, well, here we go, don't have any other choice but for it to work. And so, I think having that blind faith and understanding and knowing that at the end of the day you want to do good things, and that it's not only for your benefit, but how you're giving to others, going back to being a man and woman for and with others, that's really the key.
Kati: I think that where sometimes people run into hurdles, even when they're very successful, is when it's all about them. And good leadership really stems from serving others, not just serving yourself and benefiting yourself.
Efrain: Yeah. That's powerful. I would say just in general, I think us, students think about that. I think we don't start to realize that, especially when it comes to senior year, a lot of students are just with that pressure. Like I see a lot of these people getting jobs, getting internships and all that, and then I'm just stuck here like, okay, what's going to happen now? What do I do? What's the next step? And I think that's definitely good for just students to know they just got to go with what the world brings to you and go with that. I think that's that's definitely good advice for students here at Holy Cross.
Kati: I do have one question for you. I know that you're really interviewing me, but I think that brings up a really good point of, you're a senior here, and I know you personally really well simply because we got paired together in 2017, and I became your mentor and here I am only two years out of college myself. And so, I'm curious to hear what that pressure and that experience is like, and how one navigates through it. Because I think from an alumna's perspective, I do think it falls on us too to help you get through that and to not only show you that it's okay and those times are exciting, but I'm curious to hear it from you.
Efrain: Definitely. I would say that at first, it's tough just to, again, to see those other students that are in other positions like finance or Teach For America, like you brought up, having those opportunities already out there, or just students in general that are Holy Cross legacy students, and they have something secure, and especially being a first gen student. As first generation student, you don't really have that backup there or someone to guide you through that process. So, that's something that you have to go through on your own. I think personally, on my end, something I was taught here from the beginning was ask questions, reach out to people. The worst thing someone's going to say is no. And at that point, I was like, you know what, I think I just got to reach out to people. I got to talk to people, whenever there's events that all the alum come back, then it's just like, okay, I'm going to go introduce myself, and you never know who you're going to meet in those events.
Efrain: I think just in general, you don't know who you're going to meet, wherever you are. So, you always have to have that mentality of, I'm out here, I'm always trying to advocate for myself, and I think sometimes it might sound a little selfish, but sometimes you do things for other people, but you're also got to focus on stuff that they do for yourself. I think that to navigate that and to navigate all that pressure, that anxiety, it's like, okay, you just got to sit down ... and at Holy Cross, I do a lot of reflection, just got to reflect on where you are at the moment, and where you want to be or where you envision yourself going. I think it's just that moment of stopping yourself, take a step back and just see everything you have in front of you, and like, okay, I'm here at this point, at this moment, so now, I'm like, okay, what do I have to do for myself to get to that next step?
Efrain: I mean, I think it's just that realizing when you got to stop. Because I think Holy Cross, it's always hectic exams, classes and everything, so you're always moving. But I think it's really powerful when you are able to stop yourself, and think, and reflect on what you've done and where you want to go, and I think that's definitely something that is really helpful when it comes to navigating what's going to be the next step.
Kati: Of course. And I'm so thankful that you feel comfortable to share that with me, because that pressure you feel as a senior, it's the pressure we feel in life. I think it's so important to understand how to maintain your peace in the midst of the pressure. And even for me, as a fake adult like I jokingly keep bringing up, that's really challenging, because not only now are you chasing a job, but when you get onto the world, you'll be chasing a promotion, you'll be chasing, maybe in five years or 10 years, maybe chasing your significant other, maybe in 50 years, is chasing your retirement. And it's really, really important to still stay true to the present moment, and it sounds so cliche when it's like, all we have as the present, and truly that really is all you have, and there are so many blessings in the midst of the adversity and in the midst of those moments, where all we're thinking about is forward or not where we have been or even where we currently are.
Kati: I'm really, really proud of you for having the tools already, and understanding what's coming and applying that now because the more you practice it, the better you get at it. Right?
Efrain: Definitely. And I think that's something that I learned here at Holy Cross. I don't think I would have learned that anywhere else. I think at the beginning, I was always saying like, ... my first year, my sophomore year I was always going with everyone, you're coming from LA, I was like, I need to get used to the lifestyle here. But it's like, no, you got to find whatever works for you. I think that's something Holy Cross is really good at, making you realize what works for you, and what works for you probably is not going to work for other people. So, it's like, find your own path to here as well. And then just in general, the alumni community, the connections that we can make here, it's so powerful and then so useful as well. I think Holy Cross alums are always willing to share what they've gone through, willing to help out Holy Cross students as well. I think that's something that, in the student perspective, it's really helpful to have someone or to have people out there that are willing to advocate for you and look up to you.
Kati: Absolutely. And I mean, that just goes to show you the power of the school and the power of our commitment to its mission. Truly, because an alum gave me my first job, I was not qualified to work for the NFL, not at all. I was like, sports? What? Sports. That's about it. And that's all I had to go from there, and so I think that's all of our duty to really present those opportunities for you guys and to show you like, hey, it's not that scary, and while you're at it, enjoy your senior year, take chances, join the activity, talk to the person that you wouldn't expect, because the blessing really is in the relationships.
Efrain: That's true. And like you said, I think that just in general, Holy Cross, we have that out there, and I think from a certain perspective, it's like ... I think the alum are doing their job out there and willing to reach out and come back, and I think it's also our duty to reach out as well. I think it's like, we've got to meet halfway there. It's definitely important for us to do that. Just in general, how do you feel your Holy Cross education influenced the work that you do now? You talked about it, but I don't know if you want to touch on specifics, especially being music, premed, and then doing something completely different when it comes to media.
Kati: Absolutely. It's like I mentioned, you get more than just the education. You get much more than that. You get a community, you get reflecting, you understand what that word means to its core. You don't want to just know how to define it, but you know how to practice it. And so, I think for me, what I gathered from my ... right before I came here, I went to lunch with one of my old professors from here, Professor Beard, who was in the sociology department, and some of these classes I found the most intriguing, were the classes that weren't even in my majors, as dysfunctional as those were. It's even just having the opportunity to take a religion course, to take a medical sociology class, to take a course that's completely different from what you know. And the best way for me to put it together, it's like, he's going to totally kill me for even sharing this story. There was this guy, his name is Nate, and him and I were in the same exact calculus class, freshman year. My freshman year, he was a sophomore. He graduated in the class of 2014, and we had nothing in common.
Kati: You're talking about a girl who was born in the Dominican Republic, first generation in college, he's a white boy from Canada, plays on the baseball team, nothing's overlap besides the fact that we both disliked majorly calculus, but it was a requirement for both of our majors. And so, it goes back to the relationship, we built this great bond, and fast forward to couple ... he graduates, I graduate, we end up in the same exact field, he's working for the MLB as a professional, I'm working at the NFL at the time as a professional. We're meeting up in these different cities, and we're really just encouraging each other, continuing to reinforce the values that we learned, not only here and during our time together, but as we're applying them firsthand in the real world. And just this past year, he ends up launching his own company, getting a ton of success in it, and we ended up going back to the Dominican, and I film a video for him and these MLB players, and that is right there, the power of Holy Cross, right?
Efrain: Yeah, it's amazing.
Kati: That couldn't be said anymore, it's like it's bringing this group of people of almost misfits, like we all fit, but we all don't, everyone's story is slightly different, but we're all here with the same purpose and objective, and we're learning all these things together firsthand. And then, we're then taking that and applying it to maybe the skill, the technical skill we may have learned here, whatever that means, because the world is changing so much, and then applying it into the real world. It's much more than that because you're learning just as much as you learn from me, I learn from you. Just as much as Nate and I learned calculus, I learned about him, I learned about his background, I learned about what makes him think in the way that he does, what makes me think in the way that I do, and both approaches are different and both approaches are okay. And so, those things can be taught in a place, I don't know if I could have gained those same skills at Syracuse, which is my alma mater as well, I got my master's degree there and it was different.
Kati: Just even the way that the campus is structured does not bring that atmosphere or that cohesiveness that the Hill does. It serves this literal location, but it also serves as this very real synergy with everyone that lives in it, and or interacts in it, or has come across it. It touches you in a different way.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. I feel like that story is just amazing just because I think as students, we don't realize the people that we have sitting next to us in class. Sometimes you just go to class, take notes, then come back. It's the same routine every day, but you don't get to meet the people that are sitting few feet across from you or just right there. And I think that's just important to take away, as students and just ... like how we're saying, go out there and interact with these alum, at the same time, you've got to interact with your own peers in the classroom. I don't know, get someone and like, we can grab coffee or something.
Kati: 100%. I think relationships have been lost due to digital, to a certain extent. And I'm a little guilty of it because I work in it, but I know firsthand how it impacts. I have to challenge myself to call my mom instead of text her, because texting might be so much convenient, but talking to her brings me so much more joy. And so with that, it's like we're always the next big thing, we're always doing what's convenient for us at the time without understanding that by bypassing almost those natural rules of relationships, we're doing a disadvantage to ourselves. Who knows? It's easier to talk to the CEO of your company than it probably is to the janitorial staff, but you don't know that person, you don't know their story, you don't know what they're bringing into your life. And in my mind, both hold equal weight. And so, I challenge every student to go out there, to introduced themselves, to do something outside of what their ... to get uncomfortable.
Kati: I thrive in uncomfort, because when you're too comfortable, you're not challenging yourself. Comfort serves as a blanket to you being capped off at your maximum.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely.
Kati: And the education we get challenges us to not only be better for one another and be better to the worlds that we come from, but to be better together. And that part, sometimes it's easy to lose. I got my first internship at a crossroads from a guy at the alumni opposite office who I had talked to twice in my life. I had just happened to be complaining that I couldn't get an internship, and my next job was dependent on me getting this internship. And he was like, "Great, let me connect to you." Power of relationships. And it's not even like, hey, I'm going to get something from this person, it's like, hey, this person took the time to listen to me, they care, they're invested.
Efrain: Yeah. That's true. I think just in general, Holy Cross, I think as students, keeps us in this bubble that we're just always sober, protected from the world and all that stuff. I think it's not until you start to hear these stories that you started to think, there's a lot more out there than just Holy Cross, and then the people that you meet here and things just in general, you need to get out there. And like you said, I think that's a good way to say, just get uncomfortable, do something extra than you would normally do. I think that's definitely something that Holy Cross is good at in ways that .. Yeah, we do have our own community here, but what's next?
Kati: Yeah. And I mean, ask more. It's more than a tagline, it's more than literally asking questions. It's asking more, it's asking beyond the surface. So, if you're applying it to a world scenario where you're in the workspace, it's like, before I can complete a task, I'm asking what the objective is. If you're applying it into a personal relationship scenario, you're asking more. If someone's like, "Hey, I'm good", but their face says differently, am I going to stop a moment there and really ask for more information, or am I going to do what's easy and bypass that, and now I'm maybe late to get coffee, or to catch the train, or to hit my meeting, or to ... I'm literally late to every meeting. It's horrible, truly, don't put this in the podcast because I might get fired, but they know this. I am late to every meeting because I invest full force. I am passionate with default. I like to ask questions, I like to know how people think, I like to know what that means, I like to know why they're thinking about it.
Kati: And oftentimes, sometimes asking for more is seen as a negative or it's seen as asking for more in face value, and it's so much more than that. It became part of our identity right as I was graduating, but it really stayed with me because it was in my core.
Efrain: Yeah. So, how would that translate to the asking more part? How would you say that translates into ... or just in general, that topic, how would that translate into the real world? I think you understand here at Holy Cross, you just dive in general, but when you're in that professional setting, how do you consider using that?
Kati: Absolutely. I mean, one thing for me, and I try to apply it in all of my relationships that I work in personally, I don't ever start tackling a problem or a strategy out of surely what's in my brain. I am asking questions to those around me that are either above me, below me, that are my counterparts, because I need to understand what does this mean in terms of your bandwidth? How is taxing your work load, how is it going to impact if this timeline gets shifted? What's the ripple effect of me having this great idea? So from a work perspective, that's just one scenario. Asking more in terms of a workspace from a relationship standpoint, it's like, work gets hard. You spend more time there than you do in your own house, and that's the reality that all of us are walking into. And how depressing is it, if you go to work and no one even asks you how you're genuinely doing? No one has any interest in how your kids are doing. If you're sick, no one has interest in doing this?
Kati: I like to always joke that I'm not above any job, and I really truly think that because in my mind asking more, is like ... One of my employees this week came up to me was like, "Hey, my dad has prostate cancer, and I still want to be here and support the team." And in that moment it's like, I've asked you how you're doing., you've given me that information, now what do you do with it? What do you do with that information? And for me at that point, it's like, great, see you need to feel it, I'm going to support you, you're going to go take leave. I'm going to step in and do the edit, and that's still my job. And I had already worked a 16 hour day, but that is my to support you, to care for you, to ask, because when you ask, it's that part of, you're asking but you're meeting the need as well. So, that's when asked more and all the other things you've learned at Holy Cross are working together, at Holy Cross and in your household.
Efrain: Yeah. And I think that goes beyond the vision statement of Holy Cross. We have asked more and do more, so I think it goes beyond just the asking part, but actually doing something for-
Kati: It's great to ask questions, what do you do with them? Like if you ask people a bunch of questions about how women's rights may impact X, Y, and Z, and then you're like, okay, great, thank you so much, and you go about your business, that is the worst thing you could do, that's the biggest disservice because now you know better and you're not doing better. We're not doing better. I think that's my biggest thing, I not only challenge my bosses and my superiors, I not only challenge those around me, my family, my significant other, to not only ask, but to do more. Because ultimately, that's the only way that we can make meaningful change in all areas of our lives. Right?
Efrain: Yeah. It's awesome. I love it. What has been the most satisfying or rewarding moment in your work space?
Kati: Can I answer this question badly? I don't know. Is there a right or wrong answer? Let me tell you why I struggle with that.
Efrain: Okay.
Kati: I struggle with that question simply because I don't find joy in accolades, and it's so counterintuitive to what we're trained to think. And so when you say, what's been my greatest, probably experience in any workspace is ... this is going to be so depressing, but here goes nothing. It was probably four months ago when I was moving from Los Angeles to New York, and my two best friends at Hulu were helping me pack my apartment, and in that moment and in this moment, I want to cry just thinking about it, because work had brought me to this place where I had amazing friendships, so I had great girlfriends, I had people that were invested in me so much so that they were pushing me to a place of uncomfort. I'm actually crying about it because it gave me so much joy to know that work is beyond that. And listen, that's not to say that winning 30 for 30, that being top of my class, that getting my master's degree, that succeeding, being a director at a young age does not make me feel joy, but that's surface joy.
Kati: Having people that you know are in your life for life, who are invested in you as people, as a person, and who are invested in your success to the point where they're willing to be sad in a moment, but understand the joy in it as well.
Efrain: Yeah. I think in my perspective as a mentee, I think I look up to you a lot because of everything that you've gone through from DR to coming here, and then from here, just going out there to the other side of the country in LA, and then just everything that you have done, and then now transitioning back to this, after getting used to a lifestyle in the West coast, which I'm familiar with because I'm from LA. But I think just looking at you from that perspective, that role model, and I think I take a lot from you and the work that you do. I'm not sure how not rewarding, satisfying, but in that end, from what I do, I think I try to go about my life and my professional life, the way that you tackle your own stuff, and I think that's definitely something to take away from you. I hope, just saying it directly, I don't think I have directly said it before, but I definitely thank you a lot for everything that you do, all the advice you give me, and especially just in moments that I thought that I was just going through a lot of stuff just in my head.
Efrain: I probably never said anything, but just me in general, I was like, okay, I needed to hear that, or I needed to talk to someone, and you're always there without realizing it. I think that's definitely pushed me into that next step that we're talking about.
Kati: Well, nothing brings me more joy than that, truly. Because I think you're an amazing person, I think that you tackle everything with so much love and grace, and I learned so much from you. And that's really important to me and it's valuable to me, and I really value the relationship we've built with our connections to Holy Cross, because we both have these weird stories that come together in a place that's different, that's beyond the norm, and I'm so proud of you, and I know that you're just going to do so many amazing things, and you already do them on this campus day in and day out. I've seen you do them, I've heard about you doing them, I've read about you doing them, and that's honoring to me.
Efrain: Yeah. No, I appreciate that. I think now it's my duty, I want to continue that change with you. Brian was your mentor, and he was a huge part of your transition, or just your whole life, and then you're a big part of my life, and I think I want to be that person for Holy Cross, or just any ... could be one, could be multiple. But I think it's that sense of that ... Going back to what we were talking about, those connections, those alumni connections. I've talked to your mentor Brian, and I think I want to be that person for Holy Cross, for students that are aspiring to go into the media world. And at Holy Cross, we have no-
Kati: Media world. Sorry.
Efrain: But just be that person for a Holy Cross student, and just continuing that chain. I think we've built something really great here, and I think I want to continue that, and I'm hoping we can work together.
Kati: Absolutely. I mean, it would be my absolute honor to hire you. I'm putting that on paper so we can make sure Brian gives me the headcount. Sends this podcast right to him right after we're done filming. Just send it to him so that he knows now we have to give you a job. But truly, I think it's extremely admirable that you are choosing to take a route that's very inconvenient, unconvenient and different, right? Because it's not like you're going to have to apply to 5,000 jobs, maybe three people will get you back because it's such a saturated industry, and there's the capital that is in Los Angeles, and so that takes a lot of courage. And to see that in you, I feel like it's my mission to bring it out of other students as well, and not even if it's communications, if communication is now your thing, great. I did not think it was my thing personally, I think it chose me, and thankfully it did really quickly, so I wouldn't have to look through 5,000 jobs to figure it out.
Kati: But I encourage people to go after unconventional jobs, to go after the jobs that don't look as attractive on paper, to go after the things that really does spark joy in their life, in their soul, that makes them better, that makes them want to change, that makes them inspired, that makes them a better person, because we need happier people in the world. And happy people are people that are fulfilled, people that have purpose, people that have meaning, people that have a real sense of joy and comfort and understanding their placement in the world. And that doesn't always look like a really attractive package, which is really hard. Because after you open up 13 boxes, you might open 500 boxes, you may go through a bunch of paper, you may go through a bunch of disaster, you may go through a bunch of learnings and lessons. In the end of it, is that gift that's for you. And sometimes we don't find it because it's too hard, it's too many papers, there's too many boxes, there's too many lessons, there's too many learnings, I'm tired, I don't want to do this anymore, I give up, the world is conspiring against me.
Kati: We are empowered people, we are people with great education, we're people with great ethics, we're people with great understanding of how the world's works. And so, what we do with that is ultimately on us.
Efrain: Yeah. That's great. I mean, you talked about this a little as well.
Kati: I talk a lot, I'm sorry.
Efrain: No, no, it's all good.
Kati: There'll be a full bloops part of this podcast, that's just me going off on tangents that completely are inappropriate, and it's fine.
Efrain: There's some great stuff. There's some great stuff. As you we're talking just sharing your knowledge, I think I just go back to my time at Holy Cross, and then just going back from like ... I think if a student hears this, either it's a first year student, sophomore or junior, senior, I think they're in a part in their life that they can connect to it. If it's a first year student, I think it will get them to think, okay, I'm just starting this journey, so what can I do to find those? And then if it's a senior student who's like, I'm pretty much almost out of here, okay, now I need to relax and see where things are going. So, I think everything that you said fits into every year at Holy Cross, every student at Holy Cross, and I think they can take a lot from it.
Kati: I'm glad.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. Again, just going back on my time here, I think here, every year, you can take a lot of different stuff from here.
Kati: Well, listen, I think if I could leave this podcast with anything, it's just be your authentic self, and don't be afraid of what that means to the world, because there's only one you. And only you're crafted with that special potion and solution, and only you understand your gift, and doing the work to really dig into what that is from my young age, really does matter. And it makes a difference in the kind of person that you are in the world. The world is in a very fragile state right now, very fragile state. We have elections coming up, we have figures, both from an entertainment perspective, from a political perspective, from an educational perspective, everyone has an opinion. And if we don't understand how to craft our own through our core values, not through what we're being fed, that's a huge miss, because you're just one more.
Efrain: That's true. Yeah. What advice would you give a Holy Cross student?
Kati: It's a great question, and it goes back to being new, but it also goes back into understanding what that means. I think sometimes we argue so much with ourselves because we want to conform, and conformity is the easy way out. It's almost like picking the career that's like, someone's hitting your job, it's like, hey you, go make $60,000. Don't go and apply to this, that would be easy, and sometimes that comforts our fears, which feels really good in the moment. You're like, okay, now I know I checked this off my list. Let's stop checking things off a list because that list is arbitrary. Who made the list? Who made it? I don't know. No one. It's like a thing that someone said, and then like, well, now we're doing. It's the same thing as weddings, you've won one wedding commercial, and it's the best marketing campaign I've ever seen. Sorry, my sister's getting married next year, she probably hates that I just said that, but it's true. It's like the best packaged dream. It's that, and that's the ripple effect of perceptions.
Kati: So, don't go off any checklists, write your own. Freshman year, come in and be like, what does it mean for me to be here for the next four years? Let's stop thinking about, I'm just working to get a great job, and be a great little door. We need less doors, there's plenty of people that can do. We need more thoughtful thinkers, that's really why we're here. So freshman year is like, what are you coming in to do? What do you want to gain out of, not only this semester, but this year? Let's take it in small pieces, let's stop thinking four years from now, and I have to get a good job to please mom and dad, and to please myself and my social media account because all 500 of my followers want me to be successful. What does that really mean for you? Is it going on the immersion trips and maybe not going to Puerto Rico with your friends to vacation? Is it volunteering once a week? Is it maybe just joining different clubs?
Kati: Is it maybe your white suit, and you're in Atlanta, because you want to know more, and you're interested in maybe working with students five years from now, and that understanding is crucial too because these are your peers and their thoughts matter to you, and their understanding and they were thinking you want to understand. So, what are those things? I encourage everyone to create their own checklist, not to take the arbitrary one that lives Lord knows where, because if I found it, I would rip it up and create our own. That's step one. Step two then is being okay with doing the work. I think sometimes we do so much work with no clear objective. Just like I don't start campaigns without knowing the purpose, I don't start anything else in my personal life without really understanding, why is it that I feel compelled to do this? And sometimes God puts something in your spirit, and he will press you to do it and you don't know why, and then you just almost have to just carry through even though you're uncomfortable.
Kati: And then as a senior, it's really understanding, I'm stepping into the world, and as long as my heart posture is aligned, the world will deliver to me what I deserve and what I put in the work for. No one can take the job that's meant for you, no one can be Efrain. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't be you. So, those competitive natures, those perceptions that are out there, they don't really exist because no one can be you. And as long as you stay true to that, the world will make it happen.
Efrain: Yes, that's great. Students don't know this, they need to hear this. Our students need to hear this. Now going a little more specifically, what advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in media?
Kati: That's a really good question. I think anyone who's interested in pursuing a career in media needs to understand that it is not one of those things ... The media industry is changing as we speak. AR is part of your advertising now on Instagram, no one's watching television on cable as much anymore, there is a shift happening. Understand the media trends and understand that the scary stuff is where the world is heading to. Traditional television is changing, and right now that's amazing for people coming out of college specifically because that means you can literally make up your career, literally. It's crazy. You kids, if you can hear me, you can literally make up your own career, especially in media. If you want to get a word out that, this is your brand or you want to work on brand management, start working on your own personal brand. What does that brand look on social media? Let me go build my own website, let me go do these things. You don't need a big corporation to give you those skills. That is nice for sure, because then you can mess up on other people's money. That is always great. Let me tell you. Sorry, ESPN.
Kati: But it also means that you can still do it on your own, and you could do it now. You don't have to wait to enter the media world in order to do media or to be good at media. If you like making videos, iPhone 11 has a great camera, iPhone 7s have great cameras. Even my grandma has an iPhone 7 at this rate, so it's like, get your iPhone 7, you live on a perfect till, start shooting videos with your friends, put them on Tik Tok. If that's what kids are using, I don't know. I am not cool enough to on Tik Tok as you could clearly tell from this podcast. But that's one thing I would tell students in media, all jokes aside, is that the world in the media landscape is changing exponentially, especially right now. So, those of us that are in it in the next five years are not going to be where we start, are not going to be where Brian and I started, or we even where Brian started before me.
Kati: So, understand what is it in media that interests you? Is it advertising? Is it brand management? Is it television sports, whenever you see a commercial, it brings you joy? Great, let's explore it. Is it making actual video content? Talking to people, talk to people in the industry, cold call people, people love it when you call them. They want to talk about what they do all the time. I love talking about what I do. Who doesn't enjoy that? So call them, don't be afraid to ask, go shadow them because there are so many jobs out there. And there are so many, just even in media that people don't think about it. People normally think I want to be a producer, I want to be an actor, or I want to be a director, and there's more options there. So, explore what those options are, because there might be a kid in finance who may really be good at media, might be a great media buyer, that's a lot of numbers. That is way above my pay grade, way above my job.
Kati: Truly, the moment people start talking budgets, I'm like da da da da da, someone go do this, not my thing at all. So, understanding what the options are within media is step number one, talking to people in that space, step number two. Then number three is simply doing it. Don't wait to do it, you don't need a job to do it. Go do it now, harness those skills so when you go into any interview, you talk to anybody, you can confidently do it. And guess what? Maybe along the way, you even build your own brand because your videos get so great that maybe now these brands are looking for you to replicate that on their platforms. That's the power of the way that the media industry is changing right now.
Efrain: Yeah, that's great. Is there anything that you would to add? I don't know, something specifically that you think you would want to share to ... I think we talked about some good stuff.
Kati: Yeah.
Efrain: Got some good stuff out there.
Kati: No, I think to leave this off, I would encourage everyone to just be a kind person. I think if there's anything to take away from this, be kind and do it now. You, literally got to do it over tomorrow. It's great. It's the easiest thing to do. Even if you failed at it today at one point, you can still do it tomorrow. You can do it in the next hour. Just be a kind person, be invested, ask questions. Don't be afraid to be yourself. I think that's pretty much it. Those are the things I try to live by.
Efrain: That's awesome. Yeah, that's perfectly. And then, I think right now, we're ready for the speed round.
Kati: There's a speed round?
Efrain: Yeah. Ready for the speed round.
Kati: Can I fill out this? I hate not being good at things so ...
Efrain: You'll be good. We can give it a shot.
Kati: All right, let's do it.
Efrain: All right, cool. What was your favorite dorm?
Kati: Carlin.
Efrain: Okay. Favorite meal on campus?
Kati: I truly did not have one. It's sad. I worked a lot while I lived here, and I cook a lot.
Efrain: Or favorite-
Kati: The pizzas are really good though from Crossroads.
Efrain: There you go.
Kati: Those things customize your pizzas kids. But I'll tell you, having to cook for yourself every day is hard. Okay? Stop cooking. If you live in Figge, just use all your dollars. Don't cook, you have a whole lifetime literally to do that.
Efrain: I have a lot of dining dollars, I think this is like-
Kati: Go spend that. Literally that's free money, it does not access outside the world of this.
Efrain: That's true. Yeah. No, I really need it. Or like, okay, listen. Favorite drink, like in Cool Beans.
Kati: Oh man, my mom would be so mad if I don't say the chai tea latte because she was talking about it, and as I was driving here I was like, "Lady, you live in Florida. Why are you obsessed with chai tea lattes here? I don't understand." She's like, "Mail me one." "Ma'am, I'm confused. Mail you what exactly? Cool beans? Chai tea latte? The person that makes them? What are we doing?
Efrain: What are we...
Kati: Yeah.
Efrain: Favorite class.
Kati: Anything that Professor Beard teaches, I want in on.
Efrain: I think it got the next one then, favorite professor.
Kati: Beard. Big time.
Efrain: Favorite memory.
Kati: Living in Figge, I had a lot of fun, and I lived with my best friends in the world. It was great.
Efrain: Best part about being an HC alumni?
Kati: Interacted with other HC alums in different cities. Even if you don't know them, you're automatically like, I have a friend in this random place, and then they'd go and meet up with you, and you're like, why did we never hang out in college? And maybe the world didn't align when we were here, but it totally did in the real world, and it's great. I love it so much.
Efrain: That was it.
Kati: That's it. Awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for having me. Thank you for taking the time to chatting with me.
Efrain: Thank you for coming here and sharing your amazing time with us.
Kati: Happy to, more than happy to.
Maura: That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be men and women for, and with others.
A special thanks to today's guests and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality. If you, or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, please send us an email at [email protected]. If you what you hear, then please leave us a review.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcasts.
I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, and this is Mission- Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, "now go forth and set the world on fire."
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In this episode, Efrain Lozano '19 interviews Kati Fernandez '15 about how the lessons she learned at Holy Cross impact her success in media.
Recorded October 4, 2019
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Transcript:
Kati: I encourage people to go after unconventional jobs, to go after the jobs that don't look as attractive on paper, to go after the things that really do spark joy in their life, in their soul, that makes them better, that makes them want to change, that makes them inspired, that makes them a better person because we need happier people in the world.
Maura: Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. This episode features Kati Fernandez from the class of 2015. Kati currently works as an Associate Director of Content Integration at ESPN Plus, after working as a producer at the NFL Network and Hulu. Her career has progressed quickly, and it wasn't without notice. In 2017, Kati was recognized by El Mundo Boston's Latina 30 under 30 list. Efrain Lozano from the class of 2019 speaks with Kati about what it takes to become a director at a young age. A mentor to Efrain for the past four years, Kati also turns the mic on him to better understand the challenges facing students as they enter today's workforce. Throughout the conversation, Kati discusses how the power of relationships and care for others has contributed to her work ethic and success beyond the hill.
Efrain: Hello, my name is Efrain Lozano. I'm a member of the class of 2019 from LA, and today, I'm here with ...
Kati: Kati Fernandez, from the class of 2015, which sounds insane. My five year reunion is coming up next year.
Efrain: That's insane. That's crazy.
Kati: I'm a real adult. It's does not make sense.
Efrain: We're just going to have some questions just to learn a little more about you, the work that you do and how Holy Cross has influenced you and the real world, what our students are hoping to get at. The first question, just how has Holy Cross' mission or one of the Holy Cross missions influenced your life in general?
Kati: I mean, that's a great question. I think that it does it in a couple of ways. I think one of the biggest things I took out of my four years here was really understanding what it meant to be a man and woman for and with others, and what that means being a real adult, as I joked in the beginning of the podcast, in the world, your social responsibility, what that means in the workplace, in and out of it. And it's also discernment. Once you're out there, it's how are you tackling problems? How are you thinking about them? How are you thinking of solutions? How do you brainstorm around these real world scenarios, and then make a decision based on the values and the core that you know is true to you, and what you've been taught. So, I think that from a work perspective, those are the things I try to bring in day in and day out, is keeping in mind my team, keeping in mind those around me, how I can serve them, how I can be of service to them, no matter what role I'm in, and most of all being conscious and being careful and thoughtful about my responses, my actions, and how that could impact somebody, especially nowaday, where there's so many crazy things happening in the world, I don't take that lightly at all.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. And then, just going back a little, can you talk a little bit about the work that you do currently?
Kati: Yeah, sure thing. I currently work at ESPN Plus on the original content team. There, I am one of the associate directors of content strategy and integration. So, my job really is to focus on how we're envisioning the content to fit into the business needs, and from there, how we then deliver that message to the consumers. So, from inception until production time, I'm really working with a team of development, a team of creative managers, a team of producers that are out in the world executing, making these shows great, and on the back side, I'm thinking about how we're launching this show, what that cadence looks like, what the brand message is, how we're rolling it out on channel, off channel, across a bunch of different verticals, whether it's social media, digital, linear television, paid, the whole 9 yards.
Efrain: Awesome. Just going back on the mission of Holy Cross and how that got you to where you are today, was there a moment that you said, this is my mission. When did you discover that mission that Holy Cross got to be...
Kati: I mean, I think that, when I was a student here, my major was music, and I also studied premed, and that's so different than what I'm doing now. I do think it's really one of those schools that trains you how to be an individual that's ready to tackle the worlds in an efficient, thoughtful and ethical manner. And the way in which we do that is, when you come in and you're focusing on the Montserrat program, which was around when I was coming in, you're really learning what those values really mean and thinking about them and thinking how the apply to your life. And even though at that point we may not give it as much thought because we're too cool for school and we're freshman and we're living our best lives, I really do think it resonates with you and it stays with you in a way that is unexpected. And so, I think for me, it clicked when I graduated and everyone had these fancy jobs, and that pressure is unreal.
Kati: It's unimaginable, it's one of those things where you're like, well, I'm not part of Teach For America, I'm not a finance major, I didn't secure a job in December. When I was graduating, it was maybe around April, I was still looking. And I had a couple of feelers out there, but it was tough. That pressure gets you because it's that idea of I need to succeed, and that's when I had to really rely back on the values that I was taught of patience, understanding where I'm going, my purpose, my divine purpose over my life, and what that meant for me, and that comes in different time. So, I graduate, and I'm still waiting for the NFL Network to send me an offer letter. They had verbally committed to me, and verbal means nothing to me, unless it's on paper. I'm like, this is great and all, but hello people, get with the program. I have some move, I live in Boston.
Kati: And so, shortly after that, I just kept my head down and really prayed on it, and really understood that what's for me, no one can really take from you. It ended up coming three days before I was set to start my road trip to Los Angeles. So here I am, this sparky 21 year old who thinks they know all the things in the world, don't know anything besides the core values I was taught here because you learn a lot in school. We learned for four entire years, eight semesters total, that's a long time. But it's almost what you learn outside of those in parallel to that, that really stays with you and gives you real world experience. So I moved, I have $3,000 in my bank account, and I'm like, well, here we go, don't have any other choice but for it to work. And so, I think having that blind faith and understanding and knowing that at the end of the day you want to do good things, and that it's not only for your benefit, but how you're giving to others, going back to being a man and woman for and with others, that's really the key.
Kati: I think that where sometimes people run into hurdles, even when they're very successful, is when it's all about them. And good leadership really stems from serving others, not just serving yourself and benefiting yourself.
Efrain: Yeah. That's powerful. I would say just in general, I think us, students think about that. I think we don't start to realize that, especially when it comes to senior year, a lot of students are just with that pressure. Like I see a lot of these people getting jobs, getting internships and all that, and then I'm just stuck here like, okay, what's going to happen now? What do I do? What's the next step? And I think that's definitely good for just students to know they just got to go with what the world brings to you and go with that. I think that's that's definitely good advice for students here at Holy Cross.
Kati: I do have one question for you. I know that you're really interviewing me, but I think that brings up a really good point of, you're a senior here, and I know you personally really well simply because we got paired together in 2017, and I became your mentor and here I am only two years out of college myself. And so, I'm curious to hear what that pressure and that experience is like, and how one navigates through it. Because I think from an alumna's perspective, I do think it falls on us too to help you get through that and to not only show you that it's okay and those times are exciting, but I'm curious to hear it from you.
Efrain: Definitely. I would say that at first, it's tough just to, again, to see those other students that are in other positions like finance or Teach For America, like you brought up, having those opportunities already out there, or just students in general that are Holy Cross legacy students, and they have something secure, and especially being a first gen student. As first generation student, you don't really have that backup there or someone to guide you through that process. So, that's something that you have to go through on your own. I think personally, on my end, something I was taught here from the beginning was ask questions, reach out to people. The worst thing someone's going to say is no. And at that point, I was like, you know what, I think I just got to reach out to people. I got to talk to people, whenever there's events that all the alum come back, then it's just like, okay, I'm going to go introduce myself, and you never know who you're going to meet in those events.
Efrain: I think just in general, you don't know who you're going to meet, wherever you are. So, you always have to have that mentality of, I'm out here, I'm always trying to advocate for myself, and I think sometimes it might sound a little selfish, but sometimes you do things for other people, but you're also got to focus on stuff that they do for yourself. I think that to navigate that and to navigate all that pressure, that anxiety, it's like, okay, you just got to sit down ... and at Holy Cross, I do a lot of reflection, just got to reflect on where you are at the moment, and where you want to be or where you envision yourself going. I think it's just that moment of stopping yourself, take a step back and just see everything you have in front of you, and like, okay, I'm here at this point, at this moment, so now, I'm like, okay, what do I have to do for myself to get to that next step?
Efrain: I mean, I think it's just that realizing when you got to stop. Because I think Holy Cross, it's always hectic exams, classes and everything, so you're always moving. But I think it's really powerful when you are able to stop yourself, and think, and reflect on what you've done and where you want to go, and I think that's definitely something that is really helpful when it comes to navigating what's going to be the next step.
Kati: Of course. And I'm so thankful that you feel comfortable to share that with me, because that pressure you feel as a senior, it's the pressure we feel in life. I think it's so important to understand how to maintain your peace in the midst of the pressure. And even for me, as a fake adult like I jokingly keep bringing up, that's really challenging, because not only now are you chasing a job, but when you get onto the world, you'll be chasing a promotion, you'll be chasing, maybe in five years or 10 years, maybe chasing your significant other, maybe in 50 years, is chasing your retirement. And it's really, really important to still stay true to the present moment, and it sounds so cliche when it's like, all we have as the present, and truly that really is all you have, and there are so many blessings in the midst of the adversity and in the midst of those moments, where all we're thinking about is forward or not where we have been or even where we currently are.
Kati: I'm really, really proud of you for having the tools already, and understanding what's coming and applying that now because the more you practice it, the better you get at it. Right?
Efrain: Definitely. And I think that's something that I learned here at Holy Cross. I don't think I would have learned that anywhere else. I think at the beginning, I was always saying like, ... my first year, my sophomore year I was always going with everyone, you're coming from LA, I was like, I need to get used to the lifestyle here. But it's like, no, you got to find whatever works for you. I think that's something Holy Cross is really good at, making you realize what works for you, and what works for you probably is not going to work for other people. So, it's like, find your own path to here as well. And then just in general, the alumni community, the connections that we can make here, it's so powerful and then so useful as well. I think Holy Cross alums are always willing to share what they've gone through, willing to help out Holy Cross students as well. I think that's something that, in the student perspective, it's really helpful to have someone or to have people out there that are willing to advocate for you and look up to you.
Kati: Absolutely. And I mean, that just goes to show you the power of the school and the power of our commitment to its mission. Truly, because an alum gave me my first job, I was not qualified to work for the NFL, not at all. I was like, sports? What? Sports. That's about it. And that's all I had to go from there, and so I think that's all of our duty to really present those opportunities for you guys and to show you like, hey, it's not that scary, and while you're at it, enjoy your senior year, take chances, join the activity, talk to the person that you wouldn't expect, because the blessing really is in the relationships.
Efrain: That's true. And like you said, I think that just in general, Holy Cross, we have that out there, and I think from a certain perspective, it's like ... I think the alum are doing their job out there and willing to reach out and come back, and I think it's also our duty to reach out as well. I think it's like, we've got to meet halfway there. It's definitely important for us to do that. Just in general, how do you feel your Holy Cross education influenced the work that you do now? You talked about it, but I don't know if you want to touch on specifics, especially being music, premed, and then doing something completely different when it comes to media.
Kati: Absolutely. It's like I mentioned, you get more than just the education. You get much more than that. You get a community, you get reflecting, you understand what that word means to its core. You don't want to just know how to define it, but you know how to practice it. And so, I think for me, what I gathered from my ... right before I came here, I went to lunch with one of my old professors from here, Professor Beard, who was in the sociology department, and some of these classes I found the most intriguing, were the classes that weren't even in my majors, as dysfunctional as those were. It's even just having the opportunity to take a religion course, to take a medical sociology class, to take a course that's completely different from what you know. And the best way for me to put it together, it's like, he's going to totally kill me for even sharing this story. There was this guy, his name is Nate, and him and I were in the same exact calculus class, freshman year. My freshman year, he was a sophomore. He graduated in the class of 2014, and we had nothing in common.
Kati: You're talking about a girl who was born in the Dominican Republic, first generation in college, he's a white boy from Canada, plays on the baseball team, nothing's overlap besides the fact that we both disliked majorly calculus, but it was a requirement for both of our majors. And so, it goes back to the relationship, we built this great bond, and fast forward to couple ... he graduates, I graduate, we end up in the same exact field, he's working for the MLB as a professional, I'm working at the NFL at the time as a professional. We're meeting up in these different cities, and we're really just encouraging each other, continuing to reinforce the values that we learned, not only here and during our time together, but as we're applying them firsthand in the real world. And just this past year, he ends up launching his own company, getting a ton of success in it, and we ended up going back to the Dominican, and I film a video for him and these MLB players, and that is right there, the power of Holy Cross, right?
Efrain: Yeah, it's amazing.
Kati: That couldn't be said anymore, it's like it's bringing this group of people of almost misfits, like we all fit, but we all don't, everyone's story is slightly different, but we're all here with the same purpose and objective, and we're learning all these things together firsthand. And then, we're then taking that and applying it to maybe the skill, the technical skill we may have learned here, whatever that means, because the world is changing so much, and then applying it into the real world. It's much more than that because you're learning just as much as you learn from me, I learn from you. Just as much as Nate and I learned calculus, I learned about him, I learned about his background, I learned about what makes him think in the way that he does, what makes me think in the way that I do, and both approaches are different and both approaches are okay. And so, those things can be taught in a place, I don't know if I could have gained those same skills at Syracuse, which is my alma mater as well, I got my master's degree there and it was different.
Kati: Just even the way that the campus is structured does not bring that atmosphere or that cohesiveness that the Hill does. It serves this literal location, but it also serves as this very real synergy with everyone that lives in it, and or interacts in it, or has come across it. It touches you in a different way.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. I feel like that story is just amazing just because I think as students, we don't realize the people that we have sitting next to us in class. Sometimes you just go to class, take notes, then come back. It's the same routine every day, but you don't get to meet the people that are sitting few feet across from you or just right there. And I think that's just important to take away, as students and just ... like how we're saying, go out there and interact with these alum, at the same time, you've got to interact with your own peers in the classroom. I don't know, get someone and like, we can grab coffee or something.
Kati: 100%. I think relationships have been lost due to digital, to a certain extent. And I'm a little guilty of it because I work in it, but I know firsthand how it impacts. I have to challenge myself to call my mom instead of text her, because texting might be so much convenient, but talking to her brings me so much more joy. And so with that, it's like we're always the next big thing, we're always doing what's convenient for us at the time without understanding that by bypassing almost those natural rules of relationships, we're doing a disadvantage to ourselves. Who knows? It's easier to talk to the CEO of your company than it probably is to the janitorial staff, but you don't know that person, you don't know their story, you don't know what they're bringing into your life. And in my mind, both hold equal weight. And so, I challenge every student to go out there, to introduced themselves, to do something outside of what their ... to get uncomfortable.
Kati: I thrive in uncomfort, because when you're too comfortable, you're not challenging yourself. Comfort serves as a blanket to you being capped off at your maximum.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely.
Kati: And the education we get challenges us to not only be better for one another and be better to the worlds that we come from, but to be better together. And that part, sometimes it's easy to lose. I got my first internship at a crossroads from a guy at the alumni opposite office who I had talked to twice in my life. I had just happened to be complaining that I couldn't get an internship, and my next job was dependent on me getting this internship. And he was like, "Great, let me connect to you." Power of relationships. And it's not even like, hey, I'm going to get something from this person, it's like, hey, this person took the time to listen to me, they care, they're invested.
Efrain: Yeah. That's true. I think just in general, Holy Cross, I think as students, keeps us in this bubble that we're just always sober, protected from the world and all that stuff. I think it's not until you start to hear these stories that you started to think, there's a lot more out there than just Holy Cross, and then the people that you meet here and things just in general, you need to get out there. And like you said, I think that's a good way to say, just get uncomfortable, do something extra than you would normally do. I think that's definitely something that Holy Cross is good at in ways that .. Yeah, we do have our own community here, but what's next?
Kati: Yeah. And I mean, ask more. It's more than a tagline, it's more than literally asking questions. It's asking more, it's asking beyond the surface. So, if you're applying it to a world scenario where you're in the workspace, it's like, before I can complete a task, I'm asking what the objective is. If you're applying it into a personal relationship scenario, you're asking more. If someone's like, "Hey, I'm good", but their face says differently, am I going to stop a moment there and really ask for more information, or am I going to do what's easy and bypass that, and now I'm maybe late to get coffee, or to catch the train, or to hit my meeting, or to ... I'm literally late to every meeting. It's horrible, truly, don't put this in the podcast because I might get fired, but they know this. I am late to every meeting because I invest full force. I am passionate with default. I like to ask questions, I like to know how people think, I like to know what that means, I like to know why they're thinking about it.
Kati: And oftentimes, sometimes asking for more is seen as a negative or it's seen as asking for more in face value, and it's so much more than that. It became part of our identity right as I was graduating, but it really stayed with me because it was in my core.
Efrain: Yeah. So, how would that translate to the asking more part? How would you say that translates into ... or just in general, that topic, how would that translate into the real world? I think you understand here at Holy Cross, you just dive in general, but when you're in that professional setting, how do you consider using that?
Kati: Absolutely. I mean, one thing for me, and I try to apply it in all of my relationships that I work in personally, I don't ever start tackling a problem or a strategy out of surely what's in my brain. I am asking questions to those around me that are either above me, below me, that are my counterparts, because I need to understand what does this mean in terms of your bandwidth? How is taxing your work load, how is it going to impact if this timeline gets shifted? What's the ripple effect of me having this great idea? So from a work perspective, that's just one scenario. Asking more in terms of a workspace from a relationship standpoint, it's like, work gets hard. You spend more time there than you do in your own house, and that's the reality that all of us are walking into. And how depressing is it, if you go to work and no one even asks you how you're genuinely doing? No one has any interest in how your kids are doing. If you're sick, no one has interest in doing this?
Kati: I like to always joke that I'm not above any job, and I really truly think that because in my mind asking more, is like ... One of my employees this week came up to me was like, "Hey, my dad has prostate cancer, and I still want to be here and support the team." And in that moment it's like, I've asked you how you're doing., you've given me that information, now what do you do with it? What do you do with that information? And for me at that point, it's like, great, see you need to feel it, I'm going to support you, you're going to go take leave. I'm going to step in and do the edit, and that's still my job. And I had already worked a 16 hour day, but that is my to support you, to care for you, to ask, because when you ask, it's that part of, you're asking but you're meeting the need as well. So, that's when asked more and all the other things you've learned at Holy Cross are working together, at Holy Cross and in your household.
Efrain: Yeah. And I think that goes beyond the vision statement of Holy Cross. We have asked more and do more, so I think it goes beyond just the asking part, but actually doing something for-
Kati: It's great to ask questions, what do you do with them? Like if you ask people a bunch of questions about how women's rights may impact X, Y, and Z, and then you're like, okay, great, thank you so much, and you go about your business, that is the worst thing you could do, that's the biggest disservice because now you know better and you're not doing better. We're not doing better. I think that's my biggest thing, I not only challenge my bosses and my superiors, I not only challenge those around me, my family, my significant other, to not only ask, but to do more. Because ultimately, that's the only way that we can make meaningful change in all areas of our lives. Right?
Efrain: Yeah. It's awesome. I love it. What has been the most satisfying or rewarding moment in your work space?
Kati: Can I answer this question badly? I don't know. Is there a right or wrong answer? Let me tell you why I struggle with that.
Efrain: Okay.
Kati: I struggle with that question simply because I don't find joy in accolades, and it's so counterintuitive to what we're trained to think. And so when you say, what's been my greatest, probably experience in any workspace is ... this is going to be so depressing, but here goes nothing. It was probably four months ago when I was moving from Los Angeles to New York, and my two best friends at Hulu were helping me pack my apartment, and in that moment and in this moment, I want to cry just thinking about it, because work had brought me to this place where I had amazing friendships, so I had great girlfriends, I had people that were invested in me so much so that they were pushing me to a place of uncomfort. I'm actually crying about it because it gave me so much joy to know that work is beyond that. And listen, that's not to say that winning 30 for 30, that being top of my class, that getting my master's degree, that succeeding, being a director at a young age does not make me feel joy, but that's surface joy.
Kati: Having people that you know are in your life for life, who are invested in you as people, as a person, and who are invested in your success to the point where they're willing to be sad in a moment, but understand the joy in it as well.
Efrain: Yeah. I think in my perspective as a mentee, I think I look up to you a lot because of everything that you've gone through from DR to coming here, and then from here, just going out there to the other side of the country in LA, and then just everything that you have done, and then now transitioning back to this, after getting used to a lifestyle in the West coast, which I'm familiar with because I'm from LA. But I think just looking at you from that perspective, that role model, and I think I take a lot from you and the work that you do. I'm not sure how not rewarding, satisfying, but in that end, from what I do, I think I try to go about my life and my professional life, the way that you tackle your own stuff, and I think that's definitely something to take away from you. I hope, just saying it directly, I don't think I have directly said it before, but I definitely thank you a lot for everything that you do, all the advice you give me, and especially just in moments that I thought that I was just going through a lot of stuff just in my head.
Efrain: I probably never said anything, but just me in general, I was like, okay, I needed to hear that, or I needed to talk to someone, and you're always there without realizing it. I think that's definitely pushed me into that next step that we're talking about.
Kati: Well, nothing brings me more joy than that, truly. Because I think you're an amazing person, I think that you tackle everything with so much love and grace, and I learned so much from you. And that's really important to me and it's valuable to me, and I really value the relationship we've built with our connections to Holy Cross, because we both have these weird stories that come together in a place that's different, that's beyond the norm, and I'm so proud of you, and I know that you're just going to do so many amazing things, and you already do them on this campus day in and day out. I've seen you do them, I've heard about you doing them, I've read about you doing them, and that's honoring to me.
Efrain: Yeah. No, I appreciate that. I think now it's my duty, I want to continue that change with you. Brian was your mentor, and he was a huge part of your transition, or just your whole life, and then you're a big part of my life, and I think I want to be that person for Holy Cross, or just any ... could be one, could be multiple. But I think it's that sense of that ... Going back to what we were talking about, those connections, those alumni connections. I've talked to your mentor Brian, and I think I want to be that person for Holy Cross, for students that are aspiring to go into the media world. And at Holy Cross, we have no-
Kati: Media world. Sorry.
Efrain: But just be that person for a Holy Cross student, and just continuing that chain. I think we've built something really great here, and I think I want to continue that, and I'm hoping we can work together.
Kati: Absolutely. I mean, it would be my absolute honor to hire you. I'm putting that on paper so we can make sure Brian gives me the headcount. Sends this podcast right to him right after we're done filming. Just send it to him so that he knows now we have to give you a job. But truly, I think it's extremely admirable that you are choosing to take a route that's very inconvenient, unconvenient and different, right? Because it's not like you're going to have to apply to 5,000 jobs, maybe three people will get you back because it's such a saturated industry, and there's the capital that is in Los Angeles, and so that takes a lot of courage. And to see that in you, I feel like it's my mission to bring it out of other students as well, and not even if it's communications, if communication is now your thing, great. I did not think it was my thing personally, I think it chose me, and thankfully it did really quickly, so I wouldn't have to look through 5,000 jobs to figure it out.
Kati: But I encourage people to go after unconventional jobs, to go after the jobs that don't look as attractive on paper, to go after the things that really does spark joy in their life, in their soul, that makes them better, that makes them want to change, that makes them inspired, that makes them a better person, because we need happier people in the world. And happy people are people that are fulfilled, people that have purpose, people that have meaning, people that have a real sense of joy and comfort and understanding their placement in the world. And that doesn't always look like a really attractive package, which is really hard. Because after you open up 13 boxes, you might open 500 boxes, you may go through a bunch of paper, you may go through a bunch of disaster, you may go through a bunch of learnings and lessons. In the end of it, is that gift that's for you. And sometimes we don't find it because it's too hard, it's too many papers, there's too many boxes, there's too many lessons, there's too many learnings, I'm tired, I don't want to do this anymore, I give up, the world is conspiring against me.
Kati: We are empowered people, we are people with great education, we're people with great ethics, we're people with great understanding of how the world's works. And so, what we do with that is ultimately on us.
Efrain: Yeah. That's great. I mean, you talked about this a little as well.
Kati: I talk a lot, I'm sorry.
Efrain: No, no, it's all good.
Kati: There'll be a full bloops part of this podcast, that's just me going off on tangents that completely are inappropriate, and it's fine.
Efrain: There's some great stuff. There's some great stuff. As you we're talking just sharing your knowledge, I think I just go back to my time at Holy Cross, and then just going back from like ... I think if a student hears this, either it's a first year student, sophomore or junior, senior, I think they're in a part in their life that they can connect to it. If it's a first year student, I think it will get them to think, okay, I'm just starting this journey, so what can I do to find those? And then if it's a senior student who's like, I'm pretty much almost out of here, okay, now I need to relax and see where things are going. So, I think everything that you said fits into every year at Holy Cross, every student at Holy Cross, and I think they can take a lot from it.
Kati: I'm glad.
Efrain: Yeah, definitely. Again, just going back on my time here, I think here, every year, you can take a lot of different stuff from here.
Kati: Well, listen, I think if I could leave this podcast with anything, it's just be your authentic self, and don't be afraid of what that means to the world, because there's only one you. And only you're crafted with that special potion and solution, and only you understand your gift, and doing the work to really dig into what that is from my young age, really does matter. And it makes a difference in the kind of person that you are in the world. The world is in a very fragile state right now, very fragile state. We have elections coming up, we have figures, both from an entertainment perspective, from a political perspective, from an educational perspective, everyone has an opinion. And if we don't understand how to craft our own through our core values, not through what we're being fed, that's a huge miss, because you're just one more.
Efrain: That's true. Yeah. What advice would you give a Holy Cross student?
Kati: It's a great question, and it goes back to being new, but it also goes back into understanding what that means. I think sometimes we argue so much with ourselves because we want to conform, and conformity is the easy way out. It's almost like picking the career that's like, someone's hitting your job, it's like, hey you, go make $60,000. Don't go and apply to this, that would be easy, and sometimes that comforts our fears, which feels really good in the moment. You're like, okay, now I know I checked this off my list. Let's stop checking things off a list because that list is arbitrary. Who made the list? Who made it? I don't know. No one. It's like a thing that someone said, and then like, well, now we're doing. It's the same thing as weddings, you've won one wedding commercial, and it's the best marketing campaign I've ever seen. Sorry, my sister's getting married next year, she probably hates that I just said that, but it's true. It's like the best packaged dream. It's that, and that's the ripple effect of perceptions.
Kati: So, don't go off any checklists, write your own. Freshman year, come in and be like, what does it mean for me to be here for the next four years? Let's stop thinking about, I'm just working to get a great job, and be a great little door. We need less doors, there's plenty of people that can do. We need more thoughtful thinkers, that's really why we're here. So freshman year is like, what are you coming in to do? What do you want to gain out of, not only this semester, but this year? Let's take it in small pieces, let's stop thinking four years from now, and I have to get a good job to please mom and dad, and to please myself and my social media account because all 500 of my followers want me to be successful. What does that really mean for you? Is it going on the immersion trips and maybe not going to Puerto Rico with your friends to vacation? Is it volunteering once a week? Is it maybe just joining different clubs?
Kati: Is it maybe your white suit, and you're in Atlanta, because you want to know more, and you're interested in maybe working with students five years from now, and that understanding is crucial too because these are your peers and their thoughts matter to you, and their understanding and they were thinking you want to understand. So, what are those things? I encourage everyone to create their own checklist, not to take the arbitrary one that lives Lord knows where, because if I found it, I would rip it up and create our own. That's step one. Step two then is being okay with doing the work. I think sometimes we do so much work with no clear objective. Just like I don't start campaigns without knowing the purpose, I don't start anything else in my personal life without really understanding, why is it that I feel compelled to do this? And sometimes God puts something in your spirit, and he will press you to do it and you don't know why, and then you just almost have to just carry through even though you're uncomfortable.
Kati: And then as a senior, it's really understanding, I'm stepping into the world, and as long as my heart posture is aligned, the world will deliver to me what I deserve and what I put in the work for. No one can take the job that's meant for you, no one can be Efrain. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't be you. So, those competitive natures, those perceptions that are out there, they don't really exist because no one can be you. And as long as you stay true to that, the world will make it happen.
Efrain: Yes, that's great. Students don't know this, they need to hear this. Our students need to hear this. Now going a little more specifically, what advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in media?
Kati: That's a really good question. I think anyone who's interested in pursuing a career in media needs to understand that it is not one of those things ... The media industry is changing as we speak. AR is part of your advertising now on Instagram, no one's watching television on cable as much anymore, there is a shift happening. Understand the media trends and understand that the scary stuff is where the world is heading to. Traditional television is changing, and right now that's amazing for people coming out of college specifically because that means you can literally make up your career, literally. It's crazy. You kids, if you can hear me, you can literally make up your own career, especially in media. If you want to get a word out that, this is your brand or you want to work on brand management, start working on your own personal brand. What does that brand look on social media? Let me go build my own website, let me go do these things. You don't need a big corporation to give you those skills. That is nice for sure, because then you can mess up on other people's money. That is always great. Let me tell you. Sorry, ESPN.
Kati: But it also means that you can still do it on your own, and you could do it now. You don't have to wait to enter the media world in order to do media or to be good at media. If you like making videos, iPhone 11 has a great camera, iPhone 7s have great cameras. Even my grandma has an iPhone 7 at this rate, so it's like, get your iPhone 7, you live on a perfect till, start shooting videos with your friends, put them on Tik Tok. If that's what kids are using, I don't know. I am not cool enough to on Tik Tok as you could clearly tell from this podcast. But that's one thing I would tell students in media, all jokes aside, is that the world in the media landscape is changing exponentially, especially right now. So, those of us that are in it in the next five years are not going to be where we start, are not going to be where Brian and I started, or we even where Brian started before me.
Kati: So, understand what is it in media that interests you? Is it advertising? Is it brand management? Is it television sports, whenever you see a commercial, it brings you joy? Great, let's explore it. Is it making actual video content? Talking to people, talk to people in the industry, cold call people, people love it when you call them. They want to talk about what they do all the time. I love talking about what I do. Who doesn't enjoy that? So call them, don't be afraid to ask, go shadow them because there are so many jobs out there. And there are so many, just even in media that people don't think about it. People normally think I want to be a producer, I want to be an actor, or I want to be a director, and there's more options there. So, explore what those options are, because there might be a kid in finance who may really be good at media, might be a great media buyer, that's a lot of numbers. That is way above my pay grade, way above my job.
Kati: Truly, the moment people start talking budgets, I'm like da da da da da, someone go do this, not my thing at all. So, understanding what the options are within media is step number one, talking to people in that space, step number two. Then number three is simply doing it. Don't wait to do it, you don't need a job to do it. Go do it now, harness those skills so when you go into any interview, you talk to anybody, you can confidently do it. And guess what? Maybe along the way, you even build your own brand because your videos get so great that maybe now these brands are looking for you to replicate that on their platforms. That's the power of the way that the media industry is changing right now.
Efrain: Yeah, that's great. Is there anything that you would to add? I don't know, something specifically that you think you would want to share to ... I think we talked about some good stuff.
Kati: Yeah.
Efrain: Got some good stuff out there.
Kati: No, I think to leave this off, I would encourage everyone to just be a kind person. I think if there's anything to take away from this, be kind and do it now. You, literally got to do it over tomorrow. It's great. It's the easiest thing to do. Even if you failed at it today at one point, you can still do it tomorrow. You can do it in the next hour. Just be a kind person, be invested, ask questions. Don't be afraid to be yourself. I think that's pretty much it. Those are the things I try to live by.
Efrain: That's awesome. Yeah, that's perfectly. And then, I think right now, we're ready for the speed round.
Kati: There's a speed round?
Efrain: Yeah. Ready for the speed round.
Kati: Can I fill out this? I hate not being good at things so ...
Efrain: You'll be good. We can give it a shot.
Kati: All right, let's do it.
Efrain: All right, cool. What was your favorite dorm?
Kati: Carlin.
Efrain: Okay. Favorite meal on campus?
Kati: I truly did not have one. It's sad. I worked a lot while I lived here, and I cook a lot.
Efrain: Or favorite-
Kati: The pizzas are really good though from Crossroads.
Efrain: There you go.
Kati: Those things customize your pizzas kids. But I'll tell you, having to cook for yourself every day is hard. Okay? Stop cooking. If you live in Figge, just use all your dollars. Don't cook, you have a whole lifetime literally to do that.
Efrain: I have a lot of dining dollars, I think this is like-
Kati: Go spend that. Literally that's free money, it does not access outside the world of this.
Efrain: That's true. Yeah. No, I really need it. Or like, okay, listen. Favorite drink, like in Cool Beans.
Kati: Oh man, my mom would be so mad if I don't say the chai tea latte because she was talking about it, and as I was driving here I was like, "Lady, you live in Florida. Why are you obsessed with chai tea lattes here? I don't understand." She's like, "Mail me one." "Ma'am, I'm confused. Mail you what exactly? Cool beans? Chai tea latte? The person that makes them? What are we doing?
Efrain: What are we...
Kati: Yeah.
Efrain: Favorite class.
Kati: Anything that Professor Beard teaches, I want in on.
Efrain: I think it got the next one then, favorite professor.
Kati: Beard. Big time.
Efrain: Favorite memory.
Kati: Living in Figge, I had a lot of fun, and I lived with my best friends in the world. It was great.
Efrain: Best part about being an HC alumni?
Kati: Interacted with other HC alums in different cities. Even if you don't know them, you're automatically like, I have a friend in this random place, and then they'd go and meet up with you, and you're like, why did we never hang out in college? And maybe the world didn't align when we were here, but it totally did in the real world, and it's great. I love it so much.
Efrain: That was it.
Kati: That's it. Awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for having me. Thank you for taking the time to chatting with me.
Efrain: Thank you for coming here and sharing your amazing time with us.
Kati: Happy to, more than happy to.
Maura: That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be men and women for, and with others.
A special thanks to today's guests and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality. If you, or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, please send us an email at [email protected]. If you what you hear, then please leave us a review.
This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcasts.
I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, and this is Mission- Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, "now go forth and set the world on fire."
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