Our premiere soon-to-be-weekly "Totally Relevant" post is dedicated Editor-Extraordinaire, Mimi Valdes Ryan. In her newest role as Editor-In-Chief of Latina magazine, Mimi Valdes Ryan has 15 years in the magazine biz and to this day is continuing to make giant leaps forward. Most of her career was spent at Vibe magazine, where she got her start as an Editorial Assistant. She also held posts at Hola Recordings and The Source (Booo! at The Source...sorry) but Vibe was home until her departure in 2006. Now, Valdes Ryan reigns as Editor of Latina magazine, which makes for an exciting time...not only for Latina mag and the magazine publishing industry as a whole, but also for all mag-addicted fashionistas around the world! But, of course!
A little about Mimi VR in her own words:
I graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism. I've loved magazines since I was a little girl and I desperately wanted to work at one. College gave me a great foundation for my craft and it helped discipline me for the real world. Whenever I was in classes that seemed useless for my career, I just reminded myself that if I could get good grades in subjects I wasn’t interested in, I could handle anything! It’s not easy to study things you don’t like, but if you can train yourself to concentrate and still do well, it will prepare you for life’s harder challenges.
Here's Mimi Valdes (Not yet Valdes Ryan) back in the day. RockStar!
Advice from Mimi VR about pursuing your dream:
Do your research! Too many people don’t do their homework about their career goals. If you want to work in magazines, make sure you learn everything you can about them. If a singing career is your dream, then make sure you learn the business side of things too. Believe me, most people fail because they weren’t prepared!
If you’re always comfortable, never pushing yourself, then you might as well be dead! No matter your age, you’re constantly learning who you are. New experiences may help shape you in ways you never thought were possible. The trick is to become comfortable with the fact that you’re always evolving and that you will make mistakes. No one’s perfect, and that’s part of what makes life fun.
We love smart, savvy women who pioneer moves so that others have a path to follow-- and Mimi Valdes Ryan is definitely on that list. Keep on Rockin' Mimi! We're right behind you!
Article in the Trunk:
http://www.magazine.org/diversity/ongoing_programs_and_initiatives/23791.aspx (Mimi Vales Ryan/ Latina magazine)
Mimi's quotes: http://chilosagirl.blogspot.com/2008/05/prima-j-talk-to-mimi-valdez-of-latina.html
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