What Every Mother Should Teach Her Daughter About Breast Cancer
08/03/2015 03:14am | 7259 viewsGrowing up in a Hispanic household, my family was very modest. Nudity in any form was not accepted behavior. (I won’t even begin to get into the topic of walking barefoot). We never walked around the house without clothes in front of each other. That was completely a taboo. I remember taking showers with my best friend, Frances, when we were 7 and wearing swimsuits in the tub. Even as a young child of 3, at the beach I was never allowed to run around nude or without a top. Breasts were something we never talked about. They were something that needed to be covered up at all times no matter how old you were.
Five Ways to Make Your Mark in the Workplace: Show Them What You’ve Got
11/05/2015 10:22am | 7919 viewsI never thought I would have missed it, but on my first day at my new job, the beauty of wood-trimmed cubicle walls, the luminous fluorescent lights hanging overhead, and the feel of high pile carpet underneath my high heels was a sight for sore eyes. As I strolled down the hallway towards my new office, lyrics to a song bounced in my head, It’s a new dawn, it’s new a day, it’s new life for me, and I’m feeling good.
The Enigmatic “It” Factor: We All Got It, So Sell It
15/05/2015 11:31am | 7531 viewsIn my professional career, I have always been the type of person who worked diligently, produced good work, and excelled in my roles. I always assumed that by doing a great job I would automatically be rewarded, promoted, and given that coveted pat on the back. After all, weren’t we always taught – especially women – that good things come to those who wait? So why was it that individuals in the workplace, who were inept and inefficient at their jobs, somehow move up the corporate ladder and succeed time and time again? Believe me, I have experienced my share of this and have always had the same question pinging in my head. Does the leadership not see what seems so clear to me?
5 New Year Career Resolutions: What’s Your Roadmap?
02/02/2016 05:20pm | 7508 viewsArmed with my bachelor's of science in Journalism, I have navigated through nine job moves, 15 bosses, and a plethora of business colleagues that have shaped who I am professionally today. Incredibly, this year marks 20 years since I graduated from college, and I still have a lot to learn.
Top 8 Simple Must Do’s for Media Interviews: It’s Your 15 Minutes of Fame, So Make It Count
29/05/2015 10:39am | 7229 viewsYou could say it was my 15 minutes of fame back in 1997 when I stood on the front steps of the Miami Beach Police Department shielding my eyes from the South Florida sun as I stared into the lens of a TV camera. I had a plastic device nestled into my ear with a live feed from news anchors in Atlanta who quickly rattled out questions about the unfolding high-profile serial killer saga involving the murder of Italian designer Gianni Versace on the steps of his Ocean Drive mansion.
About the Author
A seasoned corporate communications, PR, public affairs, marketing, and media relations professional with experience working with domestic and international non-profit and for-profit organizations and companies, Marisa has effectively developed, led, and executed strategic communications and relationship-building initiatives over the past 18 years.
A journalist by trade, she launched her career as the only
bilingual journalist at People Magazine
and People En Español in the Miami
Bureau in 1995.
In 2000, the University of Florida Journalism School graduate joined an Atlanta market research firm specializing in providing consulting services to non-profits and later worked for an international orphan advocacy group where she and other staff members met with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the basic right of a child, without parents, to have a permanent home.
In 2005, she continued honing her communications expertise by serving as the national media spokesperson and trade association member liaison to the $4.6 billion-dollar global infant formula industry. In addition to leveraging relationships with print and online media outlets, Marisa led outreach initiatives to form alliances with medical and healthcare groups and gained a penchant for navigating politically sensitive issues and advocating on public policy positions.
Spearheading Hispanic marketing and outreach efforts for a national financial services agency in 2010, Marisa developed national, regional, and local corporate and non-profit partnerships that increased the organization's visibility across the country as well as leveraged relationships with Spanish-language media outlets to garner additional exposure for the organization.
In her last position, Marisa was part of the corporate communications department at UPS headquarters where she worked in collaboration with the internal team to inform, engage, and empower the company's 400,000 employees across 220 countries regarding key internal and external initiatives and programs.
Born to Cuban immigrants, Marisa has always valued her Hispanic heritage, culture, and Spanish language as well as been active in the Hispanic community. In August 2012, she was selected to serve as the President of the Center for Hispanic Leadership's inaugural Atlanta chapter with a focus on providing culturally-relevant educational online and onsite training to help Latino professionals lead in the workplace and advance in their careers.
Marisa serves on several boards in the Atlanta area, where she lives with her husband and two children, including: Emory Goizueta School of Business Hispanic Recruiting Advisory Board of Directors, the International Charter School of Atlanta, and the Childcare Congo Foundation. She is also member of the National Association of Professional Women, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.