Hello Dre Goldi, tell us about your journey and how you became who you are today?
I am 21 years old now and have just graduated college. This is to put into perspective where the journey begins and where I am now. I started posting on social media avidly during my first year of high school. This, to me, was before the concept of an influencer was a thing. At this point, I was forming an aesthetic and capturing an audience through my different looks and some lip-syncing videos. Yes, the thought of it makes me cringe a bit now, but I love that young aspect of me that truly did not care- I feel like I am now getting back to that. At this time, I began to work with my first social media-based brand (shout out @sunglassspot). I was doing in-house modeling at their studio, and also promoted their sunglasses on my Instagram account. This led other brands to contact me, send me things for free, and pay me to post their products. As I got to my later years in high school, I did my best with what I could. My mom was always skeptical about me doing photoshoots and working with photographers, so it was not until I left for college that I was able to expand my horizons.
How did you continue to build your platform through college?
I continued to build my platform through modeling, connecting with other creatives, and connecting with my audience as many people would seek me for advice. The summer going into my junior year of college is when my platform had unforeseen abrupt growth. This was because of a newfound relationship I was in. I started doing youtube at this point and the platform continued to grow. It all happened very fast, and looking back I feel like I never tried to grow any platform, it just all kind of happened. I even corrected people when they would call me an "influencer" because I did not see myself that way- not that it was a bad thing, but I just did not want to exist within a title or a box.
What did you learn from your public relationship and the abrupt growth?
That public relationship taught me a lot, to say the least. It was beautiful at first, but I never knew all it could come with. I experienced a mental decline after the break-up and if I'm being honest, I did not know how to manage this newfound audience. After some time and reflection, I realized that all of the chaos led me to clarity. I learned how to navigate something new, and realized that all I went through would be an incredibly valuable part of my story. The last year of college was very busy, so now I am in a place where I am learning how to communicate all that I went through so other young girls could learn from me. I would say I am currently at a pivotal point of my social media journey where I feel so much clarity. The main goals are to inspire other people to share their stories, to find value and introspection in all they have gone through, and to embrace that every part of their journey is too important to their development. Those times and parts of ourselves that have not been so enjoyable are clear indicators that help us evolve into who we want to be. This is why I love every part of myself now. Every situation, person, and time I took to reflect made me into who I am today.
What inspired you to become an influencer?
This was genuinely something that fell on my lap and I did not plan for. Although I can say as I recognized this to be my job and I embraced the title, what kept me going was this saying, "I am myself for a living." I also began to recognize the power of a platform as I connected with people all around the world. I was able to give book recommendations, share my unique perspective, and learn from others in the same breath. I saw that I could spread the ideologies that have helped me get through really tough times in the hopes that it could help someone else, and lead to a shift of vibrations. Although it can sometimes be mentally taxing, I use this feeling to find solutions to this feeling and take a deep look into myself.
What message do you want to leave people with when it’s all said and done? What do you want people to remember you for?
I want people to know of their immense power. I want people to know that manifestation is real, and that it is worth a shot to try to shift our minds. I want people to be less critical of themselves and others. I want people to forgive themselves and others, so they could live a less burdensome life. I want people to see that there is no such thing as a life better than theirs because we are all fighting different battles. I want people to see that these perceived battles are only here to help us get to the next level, but it does require doing the work. A big side of social media is seeing an overly curated, perfect life but we have got to the point where we know this is not realistic. I want people to remember that there are so many sides of social media, there is a niche for everything. With that being said, for every negative, scary, and fake thing people see- there is an equal but opposite side. Social media can be damaging if you see it this way, but it is also another place where you can be yourself and get creative with your outward expression. It is a place we can use to inspire others or even use it as our own creative scrapbook for ourselves. When people see me, I want them to remember the endless possibilities this life has to offer when you shift your perspective, complain less, and give thanks more. Lastly, I want to include that I am first gen Mexican-American. This to me has meant coming from a family who may not understand social media, so when they see you doing you- you will be subject to criticism. This has been one of my toughest challenges. Although I push through and post what I want most of the time, I can be slightly fearful if I am doing something more on the edgy side. So when you see my posts, I want you to remember I had to push through the criticism every time and learn to not make myself smaller for others' comfort.
What have you learned about yourself since you became an influencer?
1. I can be myself for a living.
2. I can not please everyone.
3. There is a niche for everything, there is a place for everyone in this realm- you just have to let them find you.
4. Consistency is key, but I am also deserving of a. I can always come back!
5. I should never tone myself down to make others feel more comfortable.
6. It is so easy to feel like I could have done better with everything I did, but it takes more strength to accept myself as I am and for what I have done. If I want to grow and be better next time- I have to do it with love and not judgment. I have to build on my last creation, not be destructive to it through negative criticism.
Tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have had school at the forefront for the past 4 years. I am an Entertainment Media Management major, and I utilized the teachings in school and applied them to my social media platform. So, for starters I find myself to be a student of life over anything else. I mainly model, create content, throw non-profit events in which the proceeds are given to other creative women, and own a jewelry brand (@konexionkosmica). I do not like to put myself in a box, and I have simply followed my intuition and desires which have led me to play the previous roles mentioned. I do not think that I am unique, I know that we all are. We are all set apart from one another by default because we all offer a very unique perspective, since no one has lived the life that you lived. This means that your point of view is exclusive. It is quite the paradox that we are ALL unique. To not leave the question unanswered, something I really pride myself on is the way I have been able to forgive and find a bright side to everything. Even if finding the bright side entails going through the storm, the sun always shines when it is supposed to.
Who are some people you are influenced by?
I am mainly influenced by spiritual teachers who have been able to embrace Eastern spiritual teachings and teach people here in the West. I love seeing the ability to translate ancient knowledge into ways that are easily digestible for people who know nothing about these topics. These people include Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Dolores Cannon, and Abraham Hicks to name a few. I have read books from all of these individuals and they all influenced a shift of perspective for me.
What advice would you like to give to all those followers that want to be where you are today?
I would say that being themselves is always going to be good enough. I would encourage them to not shy away from going against the grain and to constantly try new things- even the ones that seem the scariest. I want them to never dim their lights for their families, romantic partners, or friends. Lastly, never be afraid to seek help or ask questions and be very mindful of the people who you hang around. Make sure your circle is constantly elevating you and vice versa.
What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
The possibilities are truly endless. You know that saying, "We plan, God laughs"? I always feel that way about this question, but for manifestation purposes: I would be 26 and I see myself traveling the world, speaking in front of massive crowds about media + mindfulness and how they can co-exist. I see myself still modeling and landing big campaigns as well as helping other creatives build meaningful platform
s. In simple terms, I see myself tending to all the seeds I have planted and enjoying the fruits of my labor whilst continuously planting more seeds and cultivating those. I will be where the happiness and growth is at.
Now let’s have some fun and get to know you a bit more.
Favorite type of food?
Thai or Vietnamese
Favorite city you've been to?
Tulum
Where would you move to if you could live anywhere else?
I am just about to start venturing the world, so we will leave this pending
Favorite movie?
The Truman Show
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