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When she was 25 years old, Marines Duarte was promoted to Publisher of Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar and Buenhogar for the US Hispanic Market and Latin America — her career successes haven’t stopped since.
Her career is a testament to how every stage can teach you skills that will help you build the next one. After leaving the corporate world, Duarte went on to become a digital influencer and founder of En Tus Zapatos, a one-stop shop for Latinas who are conquering every aspect of their life.
Her experience in launching and cultivating that community led to her latest project — a social awareness campaign that works to end domestic violence and promotes gender equality, as she explained on our podcast episode. Princess Warriors, or Princesas Guerreras as it is known in Spanish, has utilized social media and digital influencers, especially within the Latinx space, to drum up support for the cause.
“I needed Princesas Guerreras to be a two-way communication channel,” explains Duarte. “[I needed it] to build a community and to keep growing without limits and [ultimately] to be managed and owned by the people since social media is our own media.”
Duarte shares why she believes you shouldn’t ignore what you learn in your 9-to-5 once you strike out on your own, how to remain true to your values and how being Latina has been one of her biggest unique value propositions.
Vivian Nunez: What's been the biggest lesson learned during your time in a more corporate setting?
Marines Duarte: Politics in the corporate work environment exist and you have to learn how to deal with them and try to become good at it. Do your job as best as you can, it’s important to work from your heart, help and celebrate the success of others and be professional. Prioritize being ethical because the relationships you create at work will stay with you forever no matter where you are.
Nunez: As an entrepreneur, what advice would you give to someone who is just launching their own project?
Duarte: Make sure that you are passionate about it because you will be putting your heart and soul into it, as well as endless nights, so you better be doing something you love and believe in. You’ll also want to make a business plan, it does not have to be a top level professional one but make sure you have a clear objective and knowledge of your service or product, who your costumer is and why the product is different that any other one out there.
Nunez: What has helped you stay grounded while maneuvering both the corporate and startup world?
Duarte: Staying true to yourself is key. Letting some doors close, turning business down, saying no (even if that meant turning down clients and other big and well paid opportunities), in the end I know that I made the right choices [for myself]. Staying true to myself paid off in bigger ways.
Nunez: What tips do you have for managing time?
Duarte: I wish I could give you a magic formula but to tell you the truth 80% of it is instincts and of course experience! The key is having your priorities and goals well set, sometimes we can get excited and carried away in the moment but that’s when you need to take a step back and think: if it affects my top priorities I will automatically spend less time on it.
Nunez: How has your Latinidad impacted your career?
Duarte: Understanding my roots, my culture and my audience has been the key to my career, since I have always worked in the Hispanic and Latin American Market. But not just being a Latina but more so being proud of it, treasuring it, knowing the value it has and using that pride to empower Hispanic women through my career.
