Written by WOM member, Samantha Iodice
Lizbeth Cardozo’s fascination with human behavior, storytelling, data and advertising were the catalysts for her career in content creation. From breaking through ethnic stereotypes with the launch of her online magazine for Latinas to launching her own consulting business, Lizbeth has never been afraid to go after what she wants. Now as the co-founder and producer of Tiny Milkshake Media, Lizbeth merged her many passions with her day-to-day profession.
Nurturing Your Entrepreneurial Spirit
Lizbeth knew early in life that she had an entrepreneurial spirit and it was a guiding force in her efforts to own her own business. Her journey was not conventional. “I took a circuitous journey to get here. It’s never a straight line to a destination or goal, especially as an entrepreneur.”
With many varied interests, Lizbeth studied both Marketing Communications and Journalism in college. After graduating, she actively pursued roles related to many of her passions. Lizbeth’s early career included professional roles working as a bi-lingual on-air reporter for an independent TV station in Miami, a proofreader and junior copywriter for a marketing agency and a bi-lingual writer at multiple agencies until she decided to move to New York City. During her move, she committed to using her next opportunity to learn more about sales and business development, which she saw as her next step towards owning her own business. After experiences with traditional media and advertising, in New York, Lizbeth transitioned to digital and internet marketing to round out her skillset and hands-on education.
A Major Life Shift Inspired The Launch Of A New Online Magazine
When Lizbeth was laid off in 2008, it sparked inspiration and opportunity. Lizbeth decided to use her generous severance package and newfound time to move to Italy for a year and figure out the direction of her career. Her plan worked. During her time away, Lizbeth was inspired and found new purpose and ambition.
Lizbeth said, “I returned [to the U.S.] with a content idea and launched my own online magazine for bi-lingual Latinas. From 2009 to 2012, I learned everything I could about social media, digital and email marketing.”
Lizbeth was inspired to create LaCosmpolatina.com, an online Latina magazine in response to the lack of relatable content in the market. “Back in 2008, Latina magazine was the only magazine written for Latinas at the time. It didn’t resonate with me at all.”
Lizbeth noted that the lack of representation of women at the highest positions of the companies producing the content was part of the problem. “The media, including Latina magazine, had a tendency to stereotype Latinas as loud, hip shaking, red lipstick wearing, curly hair with tan skin, tight skirt wearing and platano eating homewreckers. With little or no Latinas represented as decision makers in these companies, there was no one to question this content.”
Lizbeth wanted to break the stereotype of Latinas by offering smart content that offered more value to well-traveled, educated, professional women. In addition to positioning Latinas as modern career women, she was also interested in featuring everyday Latinas doing big things. “To relate to more Latinas like myself, I knew the content should not exclusively focus on bombshell stars like Sofia Vergara and Eva Mendes.”
Her mission was simple – to create content for “Latinas who think in American, but love in Spanish,” and she succeeded, through sheer tenacity and drive.
Blazing Trails For Women And Latinas In Content, Advertising And Media
With her commitment to elevating women and Latinas in her favorite spaces, it’s no surprise Lizbeth was nominated to become a Brand Ambassador for She Runs It, an organization “designed to pave the way for more women to lead at each stage of their careers in marketing, media and tech.”
Since the pandemic began in March, Lizbeth has also started a Women in Content Virtual Meetup that occurs weekly. “I’ve built a community of smart, kind, powerful women in content who are looking for support, collaboration, encouragement and answers while we weather the COVID-19 storm together.”
Native Advertising Will Become More Important Than Ever
When asked, Lizbeth has some thoughtful ideas on what will be the most important focus of the next five years in martech. “Native advertising is going to become more important than ever because consumers don’t want to see ads anymore. They want to be entertained. They want to have experiences. They want to hear stories that interest them.” Lizbeth explained while key consumer motivations have not changed much, the technologies and tools brands can use to create experiences and stories have rapidly evolved. “3D, AR, VR and gaming will become a must for any brand that wants to make an impact.” Lizbeth predicts that 3D, AR, VR and gaming will all play a bigger role in native advertising providing new experiences where consumers can connect with brands in a meaningful, interactive and fun way from the comfort of their own home or space. This is already evident in the number of major brands that have become in-game sponsors of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. “Nobody shares ads on social media. They share stories and fun content.”
Focus On Visibility
Lizbeth has built her career on creating her personal brand and growing her visibility, and the following approaches have been quite successful: “I recommend having a solid thought leadership video content strategy for LinkedIn. [You] should post often; at least twice a month. Because posting videos is still very new on LinkedIn, so you can still generate great organic traffic among your target audience, including prospective employers. Lizbeth also encourages women to submit their work for awards, honors and recognitions. Lizbeth noted that too often, women talk themselves out of qualifying for an opportunity before they even attempt a submission.
Written by WOM member, Samantha Iodice
