We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Senquiz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
If you’re marginalized, it’s okay to carve unconventional paths for yourself; sometimes this can be risky. I worked really hard to get to Boston University on a full ride scholarship coming from poverty. When I got there, I had to level the playing ground; more than 10% of the student body came from the top 1% in America. I thought I knew what wealthy was, but I had no clue.

On the first day of business school we did a big lecture seminar where the “ice breaker” was to talk about our parents’ careers… kids’ parents were CEOs of biotech companies or top real estate agents in the country for luxury properties. I experienced imposter syndrome, but with the help of the Ascend Program for first-generation college students and students of color, I was able to tour major consulting firms and banking companies a week before college. This gave me the opportunity to make the connections and experiences to equate to my peers and have confidence. This was my opportunity to level the playing ground and I was not going to blow it.

By the end of the week touring companies, newfound mentors and peers were very complimentary of my ability to walk straight up to CEOs of companies like American Express and introduce myself personally. The truth was, I had no context for how important a CEO was because I had never met a CEO. Instead of faking it, I embraced my naivety and used it to strengthen my confidence. The CEOs found my enthusiasm refreshing, adding me back on LinkedIn or snapping a photo with me.

This was the first time I had access to these spaces; I was not going to waste my opportunity. However, there were times I didn’t have access to spaces and I maneuvered my way in. For example, I intentionally applied to be a waitress at the business school’s exclusive networking events. Once I got the job, I would staff business events about entrepreneurship, and I would chat with the guests. “Technically” we weren’t supposed to do that. However, I’m a creative entrepreneur at heart and it made the guests’ experience more positive, as they were hopeful for the future. I would often enthusiastically volunteer to staff the entrepreneurship and business related conferences in-person instead of doing behind the scenes work so I could listen in; they would often have a learning portion that I would take notes about on my phone. I learned about topics of personal finance, creative entrepreneurship, crowdfunding, and more all through proximity, which would have never happened if I hadn’t carved an unconventional path out to be there.

I could go on and on about long term and short term risks I’ve taken and how they’ve played out in my life. I don’t think I’ve failed yet. The reason I say this is because of an idea I firmly believe in: The Pivot. Go where you’re needed. Go where you’re naturally skilled and then double down by working hard. If you find that everything seems to be going wrong, it’s an opportunity to start over. Observe why people find you useful to be around- what is my niche? Be a 6 month planner, 2 year planner, and 5 year planner – play chess not checker. I always knew I wanted to be a business owner, but this is how I learned what my businesses should be.

I have been very strategic and have taken many calculated risks that play out well due to this. I set up the foundations of success through preparation-the execution will flow much better. When my endeavors don’t go well, I pivot after learning what went wrong. My businesses are a mix of things I really enjoy that I’m also good at, with the work boundaries that keep it enjoyable for me. I’ve been very strategic and have taken many calculated risks that play out well for this reason. And if it doesn’t, I change my approach.

What should our readers know about your business?
I write how I speak, but I think it works because I want to be as accessible and authentic as possible. I am a Puerto Rican, first-generation college student who is now a successful social media marketing business owner (Senquiz Strategies LLC), film director and writer (Promise to Stronger Days), and social media influencer on Tik Tok. From popular demand after a viral Tik Tok with 14M views about the disturbing things I heard going to a wealthy university after growing up poor, I am now opening life coaching and business consulting on my website (www.jsenquiz.com) along with writing an autobiography, a psychological thriller novel, and my next script after Promise to Stronger Days! I’m thinking of calling the autobiography For Those With Sonder: the Life Lessons of an EXTREMELY Self Aware Woman in Her 20s by Jessica Senquiz. I’m ⅕ of the way through; so far I think it’s funny and clever. If you don’t know, sonder is “the profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own. . .” according to Wikipedia. I had always wished to read about the life experiences and consequent lessons learned from a total stranger with a completely different life than me, so I created one for someone else. I like the idea that someone curious might pick up my story for fun one day…it would be like we’re pen pals. I’m also someone who feels like I’ve lived a hundred lives already so I wanted to document it.

When I began my life, risk was not an option; my only option was survival. My every move had to be calculated. My experiences growing up made me learn a lot about calculated movements, which landed me a full ride scholarship at Boston University to study film and business, which I completed in 2022. I had been doing film all of my life, starting with pro-bono commercials for non-profits so I could practice, along with high-school sports reels, brokerage start-up commercials, and more. After I got to university, I worked at Moderna during the COVID-19 pandemic creating The People Behind the Science media campaign. I then wanted to break into working in the film industry at a big media company. Through a combination of networking and sending an absurd amount of applications and follow ups emails, I worked on NBCUniversal’s Bravo TV show Below Deck, the 2022 Winter Olympics, and CNBC’s investigative documentary ExxonMobil at the Crossroads. Throughout this time, I was growing on social media with a couple of my videos popping off, virality boiling under the surface. I was able to translate what I learned through these experiences; at its core I saw what worked. This when I had the idea to start my business.

In 2022, I graduated college and moved back to Atlanta, and took the Promise to Stronger Days film with me to finally shoot in my home turf. It was time to test out what I’ve learned about marketing and filmmaking on my own film. This project allowed me to strongly root myself in Atlanta creatively. Boy, I’ll tell you… I got in an Uber: “I’m actually working on a film.” I go into a bar: “I am directing a film; here is my business card!” I think because of the foundations I set up for myself, I sowed and am now reaping the seeds of success I planted.

Here is the story of my own virality. Throughout the time of prepping for my Promise to Stronger Days shoot, I was pushing out content to cope with the stress – silly videos here and there about my life. Right before I shot, I got a video that went extremely viral at 14M views. Who knew my video simply sharing my struggles attending university while poor would be cathartic to millions of Americans? (sarcasm) Instantly, Yahoo News reached out to me and published an article about my video on two of their platforms. Here was the risky part; I found the writer from Yahoo on Instagram and asked her to include a one-liner about my film; she agreed. Because of that, several crew from across the country volunteered themselves to work on set and I received even more donations to shoot which was such a blessing right before. It was so amazing having people from literally across the U.S. drive themselves into Atlanta because they believed in my project that they saw on Tik Tok or Yahoo.

After my video, hundreds of people specifically requested me to begin writing an autobiography because they wanted to hear more about my life story. Now, I am a fifth of the way through writing my autobiography, I opened a life coaching section to my website, and I am writing a new psychological thriller and script. I would say my key to success is that I am adaptable to change. I capitalize off of what people need, not because I think of it like that but because I genuinely care. When people first started flooding my inbox about life advice, I opened a free thread about university tips. But I also didn’t want to burn out from the magnitude of questions, so I opened a coaching/consulting business. When I had traumatizing experiences, I created art and found a community who also needed that catharsis. I am calculated, but also take risks if that is the path that life is suggesting. If I could tell the world anything, it is that I know I’m going to be successful, but what that looks like to me is always evolving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Just like how I approach business, I would see what type of friend they are. Do they go with the flow? Aren’t they a planner? Would they rather go out and party, be outside in nature or both? I will say I had a picnic at Piedmont park yesterday with very feminine and leisurely energy. The group chatted about our goals for our mental health, businesses, relationships, etc. The theme was fairy, so we all wore our interpretation of that. I wore a white and purple floral puffy dress and a floppy hat. I brought my journal and a novel, but got so engulfed in the conversation I didn’t touch them. I found that to be re-energizing for me. I would totally organize something like that re-occuring in Atlanta if enough people were interested.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to thank the Ascend Program which helped me feel not alone while navigating college, and giving me a community I still communicate with to this day. I would also love to thank the Wily Program which made sure my basic needs were met in college so I could focus on academics the best I could. I want to shout out Project Onramp for believing in me and connecting me with my Moderna experience! Even though these programs are Boston based, if anyone wants to donate that would mean a lot to me. I would love to thank Amy Geller – she taught a creative entrepreneurship class where I began my crowdfunding campaign for my Promise to Stronger Days film that I successfully wrote and directed in Atlanta a year later in 2023. She gave me confidence, knowledge, and guidance.

Last but not least, I would love to thank everybody who has contributed to the Promise to Stronger Days (PTSD) production. It has been a very long journey, but seeing the community come together to support me telling my story with PTSD was very healing. I especially want to recognize all of the donors to my GoFundMe – without them it literally would not be possible. I love that the fundraiser was filled with people from all walks of life: family, friends, other filmmakers, actors, university professors, fellow students, people who saw the project on their “for you page” on Tik Tok or reels and donated, and complete strangers who believed in the project. I also want to highlight the cast and crew; everyone came with unique talents, skill sets and personal dedication to the project that I am forever grateful for.

People of all walks of life worked on the project; even former-strangers-now-friends came from across the country to work on set to make this project come to life. The majority of the decision-makers were women of color, and the energy on set felt on point. I used the project as leverage for specifically women to advance their careers in film. If they wanted, I searched for and hired a more experienced person on set to mentor them. I am very thankful that everyone believed in the project enough to work on it. I also wanted to thank Dixie’s Tavern in Marietta for allowing us to shoot from their entire bar for as long as we needed. I go there for fun too! If you go, tell Michael the owner I said hi! Every time I think of the entire experience of shooting I smile because of how everyone came together and put their best foot forward to simply create together, support each other, and to tell my story.

Website: www.jsenquiz.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesenquiz/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsenquiz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Jessica-Senquiz-100075033237534/

Other: Tik Tok: spottieottiejess Threads: jesenquiz Promise to Stronger Days Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/promise-to-stronger-days

Image Credits
BTS Photography from Beth Leak and Steven Casado. Pictured: Jada Mack with microphone Voncia Molock steaming clothes Kolin Murray and I watching footage Atlanta Film Festival red carpet event (left to right) Derrick Delafonte, Jessica Senquiz, Perri West, Juliana Weis-Palacios Justice Nixon and I Colin McCalla Ashanti Harris

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