It was late 2010. I was looking for help creating a marketing plan for my online store. I wasn't sure if what I'd been doing up until then was the right thing to do, so I decided to contact a marketing expert. This person gave me some advice and then told me that perhaps the best thing for me would be to contact LATISM – Latinos in Social Media – and see if anyone there could help me gain a better understanding of the Hispanic market. I wasn't really looking to focus solely on the Hispanic market, but that advice sparked my interest in learning more about Latism and where I could find this growing group on social media.
I found Latism on Twitter. Until then, I hadn't used my Twitter or Facebook accounts as frequently as I do now, so I preferred to contact them by email. After a few months, in April 2011, Elianne Ramos invited me to the first Latism New York tweetup. I thought twice about going; up until then, I hadn't had any contact with any Latino community in business, much less on social media. But that was precisely the reason I decided I should go, and so I headed to NYC.
And what is a Tweetup?
Until I was on the train, I hadn't even thought about what a tweetup was, but I learned about it on the spot. We all introduced ourselves, and our handles were immediately distributed on Twitter in seconds, sharing with all our followers what we did, what we did, and the service we provided. I thought that was a fantastic idea! There, I also learned about the excellent work Johnson & Johnson does with the Latino community, and it was at that event that I met Elianne Ramos, Ana Roca, and Reyna Valenzuela, inspiring women who literally welcomed me with open arms!
After that tweet, Latism became an important part of my professional development here in the United States. I had to meet them in person to realize what an online community it is, serving others. Thanks to Latism, I met my business advisor, Reyna Valenzuela, and my dear blogger friends, who inspired me to bring my blogs to life. Thanks to Latism and the contact with my people online and offline, I developed a desire to learn more and more about using social media for specific purposes.
I learned and met many people from Latism during the 2011 Conference in Chicago, Illinois and 2012 in Houston, Texas.
And the most important thing about this whole experience that I share with you today is that thanks to LATISM and the initiative of Ana Roca, I was able to bring a little help, joy, and hope to my beloved Peru when we traveled in 2012 to carry out the Sustainable Development Project in Patacancha, Cusco, a small town with many geographical limitations but with hardworking, brave, and big-hearted people.
As come, I have many reasons for assist to this Conference in his fifth year, even more so now that will be held in New York City city in where by end could know it that It was LATISM and toward where HE guides.
This year's agenda is full of very important topics in the health, technology, education, and business sectors. We are a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to help improve the status of our Latino community by providing support in various ways. LATISM is the helping hand many of us look to for learning and improvement, but above all… LATISM is family.
See you in September?
