Today we’d like to introduce you to Lezl Gonzales.
Hi Lezl, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m a full-time mom of almost three years, and I guess a part-time content creator/influencer!
Before I had my son, I was working in the entertainment industry as a model and actress while we were living in Los Angeles, but then I realized my passion for being on set 12 or more hours a day was dwindling.
I still love to be on camera, and now I still get to do that from the comfort of my own home!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There is definitely a lot more involved than taking a picture and posting it online.
A lot of back and forth, emails, approvals, dealing with clients, editing, memorization, I could go on but that’s boring haha! In some ways, it’s easier to be on set and just be told what to do.
I’ve been doing this for around two years seriously, but I just started to make decent money in the last six months, I’d say.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Honestly, the thing I’m most proud of is my perseverance. If I want something, I don’t take “no” as the final answer, I keep going until I get what I want. It may not look the way I thought it would along the journey, but in the end, I get what I want.
I never thought I’d get the chance to be in a film because I was getting older and it just wasn’t looking good, my very first film was a feature film released nationwide, with top billing. I always wanted to work for Disney, and randomly got the chance to shoot a commercial for Disney a couple of years ago!
I’ve started and stopped at least three different YouTube channels, and my husband actually had the idea to start one about a year and a half ago, and even though it had stalled in growth for a bit, we kept going! The channel can obviously be bigger, but we haven’t given up on it and we get some pretty cool deals from it!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think that finding someone or even a few people to spitball ideas off of or get advice from is great. If someone works with a brand I’m interested in, I’ll shoot them a message for email contact or something of the sort to get the ball rolling.
Do I get a “yes” every time? No. But not everyone is going to say no. Sometimes it’s a “not right now,” and sometimes it’s a “yes.” I could be better at networking, I get a little shy, but then other times I boss up and send an email or message because I know it needs to be done!
The more you network, the easier it becomes. That’s kind of how it is with everything in life, actually. Taking initiative instead of just waiting around for an opportunity to hopefully find you will always reap some sort of benefit.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/lezlkoe (@LEZLKOE)
- Youtube: YouTube.com/thegonzalesgang
