Today we’d like to introduce you to Erika Flores.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Erika. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Periodista Fashionista is Spanish for fashionable journalist, but there’s a deeper meaning to the name for me. My father inspired me to become a journalist, and my mom inspired my fashion sense. Both my parents passed away around ten years ago. Periodista Fashionista is a blog dedicated to them where I can delve into the impact they had on my life.
After my mother passed away in hospice care, I realized there were thrift stores that help fund hospice care for those without insurance. That’s where I do most of my shopping now. I enjoy curating outfits from there to use in the videos I’m in for work. It makes me so happy to know that I’m helping the environment by shopping secondhand while helping people like my momma. I promote this cause in stories I write about my mom and her fashion on PeriodistaFashionista.com.
Being able to discuss loss and grief and promote sustainable fashion has helped me process not having my parents in my life as a young adult. It changed everything and is truly one of the hardest things I’ve gone through. I’ve looked at the world through a different lens ever since, and I hope exposing my thoughts and feelings can help others process any grief they are going through in their lives.
So let’s dig a little deeper into the story what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I used to write as a form of therapy growing up, but when my dad died, I couldn’t get myself to write at all. A year and a half later when my mom died, it was even harder to write. I had no problem writing for work as a journalist, but personally, I struggled. Once I realized I could use social media and blogging to connect with others who may be feeling the same way, I launched PeriodistaFashionista.com.
Please tell us about your work.
I’ve been a working journalist since 2004. Before my career on television, I wrote for my hometown newspaper in Kearny, Arizona and other newspapers across Pinal and Maricopa counties. Now, I help government and marketing agencies connect with their employees and the public by developing bilingual communications strategies, producing videos, hosting, consulting and managing social media. I’m known for my determination and hard work. I’ve hit every goal I’ve set for myself, but being hyper-focused on my career didn’t leave much room for an emotional outlet. It’s important to take care of your mental health. I needed to acknowledge the grief and loss in my life, and in the process help others. That’s where Periodista Fashionista comes in.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My parents got to see my work before they passed away. The first time they got to see me on television was when I was anchoring in Spanish on Telefutura, and they had been reading my byline in newspapers throughout Pinal County and Maricopa County for years already because I started writing professionally when I was a teenager. My favorite memory was the look on my dad’s face when he saw my work. It reminded me of when I was a kid growing up watching the news with him. I asked him, “dad, do you think I could do that?” He responded, “Of course, mija. You can do anything you set your mind to.”
Contact Info:
- Website: PeriodistaFashionista.com
- Instagram: PeriodistaFashionista
- Facebook: ErikaFloresTV
- Twitter: ErikaFloresTV
- Other: erikaflorestv.com
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