Life & Work with Monica Mendez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Mendez. 

Hi Monica, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My story about how I got to Grand Rapids is not one of sadness, although moving 2,000 miles away did require an element of sacrifice. I am fortunate, though, because it was love that brought me to the U.S. 

I was born and raised in Queretaro, Mexico, the daughter of two psychologists and the older sister of two brothers. I grew up in a middle-class family with two hard-working parents; we didn’t have extra, but we had what we needed. I attended business school in Mexico, where I fell in love with a boy from Michigan. He was an exchange student, and we dated long distance for a year before I decided to follow my heart and attend college in the States. To be honest, I never really thought through how I was going to pay for it or how much I’d miss my family. I just did it! Even now, I think to myself, how crazy was that? I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my Business Degree a couple of years later, and I married that boy from Michigan in 2002. His name is Todd Spelman, and together we are raising the two most incredible people I know: my daughters, Sofia and Emma. 

We lived in Ann Arbor for seven years until a job opportunity opened in Grand Rapids. I had never been to this city before, but after moving across an entire continent, I felt confident I could manage a move across the state. I spent the next 15 years in Corporate America, meeting wonderful people along the way. And yet, I never met another woman business professional that looked like me. Not one. I learned to navigate the corporate world on my own, to hide my emotions to be taken seriously and to use my voice. From the Hi-Lo driver to the C-Suite executive, I learned to listen to and understand people. Ultimately, I was successful in sales because I was real—even if the corporate world wasn’t honest with me. Despite my work ethic and mounting credentials, I consistently made 20% less than my white counterpart throughout my corporate career. 

I longed for something more. 

Roughly three years ago, as I approached the milestone of turning 40, my will to use my voice and demand that I be taken seriously started fading. While I had found “success” in the corporate world, I yearned to do something different, something that felt more fulfilling. As a woman of color—with an accent—in a male-dominated industry, I was tired of having to fight the same fight over and over. Exhausted, I entered what I call my midlife crisis. 

The universe conspired, and the company for which I was working reorganized, eliminating my position. To say the next several months were difficult is an understatement. 

The pandemic hit. I started volunteering to get out of the house and to reclaim my individuality. I started helping with the Census, canvassing, helping people register to vote, assisting at the health department, and then…it hit me. I finally knew that what I wanted to be when I grew up needed to involve community impact. I was completely sure that my passion for community transformation, combined with my bold advocacy and my 15 years of experience in the corporate world would be a great asset to an organization. I knew that I wanted to have a ripple effect in the community. I knew I wanted to be a community leader, too! 

The journey to my current role at the Grand Rapids Chamber involved being vulnerable, meeting people, and sharing my story with everybody who would listen. Coffee and conversation helped me find my way back to myself—and to this community. For this reason, I will never turn down a coffee with anyone who asks me to connect with them; I know it can be life-changing. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I learned to be resourceful when I was little, and that has carried me throughout my life. Of course, there have been obstacles, but my resourcefulness has allowed me capitalize on opportunities that come my way. 

In Mexico, I attended private school for grades K-12, earning academic scholarships every year to pay for tuition. I knew that if I wanted to stay in those schools, my grades had to reflect my will to be there. When I came to Michigan, not knowing how I was going to pay for college, I applied for every grant and scholarship I could get my hands on, regardless of the amount. I wrote countless essays and kept my grades up, finding ways to piece the costs together on my own. I graduated college with only $6,000 in debt. 

I have many stories from my time in Corporate America that involve harassment and discrimination, but they’re not new or different from those of other women, specifically women of color. 

My mental health suffered greatly the months after I lost my job. In the time it took me to find my purpose, I felt lost and sometimes alone. 

Being away from my family has been one of the hardest parts of my journey. I have been in the U.S. for 22 years, and it does not get easier to be so far away to say goodbye. My mom was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s a few years ago when she was only 60! Not being able to provide daily care or be close to home as her health deteriorates has been one of my biggest personal challenges. 

But as I mentioned earlier, I am fortunate enough to say that I will always find a way. I am proud to say that I have worked hard for the things I have and the life I live, and my path has also been full of opportunity. I think of my life as a track and field race: I have successfully overcome numerous obstacles, but I have also fallen on my face along the way. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I mentioned part of my professional journey earlier. I spent the first 15 years of my career as a business professional managing world-renowned brands and building long-term relationships. I cultivated and sustained an impeccable work ethic, which resulted in significant corporate success. But despite those traditional achievements, I felt drawn to causes with community impact and decided to pursue a career in the non-profit world. I am an unapologetic feminist and bold advocate of minoritized people. I believe in the power of transformation. And I am inspired by the collective power of community. These values drive every aspect of my life and work. 

Currently, as the Director of Talent and Leadership Programs at the Grand Rapids Chamber, I see myself as an ally in building this community. My work is integral to driving the Chamber’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals across all sectors. I serve as a leader in strategy, development, and facilitation of all leadership programs, ATHENA Grand Rapids, Latina Connect, and OutPro. My role is to be a community connector that creates systems impact through collaboration and relationship building. 

I firmly believe in pushing the needle further, and I know one of the most impactful ways to do this is by inserting ourselves into spaces that haven’t historically invited us in. While this may feel uncomfortable, I also know that where there is discomfort, there is room for change. I have made it my mission to use my voice, express my opinion, and take a seat at different tables. In all spaces, big and small, we impact change simply by existing in them. And when we raise our collective voices in those spaces, that impact multiplies. 

One, five, and twenty years from now, I hope my professional roles continue to inspire this kind of change. 

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
What some call luck, I call good fortune. And certainly, I have experienced that. I am fortunate to have good friends, a loving family, strong values, and a job that fulfills my purpose. But I also don’t want to confuse my good fortunate with hard work. To me, continuous effort matters most of all. 

Image Credits
Smrcina Photography + Studio