Join hosts Monique Velasquez and Piper Kessler for an inspiring

conversation with Shaunelle Curry—educator, author, and founder of Media

Done Responsibly. From starting her first nonprofit at age 6 to

teaching 20,000+ youth about media literacy and digital wellbeing,

Shaunelle shares why preserving marginalized stories isn't just about

history—it's about our future in an AI-driven world.

In This Episode:

The "Trash Picker Uppers": How a 6-year-old's nonprofit shaped a

lifetime of activism

Why representation in media is a human rights issue, not just diversity

checkbox

The shocking radio incident that sparked a nationwide movement

How young people are leading the charge for ethical AI and digital

wellness

The urgent need to preserve marginalized stories before AI learns

without them

Creating safe spaces for difficult conversations across cultural divides

Key Timestamps:

01:21 - Introduction to Shaunelle Curry

04:45 - The Trash Picker Uppers story

08:40 - What is HELP (Hello Elevated Life Purpose)?

17:06 - The "nappy headed" incident that changed everything

27:07 - Why inclusion matters systemically

37:13 - Connecting people across ideologies through storytelling

46:03 - What young people face that we never did

48:18 - The AI warning: "We're not only erasing history, we're erasing

our future"

Powerful Quote: "If AI learns off of public records that we are now

deleting and erasing, we are not only erasing history, we are erasing

our future."

About Our Guest: Shaunelle Curry is the founder of Media Done

Responsibly and professor of journalism, TV, film, and media studies.

Creator of "Shattered Glass" and author of "Shairi's Journey Through

Darkness Into Light," she's equipped over 20,000 underestimated youth

with media literacy rooted in justice and care.

Connect with Shaunelle: Website: shaunellecurry.com Organization: Media

Done Responsibly App: MDR Hub and Innovation Lab

Production: Velasquez Media - LGBTQ women-owned, Latino-led video

production

#MediaLiteracy #RepresentationMatters #DigitalWellbeing #AIEthics #StorytellingForChange #SocialEntrepreneur #MediaDoneResponsibly #YouthEmpowerment #DigitalJustice #DiversityInMedia #CulturalPreservation #WomenInMedia #ChangeTheReel #VelasquezMedia #AuthenticVoices

Episode 8: Your Year-Long Video Strategy Without the Burnout

Join hosts Monique Velasquez and Piper Kessler as they break down exactly how to plan an entire year of video content that actually drives business results—without blowing your budget or burning out.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why 80% of consumer internet traffic is video (and what that means for your visibility)
• The critical difference between video creation and delivery budgets
• How to map 40 strategic videos across four quarters
• Why treating video as a "nice to have" costs you clients
• The exact quarterly breakdown for both small and medium businesses
• How one $15K video investment can generate $100K+ in lifetime client value

Key Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Why video isn't just for marketing anymore
• 02:00 - The two-part video strategy most businesses miss
• 04:44 - Small business quarterly video breakdown
• 11:15 - Medium business video planning framework
• 16:00 - How video supports HR, operations, and leadership
• 20:00 - Calculating true video ROI
• 23:00 - Your 90-day action plan

The Quarter-by-Quarter Framework:

• Q1: Build credibility (8-12 short videos)
• Q2: Establish trust & community
• Q3: Drive engagement (12-15 shorts)
• Q4: Convert and retain (8-10 conversion videos)

Key Takeaway: "Many business owners only budget for the first half [creation], and that's why results feel random."

Your Homework: Map your next 90 days with one hero video and six supporting clips.

Ready to Create Your Video Plan? Book a VIP planning session: velasquezmedia.com

Production: Velasquez Media - 20+ years helping businesses exceed $250K through strategic video

#VideoMarketing #BusinessStrategy #ContentPlanning #VideoProduction #MarketingStrategy #Q4Planning #ContentStrategy #SmallBusinessTips #VideoContent #B2BMarketing #ContentCreation #BusinessGrowth #MarketingBudget #VideoROI #EntrepreneurTips2E8 The $15K Video That Makes $100K: Business Video Planning Secrets

Change the Reel website

TIME STAMPS

CHANGE THE REEL with Piper and Monique

LinkedIn:

Apple Podcast:

Spotify

Youtube

Executive Producers: Monique Velasquez and Piper Kessler

Producer: Arielle Morten

Director/Editor: Simon Beery

Copyright 2025 Monique & Piper

S2E 7 How One Woman Built North Carolina's Latino Media Empire Lizette Cruz Watko is President of Watko Entertainment Inc. and Watko Properties LLC, and founder of the Diamante Arts & Cultural Center. A longtime advocate for North Carolina’s Latino community, she has spent over 30 years creating platforms that foster cultural diversity, communication, and community engagement. She founded the first Spanish-language newspaper in the Carolinas and the Latino Diamante Awards, now in its 30th year. Cruz Watko is a NALAC Fellow, board member emeritus of Diamante, and serves on the boards of the United Arts Council of Wake, Arts NC, and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Public Art advisory panel.

Picture this: 1993, North Carolina. The entire state has just 56,000 Latinos. No Spanish TV. Barely any radio. Zero newspapers. Lisette Cruz-Watka moves from Los Angeles to a one-bedroom apartment in Chapel Hill and thinks, "Well, I know a little bit about newspapers and PR, why not start one?" Thirty years later, North Carolina's Latino population has exploded to 1.1 million, and the infrastructure Lisette built from the state's first Spanish-language newspaper to the Latino Diamante Awards is still creating pathways for an entire community.

North Carolina wasn't a border state. It didn't have established Latino enclaves. When Lisette arrived, Latino residents couldn't even identify themselves on voting ballots. The work she did in the 1990s wasn't just about creating media. It was about creating visibility, safety, and economic access. From writing the state's first Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation to helping secure Spanish DMV tests and banking access for people without traditional IDs, Lisette proved that when you build infrastructure, communities can thrive. Her story shows what's possible when someone spots what's missing and simply says, "Sure, why not?"

When Lisette launched North Carolina's first Spanish-language newspaper from her dining room table, she wasn't just distributing information—she was creating a sense of "oh, I'm here too." People started coming out of the woodwork. The newspaper circulated statewide, connecting isolated pockets of Latino families and creating the foundation for organized community action.

"If you're not in the room, nobody's gonna take it under consideration." Lisette served on 10 boards simultaneously—not for power, but for representation. Her strategy? Serve one term, then hand it off: "Hey, I have somebody for you." She built pipelines of Latino leadership rather than monuments to herself.

The cohesive Latino community of the '90s accomplished massive policy changes: Spanish DMV tests, driver's licenses for immigrants, banking access, and official state recognition. These weren't symbolic—they were practical tools that made daily life safer. When people had IDs, banks could serve them. When banks served them, they stopped being robbery targets for keeping cash in mattresses.

From television work to talent scouting to launching festivals to connecting Univision with a station purchase—Lisette's career was built on saying yes to opportunities that aligned with her values. "What's the worst that can happen?" She didn't pursue the limelight; she just did whatever work needed doing.

When Lisette created "Lisette Invita," an English-language cooking show featuring Latino cuisine, she was filling a gap she noticed: "I wasn't seeing anybody that looked like me on HGTV or Food Network." Now movie stars are doing her show concept. But she got there first because she understood: if you don't see yourself on screen, you can't imagine yourself in those spaces.