Meet April Monterrosa | Publisher/Author/Public Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with April Monterrosa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi April, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
I had to make the hard decision of leaving the corporate world. My (spa) business, which was a side hustle and only catered to family and friends, unexpectedly grew into a full-time business. At that time, trying to balance a full-time job and a business caused me to stretch myself way too thin where I did not have the time (or energy) to keep up with both. I had to let go of one of them; and it was the corporate job. That was probably one of the best and scariest decisions I have ever made in my life. It’s what has led me to the media and publishing world and everything else I am involved with and get to do today.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a published author, public speaker, and the CEO of Live From The Southside, the first Latina-owned publication in South side San Antonio. I also own April Mae Media, which is a marketing, advertising, and public relations company that specializes in media outreach for events, artists, musicians, and business owners.

I have a really big passion for giving back to my community. I serve as a board member on the San Antonio Water System’s Community Experience Committee, the Palo Alto College Cosmetology Committee, the San Antonio District 4 Small Business Committee, the Brooks Give Back, the San Antonio Women’s Business Center, the VIDA Arts Council, and the vice-chair for Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. I also serve as the Director of Community Development for The Pink Berets and the media sponsor for Fin Addict Angler Foundation.

Because I love my city, I became a Certified Tourism Ambassador for the City of San Antonio, and I am also a member of the Texas Auto Writers Association and Texas Motor Press Association, one of the founders of the Southside Book Fair, founder of the women empowerment group Wonderfully Wise Women, and Southside Market Days.

My writing career began 13 years ago with a niche for travel, small Texas towns, self-care, and inspiring my readers to go after goals, chase dreams, and make time for adventure, self-care and fun in the process.

As a writer, marketing and public relations professional, I work with brands locally, throughout the state of Texas, and nationally. Connecting others through travel, business, social media, and events has always been a passion of mine.

I am most proud of being listed as an influential Latina in San Antonio by KSAT12 News which is affiliated with the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). My publication, Live from the Southside being partnered with KSAT12 and having a segment on the local tv show SA Live in an effort to elevate community voices and news coverage of my Southside community, and being honored by the 87th Texas Legislature for my achievements as a positive role model, dynamic businesswoman, civic leader and community advocate.

My journey has been pretty wild. I went from owning a spa to now owning a publication and media business. Promoting my spa business is one of the things that gained me an unexpected social media following and allowed me to connect with people that steered me in great directions as a writer and publisher. No matter how hard the journey has been, I have made it a point to put myself out there.

It hasn’t always been easy. During my journey to success, I experienced loss to suicide, financial distress, a divorce that nearly broke me, and trying to figure out who I was each time one of these obstacles occurred.

If I have learned any lessons along the way, they would be that as you grow as person and business owner, not everyone is going to be happy for you, people will often try to use you as a resource for their own personal gain, you should really try hard to make it a point to surround yourself with like-minded individuals, and those who are meant to be in your life will be.

One thing people don’t know about me (my story) is that my writing journey began while I was broke, about to lose my home, in the middle of divorce, and just starting my spa business at the same time. I literally wrote the beginning of my book in the dark because I had no electricity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to create an ideal itinerary when visiting the Southside of San Antonio, it would be to stay at the Embassy Suites at Brooks, enjoy the Salt Cave at Eforea spa, visit the historical San Antonio Missions, as well as the Arbor de Vida, Mission Reach, Hot Wells, and go eat at one of the cool spots at the Blue Star Arts district or in Southtown.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have been incredibly lucky to have a handful of mentors and inspiring people throughout my entrepreneurial journey. One person that I always think of when people ask who encouraged and mentored me is my now great friend Author Lisa Pietsch. She has not only guided me, pushed me, and taught me a lot… she has also been there to remind me of what I am capable of achieving when I doubt myself.

Website: https://aprilmaemedia.com & https://southsidesanantonio.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilmaemedia & https://www.instagram.com/southsidesatx/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmaemedia & https://www.linkedin.com/company/live-from-the-southside

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aprilmaemedia & https://twitter.com/SouthsideSATX

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilmaemedia & https://www.facebook.com/SouthsideSATX

Image Credits
Photos credit: Live from the Southside Team