Meet meredith rodriguez | Sales & Entertainment Executive

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

Hi meredith, what role has risk played in your life or career?

There are days when I think of myself as very risk adverse, but then when I think about it, I actually have taken a lot of risk. Varying levels of reward have come, but I’ve never regretted the decisions I have made. I would not be right here, without them. I’ve been known to take an unconventional path, and that in itself can be risky. I have always been driven to take on things personally and professionally I have not done before. I’ll accept a challenge I can’t even see the path to solve, but despite that, failure was never on my radar as an option or a scenario. I had a manager once that used to call me The Firewoman. He’d say I could run into any fire and calmly figure out how to put it out, but also salvage things in a unique way. Sometimes that meant I was assigned projects or clients I did not seek, but ended up being great experiences to learn and thrive from them.

Coming to Stept Studios after a career in media, I guess, could been considered a risk. A team of about 12, making commercials and short films, not something I had done before. I started by consulting for them, taking my experience building teams, sales and strategy and working closely with the CEO. It quickly led to me taking on more with them; managing teams and building a brand new entertainment division. Looking back now, as a full time Stept employee and executive in the organization, it sure does not feel like that was a risk, but rather an investment in myself. I found a new challenge that utilized my experience across multiple roles and industries, in a place I could expand and grow while being inspired and challenged on a daily basis. – AKA – my definition of the perfect role. It doesn’t hurt that the company culture, and people are some of the best I have ever worked with.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I look back at my path, it’s anything but a straight line, and I am so grateful for that. I’ve worked in music, tech, media and film. If it were not for the unconventional decisions I have made (like quitting a great job with a really incredible career path to travel in Australia alone for a year) I would never have both had the life experiences i’ve had, but also attracted roles that aligned with my mindset of “just go after it and figure it out” which is where my comfort zone and strengths lie. There have been challenges, and moments I think back and imagine what would be different had I not been open to those experiences and never have I regretted those moves. I mentor a lot of people that are early in their career and I can’t reinforce enough that risk, saying “yes” and just trying new things in your life AND career will be so fulfilling and give you experience that your peers likely won’t have.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Its been a while since we had a visitor, given the pandemic, but I like to stay true to some of my favorites. I love anything with a view, and a bit of a creature of habit and tend to stay on the westside more than I’d like to admit. Most things in my life are planned around eating. So with that in mind – I would plan a coastal tour. We’d start with a breakfast burrito from Brothers Burritos in Hermosa. The well done tater tots make me so happy and I really have yet to find one I like better. We’d hang out on the beach before people start to come in full force. Moving north, I’ll take the crab roll at Playa Provisions, along with a beer. I love the patio (why don’t we have more beachside spots?) Evening would end after a drive up the coast to Nobu Malibu. You can’t beat the view, the food or the celeb sighting that is sure to excite anyone in town for a visit. Another day would include my favorite thing to do in LA, (that also guarantees me to cross the 405) a quick pick up at Bay Cities for a caprese sandwich with hot peppers. Lots of sides, and a few bottles of wine. We’d then make our way to Hollywood Bowl for a show. There really is no better evening in LA for me than that.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ll always be grateful to one person for kicking off my career, taking a chance on me and inspiring me as a woman/mom/capable badass. Big shout out to Joeli Yaguda. She also continues to be an inspiration. After a journey-filled life and career, she now owns The Paso Robles General Store, the cutest shop in all of Paso – worth it to make the drive up there, just for that.

Website: steptstudios.com

Instagram: @steptstudios

Image Credits
Madison Lawlor, Savannah Cummins, AJ Lising, Cam Riley