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

Hi Juan, what do you want your legacy to be?
I want to be remembered as someone who tried being the best version of themselves everyday. I want people to remember my dedication to trying to make this world a better place, through my advocacy and work. I want my legacy to live within people, folks who might have identified themselves with my journey and work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey professionally has not been easy, as a first generation professional in my family I had to figure many things out on my own. I began my advocacy work locally at the age of thirteen and accumulated over 200+ community service hours by the age of fifteen. Since then I have been able to do work throughout the entire state of California, nationally, & globally. I d​rafted a historic LGBTQ+ proclamation for Woodland, CA the town I grew up in. It was a very special moment because it made history, but it’s also something the younger me would’ve appreciated growing up in that town. A story I wrote on that experience was published by Lady Gaga and Born This Way Foundation in the New York Times Bestseller “Channel Kindness”. Throughout my career I have been able to speak at festivals, global events and more. What helps me the most when things got difficult was talking to others, checking in with myself, and journaling.

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 my friend was visiting for a week I would definitely take them to many places. I would start off the week with some brunch, I would take them to BBCM Cafe, I would then take them to the beach and spend a couple hours just enjoying the air. For dinner I would take them to BOA steakhouse. For nights out I would definitely go to The reserve, Conga Room, and WEHO. I would also take them to get some delicious street tacos from Angels Tijuana Tacos, and I would have them checkout The Highlight Room.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank my family for always being so supportive of me, and for trusting my decisions + ventures. I would also like to thank all of the organizations + brands I’ve collaborated with for trusting me and for believing in me.

Website: www.juanacostaofficial.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/juanacosta__

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JUANACOSTA__

Image Credits
Irma Hernandez

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