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

Hi Ariel, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Consistency and being friendly to everyone, especially anyone who could be a potential networking connection! Showing up regularly is truly half the battle. Not giving up after getting rejected is the other half. I have been rejected countless times and it can be infuriating or feel personal, but I continue with the research I am passionate about and continue to work towards educating people about the climate crisis. Continuing to chug along no matter what (even if you have to take breaks) has been the biggest contributor to my success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Running an educational platform online has been a wild ride. Running an account is the easy part. Doing research and sharing it is easy, it’s the behind-the-scenes work that is much harder. Being the sole person behind the account means I am the only one making decisions about the direction of the page and the brand. I do not always know what is the “best” route for me to take, and making a choice about the direction of the page or figuring out what I want can take months. It took me a long time to come to the conclusion that the direction I felt most appropriate for myself and my page did not include regularly seeking out sponsored posts from brands. Not to say I am opposed to sharing sustainable products and brands, but that I did not want to spend a sizable portion of my time to researching and working on gaining those opportunities. I knew once I started this page that I didn’t want to be a “front” of camera person, but I think there was an unsaid expectation on myself and from others that eventually this would turn into sponsorships. Even deciding aesthetics and what kind of content you want to post can be agonizing! Once you have created your own blueprint, it becomes much easier. I am proud of the career opportunities I have been able to carve out for myself as a byproduct of my activism. When I started this page, I had no idea what it would become, and now it has become my strongest asset and portfolio piece when I apply for jobs within the environmental space.

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.
Sunken City- San Pedro Portos- Downey
Bread Lounge- Downtown LA

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Martin Hernandez, Erik Castillo, and Anthony Perez My partner and old roommates motivated me and encouraged me to begin my Instagram page @GoGreenSaveGreen. In 2018 I began to feel a lot of climate anxiety and felt as though I had no resources or any way to contribute to solving the problem. I was constantly researching and learning everything I could about the climate crisis and talking about it to the people in my immediate circles but it didn’t feel like enough. I didn’t want to be on Youtube because I had no idea how to logistically go about it, and I wanted to be more anonymous. They suggested I begin an Instagram account instead and I thought it was a good idea and then never quit. Their encouragement at the beginning was quite literally like water and sunshine to a seed!

Instagram: Instagram.com/gogreensavegreen

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.