Could you start by introducing yourself and telling us how you came to Miami?
My name is Laura Gallego, I'm from Argentina and I'm 27 years old. Last year I graduated as an Automotive Industry Engineer and I currently create content related to the automotive world on all social media platforms and on television, on the program "Moving" on FOX Sports. My passion is cars, so I consider myself fortunate to be able to dedicate myself to what I love, because I not only apply my passion to my work, but I also enjoy different automotive activities, such as Formula 1.
I've been watching all the races for years, I never miss any, no matter where I am, I always manage to see each of the Grand Prix. I had on my wishlist to be able to experience it personally, so I decided to come to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami in 2023. For several years now, I've been taking every opportunity to travel and create content that shows advances in the automotive industry in other places. It's about not limiting myself to Argentina, showing diversity, and providing knowledge and information about how different cultures related to cars are.
How and when did you find your vocation?
I discovered my vocation in high school. I studied at a technical school with a focus on industrial design, and every project I could do related to cars, I did. That's when I realized that I was really passionate about it and wanted it to be present in my life. At that moment, I decided that I was going to study something related to cars and later it also became my profession.
How and when did you establish your practice?
In 2015, while I was in the early years of my career, my brother, Martin Gallego, started his YouTube channel. I gradually joined him, sharing with him, learning, and getting involved in social media, always in the automotive world. From the beginning, I had Instagram, and it wasn't until 2020, during the pandemic, that I created my YouTube channel and my TikTok account.
How was your landing in Miami?
I'm still not 100% settled. I've been visiting for specific events, and every time I come, I discover new places, meet new people, and always need more days to show everything I would like. It has been exceeding expectations not only regarding the industry but also the generosity of the people. In fact, something that caught my attention is that people see you with a cellphone and accelerate the cars for us, which is great, at least for me, who wants to show that, among other things. I find that the opportunities to create content about cars, motorcycles, and trucks are endless, everything that has an engine in Miami (in the USA) is striking, mainly because they are beasts, wherever you delve, it's extreme, in luxury, in variety of colors and customization, in power, and in the combination of these characteristics. Basically, they have everything that a "fierrero" looks for.
What strategies worked for you?
Beyond perseverance, what has always worked for me is feeling comfortable. I have always felt like I was where I wanted to be, where I work every day to be, where I deserved to be, and enjoying every opportunity, whether surrounded by men or women, because there are also women at the racetrack. From this place, my relationship with others always flows better.
Personally, I feel that there is so much that I don't know, so from passion and curiosity, everything generates enthusiasm in me to discover something, as if it were the first time I see it, experience it, or experiment with it. It's always a surprise, and I let myself be surprised. I don't know if this only happens to me, and that's why I enjoy it so much, or if it happens to everyone, but I realize that it works for me, and I love it!
Especially in Miami, with the enormous difference from Argentina in its entirety, everything is striking and showing another world is attractive.
What was the path like and what challenges did you have to overcome to get to this place?
On the path, I had to overcome obstacles of different kinds. On the one hand, what refers to being a woman in a historically male world; and here it is divided into 2: discrimination based on gender differences and the reality that women physically have less strength than men, which complicates working on cars.
On the other hand, there were different complications that arose along the way from working on social media, where we often don't have control in some aspects. For example, my YouTube channel was hacked, which fortunately, I was able to recover, and also, Instagram closed my account, where I had more than 284,000 followers and, above all, more than 7 years of work behind me. The difficulty is that your work environment is subject to an enormous platform with millions of users, where we have no control over what happens, or identity, we are a number, so it is very impersonal. In addition to this, being on social media exposes us to comments of all kinds, and when the content goes viral and reaches people who are not my audience, unfortunate comments can arise.
What sets you apart from other people in your profession?
Unlike other people who have the same practice, my approach is motivational. I communicate my way of seeing life through cars, always with joy, inspiration, and perseverance. I encourage fulfilling dreams and being oneself. I have always done what I wanted and focused on being genuine, always tackling projects as I saw fit regardless of how it was supposed to be.
As an "influencer," I am dedicated to creating content. It is a way of advertising based on dissemination thanks to the number of followers on different platforms. Unlike traditional advertising, in this case, it is directly associated with a person. In my case, I only recommend brands and products that I have tried and that are aligned with my personal values, which are equality, humility, respect, integrity, and my quality standards.
What would you like to share with our readers about your current projects? What are you focusing on now?
The main focus of my projects is to generate valuable content. I try to have a message behind each video, post, and program, whether it be inspiration or new knowledge.
At the moment, I am expanding my practice, opening other networks, focusing on recovering my Instagram account, on the FOX program, and evaluating other opportunities. I would like to be established in Miami in the future.
From the perspective of your profession, how do you see Miami in the future?
The automotive industry in Miami is very strong, so the potential is great, especially now that it has a date for the world's most important category. I'm excited to see what else this city, which conquers us Latinos from so many different perspectives, will attract.
Great! What message would you like to give to our readers?
I encourage them to live the life they want, to dream and work to fulfill their dreams. It's not always easy, but it's key to set achievable goals. Once they reach them, it motivates them to go for more, and before they know it, the goal is achieved, and they are already thinking about something bigger.
I loved it! How can we find you on social media and contact you?
https://instagram.com/soylaufgallego
https://instagram.com/mdm_moving?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Thank you very much!
You're welcome!!!