Meet R/GA's Carlos Molina
From education to advertising, Carlos Molina’s experiences have continued to teach him the importance of empathy and the ability to listen. Throughout his career, Carlos has worked on brands such as Alcon, Texas Oncology, Terumo, and Glaukos for both global and US clients. His skills in remaining calm, organised and optimistic with his internal teams and clients allow him to manage expectations and meet day-to-day deadlines, even during stressful situations. Here, he discusses his career so far with R/GA.
Q > Tell me about your career. What was your path to where you are today?
Carlos Molina > Through my professor’s lectures and sharing her personal experiences, she inspired me to pursue a career in advertising. In 2015, I began my career in advertising by starting at McCann Worldgroup through MAIP (Multicultural Advertising Intern Program). Following that in 2016, I moved to Austin for an internship, then became a full-time project coordinator at HCB Health, a healthcare marketing agency. I worked and managed healthcare brands such as Alcon, Glaukos, TERUMO, and Texas Oncology for over three years. Eventually, my goal is to go back to school to pursue my doctorate degree to teach and share my experiences and inspire students interested in the same field. I personally feel experiences tied to lectures keep students engaged and interested in wanting to learn more about advertising and marketing.
Q > What work do you currently find interesting?
Carlos > Being an avid concert-goer, I am fascinated by the way artists, labels, and marketing teams have found a way to record and currently release music. But also promote live music events such as Zoom album release parties, music award shows, live stream concerts, and drag shows given the current situation in the safest way possible.
Q > Do you have a mentor? How have they helped you in your career development?
Carlos > My current mentor is the one I paired with during MAIP. Since then, Jeremy and I not only kept in touch, but we had the opportunity to work together a few years later. He not only has he helped me professionally but has personally allowed me to come out of my shell and gain confidence for who I am to live my best life.
Q > When did you realise that you wanted to be a producer?
Carlos > Finding a solution when working with all types of personalities has been a consistent theme in this field that keeps the job fun. When I worked for my university’s magazine, I became adaptable, patient, and developed empathy to understand and come up with a solution for any situation that might arise.
Q > What advice do you have for up and coming producers?
Carlos > My beautiful, brilliant future producers, don’t be hard on yourself. You are enough and you are loved.
Q > What do you dedicate your time outside of work?
Carlos > I love live music, collecting signed records, taking conceptual photos, and editing them in Photoshop. I enjoy putting looks together for a concert and thinking about my next costume for Halloween. I recently rediscovered Pokemon Go, which has also helped me stay active while I have been in quarantine. #skinnylegend
