Melissa is a former pro soccer player and Olympian turned broadcaster and entrepreneur.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?
Digital / social media content creation. It taught me how to be find a niche, build community, and stay consistent. Also use my creativity.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
Inter Miami Messi Presentation
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
Being on LIVE tv and making sure you know all of the teams, players, stats et.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video and television?
Details, creativity, talent, and execution
How do you unwind from work mode?
Workout, run, play soccer
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to fuel your creativity?
I like to go on walks, sometimes watch other creatives in different industries
When did you know that this career is what you wanted to do?
A few years before retiring from professional soccer
What inspired you to join the field and create the kind of work you do?
There weren’t many Latinas in sports broadcasting when I was growing up. There also wasn’t much coverage of women’s sports. This inspired me to be a Latina voice in the industry same well as become a storyteller.
In your experience, what is a significant change happening in the video and television industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
Rights deals are impacting the way audience views sports, and specifically soccer. Digital is also continuing to be increasingly important in sports. That’s why the product (or game coverage) has to be so dynamic, entertaining, and full of energy to make sure you keep the audiences attention.
What’s a work tool you use every day and what’s one that is obsolete that you wish still existed?
Google Calendar lol and idk