María Elena Rodríguez
Social Media & Influencer Marketing with Purpose
In a world consumed by AI, I lead people and purpose-driven brands find their voice through human kindness and radical authenticity.
About Maria Elena
I’m a fully bilingual Social Media & Influencer Marketing strategist with over 14 years in advertising agencies, now dedicating my career to helping people and purpose-driven brands find their voice through radical authenticity.
My career began in some of the most prestigious advertising agencies in Puerto Rico and evolved through US-Hispanic agencies in Miami and the US-General Market. Along the way, I’ve developed and executed cross-cultural strategies for brands like AT&T, T-Mobile, Neutrogena, and Jergens, blending creativity with data to ensure every campaign resonates, performs, and drives results. My foundation in PR and media has shaped how I approach influencer marketing—it’s where I learned the value of storytelling, relationships, and understanding what truly captures attention.
I’m known for my passion, my ability to keep the ball rolling, and my highly organized approach (digitally, please don’t look at my actual desk).
Outside of work, I love to write, spend time outdoors with my family, and practice yoga whenever I can.
If you’re looking for someone who can turn vision into voice, connect with audiences across both digital and traditional platforms, and deliver results through culturally driven storytelling, let’s connect.
María Elena’s Journey to Radical Authenticity:
After being laid off from the best job I ever had (remote, well-paid, and filled with beauty and fashion brands I adored) I finally had time to breathe. As much as I loved that chapter, I’d started feeling drained, like I was meant for something bigger.
So I took it as a sign to bet on myself. I invested in a career coaching program, reworked my entire professional identity, and started pitching myself directly to peers. One of the first things I started doing is use everything I learned during my years behind the scenes working at advertising agencies with social media and influencers, and start talking about my experiences openly and candidly. Showing myself exactly as I am.
And you know why it worked? Because in a world swamped by AI and bots, and HR departments solely ran by AI bots, there are still people willing to show up online exactly as who they are.
BRANDS THAT HAVE TRUSTED MY WORK:
MY UNIQUE SKILLS
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SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY & ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Over a decade of leading social media strategy and overseeing execution from an account management lens. I know how to turn ideas into stories that connect and perform. My approach blends creativity, cultural insight, and data to make every campaign feel intentional, human, and impactful.
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INFLUENCER MARKETING & PARTNERSHIP BUILDING
Building and nurturing relationships with key stakeholders, influencers, media, and diverse communities, transforming connections into lasting partnerships that amplify brand messages and drive business growth.
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STRATEGIC STORYTELLING & MEDIA RELATIONS
Skilled at public relations and strategic long-form content (i.e. blogs, newsletters, etc) that build trust, keep audiences engaged, and position brands and organizations as thought leaders.
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MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
Experienced in the U.S. Hispanic/ Latinx market and skilled at applying a DEI lens to the U.S. General Market, I know how to adapt messaging across diverse audiences while staying authentic and true to brand values.
RECCOMMENDATIONS:
“Having María Elena as the Account Executive of many of the brands that I managed can only be described as: #bliss! She's organized, always has a plan, is eager to make your life easier, has excellent communications skills, is clear and to the point when briefing and requesting action items. Is professional and tactful when providing feedback, and executes just the right amount of pressure to deliver work of excellence on a timely manner. María Elena is driven, passionate and fierce when it comes to her clients' projects as well as her personal dreams and achievement. She is impressively centered and wise beyond her years. Has an enviable eye for beauty, is extremely demanding with herself, and backs up her ambition with discipline and hard work. She's the perfect combination between being a badass hustler, and the sweetest, big hearted lady you will ever have the pleasure of working with!”
- Edmaris Carazo, ex-coworker at J. Walter Thompson
“Maria Elena is an outstanding communications professional that goes above and beyond when trying to achieve any goal. She is a great teamplayer that takes direction well and has a positive energy when working. It is always a pleasure to work with her in a project cause she is proactive, has strong writing and analytical skills, and works extremely well under high amount of pressure. I highly recommend working with her. She would definitely be an asset to any organization.”
- Betsy Pujols, ex-coworker at Republica Havas
“Maria Elena arrived to J Walter Thompson in a moment that we needed somebody to help us organize and lead 3 client accounts that were growing very fast in the digital department. Not only did she organized the accounts, but she also did it without having direct experience in digital accounts management. She learned very fast about digital processes and always had a big disposition to keep learning and implementing what she learned right away. You could see it day to day.
I would gladly recommend her for any position in marketing, advertising, public relations and digital, because she's a responsible, punctual, intelligent, dedicated and fast learning team player, that will help any team to do a better job and continue to grow.”
- Francisco Jiménez, ex-coworker at J. Walter Thompson
“María Elena is truly an asset to any team. Not only for highly organized skills, but for her always positive attitude. She can solve any problem in the most creative way, always with a smile. Her communication skills are so on point and her optimism always makes her stand out. This girl will make it happen. I will definitely recommend her in any marketing related position.”
- Paola Sánchez, ex-coworker at CoquiLabs
“Her media relations are excellent and the enthusiasm she brings to each and every project is contagious. She is well suited to face any challenge this industry may present. Her sense of responsibility and time management skills are also exceptional. I feel confident recommending her to any team that may benefit from her experience. Maria Elena is an extremely talented professional; everyone here is always happy to collaborate with her.”
- Maria Rosa Collazo, ex-supervisor at Republica Havas
Reach Out to learn more!
For questions or to schedule a quick introduction call, fill out this form.