Today we’d like to introduce you to Rianne Rivadeneira.
Rianne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Quito, Ecuador, and when I was five years old in first grade, I realized I liked to speak in public. I was enrolled in a females-only school and was the only girl there who would volunteer to memorize and recite poems in public. At age nine, I gave my first public speech to an audience of over 500 people also at my school in Ecuador to congratulate the best students. After that, I was invited to participate in poetry and speech contests. I also enjoyed acting at that age and with a classmate, we used to write our own scripts. I wanted to be an actress or a performer.
I came to the United States in 2000, with a bag full of dreams and $50 on my pocket. I had a friend here who helped me establish. The language was a challenge for me at first, but it never stopped me from going after my dreams and goals.
I started my own business selling pre-packed ice cream and later renting out ice cream trucks.
I got married after many years of living in Houston. My life then consisted of traveling around the world. I still pursued my acting career, but because of the constant traveling, I let pass some good opportunities. I have no regrets, after all, I was happy, collecting memories, and learning from different cultures.
After ten years of marriage, I got a divorce and was now by myself and with a major challenge. During my marriage, I didn’t work at what is considered a “real job.” I was dedicated to fitness instruction, and now I had to put myself back in the workforce.
I remember going to a business event and one of the panelists said: “necessity is the mother of all inventions.” She was right!
While looking for a job, I started thinking about something I could offer with my experience as an actress and my skills as a Spanish public speaker. I remembered that I had trouble sometimes making myself understood, and many times I lost my audience. I realized that I, as many Spanish speakers, got lost when someone who is not a native Spanish speaker would address to me. It was a moment when I realized I could combine my experience and knowledge of certain areas, such as safety leadership, that I could help individuals and organizations with my skills making in-person and video presentations, voice-overs, and proofreading (as I see all the time in material poorly translated into Spanish). I decided that this is what I wanted to focus on, helping individuals and organizations that want to reach a Hispanic market in and out of the United States or to help them to simply convey a positive message to a Spanish speaking audience. This is how Rent-A-Spanish Speaker was founded.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think one of the biggest challenges that I already overcame was the language barrier. Although I knew some, I went to school to learn proper English.
When I had trouble speaking English, I turned into a shy person. This affected me even when I spoke Spanish. Being able to overcome this was really what pushed me to do what I do now.
I started acting in TV commercials. I would book very often when the industry in Houston was good. Later, I decided to look for opportunities in the film industry. I took film acting classes, and that helped me regain my confidence. So, by the time I was looking for opportunities, I had my first one, a role in Derrick Fury’s film, Lion Killer. This has opened more doors for me.
Last year, I launched my business Rent-A-Spanish Speaker and I believe one of the main challenges for this business has been building a stable, reliable client portfolio. The key is to never give up, and keep pushing every day, looking for the next opportunity.
Rent-A-Spanish Speaker – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I founded Rent-A-Spanish Speaker to work with small businesses, groups, and large corporations who want to bring their goods and services to Spanish-speaking audiences to reach lucrative Latin markets both in the U.S. and abroad.
I am a native Spanish speaker fluent in English, a TV and film actress, spokesperson, and public speaker. I am passionate about spreading positive messages with audiences in business and group settings. I work as an independent contractor, saving clients’ money and costly insurance benefits.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success for me is something that is achieved by hard work. On our way to reach our goals, we may find obstacles big and small ones. We may even fall, but we have to get up and do some adjustments or look for different roads to make our dreams come true.
For me, being successful is reaching each of my goals and by doing so have a feeling of satisfaction and peace.
Contact Info:
- Website: riannerivadeneira.com
- Instagram: @yosoyrianne
- Other: rentaspanishspeaker.com
Image Credit:
Reinaldo Medina Photography, Kristine Canterbury Photography, Regina Ting Chen, Derrick Fury, Soledad Tanner
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