Meet Rey White of Tesón Magazine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rey White.

Hi Rey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Rey White and I’m from Georgia. I always loved foreign languages and I majored in Spanish in college. Throughout my Spanish learning journey and interpreter career I realized that a lot of people were shocked to see a black person speaking Spanish. Most didn’t even know that black people existed in Latin America. This is primarily because there is a lack of black representation in Spanish-language media outlets.

When I started to travel to places like Colombia and Panama, I had the opportunity to meet people in the black communities there. When I got back home, I wanted to stay connected, but I wasn’t able to find any information on social media or the internet. So I decided to create my own global magazine and media platform that brings visibility to Afro-Latinos entrepreneurs and creatives who are making an impact throughout Latin America and the United States.

Tesón Magazine has a wide reach in Colombia, Panamá, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and the United States. We are continuing to grow! We may be from different countries across the diaspora, but Afro-descendants have so much more in common than differences. People are loving the representation and ability to connect with people who look like them across the globe.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The behind the scenes operations have definitely been trial and error. My team is spread out and that alone is an adjustment. You are dealing with different time zones, styles of communication, and work ethic. I have been blessed to have some solid team members that are still with me today. They naturally get the vision, understand the vision and I can delegate tasks to them. But there have also been some that didn’t work out. They turned in assignments late or gave me something completely different than what I asked for.

It has been a lesson for me though. I’ve learned how I can better communicate what I need, the importance of having SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and to speak up quickly when I notice an issue. Many of those who don’t get it right away are still very open to constructive criticism and want to grow. So overall it has still been a positive experience.

We’ve been impressed with Tesón Magazine, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Tesón Magazine is one of the only magazines in the world that truly focuses on giving Afro-Latinos the visibility and opportunities they deserve. We leave the majority of our content in Spanish especially if that is the native language of the person we are interviewing. We do it unapologetically because still today many people can not mentally associate the Spanish language with darker skin tones. We have to continue to break the stereotypes, create more representation and present role models for the next generation. Tesón means tenacity in Spanish. It’s a characteristic that I feel any entrepreneur or creative has to have in order to be successful.

I am most proud of the global community that has been created through Tesón Magazine. We collaborate internationally with photographers, stylists, content creators, correspondents, writers and graphic designers to help bring our vision to life. This allows them to build their portfolios and many have gained friendships, partnerships and other business opportunities through our platform. To watch our team flourish and grow has been very rewarding.

One of my major goals is to encourage others to also grow their global network. There are so many people across the world that are ready and willing to collaborate, trade or engage with your services or products. At Tesón Magazine we help people get that international reach and recognition. We provide advertising, marketing and media coverage opportunities to businesses and professionals who are looking to expand. We can also customize opportunities depending on your specific target regions. Opportunities are available through our magazine, website, newsletter and our social media platforms.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Like: I love that Atlanta is an international city. You can connect with so many people who are from all over the world. It’s also place that welcomes entrepreneurship and there lots to do.

Dislike: The traffic! Atlanta has grown so much in the past decade, so I guess that comes with the territory. LOL.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tesonmagazine.com
• Instagram: @rey_of_sunshyne @tesonmagazine
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rey-white-a06195425
• Youtube: @tesonmagazine