Edwin Montero shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Edwin, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity is paramount in my life. I believe that If a person strives to personify integrity they will also have intelligence and abundant energy. Self-respect begins with integrity. I do my best to be about what I say I’m about.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Edwin Montero, I am an anthropologist, actor, martial artist, musician, reporter, and TV / social media host. I treasure my range of experience. Life happens, I go with the opportunity. This mentality has led me to work next to the best in the world in their respective fields, Marvel studios, D.C. Studios, World championship boxing matches for the WBA and WBC Championship Belts. I’v’e been blessed by being able to train next to Tae Kwon Do olympians, and even had a chance to compete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. What I believe makes me unique is that I was able to go to school in three different continents by the time I was fourteen years old due to my step dad-being in the military.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I grew up in a communal family structure in Panama City, Panama. I had love in every corner I turned. As a child, I always wanted to be a runner because I wanted to run up to the “Temple Bahá’i”, which was a bight dome on top of a hill that I could see from my home. But before anyone had a chance to tell me what to be, the first thing that I wanted in my life that took work and effort to get was a black belt in martial arts.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes. Almost every day. Only the strong survive, it’s truly survival of the fittest out here. My love of God, family, and country keeps me going. I have too many wins to quit, too many times God has made miracles in my life to turn back. I’m a very confident person, but those quiet moments when the work is not flowing in the way you would like, or when I’m in the company of negative individuals, that’s when it becomes challenging. You have to fight the want to quit, the fear, it’s a constant enemy, no matter how small it is, it wants to creep in. It’s almost a daily battle that I consistently win!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, but the public version is only a fraction of who I am. No one sees the trash that I have to pick up and throw away the moment I arrive from a movie set, lol. Or the dog poop that I have to walk around my neighborhood with in hand, due to my lovely dog. Cutting and maintaining my lawn is no joke! I constantly tell people, “my work is the vacation, when I get home, that’s where the real work is”. No one sees me at night praying, or in the morning before dawn putting away dishes. The public version is the real me, but I’m like an onion with multiple layers.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I had ten years left of life, I would stop arguing and bickering with everyone. I would show love to the fullest. Give money, give away fresh gear, pray everyday, hug my wife and tell her I love her 100 times a day, and call my mom and tell her that I love her 100 times a day as well.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @culturati7
- Facebook: Eddie Montero Culturati
Image Credits
All pictures shot by: Evelyn Fores-Montero
