Latino Trailblazers: Cris Mercado on knocking on doors and tearing down walls

Latino Trailblazers is a new series by COCINA, where we celebrate and amplify Latino voices all year long, giving the mic to groundbreaking names who are changing the world for the better. It’s a forum to celebrate the love of community, the wins of today and share the wisdom we’ve learned.

Crisermy Mercado is a trailblazing designer and entrepreneur of Dominican origin. She has led projects for US networks such as CBS, NBC, CNBC, Amazon Prime, Telemundo and Univision, and has won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction and Set Design for her work on the "Kelly Clarkson Show." She has hosted and has been featured in several shows, most recently she most recently she was one of Chef Aarón Sánchez’s co-hosts in “El Toque de Aarón” on HOGAR de HGTV.

To my younger self:

You will find your way, even though it may sometimes seem like you won’t. Your moment will come.

You, who have always dreamed of living stories like the American TV series you spend hours watching, who have always dreamed of being in front of the cameras… you, who at just 8 years old, achieved your first dream of being on national TV dancing every week, and then saw that dream interrupted because your parents decided that learning a second language was more important than singing and dancing. Right now, you don’t understand it, and you cry in secret without them knowing because you always do what they say out of fear of making a mistake. I’m telling you, this was the best decision they could have made. Learning that second language will allow you to spread your wings and fly.

Although you sometimes don’t see it, you have been very fortunate because you have a family that has always been there, supporting you. You have suffered significant blows at an early age, such as the loss of your older brother, and you grieved in your own way, alone, because everyone experienced it differently. This will teach you to live in the present, because you will understand that life is brief and a gift that we often take for granted.

For a long time, you will be confused about which path to take

The pressure to decide at a young age what you will be as a professional is immense, but your love for the arts will prevail. Although now you don’t know whether to be an architect or an actress, the best decision will be to finish your degree. You wouldn’t believe it, but in a few years you will close that circle and return to the arts, combining all your passions into one: Production Design. The path to get there will not be easy. First, you will leave everything you have known in the Dominican Republic. Even you will find it hard to believe, but you will go from being a pampered child to becoming an independent woman in the blink of an eye.

Your days in the big city will be an emotional rollercoaster. Many nights, you will go to bed crying because you feel lonely and question everything. Although you have always loved that city, you will realize how tough and lonely it is, and at your first opportunity, you will run to the City of the Sun. You won’t think about returning to the DR, and I still don’t know if it’s out of pride or the desire to be someone you believed you couldn’t be on your half-island. I’m glad you didn’t think about returning.

You will go through many jobs: waitress, translator, secretary, receptionist, design assistant… But that night when you hand-traced a backdrop for a music video for more than 10 hours and then went to film without sleeping will be the day your professional life makes sense. Everything you have lived, studied, and sacrificed will have been worth it because that day you will discover production design and fall in love with it. Until today, we will be inseparable.

Yes, it is true that it will take you many years to find your passion and value your character and talents, but when you do, the sky will not be the limit. You will realize that your true passion has always been present and that, over the years, it has transformed into this beautiful blend of what your parents dreamed for you and what you dreamed for yourself.

From that moment on, you will have project after project. You will see all opportunities as unique and unrepeatable. You will work tirelessly and will not say no to anyone. Even when they ask you if you know how to use software you have never used in your life, you will say yes and go home to learn it without rest, all to get that dream job that will change your entire life.

You will travel the world, meet incredible people, and one day, on that dream job, you will have another important moment in your life: you will meet the father of your daughter (yes, you will have a beautiful baby girl). Without knowing it, you will pave the way for a beautiful and wonderful life together. It won’t be easy, as nothing valuable comes easy, but it will be worth it because you deserve it. You deserve to have your fairy tale, so hang in there.

And where does your desire to be on camera go?

It remains intact, but now it is not just a desire to be seen, but a desire to touch hearts and connect with people through your talent. You will be so fortunate to be able to do this on multiple occasions as a designer, changing the lives of many people.

So, keep striving, keep dreaming, and keep knocking on doors and tearing down walls. Listen to your inner voice, even when no one else agrees with every step you take. You and only you have the power to create this life that today is more than incredible.

Never stray from God. When you do, things don’t flow as they should. Remember that without Him, nothing is possible, and with Him, everything is. He will give you support when you feel like you are fading; He will illuminate the path when you don’t see it clearly; and He will accompany you in your moments of solitude. He will hold your hand and tell you, “The best is yet to come.”

Finally, your family and your roots will be key to your success.

Lean on them and embrace your heritage. It will take time to understand, but one of the best things that could have happened to you was growing up on your half-island with your family. Thanks to them, you will be able to create a solid family nucleus with your husband and your three children. One day, you will return to your island and have a home where you will create memories and continue to grow and dream.

With love,

Cris

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