“I love living. That fuels everything I do.”
Meet Idel Mena, Electriq’s team member of the month and one of the most valuable voices we have when it comes to crafting a killer online media campaign.
He’s brainstormed dozens of tailor-made social media strategies, published Instagram reels that have racked up millions of views, and consistently demonstrated an innate ability to elevate brands’ media presence into the stratosphere.
Read on to learn all about Idel’s unconventional upbringing and unique perspective, and discover what fuels a rising star in the social media management world.
Idel was born and raised in Cuba, spending his first nine years there. After his father moved to America, his family followed soon after.
“I had no access to the outside world for that period of my life,” Idel said. “Coming to America was absolutely insane. There was a whole other world I didn’t know about.”
He quickly took up an interest in science, enrolled in tough STEM classes in high school, and planned out a whole career path in the medical field.
“I thought I would be a doctor one day,” Idel said. “But I got to college and a semester in, I met some Cubans from Miami who were pursuing the arts. I had no idea that was even a possibility.”
Idel immediately applied to switch majors to a BFA in Photography, got in, and set out to forge a new path. Despite his lack of professional experience with photography and content creation, he’d been honing his craft long before university.
“I’ve always had a camera in my hand,” Idel said. “My family has photos of me holding my mom’s little camera at two years old.”
While in college, Idel traveled back and forth between Tallahassee and Europe, sightseeing and refining his photography skills in Madrid and abroad.
After brief stints in Los Angeles and back in Europe, Idel started working with Electriq in September of 2021 and moved back home to Miami. He entered his position primarily as a content creator but has since transitioned into a social media manager role.
“I never knew I could do this, that I’d be good at this,” Idel said. “It feels like I’m working but it doesn’t at the same time. I love my clients and my team, and I stand behind the brands I’m marketing.”
In addition to his photographic eye, Idel cites his unique perspective as integral to the way he composes and evaluates creative work.
“[Art] is all about how it makes me feel. Horror movies. Sad movies. I love Call Me By Your Name. That movie made me feel more than any other,” Idel said.
Movies made a big impact on Idel growing up. As a young kid, he went to the movie theater 8 separate times to watch James Cameron’s Avatar.
Today, he admires the work of Game of Thrones creators Dan Weiss and David Benioff along with the films of Oscar-winning writer-director, Guillermo Del Toro. One of his favorite aspects of filmmaking, beyond the intentionality of decision-making, is the incorporation of music into the mood and atmosphere.
“It all starts with music, even my love of photography,” Idel said. “I come from a country where music is always playing. Our break time in school was a dance party. It’s the only thing that’s gotten me through the hard times in my life.”
Idel admires artists like Rosalita who take months or even years to craft a single album, ensuring that the listening experience isn’t just rewarding but reveals unfolding layers on each new go-around.
“Any period of my life, I could tell you what album I was listening to and how it helped me,” Idel said. “I’ve lived all these things I was listening to. Love, heartbreak, homesickness.”
Now, when he listens to those same songs that guided him through his toughest moments, his feelings have changed. He feels a desire to give back, and to contribute his own experiences to the next listener parsing through their own difficult emotions.
And so, Idel released his first single, “Voy A La Playa”, in May of 2022. As Idel continues to refine his eye, part of his journey entails exposing himself to new places and new cultures.
“I want to see everything,” Idel said. “Egypt is my biggest dream. I’d love to do a three-week journey through the Sahara. I’m dying to see the rest of Brazil. Haven’t been to Asia. I want to know the world.
In every trip he’s taken, he’s met new people who have inspired him to add another two to his bucket list.
From a science-obsessed childhood to young adulthood spent refining his photographic eye and artistic sensibilities, Idel’s now adapted seamlessly to the cutting edge of social media and online marketing.
His passion for content creation and creative communication drives him to stimulate growth for brands he admires, like Immi Eats and Wine Connoisseur. And rather than leaving the workday feeling exhausted and burnt out, he comes back feeling excited to get started on a new project and create work with co-workers he loves.
“The most fulfilling part of my job is my co-workers,” Idel said. “The creative and social teams work hand-in-hand and I’ll love those people for the rest of my life. It’s beautiful to work in a company where everyone’s my age, and they’re all so talented. They do things that I’m inspired by constantly.”
If you’re interested, check out some of Idel’s visual work on his Instagram and his newest music on his Spotify and YouTube channels.
If you’re interested in working with energetic talent like Idel, schedule a consultation to discover how your brand can kickstart its growth into exponential territory.
While you’re waiting for your meeting date, browse our blog to learn more about the costs and benefits of social media marketing and how to market your brand to a younger generation.