Why Being Good at Many Things Feels Like a Career Curse—Until It’s Not

I’ve been haunted by a phrase my aunt once told me: “Apprentice in everything, expert in nothing.” It’s the kind of saying that lingers in the back of your mind, surfacing at unexpected moments, forcing you to question everything. For years, I’ve asked myself: Is that me?

I was born in Mexico City and grew up in Guadalajara. Then, in my late 20s, I moved to New York City with dreams of continuing my career as a musician with my band Sweet Electra alongside my bandmate Nardiz Cooke. But New York, as it often does, had other plans for me. Like so many others, I arrived with ambition but had to learn survival first. I juggled jobs—some bizarre, some entertaining, some utterly frustrating.

We made it to the cover of an electronic music magazine

I took care of a privileged teenager on the Upper East Side, working for a mother obsessed with engineering her child’s success. It was easy money for doing next to nothing. Then I became a restaurant host at now closed Hecho en Dumbo—chaotic, full of partying, bad pay, but unforgettable nights. That led to event planning in the Lower East Side at Casa Mezcal. Somewhere along the way, I started managing social media for musician friends, which snowballed into my first office job in Univision’s digital media department.

Booking Latin Jazz at hecho en Dumbo in the Lower East Side

I remember walking into that office and thinking: I’m part of the city now. Even if I wasn’t particularly excited about Univision’s content, the simple fact of going to work in a corporate environment made me feel like I had “made it.”

That job opened doors, and I pivoted into advertising, running social media marketing for major brands. My first client? HBO Latino. My first assignment? Watching Game of Thrones—all three seasons at the time—and developing content around it. I finally saw the value in my mix of skills: film studies, music production, writing, and creative strategy. From there, I worked with Nissan, BET, the Latin Grammys, and more. But as is common in advertising, agencies merged, collapsed, and restructured.

Eventually, I took a job at a fintech startup—despite knowing next to nothing about finance. But in true Mexican fashion, I figured it out. Gone were the big-budget campaigns and agency life; I was now working in a tiny apartment-turned-office with a small team of eight. My role involved producing video classes, livestreams, and content strategies. The work wasn’t thrilling, but I learned a lot. After four years, and the CEO claiming he was not doing well financially, I was laid off. A brutal but unsurprising reality.

And that brings me to now.

I’ve spent my career shape-shifting. One day, I’m playing on stage. Next, I’m booking shows and DJing at a restaurant. Then, I’m writing synopses for El Chavo del Ocho or leading livestreams with Canelo Álvarez or BET. I’ve got the amazing opportunity to interview Carlos Santana, covered Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Ballers premieres, and produced stock market education for Latino audiences, as well as meeting amazing musicians and performers from the jazz and Latino music scene in NY.

After I got laid off in 2023 from that small fintech startup, I faced a dilemma: find a new job immediately or take a risk. I chose the latter. I applied for jobs I wanted to work with and feel passionate about. But my biggest challenge wasn’t the job hunt—it was my résumé.

Recruiters didn’t know where to place me. Was I a strategist? A video editor? A music producer? A social media marketer? They wanted me to pick one lane. But I didn’t want to.

The times that I was a Social Media Strategist with my client HBO Latino. This is Juanes for the launch of his video album “Mis Planes son A Marte”

Then, I remember an interview where I casually mentioned my band and music production work. The interviewer’s response? Why isn’t this on your résumé? That moment stuck with me. When I started including everything—the music, the content creation, the marketing, the entrepreneurship—interviewers became confused. I imagined them thinking, Who is this guy? What does he want?

But that’s the thing—I want all of it.

Below is one of the many ‘Unfortunately’ email responses I received after applying for jobs and completing multiple interviews.

Many colleagues have asked me why I work in an office at all. They see me as someone meant to create, to lead, to build something of my own. And for years, I dismissed that idea. I never felt expert enough. That damn phrase—apprentice in everything, expert in nothing—kept coming back.

But now? Now I see it differently.

I run Sonidorama, where I work directly with clients, manage a team, and bring creative ideas to life. I started a YouTube channel, where I script, film, edit, and produce deep dives on vintage synthesizers and the music that defined them. And I restore and sell vintage gear on Etsy—Walkmans, cassette players, cameras, toys—meticulously bringing them back to life like a form of therapy and making a profit from it.

My YouTube channel, Nostalgic Explorer, is dedicated to synth and vintage gear reviews, along with the history behind them.

A great review of my Etsy store, Nostalgic Explorers

Another amazing review on my Etsy Store

Each of these areas demands a unique skill set—video and audio production, writing, marketing, SEO, client management, scriptwriting, customer service, repair skills (like soldering and electronics), music, research, budgeting, PR, journalism, website maintenance, and community building. And guess what? I’ve mastered them all.

Companies often overlook the value of adaptability. They want candidates who can do it all, yet when they see a résumé that reflects that, they hesitate. But being a musician who became an event planner who became a fintech marketer is not a weakness—it’s proof that I can thrive in any environment. Isn’t adaptability what every job description claims to value?

If you’ve ever felt like your experience is “too all over the place,” trust me—you’re not alone. And if companies can’t see the value in that? Then start your own thing. It’s terrifying, but it’s possible.

I never imagined I’d be doing all these things when I first arrived in New York. But I made it happen. Some days are tough, yes. But is it worth it?

Absolutely.