Winning the account of New York’s largest medical provider, Northwell Health, right before the COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique opportunity for Horizon Media, says VP and Managing Director Arminda “Mindy” Guillama-Rodriguez. “Our job was to get the word out, get out there and speak to as many people as possible,” she recalls. “It felt good to work on something that was actually making an impact on people.”

The pandemic had a major impact on her home life, too. Working remotely allowed her to discover just how “capable” she is, caring for her two kids and charging ahead as an agency leader without skipping a beat. And that blurring of work-life boundaries was a blessing in disguise that allowed Guillama-Rodriguez, who is heavily involved with business resource group Horizon Unidos, to reconnect with her Hispanic heritage. “I left a lot of myself at home as a minority [coming into work]. Now it feels like you really can bring your whole self.”

See all of Ad Age's 2021 Leading Women U.S. and Europe here.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I’d say: You will be able to succeed and also have a life, just give yourself some grace. I was very “type A,” needing to get things done, and while I still think that’s important, I would tell any young person entering any industry to not sacrifice your personal life.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

I don’t think of things as being risks. I’m not necessarily a jump-first, look-later person, but I’m very optimistic and I feel like if you put your mind behind something and really try, you might fail but you’ll get there eventually. But the biggest leap of faith? Probably moving to New York with no money and assuming I’d be able to work in advertising.

If you weren’t doing your current job what would you be doing and why?

Some of the things that I love are the relationships with clients, mentors and teams that I can develop in my current job. I always joke that I would either be a diplomat or a therapist if I wasn’t in advertising.

What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks?

As progressive and open-minded as this industry is, I think we need to do a lot more education at the top leadership levels on what diversity means. But we are doing a better job of recruiting and teaching people about the industry, especially reaching out to colleges. Growing up in Miami, I had zero exposure to advertising; it was only after moving to the Northeast that I even considered it as a career.

See all of Ad Age's 2021 Leading Women U.S. and Europe here.