Make It Happen: Juan Cano, Brand Manager at We Believers

By Imani Coaxum & Camila Brango

Juan Cano is a Brand Manager at We Believers and no stranger to the Center for Communication as he joined us as a panelist at Opportunities in Advertising & Marketing event last fall. Juan has worked with brands we all know and love such as Burger King, Doordash, and most recently Cheetos. Before working as the advertising visionary, Juan began his career journey as a student at Baruch college and attended one of our events as a student. We were lucky enough to chat with him recently about how networking with peers at our events, having a “make it happen” attitude, and he said how tapping into his strengths helped him thrive in a career he loves as a Brand Manager.

Juan told us that he enjoyed meeting his heroes at our events because it's aspirational hearing from media industry pros who once started out in the same position as you. However, the value also comes with the peers you meet at these events as well. 

“Show them what you can do”

When first coming into this industry, Juan faced challenges as a person of color but used his diverse perspective to his advantage. His “make it happen attitude” has followed him throughout his career and has gotten him through the challenges that come with being a person of color in the media industry. 

Confidence doesn’t come easy but Juan is no stranger to utilizing resources through programs that helped him become more confident. He advises students to tap into their own powers and prepare as much as they can for opportunities to articulate themselves. 

“Be a student of your craft”

In addition to preparation, Juan advises that being a student of your craft and constantly seeking to improve and learn is essential to having a successful career in media. This has helped him reach new heights in his career. 

Take notes because it’s actionable advice like this that takes your career to the next level as it did for Juan Cano. As a final piece of advice Juan mentioned that being kind and open to opportunities makes a huge difference in the long run. You never know where your journey will take you if you aren’t open, prepared, and ready to receive them and show everyone what you can do.