Twenty-three-year-old Leo Carmona is just like any other Fresno State student. He majors in business administration with an emphasis in marketing, commuting from Visalia twice a week. He frequently goes on Dutch Bros Coffee runs and trips to Target. He loves dogs, yoga and Nicki Minaj. 

However, Carmona does all of this with thousands of eyes watching him every day.

“I’m a part-time student and full-time content creator who focuses on lifestyle, beauty and just being open and authentic,” Carmona said.

Carmona has been fashioning his online persona for almost a decade. Social media has had a positive influence on Carmona’s life. He’s done sponsorships with brands like Curology and CeraVe and received public relations (PR) packages from Tower28 Beauty, Sol de Janeiro and more. 

Beyond that, he also loves how the algorithm feeds his interests and niches.

Chevelle Mitchell, one of Carmona’s best friends, values how Carmona balances his genuine nature with his online presence as a content creator. 

“Even though he is pretty out there on social media, he’s very, very authentic with all his friendships,” Mitchell said. “And exactly how he is in person is how he’s able to portray himself on camera too.”

Although being online has its perks, many influencers openly struggle with mental health when trying to maintain their perfectly polished social media selves. Carmona struggled with this at the beginning of the year.

“I felt like I was doing a lot of things that were unauthentic to myself,” Carmona said. “Unfortunately, I fell into a trap of having to continue and perform, and in a way, kind of just go on autopilot to fulfill all of my needs that were school assignments, work deliverables and so on.”

Carmona decided he was ready to begin fulfilling his own needs. He posted a video to his Instagram account, which has over 43,000 followers, on Aug. 6.

“I’m not happy,” Carmona said in the video. “I can’t believe I just said that on the internet.”

He continued the video explaining that going forward, his videos would pivot, in hopes that his content would better represent who he really is.

“It takes a lot for him to open up or to admit that maybe something could be a little bit difficult for him, but he keeps pushing through it,” Mitchell said.

His biggest piece of advice is to advocate for yourself, in whatever way that means for you. Carmona’s online presence continues to push that narrative, but he also carries these principles into every aspect of his life.

“I went into college being a nursing major, and I even got my CNA (certified nursing assistant) license,” Carmona said. “I did two years of nursing school, and that wasn’t fulfilling me. And when I realigned myself, and I found business and marketing, that was very authentic to myself. Being able to pursue that outlet and that career has been really fulfilling.”

A big part of why Carmona does what he does is for his family.

“He’s the first-generation immigration son,” said Veronica Sanchez, Carmona’s mother. “He is brave, he is so lovely, smart. He’s respectful. He works so hard on his ideas, on his goals. He is finishing university, to get a good job, and helping us.”

Their household combines both Mexican and American culture and traditions. They make traditional Mexican foods like pozole, enchiladas and tamales, and love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 15.

Carmona has participated in Hispanic Heritage Month for four years now, which is an observation and celebration of Hispanic culture from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

“I think that it’s really, really beautiful to think of it as like a love letter to the Hispanic community, from just being able to tie together all the things that makes a person [unapologetically] Hispanic,” Carmona said.

Promoting Hispanic or Latino-owned businesses and creating ‘get ready with me’ videos in Spanish are a few of the many ways Carmona loves to tie his culture into his work in any way he can.

“Whenever I get a work opportunity to speak in Spanish, I always take advantage of it,” Carmona said. “When I do, I notice that my following gets kind of excited. I think it’s really cute, and they don’t expect it because I don’t talk about it on a daily basis.”

Ultimately, Carmona sums himself up as an August Leo. His favorite fun fact is that his name is Leo and his star sign is Leo. 

According to popular beliefs about astrology, the most common traits among Leos are confidence, charisma and passion. They dream big, and reach for the stars. Most of all, Leos have the courage to live authentically.

“I think that’s like a way that I like to live by, kind of like the golden rule, but like my version,” Carmona said. “Leo’s version.”