Caterina Balzano – mostly known as Cata Balzano – is a journalist, world traveler, fashion guru, keynote speaker, entrepreneur and soon-to-be author.
She recently relocated to Miami, after nearly five years in Europe – splitting her time between London, The French Riviera and Rome – where she wrote and reported stories on-camera and online for an array of international media outlets. A great fraction of her time in between was spent studying all aspects of culture as well as fashion and entertainment through books, photography and social media, however, after living in eight different cities (and counting) across the globe, she credits her broad views of the world and her empathy for the many phases of the human condition to her travels. With a Colombian-Italian heritage, she has so much more to be admired for than meets the eye, and this website is a pure depiction of Cata’s career journey and her passions, displayed within an endless roster of articles and on-camera work that she has accomplished since 2015.
Becoming a Journalist
At 23 years old, while living in Miami – a city close to her native Coral Springs – Cata began a fruitful career in journalism. As a student reporter at the South Florida News Service, she successfully published various articles that were picked up by the Miami Herald in 2015 – also the year in which she began writing for the media company and watched her career take off. In 2016, she founded Cata Balzano, Inc., an independently-owned company, through which she would provide multimedia content creation and distribution services to brands and media companies.
In a span of five years, Cata has fully built a self-sustained media brand and she now contributes to Variety, Billboard, NBCUniversal Telemundo, The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, Miami New Times, Miami.com, Indulge and Ink Global’s Nexos Magazine. While honing expertise in covering fashion and entertainment news, Cata also has experience in travel, community, business, entrepreneurship, LGBTQ issues, health and wellness. In the past, she was affiliated with Cox Media Group‘s MundoHispánico as a multimedia journalist serving as a Miami correspondent.
In 2017, Cata got her first big break on television starring as co-host on A 90 Millas, a daily talk show on AmericaTevé. Working along with Rick Sanchez – the lead host of the show – she learned valuable skills of television broadcasting, reporting and producing for a daily show.
“I didn’t choose my career. It chose me. It found me while I was lost and soul-searching at while living in New York. When I finally saw who I am and accepted my authentic self, I found my way to it and through it, and here I am.”
Her work ethic, will to succeed and tact with speaking to mass audiences and interviewing recognized names in the entertainment industry, quickly earned her a name in the journalism field. Highly experienced with red carpet events and award ceremonies, as well as fashion mega-events that include the Latin Grammys, Latin Billboards, Miami Swim Week, Miami Fashion Week and yearly award shows and galas, Cata has interviewed recognized names in the Anglo-American and Latin-American entertainment industry such as Hugh Jackman, Paris Hilton, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Taron Egerton, Trey Songz, DJ Khaled, J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Maluma, Steve Aoki, Jackie Cruz, Giuliana Rancic, Prince Royce, Juanes, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Foxx- to name a few. Big fashion industry names including Hernan Zajar, Mara Hoffman, Kate Lanphear, Rene Ruiz and Marie Saint Pierre have also had a sit-down with Cata.
“I’m constantly eager to grow and learn more. You can never be too good or too experienced. In this field, when I cover events, I look around and I’m usually the youngest person in the room, and that’s such a blessing to me, to constantly be surrounded by amazing people who have been doing this for years and who I can learn from, and ask questions to. I like to take that experience that I soak up and transmit it to younger girls who look up to me. Giving forward just works that way, and I love being part of that cycle. Inspiring is my true mission on this earth.”
Making Bold Decisions
Cata’s first big risk was in 2010 when she picked up and moved alone to New York City to study acting. Alone in the Big Apple and just 18 years old, she recalls how she found her passions and purpose. “I realized what I truly wanted out of life, and New York, being the tough city that it is, taught me how to go out and get it.”
In 2012, after 2 years of theatre studies, Cata continued her career path in something she loved more than acting: journalism. She fully focused on studying communications and relocated to Miami with her mother. Three years later she would be the youngest entertainment journalist working for the most important newspaper in the city. At 25 she would complete her lifelong dream of starting a career on television, and at 26, she would drop everything and take one last risk: move to London and start from scratch.
“I’ve always been a goal-getter. I put my head into a project, and nobody can take me out of it. I don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and I decide when I’m done with it. I don’t believe in half-ass jobs. You either go big or don’t do it at all. I knew I had to go to New York. I knew something major was going to happen in me and to me.”
Today Cata Balzano Inc, operates internationally – between US and UK – while Cata continues serving a fast-growing roster of clients, including some of the most prominent media publications in the world, looking to have her join as a contributor and correspondent.
Living From Inspiration
Though she claims to be ‘never not working,’ in her spare time you can find her blogging, reading, or her favorite: Streaming a series with some take-out Pad Thai.
“Spending time alone is one of the things I actually enjoy most. I think I’ve been so alone (and not lonely – just by myself) at so many key moments in my life where I have come up with great ideas or realizations, that doing that has become my therapy. I’m very comfortable with myself, by myself. Disconnecting from everyone and just relaxing at home is my favorite thing to do.”
Another thing Cata enjoys: giving back to young girls and inspiring those who want to work in her field.
Her extensive list of career goals that through work and focus she has accomplished have continuously helped her incline towards helping young women find their passions and themselves. She believes teenagers are the most adrift within those years of self-seeking and that small things such as fashion and a change in personal perspective can help shift and elevate self-esteem.
“Through fashion and style, I believe teenagers could step out of their comfort zone, and come to realize how beautiful they are in their own way. We all have beauty. Society’s standards of perfection and the ‘ideally attractive person,’ are played out. In this world, you need to create your own standard and your own rules. Once you know who you are and what you want, you can go out and conquer your dreams and slowly doors start opening. I was once a confused teenager. We all were at one point. I had a brief idea of what I wanted, but I was too busy figuring out who I was and learning how to love myself. Time, travel and fashion gave me the answers I was looking for. I want to help girls find their answers too.”
