Estrada went to the UNAM in Xochimilco to study psychology. She decided not to follow that career soon after, however, and she asked to have her major changed. Given a choice of new classes she could take, she chose communications, in part because her father was a journalist and her mother an actress.
Before graduating from the UNAM in 1978, Estrada had already been hired by Televisa. She made history at Televisa by becoming the first woman producer in Mexican television history, but her beginnings were humble: at first, no celebrity wanted to work with her. Over the years this has changed, however, and she has produced some of Mexico's (and Latin America's) most famous soap operas, while working with such famous actors as Adamari Lopez, Ludwika Paleta, Gabriela Roel and many more. Estrada was asked to produce soap operas for Televisa by Victor Hugo O' Farril. Her first soap opera was Pobre Juventud. Before that, she had been the producer of the teen-oriented show, XETU, where many superstars, such as Gloria Trevi, participated.
Estrada has spoken about the abuse she had to go through during the production of Pobre Juventud, both on the mental and pshysical aspect. According to her, she was subjected to mistreatings by her own employees, who went as far as hitting her on her legs with a cable once, because they were not used to have a woman boss.
Carla Estrada is considered by many, including personal friend Cristina Saralegui, to be the greatest soap opera producer in Mexico, and her soap operas generally have wide international acceptance. One of her projects, Amor Real, was once watched by 59 percent of the Mexican audience.