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Now, here are some brand-new quick takes on starting a business from entrepreneurs featured in Generation Si!
ANDRIANA OLIVA - Founder & CEO of theAOinsight Group
Andriana Oliva - Unafraid to jump in & start a business, even when she didn't have everything figured out
INDUSTRY: Digital Media, Communications
OLIVA ON THE RIGHT MINDSET TO HAVE WHEN NETWORKING:
“For me, one of the most important things is being able to meet people, being able to also connect with them in a way where you can also reciprocate… where they’re top of mind for you, too [so you can also help them].”
WENDY PLATÓN – Certified Public Accountant
INDUSTRY: Accounting
Wendy Platón, CPA - Refused to let becoming a teenaged mom keep her from becoming a college graduate and, eventually, starting her own accounting firm
PLATÓN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FAILURES:
“Enjoy the process. Enjoy the failures. Because those failures are what built your character and [will] build the best ideas for what’s to come.”
CONCHIE FERNÁNDEZ – Founding Partner of CF Creative
INDUSTRY: Communications
Conchie Fernández - Nominated herself for a national award and won
FERNÁNDEZ ON CREDIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR MESSAGING AND YOUR WEBSITE:
“A lot of us are really good at what we do. But, especially, immigrants and, especially, people who don’t have English as a first language… when it comes to building your websites and response to bids and explaining themselves and selling themselves, they struggle. So I try to break [it] down and say, 'Big corporations and the government want to do business with you, so you better get out there… If you’re not good at writing, find a writer to write for you. But you have to have… at least a good website and you have to have good copy so that you’re believable.'”
ALEJANDRA AND MABEL AGUIRRE – Co-founders of Cadena Collective
INDUSTRY: E-commerce/Artisanal Goods
Alejandra Aguirre - Uses humor and cultural themes to build up a large social media following for the business she co-owns with her sister, Mabel
Mabel Aguirre - Shifted from serving as U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant to co-owning an artisanal e-commerce site with her sister, Alejandra
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THINKING NOT JUST ABOUT THE BUSINESS YOU WANT TO START, BUT ALSO YOUR FUTURE LIFESTYLE:
ALEJANDRA: “People are saying we are in the middle of the Great Resignation. So it’s probably the perfect time to take a leap and [join] thousands of other Americans in figuring out what kind of lifestyle they want to be living…”
MABEL: “It’s a matter of what you want to pursue and what you want the rest of your life to look like.”
PRISCILLA AZZOLINI – Co-founder of Different Perspective
INDUSTRY: Advertising
Priscilla Azzolini - Making community service a central part of her life & business with her husband, Hugo
ON WHY YOU CAN’T ALWAYS TRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCT:
"I don’t know if you can trust your gut when you’re starting… Maybe you just need the time to develop [your gut instinct]."
ANTHONY SANTOS – Founder & CEO of Kaizen Talent
Industry: Recruiting (Tech & Health Care)
Anthony Santos - Not letting a lack of a college degree prevent him from seeking learning opportunities daily & starting his own recruiting business
SANTOS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CURIOSITY AND HOW HE CAN TELL IF A JOB CANDIDATE HAS IT:
“You can teach skills… If someone is a developer and they’re good, you can teach them another programming language. If you have a recruiter, you can teach them the components of recruiting and sourcing strategies. But if that person is just not a curious person – if they’re not going to ask the extra questions to learn, having that drive, self-initiative to do it… those things I see in an interview – by the way they ask questions. By the way they follow up. By the types of questions they ask.”
ERICA MARTINEZ-ROSE - Founder & CEO of Tech Rage IT
INDUSTRY: Tech
Erica Martinez-Rose - Learning, and sharing with others, that it's ok to discuss business success with clients
MARTINEZ-ROSE ON OVEREXTENDING YOURSELF FINANCIALLY FOR YOUR START-UP:
“It can be a very slippery slope, if you just keep borrowing money and borrowing money... At what point do you say, I need to close. This is just not working. I’m putting myself into [too much] debt.”
BONUS TIP FROM ERICA MARTINEZ-ROSE:
ON NOT BEING SHY ABOUT TELLING CUSTOMERS ABOUT YOUR SUCCESSES (Note: I really wanted to include this one because I’ve noticed this is especially a problem for women in business, including yours truly):
“I hate bragging, but I know it’s so important because clients need to know that you’re an established business. But I’m coming to terms with – it’s not bragging. I’m just telling you our successes."
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
2022: THE TRENDS YOU NEED TO KNOW
It's a new year, but do you know what the new ideas and trends are? Find out the latest consumer behaviors, the latest on demographics and the industries that are thriving. All these insights can help you figure out your small business' game plan for 2022.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
2022's Hottest Businesses, Markets & Trends
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Virtual Webinar
1 p.m. EST - 2 p.m. EST
FREE
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
MANAGING RISK & UNCERTAINTY - A CASE STUDY OF AMAZON'S JEFF BEZOS
Risk and uncertainty can definitely increase stress. I think we deal better when we learn how others have managed risk and uncertainty and feel like we're not alone. That's why I thought this FREE webinar would be really interesting. It looks at it through an analysis of a well-known risk-taker, Amazon's Jeff Bezos. And even though we'll likely never face his pressures nor see his billions, it sure made me feel like the uncertainties I face are universal, to a certain extent. I thought you might feel like you're in good company, too, facing these kinds of challenges head-on in life.
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
New Year, New Business Series – Part 1 of 5 – Learning from the best: The Jeff Bezos Story from a Risk Management Perspective
Wednesday, January 5, 2021
Virtual Webinar
12 p.m. EST - 1 p.m. EST
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/learning-best-jeff-bezos-story-risk-management-perspective
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
Sometimes, you just want advice in quick, easy-to-digest bites. So I thought I'd kick off 2022 with some quick takes/tips from Latino entrepreneurs who have pushed the envelope, learned from mistakes and succeeded in adapting to the challenges of starting a business in this crazy time.
I look forward to sharing with you in upcoming newsletters new interviews of small business owners and their best advice on helping you start your business.
I'll stay on top of the people who are shaping their respective industries and bring you actionable tips. You'll build confidence and get the expertise to make the best decisions as you turn that start-up dream into reality in 2022 and beyond.
By the way, if you're curious about the sketches I post, they're from my favorite entrepreneur of them all - my dad, Ivo Drpic. ❤️
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