Be assertive. Do not allow your timidness to get the best of you. Ask – always ask! Act like the dumbest person in the room – your brain will thank you for it, trust me.
Vicky Llerena is the CEO of Social Vibes Media, a digital marketing agency focused on helping small businesses increase their online visibility and brand presence. Vicky brings with her over ten years of experience having worked at Univision WXTV-41 and PRNewswire. Vicky was recently named Top 25 Brand Builder by Leading Women Entrepreneur. She works with the small business community, such as Rising Tide Capital, NJ Tech Council, Fownders, and Small Business Development Center to teach entrepreneurs how to obtain online customers through social media. She also serves as the social media ambassador for the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, she took part in the first cohort of Lead Hudson County – a training program to help build community leaders in Hudson County. Vicky was featured in NJBiz, Huffington Post, CEO Blog Nation, and many more media outlets.
Where did the idea for Social Vibes Media come from?
The truth? I got tired of working for corporate. Corporate was a learning experience at it conditioned me to be disciplined, but not creative. I worked for PRNewswire (my corporate job) and learned the ins and outs of the business and how the industry transformed from text to multimedia releases. I started freelancing for friends and family. The goal was to save enough capital and leave in one year to launch my business. Everyone looks for financial freedom and a different motivation when one launches his/her business – I was chasing that same feeling.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
The fun part about my job is that there is NO typical day. I am in and out of meetings. Taking phone calls from the car and heading to the office for our team meetings. Productive days only exist in your head (or at least in theory). I suppose if I can go to bed and say “Yes! I was able to get that done or close that deal today”- I had a productive day. But usually, the day only leaves you with more ideas and tasks for the next day — this is a good and bad thing.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ideas come from meeting people, attending events and workshops, reading, and listening to other’s stories. I always wanted to be a reporter and interview interesting people, never became one but being a marketing strategist, business consultant, and social media influencer had allowed me to dig deep into the lives of other entrepreneurs and organizations and share their story with the world — which I love!
What’s one trend that excites you?
AI ! I implore you to look up Ray Kurzweil and his assertion that humans will become hybrid creaturs with a chip installed in our bodies. He created the singularity theory – asserting that technology evolved at an exponential rate and will evolve much faster than our human brains – scary, huh?
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
Be assertive. Do not allow your timidness to get the best of you. Ask – always ask! Act like the dumbest person in the room – your brain will thank you for it, trust me.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to eat healthy meals, hit the gym, and open up two whole life insurance plans and index fund portfolio.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
That Neil Armstrong never made it to the moon – NASA just had a strong PR team and marketing campaign.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Download a lot of audio books, connect with organizations that align with your goals, and brand yourself as an industry expert.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Can anyone create an app that allows women with long nails to type? OR an app that integrates all popularly used travel apps: travel guides, airbnb, bookings, etc.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Well… I spent it on security cameras. Why not?
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I have tons: Trello, Gsuite, Nimble, Buffer, HubSpot (free resources), Google Trands, HARO, and Canva.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Hands down, one of the best books to read is Dr. Wayne Dyer “Wishes Fulfilled” . This is a must read of any entrepreneur. The book is more than just a skill of manifestation — the book focuses on mind set. We are so cluttered with negative , regressive mindset that we do not focus on the goals. Dr. Dyer asserts that we must visualize our goals or desires and become that desire. But more than that, he shows you how. I’m obsessed with the psychology of the mind and how we make decisions; after all, I am a marketing strategist. But I am even more obsessed with Dr. Dyer’s forward thinking mindset. Don’t hold yourself back – dreams die if you let them, but a shift in mindset can transform you into a limitless entrepreneur.
What is your favorite quote?
I wrote this quote for one of my IG posts and it always reminds me on MY purpose:
“I’d like to think that some way , somehow , we are all connected . That our lives have greater purpose beyond our minuscule world ???? I’d like to think that there is no such thing as second chances , only your own will to change and grow . I’d like to think that you attract what you reflect and experience is meant to be your best teacher ???? I’d like to believe that when we are old and saggy , we chuckle with great satisfaction at the life we lived and NOT the one we wished we lived”
Key Learnings:
- Connect with others. I often found that the most interesting conversations happened during the most unexpected situations: on a train ride, at a coffee shop, in line at supermarket, etc. We love to connect with others; it’s part of our inherent human nature. Allow yourself to genuinely connect with strangers (of course, with precautions) because some of these folks might be potential prospects, business partners, or angel investors.
- Develop mentors in your life. I never claim to know it all nor do I ever want to know it all. My goal is to absorb as much information as possible from my much wiser group of friends. I can attribute mentorship to my growth and success. My mentors have helped me develop habits, open resources, and create a strategy that otherwise would be difficult to figure out.
- Be grateful, damn it!
Connect:
Vicky Llerena on Linkedin:
Vicky Llerena on Instagram:
Social Vibes on Twitter:
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.