Photographer Denise Vasquez IG @DeniseVasquezOfficial Entrepreneur Geraldine Convento IG @GeraldineConvento
What inspired you to start your own business?
My parents had me late in life. They were 35 and 38. My brother and sister are 10 and 12 years older than me. With the big age gap naturally, I grew up around adults. I never had one consistent caretaker. Since everyone in my family had full-time jobs working for other people and sometimes second jobs, I was always passed from one family member to another for babysitting. I loved everyone in my family but didn't like that we rarely were all together, so at a very young age I decided that when I grew up I wanted to own a business. My career as business owner started at age 24 totally by accident. I haven't looked back since.
How many businesses do you have?
I have 8 Revenue Generating Businesses and a few others in the works.
Were all of your businesses inspired by your passions?
Most of the businesses that I started were based on my passions and skill sets that I cultivated since my teen years. The newer ones were existing businesses that I was invited to be a part of because my team and I bring skill sets and infrastructure that my business partners don't have.
Are all of your businesses connected?
The ones that are related to marketing and web development are connected. The others are in completely different realms such as: Astrology, Social Justice, Music, and Personal Empowerment.
Do you prefer working alone, in a team environment or both?
I prefer to work in a team, I've come to realize that more gets done that way. The key to any thriving business is having people, processes, and systems that compliment the type of work you put out in the world.
What inspired you to attend CES?
I first attended CES in 2003 when I worked in the advertising industry. At that time I worked in telecommunications advertising and our main clients were Frontier Communications and Verizon Wireless. My bosses invited me to go and I was blown away with how many different businesses both small mom and pop as well as large brands that were there. It was exciting! Years later we were invited by our marketing clients to attend. This year in 2023, my partners and I decided to go to build new relationships and find opportunities to work with current brands around the world.
What do you love to do when you’re not working?
I love to read (about training your mind, marketing, and business leadership), do movement practice (such as yoga, primal movement, flow acrobatics, Systema Russian martial art), attend concerts, cook, host dinner parties, find new restaurants to try out and self care (massage, chiropractor, healing/spiritual ceremonies).
How do you balance work & life?
Now that I have a team and play more of a leadership role within my companies, I minimize the amount of meetings that I have during the week. This gives me a chance to have a couple hour morning routine which involves meditation, self-reflection, making breakfast, and getting ready for the day. I rarely ever skip this. It's my time to introspect and treat myself. There are some days out of the week that I work after traditional work hours, but for the most part I take evening and weekends off. I'm learning to go with the flow more. I also take the path of least resistance...I don't have meetings scheduled and am not feeling inspired to work during the day, I allow myself to take the day off then work later into the night.
Any advice for someone wanting to start their own business?
Try it out and see if it's for you. If it doesn't you can always go back to working for someone else. Many new business owners try it out and struggle. If you're in that scenario, remember that the key elements of being business for yourself are: mindset, communication, people, processes, marketing, and systems. This is true for any business whether you are doing it yourself without funding or doing it with others and have funding.
Many people may get discouraged because they are not proficient in any one of those areas, it just means you need mentors, collaborators and maybe consultants to help you improve those parts of your business operations.
Where can people connect with you online? Websites? Social Media?
My personal website is: www.geraldineconvento.com
My main business websites are: www.meetgeraldine.com and www.reverenceglobal.com
Best places to find me on social media are: www.youtube.com/geraldineconventodigital and www.instagram.com/geraldineconvento
Anything else you would like to add?
The only thing we can rely on in life is change. Being a business owner means being adaptable and ready to pivot your business when necessary.
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