Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Valentina Mejia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Valentina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Taking risks when creating a business like KEEN FLY has been both exciting and challenging. My husband and I started the company with a vision and a lot of determination, but there were no guarantees of success. Every major decision involved risk,, from investing our savings and purchasing aircraft time to building a brand in a highly competitive market.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that entrepreneurship is not about avoiding risk; it’s about evaluating it, preparing as much as possible, and having the courage to move forward despite uncertainty. There were moments when we questioned whether customers would come, whether our marketing strategies would work, or whether we could compete with larger operators. However, we believed in the experience we wanted to create and stayed focused on delivering exceptional customer service.

Looking back, the risks were worth taking because they allowed us to build something we are truly proud of. Every challenge taught us valuable lessons, strengthened our resilience, and helped us grow both personally and professionally. For me, taking risks in business means having confidence in your vision while being willing to adapt and learn along the way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Valentina Mejia, and I am the co-founder of KEEN FLY, a helicopter tour company based in South Florida. Together with my husband, who serves as our Chief Pilot, we built the company from the ground up with a shared passion for aviation, entrepreneurship, and creating unforgettable experiences for people.

My professional background is in advertising and marketing, which gave me a strong understanding of branding, customer experience, and how to connect with people. When we started KEEN FLY, we saw an opportunity to bring a fresh approach to the helicopter tour industry. Rather than simply offering flights, we wanted to create memorable experiences that people would talk about for years.

KEEN FLY specializes in helicopter tours over South Florida, including scenic flights over Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding coastline. We serve a wide range of clients, from tourists visiting the area for the first time to local residents celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, proposals, and other special occasions. For many of our guests, a helicopter flight is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we take that responsibility seriously.

One of the challenges we solve is helping people experience South Florida from a completely different perspective. Many visitors see the beaches and city streets, but very few get to appreciate the breathtaking views from above. We provide a safe, professional, and exciting way for guests to create lasting memories while experiencing the beauty of the region in a unique way.

What sets KEEN FLY apart is our commitment to customer experience. From the first inquiry to the moment our guests leave the helicopter, we focus on making every interaction exceptional. We are a family-owned business, and that personal touch is reflected in everything we do. We genuinely care about our guests and work hard to ensure they feel valued, comfortable, and excited throughout the entire process.

I am especially proud of the reputation we have built. In a highly competitive industry, earning the trust of our customers and receiving hundreds of positive reviews has been one of our greatest accomplishments. Those reviews represent real people who trusted us with important moments in their lives, and that means a lot to us.

Beyond the business itself, I am proud that KEEN FLY represents perseverance, hard work, and the belief that small businesses can compete successfully by focusing on quality and customer care. Building a company from an idea into a respected brand has required dedication, sacrifice, and constant learning, but it has also been incredibly rewarding.

The main thing I want potential clients and followers to know is that we are passionate about what we do. We are not just selling helicopter tours, we are creating experiences, memories, and special moments. Every flight is an opportunity to make someone’s day unforgettable, and that mission continues to inspire us every day.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building our social media presence has been a very organic and intentional process. From the beginning, we did not rely on paid ads or shortcuts. Instead, our growth came naturally through consistency, real moments, and showing what KEEN FLY is truly about.

We focused on sharing authentic content, real flights, real reactions from guests, behind-the-scenes moments, and the day-to-day reality of running a helicopter tour business. Over time, that honesty resonated with people. When viewers can feel that what they’re seeing is genuine and not overly staged, they connect with it in a deeper way.

A big part of our growth also came from our customers themselves. Many of our guests shared their own experiences, tagged us, and helped spread the word. Word-of-mouth in the form of social media has been one of our strongest tools. We were fortunate to build a community where people didn’t just book a flight, they became part of the story and wanted to share it.

One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that consistency matters more than perfection. We didn’t wait for “perfect content” or high-production videos. We posted consistently, stayed true to our brand, and allowed the page to grow with us as the business evolved.

For anyone just starting to build their social media presence, my advice would be to stay real and patient. Growth takes time, and it is rarely instant. Focus on showing your process, not just your results. Be consistent, engage with your audience, and don’t underestimate the power of storytelling, people connect with people, not just products or services.

Looking back, our social media growth reflects our journey as a company: organic, real, and built step by step through trust and experience rather than advertising spend. That authenticity is something we continue to protect and prioritize as we grow.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What helped us build our reputation the most is consistency, safety, and customer experience. In aviation, trust is everything, and we understood early on that reputation is not built through marketing alone, it is built through every single flight and every single customer interaction.

We focused heavily on delivering a high-quality experience from start to finish. That means clear communication, professionalism, attention to detail, and making sure every guest feels comfortable and valued. Word of mouth has played a huge role in our growth because people naturally share experiences that exceed expectations.

Another important factor has been authenticity. We are a family-run business, and we don’t try to present ourselves as something we’re not. People connect with that transparency, and it builds long-term trust.

Finally, we’ve stayed consistent even when things were challenging. Building a reputation takes time, especially in a competitive market, but staying committed to quality and customer satisfaction has been the foundation of everything for us.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://keen-fly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keen.fly/?utm_medium=copy_link
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/keenfly/100063480101615/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keen-fly-helicopter-tours-flight-school
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxVB2YiCcxSeuH9ImPXaGXA