We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Belen Barriga. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Belen below.

Alright, Belen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I probably am the happiest I have ever been in regard to my career as a business owner. Prior to the pandemic I would let my mind get the best of me and wonder if I should have taken this one job or the other. But after losing my job as a social media marketer due to the pandemic for a national company, in the same way that so many people used that scenario to reinvent themselves, I decided to let that be the catalyst for going full steam with my company. It was not easy at first by any means, there were struggles from the very beginning, but I took each obstacle as a learning experience. Not to mention there was nothing else that I could have done, everything was shut down because of COVID-19. Three years later, as difficult as the start was, I do not regret my decision one bit. I am growing, people are noticing the quality of our work, and word of mouth is starting to be our best source for new clientele. Losing my job was a blessing in disguise, and I look forward to what the future holds for TeamBelu LLC.

Belen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Belen, and if you are from Ecuador. Moved to the US 16 years ago. I am a free spirit who needs constant mental stimulation. I love life and I love to travel and experience all the beauty that this world has to offer. I rather you call me “Belu,” just for originality’s sake. Speaking of originality, I started a blog more than 6 years ago when blogs were not popular.

I love life and I love to travel and experience all the beauty that this world has to offer. I get bored quickly! If a weekend goes by where I am not in motion, planning something, or living life to the fullest then it was just another weekend. I did not like working out at first, it was just not my thing. But once I got the bug I couldn’t imagine a whole week going by without going to the gym at least three times.

I have a degree in communications, and a background in radio and television, including as the Washington, DC correspondent for Telesur, an international South American network. As a local radio show producer and personality, I gained popularity in the world of media in the DC Metro region, and have now transferred all of my knowledge to the social media market to help businesses, artists, and organizations elevate their content to a professional level.

Besides my blog, I have a marketing agency, TEAMBELU LLC. I founded this agency a few years ago and we used to focus on entertainment only. Concerts, local events, parties, and all that fun stuff. During the pandemic, I decided to help local businesses promote their services using all platforms and that is how we are growing locally and internationally.

TeamBelu is located in Germantown, MD, and has a location in El Salvador. We created everything your business needs.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It has been a fun road, not smooth at all. As a Latina that moved to the US at the age of 20, things were not easy at all. The language (I still have a strong accent) the culture and the fact that I moved by myself made things hard but totally worthwhile.

I am a people person, my thing is to network, listen and learn from others. I enjoy going to events to meet new people. Part of my job is to understand the needs of the client and to help them improve their business using social media platforms. I love to connect with people as well. It is important for me to be myself and be real. If there is something that I and my team can not offer we will recommend you go to the right place.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

To me, connections are more important than transactions. Collaborations are super important. Creating strong relationships and connections will help the agency grow.

I do collaborations with other bloggers, local brands, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and more. Not everything is business and money, we love to support other businesses by featuring them or joining them by visiting their locations and services.

If I go to a local restaurant with friends, for sure I will recommend it to other people and/or share it on my social media. Most connections start like that, inviting the community to visit and support local businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.teambelu.com
• Instagram: @team.belu
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belén-barriga-55862261/

Image Credits
TeamBelu LLC