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

Chanel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Back in the turbulence of 2020, during the pandemic, I found myself in a tough spot. I was trying to go to school in person, but my courses kept getting canceled and I kept losing my job (I lost my job 4x as the world shut down again and again). I reached a point where I knew I needed to learn a skill that no one could ever take away from me. I needed a real career that I was in control of. So I took the last bit of my savings and enrolled in school online to study marketing

During my studies, I met Gwen. We clicked instantly! We supported each other while we were learning, and soon realized that we had different skill sets, but shared the same values. After about a year of just testing the waters together, we made a big decision: We decided to take the leap and start a business together…all without ever meeting in person. We lived in different countries and we relied entirely on trust. We even set up a joint business bank accounts, had joint credit cards, and put both our names on all the licenses.

We had no contracts, just a handshake agreement (we honestly got so lucky, looking back now this was really stupid). I put in a lot of money into our business upfront, with the agreement that Gwen would pay me back once we started turning a profit.
At one point, we wanted to take this really intense $30,000 ads management course. She took out a no-interest credit card in her name for that course, trusting I’d help pay it off. We agreed to pay it off in a year, and we did. Now we’re completely debt-free, I’m still running the business, and we still haven’t met in person. Gwen took a step back earlier this year as she has young kids, but we still peak often and she is my rock for getting through the hard stuff.

It’s a wild story of trust, risk, and partnership that led to lifelong friendship.

Chanel, 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?

Hey, I’m Chanel Frances, the founder and lead strategist behind Success Story Marketing, a Vancouver-based agency that helps small businesses show up and win on Google. We specialize in local SEO, Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization, and reputation management (with a healthy dose of strategy, creativity, and “get-it-done” energy._

I didn’t start out in marketing- I found my way here the long way, after building a business from the ground up during one of the most uncertain times of my life. What began as a crash course in survival and self-belief turned into a passion for helping other entrepreneurs realize their dreams.

After seeing how many small business owners were overpaying for flashy websites and social media posts that looked good but didn’t actually drive traffic, I knew I had to create something different. Something built for the real world—where leads matter more than likes.

That’s when Success Story Marketing was born. What I’m most proud of is my ability to connect people. If I can’t do something, I can always find a solution or someone who can. I am honest, and sometimes it feels as if I am one of the only marketers who is. I build close perosnal relationships with all of my clients, and partner with them in all aspects of marketing.

Heres what we do:

We offer hands-on marketing services that are designed to help local businesses get found on Google, earn more 5-star reviews, and consistently grow their revenue. Our core services include:

Local SEO & GBP Optimization, Reputation Management (through Reviews in a Tap, our sister company), Landing Pages, Email Automations & Lead Gen Funnels

Most of our clients are health & wellness clinics, trades businesses, gyms, and restaurants, but at our core, we help good people grow great businesses. Emphasis on the good people!

We’re not the agency that’ll pitch you a 20-page branding deck and then disappear. We’re in the trenches with you, testing, tracking, adjusting, and making sure your marketing actually works.

What Sets Us Apart:

-We keep it real. No jargon. No smoke and mirrors.

-We focus on Google for local brick and mortar, and Meta for personality businesses (not one size fits all)

-We’ve been in your shoes. We know what it’s like to build a business from nothing. We know the pressure to produce results.

-We’re small, but mighty. You won’t be passed off to an intern. I work closely with my right-hand, Ehdina, and a trusted team of contractors to give every client a boutique, high-performance experience.

You wont find another team more dedicated or loyal

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

How I Funded My Business:

I didn’t have investors. I didn’t have a family safety net or a business loan. What I had was a mother who told me I was never going to make it, a bar job I hated, and a vision I refused to give up on. I wanted desperately to prove my family wrong, to show them I was capable of greatness, and that I could do it without their help or belief.

For three years, I bartended Thursday to Sunday until 3am, then woke up and worked regular weekday shifts building my business Monday to Friday. No weekends off. No balance. Just hustle. I worked seven days a week for three years straight.

And I hated bartending. Not because I was above it ( I was actually pretty good at it) but because it broke me down. I was valued for my looks, not my mind. Treated like a piece of meat by customers and like “the help” by the trust fund kids I served. Every shift felt like I was shrinking. And every day felt longer than the last one. But I knew why I was doing it: to fund my freedom.

Every penny I made, I saved and reinvested into my business. Anything I couldn’t afford went straight on a credit card. There were many nights I cried in the bathroom at the bar and mornings I powered through client calls on three hours of sleep.

It wasn’t glamorous, But it was mine. That’s how I built Success Story Marketing. With blood, sweat, tips, and grit. honestly even writing this brings a tear to my eye, I havent reflected on this in a long time.

That’s why I go so hard for my clients now, because I know what it takes to build something from nothing. I know how it feels to work a job that eats your soul and challenges your self worth, just so you can fund the thing that might finally set you free.

So if you’ve ever felt like the odds are stacked against you, I see you.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

One of the hardest pivots I’ve ever had to make, in business and life, was when my business partner, Gwen, decided to step away from the company we built together, and suddenly, I was the CEO and all on my own.

We didnt feel like only business partners, we were like sisters. We went through everything together, and she knew everything about me – my fears, my insecurities, my weaknesses, my big ideas. We had built this business side-by-side, often from nothing but belief and grit. We shared wins, survived burnout, picked each other up after hard client calls, and made it through some of the toughest years of our lives…together. I always said I didnt think I would have made it without her. Im such a pack animal, and we were pack of 2. If I had her, I didnt need anyone else.

So when she told me she was leaving, I was absolutely gutted.

It felt like the biggest loss I’d ever experienced,outside of losing my grandma, who was the most important person in my life. That’s how deep this ran. What looked like a simple personell change from the outside, in fact, it felt way more like a divorce. It was a breakup of a chosen family.

I grieved hard. I was sad, then angry, then numb. There were nights I cried uncontrollably and days I could barely bring myself to open my laptop. I questioned everything: Can I run this without her? Was it ever really mine? Is this even worth it anymore? Does this even make me happy??

Not only did I lose a partner, I lost a part of my identity. And for a while, I wanted to burn it all down. I think we all have those thoughts sometimes, and to be honest, sometimes I still do.

But then something shifted. I realized I couldn’t undo what happened. I couldn’t force someone to stay. But I could choose what I was going to do next. I could decide to either collapse under the weight of it, or build something stronger, even if it hurt.

So I pivoted. I took radical responsibility for my future and stepped fully into leadership. I rebuilt the business, and not just structurally, but energetically. I brought on my rockstar assistant Ehdina, who has been a light and a lifeline. I reconnected to why I started this business in the first place. I let go of old dynamics, expectations, and stories that were no longer serving me. (this was fucking HARD)

And slowly, I started to feel proud again. Both of what I was building, and who I was becoming. This wasn’t a pivot I chose. But it was one that shaped me, and truthfully, still is.

Now I know: you can survive deep loss and still lead. You can feel broken and still build. You can start again. Not because it’s easy, but because you’re worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.successstorymarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/successstorymarketing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/successstorymarketingfb/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanelssm/

Image Credits

micki kennedy