We were lucky to catch up with Cynthia Prieto recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cynthia, appreciate you joining us today. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.
From the day I started my business, before I made my first penny, I committed to donating marketing services to one small business every year. And every year we have.
I grew up in the corporate world. Right out of college I worked in marketing departments for financial institutions, eventually evolving to educational institutions, and then taking a hard left into manufacturing.
With my background in marketing and design, I was frequently asked for advice and direction from small business owners and solopreneurs trying to scale their business and grow but not knowing where to focus. What I came to realize is that helping this group of people gave me more joy than any big corporate campaign.
I was helping the person who wore all the hats in their business and at home. The individual taking the leap of faith to follow their heart. The people with all the passion, but lacked in resources. They didn’t need a marketing department, they needed someone who cared about their success and selflessly offered their hand.
With the world in a pandemic, a digital footprint is critical. But unfortunately this is an area where many of these passionate businesses and organizations don’t have resources. We are on a mission change that.
We understand the importance of small business, how it supports the local economy, and provides for families in an authentic way. Over the years we have built websites, designed logos, created brand strategies and provided expert advice to an array of businesses from childcare to home repair to health and beauty. It wasn’t the specific industry that was important, it was the passion of the person. Choosing to serve this group was not only easy, it’s a privilege.
Cynthia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I took the leap of faith into becoming a business owner after I became a mother. At the time, I worked in a corporate environment managing their marketing campaigns and efforts. After over 6 years with the company, traveling to meetings around the country, working late into the evenings, and dedicating myself to the success of the business, I was met with eye rolls and passive aggressive comments about becoming a mother and my availability and priorities shifting. It was then and there that I decided to stop serving a company that didn’t appreciate my work and start something of my own.
I remembered how much joy I felt when I was helping small businesses and solopreneurs with their business. I remembered how grateful they were. I remembered how good it made me feel, like I was doing good in the world. So I went home, talked to my husband, reconfigured our finances, and as soon as the ink was dry on our refinance I quit.
I started Cierto Creative Co., a social media management company. At the time, this gave me the most flexibility and time to be home with my two kids under two. After just one year in business, I was earning more than I made in my corporate role. I was being referred to clients without any advertising. I was being asked for more than just social media management services. I was at a crossroads. My kids were still young, but preschool aged now. So, do I keep doing what I’m doing (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), or do I take a second leap of faith and expand my business.
As you can probably guess, I gave my husband another heart attack and took the leap of faith. The Branding Room Floor was born! I took on an amazing business partner, Jeff Nielsen, and expanded services to include web design, branding, consulting, graphic design, and social media management. We have built a full service agency catering to small business.
The Branding Room Floor is nod to the cutting room floor. The place where movies went through a process of review and elimination. That’s what we want to do. We want to learn about a business, remove what isn’t working, and leave them with an amazing brand.
We give business owners their time back and renew their excitement about their business. We care about our clients’ success. When you work with us, we want you to feel like we are an invested employee of your business. We don’t claim to be “gurus”. We aren’t a gimmick. We are real people who hold ourselves accountable.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My business partner, Jeff, and I actually met in 2014. We worked at the same company, both in the marketing department. Jeff was actually my Marketing Director. We instantly clicked and enjoyed collaborating on campaigns. We were able to feed off of each other’s energy and brainstorm ideas for innovative and creative marketing plans. I was always excited to work with Jeff. In 2015 I found another opportunity and Jeff also went to another company a few years after.
Thanks to the powers of social media, Jeff and I stayed in touch over the years. And as my first business endeavor grew, Jeff was the first person I trusted and called upon to outsource projects to. After months of back-and-forth referring between us, a stroke of genius. We knew we could do more, do better, so we combined superpowers to form The Branding Room Floor.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
I am so incredibly fortunate to say, I have never advertised my business. I have been blessed with incredible clients who refer me to the next. If we are truly taking care of our clients, they will take care of us. And it’s still true to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebrandingroomfloor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebrandingroomfloor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrandingroomfloor/