We recently connected with Danielle Alvarez Alvarez and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Danielle Alvarez thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Towards the end of 2017, I was contemplating whether to leave my full-time job. I didn’t feel as fulfilled and started to get the itch to try something new – whether it was to apply to a new job or go solo. But after tossing the idea to a couple of my close contacts, many encouraged me to try the solo gig. In January 2018, I landed on the name ‘The Bonita Project’ and filed for my LLC. In March of 2018, I quit my job and pursued The Bonita Project. Over time the ideas of what I wanted to do with The Bonita Project slowly came to me. I wanted to bring something different – a PR/marketing agency that was inclusive but also built a community and shared educational content on the community we advocated for. Starting with the Latinx community. I launched my social platform on Instagram in the summer of 2018, and I took it from there. Posting about our clients gave an inside look at what I did on a day-to-day basis and slowly built my following. Almost six years later, we have a strong community of over 20K followers.
Danielle Alvarez, 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?
Since high school, I always knew I wanted to work in public relations. I studied at the University of Florida, received my Bachelor’s in Science in PR and graduated in 2011. That same summer, I took the big leap and moved to New York City. I knew in my heart I needed to move to the Big Apple to pursue my career dreams. In the fall of 2011, I landed my first job at a reputable PR agency. I had the opportunity to work with some of today’s major beauty brands, including L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, and Urban Decay Cosmetics, to name a few. It opened the doors to many new connections and I slowly built my network. As I continued to grow my expertise, I also grew a newfound passion, and that was advocating for the Latinx community, and multicultural marketing. After 8 years, it led me to quit and launch my business.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Word of mouth, baby! Over the years, I’ve had clients recommend the agency, and I have received new clients that way. Word of mouth is organic and the best way to get new clients. I have treated every client and brand I have worked with the same way. Whether it’s a small, independently-owned brand or a big funded brand. I give them the same love and respect, and it’s been beautiful to see how my former clients have name-dropped The Bonita Project and recommended the agency to others because they’ve enjoyed working with me and the team and have been satisfied with the level of work and results we provide.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn was “micro-managing.” I got so used to getting my e-mails reviewed, and when I launched my agency, I found myself doing the same thing to my employees. Reviewing their e-mails and any little thing they would be sharing with clients and I found myself exhausted. It’s not efficient, and you have to build trust with your employees. Trust that your team has the best interest of your company to grow as well. I’ve had to step back and let my Bonitas manage e-mails on their own and if they mess up, they will learn. It’s the only way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebonitaproject.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebonitaproject/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11758233/admin/feed/posts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBonitaProject
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebonitaproject?lang=en