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

Ericka, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I believe in the timing of the universe so I think it happened when I was mentally and emotionally ready to. I have been building and scaling business for other people so I knew I had the skills to make money and to grow a business. But I wasn’t mentally ready to do it for myself. I didn’t have the confidence in myself to be the face of my own thing. It was just easier to be the woman behind someone else. I was happy to work myself to the bone and let someone else take the spotlight. I was also scared of the uncertainty, like any good control freak. It took a lot of mentors and cheerleaders to get me started. Looking back, I wish I would have been able to see myself the way they did. I wish I would trust myself and hype myself up the way I show up for others. I am everyone else’s hype man but I forget to be kind to myself.

Ericka, 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?

About me
My name is Ericka Arias Bertani, and I’m the founder and CEO of GIRA Business Development, a women and minority-owned consulting firm specializing in CRM implementation, marketing automation, and business operations for small to medium-sized businesses. What started 2 years ago as a vision to help businesses work smarter has evolved into a comprehensive consulting practice that transforms how companies manage their customer relationships and scale their marketing efforts.
Why is I started GIRA
I have 20 years of experience in digital marketing, specializing in CRM, email marketing, and technology-driven solutions. Throughout my career, I’ve been frustrated by a recurring patterns:
The first one, businesses invest in expensive CRM systems and automation tools, only to give up on them months later. The failure pattern was predictable. Companies would buy products because everyone said they “needed a CRM” or “had to automate their marketing,” but they never thought through their actual business needs or how the tool would fit their operations. They couldn’t articulate to integrators what they needed because they hadn’t thought through the basics first. Then they’d fail to budget correctly, i.e. buying a $10,000 CRM but only budgeting $2,000 for implementation, wondering why it didn’t work. They didn’t know what they didn’t know.
Even more concerning was what I call “lead chaos.” Business owners were rushing to generate more leads because that’s what people always think is the answer, “More leads”. They were hiring agencies, running ads on every “hot” platform, investing thousands monthly, but conversions weren’t there. They had leads coming in but no system to manage them, no way to track what was working, and no visibility into whether those leads were qualified or generating ROI.
I watched businesses throw money at Facebook ads, then LinkedIn, then TikTok, chasing leads without asking: “Are these “leads” actually turning into customers? Is my agency delivering qualified prospects? How is this impacting my revenue?” They had no system to monitor their agencies. They were focused entirely on the top of the funnel while the middle and bottom were chaotic
I saw an opportunity to do things differently. I wanted to help business owners take back control, give them clarity on what was actually working, and build systems that connected their marketing investment directly to revenue results.
We’re different because we’re not a marketing agency. We’re a team of do-ers. We’re project managers, strategists, and operators who have built infrastructure and businesses from zero. We build up the systems, processes, and controls companies need in place before hiring agencies and vendors. We have deep expertise but we care about making business more efficient and profitable. To us, the success story is the best part, not the paycheck. In fact, marketing agencies often white-label our services because they need our expertise in project management, strategic planning, and CRM execution.
GIRA’s Services
Marketing Operations & Lead Management: We help businesses build comprehensive systems that manage the full lead experience: “controlling the lead chaos.” We start by helping you understand what’s really happening with your marketing investment, then build structured processes for lead capture, qualification, nurturing, and conversion that give you complete visibility and control. We implement lead scoring systems, automated nurture sequences, and reporting systems that connect your marketing spend directly to revenue results.
CRM Implementation & Integration: We help businesses select, implement, and optimize customer relationship management systems that actually get used. The CRM becomes the central nervous system that controls your lead chaos and gives you complete visibility into your pipeline.
Marketing Automation & Business Operations: We build email marketing strategies, automated nurture sequences, and streamline operational processes through workflow automation and team structure optimization.
Silent Marketing Director Services: For businesses that need strategic marketing oversight without the cost of a full-time executive, we provide monthly retainer services that include strategy development, performance monitoring, and hands-on management of the lead experience.
The Problems We Solve
Our clients typically come to us with these challenges:
Lead generation without conversion strategy – Rushing to get more leads but no system for converting them into customers
No agency accountability – Paying agencies thousands monthly with no way to verify if they’re getting qualified leads or just vanity metrics
Channel hopping – Chasing the next “hot” platform without optimizing what they’re already doing
Disconnected marketing and revenue – Spending on marketing with no idea if it’s generating positive returns
Lead chaos – Leads falling through the cracks with no systematic way to capture, track, nurture, and convert them
Failed CRM implementations – Systems that aren’t being used because they bought without thinking through fit, budget, or resources needed
What Sets GIRA Apart (my humble opinion)
End-to-End Lead Experience Management: We manage the entire lead experience from first touchpoint to customer conversion and retention. When we’re done, clients have complete control with clear processes, automated workflows, and full visibility into their pipeline.
Tailored Solutions Based on Real Needs: We don’t start with the tool but with the client’s business. We help them make strategic decisions about what tools are actually right for them and ensure they’re budgeting correctly for the full scope of implementation, not just the software purchase.
We’re Do-ers, Not Just Advisors: We’re a team of operators and project managers who have actually built businesses and infrastructure. We roll up our sleeves and do it with the client. Marketing agencies regularly white-label our services because they need our expertise in project management, strategy execution, and CRM implementation.
Diverse Expertise: We’re platform-agnostic with expertise across multiple CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, and more). We recommend what’s best for a business, not what gives us the biggest commission. We understand both the marketing side and the operations side, creating solutions that drive conversions AND are sustainable for the client long-term.
What We Are Most Proud Of
We’re incredibly proud that 100% of our business growth has come from referrals and repeat clients. We had clients before we had a company. In an industry full of aggressive sales tactics and overpromising, the fact that our clients trust us enough to refer to their colleagues is a blessing and says a lot about the quality and impact of our work.
We’re also proud of building a business that creates opportunities for others. As we scale GIRA, creating meaningful employment opportunities, especially for women and minorities in tech consulting, is a core part of my mission.
What I Want You to Know
We Bring Control and Clarity to Lead Chaos – If you’re spending money on marketing but have no idea if it’s actually working, that’s our specialty. We help you gain control over the leads you’re already getting and give you visibility into what’s driving revenue. You quickly identify channels that don’t convert and start making data-driven decisions.
We’re Strategic Partners – We’re not a marketing agency trying to sell you more ads. We’re experienced operators who invest in understanding your complete business operation and building long-term solutions that actually work. Many of our clients start with one project and end up working with us across multiple areas because we become trusted partners.
Results Matter More Than Activity – We measure success by your business outcomes: increased revenue, improved customer retention, higher conversion rates, and most importantly, complete visibility and control over the lead pipeline.
Our ultimate goal is to build a firm known for giving business owners control and clarity over their marketing operations. Where every client stops operating in ignorance and chaos and starts building sustainable, profitable systems that actually work.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I have two books I’d recommend to anyone, but they are especially valuable for fledgling business owners.

The first is “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz. This book taught me the fundamental concept that my goals should scare me a little. It embodies the idea: “If your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming big enough.” It was the start of my learning to look past my own limiting beliefs.

The second is “The Obstacle Is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. This book provided me with an essential new outlook on challenges. It stresses the importance of loving the challenge because that is where you truly grow. These tough moments are life training you, preparing you, for the big stuff, the GREAT stuff. Ultimately, it helped me understand that “Life happens for us,” and that nothing grows in your comfort zone but mold and apathy.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being Consistent, Showing up when you say you will, and delivering with excellence. But, the caveat is, as a business owner, you need to be skilled at setting boundaries. Knowing your limitations, how to use your resources, and having systems set in place so you can pivot quickly and manage challenges easily.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girabusinessdevelopment.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericka_bertani/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericka-arias-bertani-031356b/

Image Credits

https://www.northprismcreative.com/blog/unlocking-your-authentic-brand

Karina Kennedy: https://www.instagram.com/northprismcreative