Today we’d like to introduce you to Gel Raquel

Hi Gel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

When my husband proposed to me in February 2021, my whole world changed. Saying yes meant in 6 months I was going to 2 hours away and quit my job.

I was talking with a friend asking for wisdom about what to do next, and she suggested I help brands with their social media content. I wasn’t sure how to execute this, but a few weeks later she sent me a course about becoming a virtual assistant.

A few months after taking the course, I landed my first client and was helping with their social media content. Around this time Instagram launched Instagram Reels so I quickly niched down to a ‘Reels Specialist’ and my business took off. I was more successful than I could have ever dreamed that first year, and it was a really exciting time.

I’ve now been in business for over 2.5 years and it has not always been easy, but reflecting on where I started and where I am today is deeply encouraging.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

Ha, I was hoping this question would come. It has been way more bumpy than I could have ever imagined.

My first year in business was electric. Everything was ‘working’. I was making money, which enabled me to do my business full-time as my husband was in graduate school, and things were as smooth as they could be.

But there was one problem. I completely overworked myself, and by the end of that year, I experienced serious burnout. I was working crazy hours, trying to run 100mph and it caught up to me. I was deeply exhausted and overwhelmed and started to struggle with my mental health. No one warned me how hard working from home in social can be for an extrovert! I started to feel isolated and was falling into the trap of comparing myself to every business owner I came across as I scrolled on Instagram while I was ‘working’ Social media was chipping away at bits of my self-esteem every time I scrolled but there was no way out since it was my job.

It’s also important to note there was a lot of change going on in my personal life at that time- I was newly married, living in a new place, and still trying to adjust socially so that also didn’t help, ha.

In my second year of business, I just tried to keep it alive. I thought about quitting more times than I can count. But I kept getting inquiries, and I was enjoying ‘the work I was doing, but as a CEO, I didn’t want to think about the business side of my business. I just showed up for my client’s every day and didn’t do much for my own brand. It was like half my heart was in it most of the time. I’m thankful that I was able to benefit from the hard labor of that first year because I wouldn’t have been able to do all that foundational work again. I was too wiped.

I’m now entered into my third year and I promised myself this year that I would go slow and I am so glad I have prioritized that. It’s not easy for someone like me (which led to my first burnout!) But business has started to feel lighter again. I can’t explain it because the work hasn’t changed, but I guess I have. And I’m thankful for the hard times because I’m 100x stronger than the girl my husband proposed to in 2021!

Through therapy, lots of prayer, and unwavering support from my husband by the grace of God I’m still doing this business and truly can say it’s above all a blessing, and I wouldn’t rewrite any part of the story.

We’ve been impressed with Angelica Raquel Virtual Services, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

https://www.angelicaraquel.com/ explains my services in -depth but I specialize in video content for social media. I help business owners with the conceptualizing, editing, and execution of the content. I am proud to say that while I adhere to best practices, I am not a slave to a soulless algorithm and I have generated massive results with my client’s with that framework. I’ve been told none of the Reels I make are ‘basic’ and really stand out. The best thing in a world is when a client tells me on a discovery call the person mentions their Reels!

Video content converts and having an expert on your team handle it for you is a must if you can afford it!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?

So the first time I attended a networking event for my business, I didn’t have any immediate ‘luck’ if you looked at it through the wrong lens. I didn’t get a new client after it, or have any particularly amazing conversations, and I definitely didn’t meet a mentor but someone I met ended up being a client a YEAR later and to this day is a massive source of lead generation for my business because she is ALWAYS sending people my way. You never know where a relationship can go so my best advice is to always network. I used to be scared of that word but it’s just being kind, introducing yourself, and starting a relationship. It can be as simple as an introduction, or it can be more in-depth, but keep working that muscle because it’ll get easier to put yourself out there if you start now. Start today. Not when leads are drying up, not when you feel like it, and trust me you will see the payoff eventually.

Pricing:

• Reels/TikTok editing- $747, 8 Reels, strategy, and a monthly call
• Creative Direction, $397, 1:1 60 min call (recorded) Month’s worth of ideas sent after call Quarterly Video strategy roadmap Calendar template
• https://www.angelicaraquel.com/services here is link if you want to look

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angelicaraquel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gelraquel/