Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gelsandra Guzman & Valerie Diaz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Gelsandra & Valeri, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

We’re excited to be here, talking about something so important for business owners who’ve crossed that three-year milestone. As we approach year five, we can tell you—it’s a whole different ball game. We want to get real with you. It’s Val and Gelly here, the duo who started Raices Media. Back then, it was all about saying yes to whatever came our way. We were deep in hustle mode, making money without a clear list of services or focus as a business. Our packages started at rates we don’t even want to mention because, honestly, we had no idea of the value we were about to deliver to the businesses and brands we serve.
We want to give a special shout-out to our friend and mentor, Luly B, who sat us down one day, dissected our business model, packages, and services, and told us we were leaving money on the table. Thanks to Luly, our eyes were opened to the value of what we do and the importance of recognizing our worth. From that moment, we understood that to grow and scale—as individuals, CEOs, and as a business—we needed to invest in coaching, learning, and development.
Since then, we’ve invested in two coaching programs, each over six months long, which equipped us to become strategists, build a financial plan, launch our website, develop a scaling strategy, hire new team members, and more. Now, here we are, four years into the journey, with a team of seven, 17+ clients, and ready to onboard even more.

Gelsandra & Valeri, 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?

Here’s a bit about us at Raices: Valerie Diaz and Gelsandra Guzman, two sisters-in-law with different backgrounds but a shared passion for helping others achieve their dreams and build legacies via social media and marketing efforts.
Valerie, who studied Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Marketing at Clark University, never imagined she’d one day be the CEO of her own company. After college, she became a Fulbright scholar and worked in Mexico City, designing and executing marketing strategies for a women-led accelerator focused on impactful investing.
Gelsandra, or Gelly as we call her, studied Fashion Merchandising at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She spent a decade in corporate America, honing her skills in styling, merchandising, and buying.
Our paths merged in 2020, the year of the pandemic, which turned out to be our defining moment. We were stuck at home, craving creativity and a break from the everyday dark hole, which led us to tap into our natural talents and start Raices Media.
Raices Media is all about building community through authentic connections and impactful digital presence. Our services range from social media management to crafting social strategies, directing creative projects, organizing real-life events, and public speaking. We pride ourselves on helping our clients connect with their roots—sus raices—and authentically present themselves establishing their digital footprint on social media and beyond.
What really sets us apart is our personal approach with each client. We are all about getting to know you, building that authentic connection, from the moment we initiate our intro call, which is a “vibe check” we read energy and go from there. Our main priority is for you to feel good with this partnership and that together we can accomplish your goals on social. Honestly, with Raices as your partner, rest assure your business and/or brand will be valued, honored and celebrated.
Valerie originally started with just a few close friends as clients and together we have now grown entirely through referrals, which speaks volumes about the strong relationships we’ve built.
Four years into our journey, we’ve partnered with over 30 impact-driven businesses and brands. We’re thrilled to announce that our website is now live, offering a glimpse into who we are, our passion for creativity, and how we nurture the creative culture, one root at a time.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

As we consider our response to this question, it’s important to keep in mind that our main theme for this feature is our scaling-up story. Hiring is just one piece of the puzzle, but training and development require significant effort, consistency, and discipline. It all starts with you—finding daily alignment and taking the time to nurture and prepare your team are critical steps toward our collective success.
One piece of advice we’d like to share is the importance of scheduling an admin day for your business. For us, that often means using our Sundays to prepare internally for all things Raices Media, so that Monday through Friday can be fully dedicated to serving our clients. We understand this may not always be ideal, but building a legacy requires hard work and passion—two essential ingredients for success as an entrepreneur.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Both of us come from Latino backgrounds, and one of the biggest lessons we’ve had to unlearn is the belief that success is tied to a traditional career path. Growing up, our families held the belief that unless you were a doctor, lawyer, or expert in a conventional field, success was uncertain. There was a strong emphasis on choosing careers that provided stability and a clear, predictable path.
As two creative souls, we’ve faced the challenge of helping our families understand what we do and why we do it. Even today, we sometimes struggle with gaining their full understanding and acceptance. But over time, we’ve learned two important things that have helped us navigate this journey:
Return to the root of the relationship – We’ve come to realize that their reactions are not a reflection of what they think of us as individuals but rather a reflection of their own experiences and beliefs. By reconnecting with the foundation of our relationships, we can approach these conversations with empathy and understanding.
Take it with a grain of salt – We’ve learned that as long as we stay close to our ‘why’ and remain committed to our purpose, we know we’re on the right path. It’s essential to filter out the noise and trust in the direction we’ve chosen for ourselves.
Being an entrepreneur, especially with a non-linear schedule, presents its own set of challenges. We’ve had to collectively redefine what “normal” means for us. Everyone has their own version of normal, and for us, it’s about connecting, creating, and cultivating purpose with the businesses and brands we serve. That’s our normal, and it’s what drives us every day. We’ve learned that success isn’t about fitting into traditional molds; it’s about carving out our own path and staying true to who we are and what we believe in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.raicesmediaco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raicesmedia/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/raices-media/posts/?feedView=all
• Other: Book time with us here: https://calendly.com/helloraices/meet-raices-clone?month=2024-08

Image Credits

Photos:
@misaelbencosme
@janelkilnisan