We recently connected with Marisol Ortega and have shared our conversation below.

Marisol, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

A priority for us is to bring empathy and understanding into what tends to be a very stressful and difficult time for our clients. Where others may focus more on just increasing revenue, we strive to set ourselves above the rest by also making sure our clients feel confident and comfortable during the sale process. By bringing more transparency to our clients, through itemized end-of-sale reports and consistent communication, clients can feel more secure in their decision to work with us. After all people are our clients, not just their stuff.

When we have worked with families where multiple people are coming together to make a decision, some are bound to be skeptical of hiring a company to come into their loved one’s home. Through the kindness and transparency of our compassionate team, we alleviate the worries of even the most discerning clients.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I first fell into this industry as a random search on Indeed. The description of an estate sale sales associate sounded fun and worked around my school schedule at the time. When I got the job, I absolutely fell in love with it. It no longer felt like a random choice, more like something I was meant to find. The excitement of finding new items I’ve never seen before and learning the history behind them is unlike anything else. It provides a lifetime of learning that never gets tiring. I can then bring that knowledge with me to each house and its contents. Along with that, getting to know the clients and many different situations they are going through provides me with a sense of fulfillment being there for them in difficult times. I am most proud when I get a phone call from a client at the end of our process letting me know that our company has genuinely helped them to survive an emotionally challenging time in their lives.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective way to grow clientele in my line of work is by not only providing exemplary service to current clients, but to people who may not necessarily require our services as well. Sometimes, I get calls from or go to a consultation with a potential client who turns out to be in need of a different type of service than we offer. I don’t just immediately leave because I’m not going to make money off of them. I will stay and provide advice on options that may help their situation better, and that is what truly grows clientele. Not everyone can be a potential client, but they may know someone who can be.
Another great way of growing my clientele, was to just go outside and talk to as many people as possible. I went to multiple different businesses that I felt aligned with my current industry and simply struck up a conversation, mentioned my business, and asked if I could leave a business card and/or flyer of one of my current estate sales. Many people focus on online advertisement, but I’ve found that speaking to people face to face is more effective and leaves a greater impact.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was a field manager for a different estate sale company before opening up my own business. I loved what I did and enjoyed the people that I worked for and with. I found myself at a point where I truly had to pivot my career goals, after finding out that my boss was planning on shutting down the business. I was truly devastated, but I decided I wanted to not only stay in this industry, but save the jobs of my coworkers who loved this industry as well. I had never planned on opening up my own business, but I tossed myself at the idea and never looked back. It wasn’t always an easy path, but I always had the constant encouragement of my coworkers who truly believed in me and the emotional support of my family, aunt, and boyfriend. Making this decision has been enjoyable and rewarding in many ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://treasuresretold.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treasures_retold?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094614270451&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/kLma3GkuR0