Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Lorenzana. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

I had just set up my new website and I was excited to get it out there for people to check out and begin my business journey. I had also just set up my Facebook and Instagram social media accounts, so that I could start showcasing some of my work and services.

I created a real simple social media graphic about the website redesign of my site and posted it up on FB and IG. I didn’t really know much about marketing at the time, except for a basic understanding of SEO. I never really had a full understanding of it yet, because I was working a full time job as well and didn’t have the time to further invest.

So, I posted the graphic and boosted it on Facebook just to try it out. I got a good amount of views but not a lot of interaction, except for this one company that reached out to me through FB messenger about a potential new website for their IT company.

They asked me if I can create a layout/design mockup of a homepage to give them some ideas of what I could do. After showing them the mockup I put together, they were happy with the look & feel and needed to get approval from the owner before moving forward.

Push came to shove, they didn’t end up going with me for some other reasons that I can’t remember. Although, they told me that I was the only company that put together a mockup for them that didn’t charge them for it first.

They were so appreciative of that, that they referred me to another client that they work with who needed a site. It’s because of the mockup I did for free that landed me my first gig. It was definitely a valuable lesson that I learned that day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always had a passion for anything related to the web and food. I just loved creating and building things. I was most fascinated with graphic design starting out. I messed around a lot with photoshop and it was just something fun that I liked doing.

I was in high school at the time and I remember that I had a new course elective about website design that I signed up for. It was at that point that I fell in love with learning/building websites. Something about seeing my work up online for the world to see was somewhat inspiring and the thought about the amount of reach you can get on the world wide web. It was all new to me!

Although, I was still young and the main thing on my mind was making money and the place I figured I could make the most was in real estate. So I went into real estate school to start learning about being a realtor, in order to take the exams for getting my license.

I actually stuck with real estate for several years and did make decent money from time to time, but I was never really satisfied with it. After a while I just got so burned out that I had to rethink where I was at in life.

It was at that moment that I told myself that I was going to pursue what I love doing and see where it gets me.

I signed up for a 2 year program at Northwest Vista College in Digital Media. I couldn’t find a lot of colleges offering exactly what I was looking for and this one had it. I completed the 2 year certificate program and got a good base understanding of web design and social media management. Although, most of what I’ve learned today is all due to being self taught. I took a lot of online courses from various companies and gained experience working with clients here in San Antonio. I believe experience is one of the big factors in getting better at honing your craft. You can only learn so much from school and online courses. Applying what you’ve learned and picking up new skill sets along the way make all the difference.

After the 2 year program, I started my own freelance business because it was hard for me to find a job starting out. Most companies were looking for individuals with a wide range of skills, with a wealth of experience, and that was not me.

So, I built out my business website and created a couple of social media accounts, as mentioned earlier. I ended up getting my first client and was excited about it, until I couldn’t find any other clients after that. I wasn’t sure what to do at that point and ended up putting my freelance business as a side hustle while I looked for a full time job.

So, I turned to my other passion, which was food. I grew up in a family where my Mom cooked for us almost every single day. I thought that was normal until I spent more time with my friends and their families. I’d always watched my mom cooking in the kitchen to see how she would prepare the food and she asked me one time if I could help her. From there my passion grew more and I started making my own dishes or following recipes that I would find online or in random cookbooks to try out.

I never had the chance to go to culinary school because of financial reasons, but I learned a lot on my own and I got a job at a local restaurant as a line cook. From there I worked in a Korean fusion kitchen and then at an Italian restaurant at the Westin hotel downtown on the Riverwalk.

This was a big eye opener for me because working in the hotel was a big change. Everything was to a higher standard and almost everything that was used to create a dish was homemade. All of my coworkers there had culinary degrees or were in culinary school. I was pretty excited to be able to learn so much and the different cooking methods used to prepare food.

I learned a lot about hard work. As it’s probably the most mentally and physically draining job you can have amongst others. You’re on your feet for 8-10+ hours a day, only a 30 min lunch break, prepping food till your hands fall off, working the line during busy hours, sometimes not even having a day off during the week and if so rare to have more than a day off and then doing it all over again day after day.

I think everyone at one point in their life should try it out. I love cooking and food in general and still do till this day, although it gets repetitive after a while. Especially when you’re cooking someone else’s recipes and the journey to move up takes many years. Not to mention you’re busting your @ss off everyday and being underpaid to top it off. I hope that changes for chefs someday, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

My breaking point was when the times I did have off from work, I was a complete zombie. My wife and I just had a little one as well and she was taking on the burden of raising him herself. The time that I did spend with them was minimal and most of the time my head was in a cloud. My feet were always throbbing and I just wanted to lay down on my days off and not do anything. It’s not a life I wanted for my family. I wanted to be there, I wanted to be present, I wanted that work life balance. I always wanted to be a business owner since I was young. I had dreams of opening up my own food truck, but there wouldn’t be much of a work life balance doing that either. If I went through with it, it would be my life and it would be a big expense I would have to risk in order to get started.

During my off days I started looking for jobs in web design/marketing again and see If my luck could change. I got on my laptop and started searching for companies here in San Antonio. I reached out to a couple of agencies and one of them actually responded back to me. They asked to set up a time to meet and interview me. As you know, it was hard for me to get a day off from work and it was not easy to do so. I asked If I could come later in the afternoon, since that was when my shift ended at the hotel.

I’m pretty sure I smelt like food in that interview, but it ended up going well and they assigned me a task to complete within 24 hours – 36 hours. They were pretty understanding with me knowing that I had a full time job. I was able to complete the task pretty quickly and from there they brought me on board. I put my 2 weeks in and never looked back!

It was a big change of pace. I was used to running back and forth all day on my feet, to sitting down in front of a computer all day. The working hours were less, I could spend more time with my family and I could learn a lot more. I probably built over 50-100 sites during my time with the agency. I was there for about 2 and a half years and gained a wealth of experience. I was able to take a lot more courses in my free time and really build up my skill set further.

One thing that I put off a long time ago was learning more about search engine optimization. I knew it was a way to drive more traffic and exposure to a business. Since I had more time on my hands, I started taking courses in it and implementing them into my own business. It was the turning point for me I’d say.

After a couple of months I started seeing some keywords that I was targeting start to move up in the search result pages. I was beyond excited and I didn’t want to stop. I kept pushing day after day, month after month, year after year and watching it continually move up in the ranks. I owe a lot of this to the hard work ethic I learned being in the kitchen and being able to basically multitask on steroids lol. Almost everything I did seemed minimal compared to working in a commercial kitchen. A lot of times learning or doing something that you didn’t think would amount to anything, ends up being something that helps you out in the long run.

It was about a year and a half into it that I started noticing my traffic to the site increasing and more people contacting me for my services. It opened up a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t have had previously. I still kept at the ongoing SEO work and eventually I started ranking so well that I was getting great online visibility.

I started getting a lot of leads coming and figured this would probably be the best time to take that risk and go off on my own. My journey has always been to be my own boss, work where I want and with who I want and this was the opportunity I needed. So, I took the risk and focused on my business full-time. So far, it’s definitely been a rollercoaster ride and there is so much that still needs to be done.

I now offer services not just for web design, but for SEO/Local SEO, PPC Management, Website Hosting / Maintenance and content writing services for businesses here in San Antonio.

I believe what makes me different is that not only can I build you a professional looking site, I also know how to optimize it and get it ranking so that you can also drive more traffic and more potential leads. There are a lot of website designers out there, but honestly speaking most of them just have a basic understanding of SEO.

It’s important to set up your website properly from the get go. If not, you can be looking at a lot of headaches down the road when you do want to start marketing your business.

The main goal for me is to help other businesses do what I’ve done, except having it taken care of for them. It’s a lot to take on and a lot to learn and most business owners don’t have the time for it. So, I hope to take some of that stress off their hands and to help them continue to grow their business over time. There are a lot of people like myself that want to run their own business and thankfully I’m able to provide opportunities for them and open up new doors that weren’t there before.

P.S.: I can now cook whatever I want in the comfort of my own home :)

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Undervaluing myself. This was a big problem that took me a while to unlearn. It’s a type of mindset that can really hold you back for such a long time.

There was a time that I really believed that no one would pay much for the services that I offered. For me, it took sitting down and actually seeing the value that I’m adding to a business with the services I’m offering. Seeing how it has impacted my own business for the better and how it can do the same for others.

Also, understanding that most people don’t know how to do what you do and are willing to invest in someone that has been there before and can offer a solution to their own problems.

I could potentially be doubling the amount of leads and providing more online visibility/brand awareness than what they are currently getting. Although, most people honestly don’t see the value in it until they start to see it for themselves or they’ve done marketing in the past.

The important part is being able to explain what they are getting, how it’s going to benefit their business and educating them during the process.

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

I believe what’s helped me build my reputation in the market is going above and beyond for my clients. Taking that little extra step to provide the best customer service that I can. This one key element can either make or break your business.

I like being there every step of the way during the process, so that they are not left in the dark, not knowing what’s going to happen next. People are so appreciative of it as well and are more willing to leave you a positive review.

Reviews help build your credibility and reputation online. I know when I look for a business that I want to potentially work with, I first look at their reviews online. From there, quality work. Showcasing your work and showing the attention to detail you put in every project, speaks volumes.

I’m still in the early stages of my business and I hope to continue to grow and continue to build my reputation in the market and it’s important to understand that it’s a never ending process. Although, loving what you do is another key element to it. Follow your passions and I can promise that you’ll be better off than where you were, doing more meaningful work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.southtowndesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southtowndesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southtowndesigns/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/southtowndesigns/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/southtowndesign
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/southtown-web-design-san-antonio-san-antonio

Image Credits
All images were created by my good self.