We recently connected with Vanessa Collazos and have shared our conversation below.

Vanessa, appreciate you joining us today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?

I take breaks. I go on vacations. I log off — or at least, I try to. But here’s the truth no one tells you when you run your own business or live that freelance life: there are no real days off.

Even on my so-called breaks, I’m checking emails. I’m making sure the scheduled posts went out. I’m double-checking analytics, answering DMs, or scanning my inbox to make sure the world isn’t burning down while I sip a coconut somewhere. It’s not that I don’t want to unplug — it’s that I can’t completely afford to.

Because when you are the brand, the team, the engine, and the backup plan, you don’t just turn it off. You monitor, respond, and hold it all together behind the scenes, even while you’re off the clock.

The truth is, rest looks different for us. It’s not always a full stop — sometimes it’s a slower scroll, a shorter to-do list, or a few uninterrupted hours of off screen time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I used to run a PR firm in the Lower East Side — until my boss, an 83-year-old business legend, decided to retire and close the chapter. He had done it all. Me? I was just getting started.

That’s when I took the leap into freelancing — and found my groove as a social media strategist. Since then, I’ve worked with countless small businesses, helping them go from nonexistent to in-your-pocket, growing their followers, building brand presence, and turning content into conversions.

I don’t just post — I create scroll-stopping strategies that move the needle. My goal is always awareness leads to revenue. So far — it’s worked.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Working in social media means I never really clock out. My phone is my laptop, and since it lives in my pocket, so does my work. I can be “off,” but the scroll never is. Every time I see something engaging or creative, my brain instantly starts spinning — Who could this work for? How can I flip this into content?

That’s because I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all strategies. Every client I work with has a unique brand identity, and I make sure that every piece of content, every voice, every campaign reflects them — not a trend.

It’s not just social media — it’s storytelling, timing, instinct, and strategy, all wrapped into a screen we carry 24/7.

So no, I’m not just on my phone in the group dinner or on the date. I’m getting something done.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

If I had known what TikTok would become, I would’ve taken my presence on the platform way more seriously. At one point, I had a huge following and was making real money as a well-paid influencer — but I walked away, thinking it was just a moment of online fame or a passing phase of publicity.

Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just a phase — it was the start of something I could’ve built into a full-blown career. But every platform teaches you something, and that chapter taught me the power of timing, consistency, and owning your impact.

Now? I bring that experience to every brand I work with. Because I’ve been the creator. I’ve been the strategy. And I know exactly what it takes to turn visibility into value.