Name: Lorena Garcia & Sakura Considine
Job Title and Description: Lorena Garcia, Co-Founder and Head of Business Development & Sakura Considine, Co-Founder and Creative Brand Director
Website: bloguettes.com
Twitter Handle: @bloguettes
Instagram Handle: @bloguettes
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
LG: There is no such thing as a typical day at Bloguettes! Our company is small and we do so much, so every day presents new opportunities and challenges. My role in the company is Business Development and Marketing. I work closely with our Editorial and Marketing departments on all of the content that our company puts out on a daily basis.
SC: Nope! There’s no such thing as a typical day--every day is so different. We wear many hats in the company, but my main role is Creative Brand Director, so I make sure everything and anything we publish is on-brand and looks visually appealing. I work very closely with our Design & Photography Departments, and we’re currently in the works of building our Stock That Rocks division of our company! When I’m not working on those projects, you can find me handling the HR and admin side of the company!
What is the best part of your job?
LG: The best part of my job is that I get to do what I love!! I am not scared of Mondays, because I love what we do here. It’s amazing how we have grown and I’m so excited about what is to come.
SC: Seeing the company grow with the family (our team) that we have built in the last three years. I love how collaborative our company is and how we always work as a team. I also feel very lucky to be able to be creative, yet continuously be challenged every single day!
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
LG: My first job had nothing to do with what I do now! I wanted to be an investment banker (haha) which didn’t work out very well because I didn’t like it. Right after that, I became an entrepreneur so I did not work anywhere else in our field before we started Bloguettes.
SC: My first entry-level job was at a startup tech company helping to build an email service provider. I found the job opening through LinkedIn and found out that my sorority sister worked there, so I’m sure she helped put a good word in for me to get the position!
What words of wisdom (well-known quotes, an anecdote from your boss) do you find most valuable?
LG: Do what you do because you love it, not because of the money. Money will not be enough to keep you going. Whether you are an entrepreneur or you work for someone else, you have to love what you do!
SC: You often hear the saying “Work smart, not hard,” but I remember long ago a dear mentor/entrepreneur said as a business owner, you have no choice but to work smart AND hard. As a business owner, it’s nonstop and you have to work hard and always be two steps ahead of the game.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
LG: When starting your own business you make a lot of mistakes, but I think one that really stuck with me is not having realistic expectations. Before we started Bloguettes, I thought it would be so easy. How difficult could it be, right? Haha I was completely wrong. I think if I would have gone into it with more realistic expectations, it would have saved me some moments of frustration.
SC: There are multiple mistakes we’ve made along the way and we’ve learned so much from all of them. I think the one mistake I’d say is not properly budgeting for everything from the very beginning. I think there’s a lot of areas where we could have saved on expenses!
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
LG: It’s hard to think of just one, but I think the most surreal moment has been when we were asked to speak at a local conference here in Phoenix. It was one of our first conferences outside of our workshops, and we filled the room! There were over 250 people wanting to hear what he had to say. It was so exciting! Plus, my dad was there!
SC: There have been a lot throughout the course of the last three years, but I’d have to say the biggest moment was when we attended another conference that’s within our industry and we were approached all throughout the conference by people saying they loved Bloguettes. They would come up to us and say, “OMG! I love Bloguettes. Your webinar has helped me and my business so much!” It means a lot to us hearing it from our customers.
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
LG: We always look for people that fit our company culture. We are a lot about attitude, sometimes more than aptitude! Proactivity is also a must. As a small business, we learn every day, so sometimes we decide to do something that we have never done before and we look for people that are willing to take on that challenge and not shy away from it.
SC: More than skills or past experience, we really get a feel for their work ethic, personality, and whether they know how to work well with a team. We’ve learned a lot in the last three years, and we hire very, very carefully as company culture is something that is so important to us.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
LG: Work hard! There is no easy road to success, so be clear about what you want and where you see yourself in the future. If you are not clear about your goals, it will be very hard for you to achieve them.
SC: Us millennials sometimes can feel entitled to things and want immediate gratification when it comes to jobs, but a piece of advice I’d give to a 20-something would be that there are pros & cons to every job and position. Do what you love, be grateful for what you have, and work hard for what you want.
What's the one thing that's stood out to you the most in a resume?
LG: It stands out to me when actual results are listed on the resume. It’s great to see the impact that candidates have had at other companies. It also sets expectations of what they can do with us!
SC: There’s nothing I love to see more than a strong objective and a strong cover letter. I love seeing the eagerness of an applicant’s motivation to learn.