In case you didn’t know, March is Women’s History Month! This year, we’re highlighting the next generation of trailblazing women on our Blawg with our Ladies Who Lead interview series. Today, we’re highlighting Erika Rodriguez of Nadi Marketing.
Vital Stats:
Occupation: Marketing guru. I help mission-driven companies, social impact organizations, & ecopreneurs create impactful content, partnerships, SEO, and digital marketing campaigns.
Background: I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and International Business from the University of San Diego. I also graduated with a National Certification in Nonprofit Management and Leadership with Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) designation from USD & Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. I’ve worked for a number of socially conscious companies, like Lyft Inc., Zipcar, Create Possibility, and Outdoor Travel Adventures. During my 3.5 years at Lyft, I led the social impact efforts in San Diego by launching and overseeing the Community Grants program. I was on the Lyft team and worked cross-functionally to bring Lyft pilot programs to San Diego, such as Base Mode at Camp Pendleton and Fast Match pickup at San Diego International Airport.
Power Lunch: Ground turkey, bell peppers, carrots, and onion lettuce wraps with sesame seed oil.
The Good Stuff:
1. Was your path to your current work linear, or did it take twists and turns? My career path was not linear. It took twists and turns, and a major push to get me where I’m at today.
2. What does leadership look like to you? I was inspired by this quote recently about leadership and this is what I think leadership looks like to me: “Great leadership is about human experiences. It’s not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine” —Lance Secretan.
3. What is your biggest motivator in your work? I love supporting the work of my clients and helping them drive their mission forward. Each client has a unique story as to what brought them to start their business and give back. I’ve also found that educating business owners and entrepreneurs about sustainable business practices is something else I enjoy. There needs to be more awareness about this topic and I’m excited to share these learnings through Nadi Marketing.
4. Can you describe a time when you faced a challenge or setback in your work, and how you overcame it? One challenge that I’ve overcome is getting clients virtually. I’ve always thrived in-person, but when I started my business in May 2020, we were in lockdown. I had to pivot entirely to virtual and started to think about how I can connect with potential clients from my apartment. I began to go Live on Instagram to provide valuable tips & resources, started a spotlight series on my blog to connect with eco-business owners, and attended virtual networking events 2-3x a week. I started making those connections and I’ve been able to have ongoing clients since the start.
5. What advice would you give to others who want to create a purpose-driven or innovative space in their industry, but aren’t sure where/how to start? My advice would be to look at every part of your business with a purpose-driven lens. You don’t have to donate thousands of dollars to charity or donate a product every time you sell one, just start by making your business operations sustainable.
For product-based businesses, I would advise them to think about their entire product life cycle and you can do that by mapping out all the materials, manufacturing process, the packaging of your product, and shipping methods. Then ask yourself in what ways can they be sustainable? You can research eco-friendly materials to adopt. You can see how you can localize your manufacturing or make sure the manufacturing abroad is offering fair wages to their employees. You can switch to plastic-free packaging and shipping or see if your packaging can have a second use. All of these factors play an important role in the carbon footprint of your product and overall business.
For service-based businesses, I would advise thinking about your professional services and other vendors you use daily, and make sure they are aligned with your purpose-driven business. For example, I used the 1% for the Planet directory to find my lawyer, accountant, and bank before I shopped anywhere else. Starting with sustainable business vendors will definitely have an impact ripple effect.
6. Are you one of those people who “enjoys” networking? What tips do you have for others who are a little less enthusiastic about it? I love to network and meet new people! I’ll give you networking tips on how I’ve been able to meet new people during this pandemic: 1. Don’t think you have to go to a virtual networking event to meet new people. You can meet new people at any time on social media now. 2. If you want to connect with someone on Instagram or Facebook, simply send them a direct message. Don’t spam them with a copy/paste message, but look to connect with them in a meaningful way. If you are looking at their stories, and something resonates, you can DM them about that. 3. Ask them to have a virtual coffee chat with you via Zoom. I like to send an e-gift card to them prior to the coffee chat to show them that I respect their time & treat them. 4. Always follow up! After the DMs or video chat, what’s next? Connect with them on social, schedule another chat, send them a relevant article, etc. just don’t let that connection fall flat.
7. If you were going to embark on a new business opportunity, who would you want to be your co-founder, and why? I would want my co-founder to be like-minded about giving back to the planet. One celebrity that I wouldn’t mind having by my side is Adrian Grenier, best known as Vincent Chase in Entourage. Most people are surprised to hear he’s an environmentalist, but I’ve learned so much through following him.
8. Any resources you’d like to share with our readers that will help them level up their leadership skills and empower them to keep changing the world? I’ll soon be sharing a Sustainable Business Directory on my website and I often share sustainable business practices on my blog: https://nadimarketing.com/
How to Support Erika:
Website:
Check out Erika’s website! www.nadimarketing.com. And if you’re interested in a consultation with Erika, you can check out her calendar here.
Social Media:
Follow her on social media!
Thanks for chatting with us, Erika!