44. Starting a Content Studio ft. Nidia Gonzalez

Speaker A: Welcome Nydia Gonzalez, to the Self Made Babe podcast.

Speaker B: Thank you.

Speaker A: I am so excited to hop on today's episode because your business is completely going to transform so many other businesses, and it's transformed mine, which is your Dream Studios studio. So I love that you also have a business partner. So can you just walk us through the entire process of doing a joint venture and what made you want to start with your business partner?

Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, for starters, thank you for having me. It definitely goes beyond the studio. So before even starting up Dream Studios, I had my agency, and so that kind of got me into the world of content. I mean, I've been doing content creating and editing for, like, as long as I could remember. I have videos of me from when I was like, I don't know if you saw my Instagram story yesterday, but I was editing, like, little silly little music videos ever since I was, like, six. And, like, I've always been in the world, but obviously, like, at that point in time, like, none of this was really, like, a career yet. So when I told my parents, like, I'm gonna get into PR and advertising, they were just kind of like, I don't. Why would you do that? Like, they're obviously Hispanic, like, traditionally. That doesn't make sense.

Speaker A: Yeah, the doctor lawyer, right?

Speaker B: Like, I. I had initially wanted to go into, like, law, and my parents were super excited about that. But then when I realized in four years, if I didn't want to do that anymore, what was I going to do with an English degree at that point? So that's when I switched over to pr, and they had no idea what that was. It was like, four years of just, like, explaining what it was. And then I kind of got into, like, influencer management and then doing a little bit of, like, my own brand partnerships and stuff. Um, and then that's when I really started to dive into, like, social media. And I realized that that's something that businesses were, like, really needing at the time. So I started doing, like, friends Dad's, like, businesses, and, like, one of my friends that had, like, a windows and glass company. And, like, I tapped into that a little. And then little by little, I was like, wait, like, I can probably start to make money off of this. And so that is when I decided to just like, fully go into having an agency. I mean, at the time, I was still in college, so I wasn't really taking it, like, fully serious. Like, I was in school. And then I started an internship at fiu. Um, and then I went to the Disney College program. Like, I was all over the place. No, super fun. But I was doing all these things where like the agency thing was just kind of like on the side. Um, and then it wasn't until flash forward 2023, I want to say I quit my full time job after literally just a year of being, um, offered a full time position post grad. And then I took the agency thing super serious. And then flash forward to December of last year. That is when I decided I want to open up a content studio. And funny enough, my business partner is actually one of my social media management clients.

Speaker A: Oh, okay.

Speaker B: And so, yeah, and so for a really long time, like, we were going to studios and like renting out different peer space locations. And it is, it can get expensive. It can get super expensive, especially when you're doing it a lot. So I saw it as a necessity for myself, but also for my clients. Um, and just in general, like, I was kind of like hoping for this kind of lofty type space in Miami because there are definitely a lot of amazing studios in Miami, but I feel like there was nowhere like this where you kind of get like a city view. And like, I really wanted kind of like a New York, Louisiana type feel, but in the center of Miami. And so that's why we created this. And honestly, having a business partner has been amazing because we both kind of bring in different. I mean, she does not come from like the creative space like at all. Like, she's just more of like an organizational type. A, like she labels all the things, like she takes care of, like if we're running out of like cleaning supplies, like those are the things that I'm just not good at. Um, and then I come in more with like the creative brain and like the picking out the furniture and like knowing what equipment we needed, um, and just reaching out to people and socializing. And so it's definitely great because I know that like, for finding a business partner is very scary. And like, I've heard all the stories about that. So finding somebody that can balance me out was like the best thing possible.

Speaker A: That's amazing. And so when you were first getting started in pr, what made you fall in love with PR and want to switch from law school? I mean, because I know there's a lot of girls that follow self made babe that are in college and that are probably wanting to maybe switch careers? I personally myself switched careers once or twice. Um, like, like you, I was thinking of doing the pre med track and you did pre law. So I switched to marketing. And similarly, I had a Similar experience where I was growing up and I was building my Tumblr website, coding my MySpace, hiding my top.

Speaker B: It was just always in you.

Speaker A: Yes. So that also led me into, like, branding, marketing and building websites. Now for all the girls that, you know, grew up being creative and being kind of like tech savvy. Like, what made you take that leap of faith into this side and like, leaving right what you knew before, which was pre law.

Speaker B: So I went into FIU as like an English major. And like, the main thing, I think I always had a little bit of, like, doubt in that and like, the fact I just wanted to have, like, my options open. So, like, what I really was always telling myself and, uh, what I had in the back of my mind is like, if in four years I don't want to be a lawyer, like, what on earth am I going to do with an English degree? Like, I'm not going to write a book. Like, it's just not going to. It's not going to do much for me. And so I did my research and like, I had. I really didn't. I've heard of PR and like, I've heard of, like, journalism, but I had never really known enough about it. And so there's actually an amazing track at FIU called prac, and it's public relations, advertising and applied communication. So it's like, oh, I didn't know you get a. You're almost like triple majoring in one big major, essentially. And, uh, that's what I decided to go with mainly because I was like, if I want to go into law, PR still is a good foundation for that. You get a lot of that, like, writing background. And like, I had read, like, I don't know, articles that they were like, oh, like, when they see PR and like, your thing and you're applying to law school, like, it's super good. So I was like, okay. You know, that still kind of leaves my door open if I want to go into law and like, make my parents happy. But, uh, it also like, opens me up to so much more because I had looked over the track and it was like social media and there was classes about branding and campaigns and like, all of that really interested me. And so I felt like that curiosity was always, like, there. And I'm just like, if I have a feeling on something, like, I need to act on it. Like, I can't just, like, let that, like, sit there. Like, I will just forever, like, live in regret. So I was like, I knew I needed to, like, do something about that. Like, doubt. And so that's why I was like, I'm just gonna switch over. And then worst case scenario, like, I have options, right?

Speaker A: And, you know, I think that's so beautiful because sometimes, you know, it can be scary to switch career paths and especially as a immigrant. Are you immigrant?

Speaker B: So my parents were. But no, I was born and raised here.

Speaker A: I was born. Well, I was. I was kind of an immigrant. My mom came when she was pregnant with me and I was born here. But, um, when, you know, when you're born from immigrant parents, you kind of feel, like, a sense of duty to make them happy. Uh, you don't want to disappoint them. So did you ever feel guilt in that?

Speaker B: 100%. And, like, it was really difficult to, like, escape. I mean, it was. When I made the switch over, it was also, like, constantly in my ear about, like, why would I do that? And, like, you know, you kind of, like, grow up always getting told, like, they came here for you and to, like, make your life, like, you know, so then when you're doing something that's completely opposite to what they want you to do, it's almost like you're completely tearing apart, like, their whole dream of, like, why they came here for you and for them and the whole thing. Um, but obviously, like, it also, like, even though at the time it was tough because it's very easy to get that in your head, like, everything that they're feeding, that you're not going to be successful and that PR and social media isn't real or whatever, but now flash forward to today, like, they know for a fact that none of that, like, meant anything because they see where I am at now and, like, how I've succeeded. Like, one thing about, like, myself and, like, when I, like, tell myself I'm going to do something or I set myself to do something, like, I'm going to do it regardless of, like, what the field is or what it is. So that's something I tried to always tell them. And, like, they always had a little bit of doubt, but, like, the fact that they, like, still at times, like, supported me and, like, allowed me to just kind of, like, prove that to them in the end, like, paid off. So there was definitely a little bit of guilt and a lot of doubt and, like, all the emotions, but it paid off. So I'm glad I pushed through all of that because otherwise I would be a sad lawyer. Like, nothing. Not that you can't be a happy lawyer, but I just don't think it's for Me?

Speaker A: No, I love that. I love that. And sometimes you just have to be true to yourself and that's what will make you happy. Yeah, that's all that matters. 100. However did you ever, you know, pivoting into this world of pr, marketing, social media, did you ever come across moments of doubt imposter syndrome when you're first starting out? I think it's something that's so common for a lot of us that are starting out, and I think it's just more so because of lack of experience. Once you, you know, have your hands, like, deep in the dough and you understand how everything works and how to engage with clients and lead in a professional way. Can you talk about those moments? 100% imposter syndrome, and how you overcame those?

Speaker B: Yeah. So I will say, in the very beginning, I really did not know what I was doing. Oh, yeah?

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: I was definitely. I was, I think I want to say, like, 21, when I officially was like, I'm gonna get my LLC and I'm gonna do this. And like, at the time, like, my knowledge of what social media and like Instagram management was was just like a pretty feed and like pretty pictures, and it wasn't as, like, in depth as it is now, where you have to have like a super tailored strategy. And like, like, now it's a lot more difficult and like, um, complex than it was back then. Um, and so then I had no idea, like, what a contract was even for, like, what the purpose was. And so my first, which is actually still my client to this day, was asking me for like an sow and like, sending me over contracts. And they really had control in that conversation. And I was so confused that I was just kind of like, yeah, sure, like, just kind of like a fake it till you make it kind of energy. And that's kind of how I want to say I was for like the first, like, year or so, especially because I was still like, in school and just kind of like juggling both things. But honestly, like, it was very much like a lot of that, like, kind of like learning in the moment. But I think that's super important because I think a lot of people and like, there was a time where, like, before I even launched my LLC or opened up my Instagram, I was like, I need to make sure that everything is perfect and I need to make sure that I have this and then my branding and da, da, da, da. And although those things are important, I feel like also just like jumping into it and like, taking the leap of faith is Better than to not, like, to wait. I saw something yesterday that was like, your, like, competition or something like, that might not even be half as talented as you are, but because they're showing up and because they're consistent, like, they're doing, like, better than you, of course. And so that kind of is, like, that mentality that I was trying to put myself in, that it's like, even if it's not perfect, even if it's like, I'm not the most knowledgeable person, like, I might as well just jump into it and learn along the way. And so that's just kind of like, how it's been since then. But the imposter syndrome, like, to date, like, exists, definitely still exists. Um, I think, like, we all kind of, like, suffer from that a little bit. Like, we, you know, I think it's like, human nature to, like, look at what everyone else is doing. And, like, at the end of the day, like, everyone's journey is obviously their own, but it's definitely natural. And, like, sometimes, like, I've always been like, I always want to be, like, one step ahead. Like, not of anyone, but just, like, when I complete something, like, I opened up the studio and I'm like, okay, what do I do next? Like, I'm just always, like, I need to be doing something, which is, like,

Speaker A: for people listening, like, the podcast space, this was. This does not exist. When she launched it, that's what came afterwards. Yeah, so that's a great explanation. Like a great.

Speaker B: No, yeah, that's a great lead up.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: Because, um, when we opened up the studio, like, we started off, obviously, as, like, a content studio, and we wanted to do events, but then we were like, we need to tap into, like, the podcast space, because, number one, we saw a lot of people reaching out and asking about it, and we were like, we're huge. We're missing, like, a pretty big group with that. And so that's why we were like, okay, well, we're going to figure out how to convert our upstairs, which, like, this one, it's not a podcast. It's literally like a backdrop set. And so we're going to figure out how to, like, convert it into a podcast set. And then, like, who knows what we're going to do next, because we just never stop. But that's just kind of how I've always been. Like, I think the imposter syndrome is more like, me to me. Like, I always want to be doing something new and fresh and, like, exciting because I am a Gemini.

Speaker A: And so I got really yeah. June 1st.

Speaker B: Oh, my God. I'm May 21st.

Speaker A: Oh, cute.

Speaker B: Wait, uh, but, um. But, yeah, I think that just makes me, like, easily bored. Like, and when I'm bored, I'm like, I need, like, new, like, a spark of inspiration or, like, a new challenge. And that's just how I've always been.

Speaker A: That's amazing. I mean, I think maybe your sign does take place into how we act as entrepreneurs, for sure. But also, you know, when you were first starting your podcast studio and your dream studios, where it was a content studio, was there anything. You obviously mentioned earlier that there was a gap in the market, and I would say in Miami there was a gap and you filled it successfully. Um, what were the key things that you noticed in identifying those gaps? And how did you, you know, what was the market research like? You know, walk us through that process for starting entrepreneurs.

Speaker B: So I will say that it wasn't, like, we didn't go too, too in depth on the research aspect, but what we did notice and, like, what we heard, it was more of, like, a survey type of thing. Like, a lot of people were telling us that all these podcast studios were kind of, like, the same in terms of, like, the same, like, neon, like, sign and, like, the same blocky black, like, roof. So, like, very much, like, repetitive, like, recording studio vibes.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And so we wanted something that was a little bit more, like, laid back, like, lifestyle, like, something that both, like, Maria and I kind of, like, resonate with, and something that just, like, matches the overall, like, vibe of the studio. And so we did a little bit of research. We looked at, like, some different, like, aesthetics and prints and things that we liked. And so this, to me, is just something that, like, is very neutral. Like, it can fit both, like, a masculine vibe, a feminine vibe. And so that's just kind of like, what we went for. And then obviously, we researched, like, pricing and, like, we noticed some things were, like, a little bit more expensive than others. And then ultimately, like, we thought that the best option was to, like, launch the podcast, um, membership, because I think most people that have podcasts, like, they want that, like, aligned look and feel every episode. And so kind of giving people the opportunity to come multiple times a month and, like, having that set amount of hours that works for them, like, we thought that would be the best way to kind of roll it out. So that's what we kind of did. We rolled out the podcast first and then the memberships, like, right after. So it was just kind of like, one thing led into the other.

Speaker A: Oh, I love that. And then uh, going back to your entire studio initially, before the podcast, what was the intention for? Was it for photo shoots? Was it for content people, content creators to come in?

Speaker B: Right, it was mainly for content and it still like really is like that's our primary focus. Like people coming in for like photo shoots, content ugc. I mean like the studio and something that we don't even talk about enough is the fact that like the bathrooms themselves are like content worthy. Like they're aesthetic. Like they work for like skin care campaigns or like if you're doing like a ugc, like get ready with me, like anything like that. Like the bathrooms are super nice for that. Like we have three city facing balconies which is something else that like we definitely don't talk about enough. Um, but um, that's another thing that we're actually kind of like working on is we want to furnish the balconies to kind of give each balcony its own kind of like theme and like aesthetic so that people also get to like use them as well. Um, but yeah, content is like the main focus. So like we tried to make every single corner like downstairs, especially in the Meraki Lounge, like content worthy. Um, so thinking if like you're gonn do like a campaign for a specific brand or like outfits, like every corner like works for that as well as like photo shoots. I mean we've already had a little bit of everything in here. We've done like maternity shoots, we've had people come for like UGC campaigns. Um, trying to think like what else we've done like grad shoots, dentists, people shoots. Um, so a little bit of everything. We've had some like fashion shoots as well. So yeah.

Speaker A: Oh, it's amazing. And you know, honestly your studio is actually very well, you know, decorated. The uh, location is amazing. It's a corner unit, you know, just for everyone that are, that's interested and lives in Miami. Um, it's a corner unit. It has floor to ceiling windows. The ceiling heights are um, so immense. So going back to like finding the right place too because obviously I'm in real estate and the most key bar that everyone says is location, location, location. Right. So what made you like like want to move to Wynwood or like how did you find come come about finding this place, you know, because I think there's a lot of people that are wanting to open brick and mortar stores or studios similar or even just a restaurant, whatever the case may be.

Speaker B: I think last year in May we did a shoot so Maria and I, my business partner, we did a shoot for her brand at a studio. And I think that day afterwards, we were like, we need to do this. Like, what are we doing? I was like, this is something we could definitely do ourselves. And then I'm very much like, once I get something in my head, like, there's no getting it out. Like, I went on computer, I started looking at, like, different. Like, I think I would look up, like, in, like, industrial loft spaces and, like, just trying to find something more like that. Um, and so we toured a bunch of locations, and, like, we went to, like, a little river is kind of, like, blowing up now and, like, kind of, like turning into this, like, very artsy space. So we. We toured a lot of spaces over there, but, like, nothing ever. Like, you know, you just get that feeling. And, like, when we walked in here, that's when I got that kind of feeling of, like, oh, okay. I, Like, I. I envisioned it as soon as I walked in. I was like, I see it. Like, the natural light was, like, really what sold me. Like, as soon as we walked in, I think, like, the. The blinds were, like, fully up, and it, like, felt like you walked into, like, heaven. Like, it was just, like, it was perfect. I was like, okay, like, where do we sign? Like, I'm ready. Um, and then I obviously, like, envisions. I was, like, two stories. I was, like, looking at the balconies, the bathrooms, everything. I was like, I can see so much, like, being done here. So my brain started going, like, in a bunch of different directions, and we moved pretty quickly. Like, I think we toured this, I want to say, October 2024, and then we got our keys November 1st.

Speaker A: Oh, that's amazing.

Speaker B: So we were, like, super quick. Um, and then we did our grand opening in December. So we moved. We moved pretty quickly. And, like, let me tell you, like, opening up a business, like, it sounds like it's, like, smooth sales. And, like, this was my first like, physical, like, location and, like, location. Um, and, like, my first time having to, like, pay rent for a business. And, like, guys, it's. It's a lot. It's a lot. I mean, it was definitely a lot opening this up. I was. I just, like, jumped into it. And, like, luckily I had Maria with me because we were able to, like, really, like, figure everything out separately. And, like, she took on, like, part of it. I was really helping and planning, like, the content strategy and, like, how we were going to launch it and, like, bringing in influencers in the very beginning because we obviously wanted to already have, like, that proof of concept of the space being used. Um, but ultimately, like, it all. It worked out, and here we are, so.

Speaker A: Oh, I love that. And then I guess it's pretty impressive. You said you found the place in October, got the keys in November, opened in December. So when was, like, the first idea that popped into your head, like, Dream Studios, we should do this. And then what was the lead up

Speaker B: for, like, the name?

Speaker A: Yeah. No, no, not. We can talk about the name. Oh, okay. No, we'll talk about the name later. What I meant was mostly like. Like, how. Like, how long did you sit with the idea of Dream Studios before, like, touring a place and getting keys?

Speaker B: I want to say May is when we had that conversation after that studio that we went to. And then that's when we kind of started doing research. But, like, very lightly. Like, it was just kind of like, I would go online and be like, okay, like, this is cool. Like, whatever. I don't think we toured a location until July. And then from there we would see, like, like two to three places, like, every so often. And then it wasn't until we toured this one because, like, after a while, like, nothing would really pop up or, like, if we saw a place that, like, we liked, like, it would, like, go off the market. Um, and then eventually we stumbled across this. And this was one that I was like, we cannot, like, we can't lose this. We can't sleep on this. Um, I think we both, like, we, like, connected. Like, we looked at each other. Like, we just knew. Um, and I think you had asked about location. I didn't touch on that. But, like, to me, when would is, like, the heart of like. Like, like art in Miami and the heart of Miami. And so I feel like most people that, like, are in this area are, like, when I come here, like, that's just what I, like, feel. And so I felt like it was just fitting. Like, and I didn't even tour it thinking, like, okay, it's in Wynwood. Like, uh, there's actually a couple of other studios in the same building. And so as cute as yours or. I mean, that is, uh. That's subjective, but, um. But definitely, uh. I think that's another thing. Like, we. We had used some of the other studios in the building. And that, I think, is one of those other things that prompted us to be like, wait, like. Like, we should look into the building. And I think we called. We didn't even, like, see a listing or anything like that. Like, we called and we were like, oh, like, do you guys happen to have. And they're like, yeah, like, let's get you guys to, like, tour a couple spaces. And then we toured some of the smaller ones. And this is the biggest, like, loft space in the whole building. I think there's, like, a matching corner unit on the other side, which, funny enough, they're a PR agency. I just think that's, like, super cool. But, yeah, we toured this, and we were like, girl sold. Like, yeah. Ah, yeah.

Speaker A: That's amazing. And so going back to the name, I always. You know, a common DM that I get is also people struggling. You know, what should I do? My business, I'm starting. I want to start something, and I just always struggle. And I always tell them, like, just, you know, either one, pick a name, like, a word that you love in a different language. Build, like, a portmanteau word, which is, like, making one word and connecting it with another word and making a new word. So how did you come up with the name Dream Studios?

Speaker B: So it was kind of aligned with, like, my agency name. So my agency name is Dreamy Socials. And, like, the reason I came up with that name, I always loved, like, the idea of, like, okay, like, I'm, um, bringing your dream brand to life, and, like, kind of, like a cloud was always, like, an element to that brand. And just everything always, like, dreamy. And, like, when I walked in here, like, not because, like, like, it's directly associated with my agency, but that was kind of, like, the feeling I got when walking in here is like, this was so dreamy. Um, and I obviously didn't want it to be too. Too correlated to my agency or, like, I didn't want people to have that confusion of, like, it's the same thing. So I just took the Y off, and I was like, well, this is very much of, like, a dream for both her and I. And so we kind of incorporated, like, little elements of both of our businesses into it, because obviously, with the name being dream, it's like, that's kind of closely tied to me. So what we did to kind of, like, tie in both of, like, our personalities a little bit is we actually named the bottom floor after her business, which is meraki, which is Greek for. I think in Greek, what it means is, like, to do something with, like, soul and, like, love or something like that. Um, and that's just kind of, like, where her business ties into the picture. So we named the bottom floor that because it just does have that more like, creative, fun vibe. And then we named this because it's like the higher level, the cloud suite, and it just kind of ties into the whole, like, dreamy theme and, like. Like, the fact that you're stepping into this dream space to create content. So that's kind of how it came about. It didn't really take a lot of thinking and, like, kind of to what you said. Like, I feel like a lot of people linger on that for, like, a really long time, like, what should I name it? And then it's like, you spend so much time thinking about something that, like, at the end of the day, yes, it is important. It's what you're gonna stick with forever. But I think what's more important is, like, the story behind that name or, like, behind the brand.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Um, and the branding. Like, as long as, like, your branding and your storytelling is on point, like, the name, it's important, but it'll stick with people if that story is powerful enough.

Speaker A: Exactly. I think that's so true, what you just mentioned, because if there's no meaning behind the name, behind a band.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Like, no one's gonna feel connected to it. No one's gonna want to say, I feel identified with their message. So I really love that you mentioned that. And another thing that I want to talk about, too, is there's a lot of women in my community that are wanting to break into the social media space and maybe become social media managers, maybe even open their own agencies, like you and I. What was it like working with your first client and first starting out, like, how did you get them? You know, because I think a lot of people are, like, wanting to say, I want to quit my job, or, like, I want to do my own thing. What. What's your advice for them?

Speaker B: So I would say do research, but like I said earlier, like. Like, don't get yourself too caught up in, like, the nitty gritty of, like, contracts and this and that. Ah. Like, in the very beginning, again, like, I was honestly winging it. And, like, it was a pretty big client that I will not name because if they find out that I was winning. But, um, I was definitely winging it at first. Like, I was just kind of, like, learning day by day. And obviously, like, the feedback helped. And, like, I think when you start, like, that's super normal. Like, clients will give feedback and, like, at times, like, you do definitely have to listen to the client.

Speaker A: And, um.

Speaker B: And I definitely learned a lot about, like, my communication style and, like, how to deal with a client. And honestly, like, I'm lucky that my first Client experience, like, wasn't anything bad. Like, it was definitely a learning experience. Like, that really taught me how to, like, move forward and like, how to continue gaining clients. Um, but the way I actually landed my first client, like, was through, like, word of mouth. So like a friend of a friend that was just like, well, you know, she's in the space and she does a great job and that's kind of how that happens. And they just, they literally called me over the phone. It was very, like, I want to say casual because it was just a lot of phone calls and just like, me really selling myself with like, no portfolio. Which, like, goes to show that, like, a lot of people also focus on that too, too much, where they're like, well, I don't have a portfolio and I don't have anything to show. And like, I don't know what I did, but I must have sold myself because it was really just like a couple phone calls. I barely had, like, work to show. Um, and I would say for like, a lot of people that are also scared to like, start because of that, like, it's honestly so easy to like, create like, fake portfolio work. Like, nowadays, like, I. I have this, like, term that I like to call Fuji. See, and it's like fake ugc. So, like, grab five products that you have at home and like, create a commercial for like, those five products or like a UGC campaign or like a social video. Um, and even like establishing your personal brand too. I will say that's probably the only thing I had to my name at the time is that I did have a presence on my own account. So, like, it showed that I was already creating content and that I knew how to do it. So I would say that's pretty important in this industry. Like, it's not crucial. But I will say clients definitely look at it. I think that all my clients probably stalked me prior to, like, you know, moving the ball with me. Um, so I would say definitely establishing your personal brand is super important, honestly, regardless of what business or what field you want to get. And I think that that's pretty crucial nowadays.

Speaker A: 1,000%. And I love that you created your fake word Fuji C, because I also too say that the best way to get started is also by having a fake portfolio. Even if it's not a fake, it's. It's not a fake portfolio. It's showcasing your work at the end of the day. And so when you're also trying to put yourself out there, it's so important to let the people within your Sphere of influence. Know that you are offering these services, that you exist, that you started this business. Because if not, no one's going to contact you or they're not going to think, oh, I have a friend that does this.

Speaker B: Right.

Speaker A: And it's so important because little do you know, even if it's people that you might be thinking that don't care about you, like maybe you follow them

Speaker B: since high school, whatever, it's subconscious, um,

Speaker A: subconscious, they still keep up with you. And it's very funny because I, this is a sidetrack, but I went to my 10 year high school reunion. Oh my God. And obviously, like, we don't really keep in touch. We only keep in touch with the people that we were great friends with in high school. But uh, when I went to my 10 year reunion, I don't want to like age myself, but I'm not even old. But regardless, you know, everyone was like talking about like, oh, so you do real estate now? Oh, so you do marketing now? Right.

Speaker B: My biggest fear is my 10 year high school.

Speaker A: Oh yeah.

Speaker B: When people start asking those questions, I'm

Speaker A: gonna be like, no. But it's, it's, it's. I went because I was like, it'll be fun.

Speaker B: Yeah, for sure.

Speaker A: Literally leading up to the day before, I was like, I'm not gonna go, this is so whack. I don't talk to anyone. The people I do talk to, but that's insane. The fact that they keep up, they, everyone does. So that's so important to like put yourself out there. Even if you have like 100 followers on Instagram, like you have people have their own connections that they can connect you to. And so if you're not off, if you're not actively sharing your services or sharing how you can be useful to someone or someone's business, then they're not going to hire you. So that's a great way to get started. So I love that you mentioned the Fuji. See, because I'm gonna start using that. Yeah. But I will, I'll make sure to like give you credit for the Fuji.

Speaker B: I'm trademarking Fuji.

Speaker A: See, you should, you should. So going back also, because I know a lot of people and I feel like I talked about this with a lot of other agency founders, you know, pricing your services is kind of a tedious task, but also, how do you measure what your worth is For a lot of people that are starting out, you know, what's your take on that? Or like, should we talk about like, what's the industry standard? Or what's the hourly rate?

Speaker B: We can talk about both. I think that's a very, like, gray area right now, like, in the creative space, like, like, in general. Because one thing that I've, like, just kind of like, heard, like, from like, the client perspective, but also from the agency perspective, is that everybody's prices are different. So it's like you never really know what you're getting from, like, a customer standpoint. And I feel like the goal, like, moving forward for agencies and creatives is like, to kind of like, establish that industry standard. Because I feel like that's what's happening right now is that there really isn't one.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And so I actually joined like, a coaching program, like, not too long ago, and we actually have this like, pricing calculator as part of it. And, and what brings together that pricing calculator is like, the amount of deliverables that you're giving a client, whether that's stories or how many feed posts. And I will say, I think I know, like, most like, agency prices, like, honestly, locally. And I will say that we are all underpaid.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: For a fact. Um, but that's just because I think that, like, so one thing that's like, not normalized, I think, across the board, like with social media agencies, is that a lot of agencies don't actually do the content creating. They ask the client or outsource, um, the content. But, like, I've heard a lot of, like, agencies that do this where they just kind of like get the client to feed them the content or like a photographer, videographer, and they just kind of do like, the strategy side. And I think that's awesome. That's honestly, like, something that I want to kind of like, start looking into doing. But on my agency, we do all the content creating. So we do the photo, the video, the strategy. Like, we basically handle everything, like, inside and out for their socials. Um, and when you, when you're taking such a big charge, I think a lot of people think that that is the standard and they expect that. Um, and that's not the way it is. So, like, one thing that I've learned, and I actually, I bumped my prices up this year because I, I definitely have hit a point where it's like a lot of demand. Um, and I'm pretty, like, booked and busy. And so, girl, once you have demands, you got to bring those prices up.

Speaker A: Of course.

Speaker B: Um, but besides that, like, besides bringing up my prices, like, I joined this coaching program and I looked into that pricing calculator and like, like without even including like the content creating side. Like, it still tells me that I'm underpaid.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: Just based on the amount of like deliverables that I'm like pushing out for my clients. So I will say like, in terms of like what the industry standard is and like everybody will tell you honestly something different. But I think at minimum if you're posting for someone, whether it's three times a week or five times a week, it should be minimum like $2,000 a month.

Speaker A: Month.

Speaker B: I would say, um, you're basically like, I don't want to say the backbone of this brand, but if you're doing a good job, I mean, today I was working on a case study for a client and in just a year we've boosted her following by 400, over 400%.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: And so it's like, and honestly this is a client that's been selling out like every single Sunday. They're a pop up coffee cart and they're launching their next venture now for their business, which is kind of like in the works, I can't talk about. But luckily, thanks to the efforts of social media, which just goes to show that like, like she got like double, if not triple her return on investment on that. So at the end of the day it's a write off. You're gonna get a return on investment nine times out of 10. So I think it's definitely like a worthy investment, especially now. Like, it's, it's a ne. It's a, it's a necessity. It's not even like a question of like, do I need it? Like, it's just a matter of like, do you want quality social media work or do you want somebody like just whipping out Canva templates 24 7.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Which like, no hate on Canva. We love Canva.

Speaker A: Yeah, we love coming. I love Canva.

Speaker B: Canva.

Speaker A: Please invite us to the Canva events we love. But, um, no, I mean, I love that you mentioned also that the industry standard is a lot different than everything else across the board. But what about for those, you know, for the people that are charging hourly? Because personally I like to offer packages and I'm assuming you're. You offer packages.

Speaker B: Yes.

Speaker A: Just by the way that you're talking right now. But for those like that are wanting to like get into the industry and like, are wondering like, what should I charge an hour? Or honestly don't even charge by the hour, charge by the package. But just in case.

Speaker B: So I do, I charge by the package and I will say I'm probably, like, this is probably not the best advice because I was recently told that I should probably start, like, tracking my hours per client so that you really see how much of your time is going towards each client individually and to make out, like, whether or not you're actually getting paid enough per client. Because if you break it down and you think like, you know, normal, full time salary, job wise, it's like if you're devoting 40 hours a week for $2,000 a month. That doesn't make any sense. Right, right. So I think it. I think it just depends. Like, it's just like, I think whatever works for you. But I will say tracking your hours, like, by the hour, like, would probably be a good strategy, something I probably should start implementing. Um, I just haven't really, like, held myself to it yet. Like, I downloaded like, Clockify and I probably should be clocking in my hours all the time, but I don't do that.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker B: Yeah. Apparent. It's like a free. A free tool that, like, not like, sponsored, but it's like a free. It's a free tool that you can, like, track, like, your hours or whatever. Um, and so I told my team, like, my team is actually holding themselves accountable to doing that because obviously their work also accounts for each client that you're, you know, working towards. Um, but, uh, I have not done that yet, so I will keep you guys updated on what that looks like. It's probably a lot of hours.

Speaker A: I love that. And then also talking about the tools and before we wrap up and whatnot. Yeah, but what are your favorite social media tools for managing businesses?

Speaker B: So obviously Cap Cut, we love her. I do everything on capcut, I edit everything on Cap Cut. And I've become like a Cap Cut ninja. Like, at this point, like, I'm editing on the go all the time. Um, and the desktop version is great as well. Um, other than Kapka, again, Canva, we love her. She's great for like a quick story post or just anything on the go. Um, I actually use for analytics. It's called Mentor IO.

Speaker A: Okay.

Speaker B: I don't hear a lot of people talking about this and I don't even remember how I stumbled across it, but it is amazing. And it goes down to, like, so much detail for, like, client reports, which I send out, like quarterly. Um, and then other than that, I. There's a tool that, like, just popped into my brain and like, left notion.

Speaker A: Oh, notion's amazing.

Speaker B: I love notion. I will say getting into notion, it takes a while. I think I had it at one point and I was like, I can't. I can't bring myself to this. But then I hired someone to, like, completely build out my notion, like, customize to my business. Game changer. Oh, yeah, Absolute game changer. I have all my client portals on notion. I have my personal, like, brand portals on notion. I organize the studio content on there. My content client content. Like, my whole life is on notion.

Speaker A: I love notion. Notion is incredible. It's great. I love that. Okay. And then also just to start wrapping up the podcast episode because this has been amazing, getting to learn about you, how you started your business and whatnot. But is there anything else that you are excited that you haven't been given the chance to talk about?

Speaker B: I mean, I'm probably gonna, uh. Well, coffee and Creatives is something that we've started working on at the studio. It's gonna be like a new. We already did our first one in March, right? That's a month that just passed. April. April.

Speaker A: April.

Speaker B: It was in April. Guys, being an entrepreneur, like, you don't even know what time of the year.

Speaker A: You don't even know what day it is.

Speaker B: No. Um, but we just launched our first one in April. It was a huge success. We're doing that every month. Kind of like a community initiative for creatives to, like, get together and like, talk about different topics. So in March, we talked everything, like pricing and contracts and like, how to, like, really, like, establish your worth as a creative. And then in May, we're going to be doing a, like, fashion photography hands on session. So that's going to be really fun because they're going to be doing like a live styling session and then coming up here and just doing like, hands on, like, photo ops with models. Um, so that's kind of like something that we're ongoingly working on. I do want to also, like, establish more like, community events for my agency. That's something I want to do more of in 2025 because we do everything digitally and like, I really want to start tapping more into in person events. I feel like that's a huge, like, new wave of, like, we all want to do things in person, so I want to start tapping more into that. Other than that, I think I need to take a chill pill for a little bit. I need to travel this summer. That is what I need to do.

Speaker A: That's so funny. I was trying not to choke while you're talking.

Speaker B: No.

Speaker A: So going. You're so, so amazing. Okay, that's. I love that. That's so incredible. And also you mentioned a quote that you loved earlier, which I fully align with that quote 1000%. Is there another quote that you. That guides you throughout your daily life?

Speaker B: I don't think so, no. I would say that, like, honestly, my little brain guides me through my daily life. Um, I have, like, major adhd. Um, and I think, honestly, I take it more as, like, a superpower than I do, like, a con. Um, because, honestly, that's what keeps me, like, going and, like, driven 24 7. So shout out ADHD.

Speaker A: That's beautiful. Undiagnosed here. Self diagnosed.

Speaker B: Diagnosed, actually.

Speaker A: That's incredible. But thank you so much, Nidia, uh, for hopping on the podcast.

Speaker B: This was great.

Speaker A: I love chatting with you. Where can people find you?

Speaker B: I am Nydia Gonzalez on Instagram. Dreamy Socials on Instagram. And this is Dream Studios Co on Instagram.

Speaker A: Thank you guys for hopping on to the episode and I hope you're back for the next one.