Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Aguilera.
Hi Alex , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey in the events and experiential marketing industry started 21 years ago. I began as a Brand Ambassador, working directly with consumers and representing some incredible national brands. Over the years, I worked my way up from being in the field to coordinating events, managing teams and eventually becoming an Event Coordinator and Account Manager. It is a lot of work but I can truly say that I love what I do. One thing that has remained consistent throughout my career is that I treat every brand and every event as if it were my own. That mindset has given me the opportunity to work on campaigns and events for hundreds of brands over the years, from small local activations to major national brands and large-scale events like The Super Bowl. Those 21 years of hands-on experience have taught me just about every side of the event industry, from being the person interacting with consumers to being the person behind the scenes making sure the entire activation comes together.
In 2017, I decided to take my experience, creativity and love for events and build something of my own. That’s when I started Magic Touch Pix, my photo booth business. What began with photo booths continued to evolve as I invested in new technology and looked for different ways to help my clients create memorable experiences for their guests. I’ve always been the type of person who thinks, “Okay, what can I learn or create next?” That curiosity eventually led me into custom gifting, laser engraving, 3D printing and live event personalization, which expanded into Magic Touch Worx. Now, in addition to interactive photo experiences, I can create customized products and live personalization experiences where guests actually get to watch their item being made right in front of them.
At the same time, and to this day, I’ve continued my full-time career in experiential marketing. I currently work as an Account Manager with Two Dots Productions, an experiential marketing and event production agency, where I help manage brand activations, staffing, and event programs for national clients. I think being on both sides of the industry has been one of my biggest strengths. I understand what it’s like to be a Brand Ambassador working an event, what it takes to coordinate and manage a successful activation, and what it means to be a business owner responsible for delivering an experience to a client. That experience has given me a unique perspective and a true understanding of what it takes to bring an event together from every angle.
As a Mexican-American, first-generation Latina business owner, I’m extremely proud of what I’ve built. I didn’t start with a detailed roadmap or know exactly where this journey would take me. A lot of it has been working hard with the mindset of no days off, investing back into myself & my business and taking chances.
Twenty-one years later, I still genuinely love this industry. I’m still learning, still creating and still thinking about what I can do next. Magic Touch has grown tremendously since 2017, but my philosophy has stayed pretty simple: work hard, treat every client’s brand like it’s your own, treat others the way you would like to be treated and always find a way to give an event that extra Magic Touch.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road. One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to balance everything. I’ve built and grown my businesses while continuing to work full-time in experiential marketing, all while being a wife, a mom, a friend, a sister and aunt. There have been many late nights, long weekends, and even times when I’m hopping off a flight from traveling for my full-time job and going straight into preparing for and working an event for my own business. It can be exhausting at times, but when you’re passionate about what you’re building, you find a way to make it work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work is really centered around creating memorable, interactive experiences. Through Magic Touch Pix, I specialize in photo booth and interactive event experiences for corporate events, brand activations, festivals, universities, hotels, weddings, quinceañeras, birthdays, anniversaries and private events. What started as a photo booth company in 2017 has grown into multiple experiences, including our Magic Mirror, 360 booth, roaming photobooth, robot photo booth and other interactive photo booths.
I’ve also recently expanded into Magic Touch Worx, which focuses on custom gifting and live personalization. This has allowed me to bring laser engraving, custom-created pieces, 3D printing and other personalized products directly into events. I love being able to take a client’s logo or an idea and turn it into something their guests can actually experience and take home with them.
I think what sets me apart is that I understand events from so many different perspectives. I’ve spent 21 years in experiential marketing, starting as a Brand Ambassador and eventually moving into event coordination and account management. I know what it’s like to be on the front line interacting with guests, to manage the people working an activation, to work directly with the client, and then to look at it from the perspective of a business owner. Because of that, I don’t just show up with equipment and provide a service, I understand the bigger picture of what the client is trying to accomplish. I’m also constantly looking for ways to evolve. If I see something new that I think could add value to an event, I want to learn it. I’ve taught myself new technology, invested in new equipment and continued adding services that allow me to bring ideas to life in different ways. I never want my business to become stagnant or simply offer what everyone else is offering.
What I’m most proud of is the trust I’ve built. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible companies, brands, venues and organizations, and many of those relationships have resulted in repeat business and referrals. To me, that means more than simply booking an event. It means someone trusted me with their brand, their client or an important moment, loved what we delivered, and trusted me enough to call again or recommend me to someone else. I would say that majority of my business comes through referrals & repeat customers.
At the end of the day, I think that’s what I want to be known for: creativity, reliability and always bringing something extra to the experience. I want people to know that when they hire Magic Touch, I’m going to care about their event or their brand as much as they do and, of course, find a way to give it that Magic Touch.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Networking has honestly been a huge part of my career, but I’ve never really looked at it as “networking” in the traditional sense. For me, it has always been about building genuine relationships with people. After 21 years in the experiential marketing and events industry, I’ve learned that it really is a small world. The person you work alongside today could be the person hiring you, referring you, or working with you on a completely different project years from now. I’ll give you an example. Over the years, I’ve hired hundreds of Brand Ambassadors for different events and programs. Some of those same people have gone on to grow in their own careers and now hold positions where they have the opportunity to hire my company for their events. It’s really cool to see those relationships come full circle. I’d like to think that throughout my career, I’ve never burned a bridge. I’ve always tried to treat people with respect, regardless of their title or position, because you truly never know where either of you will be a year, five years, or even ten years from now.
My biggest advice is to show up, work hard, be dependable, and treat people well. Some of the best opportunities I’ve received for my business have come from relationships I built years earlier. People remember how you made their job easier, how you handled yourself under pressure, and whether they could count on you.
When it comes to finding a mentor, I don’t necessarily think it always has to be a formal relationship where you ask someone, “Will you be my mentor?” Pay attention to people whose work, career, or business you respect. Ask questions, listen to their experiences, and be willing to learn. I’ve learned something from so many different people throughout my life, and sometimes the best mentorship happens naturally.
I also believe networking should be a two-way street. Don’t only reach out to people when you need something. Support other people’s businesses, share opportunities, make introductions, recommend people when you can, and genuinely celebrate their successes. I’ve referred clients to other photo booth companies when I wasn’t available, as well as photographers, videographers, balloon artists, face painters, and other event professionals I know and trust. I don’t believe every opportunity has to benefit me directly. Sometimes it’s simply about connecting the right people and supporting others in the industry. There is room for all of us to succeed, and I truly believe that supporting others never takes away from your own success.
Building relationships that way has worked extremely well for me.
Most importantly, never underestimate the impression you leave on people. And again, for me, it really comes down to something simple: treat others the way you would like to be treated. You never know which conversation, event, client, or relationship will come back around years later. In my experience, some of the best networking happens when you aren’t trying to network at all you’re simply building genuine relationships and being a good person along the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://magictouchpix.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magictouchpix/
- Other: https://magictouchworx.com/
