Today we’d like to introduce you to Sunshine.
Hi Sunshine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Quite by accident, I became an entrepreneur, creative strategist, and business leader known for bridging digital marketing expertise with community-focused leadership. After many years in sales for large companies, I was recognized as a good salesperson, but didn’t like the “small cog in a big wheel” mentality. Thinking outside of the box was frowned upon, and It was frustrating because corporate American doesn’t really deviate from the norm.
I am currently based in Costa Rica, and I balance my role as the Founder and CEO of Switchblade Media with executive leadership at Monster Shipping LATAM ( a logistics company that I co-own with my husband) and the development of my wellness initiative, Sunfire Retreats. At Sunfire, our passion is helping men stay sober, and we help women with the challenges of perimenopause and menopause.
After my first son was born, I began writing content for a few clients in Atlanta, with a focus on helping small businesses navigate the complexities of the digital landscape. After being recommended for my writing skills to various other companies, I realized that I should probably try to make a business of it. It was important to me to keep my son at home with me, and I found that what companies were looking for was a great communicator with a sales voice.
I founded Switchblade Media using these skills, and then really developed a passion for navigating online messaging and marketing for small businesses. I began to specializing in social media campaigns, SEO/SEM management, copywriting, and online advertising, which is my passion.
From my early operations in Atlanta, Georgia, I developed a reputation treating my client’s businesses as my own. My professional approach was defined by a commitment to storytelling and community building—moving away from high-pressure sales in favor of long-term, results-oriented relationships. I prefer to operate on trust and proven results, a philosophy that helped my clients stay afloat and thrive even during the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When I moved to Costa Rica, my clients stayed with me. In the pandemic, Switchblade thrived because we needed to find out of the box solutions to attract (safely) business for my clients. I am proud to say this is my proudest career moment.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh no, entrepreneurship is not a smooth road. I never had funding, and bootstrapped the company 100% by myself. I learned a lot of hard lessons along the way.
The biggest lesson I had to learn was that you can run the best marketing and advertising campaigns, but you can’t control how people run their businesses. I definitely had a few that closed their doors because not everyone is a good business person. I was taken advantage of a lot, and not paid a long the way.
Oh, and imposter syndrom. I don’t think that ever goes away. But I try to ignore it!
As you know, we’re big fans of Switchblade Media. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We create content, marketing campaigns, copy writing materials, and we offer advertising on Meta and Google. Google is where the magic really comes from. We are excellent at finding the perfect messaging for our clients that is authentic and based on storytelling. We don’t like AI, and feel that humans should relate and write what the business is about fundamentally. The human connection cannot be overstated.
My team use our collective strengths and gifts to grow your business.
We are digital marketers and salespeople, nerds and tech enthusiasts, surfers and beach bums; friends who have collaborated and forged a common bond.
We are motivated to make life better for our children, and to live life to the fullest.
My team are people who don’t quite fit into the proverbial box or office cube, who live life on OUR terms, and are passionate about what we do.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m a fairly open book, and I treasure the relationships that I have with my clients. After all of these years, I consider them family, and If I’m not a good fit for a business, then I will gracefully say “no.”
What they probably don’t know is that I’m always preparing for the worst case scenario; whether it be a PR nightmare, or geo-political influences, I’m always planning to pivot in a crisis. The Pandemic taught me that. I hope for sun, but plan for rain, so to speak.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.switchblademedia.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/switchblademedia/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/switchblademedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laspinall/
