Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcelo Granillo.
In 2016 Marcelo joined MassMutual Insurance Group guided by Ricardo Peralta, a father figure to Marcelo. There Marcelo got his insurance license and began his insurance career. There Marcelo met Margie Esquivel who later became his business partner and a mother figure.
Marcelo realized that MassMutual is an amazing company but did not offer accessible programs for immigrants or blue collars. Marcelo decided to leave MassMutual and became an independent broker offering close to 20 different insurance carriers under the supervision of Ricardo Peralta. At this point, Marcelo decided that he had a nearly perfect chemistry with Margie Esquivel who is also from El Salvador and decided to join her at the Insurance Agency, which it was already stablish for over ten years. There Marcelo started exploring the options of educating the community when it comes to financial planning and insurance in general. Marcelo he reached out to Alex Garza from a local TV Station and he offered Marcelo the opportunity to be in a tv show call Buenos Dias Houston produced by Jose Portillo a friend of Alex. Marcelo asked Margie to join him in the TV spots call El Minuto Financiero (The Financial Minute). A year later Marcelo reached out to Jose Portillo to inquire about prices of being in a new TV show and he was advised to focus on Social Media (Facebook), he suggested to put together a “Social Media Studio” which a few months later, after lots of money invested and lots time invested, Marcelo and Margie had what was call GQ Studios. A third of their office was converted into a “Social Media Studio” and there the first shows were born. Los 3 Salvadoreños – which till today it is still running every Wednesday at 8am.
Along the way, Miguel Sanchez from Gold Quest Realty Group jumped on board with Marcelo and Margie and became the “Padrino” to GQ Studio. At the beginning of 2018 in Sugar Land TX, Margie, Miguel, Nohayia and Marcelo met at who will become their Legal Advisor’s office. A nonprofit call GQ Media Group was form with the idea of generating educational programs to empower our community, minorities, and business owners. One of the now Board Members suggested that they should buy a radio station and make it our business. There is when GQ Radio was born. As a surprise to all, purchasing a Radio Station can be very expensive, un the Millions of Dollars, so Margie suggested that an Online Radio Station be created, but no one wanted that, they were all thinkers, and planned big. In the May of 2019, Margie and Marcelo registered GQ Radio and started the demolition and expansion of their office to now accommodate a radio studio for their new radio station.
In the summer of 2019, magic happened, with a new member added to the team J Chamberlain (Jeremy Simple) a Needville TX Native, who is a music producer. J was the one who guided GQ Radio to obtain their music license and all the registrations. By July of 2019, Marcelo had at least five shows per week aired on www.gqradio.com and on Facebook Live. By August 2019, Marcelo had a Marketing Director, Stephany Quijano our of Mexico City who started working on all the marketing and strategies for GQ Radio, leaded by Marcelo and his years of experience in the Marketing industry. By the end of 2019 GQ Radio has over 140,000* listeners per month from all over the world, with 15 different shows weekly, each focus on topics such as Mental Health, Culture, Veterans, Teen Moral Support, Rock N Roll, Meditation, and the two most criticize topics, Tattoos and Sex. Some of the shows air from other places such as Washington DC, Buenos Aires Argentina, Mexico City. GQ Media Group (Non Profit) now funds some of the shows as a community awareness, Advocating for Mental Health, Go with Grace and Tercera Llamada, are some of the shows that GQ Media Group donates the radio time so they can showcase their show.
Marcelo never finished his career but made a career in the insurance industry by having his own firm The Albatross Group where he is able to offer Life Insurance, Financial Planning to anyone, independently of their legal status, race, or social economic status. With Margie they have Esquivel and Associates who is a full P&C (property and casualty) agency where Marcelo is focus on Home and Commercial Insurance. Something that he takes his time and as he says it, “let me teach you what this insurance will do for you”. His nature of teaching is never stopping. With J Chamberlain, Marcelo started discovering local talents (singers, writers, performers, actors) who need the help to get to the next level. With GQ Radio and GQ Media Group Marcelo and J are able to assist the local talent and get them into professional recording studios and master music for free, all this due to the alliance between J and Marcelo.
Marcelo is also an active Houston Livestock and Show Rodeo Member and with Margie they sponsor a cook-off team during the Rodeo Cook OFF to help raise money for scholarships. Marcelo in 2019, found who his biological father is, and he is considering on reaching out to him and explore the opportunity of getting to know him.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Getting GQ Radio on air has been a true struggle as it is not an easy market to be in, the radio industry is monopolized and very expensive. Not having any knowledge of radio, music was also very difficult as we did not know anything about music licensing, royalties, etc. Also, many people have been against Online Radio as they feel that is not real, or they don’t know much about it. Bringing new clients to advertise on the radio has also been a struggle.
Please tell us about GQ Radio.
GQ Radio aims to bring multicultural music to Houston and the world, Houston being a melting pot with more than 15 cultures per square mile.
Our shows vary from KPOP Music, Latin Top Playlist all the way to Classic Rock and Country music. We are helping local artists by playing local music and bringing them on board to be interview and helping them make more music with the connections that GQ Radio has develop with recording studios.
GQ Radio is licensed to play music on online platforms worldwide, and it is administrated out of Houston, with live shows from Argentina, Washington DC, and Mexico DF.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
To me, it has been key to be always and apprentice, always open to listen and learn, one of my characteristics is that I know how to listen and that has been an important role.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6006 Bellaire Blvd Suite 115 Houston, TX 77081
- Website: www.GQRadio.com
- Phone: +1.832.633.2708
- Email: marcelo@gqradio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gq_radio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/gqradio
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