Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariano “Manny” Ranero.
Mariano, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 1994 at the age of 18, I came to the states with $150 on my pocket, very basic English and a pregnant 20 year old wife! We crossed the California border saying we were going to Disneyland… we overstayed our visa and started working towards the American Dream! My first job was standing on the street waiting to be picked as Day Labor on Slater St. I went thru everything you hear on those immigrant stories…
White trucks across the street, immigration officers running towards you… AHI VIENE LA MIGRA!!! Everybody running! It happened… Then I got a job as a Dishwasher in Fashion Island in Newport Beach, about a 2 hour bike ride! Started at 6am finished at 2pm, still had the whole afternoon but couldn’t work more than 40 hours a week under the same name… so I got another fake SSN and worked from 3 to 11pm as BUS BOY… I did everything to be able to get some dippers and formula for my infant son. After 1 year, I realize I was getting Minimum Wage… and I could get that wage anywhere, as far or as close to my apartment complex.
So I got a job from 10 am to 3 pm at a Jack in the Box across the street, then from 4p to 10p at the Taco Bell on the other corner, then cross the street and worked at the Exxon gas station from 11p to 5am, walk to my apartment, sleep for 4 hours and do it all over again…. I worked at fast food restaurants from 1995 until 1998 when I became Assistant Manager of a Taco Bell in Houston Tx. After a gun was pointed in my head during an 11 pm robbery at work, I decided to quit and started working at Macaroni Grill, where I waited tables from 1998 until 2002. Then a new Spanish Pop Rock station open in Houston and got a gig there as an Produced Assistant where I filmed and produced commercials for the Local TV Station. (The way I got this gig requires a whole new chapter and it would be too long to describe)…
After 2 years at Liberman, I learned a lot regarding tv production, I decided to go on my own, registered RANERO PRODUCTIONS and started working as a contractor for a good friend who owned an Advertising Marketing Firm doing all his production work. We got a very good 6 year ride until he filed Bankrupt in 2009… then I found my self without clients! (Lesson learned! Never put all your eggs in one basket!!!). After the crisis in 2008, no one spent money in advertising, so we decided to survive doing weddings, festivals, concerts, XV años, private events… anything that would produce a check…
Little by little, we started to gain some clients and when the economy started to turn, we started to create some advertising campaigns for some small clients, then we got some bigger names and added the Advertising Side of the company. In 2006 Kroger wanted to start a campaign on the Hispanic Market and we created a Spanish TV Cooking show that aired in Telemundo. We had a great 3 year run, unfortunately it was cancelled in 2009 due to the increase of gas prices and how that affected transportation costs. 5 years later I started again the cooking show but this time calling it COCINANDO CON MANNY which still airs on TELEMUNDO HOUSTON every Saturday at 10am uninterrupted for the past 4 years.
We offered Video Production, Photography, Creative, Research, Media Buy, Graphic Design, Web Development and about 2 years ago we started offering Social Media Management and Content Creation. We’ve been lucky enough to travel overseas to produce videos in London, Scotland, Brazil, Mexico and El Salvador. Currently, we are growing strong and we have a very solid portfolio of clients who we consider as family!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a wild ride! Many challenges of course. But there is no magic formula. Only hard work. I had no legal status in this country for 10 years, the language, learning the trade, understanding the culture and the business mentality… basically starting from zero… but this great country allows you to fulfill your dreams! Whatever they are… You can reach them!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are an Advertising and Marketing Firm, we own our Production House as well. This keeps prices low and we pass that savings to our clients. We specialize in the Hispanic market. We offer Video Production, Photography, Graphic Design, Web Development as well as anything related to Advertising from media buy, content creation, Creatives, Research, etc. One thing that I think work for us, is the fact that we are a small operation.
Only My wife Glo, my son Ivan and my self. We have full control over the quality of our product. We do the pre-production meeting, we do the brainstorm and creatives, we film, we edit, we do the post… our hands are involved from the begging until the final product is delivered or aired on a TV station. We have a direct relationship with our clients and we become a team with them.
Our clients know that they can reach us 24/7 LITERALLY! Honesty is one of our essential core values. Our turn around time is the best in the market, our clients know that they will get the best value for their money because they know we will do it right the first time. We are small enough to handle a small restaurant or a corner store, and big enough to do all the corporate image for a company as big as Wisenbaker Building Services, the second largest stone importer in the states.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is a great city for my business. The diversity, the economy… great place to start a business!
Contact Info:
- Address: 25818 Marshbrook Ln Spring Tx 77389
- Website: www.raneroproductions.com
- Phone: 2815410298
- Email: manny@raneroproductions.com
Image Credit:
Ranero Productions Inc ®
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
