Today we’d like to introduce you to Pilar Martinez-Karner.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Pilar. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and I have lived in Houston for almost 30 years. I arrived in Houston and started working for corporations like Fonovisa Records, Liberman Broadcasting, Univision Radio, and Lopez Negrete Communications.
I started Mas Branding in 2009 with the purpose of promoting products and services and organizing events within multicultural audiences.
I had the opportunity to work on important cultural projects such as “Galicia Week in Houston”, the “Venezuelan Film Festival”, The Texas Wine School, and the “Houston Margarita Festival”. I also participated in educational campaigns such as my work with the Houston Independent School District to promote the importance of dental health for children. My collaboration with the Outreach Strategists team has led to my involvement in a successful grassroots informative campaign with Be Covered Texas. This campaign informed the community on the Affordable Care Act. With the team, I also worked as a Cultural Intelligence instructor for the Houston Police Department.
Recently I founded “Proyecto Avance”, the first Personal Development and Leadership Training Center in Houston that is completely in Spanish. I received a certification from John Maxwell and the John Maxwell Team en Español in 2018. The plan is to train entrepreneurs, corporation teams, and individuals on personal development and leadership.
My community service experience includes: Board of Directors for La Rosa Family Services (Prevention for Domestic Violence), HACE (Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement), NHPO (National Hispanic Professional Organization) and Latina Leadership Circle (American Heart Association), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I am also the co-founder of the International Day of Sisterhood.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting your own business is always a challenge, I had to work pro bono in the beginning in order for people to understand what I do. In educating clients about the Hispanic Market, some people think we all are the same just because we all speak Spanish. However, it is often a challenge for clients to understand that we have different demographics. This is why an expert in the market, like myself, is needed in order to guide them towards the right audience for their products or services.
Several small business owners disregard the value of Public Relations. This can greatly affect their public image because not enough thought is being put into how they are presented in the community. Unfortunately, they put these responsibility in the hands of inexperienced people at very low cost, but as we all know you get what you pay for and it is very difficult to repair the damage once it is done.
Más Branding y Liderazgo – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What sets me apart from others is my experience. I hold more than 20 years of working in different areas in the Hispanic Market like on Radio, TV, and different advertising agencies. Now I can share my experience with others. Which is why I am very proud to finally open “Proyecto Avance”. Where I can now offer courses, seminars, and workshops. All of these events can improve their leadership skills, train teams, and promote their business’.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is to find your purpose in life, an effective work-life balance and be able to use your God giving talents to help others.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5909 West Loop South, ste 440, Bellaire, TX 77401
- Website: www.masbranding.com
- Phone: 281-748-0804
- Email: pilar@masbranding.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proyectoavance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proyectoavance
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MasBranding
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