Rising Stars: Meet Katherine L. Garcia of Los Angeles / OC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine L. Garcia.

Hi Katherine L., so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 11th grade, I asked one of my teachers what a bachelor’s degree was and how someone earned one. I genuinely didn’t know. I was raised in a low-income household in Los Angeles County by my single mother, a Latina immigrant, and I didn’t grow up with a roadmap for higher education.

That is what made Cerritos College such a turning point in my life. I arrived without having my future figured out, but Cerritos gave me more than an education. One professor believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Her encouragement led me to become more involved on campus, and I eventually helped launch the college’s first student-led recycling program.

I then transferred to UC Santa Barbara and earned my bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology. During my final quarter, I became curious about digital marketing. I found online courses taught by Lorrie Thomas and learned that her company, Web Marketing Therapy, was based in Santa Barbara.

There wasn’t an internship advertised, but I emailed the company asking about an opportunity. When I didn’t receive a response, I contacted Lorrie directly, explained why I wanted to learn from her company, and later attended one of her speaking engagements to introduce myself. I was incredibly nervous, but that conversation led to a paid internship.

Over the next 13-plus years at Web Marketing Therapy, I gained experience across many areas of marketing and discovered that my strengths were analytics, strategic recommendations, and Google Ads. I grew from intern to Marketing & Advertising Director, leading teams and helping organizations throughout the country understand their marketing and make more informed decisions.

Along the way, I earned my MBA. In 2024, my story came full circle when I returned to Cerritos College as a part-time business instructor and Faculty Senator.

When I look back at the intern I was in 2013, I see someone who was timid and unsure of herself. I did not wait until I felt confident before pursuing the opportunity. I took the chance, built the skills, and grew into the leader I am today.

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?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. My family experienced housing instability when I was young, and I had to learn how to navigate higher education as a first-generation college student.

One of my biggest professional struggles was internal. I knew what I was doing, but I didn’t always communicate like I knew it.

As my career progressed, I developed real marketing expertise. I could interpret the data and identify opportunities that would improve our clients’ marketing, but I sometimes softened my recommendations instead of clearly saying what I believed needed to change.

Eventually, I realized that clarity is part of serving a client well. I started speaking more directly about what the data showed, why it mattered, and what I recommended. That made me a better marketer. My colleagues began coming to me more often for guidance, and my responsibilities grew from there.

Teaching at Cerritos College created a completely different kind of discomfort. I often say that teaching has 10X’d my life because it has pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect.

It’s one thing to understand a subject. It’s another thing to stand in front of a classroom and explain it to people with very different levels of experience. I’m often helping a student understand a business concept for the first time, such as how a balance sheet works. I have to know the material well enough to explain it without making it feel more complicated than it is.

Teaching has made me a better public speaker. It has taught me how to read a room, adjust an explanation, and answer unexpected questions. Those same skills help me explain marketing data and recommendations to business owners.

I still experience discomfort. I don’t automatically assume it means I’m unprepared anymore. In my marketing career, discomfort taught me to own my expertise. In the classroom, it taught me how to lead in a completely different way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The simplest way I can explain my work is that I turn marketing data into clear business decisions. As Marketing & Advertising Director at Web Marketing Therapy, I look at what is generating meaningful results, where marketing dollars may be wasted, and what opportunities a business might be overlooking. Then I help clients understand what the information means and what they should do next.

My main areas of expertise are Google Ads, marketing analytics, and digital strategy. On our team, I have become the go-to person for Google Ads and analytics. Clients and colleagues rely on me to look beyond surface-level numbers and explain what the data is actually telling us.

I’m based in Los Angeles, but our fully remote team has members across the country, including Georgia, and we support clients nationwide.

What I’m most proud of is the role I’ve grown into. I’m proud to be the right hand and strategic partner to Lorrie Thomas, our founder and CEO. Watching our work together develop and the company grow has meant a lot to me. I’m equally proud of our team and how much they care about our clients and one another.

I also think our customer service sets Web Marketing Therapy apart from many marketing agencies. We don’t treat clients like account numbers or push the same menu of services on everyone. We listen, learn about their needs, goals, and budgets, and personalize our recommendations. We genuinely care. We explain what we’re doing and why because we want clients to understand their marketing, not become dependent on us.

Personally, I don’t see my background as something that should limit what I can build. I use it as a springboard. Those early experiences taught me to ask questions, seek out opportunities, and figure things out.

Because I worked across many areas of digital marketing before specializing, I can see how the different pieces affect one another. An advertising campaign doesn’t operate separately from the content or website experience. That broader perspective helps me identify problems and opportunities that might otherwise be missed.

At the core of my work, I love making things better. Sometimes that means helping a student in my project management course understand something that initially felt confusing. Other times, it means cleaning up a new client’s Google Ads account so it has a better foundation for attracting quality leads.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My biggest advice is to be resourceful. One phrase I live by is, “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.” If you are interested in a field, role, or organization, do not wait for someone to invite you in. Do your research, find a thoughtful way to reach out, and ask.

My most important mentor is a professor I met while I was a student at Cerritos College. I did not approach her and ask her to become my mentor. I participated in class, asked questions, and became involved in the Environmental Club she advised. She made me feel seen and heard and took me under her wing. I looked up to her then, and I still do. I eventually became president of the Environmental Club and served twice as her teaching assistant.

As a student, I also served as the Faculty Senate Liaison for the Associated Students of Cerritos College, giving weekly updates in the same boardroom where she served as a faculty senator. Today, I sit in that room as a Faculty Senator representing part-time instructors, alongside several familiar faces. She welcomed me back with open arms, and I still go to her when I need advice. In many ways, I am still her student.

That experience is why I would not begin by asking someone, “Will you be my mentor?” Start by asking for their perspective on a specific question. Listen to the advice, act on it, and follow up. Mentorship often develops naturally when someone sees that you value their guidance and apply it.

I give my students similar advice and remind them that one of their greatest assets is their “student card.” If they are interested in a particular field, they can contact someone on LinkedIn and say, “I’m a student interested in this field, and I would appreciate the opportunity to ask you a few questions during a short Zoom conversation.” Many professionals are willing to help someone who is sincere, prepared, and respectful of their time.

Resourcefulness also matters far beyond school. When I wanted to serve on a board in the environmental field, I started attending beach cleanups and environmental events because I genuinely cared about the work. I contributed, built relationships with organizers, and let them know I was interested in board service. Eventually, I earned the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for Orange County Coastkeeper.

Not everyone will respond, and the answer will not always be yes. But many of the opportunities that changed my life began because I was willing to ask.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://webmarketingtherapy.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-garcia/