Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Gonzalez.
Sara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Long story short, I never wanted to go to college, and I certainly did not want to teach college or work at/own a digital marketing company. Neither were EVER on my radar. I wanted to do hair and make-up. That’s when my mom and dad told me that I could do whatever in the world I wanted as long as I at least got my associate degree. I wouldn’t have to work—I would just need to focus on school. After some arguments with my parents (who, of course, were right the whole time after all), I succumbed to the harsh reality that it was the only way I could financially survive being fresh out of high school without any real work experience. I enrolled in College of the Desert and ended up playing volleyball through my years thereafter playing through high-school, which made college a somewhat enjoyable experience. I met a college professor, Jack Tapleshay, who I ended up taking five classes with. In the final class with him, he called me up during the final exam and said to me, “I don’t know why I have felt the need to say this, but I need to. For some reason, I can imagine you doing what I do for the rest of your life.” Perplexed, I left that day, went to sleep that night, and woke up and knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be a college professor, and so I went all in. I finished my bachelor’s and immediately applied and enrolled into a Master’s program.
In 2015, I graduated Chapman University with my Master of Arts in English. While my passion has always been in teaching, preferably in the college classroom, I knew I needed a steady income to pay off student loans and get my life started, so off I went. I moved to Santa Clarita to take a job as a writer at a digital marketing company. This entire part of my life was a massive growth period. I moved to a city I didn’t know and into a house with a person I had just met two weeks prior to moving (who eventually became one of my best friends and who stood by my side through this weird but satisfying transitional phase of my life). I looked at this entire stage of my life as an opportunity for growth and I ran at it head-on. Around the same time, I was hired at Los Angeles Trade Technical College in Downtown LA where I began teaching college English. I fell in love—the way a person who has just found their newfound passion falls in love with something. I couldn’t get enough. I knew I had to do whatever it would take to make it work. So, I did just that.
I spoke with my boss at the digital marketing company and was able to have a modified schedule that allowed me to come in and leave an hour earlier so that I could get on the road and head to Downtown LA to teach an evening class. My schedule went a little like this. Work my full-time job from 7am-4pm, drive an hour and a half to downtown LA where I would teach from 6-9pm. Drive 2 hours home and do it all over again the next day. Then, as if it was possible to pack my schedule in even more, I received a call from Santa Monica College to fill yet another adjunct English professor position. Then, I worked at the digital marketing company and two colleges. Talk about tiring with about 4 hours of sleep a night. But every time, it was worth it. Teaching, the students, all of it—became all I could think about.
I continued to work at this digital marketing company for just over three years while also teaching year-round. I was exhausted, but I tried to tell myself that it would only be temporary until I could nail a full-time college professor gig. I pressed on. Through this hectic schedule, I found my voice. I found me. I learned the things I was no longer willing to settle for, and I learned all the things that set my heart on fire in all the right ways.
Just beyond the three-year mark at the digital marketing company, I started to realize that it no longer satisfied me. I wasn’t happy, and there wasn’t a way to fix it. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I had to make the choice to walk away from something that no longer served me. That’s when I got the call from Glendale Community College who offered me my third position as an adjunct English professor. The only issue was that I could no longer fit more into my schedule even if I never slept at all. So, I called my fiancé at the time (now husband) while on a break at the digital marketing company and explained my dilemma. His response was simple, “Is your passion to teach?” “Yes.” “So, what are you waiting for. I will always be here to catch you if you fall. Take the leap.”
I hung up the phone, called my boss into a meeting and within 5 minutes, I had given my two-week’s notice. This was perhaps one of the happiest days of my life. For the first time ever, I felt truly empowered—like I could accomplish anything and everything. I was on the road to being everything I wanted—a full-time college instructor (well, full-time college instructor hours split between 3 schools). Life was hectic but beautiful. I saw my husband and dogs when I could but spent most of my days on the road commuting about 5 hours, on average, a day, to make these dreams a reality.
Then, one day, my friend Dustin, who owned a detox and rehab in Orange County, called me to pick my brain about a digital marketing company he had recently hired to do the SEO (search engine optimization—my specialty at the digital marketing company) for his business. I went to a meeting with him and his team, and that is when he asked if I would be willing to take over the SEO campaign for his detox since he had much more confidence in me than the company he recently hired. I thought to myself, “I do love SEO, and a little extra cash wouldn’t hurt.” I accepted.
A few months later, I met with Dustin and his team again and that’s when Dustin said to me, “You know, Sara, you should really think about starting your own digital marketing business. You’re really good at this.” I laughed and merely accepted what Dustin said as a compliment. I left that day, and the next day, I decided I would start a sole proprietorship. A few months later, I got another client. Then another. Then another. After speaking with my tax guy, I decided the next smart decision would be to convert to a real corporation. So, we did.
Now, an S-Corp and nine incredible employees later, Rexpert Marketing is serving clients with top-tier digital marketing and branding services in a way I never could have imagined. I owe the idea and the start of my business’ success to Dustin, who unfortunately passed away in August 2019. My only wish is that I would have told him myself that all of these unexpected dreams may not have ever happened without him. I would do a lot just to go back and tell him thank you for seeing something in me that I could never have imagined myself. Now, I am the CEO/Owner of Rexpert Marketing and also a college professor at the same three colleges. My business, the classroom, and my time with my students and clients are my happy places.
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?
The road has been anything but smooth, but it’s one I would never change. Each rough chapter has created unpredictable growth, and I’m grateful for that. In fact, I’m in the process of writing a book titled “I Have No Idea What I’m Doing,” which talks about the adversities we, as people, face along the path to growth.
As a business owner, some of the most difficult times are caused by time-restraints and the pressure to be the absolute best every day for our employees and clients. Making time to convert the business to an S-Corp properly, knowing when it’s the right time both strategically and financially to hire on another employee, creating organization so employees can maximize their time-efficiency while also enjoying their work, and also making time to effectively do my job and ensure clients are happy. All of it is a constant struggle, so I try to enjoy the ebbs and flows of it all.
Some mornings, I wake up and feel unstoppable and am so proud of the progress Rexpert continues to make, and other days I have to talk myself off the anxiety-cliff. The most difficult part about being a business owner is that you have to be okay with never being able to turn your brain off again. No matter where I am or what I am doing, there is a part of my brain that is constantly thinking about the business and the upcoming decisions I will have to make for the success of the company.
That’s why I am writing my book—people deserve to see the side that isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Occasionally, I will run into people who say things like, “You’re so lucky to make your own schedule,” or, “You are so lucky to have X, Y, Z,” etc. But, those people don’t see the sleepless nights. They don’t see the anxiety attacks. They don’t see how damn difficult it all is even though it is such a beautiful process.
So, yes, the road has been quite an adventure, but it is the most perfect fucked up adventure I have ever been on, and I couldn’t do it without the support of my employees, clients, students, family, and friends. I owe it all to them.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rexpert Marketing story. Tell us more about the business.
Rexpert Marketing first started as a digital marketing company that specialized in SEO (search engine optimization) which means that we help businesses rank in search engine/Google search results for keywords related to their business. However, less than five months after Rexpert Marketing was founded, we began providing web design (designing and building websites) services. Not long after that, we completely branched out to all facets of digital marketing, including: Web design, SEO, business listing management, social media management, logo design, branding, and more. We also now have a full creative marketing division of the company which handles print design such as business cards, flyers, and brochures, professional photography and videography services, and much more. We are now a full-service digital marketing company that is ready to handle any businesses needs. We are here to help other businesses GROW and succeed.
We are most proud of our cut-to-the-chase mentality. In fact, I have a placard on my desk that reads, “Silence is better than bullshit.” This captures not only my personality but the entire tone and energy. I hope others find refreshing in business. We don’t go out of our way to put pressure on other businesses to sign up with us, and we don’t waste time telling them what they want to hear. We focus on keeping our heads down and grinding as hard as we can. We let our work ethic do the talking, and so far, that has been what has set Rexpert Marketing apart the most. We know that we provide a service beyond what other companies are willing to provide, and that is because we genuinely care about the success of our clients’ businesses.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Personally, I don’t believe in luck. I believe that if you work your ass off and allow yourself to make decisions, good or bad, rather than expecting others to take charge of your life, success will happen. I think people forget that working hard isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always glory. It’s a lot of hard decisions and endless learning lessons, but the journey is always worth it.
Contact Info:
- Address: 27240 Turnberry Ln #200, Valencia, CA 91355
- Website: www.RexpertMarketing.com
- Phone: 6616667908
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rexpertmarketing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RexpertMarketing
Image Credit:
John Lazar
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
