$400k in contracts and no money for rent?: a conversation with Alexandra Gonzalez

What does it take to fight for what matters most and build a thriving business on your own terms? In this moving episode, Laura welcomes Alexandra Gonzalez, founder and CEO of Savvy Marketers, who shares her journey from corporate marketing executive to entrepreneur, driven by a life changing pregnancy and unwavering commitment to her values.Alexandra's story begins with her Cuban immigrant parents who arrived in America with only the clothes on their backs, instilling in her the power of hard work, resilience, and education. After building a successful corporate career managing multi-billion dollar businesses at Johnson & Johnson, she faced the fight of her life during a high-risk twin pregnancy. Doctors recommended aborting 24 times, but Alexandra refused, fighting for her daughters through challenges.This experience transformed her definition of success. Shortly after giving birth, she launched Savvy Marketers from her home, landing a nearly $400,000 contract with her first presentation. Over 13 years, she's built a full-service boutique agency with 8,000 square feet of space and 10 innovation labs, navigating pandemic highs and challenging quarters while never losing sight of her values.Key Takeaways:💡 Faith and purpose provide direction through uncertainty. Alexandra's deep spiritual foundation helped her navigate impossible medical decisions, turbulent markets, and entrepreneurship challenges. She believes we're all interconnected citizens of the same planet, and our actions impact others beyond our immediate circles, giving us responsibility to work for the greater good.💡 Build your business in phases with financial guardrails. Alexandra self-funded Savvy Marketers, starting from home and gradually expanding from freelancers to employees, small offices to 8,000 square feet. She emphasizes planning one, three, five years out and understanding that corporate clients often pay in 90-120 day cycles, requiring careful cashflow management.💡 Quality of time matters more than quantity. As women we are our own worst judges, we put immense pressure on ourselves to balance everything perfectly. Alexandra teaches her three daughters that success isn't about hours spent but about being fully present. Self-care must be a priority based on intention and quality, not duration.💡 Resilience means adjusting, not abandoning. When 2024's first quarter hit hard, Alexandra sold personal items to make payroll rather than fire her team. When troubles hit at home, you don't fire your kids; you adjust and prioritize. This commitment to values over short-term gain defines authentic leadership.💡 True success is loving what you do and being able to keep doing it. Success isn't measured by awards or monthly revenue but by waking up every day to do work you love, staying healthy, being surrounded by good people, and using your talents for something greater. Financial success means covering costs, saving, and having freedom to live meaningfully.Guest: Alexandra Gonzalez is founder and CEO of Savvy Marketers, a full-service boutique marketing agency in Princeton, NJ. With nearly 30 years in marketing, she's managed multi-billion dollar businesses across banking, food, consumer packaged goods, e-commerce, and private equity before launching her own firm over 13 years ago.Resources:Savvy Marketers: Savvy Marketers | Award Winning Marketing AgencyConnect on LinkedIn: Alexandra Michelle Gonzalez