Full name: Monica Garcia Saenz
Hispanic Heritage: Mexican
Residence: Lehigh Acres, FL
Profession: Marketing Specialist – Graphic Designer / Web Designer
LTM: Tell us about what you do for a living and how you got into it.
I am the owner and founder of MGS Designz, a small marketing company that I started seventeen years ago! As a single mother whose children are in grade school and middle school. I needed to work from home to be able to take care of them before and after school. MGS Designz offers Web Design, Graphic Design, Social Media Marketing, Blogging, Email Marketing and Marketing Consulting. Recently, I launched The Empowerment Movement FL as a way of giving back to the community and making a difference. Our goal is to help local creatives, artists, organizations, and small businesses enjoy an online presence and expand their reach through affordable marketing tools while bringing the community together for events, mutual support, and empowerment.
LTM: In your industry, what would you say separates you from your competition?
I focus on creating long-term business relationships and have developed my list of services based specifically on the needs of my clients. I care about them and their success and make an effort to connect them with other people who need their services. I stay current with the latest technology and strive to improve my graphic design skills.
LTM: Why do you feel you were nominated?
I was nominated because of the creative work that I do to help small businesses flourish in the community. I often volunteer my graphic design and marketing services to help put on events that are in benefit of the community. I have never forgotten the people who helped me get started when I needed help, so I paid it forward by helping others as often as possible.
LTM: During COVID-19, tell us about your Biggest Challenge/obstacle and how you overcame it/or are overcoming it.
I’ve been working from home for many years and live isolated but I always with the opportunity to spend time with friends, family, and clients to get a break from solitude. Covid forced me to be alone at home without the opportunity to get a break from isolation. The uncertainty was very difficult, I lost many loved ones and had to mourn at home alone without being able to attend funerals or hug my loved ones and cry together. As a Latina, family time spent together in celebration or mourning with music, food, story-telling, and mutual support is essential, not having that was extremely difficult. Businesswise, we all went through a difficult time in sales and financially. Fortunately, I was able to create affordable marketing packages that helped my clients continue their marketing campaigns and it kept money flowing my way as well. Now things are back to normal for me and I’m having my busiest year ever!
LTM: Tell us about your biggest achievement in business or personal life, and how you achieved it.
I think my journey is my greatest achievement. I am the daughter of Mexican immigrants who came to this country two years before I was born, sacrificing everything so that their children could have a better life. With only a high school graduation, a teen mom, married and divorced who didn’t stop to think about what it would take to start a business as a single mother with three kids, I had all the ganas in the world and faith that God was with me so in prayer I took on the challenge of teaching myself very technical graphic design programs before YouTube had tutorials and before Google existed. I checked out three-inch-thick books from the library and taught myself the Adobe graphic design programs. I dove into web design and development and kept current with the latest technology as changes arrived, year after year. For me, failure was not an option, and at the same time that I was learning everything I could about marketing and running a small business, I was reading every self-help book I could get my hands on. I would put my kids to bed at 8 pm every night and stay up until 11 pm reading and learning so that I could grow as a woman and as a person. I never felt sorry for myself and never thought about giving up because my children needed me to succeed, and I needed me. They were my drive to success and my main motivation behind being the best mother I could be. I was raised bi-lingual, and I raised them the same with the gift of two languages, personal strength, and the belief that they could accomplish anything they set their mind to. They are my legacy and a great source of pride and satisfaction. I look back at my journey with gratitude and in awe of God’s grace and support.
LTM: What is next for you? What can people expect to see from you?
My goal now is to help others overcome their challenges and evolve into better versions of themselves, finding their success. I offer free marketing presentations, motivational speaking, and mentorship to those looking to grow. My prayer is and has been for God to use me to be a source of light and empowerment to others. At this point, I want to bring my oldest son Keith into the business with me, teach him everything I know, and create generational wealth through him so that my legacy passes onto my grandchildren and future generations. At the same time, I want to develop The Empowerment Movement to its fullest potential and expand it as far as possible so that it continues to offer support, affordable marketing, and empowerment long after my journey on this earth ends.
LTM: What does being a U.S. Citizen mean to you?
I had the opportunity to live and travel abroad and have seen firsthand how challenging life can be in other countries. I feel very blessed to be a U.S. citizen and appreciate all the opportunities afforded to me and my family. My story is a testimony to how a single mother can educate herself, raise her children, and create a successful business alone. I am very grateful to my country and I am extremely proud of my two sons for serving in our military. My oldest Keith served in the Army and my youngest Julian, served in the Air Force. I am a proud military mom.
LTM: What is your opinion of the state of affairs in our nation? And what role do you see Hispanics/Latinos playing in the future of our nation?
I believe that despite the challenges and difficulties faced in our country, we are still a great nation with a great many people, and we have the opportunity to create greatness and goodness in our lives. I’m grateful to live in a time where we have a female Vice President, a woman of color who is now running for President. I’m excited to experience a world in which a Woman of color is Madam President of the United States of America! I look back at the years in my lifetime from the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s to the Peace and Love Movement of the 70’s and on to today and I see the changes and improvements in opportunity for women and people of color. I believe our vote is our voice and have always voted from the age of 18 to this day. It’s not only an honor but a responsibility to use my voice as a Latina to vote, speak up, participate, make a difference in the community, and contribute good to others as well. The Latino community is a rich, valuable, and important part of this nation with so much culture, strength, and flavor to contribute. We are a hardworking, family-oriented, powerful backbone that helped forge and build the greatness of our nation and it’s our responsibility to teach future generations to use their voice and their power for the greater good of all.
LTM: What is the best lesson that you have learned in leadership and how has it helped your career?
Leadership is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in the community and create positive change by taking action, getting involved, and using your voice to spread wisdom and empowerment. Getting involved in networking groups, events, and organizations and then putting on my events has taught me how to be resourceful, how to be creative, how to ask for help, how to create my team, how to offer support, show love, and be a light to others. Every blessing that we give naturally comes back to us and being at the forefront of leadership has given me visibility and created new opportunities that have brought me much joy and success.
LTM: What is YOUR comida Latina favorita?
Tacos son mi comida Latina favorita! There’s a great variety of ways to prepare tacos with just about any type of meat and vegetable combination. The flavors are endless, and joy is experienced in every bite! I particularly love making Tacos de Papa – a vegetarian taco with seasoned mashed potatoes inside a corn tortilla folded over fried, drained, and stuffed with shredded cheese that immediately melts onto the hot mashed potatoes then you add fresh lettuce, tomato, avocado, your salsa of choice, crema and queso cotija. You don’t even need rice and beans; these tacos alone are a complete meal!
Comments