Lorena Tapiero of Conscious Consulting on the power of networking

Describe your business in a few words?

Conscious Consulting is a Latina-owned, bilingual marketing and public relations agency with 20 years of experience in the hospitality, sports and wellness sectors. Our thoughtful, comprehensive approach helps brands establish clear communication priorities and a long-range vision for meaningful press coverage, value-added partnerships and sustainable influencer relationships. As a first generation Colombian-American, Lorena spent my formative years in New York, before living and working in Los Angeles and Dubai. This global perspective informs her approach to public relations, marketing and TV production, helping both industry leaders and emerging brands develop a stronger sense of cultural awareness in their communications.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I always had a fascination for broadcast and journalism, so when I attended St. John’s University in Queens, NY, I realized this is what I wanted to pursue. From there, I held internships at ABC News, NY 1, Fox’s “The Full Nelson” and even worked as a College Football logger for ABC Sports. After graduating college, I started my career as a CBS page in NYC. It was my first job out of college and it was an incredible experience where I was able to learn the ins and outs of working at a Television network. I had the opportunity to work in the edit room on shows like 48 hrs and 60 minutes. I even had the pleasure of being the late Ed Bradley’s assistant for a brief time. I focused on soaking up as much knowledge as I could from journalists and producers on local and national news programs. I was also fortunate to have worked in the PR & Publicity department, so to say this experience was well-rounded is an understatement. I then began working for The Carson Daly Show where I had the opportunity to work on the production side as well as with talent. One of my favorite moments was working the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece where I saw the world's most premiere athletes up close. I then moved onto working with one of the most prolific and talented sports analysts, Stephen A. Smith on his ESPN show “Quite Frankly.” As a producer, I had the pleasure of working with Stephen and his varied roster of guests. One of the things that stuck with me while working alongside Stephen A. Smith was his ability to switch gears from being a hard-hitting journalist who consistently pushed the envelope, to working in the office with a humble, kind and considerate human who also happened to have some pretty good jokes!  

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

I definitely thought about what that might look like, but It took me a while to make the leap. No looking back now, the future is so bright for us Entreprenistas! 

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

Dig up that rolodex and send emails to everyone in your network, set up coffee meetings, schedule virtual calls, attend events, stay active on your social media channels, network network network and network outside of your line of work, you will always be surprised how much you learn from being entrenched in different conversations surrounding sectors that you may not be well-versed in. 

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?

Creating your own company is definitely a challenge, it affords you the ability to work for yourself and make your own decisions, but at the same time, you are working without a net.  I do believe that one positive of the pandemic is that a business can be created and operated without the traditional model with a focus on efficiency without sacrificing customer service.Life is about experiences- you take the good with the bad. I have enjoyed highlights and wins in my career that I am thankful and grateful for, but I have also experienced loss, defeat and frustration, but those traits are what makes us stronger and hungrier for us to be and do better. You need to have experienced and lived through both to come out winning! The reward is that much sweeter in the end.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

100% A daily self-care is everything and of paramount importance to be on your A game! Be kind, compassionate, move & laugh daily and know your worth!

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

My mission is to elevate small businesses, start-ups, founders to legacy brands, and give them a voice and a platform to share their journey through compelling storytelling and hone in on their cultural relevances and unique selling points. 

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I want to learn, grow, network and be inspired by like-minded Entreprenistas!