Meet Valerie Alfonso & Savanah Sanchez Alfonso, Sanchez | Co-Founder/Marketing Director, Co-Founder/Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valerie Alfonso & Savanah Sanchez Alfonso, Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valerie Alfonso & Savanah Sanchez, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When we came up with the idea of starting our own business, we had just recently graduated from college. Valerie graduated as a Marketing and Logistics major from FIU, and Savanah graduated with her Graphic Design degree from UCF. As long-time friends, we felt that our skills complimented one another well. We both loved the idea of being our own boss and starting our own business so it felt natural to come together to do so. Together, we were able to provide much more – making us a “one-stop shop” for our client’s marketing needs.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Costa Creative is a Digital Marketing company that provides different services like Branding, Graphic Design, and Printing, our leading service being Social Media Management. When we started Costa, setting what set us apart from our competitors was the first thing we did. In Costa Creative, we make sure to be genuine and unique. We want that to transfer over to the social media accounts we manage and the brands we create. For social media, we wanted to make sure that we personalized everything. Our goal is to be unique and genuine and connect with our clients’ audience in the most personable way possible. We are very proud of how much we’ve grown since we started this company and very proud of building Costa’s prestige to where our clients can trust us to manage their public reputation. With a lot of hard work, long hours, networking, and dedication, we have grown and taken Costa to where it is today. It has not been easy by any means, and it has been a work in progress and a complete learning experience to get us here. Communication between us has been our most efficient way to keep everything in check and ensure that we are both on the same page. Making connections is so meaningful. It is showing up, being there, listening, and building those relationships that make a difference. Putting yourself out there is not easy, but it takes practice, and practice makes perfect. Networking is one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned throughout this year because we’ve been able to connect with different business owners; through those connections, it’s the best way to learn, do business, and have trustworthy people around you. We want the world to know that if you’ve wanted to start your own business but you’re scared to do so, just go for it! I know it doesn’t seem as easy as it sounds but set small goals and start marking them off. Start by building your brand, and take it one day at a time. We were in that same spot in the beginning, and the only difference between us then and now is that we decided to start and go through the process. Through this, we have learned SO MUCH, and there’s still plenty to learn.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Valerie: Since she’s my best friend, she should know my current obsession with my morning yoga class, so first, we would go to the 8 am yoga class I attend. Then we head to Brunch at Green Street Cafe in the beautiful small town of Coconut Grove because you can’t come to Miami and not have brunch and some all-you-can-drink refreshing mimosas. Then we can go for a Private Boat tour in Miami Beach where we can spend our afternoon there and do kayaking and paddle boarding, have lunch and relax while seeing the beautiful sunset skies and the city at night.
Then for the night, we can go out to dinner at The Edition and then head over to have a fantastic nightlife experience at The Basement Miami or head to The Wharf in Brickell.
Throughout the week, we can go to different beaches like Pompano beach, where we can later have lunch on the rooftop of Pompano Beach House. We can also visit Boca Raton Beach and afterward visit one of the restaurants in Mizner Park. We can spend some days at the pool and go to different brunch places in Brickell like B Bistro + Bakery, Le Zoo, and Cafe Bastille in Downtown Miami. For dinner, we can go for some Italian at Bal Harbours Carpaccio Restaurant or some Sushi at Makoto.

Savanah: Savanah: I’d definitely start them off with a day at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. We could pick up some chicken tender Pub-Subs and spend the day at the park biking, taking a lighthouse tour, and enjoying the beach. If they’d never been to the area, I’d take my best friend shopping at Sawgrass Mall. We’d stop into Primark, my new favorite store, and we’d have a huge lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

My favorite part would be having my best friend tag along with my local friend’s sports nights at PSN Park. It’s nothing fancy, but we could play soccer, tennis, kickball and just have a good time together. And the night is not complete without a 1AM iHop stop!

To finish off the week, I’d take my best friend to Venetian Pool to soak in the sun and cool off from the Florida heat. We could explore the historic Coral Gables area and have lunch at Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill (the best ribs in town).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Valerie: Firstly, I thank God for allowing me to get this far; without him as the center of my life, I would not be where I am today. Secondly, my parents are one of the main reasons for my achievements. They have always been extremely supportive of my accomplishments and life decisions while, of course, still advising me on what they think is best. They have worked so hard and done so much to ensure my sister and me a wonderful life. If it weren’t for them and the morals, values, beliefs, and standards they established throughout my life, I would not be the person I am today. Lastly, I want to give a massive shoutout to my husband, Alejandro. I am so thankful for his constant love and support. Very grateful for continually pushing me to be better and do better. So proud to have him as my rock and my best friend with who I can brainstorm/ideas.

Savanah: Above all else, God deserves all the credit in my story. He is the reason for my abilities and my success so far. My next shoutout goes to my parents, who have always supported my dreams. From a young age, they saw an entrepreneurial side to me which they always encouraged (even when my talents hadn’t caught up with my ambition). Their love and support gave me the freedom and independence to try new things, and fail, and then try again. My dad was the first entrepreneur I knew. He always worked to better himself, and wasn’t afraid to learn or try something new – even if it meant failing. My parent’s wisdom, faith, love, and encouragement has shaped who I am today and has given me the confidence to pursue unconventional paths. My last shoutout is dedicated to my church family. They allowed me to travel the world, so I could learn about new cultures and expand my world view. But mostly, they cared for me and supported my decisions. These are truly the three pillars of my story.

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