Meet Victor Quintana | Owner & Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victor Quintana and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victor, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
I cannot say that there has ever been “one” quote that has been my favorite. I find or hear quotes and if I like them, I’ll run with it for a while until I find a new one that suits my current state. As humans we are constantly changing (at least most of us are) and I think it’s that constant change that makes me fall in love with new quotes/affirmations. Since I started my marketing business, a year and half ago, I have had to deal with many unpredictable moments where frustration and doubt creep into the mind. In those moments is when I search for some sort of new inspiration to get me over that hurdle. So, you see, I am always looking for the next uplifting quote. k I will tell you that currently I have been binging all the podcasts that Matthew McConaughey has been on promoting his new book, Greenlights (highly suggest picking up a copy). A recent interview I heard him speak on was with Gary Vee, and McConaughey spoke about the time he went to tell his father that he did not want to be a lawyer anymore and wanted instead to go to film school. He starts the story with how he thought his father was going to get upset or be disappointed when he expressed his desires of working in the film industry. I once had a similar feeling when I wanted to pursue a career in the creative space rather than taking over my father’s Real Estate firm. Though McConaughey was met with a substantially better response. After he revealed the news to his father, there was a long pause, and then his father spoke these words: “Don’t Half Ass It”. That is it. I know it’s not some life changing quote, but that is exactly my point. In the current moment I was listening to that interview, I had doubts and fears creep into my mind about whether I would succeed with my business venture. Once I heard that story and heard the words his father said, I was uplifted and my mood changed and I realized in that moment that in order to find success, you have to give it your all. You cannot have one foot in and one foot out of pool. You must back up a could get a running start and canon ball into your HUSTLE!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My creative career has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Starting out in the fashion photography world, to then deciding I wanted to have more control over projects, so I decided to go to Ad school and work in an advertising agency. To then realizing how much I disliked that lifestyle and then going back to the fashion photography. To then opening my own marketing business with the mission of helping business grow online, especially if they have never had an online presence before. I might not have the most glamorous or recognizable brand names for clients, but I love my clients because I am able to see how happy we have made them by helping their business with websites, social media, and marketing strategies that they wouldn’t be able to afford if they had tried to hire a big advertising agency. But I don’t want you to think this was all an easy transition, in fact it was excruciatingly difficult at times. There were weeks that would go by and I would maybe average 4 hours of sleep each night. When you decide to go into business for yourself, you must go in with the mindset that, “No one is coming”. Meaning that you are the head honcho. If there is an issue, its your problem. If a client isn’t happy, it’s your problem. If your computer has a meltdown, it’s your problem. There is no one ranked higher than you that you can go and ask for help. Now I don’t mean to scare people off from starting their own business, but I just want to help others realize the mindset you need to have in order to succeed in this lifestyle. The odds of opening and running a successful business are substantially stacked against you, but that doesn’t mean there’s no chance. With hard work and persistence, you can beat any odds.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Being a Groveite (someone who lives in Coconut Grove) I am biased towards taking them to places in my neighborhood. I love the area of Coconut Grove because of all the vegetation and tree canopy’s that cover the streets. Most days you can find me skateboarding around the neighborhood (think standup paddle boarding on the water, but on the street with an obnoxiously large skateboard) and I’ll take a break at my favorite little walkup healthy restaurant, The Last Carrot. I live for their smoothies and green sauce! Now if I wanted to take my friends for a little bit more of a substantial meal, I would most likely point them in the direction of Monty’s Seafood Bar & Grill or to Grove Bay Grill. They both have similar menu options and they both are located on the water for a great view and nice ocean breeze.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well if I can only shout out one person, it would have to be the leading lady in my life, my mother. Who has given up and sacrificed so much in order to see me grow and succeed in life. There are times I wish I could go back and somehow tell her to be a little more selfish in her choices, and to not just live her life for the betterment of mine. She is an incredible person inside and out and I don’t know anyone else who could have done what she did for my sister and I growing up.

Website: www.guavacaymedia.com // www.vqphotos.com
Instagram: victor__quintana
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vqview/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guavacaymedia
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/Victorquintana24

Image Credits
@studio_grun @nikki_murci @katjaolympia @blankaberki