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Welcome to the Women of HubSpot, a podcast celebrating the voices shaping marketing, technology, and the ever-evolving HubSpot ecosystem. Hosted by George B. Thomas from Sidekick Strategies. Each episode brings you the stories, strategies, and superpowers of the women driving this industry forward. It's their time. It's their mic. This… is Women of HubSpot.
Welcome to the Women of HubSpot podcast, the show that celebrates the voices shaping marketing, technology, and the ever evolving HubSpot ecosystem. Hosted by George B. Thomas from Sidekick Strategies. Each episode brings you the stories, strategies, and superpowers of the women driving this industry forward. It's their time.
Intro:It's their mic. This is Women of HubSpot.
George B. Thomas:And we're back for another episode of the Women of HubSpot podcast by far becoming one of my favorite pieces of content or conversations that I have been having over the last couple months. If this is your first episode, let me explain. It was way back ago. It was the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles were playing.
George B. Thomas:The quarterback had an all women's team, and my daughter started to have a conversation about how the team behind him was all females. And I saw her face, and I saw the expression, I saw the excitement. And I was sitting there on my couch, eating some good food, watching a football game, and I just went to LinkedIn, no strategy, not trying to get anything out of the world. I said, hey, if you know somebody that uses HubSpot or works at HubSpot, let's shine the light on them. Let's go ahead and tag them.
George B. Thomas:Of course, females, women of HubSpot. Post went nuts, Haydee. It was crazy, crazy how it went. My daughters and I, we looked at each other, we talked, my wife got involved and we're like, we've got to have conversations around this so they can learn the lessons, so other women can learn the lessons. Hopefully, other men can learn the lessons that are in this podcast episode and other episodes.
George B. Thomas:And it has been a great journey. So I'm excited because I'm not here by myself. That would be weird. But, Haydee, why don't we start by why don't we start by just like, one, how the heck are you doing today?
Haydee Ferrufino:Great. I'm doing great. And I'm just laughing because, you know, your story is so cool. And and I imagine the daughter, I could imagine literally because, you know, with I think all women feel the same when there's a new, like, sector or a new thing that we see all women teams in, we're like, yay. That's girl power.
Haydee Ferrufino:So I totally connect with that.
George B. Thomas:Yeah. Yeah. So we're about to go on a journey down in some valley questions, up into some mountain peak questions. But before we do that, let's go ahead and let the viewers, the listeners, let them know kind of who you are, what you do, and also where you do it. And then we'll get in on our journey.
Haydee Ferrufino:Well, hi. My name is Haydee Ferrufino, and I'm the CEO of the Orange Box Agency. We're a digital agency based in El Salvador. Have you ever been in El Salvador?
George B. Thomas:I have never been there, but I think it's gonna be a bucket list item.
Haydee Ferrufino:That's a it's a little country in Central America, so we're located all here. And we're servicing, though, b to b companies across the world, especially in North America and Latin America, in industries like higher education, software and technology, and real estate, and professional services. Right? So across all Latin America and North America, and we're a platinum HubSpot partner now. And we specialize, you know, in helping companies scale in a systematically and intelligent way, not only do using HubSpot as their backbone, but also making sure that they have a adequate revenue operation strategy that makes sense for their long term girl goals.
Haydee Ferrufino:Sorry.
George B. Thomas:I love that. I love that. And congratulations on platinum partner. That's always a nice little, like, when you hit there, you're super excited. So, okay.
George B. Thomas:Let's, Haydee, let's get into the journey here. And the first question I want to ask you is kind of a way back question. You're getting in a DeLorean, you're getting in a telephone booth that travels back in time. What, whatever vehicle you wanna use to get there. But if we could look way back in time when you were just getting started, one, and by the way, this can be pre agency.
George B. Thomas:This can be starting of age this is your story, however you wanna start this. But if we go way back to the beginning, one, what would we see? And two, what would she be most surprised about where you are now?
Haydee Ferrufino:I would want to start by, you know, when I was in in little girl, I always wanted to have, you know, a company. Always my parents are, you know, they have companies as well. They wanted to, you know, here in El Salvador. So I always wanted to be like them and have my own company. And also, for some reason, I have always been, like, fixated on helping people and kind of, you know, create opportunities for people.
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, I wanted to be that engine. And what better way to do it with that with a company? Funny story. I didn't even study marketing at the beginning. I did business administration, and I've always wanted to you know, like, marketing was, like, my my lover, let's say.
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, I was, like, looking at marketing saying, like, I should should I study that? I don't think I'm I'm that creative back in the day, you know. And and really just life took me, you know, in a in a direction where I really love marketing from the get go, and I learn I, like, self taught myself on how to do marketing well. And part of my great teacher for marketing was HubSpot. Like, I found HubSpot so amazing with content and education that it just built me into what I am now.
Haydee Ferrufino:And I just, you know, follow that that that stream of of, you know, exploring new things. Right. And one one thing, it happens when I was little. I was in the in the university still, and I remember, you know, an owner of a, you know, like a wine restaurant. Like, they they just did wine.
Haydee Ferrufino:I don't know how to explain it in in English. It's not my first language. So, anyways, we were she was like, you know, you seems to to know a lot more a lot about marketing. Right? So that was '20, I don't know, 2013.
Haydee Ferrufino:And she was like, you you seem to know a lot about social media marketing. Can you help my business? And I was like, you know, that was the first moment. I was like, yay. I can do this.
Haydee Ferrufino:And I just jumped right in, and that was my first client. I remember she paid me $150 a month, and she was amazing. Like, I I always will be grateful for her because she believed in me be even before I even had a logo even. So it was it was awesome.
George B. Thomas:I love that story so much. And there's a couple things. One, being the engine of, like, being helpful and helping humans, I love that that's at the base of who you are. Also, we totally get what you're saying as far as wine and just a place where you can go and drink some we have those here close to where I live as well. Maybe a little couple, like, meats and cheeses and some wines, and you're off
Haydee Ferrufino:to the rest of And
George B. Thomas:I love this, like, hey, they believed in me before I even had a logo on it was one of maybe the lines that I wanna pull out there. Now here's the thing. What would she be most surprised about where you're at right now based on that kind of beginning story you shared?
Haydee Ferrufino:How much I've publicly, you know, shared my vision because I think before I didn't I wasn't even comfortable doing things like this, you know, like, was always in the back of the office, like, trying to, you know, push the company to be more public and everything. But I didn't want it to, like, showcase myself or showcase what I believed in because I thought people will create will think that I was crazy if I tell them that, hey, I just wanna create the most amount of opportunities for Salvadorians I can, you know, like with, you know, this crazy ecosystem and all my dream. I like so. And I think people has taken it very well. And I think also the confidence I have now because back you know, it's I'm a a single owner, so I don't have cofounders or anything like that.
Haydee Ferrufino:So all the growth without even knowing how to grow a company, my my parents don't have a company a service company. They have, you know, normal commercial companies. Like, they sell, you know, food and beverage and things like that. So I never like, I had no one to learn from how to get here other than HubSpot and my fellow agency owners that have you know, I have known along the way. So that's I think that's what she will be most amazed about, you know, that that we got here alone, you know, without a cofounder of a business business.
George B. Thomas:I love this so much. Listen. I I love your dream. I I love the idea of, like, being that engine. And I think that's probably why you've gotten where you've gotten because of just the moral compass or values that lead you in this direction.
George B. Thomas:So you mentioned now a couple of times your parents and owning a business, and you've been on this journey from the beginning of, I think I love marketing, and then getting the first client, and now being a platinum partner. I'm super curious. Who have some of your biggest inspirations or mentors been along the way?
Haydee Ferrufino:Well, I would like to, you know, highlight Dan Tire because he was someone that really, really changed my mindset about selling because I used to hate selling before, like, a lot because I didn't want it to bother people, you know, like, had that issue. I I didn't want to bother people, so I just didn't want to, like I thought I was bothering. So he and he taught me everything I know about sales, and I love it now. And he has been a great mentor, and I would say my first, like, official mentor. It doesn't matter what I needed or what doubt I had.
Haydee Ferrufino:I could go to him and he will, you know, help me out. Also, I would like to highlight Omi. I saw her you had her in in the podcast as well. Oh, me and and, you know, Trickby as well from from busy web. Tracy as well.
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, they have been I met them with Dan Tyre in in in a HubSpot boot camp, and they have been mentors for me, and they have been always open to share. And I wanted to also say that HubSpot one thing that I love about HubSpot community or ecosystem is that we're all about sharing, like what's working, like how are we doing things? Like everyone wants everyone, like truly to succeed and they are not gatekeeping anything. And I think that community really is what brought me where I am. And I'm thankful for all of them and, you know, all the, you know, other people that I I cannot mention here because it's a big list.
George B. Thomas:I I love the HubSpot community as well. I have felt since 2012 when I fell into the community that it's the same thing. It's like people just trying to be helpful and make sure that we're all getting to the places that we're trying to go. And I love that so much. By the way, I need to see if our editor can go back through all of these interviews and see how many times Dan Tyre's name has been brought up as far as a mentor and inspiration, we may need to do just a little independent video of just those clips as I hear you say, because I know it keeps coming on and on again, again, and again.
George B. Thomas:So, we might have to do that. Listeners, viewers
Haydee Ferrufino:for him to to see the impact. Because I always tell him, do you know you're such an angel, I say. Like, do you know how you impact people? It's really important, I think, for all of us. Like, we've you know, like, it has helped so many people.
Haydee Ferrufino:And and, yeah, it will be cool to see that video.
George B. Thomas:Haydee, let's continue on our journey here from beginning out, being in love with marketing, learning from HubSpot, HubSpot Academy, platinum partner. Along the way, have there been any hurdles, biases that you've had to overcome in your career? And if so, or when? Cause I'm sure the answer is probably yes. We all have.
George B. Thomas:But, a, what what was the hurdle or bias, and how did you navigate it?
Haydee Ferrufino:The first and biggest hurdle has been we're in Latin America, so it has been very hard to kind of break through the barrier of offshoring, you know, services from, you know, North America, but also as well in Latin America really has been bigger because it's an education problem. Like, companies don't even know what what was, you know, back in the day when we started. Like, they didn't even know what the CRM was. Still, I imagine there are companies that they don't know. So imagine how hard it will that that was.
Haydee Ferrufino:Right? And, also, you know, navigating gen gender biases, being, like, only me as the CEO, I had no one, like, to support, you know, support me with other than my team. So I think that, you know, being in tech because one of the industries we focus on is this tech. Right. So tech is very heavy on masculine energy.
Haydee Ferrufino:So we're, you know, like it's very all the sales scenarios where I've been and trying to because I'm the one that sells in my company still. So, you know, all of that has been like the biggest kind of item that we had to overcome for growth. But also personally, I would say balancing things, Right? Like, because I was so big and I I am so big in my vision. Right?
Haydee Ferrufino:But also, I had to learn, you know, overcome depression to times, you know, for all the stress and things and how do where do I go from here? Like, you know, overcoming all of that, working on myself and my self growth. I have learned how to maximize, you know, my life with technology and how to use, you know, AI or other technology to kind of improve myself and try to reach a balance because I know I can be very, you know, goal focused. Right. So I think that the self balancing fact has been very important on the journey, I will say.
George B. Thomas:Yeah. I love this, that you're tapping into the need for balance, the use of technology to even get that balance maybe a little quicker. And just the understanding of hurdles are hurdles, biases are biases, but you have the power to put yourself in a position to actually still be successful, which I love that. So, Haydee, let's continue on with these, what I call valley questions. Have you ever faced a moment where you get in the room, maybe it's Zoom, maybe it's a real room, and you just have this moment.
George B. Thomas:And again, this could be during HubSpot, pre HubSpot, you know, agency life. Have you ever faced a moment where you felt underestimated, maybe even overlooked, or just simply out of place? And how did you handle that when you're like, oh, I'm in this spot, but
Haydee Ferrufino:Yeah. I think it happened well, it happened recently. I went to HubSpot Partner Week, and and and I know it can be about, you know, out of HubSpot, but I'm just saying because that was the moment. I don't I worked a lot on my impostor syndrome, so I thought, you know, like, it's something you don't cure, but it happens. And I and I try to never compare myself, but, you know, I was in LATAM Week last week on Bogota, the first time I go for a LATAM week for partners.
Haydee Ferrufino:And there are so many amazing agencies over there, of course. And now it's, like, sitting there, like, what you know, like, why in the world? Like, there's so much I haven't done yet. There's so much to learn. There's you know, I even felt like, what am I doing?
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, this is like, how did I get there? Like, it was like waking up and saying, like, how did I get there? I don't remember. You know? Also, it helped me understand that it's normal to feel that way when you don't, like, kind of see thing new things happening and where the industry is moving and how everything is, like, shifting.
Haydee Ferrufino:So, like, I was like, uh-huh. I'm in out of my comfort zone, so that's why I feel like that. So how or what can I learn from this experience and what is it telling me about what I need to to work about myself? And I just this is the way I see things. I'm sorry.
Haydee Ferrufino:But it is the way I see it. It's like, how can I learn from these people and how can I, you know, add to, you know, what they're doing as, you know, value to my country, to my community, and all my clients? You know?
George B. Thomas:Yeah. No. I I love it so much. First of all, you don't have to apologize. Like, if it's the way you see the world, it's the way you see the world, and and more people honestly need to kind of stand on that and roll with it.
George B. Thomas:And and I love this idea of, like, you know, impostor syndrome never goes away. Listen. I've been in this HubSpot ecosystem since since 2012. People will say the nicest things about me, and then I'll wonder, why are they saying those things? Like, I don't understand.
George B. Thomas:You know? And so we all deal with that. But the the idea that I really wanna lean in on is, like, how can I learn from this? How can I grow from this? How can I understand that because I'm in my discomfort, I'm in a place of growth, and I'm gonna be able to bring this back to my community, to my team, to my country?
George B. Thomas:I love this so, so much. Okay, let's kinda keep going down. We're gonna crest up into these other questions here in a minute, but I have to ask you, have you ever experienced like a significant failure or a setback in life? And and what did you learn from it when it happened?
Haydee Ferrufino:I think two years ago, my company was collapsing, I would say. We had as you might know, sometimes in the agencies, have bigger clients and then it's going really well, but you're depending like in one single or two single clients out of everyone, like it's the biggest one that they buy. So for some reason, that client, we still have it, but the client is an agency client because we also do white label services for elite agencies or agencies from HubSpot that, you know, need talented staff. So anyways, they wanted to try with some other provider to try and see, like, if they have they can have two. Right?
Haydee Ferrufino:So they decreased the orders or the the purchases they were doing from us. At the same time, our other client that we had left. So we were, like, you know, almost done with with cash. And also at the same time, you know, can you believe everything at the same time? You know, January, I think, 2022 or 2023.
Haydee Ferrufino:At the same time, you know, like a snowball effect, we just, you know, found out there were so some, the accounting issues and things like that that we had to pay. So it was like a mountain of debt that I didn't notice, you know, like I did a wrong, you know, my job wrongfully by not delegating because it was the first time I tried to have like managers, you know, it was the first time I jumped from me handling two managers and having departments. So I did it wrong. Of course, it was my first time. So there were things I didn't see, and everything came down to me at the same time.
Haydee Ferrufino:So I enter my second time depression, right, like the second time I entered. And I always tell this story when I when I explain why I like AI so much. But I love the brain. And since I love the brain and I know a lot about the brain, I knew that depression means that my brain wasn't functioning correctly. And I love my brain.
Haydee Ferrufino:So I was like, could I maybe use a second brain to support me right now that while I'm transitioning this? Right. Because I need to take meds and still show up, you know, every single day to fix this this mess. Right. And that's how I started using AI and and learning how to train it and how to, you know, put into it information that will allow me to take it as an adviser or a co co CEO that could help me see if I was making the right decisions, right, and and prioritizing the right things.
Haydee Ferrufino:And here we are, platinum now. We're we're all good. Everything was solved. It took me, like, around six months to fix everything, but I am very grateful that it happened because it taught me that, once again, I could overcome whatever, you know, if I put into my my mind into it, if I let people help me, and also if I communicate what I need correctly and also if I maximize technology with it. You know?
George B. Thomas:So many good pieces that I hope the viewers and listeners are pulling out of this. One, it's okay to ask for help. Two, this idea of a second brain. If you're watching this or listening to this, and you haven't dove into the world of AI just for the ability to have a second brain of information that you're doing on a daily basis, and it's such an unlock at this point. Make sure that you're kind of paying attention to that.
George B. Thomas:But I love this ownership too. This ownership mindset of like, it was me, I tried to do this, I'm willing to say I did it wrong, but man, did I learn these lessons from it. And again, that's where we learn lessons when things aren't going right, but usually we learn lessons when they're going wrong and we have to right that ship. And by the way, congratulations on it only taking six months, cause it could have taken a whole lot longer than that, to be honest with you. I gotta get some context here, and I'm curious.
George B. Thomas:What does empowerment mean to you? And how do you pass that on to others in your field, in your family, in your organization, this idea of empowerment?
Haydee Ferrufino:I love that question. That's a really good question. Empower me or empowerment for me means the ability to remember that you can do it. And if you can't do it, it's fine too, but you can try. Right?
Haydee Ferrufino:You always can try. So the way I try to empower is I am part of a my in my community. I am part of a leadership club, all females in El Salvador that is called her. And, you know, I try to empower them by, you know, telling the stories like we we have all community events and things and always try to be transparent. Right?
Haydee Ferrufino:Because sometimes it's very easy that when we do marketing and do all these things, people look at you and say, like, oh, she's doing it perfect. Right? But it's also remembering reminding people that it's not perfect. It's never gonna be perfect. It is life.
Haydee Ferrufino:Life is like that. Right? And also empowering my team, you know, trying to explain I always say we're the good guys, right, like with the good guys. I always remind them that, remember, we're the good guys. We're doing the right thing for the client.
Haydee Ferrufino:Right? Or in my family, my dad always said that we're here to serve. He always explained that that to me. And the way I explain it is, like, if we show up as we are, transparent as we are, then we can empower people to say, like, hey. Maybe I can do it too.
Haydee Ferrufino:You know? So if you talk about how you did it and how lost you were and be transparent at it, people can understand they can take the leap of faith on their themselves.
George B. Thomas:I love, again, so much of that one. Ladies and gentlemen, do me a big favor and take the leap of faith on yourself. Haydee, I love that you tied empowerment to the remembering that you have the power to do that. And the fact that you grew up with a father who was like, we're here to serve. I mean, it resonates with me.
George B. Thomas:I have, for years, been like ending all my videos with, Don't forget to be a happy, helpful, humble human. In other words, Don't sell, serve. I love that you tied it to, We're the good guys. Because there's a lot of agencies, there's a lot of humans out there that, well, they don't care if they're the good guys. It's all about the bottom line.
George B. Thomas:So, there's so much that I am loving about your story and your mindset of how you're doing this. So, here's the thing. I asked at the beginning of that for context of like, what do you feel is empowering because of this next question I want to ask you. And that is, can you share a moment in your career where you felt especially empowered or proud of something that you achieved?
Haydee Ferrufino:Since I was little, I've always dreamed of going to the to France, you know, the Eiffel Tower. Right? Just just be there. I could even, like, just touch it, and that's fine. But that was my my but my my dream was very specific.
Haydee Ferrufino:You know? My dream was waking up in a hotel in which I could see through the window, the Eiffel Tower on my birthday. That was my my dream. Right? And I accomplished that on 2023, and it was all my savings, you know, because I I do assign a salary to me, and that was, like, how it is.
Haydee Ferrufino:But I didn't want to touch the company for that, but I made it. I did a and, you know, I went to Europe. I went to several different places, and I got to experience what I wanted. And you know what happened? I cried because I'm I'm a crier.
Haydee Ferrufino:But I remember I felt such bliss. I just I cannot explain how. But when I was in the plane, like, you could look at at down at the Eiffel Tower still. And and when I saw it and I was like, before I even landed, I said, like, can you believe we made it? You know?
Haydee Ferrufino:Can you believe we we're here? We just we we made it. You know? And I remember I started crying and, know, thanking God because I was like, Oh my God, how did I get there? And all of that.
Haydee Ferrufino:And I still cry almost. But it's it's it's really good for me as well to understand with effort and being the good guy and trying to, you know, overcome that. It's also good to take a moment and celebrate, you know, kind of intake what it is happening, because sometimes we're just like blinded to it. And so like, Oh yeah, cool. But we're not, like, taking a moment to kind of breathe into what's going on and celebrate it.
Haydee Ferrufino:So I remember all of the places I went, I cried because I was like, oh my god. You know, like, I'm here, and I couldn't, like, believe it. And I still remember it is like a dream. But, yes, that's what I would choose to to explain. Yeah.
George B. Thomas:Man, I love the story. I love the idea of having a goal, achieving the goal. And, really, what I hope the listeners and viewers tag onto, especially in this such a fast paced world we live in, is taking the moment or moments to celebrate, to enjoy the place that you reach, to almost put like a milestone in your memory of this journey that you've been on. So it's so good. Okay, So let's put a little bit of a mentor hat on.
George B. Thomas:Know, you've talked about already that you want to change your country, you want to change the world, you want to change the people, the team. And so I'm super curious, like if you had a magic wand moment and you could change one thing about how women are supported in this industry, what would your magic wand moment be?
Haydee Ferrufino:My magic wand moment. I would change in the industry. Right? Yep.
George B. Thomas:Or or or in general. It's it's totally up to you, Haydee. Wherever your brain goes, if it's in the industry or in the world, I'm gonna release you to whatever you wanna say.
Haydee Ferrufino:I would say I would like to change how we are heard. I think that sometimes, you know, male counterparts can say like, oh, yeah. You know, if someone is trying to speak like females, we do we do have this issue, I would say, is that we are scared to bother people. Like, we're not supposed to do something. So I would change the fact that the the the people can listen when we talk because it's really hard for us to talk sometimes, and some personalities differ.
Haydee Ferrufino:You know? Like and if you're chiming in or if you have someone in your company that's a female and that she's been on the same position for a while and, you know, like, she's not even you just try to create programs or create a mentorship program or something that help them understand they can aim for more, you know, or they can speak out loud or they can you know, like, just the permission, I would say. Reminding females that they have the permission, you know, to dream, to do, to ask, to create, to just collaborate with you guys. I think that's that's what I would change.
George B. Thomas:Love it. Okay. So this is called the Women of HubSpot podcast. I at least have to ask one question specific to HubSpot. I kind of think I might know where you're gonna go, but maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised you're going a completely different direction.
Haydee Ferrufino:Okay.
George B. Thomas:But are there any particular tools, strategies, or trends in HubSpot right now that excite you?
Haydee Ferrufino:Yes. I am very excited about where is it going on the, you know, the AI route, but also how not from automation perspective because we already have that, I think, with the automations of HubSpot, but the analysis perspective. You know, I think that people like I believe that people like to buy HubSpot because they understand the source one single source of truth, you know, like they want to have integrated everything, but how often they really speak to their data. Right? So I think, you know, for instance, the connector with ChatGPT has been great because I think it also helps you, you know, understand deeply what what opportunities you have in data.
Haydee Ferrufino:So I am very excited about guided business intelligence. You know, I'm not saying that there's something near that or anything like that, but I see the industry going that way. And I think HubSpot has always as the big brother it is to me, I think it's gonna understand how we can speak to data or how data can speak to us and say, like, hey, you know, let's go this way. I'm telling you. So because sometimes we just forget, you know, to look at the data and look at the past and see what we've learned to, you know, project the future, I think.
Haydee Ferrufino:That's that's what I would say.
George B. Thomas:Yeah. I love this idea of human powered business with AI assisted analysis and helping the humans make the right decision and be more human in the moments that they need to. Love that so much. I figured when you talked about technology earlier, that it might be technology related in that answer. So that's why I was like, I think I maybe know where you're going.
George B. Thomas:And of course, you knocked it out the park.
Haydee Ferrufino:You were were in that surprise,
George B. Thomas:Yeah. But it's all good. It's all good. I I love I love the answer. So here's the thing.
George B. Thomas:Let's put that mentor mode, that mentor hat back on for a second. Haydee, how important is networking with other females to you or just networking in general? And are there certain strategies that you use to build connections along the way?
Haydee Ferrufino:I would say 90% of a 100. And why? It's because when we are together, we can feel like equals, and that means that we can talk, create, you know, explain, and mentor. So I think we expand ourselves in, you know, social settings or networking settings, but also we learn that we're not alone and that that has happened to someone else and that we can be like vulnerable. And it's okay.
Haydee Ferrufino:You know, we're not going to see each other as, you know, like, weaker for that. And I think that's very important. The the the strategy I like to do is actually I like to use I don't have it today, but I like to use look at my nails. Right? For example.
Haydee Ferrufino:You see? So I like to have something, like, shiny or something different on me because I've seen people really like to, you know, start a conversation by that. That's that's one thing I do. But the other thing is also just share what you know and listen because people normally don't know how to ask or what is it that they need. And when we all start sharing things and what we do and what works for us, we find out that it's helping other ones.
Haydee Ferrufino:Right? So I think that sharing has been my most favorite tool because in my first year, I think, or second year in the club, they saw I was, like, very into technology, so they asked me to share, like, how I use it. And I did explain how I used it for my when I was in this issue that I told you about and how I used the AI as my second brain. And I remember how many female leaders used it to, you know, kind of expand their business or the productivity or the way they did it. So I think and just like myself, other ones shared other things that they did that have helped me, you know?
Haydee Ferrufino:So I think sharing, it's very, very helpful for this type of settings and networking.
George B. Thomas:Yeah, I love that so much. They say sharing is caring. And I would add to that. And when you care about humans, that's how you build a brand that lasts a very, very, very long time. So speaking of lasting a long time, having a career, being on this journey that we've been having this conversation around, I'm super curious, what has been the most rewarding aspect of your career so far?
Haydee Ferrufino:The jobs I have been able to create. I am overwhelmed by the amount of people I have. I know it's not close to a 100 or anything. They were, like, around 28 or 30, but I you know, before, I never thought I would impact so many families, and that's how I see it. You know?
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, that's part of my journey or my vision is, like, how many people I can impact. So for me, that's what's more rewarding. It's seeing my you know you know, people that are from my team that have eight years with me or ten years with me and how much they have grown. They have bought their houses. They have cars and all the things that they have been able to develop in their lives.
Haydee Ferrufino:And I feel like I did my job, you know, like in that sense. So that's that's the more, I think, the more rewarding thing I can say from my team and also the way I could, you know, support my parents in, you know, and try to understand there's a different you know, because in Latin America and my parents, I would say they're very work heavy. Like, they like to work and serve and work, but and sounded like a song. Right? But the thing is that, you know, try to show them what balance is and and see them taking vacations together and things like that.
Haydee Ferrufino:I think that's that's also rewarding because I'm I'm showing them there's another way to work and live, you know? And that's that's, you know, another thing that I liked about it.
George B. Thomas:Yeah. Love it so much because when I when I hear your story around that, your your answer, it's like the impact that you're making in other people's lives. And that is very rewarding, very rewarding to know that people are able to do things, think things, be things, because you're being that catalyst for growth. Oh, okay. So what advice would you give, Haydee, other women who might want to choose this kind of career path or ownership path that you've been on?
George B. Thomas:Like, what's the words of wisdom that you want to give them?
Haydee Ferrufino:Get involved with the community as much as you can. And the reason I'm saying this is that I've always looking back on my journey, I've always said, thank god I enrolled in that boot camp. Thank god that I, you know, like, I joined that Slack channel or that I wanted to get involved in all the community things that happen around the ecosystem and the partner that I chose, which was with HubSpot. Right? If you get involved in our in our again, are you, you know, transparent as you are share who you are, just things will come to you.
Haydee Ferrufino:Like, you will have the right mentors. You will have the people that wanna share their stuff with you and understand and learn. And if you are being the good guy, then, you know, people will be the good guy with you. So that's what I would say.
George B. Thomas:So good. Okay. As we land the plane, I've got three questions for you. Question number one of landing the plane questions. You've come a long way.
George B. Thomas:Like, from a dream of, like, loving marketing to actually doing marketing to impacting, twenty, twenty three, 25 people, your family, your community. What are your long term goals from here?
Haydee Ferrufino:Wow. That's that's it's a big story. But let's say my, you know, my dream for now is we just created a sister company. It's called Smart Topsy. It's because we we saw that a lot of the clients we were helping, they were selling a lot.
Haydee Ferrufino:But in the back end, they had issues. They were they they their processes were not up to, you know, the level of their marketing and and service teams. So we created that company to help the back end because, again, we're trying the three sixty, we're trying to continue helping companies to grow and develop or generate opportunities for Salvadorian at the same time. Right? So that's the the whole thing.
Haydee Ferrufino:So my future goal is to create an ecosystem that not only helps people by giving them, you know, an employment into one of our companies, but also to have a site learn how is have a have side income because here in El Salvador is not like a normal thing that you have a lot of options like you guys in The US. So, you know, learning how to have a better income other than salary, how to save, how to invest, you know, like creating this ecosystem that can allow me to provide opportunities for 2,000,000 Salvadorian people and impact the economy in a way that people can live a better life, a healthier life with more opportunities without sacrificing their passions. You know, that's what I want to to create.
George B. Thomas:Oh, wee. My goodness. Okay. This idea of living a life of their dreams without sacrificing their passion. Like, viewers, listeners, just write write that little tidbit down in your notebook or a post it note and put by your computer for the next couple weeks and think about that.
George B. Thomas:That is so good. Okay. Question number two of landing the plane. We've learned a lot about you, by the way. So this this question sometimes gets a little bit more difficult towards the end, which is why we put it at the end because we're digging.
George B. Thomas:We're digging for this one. What's a surprising or little known fact about you that people might not expect?
Haydee Ferrufino:I'm very hard on letting people help me. I think from a and and and getting personal with that question. I think I've I've always learned to or or always thought that I needed to do it by myself and survive because I have no one. Right? Like, no one else to to save me or be with me or cooperate with me.
Haydee Ferrufino:Right. And and that's something I'm working about on right now. It's like trying to understand that I can be held, I can be supported, and that's okay. You know, like, don't have to be in survival mode all the time because, you know, we're not there anymore, you know, like trying to I think that's one thing that they don't know about me, that it will be, like, weird because sometimes people think that I'm very balanced and perfect, like I said, and it's not it's not that way.
George B. Thomas:Yeah. I love your honesty. And by the way, again, something that I think many of us many of us battle with. Okay. Last question, then we'll get you back to your regularly scheduled day and folks can go back through their notes or re listen to the rewind sections of this episode.
George B. Thomas:Haydee, finish this sentence for me. Success to me means blank.
Haydee Ferrufino:Success to me means maximizing the impact for everyone.