Working with the Founders of Hispanic Marketing

No pressure.

I work with two of the founders of Hispanic marketing.

It's true! San Antonio is home to the first Spanish-language media outlet and the birthplace of the first and largest U.S. Hispanic advertising agency, Bromley Communications, once called Sosa, Bromley & Aguilar. Aguilar being MY boss Al Aguilar, Chairman and CEO of Creative Civilization.

In 1999, Al and his business partner (and wife) Gisela Girard founded their own agency, Creative Civilization. Their first client was the San Antonio Spurs. With a catchy ad campaign some of you might remember ("Go Spurs Go") they started off on a great foot and brought the agency to what it is today. We're not a Hispanic advertising firm, we're not a General Market agency. We're a unique breed of agency qualified in all markets offering total solutions.

It was a proud day this Thursday to watch the San Antonio Chapter of  the American Marketing Association, SA Vision, induct Creative Civilization President Gisela Girard to their Godfathers Hall of Fame. At a tribute luncheon titled "Las Madrinas: The Visionary Women of Hispanic Advertising", Gisela was honored alongside three other female advertising pioneers. "Madrina", by the way, means "Godmother".

When asked to give advice to young Latinas beginning their careers in marketing and advertising, all of the women had advice to give. But Gisela's advice was especially encouraging to hear. She didn't go into gender specifics. She didn't talk about the dynamics of working with men or how women have to "work twice as hard to get half the credit" as many of us have heard over the years as we eye-roll. Instead, she talked about the importance of strategic thinking and its value at all levels, no matter what you do, no matter who you are (no matter what your gender).

I liked that. It's the visionary entrepreneurs (like Gisela) who don't think about the tiny barriers in front of them. What barriers? They are invisible.

Gender, race, SES - what does it matter when you have a dream? What are the lyrics to that song? "Sometimes that mountain you've been climbing is just a grain of sand". This is anyone's world if you have the heart.

In 2006, Al Aguilar was honored as one of three original founders, a.k.a "Godfathers", of Hispanic Advertising, alongside his former business partners, Lionel Sosa and Ernest Bromley. Now he and Gisela are in the Hall of Fame together. And I was there to see both of those events happen. Cool.

It occured to me later how fortunate I really am to have been hired at this particular agency when I graduated from Texas State in 2006. Thinking about it now - I could have ended up anywhere. For the past three and a half years, I've been learning from these two industry leaders every day. I may have finally finished grad school in 2008 - but my education is far from over.

So take a good, long look at the talented and creative people around you. Learn from them, talk to them, take their advice, take their criticism if you earn it. Heck, take them to lunch and shamelessly pick their brains (I do that to our CMO all the time). The thing is - what they say to you next could change your life, the way you work, the way you see things. On the flip side, you could be doing the same thing for someone else and not even know it.  

Creative Civilization President Gisela Girard is inducted into the AMA's Godfathers Hall of Fame, posed here with her husband and business partner Al Aguilar, who was honored in 2006. Photo by Missy Rodriguez