Odette Peralta of The Social Savvy: The Power of Flexibility; How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic

An Interview With Karina Michel Feld

Know when to take a break. — When you are running a business, it can be hard to take a break away from it. With being a digital marketer, you are constantly attached to your phone. I try to take time away from my phone occasionally.

The COVID19 pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. But sometimes disruptions can be times of opportunity. Many people’s livelihoods have been hurt by the pandemic. But some saw this as an opportune time to take their lives in a new direction.

As a part of this series called “How I Was Able To Pivot To A New Exciting Opportunity Because Of The Pandemic”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Odette Peralta.

Odette Peralta is a seasoned social media marketing expert who has 7 years of experience with marketing on digital platforms and social networking in digital spaces. Peralta is a dedicated entrepreneur who founded the social savvy digital marketing agency in 2020. Peralta has a deep passion for bringing physical businesses to digital spaces and implementing unique brand marketing strategies to increase awareness and generate leads. This passion is what led Odette to start her agency, quit her full-time job, and expand her successful business.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?

I have always been a very hard worker with a passion for getting involved in the social media industry. Every job I have ever had has included involvement in social media, even my first job at 17. My drive and my love for social media has allowed me to open my own marketing company, a goal I have always wanted to achieve.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One life lesson quote I love from Mark Cuban is “It comes down to finding something you love to do and then just trying to be great at”. The best way to grow in your field is by having new experiences. When you

find what you love, the more you work at it the more successful you will become.

Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?

I listen to a lot of podcasts and read a lot of books, because I like to always be learning about new parts of the industry. One of my favorite podcasts that I listen to every day is Social Media Examiner by Michael Stelzner. This podcast is very interesting because every show there is a new guest that is an expert in a different aspect of social media marketing. Hearing advice and stories from these guests is a great way to learn about different aspects of the industry in a fun and unique way. It is important to keep up with the changing trends of this industry, and I find podcasts to be a nice way to stay up to date and keep learning in this industry.

Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before the Pandemic began?

I have always been involved in social media marketing, dating back to far before the Pandemic began. When the Pandemic began, I was working at a great company that I loved, Core BTS. I loved my job and had a great boss and colleagues. I worked at Core BTS as a consultant for two of their public school systems on Long Island. I primarily acted as a social media marketing and public relations liaison.

What did you do to pivot as a result of the Pandemic?

When the Pandemic began, I started my own business. With so much business being moved online, I saw the increased need for physical businesses to have a digital presence. I felt that this presented the opportunity for me to start my own company doing what I love, social media marketing. I was able to create the social savvy to help businesses in the community create brand strategies, digital content, websites, and so much more.

Can you tell us about the specific “Aha moment” that gave you the idea to start this new path?

The “Aha moment” when I knew I had to start my own business was when it became all I could think about. I had a few clients while I was at my past job, and all I ever wanted to do was work on my own clients. I felt like my full-time job was preventing me from doing what I really wanted to do, work with my other clients. This was when I realized that it was time to leave my job and create the social savvy.

How are things going with this new initiative?

The business is doing great. I took a big risk leaving a job I loved to create my own business like I always wanted to, and to work for myself. We have multiple great clients that we work with and a great staff. I am so happy I made this change in my life and I am proud of how far the social savvy has come.

Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

All of my previous experience in the field, including past clients and past colleagues, has shaped me into the businessperson I am today. I feel like all of the experiences I have had in this field has made me who I am and helped me become the type of boss that I strive to be.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?

The most interesting part of starting this new business has been all of the new relationships I have formed. Every client I work with introduces me to their circle of colleagues and friends, which has been such a great experience. As things have shifted into becoming more in person, meeting with clients has been great, whether it’s at one of our offices or going to dinner. Building more personal relationships with clients has been incredibly rewarding and made work more interesting and enjoyable.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. It’s okay to have hard days. — Sometimes things do not go the way that you had planned. I always try to make the best out of a situation even if it is not what I had hoped for.
2. Know when to take a break. — When you are running a business, it can be hard to take a break away from it. With being a digital marketer, you are constantly attached to your phone. I try to take time away from my phone occasionally.
3. It is okay to take a step back from an opportunity. — Sometimes it is difficult to walk away from an opportunity. But if the opportunity that is presented does not make sense for your business it is okay to choose not to move forward with it.
4. Mental health is important. — I always try to make sure that my mental health is my priority. If your mental health is doing well then everything around you will be more successful.
5. Make work fun — I think that a fun work environment is very important. If everyone is happy to come to work and enjoys what they are doing, then they will be more productive.

So many of us have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. Can you share the strategies that you have used to optimize your mental wellness during this stressful period?

I think that it is very important to have a good work environment. This will ensure that everyone is motivated and happy to be there. I also believe that having good mental health is essential. Every day I make sure that I practice hot yoga as a way to better myself and my mental health.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

My wish would be to find a way to help all of the businesses that have struggled this past year get back to a place where they can all be stable and successful. I am so happy that I am able to assist businesses with this through digital marketing.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

One person that I would love to have lunch with is Toni Sevdalis. I really enjoy keeping up with her Youtube and social media pages. I also think that she has great style and is a very successful woman.

How can our readers follow you online?

You can find me on instagram @odetteperalta and you can find my business @thesocialsavvy. You can also learn more about my business through Facebook on The Social Savvy page and on our website www.thesocial-savvy.com.

Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!

Thank you for this opportunity to share more about myself and my experience with digital media marketing.