Young Change Makers: How Odette Peralta of the social savvy Is Helping To Make A Difference In Our World
An Interview With Sonia Molodecky
Lead with courage.
It can be very intimidating to lead in making a change, especially as a woman. Do not get intimidated by the people around you. You know your worth and believe in the change you want to see.
As part of our series about young people who are making an important social impact, 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 dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us about how you grew up?
Thank you for this opportunity! I am so grateful to speak with you and share my story. Growing up, I had a pretty good life. Both of my parents were very hard workers and provided my brother and I with everything we needed. My father is an immigrant from Portugal who has worked extremely hard for everything he has created for our family. My mother is first generation Portuguese American as well, but was born and raised in the United States. Growing up in a European American multicultural household has instilled a persistent work ethic in myself and my business.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I graduated from Molloy College with a degree in New Media, social media networking. Throughout my college career, I learned many things about the digital marketing field and was lucky enough to be guided by many intelligent professors who were able to share their knowledge and experience with me. A specific professor comes to mind, Jamie Cohen when asked about someone or something making a significant impact on me. He always taught us that this is a field with great opportunity for growth, to research everything there is to know in this field, and always leave time to learn more. He has been quoted in many research studies about marketing in digital spaces for his great work, and has always been a big inspiration to me.
You are currently leading an organization that is helping to make a positive social impact. Can you tell us a little about what you and your organization are trying to create in our world today?
My passion for social media networking has always inspired me to open a business of my own. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I knew it was the perfect time to use my creative skills to help bring local businesses back to digital spaces and continue growing them with the addaped world changes.
Can you tell us the backstory about what originally inspired you to feel passionate about this cause and to do something about it?
The world was faced with many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses were forced to quickly adapt to digital features used to spread brand awareness and transform their physical locations to digital spaces. That was when I knew it was my time to help. My marketing agency specializes in creating and implementing online marketing strategies to increase awareness and drive clients to products and purchases. This adaptation to technology is new to small business owners, but second nature to us. With the right marketing strategies, we can help small businesses adapt to change and stay open, and continue to grow.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One of the best parts about leading my company is being able to connect with so many amazing clients from different industries and backgrounds. Hearing stories about how each client started their business is truly inspiring and makes us understand the brand more, and be able to represent that message in the content we create for clients. To understand our clients brand message, we ask for their personal journey of how they created their small business and incorporate that into their branding strategy. Each client story is so unique and inspiring and truly sets them apart from their competition. That is what we stride for as a marketing agency.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
A particular client that comes to mind is a luxury dog accessories boutique based in Scotland. My client too started her business during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had two beautiful dogs that lived with her but unfortunately, right at the beginning of COVID-19, one of them passed. To make things worse, she also lost her full time job due to cuts made from the pandemic. As a way to get her mind off of everything, she began making hand made accessories for her dog and would occasionally post photos of the product on Instagram. She began getting inquiries and requests from social media followers who wanted to purchase the items showcased on her dog. She then built her amazing brand, Patch and Pops Boutique. We have been handling her marketing now for several months and have seen a tremendous growth in product sales and client generation.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
To me, making a difference is helping. Any way that you help, is a way that you are making a difference. It is so important that as a community, we all help each other grow and succeed. Our specialty is marketing and that is how we help small businesses stay relevant, and adapt to the new business environment that is now heavily digital based.
Many young people would not know what steps to take to start to create the change they want to see. But you did. What are some of the steps you took to get your project started? Can you share the top 5 things you need to know to become a changemaker? Please tell us a story or example for each.
- Believe in the change you want to see.
It is so important to be passionate about the change you want to make and see in the world. With the right passion behind an idea, you will go so far!
2. No idea is too big of an idea.
There will be people who hear your ideas and goals along the way and will tell you it is impossible. While the goal or idea may be impossible for them, it is not impossible for you.
3. Never give up.
Life happens in crazy ways and at times it may feel like no one is hearing your message or following the example you lead. Change takes time and with time, you will grow with your ideas and get the results you are looking for.
4. Lead with courage.
It can be very intimidating to lead in making a change, especially as a woman. Do not get intimidated by the people around you. You know your worth and believe in the change you want to see.
5. Set high standards.
The sky is your limit. Set high standards as your future goals. With the right mindset, you will accomplish anything!
What are the values that drive your work?
I am truly passionate about my business and my work. Being able to make a difference for small businesses and continue to help them grow is what motivates me daily. It is so important that marketing agencies not only create for large established corporations, but do great work for the small businesses as well.
Many people struggle to find what their purpose is and how to stay true to what they believe in. What are some tools or daily practices that have helped you to stay grounded and centred in who you are, your purpose, and focused on achieving your vision?
It is very easy to struggle with finding purpose and staying grounded and tune to what you believe in. Some ways that help me focus in achieving my vision are lists and boards. It is so important to make a vision board that outlines all of your goals, even if they are very long term. I always create vision boards and lists of goals. I look at the boards and read the lists daily to remind myself of my purpose.
In my work, I aim to challenge us all right now to take back our human story and co-create a vision for a world that works for all. I believe youth should have agency over their own future. Can you please share your vision for a world you want to see? I’d love to have you describe what it looks like and feels like. As you know, the more we can imagine it, the better we can manifest it!
My vision for the world is one that encourages other women to follow their dreams and become entrepreneurs. It is amazing to see how far women have come in becoming leaders in this world. It is so important to remember that even in a field that is so heavily run by men, as social media marketing and entrepreneurship, women are able to set the bar higher, and do it better than anyone before them.
We are powerful co-creators and our minds and intentions create our reality. If you had limitless resources at your disposal, what specific steps would take to bring your vision to fruition?
I strive to be a woman that empowers other women daily to follow their dreams and become strong female entrepreneurs. With limitless resources at my disposal, I would be sure to create women entrepreneur empowerment programs and resources to build eachother up.
I see a world driven by the power of love, not fear. Where human beings treat each other with humanity. Where compassion, kindness and generosity of spirit are characteristics we teach in schools and strive to embody in all we do. What changes would you like to see in the educational system? Can you explain or give an example?
With years of experience in education marketing, I have handled brand representation and presence for multiple school districts in New York state. I would love to encourage more educational institutions to share all of the great things that happen within that are not shared frequently enough.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I want to tell other young people that the change they make in the world is the environment their kids will be fortunate to live in, in the future. Being positive and making change will encourage others to do the same. You may think your change is small but I assure you, it will leave a great impact on the world.
Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
If I could choose anyone that I would have the honor of having a private breakfast or lunch with it would be Bethany Frankel. Bethany is such an inspiration for women all over the world. She leads in changing the world in such a positive way with her B Strong disaster relief program where money and goods are donated to places of need, while also building her successful personal brands and growing her businesses.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can stay connected with the social savvy by following us on social media @thesocialsavvy or our website, www.thesocial-savvy.com. You can also follow me personally on Instagram, @odetteperalta.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. It was so great to work with you and share more about myself and my business.
About the interviewer: Sonia is a Canadian-Ukrainian lawyer, entrepreneur and heart-centered warrior who’s spent more than 15 years working in human rights, international law, business, economic development, community empowerment and her own personal journey into herself. Sonia has spent the past 7 years living and working with indigenous nations around the world, as a facilitator, partner, shaman apprentice and friend, gaining a deep understanding of both ancient systems and modern ways, and our interconnection with all life. She is a certified kundalini yoga practitioner, energy healing facilitator, avid adventurer and explorer of the natural world. Sonia speaks world-wide on topics related to meaningful collaboration, life economies, the power of partnerships and the benefits of informed, empowered and engaged communities. “It is time for us to take back our human story and co-create a new vision for a world that is in harmony with ourselves, each other, the Earth and all beings,” says Molodecky. Her book, A New Human Story: A Co-Creator’s Guide to Living our True Potential. launches December 2020. You can learn more about Sonia, her book and her podcast at www.soniamolodecky.com and follow her at https://www.instagram.com/soniamolodecky or https://www.facebook.com/sonia.molodecky
