Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzy Reyes and Gabby Baker. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Gabby, President of the San Diego Chapter: Gabby holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from San Diego State University, as well as a Marketing and Media Certificate from San Diego State and a Digital Marketing Certificate from UC San Diego Extension. She started her marketing career 10 years ago at her local YMCA in San Diego as an event planner and marketing intern. Since then, she’s worked in the finance industry, facilities management, and higher education.
Now working in retail fashion, as an Associate Digital Marketing Manager at Nordstrom, Gabby is a lead contributor to the growth of the email program. Developing sustainable acquisition & retention strategies strives to deliver personalized & relevant content to customers, and oversees reporting & measurement for CRM team.
On her spare time, she volunteers as San Diego Chapter President at #LatinaGeeks, a non-profit to help people gain tech skills like coding, app building, and more for professional and personal development.
As mother to an almost 6-year-old and as a self-proclaimed foodie, Gabby likes to relax by exploring the local restaurant scene and making the drive up to Temecula’s wineries.
Suzy, Vice President of the San Diego Chapter: Suzy is a self-driven professional with a passion for digital marketing strategy and content creation. Since 2014, Suzy has placed herself in areas where she has been able to receive the upper hand and get one step ahead of the trends when it comes to social media marketing. Connecting the world through media is something that she has dedication and appreciation towards. She knows the impact a good social media campaign can do for her clients and is constantly looking for ways to evolve and stand out in all of the social media noise.
Gaining professional experience in 6 different industries such as technology, small business, food and beverage, customer service, entertainment, and higher education has brought her to be well-rounded and flexible.
She is passionate to stay connected with her community and practices this through her role as Secretary of the San Diego Chapter at #LatinaGeeks, a non-profit to help people gain tech skills like coding, app building, and more for professional and personal development.
She has had the opportunity to travel to 8 different countries and immerse herself in different cultures, allowing herself to be aware of the world around her. These experiences have shaped who she is today.
She is now a Marketing Consultant at LPL Financial guiding financial advisors through creating successful marketing plans for their businesses to thrive. She is passionate about empowering others to excel in their craft through digital marketing strategies, content creation, and adopting a positive outlook.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Gabby: Gabby’s career journey took a turn in 2016 when she was laid off and in the same week found out she was pregnant. With less than 3 months to find a new job, she was in a scramble to land a new job before her pregnancy was noticeable.
Unfortunately for Gabby, she did not find a job within the 3-month time frame and felt uncomfortable interviewing with a baby bump. As a result, she was out of work for almost a year. Once she was ready to join the workforce, she was hit with the hard reality that her skills were out-of-date. Although she had traditional marketing experience, every company she applied to was asking for digital marketing experience.
To fill the gap, she enrolled in online courses and landed a marketing role with UC San Diego Extension. In this role, she met two very important and highly impactful managers and mentors. One of which introduced her to #LatinaGeeks and the other who taught her everything he knew about digital marketing.
She also shares: “I can’t talk about my career journey without mentioning #LatinaGeeks. In 2018 I attended my first workshop and in 2019 I joined the leadership team. I can say, without a doubt, that I stood out as a candidate to Nordstrom because of my involvement with #LatinaGeeks.”
Suzy:
An obstacle or challenge for me has definitely been to always make sure I’m one step ahead – especially in the digital marketing space. I’ve learned that having this mentality can burn you out quick and in some of the previous companies I’ve worked for I learned to put myself first, before the career.
I always have to remind myself of that. I tell myself, “It’s just a job” and my mental health is more important. I try to stay positive and I give it my all when I’m in it, but I’ve learned to take a step back and create boundaries.
I have also always been intimidated to make sure my “next move” aligned with my goals in life. Something I’ve learned over the years is to just go for it – say yes (with reason) – and you never know what you’ll gain! If I never said yes to my volunteership outside of my day-to-day work with #LatinaGeeks, I never would have gained all of the knowledge and tools I have today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Gabby: During the day, I am an Associate Digital Marketing Manager at Nordstrom. I specialize in CRM strategy – Email Marketing and App Push – email content personalization, test & learn strategy and
Professionally speaking, I am most proud of not saying no to myself. I live in San Diego but I applied to the Nordstrom position even though it did not explicitly state it was a remote position and the office locations were in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Chicago but I had no intention of relocating. The hiring manager liked me so much, that it didn’t matter that I lived in San Diego. But had I skipped over the job posting due to location, I wouldn’t be in the position I have today.
Juggling a soon-to-be kindergartner, it’s not always easy finding the time to volunteer but I am proud of serving on the leadership team at #LatinaGeeks as Chapter President, where I hope to inspire and be inspired. I’ve been serving since November 2019 and still going.
Suzy:
For my day job, I am a Marketing Consultant at LPL Financial. I specialize in partnering with financial professionals to help develop their marketing strategies.
Outside of work, I am the Vice President of the San Diego Chapter for #LatinaGeeks. I help plan and execute virtual workshops to propel women in tech. We’re currently planning our 10-year Anniversary Celebration and Inspirada Awards Gala on Saturday, Aug 20, 2022.
I am most proud of my tenacity and go-getter attitude. I am persistent and motivated in all facets of my life.
I believe what sets me apart from others is that I don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s easy to get lost in the weeds and not see the full picture but I’m a “does this matter in 5 years” type of person. I’ve learned a lot from listening to speakers like Jay Shetty who teaches mindfulness, respect, and balance. To achieve that, you have to learn to take a step back and truly understand what’s worth the fight.
What are your plans for the future?
#LatinaGeeks is constantly growing and as we’re in this “new normal” of a world where we used to only do events in person to now solely virtual workshops – we’re reimagining that and starting to plan what the future of #LatinaGeeks might look like in this new hybrid setting.
On Saturday, Aug 20, 2022, #LatinaGeeks- a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, will host our inaugural fundraising event at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach, California.
Our Inspirada Awards Gala will bring together 250+ leaders, advocates, and community members from a wide array of industries to raise funds and awareness for #LatinGeeks’ vital services. Your support will help fund continued development and expansion of programs and resources to educate and empower our Latina community. Support of this program is critical to collectively drive change by building on a vision for a more equitable and inclusive future for Latinas in technology careers.
This year, we are honoring five Latina industry leaders who have pioneered innovation, fostered the spirit of entrepreneurship— and are using technology to create transformative impact in our community, our companies, and our world. Our gala will also feature a cocktail reception with opportunity to meet our award recipients, music, buffet-style dinner, a panel discussion, and silent auction.
Gabby: This summer I will be travelling to Europe for the first time with the family. I’m visiting my parents who moved to Spain last year.
Suzy:
On a personal note, I’ll be getting married in the summer of 2022 and I cannot wait to start this new chapter.
Pricing:
- Free – Be a member of #LatinaGeeks
- $100+ – Inspirada Awards & Gala
- Free – Virtual events
Contact Info:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesuzyreyes
Image Credits
@dorianelder.jpg
