Today we’d like to introduce you to Dalia Van Lom
Hi Dalia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I come from a huge family. My mom has 10 siblings, and I have 25 first cousins! We all grew up in a small town in Peru before moving to the capital city for better opportunities. In my family, everyone is loud, opinionated, and always ready to socialize. This meant I had plenty of practice talking and being around people.
And then there was my mom—quiet, traditional, and definitely not the center of attention. Growing up, I watched her avoid the spotlight, and somewhere along the way, I decided I wanted to be the opposite. I wanted to be the voice for my family, to speak up, and to stand out.
Instead of worrying about what others would think, I embraced the idea of “why not?” and I started putting myself in situations that scared me because I knew that’s where growth happened. I sought out opportunities to speak, to be seen, and to be heard. And guess what? That’s how I moved to the states, tried various ventures and eventually found Social Media Marketing.
Right when Instagram Reels came around, my best friend who is a Brand Photographer & Coach asked me if I wanted to help her with getting video at one of her Mini Session Photoshoots and I said YES! Turns out my 14 years of experience in the restaurant industry, my schooling in marketing and media, and my unshakable confidence made me amazing at guiding people on what to do in front of camera to promote their business. I found a demand for this service and started getting clients from word of mouth so I decided to build a business around it.
Then for 3 years I got deep into learning the strategies necessary to grow on social media platforms and made plenty of mistakes on my way which helped me figure out the most sustainable system for business owners to have an online presence with consistent content, which is the same system that I now follow and teach clients.
Now I help entrepreneurs create highly engaging video content that not only establishes them as the expert in their industry but also attracts aligned clients: Those who share their interests and are excited to work with them, all while saving time, using efficient tools and having fun!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Entrepreneurship is never a smooth road and a huge part of making it as a business owner is working on your mindset because imposter syndrome shows up often and you have to know how to handle it. Nowadays whenever imposter syndrome comes up I get excited because it means I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone and that’s ok! It is how I grow the most! So feeling imposter syndrome has become a sign I’m on the right path and I need to continue.
Ever since I was little I was into selling. I got joy from offering something I created myself and it made me feel fulfilled. My first venture was making grilled cheese sandwiches at my school when I was in third grade. My mom had bought a sandwich maker so I showed up to school with my perfect grilled cheese sandwich and all my friends wanted to try it. It was then when I realized there was demand and convinced my mom (and my teacher somehow) to let me make sandwiches for my friends during recess. I remember I charged a few cents for this but I could not tell you the specifics or technicalities.
After this I went on to make and sell chocolate truffles when I was in High School. I put my younger sister (4 years younger) to make the product and I will help wrap them up and sell them.
And guess what? It definitely did not stop there. Here are a few of my other ventures: I’ve made and sold jewelry, designed a clothing line, bartended at weddings/events, babysat kids, led arts and crafts workshops at breweries, made chalk art designs for businesses, cleaned houses, performed at kids parties, took people on brewery tours, helped set up/break down events, made and sold Peruvian vegan tamales, culled and edited photos, worked as a virtual and in-person assistant, and many more!
With every venture I would hit obstacles and over come them as I went. This helped me become resilient and perseverant plus it taught me that it is ok to pivot when things don’t align anymore.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Social Media Marketer who focuses on video content. I help business owners create highly engaging content that helps them establish their expertise and get found online by ideal clients.
I’m known for utilizing video content to create a vibe that potential clients can’t resist to connect with! My teachings combine content strategy with personal branding and sustainable systems for content creation to convert followers into strong leads.
My handle is @daliaforreels because I focus on video content but also because I teach you how to be “for reals” with your audience because that is your main differentiator from others in your industry: No one is YOU.
I customize my services depending on the business owner and their goals so we can get the best results. And this is why I love starting with a FREE connection video call so I can learn more about your business and brand to know how to best help you with my services.
For reference here are a few things I can help you with:
Social media strategy & branding
Planning your monthly content
Creating a custom system to make content creation consistent and sustainable
Creating and editing reels for you
Posting and Scheduling
Book a FREE connection call today and let’s talk! Here is the link: https://calendly.com/daliaforreels/connect-w-dalia
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As I mentioned I come from a large family in Peru. When we moved to the capital (Lima) my family kept the sense of community very strong with “lonches”
In Peru we have this thing called “lonche” which is a meal between lunch and dinner where you serve bread, pastries, fresh cheese and a warm beverage.
I grew up 10 minutes away walking distance from the family building, which is like a mini-community with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all living just floors apart. And I would go there for lonche every other day. With all the socializing, I was unintentionally gaining amazing community building skills I use every day now for my business.
My family helped me break out of my shell and I never went back in! I became a spreader of joy, always connecting with new people and growing strong relationships.
My mom has always worked hard to give me a better future so when I was 18 years old I somehow convinced her that sending me to the states as part of a Work & Travel program was a huge growing opportunity and she funded my trip. That was the trip that changed my entire life as I knew it!
I was finally in the land where dreams came true and I soaked it all in. Little did I know I was going to fall in love and move here a year later.
My journey living in this country has been filled with amazing adventures and valuable lessons that have made me into who I am today personally and professionally, so after being on this planet for 37 years I still consider my mom funding that trip the best gift I have ever gotten.
And today, I keep putting myself in environments that focus on connecting: I create content, collaborate with colleagues, go to networking meetups, travel, etc. because I am fully convinced that connection, along with spreading joy and encouragement, are my purpose in life.
My mission is to inspire you to create content that connects on a deeper level to promote your business on social media platforms as the unique person you are and attract leads. So if you are ready to have fun with your content while implementing sustainable systems & strategies I would love to help you!
Book a FREE connection call today and let’s talk! Here is the link: https://calendly.com/daliaforreels/connect-w-dalia
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daliaforreels/
Follow me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daliaforreels
Follow me on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@daliaforreels
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/daliaforreels
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daliaforreels/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daliaforreels
Image Credits
The first photo in the blue top was taken by Meg McMillan from Meg Marie Photography, same the last two (beige turtle neck top and red tops with white coat)
The cover photo with the red top and the white coat was also taken by her.
