Name: Gabriella Ribeiro
Finalist, Travel
Hometown: Wayne
Business: Trumarketing
New Jersey Family: What is Trumarketing and what makes it unique in the world of travel?
Gabriella Ribeiro: Trumarketing is a creative sales, marketing and PR firm that works exclusively with clients in the tourism industry. In essence, we create awareness and drive business for tourism boards, hotels and tour companies all around the world using a unique formula of tried-and-true communication methods blended with cutting-edge ideas that are always evolving.
We are unique for quite a few reasons. The first is that we are results-driven. We set targets and we achieve them quietly without a great deal of fanfare, putting the emphasis on getting the work done so that our clients thrive and are always in the spotlight.
The second is that we are unafraid to evolve. We keep a pulse on the industry’s trends, emerging niches, and are willing to try new things. We also work hard to listen to the orbit that we are marketing to, understanding their needs and putting those first in line with those of our client so that we discover the sweet spots that work with every project we undertake. We are always learning and applying new methods which keeps us fresh.
NJF: When did you launch Trumarketing and what was your biggest inspiration?
GR: I launched this business in June 2003 so in fact this month is our 20-year anniversary. I can hardly believe it, it feels like no time at all has passed since we are still laughing, rolling with the changes, having fun and growing. My dad was the quintessential entrepreneur – also in tourism – and was unafraid to take risks, to go big and to really believe that there is no “no.” He’s sadly no longer with us but I like to think he’s watching all of this and smiling.
NJF: You’ve taken a passion for travel and made it into your life’s work, a dream for many. What advice do you have for others who want to turn a passion into a successful business?
GR: My best advice is that this is all possible and sometimes, it is best not to overthink things and let them grow organically based on an idea, a passion or a pursuit you love. It is okay not to have the most stringent business plan, it is okay not to be able to predict where the road is going to lead you in 1, 2, 5 or 10 years, and it’s okay to make mistakes and even to fail.
The things that we love in life tend to find us. I never really thought I’d build businesses and a lifestyle out of things I loved to do but when I sat back and found a way to weave several elements together, I was on to one idea and one idea becomes the next and so forth. I think it’s natural to get too hung up on reasons not to do something but nothing can break that bad that it can’t be fixed. You have to take that first step. Write that first word if you say you’ve always wanted to write a book, don’t just talk about it. Bake those cookies that you want to sell, don’t just dream about it. Action – think action first and always take that first step. Beautiful things happen when you’re in motion.
NJF: You’ve traveled the world with your daughter! What has all the travel taught you both and what are some favorite places you’ve visited?
GR: It’s been an incredible ride and still going. I always knew that this was the gift I wanted to give her so I’ve really made it a priority to take her with me as much as possible. Naturally, when she was younger it was easier, but we still make it work. The world is hands down, the best classroom, the best teacher, the best humbler, the best source of inspiration, challenge and strength. For us, it’s taught us that there is nothing we cannot conquer, no train system we cannot navigate, no language we can’t pick up a few words in and really no differences between us and so many others around the world even though our lives might be different.
Travel, for her, and certainly for me, has taught gratitude for what you have, and what I love most is to get to leave a footprint by engaging in volunteer projects that are close to our heart. We truly love South Africa and we actively work with a children’s home there that is an incredibly special place, and we’re total weekend jaunters nearly anywhere in the world – we are huge fans of Europe, especially; anywhere on the continent makes us happy.
NJF: What was your proudest moment as a business owner?
GR: Of course, success with clients and goals exceeded are always the highs, but my proudest moments continue to be when my daughter really grasps what I am working towards or completing with each big endeavor and is able to chat to me about it and now even offer me advice when I share challenges. When she is traveling with me and is proud to see the results of something I’ve worked on somewhere unique in the world, that really is what makes it all worthwhile.
NJF: What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever gotten that you want to share with others?
GR: “Stop focusing on the pixel.” Seriously. What do I mean by that? Stop overthinking. Your website, if you’re launching it, may not be perfect. Stop waiting until it is. Get it live and fix some of the parts later. Is the business nearly ready to go? Launch it or get going with a soft launch instead of delaying and worrying about one small item that maybe isn’t perfect. And, what goes hand-in-hand with that is the idea that we all start at the same place: zero. Zero revenue until it builds. Zero followers until social channels build. Zero email subscribers or sales until those first ones come in. It’s OK – growth is growth no matter how fast or how slow.
NJF: What’s your best piece of advice for families who want to travel all over the world but have a tight budget? Where do you begin?
GR: There are so, so many ways. Working with an excellent travel planner can save you a ton of time and money. So many of us want to do it all ourselves which is understandable but an expert is there to do their job brilliantly, they know about the secret values and options that are worth looking into, and they know the best routes between places, the best ways to accomplish your goals for a journey and the best way to share with you what’s realistic and perhaps what some alternatives might be. Also, home exchange is something so many families are looking into – if you’ve ever seen the movie “The Holiday,” this does actually happen and there are plenty of companies that arrange this for you. You provide your home in exchange for a stay elsewhere around the world. This way, you’re truly living like a local wherever you choose to go and you’ve saved some money in the meantime as well to spend on experiences.
NJF: What’s the biggest challenge of entrepreneurship for you?
GR: For me, it is feeling as though you’re always in the hot seat. You never have a chance to be too comfortable because you’ve always got to be chasing the next thing in case something unforeseen happens. Believe me, that’s not a bad thing at all! Nothing grows from a comfort zone so it’s natural that this continual cycle is part of an entrepreneur’s life and you’ve got to constantly update your Plan B because as we learned from the pandemic, things (crazy things) unfortunately can and will happen.
NJF: What’s it like juggling parenting with running a business?
GR: A circus! A 6-ring circus! Every day is entirely different and I only have one child, plus a very energetic French bulldog. I am a single mom so it becomes extra challenging at times between travel demands and life in general with my daughter’s hectic sports and activity schedule. But, it all gets done. The car is often my office. The laptop is everywhere with me and I know I’ll have to wait. I start my day super early so I can get an hour’s worth of work in before the day really starts and momming kicks in. And, I have learned to ask for and accept help – something that was always a challenge for me. Being a single parent and a business owner has taught me that lesson and has helped me to overcome my need to try to do every single thing myself.
NJF: What’s next for Trumarketing?
GR: We are really loving where we are at the moment. Our goal was to work with more tourism boards and I’m proud to say we now have four destination clients in our portfolio which is challenging, exciting and it is truly an honor to do that kind of work. We are also elevating our event series, planning larger-scale in-person events that fuse networking with education and provide a totally unique platform for clients in the tourism industry to engage and build business. It’s challenging, risky, exciting, tiring and fun all at the same time.
NJF: You also have another business called Mogul Mom. Can you tell us about it and the mompreneur community around it?
GR: I run The Mogul Mom which is a community of dynamic women around the world who are raising families, running businesses and rocking both. These women inspire me because they are unafraid to talk about challenges, they are open to support, to advice, and they also freely share theirs with other members. We provide one-on-one and group mentorship as well and it has been rewarding to see some of these ladies’ career arcs and how they have transitioned from having a single thought about an opportunity to launching a business that is thriving.
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