For Claudia Huerta, her ambition and zeal for marketing has led her to make some big international moves. She shares how her days of starting a small got her thinking of the future and what it would take to achieve her goals.
Back home in Peru, I started my own online business when I was 21 years old, selling products with my designs from mugs, notebooks to keychains. With my growing business of eight months, suddenly I realized I had entered the personalized gifts industry and that I had to purchase my first machinery to reduce the costs of acquiring my products by suppliers.
After some time, I expanded and started selling not only to the B2C market but also B2B. Some years passed by until I eventually opened a brick-and-mortar store which took off. The amount of work for only one person was way too much, so I hired employees and we were a dream team!
However, coming to Canada has been my dream ever since I studied a semester abroad here thanks to an ELAP scholarship from the Canadian Government. I fell in love with this country and when I returned home, as the scholarship required, I made a promise to myself to do everything in my hands to come back someday. As I started and developed my own business over the years, I planned and saved all the while with this hope in mind. Suddenly, the opportunity came and I didn't think twice about it even though I was in the middle of my entrepreneurship career. I decided to come looking for a better future, even if that meant starting again from zero.
It has been difficult journey, however, even though I’m still in the process of accomplishing my goals, I can say: “It was worth it”.
Currently, I’m studying a graduate program in Brand Management. I chose this program as I’m interested in the strategic side of marketing and believe this knowledge will elevate my marketing career. I´m extremely passionate about the creative process based on development ideas, insights, and expectations of a specific target audience. The integration of all of these elements is what I apply to any strategy regardless of different markets.
What I find most exciting today is the power of social media and how some brands are taking advantage of this, not only to create awareness but to develop connections with their audience. As marketers, it is important to be on top of trends and to know what is constantly happening with the world. I believe I can be a strong asset when I enter the workforce because of my knowledge of social media and potential strategies to develop connections.
My dream job is to be an International Marketing Strategist at either a B2B or B2C company that commercializes abroad with different countries. I am a passionate traveller and I love to read about other cultures, consumer behaviour, traditions, point of view, etc.
I must say that coming to Canada from Peru has been one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I left my family, my friends, my professional career, my own business, and a life I had built over many years. I have a deep love for my country and everything I had there, but one of my desires is to have a family. I wanted a better future, for me, yes, but also for my kids (whenever I have them).
It motivates me every day to keep going on the fact that I live in a safe country that respects other´s rights and freedom. Life here is not easy but I am thankful because I have the opportunity to be here.
I know my story is not that different from other international students which is why I consider us all as brave, courageous, risk-takers and dreamers.
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