We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Sepulveda and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Cameron, what role has risk played in your life or career?
If you asked me about risk prior to March of 2020, I would have said I was quite risk averse. I liked the idea of being an entrepreneur, but because of fear I still very much bought into the idea that I needed the job security of a corporate-type business structure where I could depend on the benefits, the perks, and the paycheck.
Then on March 17, 2020 – the day before my 30th birthday – myself and around 900 other employees from the company I was working at were laid off due to COVID.
Within a two-week period I found myself without a job, without a paycheck, without health benefits, and without the job security I thought I had, all while heading into a pandemic.
It was at this pivotal life moment that I had two options:
Be a victim of my circumstances.
Or
Dive head first into the uncertainty and risk that comes with starting your own business.
I chose the latter and after almost 2 years of entrepreneurship (and a full client roster) it’s been the most rewarding, risk-taking experience I’ve had in my life so far.
Looking back at the initial fear and doubt I had then compared to the excitement and confidence I have now, I’ve realized a few things about risk:
1. Most jobs are short-term safe, long-term risky. Most entrepreneurial ventures are short-term riskier, long-term safer.
2. As long as I was working for someone else, their dreams/goals/success would always come first – even at the expense of my basic needs and security.
3. On the other side of risk was freedom, limitless revenue potential, and immense personal growth. The perceived safety of my prior position, ended up being the riskier option in the end.
What should our readers know about your business?
My business is dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs with their social media strategy and management. Social media is definitely an oversaturated field, but a necessary part of having a business these days. I’ve spent the last 10 years taking classes, courses, and researching anything and everything I could on graphic design, copywriting, and social media strategy. The thing that sets me apart from others though, is that I genuinely care about the people and business’s I work with.
I previously worked for a PR agency and as an in-house manager, and unfortunately most small businesses and entrepreneurs don’t have the resources for that level of help – but social media can be a game-changer for them and that’s what I bring to the table.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When I visit Atlanta, it’s all about the food scene for me. We’re definitely staying at the Hotel Clermont, gaining at least 5lbs, and checking out Octopus Bar, Bacchanalia, Staplehouse, The Optimist, Five and Ten, Empire State South and Holman & Finch.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout, hands down, goes to Mary Beth Henderson – owner of Front & Center in Charleston, SC. Less than a month after starting my business, I was connected with Mary Beth, who at the time was looking for social media help. Little did I know that almost two years later, Mary Beth would not only be my first client, but one of my biggest cheerleaders, promotors, mentors and an overall great friend. She has run her own marketing & branding business for 5+ years and honestly she makes it look easy.
I don’t think she knows how much of an inspiration she has been to me and my entrepreneurial journey. She has truly been one of the the greatest examples of how to be a badass fempreneur.
Website: www.thesociallanguage.com
Instagram: @cameron.sepulveda
Image Credits
Headshot pic: Clay Austin Photography Client pictures: Valerie & Ed Photography