Meet Marina Porrata

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marina Porrata a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Marina , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I most definitely get my work ethic from my dad. My father was the most hard-working man I ever knew. Growing up, he would work 6-7 days a week, doing multiple jobs to make sure my brother and I got everything we ever needed or wanted. He often went without, so we could have the nicest clothes or new shoes. Unfortunately, he is no longer here with us. But I hope he’s up there smiling in heaven seeing how far I’ve come today.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Hi everyone! I moved to Arizona in June of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, since my last semester of college was moved online. I had always wanted to move away from New York and fell in love with the Arizona desert after visiting family a few times. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science, I got a job at the Phoenix Police Department as a police dispatcher. Becoming a police dispatcher was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and helped shape the person I am today. I’ve been working there for over three years, but due to getting busy with my business, I’m now working part-time at the police department. A little over a year ago, I started my business, Cactus Blossom Mobile Bar. We provide professional bartending services for any type of event, from weddings to grand openings for businesses. Not only do we offer bartending services, but we also provide mocktails, fresh lemonades, coffee, and soda bars. We make everything from scratch with real fruits, no artificial syrups or dyes. Over the past year, my business has grown significantly. We now have a total of four trailer bars and have even hired staff to help us continue to grow. I am forever grateful for all of our customers who have been there supporting us since day one.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One quality that I have is that I am very stubborn. If you know me, you know I get what I want no matter what. Now, some may think that’s a bad quality to have. But to me, it’s an important quality. When I started my business, I knew I wanted to be successful. I knew I didn’t want to fail. I knew I wanted to achieve something other than the usual 9-5. Many times, I wanted to give up. But I am stubborn and wanted to achieve my goals, so I didn’t give up. That is also advice I would give to others, is not to give up no matter how hard it may be. Another skill/area of knowledge I think was most impactful is understanding social media, and knowing how to market yourself. It’s important to know who your target audience is and how to target that audience. I am currently working towards my master’s in Digital Marketing, and this has helped me grow my business from nothing to something. Simply by understanding who I want to target. Lastly, what I think is the most important thing is to truly loving what you do. I love my business more than anything. I don’t see my business as a chore or another day of work. I don’t see my clients as just another client. I see my clients as friends, which many of them have become. I simply enjoy waking up every day and doing this business. My advice to anyone early in their journey is to do what you love and don’t give up.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Definitely, my husband has been the most helpful. He has been my number-one cheerleader since day one. When I can’t do something, chances are he can do it. So we work together as the most amazing team. Without him, this business wouldn’t have made it very far. He has also helped me overcome many challenges by cheering me on every step of the way when I think I cannot do or achieve something.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Rachel Shepherd with Loft Six Collective

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