Bianca Negrón founded The Coaching Spot based in Virginia and Puerto Rico, which provides Business and Human Resources Consulting and Educational Services to organizations and professionals.
In 2013, The Coaching Spot began supporting professionals in their career goals and helping organizations develop employer-centric career development solutions. Our consulting, coaching, and training have supported clients in the USA, Puerto Rico, and Latin America.
For more information on The Coaching Spot LLC. visit https://thecoachingspot.com/
Here we sit down with Bianca, to know a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started? What inspired you?
Bianca: I became an entrepreneur out of necessity. Unfortunately, my education and work experience were different; they had nothing in common (Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and expertise in the educational field). This led me to have many challenges in getting a job, so one day, tired of searching for a job, I thought… How can I put my education and work experience to use? This is how I created my first company, Teachers X-press, a recruitment agency for educational personnel.
As a result, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the many aspects of Human Resources, including recruiting, supervising, payroll, and compensation. In addition, this experience helped me evolve in my career as a consultant and entrepreneur. Finally, I will say that this experience was vital in unlocking the power of my brand!
Q. What’s one thing in your routine that you do consistently that has made a huge difference in your personal or business life?
Bianca: Connect with new people, build my network, follow up with my contacts, learn as much as possible, believe in myself, and support others in accomplishing their goals.
Another critical aspect has been increasing self-knowledge; the more I understand myself, the more aware I am of my decisions, emotions, and well-being, which helps me improve my brand.
Q. Who are your mentors and inspiration? And what knowledge or insight did they give to you that was valuable?
Bianca: I have had many mentors in my path, women and men, most of them older than me. Each has contributed differently, but there is a common denominator in what they have taught me: to help others grow, especially if they have the desire and passion.
Not judging, listening, and allowing ourselves to grow are essential skills in this industry. I have also learned that everything has its moment, it is good to be ambitious, but it is necessary to enjoy our growth. You have to celebrate every step you take, big or small!
Q. What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Bianca: Wow! Too many, but I will say that I will always remember the day I went to study in Mexico.
In 2016 I went to study for a psychological test in Mexico called MindSonar. In this certification, there were people from different parts of Latin America. However, I was the only one from Puerto Rico to participate. It was almost four days full of learning, networking, and business opportunities.
I never thought this investment in my career would lead me to become a Strategic Ally for this company. This is how the expansion of my brand and my company began. This experience led me to meet one of my mentors, expand my services to Latin America and expand my network in Latin America and Europe.
The second moment was when I launched my book in Spanish…I hope to publish it in English in the future!
Q. How do you market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?
Bianca: My marketing uses social media ( Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn). Each platform has a different strategy since the target audience is diverse. So far, my most successful tactic has been developing and maintaining a great personal brand.
A consistent brand (online and offline) creates credibility, and this helps me develop a reputation that allows me to have constant and international referrals. Expanding my network helps me increase visibility and credibility. I don’t like to depend only on social media; I have found a good balance between marketing my business online and offline.
Q. What have been your biggest failures or challenges?
Bianca: In the beginning, my biggest challenge was deciding on my niche market. I wanted to do so many things, and I did. Unfortunately, this affected my brand because people couldn’t see me as the go-to person for a specific topic.
Having too many options or wanting to do or sell too many things resulted in financial and time management issues. I lost money and time, and in the end, I had to rebrand my name and business.
Q. How did this failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
Bianca: With this failure, I learn too many things which have helped me support other entrepreneurs and freelancers in choosing their niche.
But it also helped me focus on the importance and value of specialization. I became more aware of the topics I was passionate about and invested in certifications and training. This helped me specialize in the niche of personal and employer branding. The success of this is when people already know who you are and what you do because you are knowledgeable or an expert in a specific topic or field. And the added value is that your worth in the market goes up!
Q. If someone was to create a TV show about you, what would it be about and what would it be called?
Bianca: Great question! Well, I am a military spouse, and something that I have been challenged with for more than 18 years is CHANGE! Our life is full of instability, constant decision-making, change, and more. But, in every change, I have always found great friends, outstanding career opportunities, growth, knowledge, and many blessings in every shift.
A good name will be: Creating Stability in an Unstable world!
In this show, I will share how I have learned to embrace change in every aspect, from my career, as a spouse, a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, and a business owner.
Why Chinese firms still flock to American stock exchanges(Opens in a new browser tab)
To keep up to date with Bianca and her journey, connect with her on LinkedIn, and Instagram.