Francisca Garcés is a multi-passionate entrepreneur and visibility strategist from Ecuador who is an expert in both linguistics and Instagram marketing. She focuses on helping creative entrepreneurs gain confidence and monetize their Instagram presence even with a small following. Her mission is to help small creators overcome overwhelm and save time so that they can focus on activities they love as creatives through consulting and accountability support. In this interview, Francisca Garcés shares her inspiring journey, success secrets and key actions that you can learn from.
Izdihar: How did you start your Entrepreneurship journey?
Francisca: Since I can remember, I always dreamed big and wanted to have my own brand and be my own boss, control my time, be an artist, leader, speaker, I just had not found my purpose and I was too comfortable and afraid to be seen as a creative and multi-passionate being. When the pandemic hit, I slowly reconnected with my forgotten musical talents and, on the way, I fell in love with content creation. I decided to join like-minded communities of entrepreneurs who opened my mind to new horizons and connections I never would have dreamed of.
Izdihar: Who inspired you to start your business?
Francisca: Mentors, such as Sunny Lenarduzzi, Marie Forleo and Desislava Dobreva, who built businesses despite hardship and told their unique story and expertise to inspire others and create impact have inspired me to tell my own story and build my own brand to help creatives become more visible. My parents’ hard work also drove me to create something meaningful. Most of all though, what moved me was the desire to inspire go-getters in third-world countries to dream big, because quite often their time and expertise are not compensated properly.
Izdihar: What type of services or products do you offer?
Francisca: I provide consulting and strategy 1 to 1 sessions for creative entrepreneurs and coaches who feel overwhelmed and do not know how to leverage content and features on IG to attract their ideal clients. I am currently developing a group program based on a framework I created, and plan to build my own high ticket course in the near future.
Izdihar: What is the best part of being an Entrepreneur?
Francisca: The best part of being an entrepreneur is being able to control your own time. Furthermore, as contradictory as this sounds, the hardship aspect of it all is what is most rewarding because that is what transforms you and makes you grow. Being an entrepreneur means overcoming self-doubt, uncertainty and removing self-limiting beliefs to accept that you are a leader. For me it was a stepping stone to know myself, know my purpose and step away from the comfort zone.
Izdihar: What is the most challenging part about being an Entrepreneur?
Francisca: Navigating uncertainty and limiting beliefs, as well as imposter syndrome. At the end of the day, you are your own boss and you have to get out of your own way and overcome those mindset blocks, which can be challenging.
Izdihar: What are your biggest lessons about being an Entrepreneur?
Francisca: My biggest lessons as an entrepreneur are that everything is possible if you condition yourself for growth and success (whatever that may mean for you) and that the only person standing in your way is YOU and your comfort zone. As a woman who has suffered from depression and anxiety, I know a thing or two about wanting to stay hidden and stuck. But you can always choose not to.
Izdihar: How are you different from other Entrepreneurs in the same industry?
Francisca: I prioritize mental health and well-being. Self-motivation and mindset for me are the base. I don’t preach concepts like virality, instead I preach creativity and attracting your ideal clients through your story, high-quality content and what makes you unique. At the core of my business are confidence and well-being, so I see social media as a tool for personal and business growth and not vanity metrics.
Izdihar: What are your top 3 advice to other Entrepreneurs/your niche?
Francisca: My top 3 advice are:
Whenever you feel like you want to quit, remember why you started in the first place, so always connect your business back to your purpose and story.
Always strive to learn new things every day. Information is endless, through books, courses, coaching…never consider yourself as having all the answers because you will stop growing.
Ask for help when you need it, whether it is business, health related..don’t be afraid to voice your concerns. Communities are available to help you.
Izdihar: What’s your secret to balancing your family, business and ME time?
Francisca: I believe in taking days off where you literally stay in bed all day if you need to. Those days are the ones that are going to reinvigorate you the most. This may sound cliché, but you truly have to work smarter and not harder. Burning yourself out does not entail for a sustainable business.
Izdihar: What’s 1 key action that anybody can take today to move closer to their goals?
Francisca: Decide that you can do whatever you want. It is all about working on the internal side so that you can conquer the external side. Decide that you can do something, write it down, talk about it, visualize it. That way you will condition your brain into taking the actions that are necessary to reach your goals.
