My dad ran his own business for 35 years and did everything himself through word-of-mouth partnerships, friendly and quality work, and in-person interactions. He was very successful and didn't do a single piece of marketing. If we don't count business cards, there is no website either. 

 

Growing up, I always wondered how this man built relationships with customers and partner businesses without the social media and marketing tools we have today. 

 

In 2018, I had the chance to help a friend with a videography commercial shoot at Estela's Fresh Mex, a local restaurant in downtown Iowa City. Two college friends, Jerry and Tyler, came up with the idea to open a fresh-Mex spot in a prime location on the University of Iowa campus. The menu was inspired by Jerry’s mom, Esla, and her cooking. 

 

The day I met everyone at Estela’s Fresh Mex, I knew I had found a passionate group of people, not only for a steak burrito but for the history and character of the product and for working hard at something that makes them and those around them happy. 

 

The day I approached Tyler and Jerry, I asked, "Can I help out with your social media? Is anyone managing your accounts now?" They looked at each other as if they were already handling that, managing staff, catering, fulfillment, and expenses. ​​

That wasn't something I liked to hear, but to help Estela’s Fresh Mex grow and be the best it could be, I offered my services free of charge in exchange for an unlimited gift card to use for photo and video shoots, along with marketing campaign ideas to collaborate on community events like football watch parties and burrito discounts after class. 

 

​Once I took over the social accounts, I began analyzing sales alongside our marketing campaigns. I could tell Estela’s Fresh Mex that this was working by seeing sales increase on Friday, thanks to the high number of students. 

 

If we sent out a reminder on Friday morning when they were all in class, sales would increase that day compared to the Friday before without a reminder. We then launched apparel and partnered with Hy-Vee to offer to-go options. Then COVID hit, and we had to rely on marketing and our social accounts to keep the business afloat, or people would have forgotten about us. We made updates allowing customers to place orders and pick them up the next day, even if we couldn't open, by inviting them to come in on Friday when we would be open. 

 

These are just a few examples from my time working with a local business that was very hard for me to let go of, but now I want to apply what I have learned since then in the corporate marketing world. I aim to implement a practical approach that every business should be able to adopt, allowing them to decide what they want to do with their product's history. 

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