VANESSA CHAVIANO; 2022 Top Lideres Awards: SW Florida

What is your Hispanic Heritage:
Cuban American

What area of Florida do you live in:
Cape Coral, FL

What is your profession:
Marketing & Business Operations, Nonprofit Business Leader

Tell us about what you do for a living and how you got into it
For the past 10+ years, I’ve been in the digital marketing and advertising space. I started my
career in automotive in 2003 and worked in various roles throughout the dealership. In 2011 an
opportunity came to support dealers with their digital marketing efforts, and I jumped right in.
Supporting dealers was a natural thing for me since I spent most of my professional life in the
space. I jokingly say that I started honing my marketing skills at one of my dealerships in 2005,
where I supported the Internet Department and sent out email blasts with $500 coupons.
In your industry, what would you say separates you from your competition?

The automotive and technology industry is male-dominated. When I started working at my first
marketing agency, I became the first women manager in my department. I was also part of a
very small number of leaders in the company to have a bachelor's and master's degree. The
education wasn’t needed to start in the agency or in a dealership, but I believe it taught me
some key foundational skills. I was prepared and able to successfully navigate my duties and
responsibilities while also proving myself to be open to future growth opportunities and
advancement within the company at a fast pace.

Why do you feel you were nominated?
I would say I was nominated because of my commitment to my community. I’ve volunteered with
numerous organizations and have sat on many boards to help make an impact. I’ve made it a
point to share my skills and knowledge with the Hispanic community by providing resources and
opportunities while also building networks and relationships. I founded Leading Latina, a
non-profit organization in 2019 to advance and promote the personal/professional growth and
leadership of its members and women within the Hispanic community.

During Covid-19, tell us about your biggest challenge/obstacle and how you overcame
it/or are overcoming it
​I would say the biggest challenge personally was finding a balance between family/work. My
kids had to complete the rest of their school year at home during quarantine. This was a big shift
in our daily life and took a bit to manage and get under control. There were a lot of tears on both
sides, but we made it through. Professionally I was already “remote,” so I didn’t have to adjust to
“working from home.” I was already leveraging Zoom and GoToMeeting to connect with clients
because you can do marketing from anywhere. The biggest challenge was working with our
clients on how they would connect with their prospects with their product/service - not knowing
what was to come and what their budget would be because of everything shutting down. We
overcame this obstacle by re-evaluating our marketing mix and shifting our strategy to more
digital tactics to capture the audience that was online or in front of the tv because they couldn’t
do anything else. We created targeted campaigns with a very defined audience to deliver the
most engagement and conversions.

Tell us about your biggest achievement and how you achieved it
Personally, my greatest achievement was becoming a mother. That is honestly, hands down, a
truly unexplainable kind of love. If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about. I stand in
awe of my daughter every day. She is my reason why. Professionally, I don’t think I’ve hit my
“biggest” achievement yet. I’ve had some great accomplishments - BS Bachelors, MS Masters,
MBA, Team Member of the Year, 40 Under 40, etc. I’m very ambitious and truly set out to
accomplish whatever it is I put my mind to. If you tell me I can’t, just watch me. My inner fire and
drive to “do great things and make an impact” are what help me achieve everything I’ve done
and will continue to do.

What is next for you? What can people expect to see from you?
It’s hard to say what is next. We like to think we can control and plan everything, but God has
the final say. I pray that I am walking on the right path and achieving what I was created to
achieve. I’ve told my mom since I was young that I’ve always felt that I was meant to do
something great in this world - I just don’t know what it is. People can expect me to stay
involved and committed to my community. Being a voice and face for young Hispanic women
that you can achieve whatever it is you set out to do - you just have to take the first step.

What does being a U.S. Citizen mean to you?
Opportunity. My grandfather came to this country on one of the last flights from Cuba to New
York. He built a successful jewelry business in New Jersey and owned a multi-family property
and a few others. He accomplished all of this with a third-grade education. This is truly the land
of opportunity, and he was proud to be a U.S. Citizen. It’s because of him that I can stand here
today and take advantage of what this country has to offer.

What words of encouragement can you offer?
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. That is where you will grow the most. Do it
scared. You may learn something new about yourself.

What is YOUR comida Latina favorita?
There are so many picking one is hard - Arroz Imperial, Picadillo, Croqueta de Jamon….all the
food really.