Speaker 1: 0:30

My name is Gloria Fonseca. Some people call me Gloria Bruni because that's my ex-husband's name and I kind of use it still because it's easier. So whenever I came to live here people were like Fonseca, fonseca, fonseca. It was so funny. I'm like let's just stick to mics, I'm gonna keep that, but I'm trying to transition to Gloria, just keeping Gloria Fonseca. So my company's called McLean Living. It's a magazine. I'm starting Great Falls Living too, so it's a luxury lifestyle magazines for two different communities. I have like 50 or 60 active clients right now and what I do for them is I promote them through my magazine so I give them branding and exposure to all the people that read my magazine.

Speaker 2: 1:16

Nice, so it's basically marketing. I love that. How did you come to start this Like how did that?

Speaker 1: 1:23

happen. So it's a very funny story. I'm from Honduras. I was actually born in Kansas City, but my parents were there. My dad is in the military, was in the military and he was stationed in Leavenworth not the jail. I'll repeat that he was just getting a course there in the military and my mom happened to be pregnant at the time, so I happened to be born in the United States, so I'm a US citizen because of that. But we went back to live to Honduras. It was just, I think, more financially stable for us there and we lived there forever until COVID hit.

Speaker 1: 2:01

I worked in my family's company. That was like my dream, right, working in my family's company. And what company was that? So that was a manufacturing company for promotional products, uniforms, so it was a big company. I ended up helping, you know, doing a lot of management. That was like when somebody asked me when I was 10 years old, like what do you want to do when you grow up? And I said, oh, I think I want to be the boss of here. That was my answer. So then I worked and worked there forever, like since I can remember, I think when I was 10, I was folding t-shirts and like 2020, 2020 and COVID. I decided to not stick with the family business. It was a little bit, you know, stressful working with family and also you know you don't want to have that tension and not being then you have to see them again. So so I was like I think I want to do my own thing, so I transitioned to move here and my dad my dad was living here already and also my ex-husband, which is very funny.

Speaker 2: 3:05

I mean here as in North, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 3:07

North Virginia correct. So I came here without anything to do. I said, okay, I think I think I'm going to retire. Not really, life here is very expensive. And so I started like looking for things to do.

Speaker 1: 3:24

Well, when I the plan to retire, I started like playing a lot of tennis and I was like, okay, let's play. But I didn't have any friends. I didn't know anyone, so nobody wanted to play tennis with me. So I was so nobody wanted to play tennis with me. So I was like going to play tennis and no one. So it was.

Speaker 1: 3:38

It got very boring and my daughter was like mom, why are you on top of me all the time? Like because she was used to me working all the time. And now, uh, I was just like, hey, to find stuff to do. And I applied for jobs. I went to franchise fairs. I decided to start a business and I was like so, in all that transitioning, I came across, went to a franchise fair and saw that another company was selling a franchise to open a magazine like a social community, you know, targeted to affluent people magazine. And I was like, oh, that's something that I can do because I'm a very social person. So that's what I did in Honduras. I was, you know, my company. I had a lot of clients because I was super social. And then I found out about this company where I didn't have to pay anything and it was the same. So my partner company. So it's like a franchise-like model. It's not necessarily a franchise.

Speaker 1: 4:50

So you start your magazine from scratch. So I started it. But I didn't believe it at first. I was like a magazine. I'm not sure if I want to do this, but anyways I started. I went through the training, amazing training these people have. So it's called Best Version Media. That's the mother company of my magazine. I partner with them and you start your own magazine from scratch. All you have to do is work. So, since I didn't know anyone, I started Just knocking on doors. Just literally I went back from being almost CEO in my company up to knocking on doors and doing cold calling again and I'm like I don't think I want to do this at 38. So I'm like, okay, but let's try. And I started and started and started and a lot of people were so nice to me and I got it running in six weeks and I was like, wow, this was easy but it's not.

Speaker 2: 5:51

It's not easy it's.

Speaker 1: 5:51

so advertising is is is something that people have lowered a little bit their budgets. But the smaller community magazines are getting a little bit more popular than those big magazines which are beautiful I wish one of them were mine but people are allocating more into, like, smaller community I've noticed that for more for local businesses, because some local businesses can't afford to buy into you know, beautiful Washingtonian or something like that, because you know they're smaller, and so community magazines have been. You know something that they go to oh, I can be in a magazine, right. So I started it and now it's. You know it's gotten big. It started with 16 pages. Now it's almost 50 pages. Nice yeah.

Speaker 1: 6:37

And I started with, like I don't know, 15 clients. Now I have a big. You know some they do campaigns for a little bit, then they start another one. You know some they do campaigns for a little bit, then they start another one. You know, so I have active clients and ongoing. They stop and then they start again. Now some of them are going into both magazines. So that's how I started.

Speaker 2: 6:57

It makes it sound so easy, but really the struggle for the journey, all that. It wasn't, but yeah, do you currently have like employees that help you with the magazine?

Speaker 1: 7:05

Yes.

Speaker 2: 7:05

How many so?

Speaker 1: 7:06

I have, so they're mostly like freelance employees. Only my assistant and I have two assistants, so the two of them they're like full on board with me. Then that I have a proofreader, photographer, designer, an account manager. Yeah, it takes a community to build. That that's right and mostly you know Best, virgin Media backs me up with all the things. You know that I don't have to worry about anything. They take care of everything. Yeah, I recently like talked to another magazine owner with another company. He was like, oh my God, you guys do like you really have a very good backup with the best version of media. They are really good and we're always looking to expand, right, so I, I am the market leader for Fairfax County, okay, and um, I am looking also for people who want to start magazines, just like me. I'm only having McLean and Great Falls and that's it.

Speaker 2: 8:09

I don't want more than two. It's a lot of work.

Speaker 1: 8:14

And we started Chantilly, which is right here, and then Vienna, and then I have a gentleman starting Arlington, north Arlington.

Speaker 2: 8:23

Wow, you guys are like.

Speaker 1: 8:25

Yeah. So we want, you know, we want Reston, we want Fairfax. So you know, if you know anyone that wants to start their own business and, you know, manage their own time and have a little fun doing it, hit them my way.

Speaker 2: 8:39

Yeah, absolutely. And now do you have like a headquarters, like an office, or how are you?

Speaker 1: 8:44

I have, I have, my magazine has an office in Tysons. Okay, yes, it's right there in the Wells Fargo building in Pinnacle Drive. Oh, yeah, I know where it is. Yeah, uh-huh and yeah. And then the Best Version Media we have in Wisconsin, oh, wow, yes, okay cool.

Speaker 2: 8:59

Yes, love that, yeah. And now, what kind of topics do you guys talk about in the magazines? I know it's like advertising and getting it out, but what else is in it?

Speaker 1: 9:06

So the content is basically so we put a family on the cover. Not every month is a family right, for example, this May we decided well, last May too, but on May we decided to engage the community since, like February, and we start asking them to nominate their favorite mom. So people come in and write stories and say, hey, my neighbor, you know, she does this, she has, you know, a child that has I don't know cerebral palsy, I don't know how you call it, and she has other five kids and she's a CEO of this. And I'm like, oh my God. So people write these stories.

Speaker 1: 9:46

Then I had this other two kids. They wrote a story about their mom and how their mom is the best mom in the world. And I was like, oh my God. So out of like, let's say, I had this year like 120 nominations, wow, yeah. Then my assistants, they start, you know, weaning them out. And until you know weaning them out, and until you know we grab like the nice, everybody's a great mom, yes, yeah, but we grab, just like the more appealing stories, right. And then she grabs them and out of those 20, I start, you know, weaning them out to see which one, because we can't have 20 on the cover, yeah.

Speaker 2: 10:22

I know or 100. I would wish yes.

Speaker 1: 10:24

But yeah, 20 on the cover, or a hundred, I would wish. Yes, uh, but yeah, so uh, this uh. Last this May we we had seven moms.

Speaker 1: 10:33

I couldn't decide. Last year it was just five. I decided on five and I stopped it, but I like there was this one and then there was this one. I'm like, no, these women are amazing, they have to, you know. And then inside we have pictures of events. Let's say there's like, um, you know, uh, a baby shower or a wedding in McLean, something that goes around in the community, or like a charity gala or you know something, all different events. And then we put the people on the pictures and then they see themselves in the magazine. So it gets people engaged to reading it or seeing it at least. Yeah, we also have educational articles. So, um, my clients, they do education, like in their industry. Like, let's say, dr Sarah Lemme, she's one of my clients, she is a, um, uh, acupuncturist. Okay, yeah, so she, you know, she gives advice. It's more educating, like the benefits yes, what is it?

Speaker 1: 11:27

yeah, and you know how she can. You know, help with allergies and pain and sleep and insomnia, all that, so she can help with all that. Just, you know, with acupuncture, and so she helped my dad with a pain in his shoulder, uh, so yeah, and then she educates people, and not only her. I have a list of you know 30 clients that do that. They educate my readers through that. Also, we have sports stories on kids in the neighborhood. You know, so awesome, yeah.

Speaker 1: 11:59

So let's say, there was this girl I don't remember her name right now, but she plays tennis. You know, she goes to McLean High School and then she went to US Open. She got up to, like you know, semifinals or something like that, or quarterfinals, I don't remember. Then there are, you know, just, there's this I remember the story of two twins that play football and they're like, they're identical and they're amazing. They're both amazing at playing football. Just, you know stories on McLean High School, then the Langley kids, langley High School, then some private high schools, just anything that is around in the area. No, I love that.

Speaker 2: 12:34

That's highlighting people like here in our town in our state.

Speaker 1: 12:40

That's amazing, because sometimes you hear, like a lot of people, like man, do we got any superstars here? We do, we do.

Speaker 2: 12:50

Yeah, you're highlighting them and giving them a platform.

Speaker 1: 12:52

So I think that's awesome it is. There was this little girl who is 12 and she has her own cupcake company in McLean. What 12? Yeah, 12. She has. I'm just kidding, I don't know. She has over like 20,000 followers and people buy cupcakes from her and I'm like, oh my God, this girl has an ongoing business at 12. I want to see her account.

Speaker 2: 13:03

I want to see like what 12?

Speaker 1: 13:05

I need some business advice from her.

Speaker 2: 13:07

Yes, we all do what do your parents think about all this, because this is pretty amazing.

Speaker 1: 13:12

Like, were they like girl? How did you? I don't know this. And then also, uh, on the July, we do the same thing with the mothers, but with seniors from high school. So kids nominate their friends or you know the same thing, or parents nominate other kids or even their kid to be on the cover. So we have like seniors yeah, seniors that are. So these kids like I've had them for two years this is going to be the third year and they have businesses already set before they go to, they're going to Ivy league schools and they, they have businesses. These kids are just like oh my God, I want to be like you when I grow up.

Speaker 2: 13:51

And gosh, like I'm already grown up. Like how, how did I not that's?

Speaker 1: 13:55

amazing. No, I love that, that's so cool.

Speaker 2: 13:58

Um, can you tell me a little bit about marketing with you? Like, how are you getting those stories that you're putting online on social media? Are you on YouTube?

Speaker 1: 14:06

Yes, so we do. For example, let's say, okay, you're a client and you're a realtor, right, so we have this, we throw this campaign for you. We put you in the magazine, whatever you know space you choose. Then we also do digital marketing too. So we do digital, google, digital marketing too. So, uh, we do digital um, google and facebook and instagram, so we create a campaign for you all in the neighborhood. You can choose to be an other zip codes if you want for the digital, yeah, um, and then we help them. We just, you know, like, splash around an ad for you and also the article writing is very interesting because people, it's more on a you know um, you're giving me advice and after I read you for a couple of times, I'm going to eventually hire you for whatever you do.

Speaker 2: 14:54

Nice Okay.

Speaker 1: 14:55

But it does. It's consistency more than everything. Not necessarily just hey, going to do an ad and that's it for one. No, it takes a little bit of time with everything that you do. You know, even if you go to the gym, you're not going to go to the gym once you know you're not. That you do. You know, even if you go to the gym, you're not going to go to the gym once you know you're not. So, yeah, consistency is the key to anything marketing and we're trying to integrate more products because my clients asked me for a little. We're very price. It's a very good value with the price. So some people are like, oh, don't you do SEO or don't you do this? So we're trying to integrate more things to our products. Yes, to get you know, to get more. Uh, to help more my clients.

Speaker 2: 15:38

Yes, yes, Now, speaking of that like of additions that you want to add, where do you see yourself in five years, Like what are you hoping to have achieved?

Speaker 1: 15:48

Well, um, it's very funny. The other day somebody asked me that, first of all, when my daughter drives, I'm going to get a PhD. And yes, that's one thing I want to study a little bit more. On the PR side, okay, like, yeah, because I help people, you know, like I connect a lot of people. So, you know, through my magazine, I network a lot. You want to be a matchmaker? Yeah, almost, but business matchmaker, yes, yes, yes, so I'm still having my magazines, having them grown. I am recently just acquired a new business, which I won't talk about right now because it's another. So, yeah, well, do you want to just like shout it out? It's an app. So it aligns with what I do now. So it's more.

Speaker 1: 16:37

On a fundraising, it exists for 60 years. So they used to do this entertainment book that had coupons I don't know if you've ever heard of it, I think it's the malls, yeah, and then the kids in school, they would sell it to fundraise. So now it's an app. So I acquired this DMV area. So, um, the, the restaurants they advertise for free, and then entertainment advertised for free too, like bowling and all that, and then the kids fundraise with it. Like you know, the band has to fundraise I don't know three thousand dollars. So the kids, instead of selling pies or cookie dough or whatever, they sell a nap to their parents. You know it's just $25. So they end up, you know, making a little bit more than what they do with other products. So, yeah, that's kind of well. That's exactly it. That's awesome.

Speaker 2: 17:26

Yeah, congratulations on that, thank you.

Speaker 1: 17:28

So I am going to have. So what I want for myself in five years, it's just having different small businesses. So yeah, I'm in the works of another small business, still super on early stages. But yes, that's what I want to try to do just have little, you know, not one big one. That way one doesn't work, and I still have the other one.

Speaker 2: 17:53

Yeah, no, that's smart. I love that you have like that entrepreneur spirit. It sounds like you've always wanted to be like your own boss, have your own company.

Speaker 1: 18:00

So that is awesome, I'm sure your kids are proud of you. Yeah, Well, I have one daughter. She's 12 and she her name is Allegra and she is the cutest. Oh my God, she's so nice. Everybody says I don't know how she's your daughter. Oh, stop it.

Speaker 2: 18:14

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 18:15

Because she's super, super like oh I'm, you know, I'm a little bit of a troublemaker.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Okay.

Speaker 1: 18:22

I love that.

Speaker 2: 18:24

And if you could give anybody an advice, or anybody advice on how to start their own magazine if they're scared to do it. Like, how do you take that leap of faith? Oh my God.

Speaker 1: 18:35

At first you're like what Is this really something that exists? Like, is this true? So if somebody wants to start their own magazine, first come to me and I'll set you up. Perfect, we train you Like everything. It's amazing the training that we give you and it's really, if you grab a habit of working and being a self-starter and every day doing this, I have certain hours a day where I'm like, okay, I'm going to call clients at this hour and then that way I can be consistent. If you're consistent and have habits of doing those things, it's, it's really. In the end, it's easy.

Speaker 1: 19:15

So I think everybody should, you know, take, do that side hustle that you're. The thing is that you think about it and you think about it and you write it down and you're just not doing it and then you don't do it. I have all, oh my God, every daym I'm like I invent something. I love that I invent something. And then my boyfriend's like are you sure that that's going to work? And I'm like I don't know. I'm going to talk to someone. Yeah, it's on my list. And then, like a year later, somebody comes up with it and you're like darn it.

Speaker 2: 19:46

Yeah, they stole that from me.

Speaker 1: 19:48

Yeah, the other day I was talking to a patent lawyer and he's like Gloria, if you have ideas, let's just partner, I'm going to patent it and then nobody else can do it because you already have it, and I'm like that's a good idea, I might do that.

Speaker 2: 20:00

Yes, yes, that's so funny. I love that. No, it sounds like you're always like churning ideas and you're just like. I feel like your brain is just like go, go, go, go, oh.

Speaker 1: 20:08

Sometimes I'm thinking like I have not been officially diagnosed with ADHD, no, I do have. So I'm like sometimes I want to say something, but my head is like going faster. It's crazy, but I don't know. And sometimes I'm like pitching a client like the magazine, and I go from step one to step ten and they're like, okay, wait what? Yeah? So they're like oh, okay, I love your energy but let's go back to this.

Speaker 2: 20:40

Explain this. Yeah, okay, and now? Who are?

Speaker 1: 20:41

you outside of your businesses. What do you like to do? So? I like to spend time with my daughter. I love it. I don't like to travel. I don't like it. Wow.

Speaker 2: 20:48

That is yes, that is the weirdest thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:52

It's super crazy but, believe it or not, I found a person that I'm deeply in love with, my boyfriend. We've been dating for a year and a half, I think, and he doesn't like to travel either, and I love it.

Speaker 2: 21:04

Girl, you've got the man of your dreams now.

Speaker 1: 21:06

Yes, and it's because it stresses me out. Because it stresses me out, I don't know, I just don't like it. Don't get me wrong, I do travel. I'm traveling to Madrid on Monday, next Monday, oh okay, because my daughter wants to go to Taylor Swift, so I'm taking four teenage girls to Taylor.

Speaker 2: 21:19

Swift To the All Eras Tour. Yes, correct, nice, nice.

Speaker 1: 21:22

So I do it just because of her. So who am I? I'm a lot of friends and I like to try different restaurants. I love like tiny little plates that my boyfriend says that we don't get full, but you like them, and then we have to go to McDonald's after. Yes, I know that feeling, I love that and I love champagne. So I like to try different champagnes. Okay, what's your favorite? Yes, so it's Paul Roger, or no, maybe Tattinger is my favorite.

Speaker 2: 21:58

Yeah, I don't even know these. I feel so like uneducated, uncultured over here.

Speaker 1: 22:03

No, I just love them. Champagne's delicious. That's something that I do want to do for traveling going to the region Champagne, france, and just like trying that.

Speaker 2: 22:12

That's something that I would definitely travel, for there's something so luxurious about it, just like having your nice dainty little glass, correct?

Speaker 1: 22:18

Like the bubbly.

Speaker 2: 22:19

Yes, yes, some more, please. You know what I'm saying. Yes, I love that for you.

Speaker 1: 22:24

Then what else do I do? I love to play tennis. Okay, love, and um, you don't play by yourself anymore, though, right, but I, I sometimes I don't get people to play with because I like to play with higher level people and higher level people like to play with higher though everybody, and then they don't want to play with me. But I end up getting that some some sometimes.

Speaker 1: 22:45

Sometimes somebody tells me like okay, gloria, I'll play with you, but I'll tease you yeah but what I've done recently is I hire like like I can't afford really to pay like a coach because they're like $100 an hour, like, and if I want to play every day, like that's ridiculous.

Speaker 2: 23:01

Yes.

Speaker 1: 23:04

So, but there's like kids that are, you know, in varsity tennis in high school, yeah, so you know, they're like oh, you know. I'll play with you, I love that yeah. I just give them, like you know, 25 bucks or 30 bucks, I don't know, oh no, I just didn't know he was like that and they're super happy.

Speaker 2: 23:19

And they're super, super happy with that. That's so cute, you helping the community out too.

Speaker 1: 23:23

Yeah, of course that way.

Speaker 2: 23:27

Now my final question to you is if you could leave our listeners with a message or anything that's in your heart, it could be in regards to anything. What would that message be?

Speaker 1: 23:39

So I would say to not related to business to help anyone that needs help, like there's some people that really, really need a lot of help. Mostly. Well, right now I'm a little obsessed with trying to educate immigrants that you know, not from my country, but Latins that you know. Sometimes they just don't know things and just help someone. So if they need help, just help them. Some people are like, oh, they're going to steal from me, they're going to do this Whatever. You know they need them more than you. It's just you know, just be, be, be kind and smile, smile to everyone.

Speaker 2: 24:22

Yes, you have such a nice smile. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 24:26

Thank you.