The Power of Cross-Cultural Inclusion with Paulo Hutson Solórzano
The Power of Cross-Cultural Inclusion with Paulo Hutson Solórzano
In this season 3 episode of Back of the Napkin, Paulo Hutson Solórzano, owner of A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, TN, talks the importance of cross-cultural inclusion, overcoming self-imposed barriers to networking, and the power of tooting your own horn. Read More.
Dusty Weis:
Greetings, innovators, and welcome to Back of the Napkin, where we explore big journeys in the world of small business with the personalities who make it happen. It's brought to you by SurePayroll, where small business is their business. I'm Dusty Weis, a small business owner from the Midwest.
Karen Stoychoff:
I'm Karen Stoychoff from the SurePayroll team.
Dusty, I'm a big fan of origination stories, how people met and fell in love, the path immigrants traveled to come to this country, what inspires someone to open a small business. I find those stories so fascinating. What most inspired you to trade in your cushy corporate gig to open Podcamp Media and embrace the challenging life of an entrepreneur?
Dusty:
Oh my gosh, Karen, I ask myself that every morning. But I guess ever since I was a little kid, I've just always been a storyteller. You can ask my mom, and she'll tell you about the time that I wandered around our neighborhood with a notepad when I was four years old, talking to people about a newsworthy story that happened there. But from being a news reporter to a strategic communicator, my professional life has always been about helping people tell their stories. One day I just realized, there's a demand for that in podcasting that isn't being met by the market. I guess I could start a business. What about you?
Karen:
There was no escaping it for me. I'm a third-generation small business owner, and that entrepreneurial spirit shapes almost everything I do, even how I operate within the confines of the corporate environment.
Dusty:
Well, and Karen, the lineage of our guest, Paulo Hutson Solórzano, from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee, greatly influenced his career path, as well.
Karen:
Paulo's parents run a mission in rural Nicaragua. He believes those early life lessons of being active in your community and finding a way to make a difference impacts how he operates his small business and the projects he takes on.
Dusty:
But before we dive into today's episode, if you appreciate hearing stories from small business owners across the country, please take a moment to share your favorite Back of the Napkin episodes on social media and follow Back of the Napkin wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes drop every couple of weeks, so hit that subscribe button, and you'll never miss a new episode. You can also rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
Dusty:
Paulo Hutson Solórzano from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee, welcome to Back of the Napkin.
Paulo Hutson Solórzano:
Much as gracias. Happy to be here.
Karen:
Since opening your business as a cross-cultural marketing and advertising agency in 2015, you've established an impressive client roster, featuring a variety of government, non-profit and corporate clients. You've quickly established your role celebrating the diversity that enriches communities across the US through innovative programs. But your leadership journey started with much more humble beginnings in the Central American country of Nicaragua, where your mom and dad ran a mission. How did growing up in a family of community servants shape your approach to business?
Paulo:
Great question, Karen, because at that time, I didn't really understand why or what I was experiencing. It's such a privilege now, as an adult and having this business and understanding where folks come from, but one may not ask themself why do I not have electricity for 13 hours a day? Or why is running water so scarce? Or why can't I just go to Walmart and get whatever I want, but I have to go to three or four different markets to get produce? All these different experiences has really showed me how to be grateful for our common goods here in the US.
Dusty:
Paulo, it reminds me of a hashtag that we see pretty frequently on social media these days, and that's the #firstworldproblems. Certainly, I very often come across a moment where I'm about to put together a news release or a podcast or something like that, and I'm reminded to just pause and look at what I have to say and examine it in the context of how everyone that doesn't come from a position of privilege, like I do, might see it. Really, is that what you're driving at with the purpose of A Medida Communications? You describe it as creating inclusivity. What does that mean?
Paulo:
Creating inclusivity is vital for this world to continue going round and round. Although folks in other countries or other communities may not experience the same first world problems, it's still a way of life. In order to effectively communicate with someone, you have to understand that way of life, in order to provide the equitable distribution of education of resources of services that are available in one's community. It's really understanding what different walks of life are and how you can incorporate that in the general market, per se.
Karen:
Who's your typical client, and what type of services do you provide?
Paulo:
A typical client consists of, like you mentioned earlier, either government agencies or non-profit organizations that are really trying to tap into multicultural markets. A lot who come to us are having a good or a service or a resource that is targeted towards these communities.
Paulo:
For instance, locally, we serve a lot of non-profit organizations that are really trying to communicate to these underserved populations that may really need some of the resources. For instance, locally the health department during the pandemic, COVID 19 had a disproportionate effect on vulnerable populations, and a lot of it was language barriers, additionally, cultural barriers, where that comes into the medical system, how to access vaccines or how to access testing and so forth. A lot of our clients consist of non-profit organizations that are looking to tap into the multicultural space as well as different government agencies that may want to broadcast different public service announcements or available resources.
Dusty:
Just to drill down on that a little bit more, I think that this is actually a really fascinating and important topic, and you frame it in the context of COVID 19. But when a client comes to you with a problem for you to solve, what is the typical problem that you're solving, and how do you go about solving it? As a for instance, with the disproportionate impact that COVID has had on cultural communities, how do you help your clients get over that hump?
Paulo:
It's all about awareness. That would be the biggest barrier to overcome is awareness. Every community is different here, locally, in Chattanooga. Unfortunately, there isn't a Spanish publication, a Spanish news network, Spanish radio. So how do you communicate to these folks the importance of, we'll take COVID 19 for an example, of getting tested. And if you do test positive, what is different mitigation strategies of basic hand washing, social distancing. If you're experiencing these symptoms, stay home. These basic things that we've been learning as an English-speaking community, or folks that have access to a news network, radio station, or publication are slowly educating themselves, creating that awareness on platforms that are culturally relevant to the specific community is what really drives that success and that equitable distribution of this information.
Dusty:
Where are the best places to find people that don't have a newspaper or a radio station that they go to for information?
Paulo:
It's all about surveying that community. It's all about working in partnerships with that community. For instance, identifying different community leaders, whether that's in the faith-based space, the school system, different grassroot groups, really onboarding them and learning from them. Where are these people at? How are they getting their information? And applying that message on those platforms.
Paulo:
Social media is huge, but you have to be careful with social media because there's a lot of access and a lot of information that's on there. Before positioning a message on particular platforms, it's all about your branding, and ensuring that your branding is a trusted entity. The way you gain that trust is by really working with the community itself and learning directly from them because what our Latino community looks like here in Chattanooga is completely different than that of Texas or Florida. It's important to first do your surveillance on what your community looks like, where are they, what are they using? It could be as traditional as printing a poster and distributing it on foot. Or it could be putting a group on WhatsApp. What are the platforms that this community is using and placing the message right in front of them, after you're establishing your brand that can be trusted?
Karen:
You spent a good deal of time working for a major corporate restaurant chain. I have familiarity with the restaurant business, so I understand what it means to be a server and then move on to being a trainer. There's a series of lessons that come from that, but not everyone can catch onto those lessons. How did that experience, working in the corporate restaurant, shape your approach to owning a business?
Paulo:
In corporate restaurant industry, something that I've learned is vital to the success of that company is branding and ensuring that, whether I eat at this restaurant in South Carolina, it's going to be the same taste, same experience that it is in California. That simple lesson of consistency and really branding is something that I carry on to this day, not to mention the soft skills that you learn in the service industry. But just from a corporate perspective, the importance of branding and adherence to that branding, whether it's the tagline, whether it's the fonts. Whatever is representing you, ensure that you're being consistent with that across the board.
Karen:
I found growing up in a restaurant that the skills that I use to this day, I learned from working on the floor, from serving. One is time management and the second is multitasking. Did you find that those skills influence how you run your small business?
Paulo:
You live in the weeds, always in the weeds. That's something that time management and fast-paced environment is something personally, for my personality, that I thrive in. Chaos. I typically find myself in chaos, but it's all about navigating through those weeds.
Dusty:
You also, Paulo, worked at insurance provider Unum, where you found one of your career mentors. How important would you say having a mentor was to your development as an entrepreneur and a leader?
Paulo:
It was something that, at the time, I didn't realize that I was receiving this great mentorship. It's an organic thing, where you naturally are starting to really admire and look at this individual that you aspire to be one day. You slowly start using their mannerisms, their style, their way of thinking. Your mind starts to shift very similarly to them. And then just casual lunches and meetings, just really building that connection. Then one day, I said, "This is an individual that really knows their stuff and really someone that has taken the time to help develop me and listen to me and help guide me, even though sometimes I wouldn't want to hear what they're saying, or I had a particular idea." I'm not hardheaded whatsoever. But if I had this idea and mentioned it to my mentor, it was a great way to bounce off and escape making the mistake and listening from their learning lessons in the past and applying that today.
Dusyy:
Do you ever find your mentor's words, even all these years later, coming out of your mouth and just go, "Oh? Oh, gosh, I sounded just like so-and-so"?
Paulo:
That's funny that you mention that because I've done it a couple times already when I say for instance. I had a horrible habit, well, not horrible, but we all have our little quirks. I would say like a lot, like, or um. When having that thought process, I've noticed, she said that word a lot, and I'm starting to say it a lot.
Karen:
Your department at Unum was eliminated during a corporate restructure. You said your time at Unum helped define your business. How did you turn the disappointment of losing a position to a big career win?
Paulo:
It wasn't easy. And it wasn't something that, initially, you're going to take this loss and this disappointment and convert it into success. But it was the work, ultimately, that made me think of, "Well, what are they going to do now?"
Paulo:
When you're missing out on an opportunity to help another community that may not look or speak like you, I think it's a disservice to your brand. It made me think of the particular products that were being offered, and folks that could really use those products aren't necessarily being reached. Taking that simple concept and then apply across a broader band with important topics, such as health or equitable access to resources that are available, different events that are happening that folks could enjoy, things of that sort really sparking that idea.
Dusty:
Fast forward now. You have been in business for six years, and you're now serving as a board member for a number of area companies and organizations. Why do you think it is that it's important for a small business owner to get and stay involved with the communities in which you serve?
Paulo:
You get to learn a little bit more, and you are able to give back. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of privileges that folks, that I really help serve, don't. You get a really in-depth insight on what's happening locally, what's happening nationally, and you get involved. It's a way for me, personally, to not only be involved, but also have the opportunity to give back and really see what's happening in my community.
Karen:
You've been active in raising the Latino vaccination rate in Chattanooga at a time when it was dangerously low, and vaccine hesitancy in that community remains high nationwide. Some may see getting involved in something like this as controversial and bad for business, but not you. Why?
Paulo:
Because we're dealing with people. The whole branding of A Medida is to create that inclusivity and celebrate diversity. But we can't celebrate diversity if a lot of our community members that are contributors to our community are disproportionately being affected. We're talking about lives. We're not talking about an opinion. We're talking about facts of folks' lives, just because of a lack of access to resources and education and information that we all have as English-speaking community. People's lives are being lost. It could be a bad thing for business. If it wasn't for life though, I would beg to differ. It's just a way to show the importance of the work that we do and how it can be done.
Dusty:
Well, I think it's so admirable and really just reflects not only your priorities as a human being, but the priorities of the business that you've built as a result. It's really cool to hear.
Dusty:
We're going to continue this conversation with Paulo Hutson Solórzano from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee in just a moment. But first, let's check in with Holly Wade, Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business, with the SurePayroll Mainstreet Minute.
Karen:
Holly, thanks for joining us again. When it comes to finances, so many things are automated and online these days. It's easy to forget that there are people on the other side of that screen.
Holly Wade:
Yes, the pandemic was a stark reminder of how helpful it can be to have a relationship with your local bank, to have a small business loan officer at your branch know you and your business. Applying for the paycheck protection program and for PPP loan forgiveness, and also having questions answered along the way, were most available to those who had a relationship with somebody at their bank.
Dusty:
Holly, there's something to that. You mentioned the pandemic. I couldn't believe it, but a few months into the pandemic, I actually got a call from my banker, Jake, out of the blue, an honest-to-goodness phone call. He jumped on the line and said, "Hey, just checking in to see how you're doing. How are you handling the pandemic?" It was really a breath of fresh air for me.
Holly:
Also, the benefits of bank relationships go beyond the pandemic too and can be helpful with future conversations about financing options that best suit your business. Whether it's for financing a business expansion or a large capital expenditure, or even just extra working capital, knowing who to talk to at your bank certainly helps you receive the best financing terms and conditions available. While small business financing is becoming more automated, as was mentioned, nothing helps more than knowing who you can call at your local bank, and they're also knowing you and your business. So, don't be a stranger at your bank. See what charitable activities your bank sponsors that you might be able to participate in. And engage in conversation with your lenders when you're doing banking business. It can be a huge help down the road.
Dusty:
Well, as always, Holly, it's great and timely advice. Thank you for that. That's Holly Wade, Executive Director of the National Federation of Independent Business with the SurePayroll Mainstreet Minute.
Karen:
This is SurePayroll's Back of the Napkin podcast, where entrepreneurs share their stories of big journeys in small business. I'm Karen Stoychoff.
Dusty:
And I'm Dusty Weis. And we're talking with Paulo Hutson Solórzano from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Paulo, the Chattanooga Times Free Press recently named you to their 20 Under 40 list. What does that mean right now to you as a small business owner?
Paulo:
That was quite an honor and a surprise. I think it's important for folks to really broadcast the work they do. If you're going to own a business, you have to love it and be proud of it. And it's something that I'm very proud of, the work that not only myself, my team and the response that we're getting. It's really great thing to see, and let's share it with everyone.
Dusty:
Sometimes I think there is a hesitance on the part of small business owners to be seen as tooting your own horn, but it's one of those things that, yeah, sometimes you got to hold your nose and do it because that's how a business grows. That's how you get the word out there. That's how you find more opportunities. Has the good press resulted in more opportunities for your business?
Paulo:
Thank goodness, it's good press, so yes. They say there's no bad publicity, but it's a great thing to see. It makes me proud. If you're not sleeping, eating, drinking your business, then you might want to try something else because this is something that you live and breathe. I can say that I'm proud of my business because it not only represents me, but it also just really helps the community and helps the world go round, like I was mentioning earlier. It's a proud thing for me. I think it's important that you recognize your own greatness because we, as entrepreneurs, have a lot of self-doubt. "Am I doing this right? Is this the right move?" But to see this type of recognition and publicity is an affirmation for me that I'm moving in the right direction.
Karen:
DEI or diversity, equity and inclusion is taking hold in businesses of all sizes across the country. But not all businesses have you yet embrace the practice. What are they missing?
Paulo:
Color and vibrance and culture and the ability to tap into different stories and relationships. It brings vibrance and color to your life. A lot of folks, I don't think they are purposely missing out on it. I think it's, again, if I were to flip the script on my business and help other organizations understand culture a little bit better and its importance, it's something that we should be doing in today's world because, unfortunately, it's taken a lot of tragedy to bring diversity and inclusion to the forefront. But I hope that, as we move forward, in bigger businesses and in small businesses, that you're being intentional with it, that you're really given opportunity to really have your brand, your organization, your company be vibrant with the diverse talent that exists.
Dusty:
Paulo, there you outline what I would call the right reasons for DEI. But, as with a lot of things business, sometimes it also comes down to a business case. It's important to be doing it for the right reasons. But you could also point and say, "There's a business case to not alienating a certain percent of the population in a local area. There's a business case to including DEI as a tenet in your business."
Dusty:
Corporate social responsibility, or when companies are making a choice to operate in ways that embrace society and the environment and do the right thing, that's, of course, a growing trend that we see right now. And thank goodness for that. But why is it that corporate social responsibility is an important consideration for small business owners?
Paulo:
Again, it's a way that you're able to really represent your organization, your brand, and show your intentions and show that you are showing up and stepping up to the plate. If you have the resources to help, why not? There's something really telling and really nice to see companies, whether it's a Fortune 500 company or a small business, really giving back and doing work that you don't have to. But it's our responsibility as humans, as business owners, to really show up. We're examples, we're leaders, not only for our community, but for our networks, really showing your brand as being inclusive, as being responsible, for those that are around you because these are family members, these are employees that have family members that may have someone in their circles that are in help or in need. Just really highlighting your organization as recognizing the importance of being inclusive and the responsibility that you hold as an employer is quite telling.
Karen:
Speaking of networks, you've said that if you are not networking, you're not working. But networking doesn't come naturally for every small business owner. What tips might you offer for the networking shy?
Paulo:
It is a skillset. Networking hasn't always been easy for me. But I didn't say that. A dear friend of mine told me that. I didn't really understand it. "If you're not networking, you're not working." Coming from that corporate background, if I wasn't behind a desk typing away, I wasn't working. But there was something in that phrase that, really, it clicked when I got a call from someone that I met two years ago at a conference. We were just exchanging emails and things of that sort or phone numbers. You make an impression on someone, and they remember you.
Paulo:
For those that are shy, I have a FROD acronym that I use when I'm meeting strangers. I first talk about family, and then recreation, then different opportunities, and then my dreams. If there's something that connects there, then there's something that brings us together. We can just keep in touch and go on that route. But it is a skillset that takes practice, and you are going to get nervous, and you're not going to want to do it. But if you push yourself, I promise, it'll be worth it.
Dusty:
For me, it falls right down in the realm of flossing, as far as things that I enjoy doing, but know that if I don't do them, I'm going to have bigger problems in the long run.
Dusty:
As someone who took your passion and turned it into a business model, what advice would you offer to an aspiring small business owner, who would love to do the same and turn their passion to profit?
Paulo:
There's a fine line between, or maybe not fine line, but it's hard to navigate. How are you going to monetize something that you just naturally love doing? Something that, again, talking about my mentor, my mentor had a great way to monetize things from former experiences. Taking your dreams and your natural likings and things that you're really passionate about and doing it a way that's ethically monetizable is difficult to do. There's a lot of dreams that have to happen. There's a lot of reality that has to happen, and the good mixture of the two helps you be successful.
Paulo:
One thing that I have to continue telling myself, even as an older millennial, is to never stop dreaming. Actually, pull out that paper and that pen and just write something, whether it's a word, whether it's an idea. There's something about putting ink on paper versus typing it on my iPad or computer, but there's something that happens. I have to remind myself to continue dreaming because if there's not vision, or if there's not dreams, then there's no life.
Paulo:
If you can keep those dreams alive, you'll find out a way whether it's through a mentor, whether it's through something you read or a partner that can help you monetize it. It's a win-win, and that's the sweet spot. It's not always easy to get there, but if you continue dreaming and continue following your passions because that's who you are. Your passions are what make you you. That's unfortunate, a lot of times, that with the society that we're in, the jobs that we're currently in or, or whatever the case is, we lose that individuality. We try to adapt to certain expectations. But if you can push through and never lose that individual dream of yours, that's your contribution to this earth.
Karen:
What tips might you offer to your fellow small business owners if they say, "Hey, I would like to start creating inclusivity in my business." How do they start?
Paulo:
Well, what are you going to be inclusive about? What is it that you are seen that is not being included? If you're an expert in that area, if you're someone that's really passionate about something that's being excluded, identify it and make some noise.
Dusty:
I like, Paulo, that you bring passion into it a lot. Certainly, 20 Under 40, your passion is being recognized by your community here, and your trajectory is on its way up. But what's got you excited right now about the future of A Medida Communications?
Paulo:
Well, even though we have had a very good year during unfortunate circumstances, but it goes to show the importance of this work. I think we're on a trajectory now where folks are really getting it, and it's not just going to be applied to the Spanish-speaking community, but there's also other communities that need the same kind of support and advocacy and inclusion. When you're able to grow your business, and we have, we're experts in the Latina community, but we can grow that into different areas, that's something that's making us really excited and the impact that we can have to serve and help other communities, whether that be the Black African American, LGBTQ different underrepresented, underserved populations that really need to be included. That's what we're continue to identify is different ways that we can help organizations really tap into these different groups and really share what they do and different resources and services.
Dusty:
Well, Paulo, it's evident, just from this short conversation that we've had here, that you've got the passion and the drive to succeed. We're excited as well to see what happens next for A Medida Communications. But his name is Paulo Hutson Solórzano from A Medida Communications in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Paulo, thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Back of the Napkin.
Karen:
If you appreciate hearing stories from small business owners from across the country, please take a moment to share your favorite Back of the Napkin episodes on social media and subscribe to Back of the Napkin wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
Dusty:
Back of the Napkin is brought to you by SurePayroll. From easy online payroll to 401K support and award-winning customer service, SurePayroll has been serving the payroll and business needs of small businesses for more than 20 years. Thanks to my co-host and our executive producer, Karen Stoychoff...
Karen:
And thanks to the head of SurePayroll marketing, Jenna Shklyar, as well as our production partners, Podcamp Media...
Dusty:
Where we provide branded podcast production services for businesses. Our editor and producer is Larry Kilgore the Third. So, thanks for tuning in to Back of the Napkin. I'm Dusty Weis.
Karen:
And I'm Karen Stoychoff.
