When starting your own business, the most basic question is the “what” behind your company — what products you’re selling, or what services you’re offering. But perhaps the most important question is the “why.”
“The purpose behind the business: What are we doing this for?” asked Gabriel Puente, CEO of RGVision Media. “Because there’s a lot of people who have the entrepreneurial spirit, but maybe for the wrong purpose.”
Businesses need to make money. But that shouldn’t be the only area of focus for entrepreneurs. Sometimes, a business idea that engages with the community can be the true driver of success.
“One of the things that helped the success of RGVision was first identifying the purpose,” Puente said. “The idea of knowing what I was good at, knowing what I was passionate about, and also knowing what I can make money doing — not only for myself, but for the people around me — was something that I was able to figure out, which allowed me the success I’ve had with RGVision.”
Puente founded RGVision as a Rio Grande Valley-centric publication in 2009.
“Within my skill set, within what I was passionate about, I felt I could make the biggest impact in the Rio Grande Valley through a publication that was going to hopefully change the mindset in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said.
RGVision Magazine tells success stories within the realm of RGV education, business, health care, and quality of life. But the publication also asks tough questions and tackles challenges in the region in an effort to change the landscape for the better, Puente said.
“We are asking not who can we get to advertise in this issue?” he added. “We are asking, what are the topics that are going to drive conversations that are going to help improve the progression of the Rio Grande Valley?”
Business success comes in the form of starting those conversations — and encouraging the community to join them.
“We have to ask those questions and that really ignites the content in the publication, which in turn attracts advertisers,” Puente said. “That’s the success of the publication. That’s why people gravitate toward that.”
Ten years later, RGVision has flourished as both a bimonthly magazine and a full-service, account-based marketing firm. Puente credits RGVision’s core values of credibility, integrity, and honesty for strengthening the company’s brand — and contributing to its success.
“Whenever we shifted over to the marketing firm, everything that we’ve instilled and the values we’ve instilled in the publication were translated to our services through website development, social media marketing, video production, graphic design, everything else that we do,” Puente said. “It was so easy because people knew the brand and they were confident behind what they were going to be getting. I can’t speak enough about how important it is to have a solid, credible brand. That’s really what has helped us.”
Puente and RGVision remain focused on serving the region over the next 10 years and beyond.
“There’s so many more stories to tell,” Puente said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to do so through the services we’re able to provide our clients. The passion comes from the top — we’re true storytellers, we’re engaging, we’re really inspired by people’s stories.”
#JoinTheConversation at rgvisionmedia.com.
