Since she was a child, María José Ramírez —now co-founder and CEO of Redactores.com— has loved telling stories. As a teenager, she drained that obsession by writing a blog with fictional stories. The hobby not only gave excitement to her days as a student, but also made recent mobile phone number data her think that perhaps there was an exciting way to earn a living there. Thus began a career full of challenges that today has already crystallized its first great achievement: a prosperous and innovative enterprise that is true to her dream.
After one year, Redactores.com has more than 40 clients throughout Latin America, a community of talents that is approaching one hundred, and a founding leadership that is entirely female and wants to become a reference within the ecosystem of technological entrepreneurship in the region. This is just the beginning of the story.
—Majo, tell us about the path that led you to Redactores.com. What stands out the most?
—There were several attempts before becoming Redactores.com, but it is a project that has always been close to me. My first job was as a freelancer, writing reviews of plays, and almost all the ones that came after that were in that capacity.
As I gained experience, I noticed gaps in the work dynamics and the freelance ecosystem, and I thought, why not fill them? I never doubted that it was possible, although I knew that starting a business is not easy.
I tried it with several colleagues, but finally it flowed with my now partner Rosa Raydán, who was the first boss I had in my entire career. We both worked in print media and we have also coordinated teams in digital media, and we agreed that the content was losing a lot of quality as it was definitively moved to the online channel.
Now, together with Marianne Casazola, a professional with exceptional qualities, we want to rescue that value —which is so needed today— and merge it with the online dynamic. The result has been Redactores.com and we are very happy about it.
—Redactores.com is now one year old. Looking back, what is the most difficult and most enjoyable thing that the project has left you with?
—With Redactores I had to leave what I loved, which was the operational part, writing, editing, talking to people… but being CEO I have had to leave that and train in other areas, be the face of the project, talk to clients… I didn’t even know that I was in a comfort zone before, but yes. That is still a daily challenge. I always ask myself “What do people expect from a CEO?” and I try to live up to that ideal.
The greatest satisfaction comes from saying “I could”
—Redactores is an agency but it also defines itself as a startup in formation. How do you see this?
—We are still an agency but we have our sights set on being a startup with the launch of a marketplace. That is the projection of what we want to be and we are moving towards that. I believe that startups will become a more select group every day, especially in the content area. With the arrival of ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence tools, this also becomes a bigger challenge. We are aware of this and we take it on with commitment. Human collaboration in the content area will always be indispensable.
—Redactores is a very personal project for you, but it is also a collective project. Do you think that being led by three women gives it a special characteristic?
—It is a double challenge because we are women and young. They say that the glass ceiling no longer exists and perhaps it is no longer so evident, h5 page personalization: unique ingenuity, leading the new trend of digital interaction but it does exist, it has just moved to other aspects. Women can now lead, something that was not seen so often before has become normalized, but what do they expect of us? The demands are greater and the opportunities to make mistakes are very few.
The same thing happens with the issue of youth. For many, being young means being an inexperienced person, with questionable abilities, unfit for important tasks.
Redactores sends a message about that, it is a statement, that young women in Latin America can create competitive projects. We are role models, this is very necessary. My vision and professional horizon would have changed a lot if, at the beginning of my career, I had been led and inspired by a woman. I want us to be that, we want to change the narrative with Redactores, not only from the perspective of leadership but from the professional experience of our community, from the moment they begin their career.
—Tell me about the creative exchange with the founding community of Redactores.com
—It has been wonderful. As partners we have a completely horizontal relationship and a completely collaborative work. We have never seen it as separate, it is familiar, supportive, only in this way have we been able to carry the weight. We are different but we complement each other, we all learn from each other and we have the same level of commitment.
Together we unblock insecurities. I had bosses who were very jealous of knowledge, who didn’t want to teach anything because they felt threatened. We want to change that narrative, the three of us are on the same page of sharing our knowledge, among ourselves and with our colleagues and community. We are here to teach and learn every day.
—Tell me about your experience working remotely with clients, talents and team across Latin America. How did you experience it?
—It has been incredible. It is something very new, before the pandemic it was not so normal and now it is the norm. I have felt it extremely natural, given that we are all sitting at the same table. Marianne is in Lima and Rosa and I are in Caracas, but each one in her own home, and when we talk I feel that there is no cultural difference or distance. With the editors, who are everywhere, the same. It is a large community that moves a lot, in constant change, the dynamics change a lot in terms of management.
As for clients, it is not so simple; it is difficult canada data to adapt schedules, schedule changes, follow-up, making everyone feel unique… not working in silence so that they feel committed. We do not see each other but communication has to be strengthened. The communication challenge has been very big but it has been achieved.
—What would you say to someone who is starting their own project?
—First of all, they should trust in their abilities, but above all, they should always give their best. If you give 100 percent in every job you have, no matter how small it is, you will always find someone who will see you through. Your office colleague may be the one who recommends you for a great opportunity tomorrow. No effort is in vain, no task is small. Surround yourself with people who share that mystique; it is vital to persevere and understand that not everything happens quickly. That has been my story.