Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Galarraga.
Hi Marina, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started The Gurru Agency almost four years ago, just a few months after moving from Argentina to the United States with my husband and our one-year-old baby. We moved because of my husband’s job, and suddenly I found myself in a new country, with a new language, a new culture, and one big question: What am I going to do here?
Moving to the U.S. meant reinventing myself, both personally and professionally.
A friend of mine who works as a small business consultant introduced me to the world of entrepreneurship in America. And here’s something important: back in Argentina, I had spent my entire professional career working full-time for companies. I had never owned a business!
But I thought, why not give it a try?
And that’s how The Gurru Agency was born.
I like to call it a boutique agency because we’re not a big marketing firm. We’re a small, hands-on team that helps businesses and organizations navigate the sometimes overwhelming world of marketing, PR, and communications.
What makes us different? I think it’s our human approach. We genuinely love what we do, and we take the time to understand our clients, their challenges, their goals, and even their pace. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions.
These past four years have been an incredible learning experience. I’ve had to learn so much beyond marketing and communications: building teams, managing finances, selling my own services, and, of course, running a business in a completely different country.
Have there been ups and downs? Absolutely! Plenty of them. But I’ve enjoyed the journey, learned from every challenge, and met some amazing people along the way.
If you had told me five years ago that I would be running my own business in the United States, I would have never believed you!
And yet, here I am. Still learning, still growing, and really enjoying the adventure.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! But I have to say, I’m pretty used to challenges!
I spent most of my professional career in Argentina, a country where the rules are constantly changing. You learn to stay alert, think fast, adapt, and most importantly, find opportunities even in the middle of a crisis.
In a way, that’s how I grew professionally. And I think it prepared me for entrepreneurship more than I ever imagined.
Of course, building The Gurru Agency in a new country has brought its own challenges. Learning how business works in the U.S., building relationships from scratch, finding clients, and figuring things out as I go.
But I bring in my flexible mindset to my business and to my clients. When something isn’t working, we look for another way. When things change, we adapt.
I’m a big believer that every crisis creates an opportunity. Sometimes you just have to be creative enough to find it!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At The Gurru Agency, we help our clients with a little bit of everything related to research, marketing, communications, public relations, and government affairs. But here’s the thing: **we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions.**
Every client is different, and so are their needs. That’s why we build teams of professionals around each project, bringing together the right people and expertise depending on what needs to get done.
Today, we work with larger organizations, entrepreneurs building their personal brands, and everything in between. We also partner with other agencies, providing research, social media analysis, and communications support.
And we love that! One day we’re working on a research project, the next we’re helping someone build their personal brand or develop a communications strategy. No two days are the same, and we never get bored!
What sets us apart? I think it’s how personally we approach every project. We don’t want to be just another agency delivering a service. We love becoming part of our clients’ teams, understanding their challenges, brainstorming together, and celebrating their wins.
And what am I most proud of? Honestly, the people we get to work with! We’ve been lucky to have amazing clients. Smart, creative, fun people who trust us and make our work enjoyable. We genuinely like each other, and I think that makes a huge difference.
At the end of the day, we’re doing serious work, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a great time doing it!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
This is a tricky question because talking about your own strengths always feels a little uncomfortable!
But recently, I’ve had a few of those honest feedback conversations that are so valuable for your professional growth. And something that kept coming up was my energy.
People pointed out the enthusiasm, passion, and determination I bring to everything I do.
And I think they’re right! When I believe in something, I really go for it. I put my heart, my energy, and a lot of effort into making things happen. I don’t like sitting around waiting for things to happen!
I genuinely enjoy getting involved, finding solutions, bringing people together, and turning ideas into reality.
So, if I had to choose one thing, I’d say my energy and passion for making things happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thegurruagency.com
- Instagram: @thegurruagency,com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinagalarraga/
