Today we’d like to introduce you to Gladys Mezrahi.
Gladys, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story began at a very early age, always trying to help others. With a passion for ideas, with a clear understanding of what needs to be done in order to be a voice and make changes, I have overcome many challenges and each one has taught me a different lesson that has brought me to where I am today.
Helping others can be described in many ways and to each person helping means something different. There are people in this world who are happy to make a donation to a charity, and their donations are certainly appreciated. And then there are people in this world who truly believe that to really help a person or a community, you need to teach them how to help themselves. There is an old saying, “Give a man a fish and he eats for one day… teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime”. And this is how I think and how life has taken me through this amazing journey.
I was born in Colombia I started going to the emergency rooms with my dad who was a plastic surgent, since I was 13, and saw firsthand what accidents by alcohol and drugs did, and this was one of the lessons that took me to advocate for anti-drug education in a very age.
The events actually started also at a very young age, doing my first one at 15 years old when I produced a Bingo with 1500 people to raise the funds to help build basketball and volleyball courts for her high school so the entire community would have the first sports complex in the area, providing hundreds of children in the town of Bogota, Colombia with after-school and weekend opportunities. The courts gave the students the ability to learn and excel in those sports and ultimately compete with other schools. At the same time, over the weekends, I was teaching elementary school children from a small village how to improve their reading and writing. I had no idea that I would eventually start a company in the event and marketing business, which is going now into the 15th year with many national recognitions and awards.
Creating programs to help promote education and a safe environment is something that I have been doing all my life. An example of that is when I helped a church in La Calera create an after-school program for at-risk children who had no supervision after school hours. Games and snacks for the children were how we got them off the streets and away from the drugs and violence. The program, starting once a week, was so successful that it grew into a five-day a week program.
Due to the violence in Colombia, I came to the US with my family and started volunteer work, extremely grateful to the United States for providing a safe home, opportunities and the chance to continue helping others. I created several programs for different organizations, resulting in millions of dollars raised, all with an integrated marketing strategy that involved events.
Through the years, I have been an advocate in helping women and young girls achieve their dreams, not only by mentoring and training but also by connecting my business affiliations with helping women find jobs. Through several organizations, where I currently serve on the Board of Directors, I help create a connection between local and international businesses to generate economic growth and provide job opportunities for low-income women.
Through all my years of charity and community work, I never wanted the public spotlight. However, in 2016, I realized that by running for public office I could bring about change and reach out to an entire city, I decided to move forward in an arena I knew nothing about. With no experience or knowledge of the public sector, I ran a grass-roots campaign and won a seat on the City of Aventura Commission. After three years, I am proud of the changes that I have been able to achieve, but there is still a lot that can be done. Recently I was able to pass a resolution to ensure that Aventura would be involved in creating awareness to help prevent human trafficking and hope to take the drug prevention into a higher level.
Currently, I dedicate my time between the Commission seat, my company Indigo Events and a non-profit that I founded called The Power of the Heels to educate young girls how to be self-sufficient, financially independent, have inquisitive minds and become strong and proud of themselves. When you empower one person to become self-sufficient, you empower a community and break the stranglehold that poverty and lack of education have on their lives.
I live in Aventura, Florida, married for nearly 40 years with two kids and five grandchildren.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The best way to describe my life is a roller coaster ride. With amazing thrills. The ups and the downs have come with a lesson learned and a step forward.
I have many challenges like losing my business and having to start again in a different country. Overcoming a different language, culture, and business culture was certainly a big challenge. Another stepping stone was running for public office without the knowledge or expertise. Having being bullied through the process was something that was a new to me at this age, and I knew that the overwhelming feeling that had taken over, I had to overcome it and learn how to manage it. My other big challenge was finishing my book on events and now it is getting translated into English.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
I am very proud of my team, not only in Florida but in Colombia, that has grown with me through the years and between them and my vendors we are able to provide our clients what they want and exceed expectations.
We connect with our clients in a very special way, specifically when it comes to corporate clients, we understand what their objective is and are able to come with solutions and marketing strategies to grow. On our social side, we go beyond just the centerpieces and décor, we create memories that have made a big difference in our clients.
What sets me apart from others, is the PASSION that I bring to every event I do, especially with a passion for ideas and disruptive thinking.
What were you like growing up?
I was very shy until about seven years when I did a complete turnaround. I became this rebel and inquisitive person that wanted to change the world. I am one of those naive people that wants a fairy story for everyone.
One of my biggest passion is helping others achieve their dreams. Mentoring young girls and teaching about the event business has become part of what I do. I hate the injustices of the world and will do anything to help, one person at a time.
Contact Info:
- Address: 20200 West Dixie Highway, suite 604
Aventura, Florida - Website: www.indigoevents.net
- Phone: 3059312370
- Email: gmezrahi@indigoevents.net
- Instagram: @EventsByIndigo @GladysMezrahi @PoweroftheHeels
- Facebook: Indigo Events – Gladys Mezrahi – The Power of the Heels
- Twitter: @EventsbyIndigo @GladysMezrahi @PoweroftheHeels
Image Credit:
@ArielCuello
@ManaProductions – Ariel Cuello
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
