Today we’d like to introduce you to George Bolanos.
Hi George, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story really started after I graduated high school in 2015. At the time, I honestly didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my life or what my career was going to look like.
For graduation, my parents gave me a GoPro for a family trip to Hawaii. I started filming everything with it, and when we got home, that didn’t stop. I was filming trips with friends, festivals, weekends, and pretty much anything I thought could make a cool video. I became obsessed with filmmaking and started watching creators I looked up to, studying their videos, and trying to figure out how they made them.
Eventually, I bought my first professional camera and started Georgio Productions around 2016 or 2017. I filmed anything I could get my hands on, including music videos, cars, concerts, local artists, events, and vacations. A lot of those early projects were free or barely paid anything, but I didn’t really care at the time. I wanted the experience and wanted to get better.
At the same time, I was working at Publix and attending Miami Dade College. Publix ended up teaching me a lot about customer service and how you treat people, lessons that I didn’t realize would become so important later in my career.
In 2021, I decided to move on from Publix and Georgio Productions and took a position at a marketing agency while continuing my education at FIU. That experience opened my eyes to a much bigger world. Until then, I had mostly thought of myself as a videographer and creator. At the agency, I started learning about social media, websites, photography, design, advertising, email marketing, sales, client management, and the business side of running an agency.
I graduated from FIU in 2023 with a degree in Hospitality Management and a minor in Marketing. By that point, I knew that eventually I wanted to build something of my own.
I had years of creative experience behind me, a better understanding of marketing and business, and experience working directly with clients. I started thinking about what I would want my own agency to look like and what I would want to do differently if I ever had the opportunity.
Around that same period, I met my girlfriend, Ana, who became one of the people encouraging me to believe in myself and actually take the chance.
In November 2023, I started Bolanos Media Group.
There wasn’t some huge launch or a long list of clients waiting for me. I didn’t have everything figured out. I just knew what I was capable of, knew the type of company I wanted to build, and didn’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering what would’ve happened if I had tried.
The beginning was slow. I got my first three clients in 2024 and focused on doing the best work I could for them. Those relationships started leading to referrals, one opportunity led to another, and little by little BMG started becoming a real business.
Today, Bolanos Media Group works with businesses across different industries and provides services ranging from social media management and content production to websites, advertising, branding, email marketing, and strategy. I’ve also had the opportunity to bring other people into the company through internships and employment, which has been especially rewarding.
When I look back, none of it really happened according to a plan. A GoPro led to a camera. A camera led to Georgio Productions. That led me into an agency, which introduced me to marketing and business, and eventually all of those experiences came together to create Bolanos Media Group.
We’re still a young company, and I’m nowhere near finished building what I envision for it. But that’s probably what excites me the most. I can look back now and see how all these different chapters connected, even though I couldn’t see it while I was living through them.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, and I don’t think building a business ever really is.
One of the first challenges was simply getting people to trust a brand-new company. When I started Bolanos Media Group, I didn’t have a huge portfolio of agency clients or a long track record as a business owner. I knew what I was capable of, but potential clients didn’t necessarily know that yet. The beginning was slow, and there were definitely moments where I questioned whether I had made the right decision.
Another challenge has been dealing with the inconsistency that comes with owning a service-based business. You can have a great month and feel like everything is clicking, and then lose a client or have a slower month and suddenly start questioning everything. Learning not to let every high or low completely change the way I feel about the business has been something I’ve had to work on.
I’ve also made plenty of mistakes along the way. I’ve underpriced work, taken on things outside of the original scope, said yes when I probably should’ve said no, and tried to handle too much myself because I wanted everything to be done a certain way. Some of those lessons cost me time, some cost me money, and others just caused unnecessary stress.
One of the hardest parts has probably been learning how many different roles you have to play as a business owner. I started BMG because I loved marketing and creating, but suddenly I also had to think about sales, contracts, accounting, operations, hiring, scheduling, client retention, and where the next client was going to come from. Nobody really prepares you for how quickly you have to become a student of things you never expected to be responsible for.
There have also been sacrifices. When something is yours, it’s difficult to completely turn it off. There have been plenty of late nights, weekends, canceled plans, and times when I’ve physically been somewhere but mentally I’m still thinking about a client, a project, or something that needs to get done.
But I also think those challenges have forced me to become a better business owner. We’ve improved our pricing, contracts, systems, communication, onboarding, and the way we manage client expectations. I’m learning how to delegate instead of automatically doing everything myself, and I’m becoming much more intentional about the type of company I want to build.
I still have difficult days and plenty of things I haven’t figured out yet. The challenges are just different now than they were when I started.
I’ve learned that entrepreneurship isn’t really about reaching a point where there are no problems. It’s about becoming better equipped to handle the next problem when it comes.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bolanos Media Group?
Bolanos Media Group is a full-service marketing agency based in Miami, Florida. We work with businesses across a variety of industries to help them strengthen their brands, create better content, grow their online presence, and ultimately take marketing off the list of things they have to manage themselves.
Our services include social media management, video and photography production, content creation, paid social advertising, website development, branding, email marketing, and marketing strategy.
One of the biggest problems we solve is fragmentation. A lot of business owners have one person managing their social media, someone else building their website, another company running ads, and someone different producing their content. None of those people are necessarily communicating with each other or working toward the same goal. At BMG, we try to bring those pieces together so the business has a more consistent brand and a marketing strategy where everything works together.
I think one of the things that sets us apart is the combination of creativity, strategy, and personal service. My own background started in video production and content creation before I moved into the broader marketing industry, so the creative side is still a major part of our DNA. But we’ve also learned that great-looking content isn’t enough. It needs to serve a purpose, whether that’s building awareness, generating leads, driving traffic, strengthening a brand, or helping a business stay connected with its customers.
We’re also very relationship-driven. I don’t want our clients to feel like they’re handing their marketing to a company they barely know. We take the time to understand their business, their goals, their customers, and even the way they prefer to communicate and work. The goal is for BMG to feel like an extension of their team.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that a large part of our growth has come through referrals. To me, there’s something special about a client being happy enough with your work and their experience that they’re willing to put their own reputation behind recommending you to another business owner.
I’m also proud that BMG is beginning to become bigger than just me. I’ve had the opportunity to bring other people into the company through internships and employment and give them experience in the industry. Seeing other people contribute to something that started as an idea in my head has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey so far.
We’re still a young agency, and we’re continuing to improve our services, systems, team, and capabilities. My vision is to grow Bolanos Media Group into a much larger agency while keeping the personal relationships and level of care that helped us get here in the first place.
Ultimately, I want people to know that when they work with BMG, we’re not just there to make their social media look good. We want to understand where their business is trying to go and figure out how marketing can help get them there.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
The biggest advice I would give someone just starting out is to stop waiting until you feel completely ready.
When I started Bolanos Media Group, I definitely didn’t have everything figured out. I didn’t have the perfect business plan, a huge client list, a team, or every system in place. I had experience, I believed in what I could do, and I knew I was willing to figure out the rest along the way.
I think a lot of people spend so much time preparing to start that they never actually start. There’s always going to be another course you could take, another skill you could learn, or another reason why six months from now might be a better time. At some point, you have to take the first step.
At the same time, I wish I understood earlier how important the business side is. Being good at your craft and being good at running a business are two completely different things. You have to learn how to sell, communicate, price your work, manage your money, create contracts, set boundaries, build systems, and take care of clients. Some of those skills might end up being just as important as the service you’re actually selling.
I would also tell people not to underestimate relationships. Treat people well, communicate, do what you say you’re going to do, and don’t look at every interaction as an opportunity to make money. Some of the best opportunities I’ve had came from relationships that were built long before there was ever a business opportunity attached to them.
Don’t be afraid to start small either. My first few clients weren’t massive companies. I focused on doing great work for the people who were willing to trust me, and those relationships helped create other opportunities.
You’re also going to make mistakes. I’ve made plenty, and I’m sure I’ll make plenty more. Don’t spend so much time trying to avoid every possible mistake that you become afraid to make decisions. Learn from them, make adjustments, and keep moving.
Most importantly, don’t compare the beginning of your journey to someone else’s tenth year. I’m still building BMG myself, and there’s a lot I want to accomplish that I haven’t accomplished yet.
You don’t need to know exactly where the road is going to take you. My own career started with a GoPro I got for graduation, and I definitely wasn’t thinking about owning a marketing agency back then.
Sometimes you just have to start, stay curious, work hard, and give yourself the opportunity to see where it can go.
Pricing:
- Custom marketing packages available based on scope and business needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bolanosmediagroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolanosmediagroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553569052830#
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolanos-media-group/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bolanos_media_group?si=kIVxNz_gAc8OQgYX
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bolanosmediagroup
