- Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am Stephanie LaTorre, owner of Stephanie LaTorre Designs, a website development, and local
search marketing agency. I have been working with startups and small businesses to solve their
online marketing problems since early 2010.
I live in Italy but travel frequently to the USA and around the world. With a BA in Business
Administration and Marketing from Post University, I bring extensive experience with technology,
data analysis, research methods, and computational thinking to my practice as a consultant.
I specialize in providing high-quality digital solutions to help businesses grow an online presence
through organic SEM strategies, including on-page optimization, link building, social media
engagement, and video SEO.
I always knew that technology would play a massive role in our future, but it is something I fell
into. Computers were a hobby of mine since I was a child. My father build computers back in the
1980’s and I had my first computer when I was just 8 years old.
After a career in the hospitality management industry, I realized that I wanted to pursue my hobby
of web design and start my business while traveling through Europe.
2. Tell our readers about your current leadership role at the company.
As the leader of my business, I strive to make sure that my clients are getting results and that my
team is being supported. I balance my time between solving immediate problems and planning for
the future. My goal is to make sure we all keep growing steadily towards our long-term goals:
increasing revenue, converting more leads, and developing our search rankings.
I recently had a client where we redesigned an existing website and developed a landing page that
will be used to capture leads from search engines through local search marketing. We made sure all
pages were styled correctly including for mobile view to match a unified look throughout the site,
ensuring that the content enhanced our SEM strategies.
3. What were some of the hurdles you faced as a leader?
Many of the hurdles I faced as a leader included learning to grow as an individual while being able
to support others. At times that can be difficult to balance. However, the biggest growth I have
found as a leader has always come from supporting my team and being an inspiration to my clients.
I believe in the future of the online space and have seen how it has changed families and lives. I
know the difference and impact it can make in the world and look forward to seeing it come about.
Sometimes it can be hard to know what is coming but have the patience for it to come about.
4. As a seasoned business executive, what is your assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic’s
impact on your industry? And how did your company manage to overcome such a massive
challenge?
I believe that the pandemic affected us both positively and negatively at different levels. It helped
our business grow because we provided people with solutions that could keep them safe from
contracting COVID-19 and being able to support them as they cared for family members who had
contracted the disease.
There were however many industries that have been severely affected and have had to use new
strategies in the online world including local search marketing in order to pivot in their online
space.
5. What advice would you provide to aspiring and rising female entrepreneurs?
Just go for it! Don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your interests and achieving what you want
in life. Of course, there will be obstacles that stand in the way of accomplishing your dreams, but if
you believe in yourself, anything is possible. It won’t always be easy, and you may encounter people
who may not support you or see your vision.
6. What is the most essential takeaway/lesson from the COVID-19 epidemic, in your opinion?
That everything is fragile. Things can change in a minute so appreciate where you are at the life you
have created. If it is not what you want it to be, go out there and make a difference. With
determination and hard work, anything is possible. Cherish the ones you love and keep them close to
you. Because nothing is certain in life.
7. If you had the chance, what would be the one thing you would alter about your industry?
I would change the way we educate our young people. We should be investing more in mentoring
and counseling to make them understand their choices. It’s not enough to tell them what is right and
wrong; we need them to make intelligent decisions by themselves if we want to improve as a
society. People also need to think about how their actions affect others, not just themselves! With
these types of changes, I believe that we can become a better community. Also, we must understand
what we’re up against and how we can defend ourselves more efficiently.
I would like to see more companies follow what I’m doing to help their employees succeed, because
it’s the only way we can achieve better results as a society.
8. What have you envisioned for the future regarding your role at your organization and your
ambitions?
I see my role as a mentor to inspire others and help them make decisions that will allow them to
achieve their long-term goals. Too often I see people on my team or even clients who are looking
for a quick solution. But the quick solution also tends not to be the long-term solution. With
patience and dedication, anything is possible.