“You are unstoppable,” says founder and CEO of 6boro (Social + Studios) Vix Reitano

Vix Reitano takes her cues from the following powerful lines, “Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘You cannot withstand the storm.’ The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.'"

That assertion is not unfounded as Reitano has clearly demonstrated that she is a force. She is the chief executive officer of 6boro (Social + Studios), a marketing agency and content production house. Reitano also does one on one coaching with her Side Hustle Success Story Consulting Program. According to Reitano, her program has helped people increase their profits by more than 98 percent in four weeks. Additionally, she is an influencer with more than 50,000 subscribers across platforms.

We can reference her book, “Six Weeks to Freedom," or listen to her podcast “The Get," where she tells listeners how they can go about getting the things they want most in their lives.

We were happy to chat with Reitano, to gain more insight into her beginnings and the wisdom that she has to share.

Our authentic selves should be shared

Storytelling is an integral part of Reitano’s marketing. According to a YouTube video she posted in 2017, the building of her business and brand was informed in part by journalistic and storytelling principles that she used when she was a local reporter and television producer for ABC, NBC and Telepictures.

It seems her personal story and experiences build trust in her marketing services, since a very human picture is painted with the information she shares. Followers get a transparent look at how, for example, she appreciates her roots (as evidenced by the New York skyline tattooed on her wrist) and how she went about crafting a six-figure business in six weeks. It’s no wonder that beyond Reitano’s experience supporting thought leaders for the last 15 years, people would want to support her.

“I see my memories like a film strip, rolling forward and back. Most creative humxns have very vivid inner lives and very few share this so I feel it’s important to set the stage here – because if I, looking as I do, working as I do, succeeding as I am, put this out there, maybe others who feel similarly will feel safe to do so too," commented Reitano.

Learn to “Vix” our problems

Her advice can truly “Vix," our problems. If you’ve hit a crossroad in life, but have an interest in running free from the corporate hierarchy and following your dreams, her book “Six Weeks to Freedom," might suit you. The first chapter is free on her website, and if you read it, it should promote some quality self-reflection (at a minimum.) A nugget of advice in that free chapter is to create a list of both five individuals and five businesses that you would like to stand as models for your brand. Doing that allows for a critical examination of what those brands – that are personally alluring to you – are doing to attract and maintain an audience.

Reitano says she had a lot of figures she looked up to as a kid, and when you hear her describe them, you quickly understand why Reitano is the powerhouse that she is. Who were these inspirational figures?

“Wonder Woman, Gloria Steinem, RBG, The Precedent Set by Roe v. Wade, My Mother, the Future Self I saw in the mirror, Helen Keller, Helen Reddy, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston and Oprah," she listed.

What we can learn

Besides lessons from her professional advice or consulting services, here are a couple of things that we can learn from Reitano’s bursting energy.

First, there’s power in believing in yourself. “Tell a girl no, and watch her set the world on fire,” she explained.

Second, enjoy the journey. “Find peace in the pause. Find the calmness before the storm. Find the joy when all is lost. Find a way to make ‘here’ a place inside of your soul with a root so deep no one thing can ever shake it from its core,” she said.

“You will create many homes in your lifetime and you will win, lose, gain and toss things to the side. You are lightning in a bottle and you are unstoppable.”

We were excited to chat more with Reitano so that we could pick her brain about what it takes to realize our potential.

How did you feel when you realized you could go into entrepreneurship full time?

It happened by accident and on July 27 (give or take a few days) after I had started taking on contracts as of Memorial Day 2015. I’ll never forget waking up early to do some of the freelance work I had accumulated that summer and realizing that I could actually quit my job and do this full time. That I could find MORE business and more joy if I did that. It was exhilarating and I wanted to teach EVERYONE how to do it too.

You talk about creating “marketing that matters." What do you mean by this?

Marketing that Matters means marketing that is inclusive, diverse and engaging to all humxns it touches. This industry – marketing, advertising, content, film, TV – has a huge problem. The problem is that most major decisions are still made by cis-gendered, able-bodied, white males and the fact that this group thinks they can understand, highlight and amplify a diverse set of humxn experiences is beyond insulting.

The world is colorful – and I am not referring to people of color. The world is FULL of varied experiences, joy, sadness, challenge, success and a myriad of other emotions that we all experience in different ways. Marketing that Matters focuses on the unique experiences each subset of humxns that I work with as clients and that my clients target in a way that is unique to their true experience, not my interpretation of it.

I ask questions, hard questions, I put myself in other people’s souls (far beyond empathy) and truly consider what life is like for them and has been like for them. And I specifically hire humxns who have diverse backgrounds and experiences themselves to work with me as collaborators and creat(hers).

You’ve worked with a huge variety of clients and company cultures. How do you deal with communication and interpersonal challenges?

I use an improv technique called “yes, and." I hold boundaries by hearing my clients’ needs and then determining how best to bound them within my boundaries while still accomplishing the end result that works best for all and the project.

You call yourself a “fixer." What does this mean?

It means that I can help any person, brand or business come back from bad financial, marketing or organization decisions to truly revamp their systems, strategies and culture for the wins they hope to achieve in all areas of business.

The coronavirus pandemic has been challenging for many entrepreneurs. How did you adapt to the chances the pandemic brought, and what long term changes do you think it’s brought to your industry?

The Pandemic has been great for my business. I am not profiting from people’s pain – it has been great because it has helped a lot of people see that going digital with their business is not a luxury; it’s a must-have. I firmly believe it will allow for more remote work and a deeper understanding of what hybrid humxns, like myself, bring to the table.

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration?

EVERYWHERE! Really and truly. I stay inspired by constantly coming back to my personal practices and understanding how to keep myself grounded. I’m a very self-motivated person and while I believe that helps, I also believe we are all evolving, growing and transforming so it’s important to keep coming back to yourself as you continue your processes.

What’s something, personal or professional, you’re currently working on achieving?

Stepping into my true purpose in a bigger way

What is one habit you recommend having?

Organization. I am organized AF and it makes my life 1000x better.

You mentioned in one interview that everyone in your family is either a doctor or a lawyer. Was achievement a huge focus in your upbringing? Did you ever feel pressured to follow a particular path?

The irony here is that my Mother, who is an attorney, never wanted me to be an attorney, and I really wanted to follow that path. The other interesting part is that none of my grandparents graduated from college and one grandparent graduated high school. Generational wealth is not something that my family has, even though my mother is an Attorney and my Father has always been in some family-owned business venture.

The achievement was not a huge focus, even though I think it is fair that you would assume that. My mother felt it was better to pick an educational path that guaranteed financial stability, but I had other ideas. I chose to go to college instead of a trade school and when I launched my company in 2015, my mother advised against it. I have to say that she was always upfront with me about how challenging this would be, but being a stubborn Taurus, I was determined to continue to chart my course.

I built the business as a six-figure business in six weeks, and it sustained itself for over two years, and then, 2018 and 2019 were very challenging years. I was grateful to be able to find ways to get loans and get some support from my family, but then, 2020 hit, and I had to really figure out what I wanted once again.

I think my upbringing showed me to find solutions no matter what the obstacle was and always follow my intuition even if it means going against the advice of people I love and care about. My gut has never steered me wrong, and I work every day to strengthen the connection to it.

You are a mentor for female entrepreneurs. You’ve also mentioned before the idea of looking at family planning as a business decision. Can you tell us more about this?

Womxn who know they want a family – and not everyone does – need to truly consider how they will manage the physical demands of motherhood with their professional demands, if they’re going to succeed at the balance we all seek. I believe men, same-sex partners and anyone you decide to have a child with also needs to seriously consider the physical toll this takes on you, the childbearing humxn, and determine the best course of action for your family.

I am 32 and still haven’t found the man I will have children with, so I knew, in my early 20s, that if I didn’t have a husband by 30, I would want to start considering my options for future family planning. And when I started my company at 27, that became even more of a factor. Because even if I had HAD a husband at 27, 28, 29 or 30? I wouldn’t have been ready to financially support a child in the way that I want to.

Do I think my husband (and any womxn’s partner) should be able to contribute to the family’s finances? Absolutely! And I also know the kind of life, child care support and professional progress I desire in the next 5-10 years, so I know family planning IS a business decision. Men have the luxury of waiting, regardless of their orientation and I think womxn need to be taught to consider their whole life in their professional choices too. It’s a luxury to be able to look at your future and assume everything will happen “eventually" – and the only way to afford that luxury as a marginalized humxn? To plan.

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