Small Businesses Get the Spotlight in Herndon's New 'BizworkTV' Show

When you work in marketing, you tend learn a lot about different businesses.

For Herndon's Mayra Ruiz, it's always been the small guys that she's remembered the most—the small, independent businesses that are light on flash and budget, but big on heart.

Therefore, when Ruiz and her partners finally started realizing their dream of hosting and producing their own TV show about up-and-coming businesses this year, they knew it was those small guys that they wanted to put under the big spotlight.

The Idea Behind Herndon-Based 'BizworkTV'

Ruiz is one half of Ruiz McPherson Communications, a small digital marketing firm located in downtown Herndon on Lynn Street, just above Green Lizard Cycling.

As a marketer, Ruiz said she has always been fascinated by the stories behind how small businesses got their start—how people took the dream of owning their own business, and turned into a reality.

"Along the way, you just meet clients that are interesting," she explained. "Some are very memorable; some have encountered incredible challenges to leave the 9-to-5 world to start something. It’s not always as glamorous as you might think."

As the years have passed, Ruiz said she has been "pocketing" these stories, tucking them away in the back of her mind. Someday, she knew she would figure out what their purpose would be.

Above all, Ruiz said she felt that these special little story gems deserved to have their day in the spotlight. The stories deserved to be told. But how?

Just for fun, and to help spread the word about these small businesses that she found to be so special, she started a digital newsletter that she distributed on her own. 

As she amassed more and more stories, the newsletter got too long and cumbersome, though. She tried a blog, but it was hard to stay consistent with her posts. In the back of her mind, what she really wanted to do was a TV show, but she couldn't see how to get such a large project moving just on her own.

After a while, and because she had the extra space, Ruiz felt it would benefit her business to sub-lease out part of her Lynn Street office space to another small business like her own. In walked Karina Djijo, a dynamic, fun, and incredibly talented photographer and videographer.

The two became fast friends, and began collaborating on many projects together.

Finally, Ruiz began to see a way to make her dream of hosting a business marketing TV show a reality.

BizworkTV is Born

Between the dynamic duo of Ruiz and Djijo, they had all the tools they needed to get their dream TV show off the ground.

They found two other collaborators who loved the idea and agreed to contribute as well—hairstylist Roshaunda Jenkins from D.C., and makeup artist Megan Bucelli of Reston.

Now all they needed were some stars.

Ruiz and Djoji wanted to focus on small businesses right in their backyard, to share their stories, their trials and tribulations of getting their businesses off the ground, and allow other business owners—or would-be business owners—to hear each other's stories and learn from each other.

"I feel like the underdogs never get any play, and they don’t have a budget to hire an agency to tell their story," Ruiz explained. "We’re talking about real people who don’t have $2.5 million in venture capital, or million-dollar revenues."

Their first subject was about as close to home as one could possibly get—Herndon's own The Boutique Bakeshop, which provides the delicious brownies that grace the shelves of their downstairs neighbor, Green Lizard Cycling shop and coffee bar. 

"Amidst piles of frosting and cakes, there's a whole-lotta small business charm and gusto at this local bakery in Herndon, Virginia," the gals say in the teaser for their episode on The Bakeshop, which just debuted on BizworkTV this past Thursday. See the episode in the video above.

To date, BizworkTV has filmed 14 episodes, and aired five on the BizworkTV site.

The other four episodes feature a gamut of other small business owner guests, including pet blogger/online publisher Cathy C. Bennett, domain name strategist Nadia Pessoa of Domain Sushi, seach engine blogger and consultant Stephanie McGuinn of Creative2, and business contract law attorney Gregg A. Hand, Esq. of Hand Law Services LLC.

Ruiz and Djoji say they are always looking for new guests in the D.C./Maryland/Northern Virginia area, and love hearing other stories about how today's small businesses got their start.

The two are also looking for potential sponsors and advertisers to help them continue to grow the show.

Mostly, they are just excited that the show has come together, and are having a blast producing it.

To learn more about BizworkTV, contact them about either supporting or starring on the show, and see past episodes, visit http://bizworkTV.com.

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