Today we’d like to introduce you to Valeria Acosta.
Valeria, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Around 20 years old, I got introduced into the real estate industry by a few people. I started doing apartment leasing and soon as six months I became an assistant manager with a multi family company that finally took me in and thought me everything I needed to learn.
I was also involved in property wholesaling at the same time which I learned by myself by following steps of the well-known investor Nick Ruiz and others in the Secret Academy family. Doing all of these things allowed me to see more in depth the whole contractor side of Real Estate. I got attracted by painting and cleaning because without those two you can’t have a completed look for your home to sell, lease or to even live in, this is something that people need! Business is all about solving people’s problems and doing things for them that they don’t want to do nor can’t do. I didn’t know anything about this business, but I did all of my due diligence prior to launching. Nobody wanted to teach me the ins and outs so I had no choice but to figure it out by myself. Took a lot of reading, fake estimate calls, stress, sleepless nights and following a lot of accounts on social media. Today I have over 200 loyal customers and work with three big name companies who’s projects should be completed by the end of 2019.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. No business is easy starting it and keeping it up at that. I had to receive a lot of No’s before I could get any Yes’s. I had to lose out on a lot of money for not knowing how to calculate properly, not having loyal employees in my team, extended job times which caused more money to be spent, and etc. I lost a lot overall. From relationships to material things, but it was a sacrifice that was worth every little bit of it when I look at it now, it’s not one thing I regret. Mentorship is very important to have, of course discipline and a bunch of patience. Something that I had to learn the hard way.
Please tell us about Fortis Painting & Cleaning.
Well, I am known for a few things but since we are speaking on my main business at the moment I am a business owner of a Painting and Cleaning company based of Atlanta. We specialize in new construction, renovations, multi family, commercial and single family homes. One thing I am most proud of is the fact that I was even able to kick this off from ground up. It is a man built industry and I am happy to say that it’s fully women-owned and ran. One of the best feelings I ever felt. I think what sets me apart from other companies that have been out here for years is the quality. I’m very big on the quality and professionalism that we provide because that’s my name that’s behind the company. I like to provide a great experience for our customers, that’s more referrals which means more happy clients. The idea of having a bad review or a bad experience makes my skin crawl. Which can happen, but so far we’ve been doing a great job!
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Helping my dad build our house from the ground up in South America. I couldn’t do much but I remember I had to be like 4-5 years old and always wanted to be in the mix when it came to construction or starting things from scratch. I know I annoyed him sometimes when I was trying to do the most, but remember passing him one brick at a time. I thought I was grown and strong.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fortispainting.com
- Phone: 888-367-3339
- Email: contact@fortispainting.com
- Instagram: fortispaintingllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FortisPaintingandCleaning/
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