MARÍA AND DAVID: THE SIBLINGS BEHIND HISPANOS EMPRENDEDORES

A Journey of Passion and Entrepreneurship that Inspires the Hispanic Community

By Hispanos Emprendedores

María Jiménez and David Bracamonte, two siblings with a bond beyond blood, are the creators of Hispanos Emprendedores magazine. This project, which is celebrating its 25th edition, has conquered the heart of Tennessee and has become a beacon of inspiration for the Hispanic community.

The Birth of a Dream Maria, an accountant with a gift for teaching, and David, a versatile and up-to-date journalist, never imagined that their path would lead them to create a magazine. But their love of teaching and desire to help entrepreneurs led them to embark on this exciting adventure. Despite the challenges, they have learned to love their work and value the importance of a strong team. As

Maria smiled, “I love this job, I love helping entrepreneurs, I love teaching.”

In 2016, after several conversations, the goal was clear, the intention was to create a medium that would serve as an instrument for Hispanics to start their businesses correctly and successfully, “In these 25 editions, all our magazines are educational, informative, part of the same government organization has recognized us as the only Spanish-language magazine in Montgomery County,” said the star of the magazine’s first cover in 2017.

Hispanics with history

Hispanos Emprendedores is more than a magazine. It is an educational and informative platform that offers a wide range of services. From how to obtain a business license to personalized advice, the magazine has become an invaluable resource for Hispanic entrepreneurs. In addition, it is distinguished by its ability to provide information in both Spanish and English, demonstrating its commitment to the Hispanic community. As David enthusiastically explained, “We are known for being able to bring you the information in your language, and we also have it in English so that perhaps you can recognize the forms when you see them, recognize and the questions that they ask you, and say oh, this is this, and that is that and they can complete the requirements that they demand of you in the business documents for example.”

In addition to sharing specific data about business start-ups in the United States, the creators of Hispanos Emprendedores wanted to go beyond that. Their eyes light up when they remember the beginning of the project, when they realized no platform highlighted the achievements and talents of Hispanic entrepreneurs, regardless of their financial gains. The important thing is the story behind each cover.

Jimenez added that another thing that identifies them is that they reach three generations of Hispanics, “the first generation that does not speak English, we reach the second generation whose children do not speak Spanish because their parents did not want their children to experience discrimination, and the third generation is the Hispanic children who speak only English and want to learn Spanish to connect with their family.” This intergenerational outreach is another of the unique characteristics of Hispanos Emprendedores

Advertising, consulting, and customized services

First, Hispanos Emprendedores magazine sells advertising; the printed version is available in more than ten places in Clarksville, Tennessee, every three months. But it is also published on the website, which has an average of 45,000 monthly visits.

Maria clarified that, although the cover has no cost for the entrepreneur, it is not free, since it is financed by the money they receive from advertising; they only have to apply on their web page.

“We have advertising on the website, on our social networks, services, and special packages for entrepreneurs who want all of their advertising done, because we are also a digital marketing agency as such, we can create web pages, design, we deal with all of this. And well, little by little, we are including more services such as articles by expert guests on a particular topic,” commented Bracamonte.

María Jiménez y David Bracamonte, dos hermanos con un vínculo que va más allá de la sangre, son los creadores de la revista Hispanos Emprendedores. Este proyecto, que celebra su 25ª edición, ha conquistado el corazón de Tennessee y se ha convertido en un faro de inspiración para la comunidad hispana.

Meanwhile, they provide personalized consulting, marketing consulting, business models, accounting, and taxes, “we are going to promote this much more; we have tried to build this just like the magazine,” said David, who emphasized that they are looking to work calmly to ensure a quality service.

Por Hispanos Emprendedores

The Heart of Hispanos Emprendedores

are things to forgive, there are things to talk about, there are things that sometimes you have to keep quiet in order to listen to the other.”

“The Clarksville Chamber of Commerce has been a pillar for us. They are ambassadors for our project. Their director told me we are 100% grateful that you have taken the initiative to bring Hispanic leadership to Clarksville.”

Hispanos Emprendedores, la revista que celebra el espíritu emprendedor de la comunidad hispana en Tennessee, es liderada por dos personas que comparten una complicidad y hermandad excepcionales.

Maria and David firmly believe in the value of loving what you do and the importance of maintaining an orderly accounting record for the success of any business. This combination of passion and pragmatism has been a critical factor in their success. Maria puts it this way: “Do something you love to do. Love what you do, that every day you go to work, you say, wow, I’m going to do this today.”

María Jiménez y David Bracamonte, dos hermanos unidos por una conexión más allá de lo familiar, crearon este proyecto y han convertido la celebración de las 25 ediciones de en una oportunidad para compartir sus experiencias, desafíos y triunfos a lo largo del emocionante viaje que este proyecto les ha brindado.

Despite preconceived ideas, Maria and David have proven that working as a family and succeeding is possible. They have created a harmonious and productive work environment thanks to their deep spiritual formation and the clarity with which they manage money in the business. As David shared with us with a smile, “The main characteristic of why we get along well in the business is because we have a conviction and we believe in God, and we know that there

Maria and David have infused Hispanos Emprendedores with a spirit of inclusion and service. Maria describes it as a “little Walmart” where entrepreneurs can find everything they need. If they don’t have what someone needs, they will create it to satisfy that need. This attitude of service and adaptability is one of the reasons it has been so successful.

They know that 20% of the population is Hispanic and recognize its crucial role in economic development. They are the actual investors in the community.

On the other hand, they have had the support of the government of the city of Clarksville and Montgomery County, “we have directly interviewed the mayors to ask them about their positions with our Hispanics. We have interviewed the Montgomery County school principal, which is also a significant base; they have endorsed us, they respect us, they support us, and they are our ambassadors within this project.”

Key allies

Along the way, in addition to her team, some entities or associations become fundamental allies of the business in order for it to grow. In this case, Maria mentioned three of those that helped her have credibility in the community.

He included the BBB(Better Business Bureau) in the list, “they have also been ambassadors for us in our project. The Small Business Administration was also, at one time, the SBA.”

David said that all those who had sponsored the magazine had been allies. Still, he highlighted the support of the SBA, “we have been advising entrepreneurs who come to the Small Business

Administration, and they put them in contact with us who speak Spanish.”

Obstacles and challenges

“We went through cancer, we went through the pandemic. And at that point, the last thing people will invest is in advertising. We had a lot of plans, but we didn’t plan for cancer or a pandemic in the same period, practically two years apart. Now there are many small pebbles in the way, but they are daily; we never publicize all the nightmares we have to achieve our dream,” shared the accountant.

She is convinced they have established a reliable organization that complies with its tax obligations, licenses, and all legal requirements, just like the entrepreneurs they advise. They have forged a reputation

Love what you do

María, who considers herself the heart of Hispanos Emprendedores for letting herself be guided more by emotions, firmly believes that the essential aspect of entrepreneurship is enjoying your work, ‘do something you love to do. Because that is a vital part of your entire life. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t give your life, your heart, it won’t work.’

As usual, David complemented his sister’s words and explained that at first, he didn’t understand what she meant, but over time, he managed to do what he enjoys and enjoy it, ‘It’s something biblical, Colossians 3:23 says it, work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. So, do things with care.’ based on professionalism and commitment, and that fills them with pride and satisfaction.

‘I would add a more technical aspect, which is the accounting part. You have to have order in your accounting; it’s a matter of life or death for your business that you keep a good record of your expenses and your income,’ David added confidently.

Steady growth

In Hispanos Emprendedores, there are many plans to grow because it is not only a business, but it includes the part of responsibility with the community; that is why they are opening the Academia Hispanos Emprendedores to train Hispanics at no cost.

“It is a not-for-profit so you can receive the same counseling services without paying what they cost. We are going to have people who are going to donate money on the private side and also on the public side so that we can present a project for you for training. That project is already in place. We have already started with our first participant who qualified to win the scholarship,” said Maria.

David announced that apart from this, they plan for the Academia Hispanos Emprendedores to become a platform where people with professional knowledge can teach other entrepreneurs.

They want to show that they can contribute more than just money for the good of the Hispanic community, “it will be a website, it will have a mobile application, and you will be able to be there watching classes, looking at the courses. We are still working on those small digital details that we will launch soon. But that is now our big project: to have an academy for Hispanics who want to start a business in the United States— classes in Spanish for them.”