Biography

Marketing Impressions is a full service marketing, advertising, public relations, web design, and internet marketing firm offering marketing planning, graphic design and media relations to owner-operated small to medium size businesses, professionals, and non-profits. Established in 1986, CEO Victoria Garcia is well-known in the San Diego region for her work with advancing the growth goals of small and medium size businesses (SME) and as a popular speaker, teaching workshops and making presentations on a wide variety of marketing subjects for business associations for over 23 years.

Victoria was awarded a BA from Florida State University and holds a Juris Doctorate from Western State College of Law. Victoria is deeply involved with the community through her long time association with the U.S. SBA, on the Board of Directors of the Greater San Diego Business Association for 6 years, the San Diego Chapter of the Urban League, The San Diego Chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants, San Diego Community Colleges, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Business Journal, Pilipino Press, and San Diego Women Incorporated, a women’s business association she founded and was President of for over 10 years. As a member of the US SBA/SCORE since 1986, Victoria taught monthly small business workshops on marketing to hundreds of business owners.

Victoria was recognized in 1978 by Who’s Who in San Diego for her work with victims of domestic violence. Among her many awards, in 2007 Victoria was nominated by Vistage International and recognized for her work to educate and support small business by the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners with their advocacy award.

Starting in 2002 Victoria was elected to the Board of Directors of the Greater San Diego Business Association (the second largest Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in the nation) and chaired their Marketing Committee. She was successful in moving their marketing budget from $10,000 per annum to $65,000 per annum, launching a co-op billboard program, the first national television campaigns for a GLBT organization, establishing a new brand concept (“Friends Do Business With Friends”) and many other innovative promotional efforts which are now copied by other GLBT organizations across the country. She currently sits on the association’s Marketing Committee.

Most recently Ms Garcia coordinates three off line, real world “Meetups” each month through meetup.com: www.meetup.com/sandiegospeakersguild, www.meetup.com/san-diego-small-business-marketing and www.meetup.com/numbersatwork. These three meetups, which boast approximately 300 SME members, each month present 3 different hard to find targeted workshops on business subjects.

Having been part of the San Diego SME community for over 23 years, we have strong personal commitments to offer support and information whenever we can, particularly in these difficult economic times. Since January 2009, we have worked with the Bonding and Contract Financing Assistance Program of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority to design and implement two educational workshops which reach out to small and mid size building contractors. These recent workshops have gained an attendance of approximately 150 contractors and interested small businesses. Another workshop is currently planned for June.