"Colorful in the sense that she is vibrant and tenacious. Powerful in the sense that she is one of the most intelligent businesswomen I know. She is intuitive and trusts her instincts," said Colibri Collective Content Marketing Director Anaiis Ballesteros, of her boss.
Born in Mexico and raised in Arizona since 1989, Cardenas is the daughter of two immigrant entrepreneurs.
"I always knew I was going to be a business owner, I just didn't know when," Cardenas said.
Cardenas grew up watching her parents work hard to make their own dreams come true.
"I never knew my parents not to be working," Cardenas said, which is something that resonated with her when she launched the Colibri Collective in July, 2017.
The Colibri Collective is a Phoenix-based marketing and ad agency that focuses on digital and multicultural advertising.
She kept her spirit in mind when she was trying to come up with a name for her company. Colibri means hummingbird in Spanish.
"A hummingbird is one of the strongest and most fierce birds — they have the biggest heart in proportion to their body, and they aren't afraid to tackle big hawks," Cardenas said.
To her, the Colibri Collective does just that.
"We aren't afraid to go after big businesses, we create beautiful, colorful campaigns that ignite emotions, and we have a big heart," Cardenas said.
Though Colibri was a new business, Cardenas knew she had a lot to offer.
"It's difficult, but I am blessed for the people that we're able to say, 'she has the background. She has the expertise,' and clients gave me a shot. I was able to build the business to where it's at now," Cardenas said.
Her digital advertising journey started in 2001 when she began working for Entravision Communication as a senior account executive.
As someone who has held stable jobs, Cardenas knew the leap to becoming her own boss was going to come with a big risk.
"I could have easily taken clients who have already done business with me, but it's more than that. As much as I was starting my own brand, I was starting Colibri," Cardenas said.
One of the biggest opportunities Cardenas saw when launching her company was there are very few women who own digital advertising agencies.
It is important for Cardenas to work with clients that align with her and her team's values. The clients she works with are mission- and cause-driven companies, like schools, political campaigns and educators.
"Our clients are loyal to us and we are loyal to them. We really work together as an integrated team and that's what keeps me going," Cardenas said.
Her team is important to her, as well. After the company's successful first year, Cardenas decided to hire two of her best contractors full-time to help give them more security. Her decision to do so was a huge investment, but " if you are not investing in your employees, your business is not going to be successful," Cardenas said.
" I don't want my employees to have to struggle with paying taxes because there were no deductions. I don't ever want to put them in a situation where there is any kind of burden," Cardenas said.
"My business is successful because we are a collective of talent. There is no business that I know of, that if successful because of their CEO and leadership. It's because of the team they build and I am all about building teams rather than taking the praise," Cardenas said.
As the owner of her own company, it is easy for Cardenas to get lost in her work. This is why quality time is important to her.
She loves hiking, her dog, spending time with parents and exploring new restaurants. She also is on the board of directors for YWCA, a nonprofit set out to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace.
In five years she wants to make sure she still is the owner of the Colibri Collective.
"I want to make sure I am building our future with talent. I definitely want to make sure I am inspiring other Latinas or Latinos, and as it is Latinas already face a lot of challenges. It's a male-dominant world, and I want to make sure we continue to grow and shine and give opportunities to everyone," Cardenas said.
So far Cardenas has done just that. Sandra Cardenas, vice president of client services at the Colibri Collective, said she feels like she is a part of a bigger picture when she is working with her sister.
"The trust she gives to better service our clients is what I like about working with Gaby. She values my opinion and talent to help the business grow," Sandra Cardenas said.
