Day in the life of
Digital Coach – Roberto Martinez
In my capacity as a Grow with Google (GwG) Digital Coach, my primary focus is to provide digital resources for Black and Latino business owners, such as building a website and understanding customer analytics, so they can grow online. I assist thousands of diverse small business owners with learning essential digital skills to run their businesses, who, in turn, use those new skills to serve their local neighborhoods.
Most of my work in this role revolves around technical assistance training via in-person and virtual workshops. The work focuses on providing small businesses a safe space where communities of color in particular can share and leverage their unique experiences as business owners to be successful in both the traditional brick-and-mortar, as well as in the virtual, business space.
That said, most of my time is spent on preparation. I speak with multiple small business partners about their needs and work on setting up workshops tailored to the audiences in attendance. During workshops, I focus on humanizing the entrepreneurial experience by connecting content with business owners’ personal stories and answering any questions the audience may have.
Pros
The best part of the job is the ability to provide countless resources to the entrepreneurs and having them come back a few weeks later to share how they were able to grow their company.
I also absolutely love developing personal connections with entrepreneurs and organizational leaders. Many have become great friends and allies, and it’s rewarding to see their success in both the short and long-term using the skills from the workshops. Many of the past attendees have gone on to become financial engines of growth for cities and neighborhoods where they work.
Cons
The challenges are what make the program so great: helping people unfamiliar with the internet and technology utilize Google tools. This was especially important during the onset of COVID-19, when businesses had to learn to grow their digital presence rapidly. There is a visible minority of business owners who grew up without the internet and had to adapt quickly to a new world to thrive. Luckily, our workshops are designed to benefit people at every skill level, so no matter how unfamiliar the digital tools are to these individuals when the program starts, our curriculum will provide the means to enable business growth.
