One reason recognizing women takes a whole month is that they have a lot on their plates and often juggle more than one project or task; hence, this story coming in at the clutch on the last day of March – Women’s month. But still, a story worth telling.

Back in 2017, two best friends, Erika Madriñan and Roxi Biribicchi set out, wanting to travel the world - and get paid doing it. “Why can’t travel brands create content for travelers?” they thought to themselves. Then the lightbulb moment. “What if we were the marketing agency for travel companies?”

That question has since catapulted the pair into a career and lifestyle they only dreamed of before.

From simply wanting to travel the world and get paid doing it, Erika and Roxi built Near Creative – a woman-led agency that values culture, creativity, and performance. They secured their first major client, “Cebu Pacific,” with nothing but grit and a great idea.

They soon began working with brands like Taveloka, Masungi Reserve, and Shangri-La Hotels.

Like many, Near Creative had to shift gears during the pandemic; they leaned into experimentation, pivoting to webinars and new content formats to help brands stay visible. During this time, Erika, Roxi, and their growing company had the reinforced philosophy that freedom only works when the business is healthy, adaptable, and grounded in strong systems.

Starting with influencer marketing, Near Creative expanded to full-scale social media management, and with Erika’s background in AI and marketing, this was a logical avenue to pursue.

“I’m not scared to use AI,” Erika said. “If people don’t use AI, we will be left behind,” she shares.

“AI is only as good as the one managing it,” Erika said, tapping into her exposure to AI-driven environments in Berlin. “AI makes my life so much easier and makes content faster for my team as well, if you don’t use AI in marketing, it will really slow you down,” Erika said.

Erika has shared that AI gives her a starting point, such as creating leadership training and providing feedback to her team grounded in their core competencies of Emotional Intelligence, Autonomy, Customer Centricity, Critical Thinking, Grit, and Positive Accountability.

“Providing feedback is very important for us,” Erika said. “I’m excited about managing really smart people,” she shared. For Erika, there is a knowledge that you gain when you help guide and nurture people. “It’s not easy,” she admits. “But you learn so much in emotional intelligence, positivity, and self-awareness.”

Happily married and content in her life now. Erika reflects on starting Near Creative with Roxi at 23. “I feel being a woman, you need to work harder to reach certain goals, because people would expect more from you, compared to men,” Erika said.

Near Creative's co-founder, Roxi, is a mother of two. “I don’t think how she lives her life now would be possible if she lived in a corporate world,” Erika said. “And that’s what we are trying to change in our company, that each person has equal opportunity, no matter what. That it’s possible to have different options but still be happy in life.”

“If I die tomorrow, I’m okay”, Erika shared this dark joke, which she tells her husband. “I’m very content, but I still want to keep growing the company, while also having a life,” she reflected.

When asked what advice she would give to anyone who would want to pursue a dream like hers, she shared: “Do things scared and do it anyway. I think we all have a vision of who we want to be. And all I wanted to be was someone who could do whatever I wanted, and love the thing that I do, and I just took it one step at a time.”

From two best friends who just wanted to get paid while travelling the world, Erika and Roxi built a company that now has more than 30 employees and a growing portfolio of clients, including Spotify, Aquaflask, and Shiseido. And for Erika, Near Creative is not like any other agency; they value work-life balance built on trust and performance, not burnout.

“Work hard so that you can live the life that you deserve. Life is too short,” Erika said.

Erika and Roxi may be part of the wave of millennial leaders creating a shift in the work environment, and that can be a real game-changer in our constant pursuit of balance in our lives.