Maria Blanco
Maria Blanco is a dynamic business development professional, travel concierge, and Feng Shui consultant with more than two decades of experience spanning television production, talent management, and experiential travel. Based in Hialeah, Florida, she currently serves as Director of Business Development for Roxy Concierge, where she focuses on expanding partnerships, designing curated luxury travel experiences, and supporting corporate and entertainment clients with seamless logistics and personalized service. Known for her vibrant personality and strong relationship-building skills, Maria brings creativity, organization, and strategic insight to every project she undertakes.
Earlier in her career, Maria built a successful foundation in television production and talent management, collaborating with major networks such as Univision, Telemundo, Roku, and Netflix. She worked closely with artists, producers, and creative teams as a Talent Manager and Development Coordinator, overseeing travel logistics, casting coordination, and production support. Her contributions to the industry were recognized with an Emmy nomination for her work on Telemundo’s morning show Un Nuevo Día. This extensive background in entertainment has uniquely positioned her to merge production expertise with high-end travel planning and event coordination.
In addition to her work in business development and entertainment, Maria is a longtime Feng Shui consultant and advocate for energy alignment in personal and professional spaces. Through her consulting work, she helps individuals and organizations create environments that promote clarity, balance, and success. Guided by a passion for connection, creativity, and transformation, Maria continues to build meaningful partnerships, curate unforgettable experiences, and help clients bring their visions to life through intentional design, strategic planning, and inspired collaboration.
• Feng Shui Consultant
• Ft Lauderdale College
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to networking, plain and simple. My networking has always been my solid thing for everything. I worked in television production for over 20 years, and even working for a corporation, networking has been it. It's just networking within the corporation, networking outside. To me, it's definitely networking. That's what has gotten me known and opened doors throughout my career, whether I was working in the corporate world or now running my own business.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Coming from the corporate world for over 30 years and just recently venturing into my own business and entrepreneurship, I would say that if you're in the corporate world, prepare yourself and eventually look into going on your own. And definitely just learn every day. There's so many things to learn, especially now with AI and the internet. My biggest thing right now is to speak to my generation - I'm 59 - and what I've realized is that there's a big percentage of us in my age that are going with the trenches and following the AIs and all this technical world, but there's a good 50% of us that's like, 'Oh, no, that's just too much for me.' I really want to become an ambassador for AI and the internet world for all of us old-timers, because it's either you're on that bandwagon or you're going to be off. AI is not going to replace us, it's just going to enhance what we can do.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is to make a lot of friends in the industry. Networking is what gets you known. Talk to people and don't be afraid. I've learned that a lot of entrepreneur women that I've met are afraid to speak. They feel like we're outnumbered in a man's world, in entrepreneurship, and that's changing. I would give that advice - just be out there, network, go to events, even if it's just all men. Go there and show your pride. Don't be intimidated. Walk into those rooms and put your pride shoes on, make conversations, talk to these men, and make them realize that you're an intelligent woman that they can actually do business with as well.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in our field right now is being a woman entrepreneur. We are a concierge service and we attend a lot of networking events, and that is what I find is a little bit of our struggle. When we walk into a room that's majority men, which are the majority of entrepreneurs right now, I feel a little bit intimidated sometimes. So I've got to walk in there and put my pride shoes on, make conversations, and talk to these men and make them realize that I'm an intelligent woman that they can actually do business with as well. On the opportunity side, I think the best thing we have going for us right now is the fact that I'm bringing the talent world to Roxy Concierge. I worked in television production practically my whole life doing travel logistics for talent and productions. I think that incorporating this talent travel and growing our company in that direction is going to be our biggest achievement and what makes us grow right now.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My biggest value is networking, keeping my connections, and bringing value to yourself as a person and being able to connect in every single way. In my business, my value is just to get out and talk to people, know people, and know them as a person as well. What I'm learning, especially after COVID, is that so many people are doing so many different things. I just feel like the value to me is networking, communication, and talking. Letting people know what you do so that it can then bring you value the real way. That's a big value for me.