Elvira Guzman
27, CEO Elvie G PR
Life is a dream for 27-year-old CEO Elvira Guzman. She owns and operates her own public relations firm, having proudly managed the public images of notable celebs Steve Harvey, Musiq Soulchild, Cupid, George Wallace and Troy Byer. But life wasn’t always a dream. At the age of 14 both of Guzman’s parents were incarcerated and she had to grow up fast in the city of Covina, California.
“I went from having my own cleaning lady to being a cleaning lady,” Guzman explained. “I had to get a job and work to take care of what I needed. I was a babysitter too.”While Guzman doesn’t deny that her parent’s absence had a profound impact on her life, she somehow managed to strike gold when she was chosen to be mentored by comedian Steve Harvey who gave her her very first job out of college.
Since then this saucy executive with Mexican & Filipino roots has held hands with one of the funniest comedians in show business and together they have transformed the Steve Harvey brand into a household name. The lessons learned in her 10 year career in the entertainment industry abound and she eagerly shares her wisdom with the readers of My Savvy Sisters.
“Respect yourself,” she said. “Never let anyone know how you’re really feeling inside. A lot of women tend to go off emotions and show their fears. My mentors were 3 strong Black millionaires who taught me to never wear your emotions on your sleeve or people will eat you alive.”
When faced with a tough question on the job Guzman said, “Don’t ever say you don’t know how.Figure it out. Don’t ask why or how just figure it out and do it.”
Guzman has celebrated many triumphs in her career, but none live up to the memory of going to Jamaica with the Steve Harvey Radio Network and adopting 10 schools to donate books and financial assistance. “It was awesome to see what they did with the money. A lot of went to restoring bathrooms an things we take for granted,” Guzman said.
Guzman said she does a happy dance when she books a client a big feature in a magazine or helps a client make a breakthrough in their career. Her love for helping people to see their dreams come true only adds value to her stunning presence.
“Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?” I asked before we ended the interview.
“Yes,” she said and paused as she collected her thoughts. “Tell them don’t be afraid to fail. If you are afraid to walk forward because you’re afraid to hear the word ‘no’ then you’ll never reach your potential.”
Visit Ms. Guzman’s website at http://elviegpr.com/
