Finding Your Voice: What Squarespace Circle Day & Bad Bunny's Marketing Genius Taught Me About Authenticity in Business
There's something electric about walking into a room full of creative professionals who actually get it. That's exactly how I felt stepping into Squarespace Circle Day 2025 in New York. The energy was LIT AF, the SquareKicker team had flown in all the way from New Zealand, and I was reunited with Rebecca (@techwithbecca), my Circle Day buddy this year.
But here's what I wasn't expecting: I walked in feeling stuck, and I walked out remembering who I am.
Let me back up…
The Question That's Been Haunting Me
For years, I've carried this tension. Coming from corporate and working with big brands as their chief marketing officer, I learned early on that to represent a brand properly, I “needed to”... disappear. Morph into their identity. Muzzle my own voice to some extent.
And look, I get it. When you're stewarding someone else's brand, there's a level of professionalism and alignment required. But somewhere along the way, I started believing that to be taken seriously in business, I had to water myself down. Hide my Dominican energy. Tone down the New York directness. Be more "professional."
The question haunting me? Can I be myself AND still attract aligned clients?
Circle Day answered that question loud and clear. HECK MF YASSSS!
The Keynote That Changed Everything
The last keynote speakers at Circle Day absolutely blew me away: Puno and Mindy Nguyen from ilovecreatives Studio. Not because they had the fanciest slides or the most polished presentation, but because they showed up with SO MUCH PERSONALITY. They were authentically, unapologetically themselves.
Their story hit different. Puno launched ilovecreatives Studio as an extension of his brand, and later joined forces with Mindy, a Squarespace Design Course graduate who wanted to exercise her creativity and, here's the key part, work with brands she was more closely aligned with. Together, they built a business that supported the lives they wanted to live, even as those lives shifted over time.
Since 2018, they've guided their studio through milestones and life events, staying true to one core principle: define success on your own terms.
And here's what hit me: They talked about how clients don't just align with your services, they align with YOUR PERSONALITY. Mindy specifically spoke about wanting to work with brands she aligned with. Not just any client. Not every project. The ones that felt right.
Read that again!
Your clients aren't just buying web design or branding or marketing strategy. They're buying YOU. Your perspective. Your energy. The way you see the world and solve problems.
These speakers validated something I'd been too afraid to embrace: You can serve clients at the highest level WITHOUT disappearing into their brand. You can be the expert they hire while still being yourself.
Puno and Mindy proved it. They built one of the industry's most recognizable full-service agencies by staying flexible, trusting their vision, and—most importantly—working with brands they actually aligned with. They showed that with the right team, tools, and processes, you can build both a fulfilling business AND a fulfilling life.
That revelation? That's what Circle Day gave me. (You can watch their full story and learn more at ilovecreatives.com.) And it couldn't have come at a better time, because I've been watching another master class in authenticity unfold in real time.
Bad Bunny's Marketing Masterclass: From Puerto Rico to the Super Bowl
As we close out Hispanic Heritage Month, I can't stop thinking about Bad Bunny's marketing genius. And with his recent Super Bowl 2026 halftime show announcement, the world is finally catching up to what many of us have known for years: this man doesn't just make music. He builds cultural movements.
Let me paint the picture.
In summer 2025, instead of doing a traditional world tour, Bad Bunny made a decision that had the music industry scratching their heads: He announced a residency in Puerto Rico. Not Las Vegas. Not Miami. Puerto Rico. His home.
"No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí" — "I Don't Want to Leave Here."
That was the name of the residency. Thirty sold-out shows over seven weekends at San Juan's El Coliseo. And when I say 'sold out,' I mean 400,000 tickets sold in 24 hours. An estimated $100-200 million economic impact on the island. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flooding Puerto Rico. Including MEEEEEEE!!!
But here's what makes this marketing genius: Bad Bunny didn't water himself down to go mainstream. He doubled down on exactly who he is.
His album Debí Tirar Más Fotos ("I Should Have Taken More Photos") is a love letter to Puerto Rican culture, blending modern reggaeton with salsa, bomba, and plena. Traditional island sounds meeting contemporary beats. The stage design for his shows? A replica of Puerto Rico's countryside, complete with lush greenery, palm trees, and plastic beach chairs scattered as props.
He literally turned the arena into an immersive Puerto Rican experience.
Each night brought different surprise guests, creating a "you had to be there" energy that kept the momentum building. Artists like Jhayco, Young Miko, Eladio Carrión, Rauw Alejandro, and salsa legends Gilberto Santa Rosa and Rubén Blades joined him on stage.
The night I joined the residency live? El Alfa performed.
As a Dominican woman, seeing Bad Bunny bring out one of our biggest stars in the middle of his Puerto Rican celebration? Eso es orgullo. That's pride. That's unity. That's exactly what happens when you lead with authenticity: you create space for everyone to shine.
Images courtesy of billboard.com
And on the final night? Marc Anthony joined him for an emotional performance of "Preciosa" a song Bad Bunny hadn't performed in over 20 years. As a salsa dancer myself, I have to say: Marc Anthony is one of my favorites, even though he loves to switch up the hooks and keep us on our toes. But that's the beauty of it, you adjust, you pick it up, you keep moving. Any salsa dancer reading this knows exactly what I mean. LOL
Bad Bunny paused to pay homage to the pioneers who paved the way, Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, and so many others who built reggaeton from the ground up. He incorporated live bomba drummers and Los Pleneros de la Cresta on stage, bringing traditional Puerto Rican sounds to a global audience.
But here's where the marketing genius really showed: La Casita.
Bad Bunny built a replica of a traditional Puerto Rican house, una casita, right inside the venue. And this wasn't just set design. It became the VIP hangout spot where celebrities were filmed partying, dancing, and fully immersing themselves in the culture.
We're talking LeBron James, Darren Aronofsky, Austin Butler, Jon Hamm, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, French soccer star Kylian Mbappé, people who are NOT from Latin culture, completely embracing this Puerto Rican experience. The videos of director Darren Aronofsky surrounded by reggaeton dancers went viral. Austin Butler later admitted on The Tonight Show that someone gave him an edible before the show, which explained his enthusiastic dancing that broke the internet.
This is influencer marketing at its finest.
Every night, people were waiting to see: Who's going to show up at La Casita next? Who's Bad Bunny going to bring out on stage? The FOMO was real. The buzz was constant. And all of it reinforced one message:
The entire production was designed to say: This is where I'm from. This is who I am. And I'm not apologizing for it.
And now? He's headlining the Super Bowl.
That's what happens when you stop shrinking yourself and start showing up fully.
The Lesson Both Taught Me
Circle Day speakers and Bad Bunny taught me the same thing from different angles:
Authenticity isn't a liability. It's your superpower.
When you show up as yourself—your whole self—you don't repel everyone. You repel the wrong people and magnetize the right ones.
You attract clients who don't just need your services. They need YOUR perspective, your energy, your approach.
Bad Bunny didn't build his career by trying to appeal to everyone. He built it by going ALL IN on who he is, where he's from, and what he stands for. And the result? A cultural movement that's taken him from Puerto Rico to the biggest stage in American entertainment.
What This Means for Your Business (And Mine)
So what does this mean for you? For me? For any woman entrepreneur building a brand?
1. Stop Morphing Into What You Think Clients Want
Your website shouldn't sound like a corporate press release. Your brand shouldn't look like everyone else's. Your voice shouldn't be muzzled.
If you're naturally warm and conversational, your copy should reflect that. If you're bold and direct, lean into it. If your cultural background shapes how you see the world, that's not something to hide, that's your edge.
The entrepreneurs who win aren't the ones who play it safe. They're the ones who show up fully and trust that the right people will recognize themselves in that authenticity.
2. Your Cultural Identity Is Your Competitive Advantage
Bad Bunny proved this on the world's biggest stage. He didn't succeed despite being deeply rooted in Puerto Rican culture. He succeeded because of it.
Your Dominican heritage. Your New York hustle. Your journey from corporate to entrepreneurship. Your perspective as a woman in your 40s who's built something from scratch, that's not background noise. That's your story. That's what makes you different.
In a sea of sameness, your roots are what make you recognizable.
3. Personality-Driven Branding Attracts Better Clients
When you build a brand around YOUR personality, something magical happens: you start attracting clients who actually want to work with you.
Not every client is YOUR client. And that's exactly the point.
The Circle Day speakers nailed this. They talked about how the businesses that thrive aren't trying to be everything to everyone. They're clear about who they are, what they stand for, and who they serve. And that clarity? It's like a beacon for the right people.
4. Create Experiences, Not Just Transactions
Whether it's a Circle Day event or a Puerto Rico residency, the most memorable brands create experiences.
Bad Bunny didn't just put on concerts. He designed every detail, stage design, setlist, merch, partnerships with local businesses—to reinforce one cohesive story. Fans didn't just attend a show. They became part of a cultural moment. And then they became his marketing army, sharing videos and stories that kept the momentum going long after the residency ended.
Your website and brand should create that same feeling.
When someone lands on your site, they shouldn't just see services and pricing. They should feel something. They should know immediately if this is their place, their person, their moment.
Full Circle
I walked into Circle Day carrying a question I'd been wrestling with for years. I walked out with an answer I didn't expect.
And then I watched Bad Bunny's journey from a Puerto Rico residency to a Super Bowl halftime show announcement, and it all clicked.
You don't have to choose between authenticity and success. You don't have to muzzle yourself to be taken seriously. You don't have to disappear into your clients' brands to serve them well.
The opposite is true.
The more you show up as yourself—fully, boldly, unapologetically—the more you attract the people who need exactly what you have to offer.
Bad Bunny didn't scale by watering himself down. He scaled by going deeper into who he is. And that's exactly what I'm doing moving forward. No more morphing. No more muzzling. Just me. My voice. My vision. My way.
Because the clients who are meant for me? They're not looking for a generic brand strategist or web designer. They're looking for someone who gets them, challenges them, and helps them build something that feels like HOME.
And I'm finally ready to be that person—fully.
Ready to Build a Brand That Sounds Like You?
If this resonates, if you've been hiding parts of yourself to seem "professional," if you're ready to stop playing small and start showing up fully—let's talk.
I help established women entrepreneurs build brands and websites that don't just look good. They feel RIGHT. Because your business should reflect who you actually are, not who you think you're supposed to be.
Explore how we can work together →
P.S. Shoutout to Rebecca (@techwithbecca) for being the best Circle Day buddy a girl could ask for. And to Bad Bunny for showing us all what's possible when you refuse to dim your light. 🇵🇷💛
Quick! Pin this before you forget - your future self will thank you! 💡
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