Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Urrabazo
Hi Anna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey began with a focus on entrepreneurship and family. It all started when my daughter Amanda wanted a photo booth at her 10th birthday party. After realizing the cost for these services, she decided to invest her own money in our first booth, sparking the idea to start a rental business. Today, we own thirteen booths and offer a variety of experiences, including audio and video guest books.
Alongside this, I’m an executive at one of the largest credit unions in the nation, and I use our business to teach my children about entrepreneurship. We’re also passionate about giving back, particularly supporting organizations like Any Baby Can of San Antonio, which helped us when my son Roger was diagnosed with Autism.
Our business has grown thanks to the support of family and friends. In our first year, we completed 149 events! Now, we’re focused on expanding our reach and continuing to build a brand that reflects our values of family, community, and support for small businesses.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. Starting a business while balancing a full-time executive role and family responsibilities presented its own challenges. One of the biggest struggles was managing the time and energy needed to grow the business, especially in the early days when everything was new, and we were learning as we went.
We also use this time as a family to bond and work together. My kids pitch in by cleaning the props and loading equipment, and my daughter plays an active role as an attendantat some events. It’s become a true family effort, where everyone contributes in their own way, making the challenges feel more manageable and the successes even more rewarding.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work for Security Service Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the nation. I serve as the Vice President of Payment Solutions, where I’m responsible for the money movement strategies and various payment processing operations.
My education and background is in Business, Accounting and Finance. I started my career by working on mergers and acquisitions. I was part of the credit unions growth from a $4 Billion credit union to its current size of just shy of $13 Billion. I’ve held several roles throughout my career and I spent the last 11 years focused on payment processing initiatives.
I’m very proud of how I managed to juggle several aspects of my life. Early on I was focused on my career and learning as much as possible. Never saying no to an opportunity, even if I wasn’t 100% comfortable, I had the “I’ll figure it out” mentality. I believe this is what lead to my success.
I’m able to find efficiencies in operations. Over the years, I’ve implemented automated processes to help reduce the need for manual efforts to help streamline operations. This is a crucial strategy, especially as we continue to experience growth, we want to keep our operating costs as low as possible.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The most important quality to our success is building strong relationships. Whether it’s collaborating with cross-functional teams in my executive role or connecting with clients and community members through our photo booth business, relationships are at the heart of everything we do.
Fostering trust, understanding, and mutual respect with others has been key to our growth. These connections not only help us deliver exceptional service but also create a network of support that has been invaluable. By prioritizing relationships, we ensure that our business is rooted in genuine connections, which makes our work more meaningful and impactful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.amandasphotoboothsa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandas_photobooth
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079995721561&mibextid=ZbWKwL
