In November 2023, I founded Maco&Co.
It was not a leap into the unknown; I arrived with 25 years of experience in communication, a career that spanned journalism, press offices, and strategic consultancy.
I knew what I was doing… or did I?
What I didn't know was what it meant to do it for yourself, under your own name, your own judgment, and at your own risk.
Setting up your own consultancy completely changes your perspective on everything.
The client is no longer just a project handed to you; they are someone you have to understand, convince, retain, and sometimes educate.
Pricing is no longer a figure given to you by your boss; it is a number that you must defend.
And strategic communication, which had always been a craft to me, also becomes a business that must be sustained.
Three years of entrepreneurship in communications have taught me this: the first year you survive, the second year you learn, and the third year, at last, you begin to choose.
The first year: endless energy, but no compass
You have experience, you have judgment, but suddenly you have to put a price on all of that and defend it.
Am I charging too little?
Have I clearly explained what I do?
Have I fully understood their needs and objectives?
Doubts are constant and validation is scarce. But you press on. And little by little, thanks to a client who trusts you, a successful project, or a conversation confirming you are on the right track, you begin to find your rhythm.
The first year is not won; it is overcome.
The second year: finding your place
You begin to see which projects energize you and which ones drain you.
You refine your proposals, articulating with greater precision what you do, for whom, and how.
You realize you cannot be everything to everyone, and that trying to do so carries a physical and mental toll.
Little by little, your communication consultancy begins to take on a sharper identity.
Not just for others, but for yourself as well.
The third year: when everything changes
And at this moment, two magical things happen.
The first is realizing you are on the right track because you learn to say no.
And saying no liberates you.
You see it clearly when what they ask of you doesn't align with how you work—when someone who started by asking for a communication strategy ends up wanting standalone deliverables at bargain prices.
My work is not about quantity, but quality: crafting a narrative, deciding what is told and when, and giving it continuity to create real impact.
It is far better to decline honestly and keep the door open than to force a fit that will ultimately benefit neither party.
And that is where that tired yet true business adage fits in: when a client leaves because of price, they will return for service; but when they leave because of service, they will never return for price.
And the second magical thing that happens is when you receive a "no" that you had hoped and wished would be a "yes."
A company you have been pursuing for years, whose philosophy captivates you, whose contribution to the world you admire, and who you deeply respect, regrettably tells you that they currently have other priorities.
They see the value of strategic communication, but don't know how to integrate it right now.
And that is when you see that often some "noes" are really a "not yet," and those deserve all the patience in the world.
We will keep a close eye on them to help them see that sharing their story with the world and inspiring others with their way of doing things should also be one of their top priorities.
Communication is built with time and consistency, something not everyone is willing to pay for. Fortunately, more and more companies understand this dynamic, and that brings the energy to keep going.
Three years.
Many lessons.
And one certainty: results come when you stop chasing them and start building them.
Here's to year four!