Central Coast SBDC Serving Monterey and San Benito Counties.

(831) 216-3000

help@mcbc.biz

Success Stories

Cardenas Video

When Saul Cardenas started Cardenas Video, he was a creative at heart excited to dive into video projects—but the business side of things was a different story. Overwhelmed by questions about pricing, sales, marketing, and a flood of new acronyms like EIN, LLC, and KPIs, Saul hit a wall after a couple of years, feeling like he was working hard but seeing little financial reward.
 
Discovering the Central Coast SBDC through a workshop was a turning point—free business advising was exactly what he needed but hadn’t found elsewhere. Paired with advisor Brad Barbeau, MBA, PhD, whom Saul knew from his time at CSUMB, he immediately started working on a clear plan with actionable steps. With regular meetings, Saul received valuable advice on client management, sales meetings, and any business challenge he faced—feeling not only supported but truly understood by someone who had walked the same path.
 
Since then, Saul has tripled his average monthly revenue, is working with clients who both benefit from and value his services, and has grown more confident in his business skills. Though he still has goals ahead, Saul has already reached a milestone he once thought was out of reach—breaking new ground as the first in his family to pursue this entrepreneurial journey.
 
“Having someone like Brad in my corner has made a world of a difference,” Saul shares. “The most important part was getting advice on how to handle clients, sales meetings, and any business questions I had. I feel like I have my own business-growing cheat code.”
 
We’re proud to help entrepreneurs like Saul turn creativity and determination into lasting business success.

When creativity met the challenges of running a business, Saul Cardenas felt overwhelmed by pricing, sales, and endless acronyms—until connecting with the Central Coast SBDC. With no-cost business advising from Brad Barbeau, they turned uncertainty into strategy, tripling revenue and gaining the confidence to take his video production business to the next level.

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