Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Guevara.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am originally from Lima, Peru and I moved to the States in July 2001, 21 years ago. I faced and overcame several challenges at such a young age (19) including learning a new language, sleeping in my car, dealing with a domestic violence relationship, and juggling three jobs to support myself and my mom. While these challenges delayed my education, I was determined to follow my dreams of completing a higher education. Which I did.
Eventually, I enrolled at DeVry University in March 2009, where I became an active leader as a Student Ambassador, chosen to be one of the first Orlando-based students to participate in DeVry’s Study Abroad Program traveling and studying in France and Germany, and chosen the valedictorian of my graduation class 2012 where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Sales & Marketing with Magna Cum Laude honors (3.67 GPA). At the same time, in my previous job, I got promoted from Sales Associate to Store Manager and then the Southeast Regional Marketing Specialist, where I trained over 1,000 employees across FL, GA, NC & SC, launched a new product line, and led the Southeast region to be # 1 nationwide in the three main company’s initiatives that I oversaw at that time.
Simultaneously, I enrolled at Keller Graduate School of Management where I completed a Master’s Degree in Project Management with distinctions (3.97 GPA) in 2017 and became a realtor in 2020. Now, I am a Federal Emergency Senior Project Manager for the US government and a Real Estate Project Manager for Benge Development assisting Tony Benge with the land development processes of all of our business portfolio projects.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Extremely far from a smooth road, for sure!! As I mentioned before, I’ve faced and overcome several challenges at such a young age. Being an immigrant and a woman in this country is not easy, but it’s not impossible either to make your dreams a reality. These challenges helped me to grow and mature in an exponential rate. I needed to survive and make it through. There was no other option than “take the bull by the horns”. I built a strong will, tenacity, determination, perseverance, strong work ethics, and became unbreakable to deal with humiliations and critics from many others. I never give up. Every tear, every fail, and every personal & professional disappointment shaped me to get up stronger, and as a result, I became a fiercely, and unstoppable independent Latina.
Life always finds a way to test our character and strengths. In 2018, my mom, Ana M. Gonzalez, was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer in the esophagus. I was devastated and I literally failed down to my knees crying. She held me so tie and without breaking a tear, she stated with such a powerful voice: “This cancer will NOT defeat me”. We lived very stressful months. She was managing her chemotherapy and radiation sessions, while I was managing my deployed job at FEMA helping with the disasters of Hurricanes of Irma and Maria in PR and USVI assisting with the Public Assistance Program, and juggling my personal and professional demands so she would keep her house and her stability. We received help from only few family members, but many from friends who we called family today. They came family because they made a conscious decision to stay in our lives and support us along the way.
In 2021, unfortunately, my mom was diagnosed with cancer again. She is a walking miracle. Not only God has helped her to defeat one, but two cancers. She is unstoppable and has the most drive, stronger will, and unbreakable determination that I’ve ever seen in any humankind. On July 14, 2022, she became a US citizen and I cannot be prouder of her, all of her hard work, and all of her sacrifices that guided me to be where I am today. I am blessed and grateful to have her as my mom.
I believe that we must live a life with a purpose, and for many years, I have participated in several different charitable efforts to help and sustain our communities. I have managed and overseen many different non-profit campaigns such as fed the homeless, collected supplies for back to school and toys for the children in need during Christmas, and raised money for the Base Camp Children Foundation. I am part of the committee of the Black & White weekend event with Heissam Jebailey and we collected a grand total of $47,394.31 (Forty-Seven Thousand Three Hundred Ninety-Four and 31 Cents) in support of kids battling cancer in May 2022. And we, Benge Development has contributed as the main sponsors for the event as well. I am a strong believer that the secret of living is to give. Give back to ourselves (self-love), give back to the people we care and love, and give back to our community and those who need it the most. Our blessings always find the way, not necessarily how we want them, but when we need it the most. God’s time is perfect.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
At Benge Development, we specialize in large-scale and mixed-use developments in Central Florida. We currently have 52 projects in the development pipeline. Our most recent projects are in Pasco County, Apopka, Titusville, Lake Idyl, Lake Springs, and Wildwood with 340 MF units, 165 ILF units, and 120,000 sq/ft medical offices to serve the Villages area. I am proud to be part of the Benge Development team because it is a company that provides a diverse range of housing types and price ranges to the Central Florida market. Development helps our communities for growth and prosper; therefore, we believe that the more involved we are, the better those changes can be implemented for a positive holistic product. Ultimately, our goal is to build up world-class destinations with the best variety of real estate projects in Central Florida.
As developers, we work with array of professionals from Brokers, Investors, Architects, Civil Engineers, Traffic Engineers, Soil & Geotechnical Engineers, Biological & Environmental Experts, Appraisers, Government Officials, and many more to ensure that we create a positive and substantial impact in the communities we built. To be successful in this industry, it not only requires to have a great understanding of how to develop a good real estate project, but also identify and determine the impact in the short and long term spectrum for the city. We work hard and constantly to ensure that our projects add value in each community we develop and expand.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.bengedevelopment.com/
- Instagram: carla_guevara_realtor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlaGuevaraCommercialRealtor/?ref=pages_you_manage
Image Credits
Patty Brown
Carmen Prieto
