Name/Title: Claudia Cruz, Link Building Manager at Thrive Agency
Home office: Located in the middle of the woods of Pittsboro, North Carolina.
Family and pets: Currently we are a family of four humans and two dogs.
Start date at Thrive: December 2, 2019.
How did you get started with Link Building?
I started out in link building as an outreach specialist. I learned the ropes on email campaigning, off-page SEO; activities, tactics, and strategies to help brands with their backlink strategy and here we are. Always learning and growing.
What do you love about working for Thrive so far?
I love working at Thrive because of our team. Among the many great things in Thrive, Thrivers are the best. Everybody is ready to help each other out and work together. Thrive also challenges me in all the positive ways.
When you’re not at work, how do you spend your time?
I spend time with my family, riding our bicycles, and jumping on the trampoline. I also binge-listen to podcasts when cooking — I love a good in-depth investigative series. Most recently I took up running for fitness, but my heart is still in weightlifting, powerlifting, strongman, cross-training, and kickboxing.
If you could turn anything into an Olympic sport, what would you have a good chance of winning a gold medal for?Hugging – I’d be a champion at giving hugs.
What would be your karaoke go-to song and what setting would we likely find you singing it in?
I don’t have a singing voice, although my daughter and I are taking singing lessons to fix that. I often find myself singing (or butchering) Gravity by Sara Bareilles.
If you could be any character from any book or movie, who would you be?
From TV – Agent Scully, the truth is out there.
Where did you grow up and what is special about that place?
I grew up in Isla del Carmen, an island on the Gulf of Mexico. Everything is special over there: the seafood, beaches, the people. I grew up snorkeling on the weekends, in a very tight-knit community, I am lucky to say that I have childhood friends and fantastic memories growing up there.
If you were in a room with three billionaires, what would you ask them and why?
“How about donating a big chunk of money, people?” – Why? It’s important to give back, in some shape or form.
If you could invite three people to dinner (dead or alive), who would be at the table and why?
I’d love to meet with Danny Garcia — to pick her brain on marketing, branding, PR, and blockbuster TV/Streaming/Film productions.
Sofia Vergara — to hear her talk so openly is refreshing, I enjoy her comedy a lot.
Yalitza Aparicio — to hear her tale coming from humble beginnings to a Hollywood star.
