This one hits close. A young anthropologist-turned-agency leader who almost lost it all in 2020, then chose service, rebuilt revenue, and now teaches others to sell by helping. Omi’s story shows what it really takes to flourish in business and life.
Origin to Ops
Omi Diaz Cooper is the co-founder of Diaz & Cooper, a platinum HubSpot Solutions Partner that operates as a top-down revenue operations consultancy.
The team is fully remote with Omi in Miami and teammates across the US, UK, Canada, and Latin America. Aviation and travel have become core niches, and the company is approaching its 25th year in business.
She didn’t start in marketing. She studied anthropology and later discovered how that lens helps her read human behavior, systems, and context. Early on, sales felt off to her. It held a stigma she had to unlearn. That shift would become a major turning point in her leadership.
A Cost Paid
Bias showed up in boardrooms and introductions. People assumed she was the assistant while she was actually the owner and CEO. Funding doors opened easier for others.
The harder part was internal. Omi had to rewrite internal mental messages inherited from the past about not showing how smart she is and step into her full voice. She learned to listen, draw problems out on paper, and communicate with clarity, not defensiveness. Persistence became a daily choice.
Then came 2020. Travel froze. “By the end of Q1 of 2020, we had lost nearly 80% of our revenue,” said Omi. She allowed herself to grieve, then moved. She rallied around people who were hurting more, shared community resources, and pivoted work into SaaS and communication projects. Loans helped. Courage and care did the rest.
The Ops Crucible
Omi’s crucible was redefining sales. After HubSpot’s Dan Tyre’s bootcamp, she saw sales as service. She later spoke on stage at INBOUND 2017 about it, a moment that confirmed the internal shift from “sales is gimmicky” to “sales connects real problems to honest solutions.” Today, she even teaches that bootcamp.
Two lines sum up her posture on power: “Empowerment is not something anyone else can give you.” And, “Empowerment is something that you have to dig deep and find out and gift it to yourself.”
Omi leads with service. She takes clients to lunch, follows up personally after surveys, and uses HubSpot’s customer experience tools to listen better, not automate distance. Networking is human, not transactional.
Curiosity is the superpower. Ask real questions. Build trust.
Be the person people gladly refer to because you showed up with care.
Inside the company, the most rewarding wins are people wins. Interns and early-career team members who now serve as VPs and strategists at major brands still reach back with gratitude. That is fuel.
Looking Ahead with HubSpot AND LIFE
AI is exciting. The bigger promise is more human work at scale. Omi’s take is simple. Use HubSpot to hear customers, respond with value, and act like a partner. Send fewer generic surveys. Follow up like a human. Choose conversations over campaigns when it counts. Her own next chapter is clear. Build a team-run company. Spend long stretches near the Mediterranean with her husband, who loves to sail. Live, work, and keep serving from Spain and Italy. Also, give her a horse and a quiet trail any day.
Why It Matters
This story reminds us that growth sits on the other side of identity work, not just GTM work. When we examine our beliefs, serve people in their hardest seasons, and sell by solving problems, businesses flourish.
- Teams flourish. We do too. “By the end of Q1 of 2020, we had lost nearly 80% of our revenue.” — Omi Diaz Cooper
- “Empowerment is something that you have to dig deep and find out and gift it to yourself.” — Omi Diaz Cooper
Reflect & Act
- Where am I letting an old story limit my sales or leadership today?
- Which customer needs a human follow-up from me this week?
- What habit would make my networking more curious and generous?
