Our Story
Nhela is a creative studio that specializes in destination marketing for small businesses.
Our name comes from anhelo, the Spanish word for longing.
That feeling of wanting something more, something meaningful. We believe that’s where the best stories begin.
We work with Texas-based small businesses that have a story to tell: cafes, music venues, wineries, bakeries, ranch stays, and gathering places that care about connection and culture.
Whether you're building a brand, launching something new, or want more people to discover what you do, we help you share your story in a way that feels authentic and gets results.
Because great marketing makes people feel something, remember you, and want to come back.
This is where what you do gets noticed for all the right reasons.
This is Nhela.
About the Founder
Part strategist, part storyteller, Lydia Hernandez helps brands connect, charm, and mean something.
With over 15 years of experience, she’s known for turning complex ideas into clear, relatable messaging that connects. Before launching Nhela, Lydia led content strategy for real estate and fintech companies. She also produced and promoted a cross-border concert series rooted in Latino culture, building loyal audiences across Southern California and Mexico.
Today, from her base in Houston, Texas, she blends strategy, story, and cultural insight to help small businesses grow with purpose.
Let’s tell your story.
A note from Lydia
I didn’t plan to build a marketing career. It started with a spark. ✦
Back in 2008, as a homeschooling mom expecting baby #2, I launched a personal blog simply to have a creative outlet. I didn’t know it then, but that little corner of the internet would open the door to everything that came next.
People started noticing my writing: first readers, then editors, and before long, I was contributing to magazines in Southern California. That’s when I stumbled into the world of copywriting: not just telling stories, but writing in a way that moved people.
I fell in love with the craft and began teaching myself, studying the greats of the 1960s ad age and learning how to give businesses a voice that felt human: real, relatable, and persuasive.
That skill would prove to be more than just creative. It became career-defining.
As a newly single mother of four, I needed work that would both provide and give me the flexibility to be there for my kids. With some hustle and a whole lot of grace from God, I grew that skill into a digital marketing career in fintech and real estate.
But storytelling always had my heart.
I turned that passion into concert promoting and within weeks, I built what others spent years chasing—a cross-border movement in Latin indie music that pulsed through California and Mexico. I partnered with indie venues in Southern California and Tijuana, working with Grammy-nominated artists and up-and-coming bands to expand their reach. It was an unforgettable season of creative growth, but eventually, I chose to refocus on the long-term vision I was building.
And that’s how Nhela was born.
Now rooted in my new home state of Texas, I founded Nhela with a clear mission: to help small businesses become destinations through thoughtful strategy, strong visual identity, and a story that feels as real as the people behind it.
Because I believe connection still matters. That voice still matters.
And great marketing? It’s just great storytelling, told well and with heart.
—Lydia
Founder, Nhela