Born in Alpine, Riojas moved to Corpus Christi with her family at the age of 3. After graduating from King High School in 1987, she studied Del Mar College, where she majored in psychology and business administration.

But her greatest teacher was someone closer to home. Riojas credits her mother, Cruz Ruiz Colomo, as her greatest role model and influence, saying, “She has always been active in our community and always taught me that a woman can do anything a man can do—especially in business. She always taught me to be proud of my heritage and my city.”

Natural talent for time management and networking brought opportunities. After being a marketing consultant for about eight years, Riojas knew she wanted to start her own business.

“The owner of that company had already committed to selling it to someone else,” she recalls. “So we agreed that I would take my customers and start my own operation, working out of my home in 2008.”

Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. “Two years ago, I took a leap of faith,” Riojas says, “But having been in this industry for eight years gave me the knowledge and customer base to move forward. I also have support from family and friends. If you want it bad enough and work hard enough, all things are possible.”

In a short two years, that company, OTB Outside the Box, Marketing & Promotional Specialty Co, LLC, has expanded to an office at 4825 Everhardt Rd., Suite 7, Corpus Christi, as well as a satellite location in New Braunfels. As the owner and majority stockholder of OTB, Riojas oversees day-to-day operations and handles all outside sales for the company, which supplies promotional merchandise in a dizzying array of categories.

While the greatest challenge Riojas deals with is competing with some of the larger businesses in the area, her can-do attitude wins loyalty and support. “I really like to sit down with a client, and, whether it’s a large or small budget, I will find them what they need quickly and get it to them on time.”

Dealing with more than 5,000 suppliers of some 500,000 different items, OTB will supply however many a client needs. “Currently, T-shirts, koozies and pens are the most popular kinds of promotional items,” she notes. Through its two locations and an easy-to-navigate Web site at www.OTBMarketing4U.com, the company can serve any customer in the United States.

Customers are impressed by Riojas’ above and beyond services. Lucinda Rodela, a public relations coordinator for Stripes, has been working with her for about 18 months. “She came in to call on Stripes, which uses promotional items for grand openings, employee incentives, silent auctions and our internal trade show,” Rodela recounts.

Since that meeting, OTB has become Stripes’ primary supplier of promotions.

“We tell her what we envision and she makes suggestions. When we wanted to showcase financial contributions in various communities for sales, Cathy came back with a necklace with dollar sign charms on it,” Rodela says. “We created banners and candy mints with dollar signs too and it all worked together. If not on time, she delivers early, not late. It feels like she’s looking out for Stripes and always getting us the best deal. We consider her a vendor partner, not just a supplier.”

Being the face of OTB in the community and with customers, Riojas is supported by Jeffrey Riojas, her husband, who handles operations, including business accounting and delivery services.

“The best part of working with Cathy in our business is that we have the freedom to make our own destiny,” he says. “You get out of it, what you put into it.”

Tania Claudio, a personal friend, has known Riojas for about seven years and admires her dedication to service. “She and Jeff work closely—they compliment each other. Her greatest ability is time management, which allows her to juggle and handle so much, including civic and church activities. With Cathy, it’s about service above self. She’s an inspiration,” Claudio says.

A firm believer in the benefits of community service and involvement, Riojas is active in local organizations. “I volunteer as much as possible for as many events and help as many non-profits as I can,” she stresses.

Currently, she is serving as secretary for the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is the newly-elected secretary for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Board of Directors for South Texas. In the past, she co-chaired the Harbor Lights Tree Village, as well as the Latin Area at Buc days in 2009.

“Cathy has a great ability to get things done,” agrees Chad Magill, chairman of the board, Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Magill serves with Riojas at the Hispanic Chamber, as well as on the board of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of South Texas. “She is a strong leader, who can build a team, take an initiative or mission, and see it through. You can always count on Cathy.”

When it comes to attributes, “Cathy’s greatest strength is how she ‘Pays it forward,’ ” Magill stresses. “She gives of her time, her hard work, and her expertise to help others first.”

For anyone hoping to make a difference, Magill advises, “Take Cathy as a role model. Her countless hours of serving the community on numerous boards, committees, and initiatives speaks well if you are passionate, driven, and able to see that making this community a better place for us all, helps everyone.”

Riojas feels amply rewarded for her efforts. “I love helping people and helping people get connected and networking together,” she says.

Always looking forward, Riojas would like OTB to be the best promotional and marketing company in South Texas and eventually to have a storefront with a showroom to display merchandise. “I’d like to do more with marketing too,” she adds. “We’d like to expand with advertising agency services, such as media placement.”

And ever the multi-tasker, Riojas has found a way to combine a healthy lifestyle with her business. “We’re opening a new business called OTB Optimize the Body, which will help people find ways to have better nutrition.”