Blog Archive
My stories, insights, and ramblings on branding and marketing.
Catch my most recent thoughts on Instagram.
Work Hard, Live Soft: Episode 3 – Why It Matters To Do The Hard Things You Don’t Enjoy
Today’s episode is sponsored by Rebelious by Maya Elious. 😎 We’re talking about doing hard things and why working out is absolutely easier when you feel more confident! Do you struggle with discipline when it comes to your health, mindset, business or relationships?...
Work Hard, Live Soft: Episode 2 – How I Design, Delegate, & Live My Life As A CEO
In today’s episode of Work Hard, Live Soft, I share how I design a fulfilling life as a CEO by setting clear values, scheduling what matters, setting goals, and seeking support. As entrepreneurs, we often face anxiety, depression, and a false dichotomy between...
Work Hard, Live Soft: Episode 1 – How To Live The Soft Life
I’m so excited to finally launch this podcast and grateful to my team for the push! During my 21-day fast preparing for Impact Weekend, I got clarity on the name and it felt so aligned. I went back to about a dozen posts over the years where I talked about a soft life...
How To Delight Your Customers & Keep Them Coming Back
As an entrepreneur, there is one thing I know for sure. To achieve great success, you need to build positive relationships. And one of the most important relationships you build will be with the very people who buy from you; your clients and customers. Building a...
What I’ve Learned About Building Wealth: Part I
I grew up middle class as a daughter of immigrant parents, and the priority for our family was faith and education. My dad was a personal development junkie (like how I am today), but because money is such a taboo topic, I didn't learn much about taxes, debt, and...
How I went from making $35 for MySpace pages to making $800+/hour as a branding strategist
I’ve had a hell of a journey. How I went from making $35 for MySpace pages to making $800+/hour as a branding strategist. Long ass thread for my black creatives: My humble beginnings began in 2007/2008. I’ve always loved making templated web pages and customizing...
What communicating with my dog taught me about copycats and using my voice
The two "people" I enjoy spending my time with most in this world are: 1. My 3-year-old niece Maizah 2. My 7-year-old dog Max #DogsArePeopleToo I found Max on Craigslist as a stray about 6 years ago. His love language (like mine) is quality time and physical touch. He...
This one weird thing that keeps women from walking in their purpose
The other day I was having a conversation with my cousin who told me she wanted to lose 30 lbs in the first 90 days of the year. Truthfully she wanted to lose the weight at the beginning of last year, and then by the summer, and then before 2017 had closed out, but...
How to enjoy the freedom of entrepreneurship
In a fantasy world (i.e. the Internet), entrepreneurship is portrayed as a care-free life where you sip fancy drinks on the beach and live in a super nice vacation home. But in the real world, entrepreneurship is truly appreciated for the days you’re needed out of...
My biggest lessons of 2017 + The word for 2018 is…
If you haven't done a recap blog post or journal entry, I really encourage you to. You'd be surprised at how much you've truly grown, learned, and overcome. [Tweet " Clear hindsight of your past makes it easier to have clear foresight for your future."] Last year...
3 Things I Did This Year To Become A Happier, More Productive Entrepreneur
To me, entrepreneurship is a fun game. I'm always trying to find that magical formula of "how to do the least amount of work without actually losing any money". Some call it laziness. I call it smart work. Efficiency, if you will. 🙂 And I've managed to increase my...
How to use digital marketing trends in 2018 as a coach, blogger, and/or expert
As a personal branding strategist who’s focused heavily on helping my clients package their message into profitable content over the last few years, I’ve noticed so many trends in the way we deliver content and turn it into money. X EBooks X Free Email Courses X Live...
What International Travel Taught Me About Making An Impact Online
A couple of weeks ago (July 15 - 30, 2017) I was in Rome, Italy for a missions trip that challenged me physically, mentally, and spiritually. For two weeks I was surrounded by nearly 600 young adults from over 20 different nations for intense workshops, trainings, and...
How being a party girl graphic designer taught me everything about sales funnels
As someone who teaches how to run a profitable online business, one of the hardest concepts for my readers to grasp is understanding how a sales funnel works. Basically, a sales funnel (assuming it’s well-structured) is a system that allows you to make money through a...
How To Build An Impactful Personal Brand Online In 2018 + a free online branding guide
When I decided to stop taking on design clients after being a designer for 7 years, I underestimated how rapidly my personal brand would grow. I had expected to take a hit to my income and have a few “struggle months” as I continued to establish myself as an online...
5 Ways To Use Content To Build Your Brand
I’ve come to a realization that not everyone enjoys the process of content creation as much as I do. Finding the perfect headline, scheduling it to be posted on social media, creating an associating graphic… etc. All of those little tedious tasks can get kind of...
3 Ways To Make Money With 1 Creative Idea
In business, my goal is to always work smarter, not harder. I’m not trying to ride the content creation hamster wheel for every dollar I make so when I get a good idea, I squeeze out every dollar I possibly can. I’m talking about diversifying my income in as many ways...
5 Ways To Boost Your Newsletter Subscribers For Your Next Launch + Welcome Email Template
Now, you all know that when it comes to online business, email is currency. The people that are on your email list are primed to buy from you. For one, your have their permission to get in their inbox, for another, they already like what you have to offer. So when...
How Much Content Should Go Inside Of A Masterclass?
This post is part of the Content Creation Series. I know content creators are always wondering if they’re giving way too much or too little, and I want to help clarify that. Each post in the series answers the question “what goes inside of a [content type]?”...
How Much Content Should Go Inside Of A Webinar?
I decided to do a Content Creation Series to answer the question “what goes inside of a [content type]?” I know content creators are always wondering if they’re giving way too much or too little, and I want to help clarify that. In this series I will cover: Blog posts...
How Much Content Goes Inside An Online Course?
I decided to do a Content Creation Series to answer the question “what goes inside of a [content type]?" I know content creators are always wondering if they're giving way too much or too little, and I want to help clarify that. In this series I will cover: Blog posts...
How I Used LeadPages To Triple My Email List In 3 Weeks
As I began my transition from full-time designer to coaching, I knew I needed to start generating leads for people that would be interested in my new services. In marketing, lead generation is when you generate consumer interest or inquiries for new or existing...
9 Content Types That Lead To List Building And Revenue
There's nothing that's too good for my readers even if they've never paid me a dime. I give out content to help bloggers and coaches get to the next level, and sharing part of a lesson from my course is no different. Plus, #9 is hilarious and humbling. Here's a list...
How Much Content Should Go Inside Of A Blog Post?
This post is part of the Content Creation Series. In each post I'll provide an answer to the question “what goes inside of a [content type]?” First up: blog content. The written blog post is the most basic form of content marketing. At the risk of sounding simple,...
19 Tips + Tricks For Planning + Creating Shareable Content
I feel like one of the most intimidating things about running a blog is coming up with content that your readers actually find valuable. Everyone once in a while I find myself second guessing whether or not the things I post are redundant and share-worthy. I decided...
The 5 Step Plan For Creating An Online Product or Service
As creatives, we have a MILLION project ideas that we want to complete. I'm not the only one that owns nearly 100 domains for that "just in case" project, right? Because I'm always contemplating how to execute new projects, having a smooth process for creating the...
5 Things You Need To Do Before Your Website Goes Live + A Checklist
Can I be totally frank with you? Launching a blog or website is silly. It's very 2008, and nobody cares but you. I'm not saying that it's not a great accomplishment to be excited about finally getting online, but I promise you that no one has a countdown in their...
How I Streamline My Content Creation Without Burning Out + A Smart Content Toolbox
In my last post, I talked about the different seasons of business and how to navigate the transition from season to season. In this post, I'll show you how I organize myself to accomplish all that I do. After going through the "drive" season and peaking my income...
What to do when you want to blog about more than one topic
So you're super smart and know a lot about a lot. You want to tell everyone about everything, but you keep hearing about the importance of finding a target audience and choosing a niche. Yes, it's true that being an expert or someone who is very well-versed and...
My 3-step process to hosting a four figure webinar
Back in 2015, I decided I wanted to start teaching the personal branding strategies that I was sharing with my design clients behind the scenes. Making an income from informational products rather than web & graphic design services was intimidating but exciting. I...
How To Stop Playing It Safe & Elevate To The Next Season In Your Business
Running an online business involves SO much. A lot of it can feel overwhelming because we’re trying to implement too many things at once. People ask me how I can do EVERYTHING I do because they’ve only seen the middle part of my growth. I didn’t start out where I am....
How To Build Your WordPress Website Or Blog From Scratch
***Skip to the bottom of the post if you prefer a video training*** Although Wordpress was classified as a blogging platform in the past, it has evolved through out the years into a versatile content management system (CMS) that allows you to create a simple blog or a...
3 Things You Can Learn From Beyoncé To Become An Impactful Influencer
I’m not here to convince you about why Beyoncé is the biggest celebrity of our time. I’m not one to debate facts, plus that’s not what I get paid to do. But, if watching this woman doesn’t make you want to be the absolute BEST in your industry, you’re not paying...
How To Create A Fail Proof Exit Strategy For Leaving Your 9 to 5
Let me preface this post by saying that I don't suggest to my readers to leave their jobs because I don't know their varying situations. Leaving your 9 to 5 when you're a single 20-something-year-old that lives in an apartment is VERY different than leaving your job...
How Easy Is This Blogging Thing? My 10 Step Process To Quality Blogging + Free Printable
A lot of people that don't read blogs are under the false impression that blogging is just a hobby. Over 10 years ago blogging was somewhat just considered an online diary, but it's now transitioned into a form of content marketing for large businesses to personal...
How To Have Your Most Successful Year Yet (+ a FREEBIE)
I have to admit that I'm not one to make resolutions, but there's just something about starting "fresh" that gets me excited. You can leave poor habits and toxic relationships in a whole separate year and feel renewed. It's just not the same saying "I'm leaving...
7 Ways To Make Money With Your Brand
There's nothing more fulfilling than being able to discover your purpose and align it with your passion. Fireworks explode when you realize there's a way to monetize doing what you love by serving an audience who needs what you have to offer. Being around creatives...
Dear creative, sorry if the online “experts” make entrepreneurship look easy
Dear creative, The good news is, running a creative online business doesn't require much physical work. Whether you're painting, designing, illustrating, or writing, these are generally tasks you can do anywhere from the comfort of your home to a nearby Starbucks. The...
4 Key Systems For Running A Profitable Blog
I want tell you something that probably no one else was brave enough to tell you... Passion isn't enough for you to succeed. Passion doesn’t pay the bills. It never has. It never will. Running a profitable blog is not about working hard on something you love it’s...
3 Things Missing In Your Business That’s Causing You To Burn Out
You know what has been extremely relieving? I finally feel like I'm in a place in my business where I understand how to run things to keep growing consistently. Once you can stop asking how, you can finally start doing. Before I reached this point it was a vicious...
The honest truth about how I make a living as a “blogger.”
Today we’re going to talk about a touchy business topic: money. I used to share a monthly income report which allowed you to see where and how I invest my money into my business, and which areas I get the biggest returns. (This post will discuss my earnings from...
3 Ways To Boost Popularity On Social Media
My following on social media has grown rapidly within the past 4 months which has helped me continue to build my brand as a coach. When you notice that something is working for your brand, blog, or business, it's important to take note of it and turn it into a...
The Single Most Important Thing You Need To Expand Your Influence
I remember once being "accused" of "making it" because I had help. I know this may be a shock, but that's kind of how this works, you guys. We ALL need help to "make it". No one in the history of life is going to "make it" off of hard work alone. The people that...
5 Ways To Build Your Authority And Become More Credible Online
During the past two years, I've been making efforts to build my personal brand as a design and branding expert. Within the past 6 months, my following has grown tremendously, and I'm seen as a thought leader in the branding and [content] marketing industry. A HUGE...
5 Things You Should Do About Your Health If You’re An Online Entrepreneur
There's a lot of glorification around the entrepreneurial lifestyle. And while it does allow for you to bring in your own money and have more independence, entrepreneurship can become an obsession. I could literally sit in a room for 12+ hours and crank out content,...
July 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
How To Stand Out In A Saturated Industry
Let me start off by saying stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Too many of us waste time wracking our brain to come up with "the next hottest thing". Being new doesn't necessarily mean being good. [Tweet "A new idea doesn't necessarily mean a good idea."] Instead of...
The difference between a blog, business and brand
As I've been talking more about personal branding and building a valuable blog on my Periscope, a lot of people have been trying to understand how exactly to monetize a blog. I created a video explaining the difference between your blog, your business and your brand....
![Why You Should Stop Joining Motivational Support Groups [And What You Should Do Instead]](https://i0.wp.com/www.mayaelious.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/supportgroupssuck.jpg?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
Why You Should Stop Joining Motivational Support Groups [And What You Should Do Instead]
Facebook definitely takes the cake for most annoying social networking site ever. Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by Facebook. It's the easiest place for people to tag you in whatever they're selling or add you in Facebook groups...
3 Reasons Why Live Video Is A Must To Build Your Personal Brand
When I first heard of Periscope, I didn't immediately grasp the concept. It was a little strange, and I was hesitant about joining ANOTHER social media platform that I might get addicted to. I bypassed the SnapChat hype because I couldn't think of strategic ways...
Why I Decided To Finally Quit My Design Business After 7 Years
The coolest part about building my personal brand through blogging has been having a great connection with all of my readers and clients. You guys love the value that I teach and provide, but you also love the transparency of why I do things. Many of you who have been...
June 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
3 reasons you haven’t started your dream business and how to kick those excuses to the curb
This is going to sound extremely selfish of me to say, but I almost get offended when amazing people don't start their dream business. It's not my business (no pun intended) whether or not someone actually goes through with it, but as someone who is so passionate...
The Reason You Don’t Need To Be An Expert To Make Money Online
While I think it's good for your personal brand to establish yourself as an expert in your field, I find that a lot of people don't feel confident enough to consider themselves an expert. This week I made a short video on the reason you don't need to be an expert to...
May 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
Life: 25 Business Milestones I Reached by 25
About 5 months ago, my close friend and photographer Josh (aka Aurelius) encouraged me to make my 100 Life Goals list. It's a list of a bunch of things I'd like to accomplish by the time I'm 35. If you know you me, you know how obsessed I am about setting goals and...
Why + How Transitioning To A Full Time Entrepreneur Worked For Me
When I began my business at 18, it was a fun hobby that was just enough to pay my small time college bills. I've never had to be an employee for anybody as an adult (that came with some struggles), but when I dropped out at 23 I knew I had to begin transforming how I...
How to stop letting comfort zones and imbalance take over your life
Is it unbalance or imbalance? Apparently one is a verb and the other is a noun. Anyway... about 5 weeks ago on a webinar with my sister, somebody asked us how we keep everything balanced. We ALL have so much going on. You're probably a full-time employee, business...
April 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
3 Things That Are Keeping You From Discovering & Living Your Purpose
Ahh, finding your purpose. That huge life mission you're meant to accomplish. What exactly is it, and why is it so damn hard for you to figure out? The thing about a "life purpose" is that it's dressed up to be something much more than it really is. Your life...
March 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
How To Deal With Lack Of Support From The People The Closest To You
For the last two years I've been working harder and smarter than I ever have. I think I'm naturally hardworking because I believe in myself, but I think I work just a little bit harder because I want others to believe in me. There's two sides to me. One side says,...
February 2015 Income Report
Hey, there! If this is your first time stumbling across my income reports, please start with January 2015 to see why I'm doing this and how I plan to break each month down. Each month I would like to share: How much I earned How many payments I received (Ex: 10...
January 2015 Income Report
Some time when I was 22 or 23 I told myself that I wanted to earn six figures by the time I was 25. At the time I didn't know how I would do it. I hadn't learned nearly half the things I know now, but I knew that was my random goal that I wanted to reach. I tweeted...
![[Video] 5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Quitting Your Day Job](https://i0.wp.com/www.mayaelious.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/beforequitting.png?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] 5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Quitting Your Day Job
Should I withdraw from my classes? Should I quit my day job? These are pressings questions that a lot of people contemplate on a daily basis. In today's video for our 5 minute consult, I give you 5 questions to ask yourself before quitting your full-time job (to...
![[Video] How To Successfully Sell Your Products & Services](https://i0.wp.com/www.mayaelious.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/howtosuccessfullysell.png?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] How To Successfully Sell Your Products & Services
Video 3/5 of The 5 Minute Consult Series! Enjoy! --- Transcript --- Watch the video at the bottom Today for our five minute consult, I'm going to be talking to you guys about how to properly sell your products and services. When I first began my business about six...
![[Video] 5 Steps to Finding Your Niche Market](https://i0.wp.com/www.mayaelious.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/NICHE-MARKET.png?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] 5 Steps to Finding Your Niche Market
Last week I debuted the first video to my 5 minute consult series. A few of you requested that I discuss finding a niche. By the way, I really appreciate when you guys let me know what you want me to blog about. Even thought this is MayaElious.com, it's totally all...
![[Video] 5 Tips to Building Your Personal Brand Online](https://i0.wp.com/www.mayaelious.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/5tipspersonalbrandme.png?resize=400%2C250&ssl=1)
[Video] 5 Tips to Building Your Personal Brand Online
Hey, everyone! If you're friends with me on Facebook, you might know that I've signed up for Toastmasters to become a better public speaker. It's something I'd like to do more of in 2015 so a couple months ago, my sister suggested that I should try them out. Last...
Project Spotlight: The Finance Bar
About 6 months ago, a really good client of mine came up with the craziest idea. She wanted to make her business as a financial consultant mobile. I'm familiar with food trucks, but never in a million years would I expect to see a mobile finance bus. It's the crazy,...
My First Year As A College Dropout
This month makes it 1 year since I withdrew from all of my classes at UNC Charlotte. That was probably one of the scariest moments of my life (so far). Could I actually be successful with my little ol' web and graphic design business or would I end up being a...
5 Simple Things You Can Do To Make Your Blog More Effective
I have to say that the easiest part about having a profitable blog is writing the blog posts. In order for the blog post to actually work and be strategic, the overall goal needs to be considered. I use my blog to serve my audience, build trust with my audience, build...
How to deal with failure when you’re going after your dreams
When we hear the word failure, it tends to make us uncomfortable. We think of someone missing the game winning shot, coming in 5th place or getting picked last in gym class. Failure is a word that carries a negative connotation because we're taught that failure isn't...
How to Handle Rejection
It happens to all of us every day. You get rejected. Your customer doesn’t buy. Your boss doesn’t agree. Your crush doesn’t say yes. It happens to you even more often if you're a really ambitious individual with big dreams. In 10th grade, my "big dream" was to date...
How to SELL without being "Salesy"
Earlier this weekI had a consultation with a client who wants help growing her personal brand and I earned a new client for my mentorship program. My blogging journey is such a great experience. The support is an unexplainable feeling, and I'm so glad that I've...
How to introduce yourself at a networking event
Networking events have been around forever, and yet, people still haven’t really mastered how to properly introduce themselves. How many networking events have you been to where you feel like there was no benefit to showing up? You either gravitate towards the same...
7 Amateur Mistakes I’ve Made In Business
It would be nice to start a business and have everything run smoothly from the day you get your very first customer or client. I wish I could tell you that I’ve never lost out on clients or time, or money, but I would be lying to you. Finding a system that works for...
5 Tips To Working Smart (Because hard work isn’t going to cut it)
Back in high school, the only sport I was fairly good at was running track. I was atrocious at sprinting and the hurdles, but my time was pretty decent for the 800 meter run (2 laps around the track). I wanted to improve my time for the following season so I decided...
How I Priced My Services & Made A Consistent Income As A Web & Graphic Designer
It's been almost 10 months since I've dropped out of school to work for myself full-time. I really still can't believe how much I've grown and learned since then! Everyday I'm finding new ways to better my personal brand and myself as a career woman. When I first...
5 Tips to Spending Your Time Wisely
Time is the most valuable thing you have to offer in this world. Unlike money, it’s something you can never get back. How you choose to spend your time each day is extremely important. Until people treat their time like money, they will continue to waste it away. ...
5 Reasons Your Business Isn’t Making Money
Starting a business from something you’re passionate about is fun and exciting, but it can also be very unpredictable. When you start a new business, things are not always going to go as planned. If things were how I pictured them from 5 years ago, I’d be laying on...
How & Why To Set Effective Goals
Whether we admit it or not, we all want to succeed in something. In order to become successful at anything, there needs to be a goal. The main thing to remember is that success is not a goal. Success is a product of achieving a goal; so without a goal, you cannot...
2013 Recap
This year went by so quickly! It's been an awesome year for me and I've gotta say there's been more ups than downs. I'm quite transparent with what goes on in my life, and I love sharing with you guys through photos. What better way to summarize my year than through...
How & Why To Find Your Niche & Target Market
Do you know who your target audience is? If your answer is "everyone", keep reading. Before I embark on a design project, I ask my client who their target audience is. This gives me a general idea of the design style I will use when creating their marketing material....
3 Things You Need To Know About Purpose To Avoid Comparison
I was invited to speak at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University to the ladies of Bombshells in Business, an organization to equip women with the necessary experience to get their dream jobs. The founder Shelby Christie wanted to bring in a...
5 Ways To Jumpstart Your Personal Brand
Your personal brand communicates how well people can rely on you and how you will deliver. It exudes what you stand for, what you excel at and what you have to offer. While your brand is shaped by other people's perception, you are responsible for effectively and...
Celebrating Life
Friday, April 12, 2013. Welcome To Atlanta. My boyfriend (Ben) and I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia in order to celebrate my grandmother’s 70th birthday. My grandmother thought we were in town for a wedding, but we really had planned a surprise party for her. In...