Maria Voorhees Maydan was able to find her calling at an early age. A university internship at a San Francisco startup company helped Maydan discover what she loved; and it quickly influenced her career choice. Now two years after graduation at UC Berkeley, Maydan has taken her love of marketing and turned it into her own freelance company, Maiden Marketing.
As a digital marketing specialist, Maydan works hand-in-hand with businesses of all sizes. She uses a personal touch that many large marketing corporations don’t. Thanks to her ability to work closely with businesses and connect with them, Maydan can delicately plan a company’s marketing direction.
Maydan also works as part of an in-house marketing team for a finance company in California. Along with her own business and freelance work, Maydan has gained a wide range of experience during the last two years.
Totalprestige Magazine caught up with Maydan to find out more about her work as a digital marketing specialist.
Maria, can you please tell us about Maiden Marketing and the services you provide?
My marketing career started over three years ago, when I stumbled upon a position as an intern for a San Francisco-based startup in the travel and tourism industry. Like many startups, this company is no longer in existence, but during my time there, I was able to dabble in digital marketing and realized that a taste was not enough.
Flash forward three years later, I have a full-time job on an in-house marketing team for a finance company in Oakland, California, and in my spare time, I do freelance digital marketing work. I have coined the name “Maiden Marketing” for myself and the services I provide. It’s a play on my last name, which is “Maydan”. I currently provide a wide array of digital marketing services, including marketing consulting, email, social media, website design and maintenance, and print.
How can you and Maiden Marketing help businesses and brands?
Marketing is a crucial element in any business. To get a business off of the ground or to boost an already established business, marketing is key. Hiring a firm is costly and lacking in the personal touch, often these businesses cut corners and spread their efforts thinly. As a freelance marketer, I am the one interacting with the clients and creating the content based on their feedback, plus I am less expensive. Meeting new people is one of my passions. I love speaking to business owners and learning about what makes them tick. Who knows a business better than the owner? So, by listening to what makes them passionate and where they want their business to go, I fill in the gaps and help add some digital color to make it happen.
What has been your most rewarding professional experience?
I graduated college about two years ago, so being able to find my calling and a career doing something I love at such a young age is very special.
How do you find inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere, unless you are looking in an empty cabinet! I keep a running list of my favorite website designs, advertisements, color schemes and flyers. When trying to pinpoint a client’s ideal design layout, I ask them to show me some sites or campaigns that caught their eye.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
Finding a comfortable place to sit and work. Sometimes it is difficult to envision what a client wants, if they are having trouble communicating, but I believe communication is a very important skill. So, I constantly try to perfect my set.
What do you have your sights set on next?
Bigger and more exciting projects. I am revamping my own personal website and adding a blog, so I am looking forward to finishing that and doing more writing. I really like writing and always have. In college, I chose my major based on how each class evaluated students and only took classes that had essays as examinations. I would so much rather write a paper than take a test. I enjoy being able to paint a picture or a argument with my words. As cliche as it sounds, I felt that a well laid out essay should be orchestrated like a ballet, each thought and sentence flowing into the next and peppered with colorful, but scholarly language.
Were you ever influenced by other entrepreneurs?
Absolutely, who hasn’t? I interact with small business owners all the time, so I know that many of them started their businesses in a basement or kitchen, and a love for their trade. To me, that is inspiring
What makes you smile?
Good food, traveling and small acts of kindness or love.
Can you tell us two of your favorite quotes?
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“You’re only given a spark of madness, you mustn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams
How do you define success?
Happiness and reaching your goals while enjoying the ride.
What advice would you give to anyone starting a new business?
Do it if you are prepared to work hard and all the time.
For more information on Maria Voorhees Maydan, please visit www.maiden-marketing.com
and her LinkedIn page. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-voorhees-maydan-a3455862/.
