Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Johnson.
Hi Amber, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got started in marketing by total accident. I was a new grad, realizing I had a degree that I couldn’t use; I studied Nutrition and Dietetics with plans to be a dietitian but didn’t get an internship that would make me eligible to sit for the RD exam. So, I needed a Plan B fast. I started Googling jobs that didn’t require any experience and landed at a coatings company as a customer service representative as a temporary employee.
I felt like a complete failure at just 22 years old. I didn’t have a “real job” like all my friends already working in their fields, seemingly having their lives together, while I was working a temp job that I hated. By some stroke of luck, my “temp” status made me eligible to be moved to other company departments. I was offered the opportunity to move to a “marketing assistant” role as one of the global marketing directors.
I didn’t know anything about marketing, but I had a big “fake it until you make it” energy and went for it. I distinctly remember being asked about a “Brand Livery” project and was like, uh, wtf is “livery?!” I Googled a lot, but the opportunity to support a high-level marketing team showed me how much I loved the creative world and kick-started the business that I have today.
Fast forward a few years and a few steps up the “marketing” ladder, I worked my way from Marketing Assistant to Brand Manager to Director of Marketing for a large franchise company. When I say I’ve done a little bit of everything, I have – quite literally – done a little bit of everything, mainly as a one-woman show. Being in the franchising world opened my eyes to the need for more support most small business owners face – especially regarding marketing. Most things come with hefty price tags, ineffective communication, and destructive, under-delivered bases don’t deliver the results that were “sold”. I can’t even tell you how often I’d get last-minute SOS phone calls about something a marketing partner promised to do that didn’t happen that impacted that day/week/month of sales. That lack of marketing support inspired me to figure out a way to create it.
I’ve always been a very self-motivated, figure-it-out person, so I started learning how to do many different marketing tasks- graphic design, building websites, email marketing campaigns, social media ads, Google Ads, and eventually SEO. As I learned all these things, I started noticing my creative ability and how I could find innovative, cost-effective marketing solutions that ultimately created something out of nothing – something that worked. I helped many business owners finally start seeing an ROI on their marketing efforts. But I was burned out doing it. I left my corporate job to pursue freelance work in the winter of 2019 to go “all-in” on my own business in 2020. Of course, we all know what happened next. Suddenly, marketing budgets were cut because of the pandemic, and I quickly found myself with no clients and zero income. *flashbacks to my early career days all over again*
I got a job at a marketing agency out of necessity, and it was one of the best career moves I have made. It was an SEO agency that supported e-commerce businesses, so I had the opportunity to help more small business owners start showing up on Google. I already had some SEO experience but had yet to have the chance to focus solely on one marketing channel. That job helped me uncover my zone of genius – showcasing your brand’s expertise through a keyword strategy.
I left the marketing agency to return to the franchise brand as their Director of Digital Strategy and eventually became their Director of Marketing. Eventually, the 9-5 world caught up with me, and I was unhappy working for someone else. I wanted to own my time, work with clients I felt aligned with, and have flexibility for having a family in the future. When I had my daughter in 2022, I left the corporate world and transitioned into a “marketing consultant” style role where I was ultimately a freelance SEO Strategist. Over the past 3 years, that “freelance” gig has grown into a full-fledged business that helps small business owners make SEO sense. My ultimate goal is to help them understand the power of SEO so their brand can become the answer to their dream client’s questions.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not even close! I’ve been told I “wasn’t enough” for most of my career. My ideas were never “good.” My designs were never “perfect.” I was “too nice,” “too soft,” or “cared too much” to make it in the corporate world. I was fed the narrative that the little details I focused on didn’t matter, even though they were the tidbits of a story that make a brand human and make people want to buy from them. It wasn’t until I realized I was sitting at the wrong table that things started to turn around for me. There will always be people who want to change your actions. But, there will be more people who will value your ideas, your expertise, and your support. Find them, and invite them to sit at your table.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Maevan Marketing?
Maevan was founded to create more synergy between your brand and marketing strategy. I’m a very creative human who values data to drive results. I always say I’m “creatively focused, SEO rooted,” meaning I’m looking at your business holistically to creatively tell your story so your ideal client can connect with you. I’m applying a keyword strategy to it, so you’re talking about your product/service/offer in a way that speaks to your dream client. My goal is to help your small business show up at the right place, at the right time and say the right thing when your dream client searches for what you offer on Google.
As an SEO expert, it’s my job to understand how people search for your offer. My specialty is knowing how to leverage keyword knowledge with your brand to make your site stand out in search results, connect with your ideal clients, and get them to your website when they’re looking for your solution. My ability to make SEO make sense sets me apart from others. I love to translate complicated SEO things into easy-to-understand analogies that help business owners get past the overwhelmed and into action mode so they can finally get their website to start working for them instead of just existing.
I’m proud of many things about my business, mainly the brand I’ve created. I named my company “Maevan” as an ode to my daughter and my expertise. Maven means “expert,” and my daughter’s middle name is “Mae,” after my late grandmother. The Maevan brand is about stepping into your power, which has been hard for me personally and professionally. My goal is to help business owners see that the magic of their brand is them. They make their business different because their clients need help in a way that only THEY can provide. My goal is to create a space that empowers them to showcase that magic so they can connect with their clients and get better results.
I offer various services designed to meet you where you are in your business. I offer SEO Audits, Keyword Strategies, Done-for-you SEO, Done-with-you SEO, SEO Coaching, Brand Audits, Brand Design, Marketing Strategy Sessions, and Holistic Marketing Coaching to help small business owners get the marketing support they need within their budget.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Advice:
- Keep going, even when it feels impossible.
- Find a group of entrepreneurs you can rely on who gets it and will support you 100%.
- Be brave enough to take messy action.
- Always remember that no one is watching you as closely as you are watching yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What I wish I knew: Other people will only understand what you’re experiencing as you build your business if they are entrepreneurs. Refrain from letting the misunderstanding determine how you feel about your business.
Many people will think you have endless time to do whatever you want because you don’t “have a normal job.” Don’t believe people when they make you think you’re taking the “easy way out.” Starting a business is 100x harder than working for someone else. We wear a lot of hats – usually all of them, all the time. It’s truly one of the hardest things I’ve personally done, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things I’ve accomplished.
Pricing:
- SEO Audit – $299
- Keyword Strategy – $499
- Done-with-You SEO starts at $598
- Done-for-You SEO starts at $1398
- One-Hour 1:1 SEO/Branding/Marketing Strategy sessions – $299
Contact Info:
- Website: maevanmarketing.com
- Instagram: @amber.
maevanmarketing
Image Credits
Britt Guilmette, Britt G. Photography
