Hidden Gems: Meet Mary Carley of Carley Creative Concepts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Carley.

Hi Mary, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My career in health and human services spans thirty years. I have broad management experience in a variety of organizations having designed and implemented medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, behavioral health benefits and wellness programs in public health organizations, hospitals, health plans and corporations. I have a BA in Biology and Human Services from Albion College and an MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. I also serve on the Marketing Committee of Impact100 Metro Detroit. In 2016, after a job loss, I founded Carley Creative Concepts and have been blogging and posting to social media ever since. I look forward to helping small businesses with social media marketing needs whether for personal, business or nonprofit work. I taught myself how to build a webpage and I work with college students to help me build my social media brand and followers.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not always been smooth. My career has taken many twists and turns. I have survived job losses, disappointments with my career, and mom guilt for working while my kids were in daycare. I learned a lot of my skills on the job because when I went to college in the eighties, we did not have technology majors. I was actually the first person on my hall freshman year to get a computer. I have always been intrigued with technology. So, in 2016, I claimed my webpage and started designing it and blogging. And I taught myself how to post on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. I made plenty of mistakes along the way. I learned to laugh at myself and not take myself too seriously.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Clubster or any of the other social media platforms, I build profiles for my clients and post with the frequency that works best for their business and your budget. It has been a journey for me and for Carley Creative Concepts. My blog has over 500 posts and has been named to the Top 100 Michigan Blogs. I write content for:

– Newsletters
– Web pages
– Blogs
– Special Events
– Facebook
– Instagram
– Pinterest
– LinkedIn
– Clubster
– Twitter

I specialize in marketing strategy and tactics for small businesses in health, wellness and hospitality. And I enjoy working with woman owned businesses. I am really proud of my pro bono work for organizations such as Impact100 Metro Detroit and Albion College Alumni Board.
I would like readers to know that Carley Creative Concepts is open and ready for business. I can work with just about any budget.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I am definitely a risk taker. I enjoy trying new things and am not afraid to “put myself out there”. For example, I took a risk when I accepted a job at Ford Motor Company. It was a contract job and I was paid a small hourly rate. But I was part of the global human resources benefits team and I really honed my technology skills through their digital worker program. Eventually, I became a technology mentor for other employees. I was hired as a full time employee, worked there for five years and sadly was laid off. But I would not have traded it for the world because I got some great experience and made some wonderful friends. I learned so much that I took the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) exam and passed it on the first try. I think as we age, it becomes easier to take risks. And I believe that having a positive attitude and being brave can have amazing rewards.

Contact Info:

• Email: mary@carleycreativeconcepts.com
• Website: https://carleycreativeconcepts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleycreativeconcepts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carleycreativeconcepts
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/CarleyConcepts
• Other: https://linktr.ee/macarley