We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Margaret McKelvy . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Margaret below.

Margaret , appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think there are infinite ways to become successful. In my life, I can tell you that shear determination, mixed with a flexible attitude, on my part, along with infinitely supportive friends and family got me to where I am today.

I think it’s hard to be successful if you have a narrow view of what success looks like. That view will be different for each individual and their business. If you go into a business telling yourself that in order to be successful you need to be able to do ABC, you’re missing out on 23 different opportunities to find success. When I started my business I thought I would be solely working on everything related to showing in the equestrian industry; from organizing to managing entries to finding sponsors. Today, that is a very small part of what my company does. The bulk of our business is marketing and business management for individual equestrian professionals. If I had only accepted success in the form of shows, I would have missed out on all these other opportunities that have come my way. And this is where the determination comes in. My determination was simply TO succeed, I didn’t really limit myself on how I would succeed.

The other element to success, and running a successful business, is to understand that you can’t do it all yourself. I am a strong-willed woman of Italian descent, and I do not like being told that I can’t do something. In fact that only motivates me further. But the reality is, I cannot be an expert in all things, and I cannot be everything to everyone. And while I always look at a challenge with a glass half full attitude, I’ve had to learn to seek out help when needed. I’ve struggled over the years as a business owner with the question of why would people want to help me, especially if I’m not paying them. It has taken me a long, long time to understand that just as I love helping others, others love to help me just as much. I try to surround myself with people that support each other. It doesn’t mean that I’m weak or incapable when I accept help, it means that I know my limits. And I’ve learned that there is much strength in that.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My diverse work background has allowed me to use my skills in public relations, event planning and business development to build MLE from the ground up. What started as a “one woman show” in my studio apartment has grown to a team of seven professionals on staff, and additional specialized consultants, working together to not only build a better business, but to more importantly, build better businesses for our clients.

My resumé includes positions with the Practical Horseman national magazine, The Equiery publication and service, the Maryland Horse Council legislative and trade association, and the Georgetown Preparatory School, among others. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, I hold B.A. degrees in Public Relations and American Studies.

I also boast an extensive career in competitive equestrian sports with a focus on eventing, which has spanned over many years. When not working or riding, I can be found spending time with her husband, Scott, enjoying all the Washington, D.C. area has to offer.

Mythic Landing Enterprises offers an array of professional services to help businesses succeed. Our knowledgeable, creative, and resourceful team specializes in communications, marketing, business management, and event planning. Based in the heart of Maryland, we support U.S. and international clients ranging from one-person start-ups to nationally recognized associations. Our mission is to take your business to the next level!

What sets us apart from others is our flexibility. All of our clients has packages customized to their individual needs. This means that if you simply need us to manage your website, we’re happy to do it. Need us to manage your life? We can help with that too! Our clients appreciate this flexibility to customize their monthly packages to fit not only their needs, but their budgets. While it does make our lives internally a little more complicated, we’re organized and utilize Microsoft Teams to make sure that each client is receiving the services they are paying for.

This year is MLE’s Sweet 16. I started the company on my own back in 2008, and it has gone through several iterations of itself over the past 16 years. I am so very proud of where we are today. I’m SO lucky to work with a team of pretty incredible women that put their individual expertise to work to help clients. At the end of the day, yes we all are doing this for a living and expecting a paycheck. But everyone on Team MLE is a helper. We’re here to help.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Always, always, always be honest. I truly believe there is simply no other way to do business successfully. I have stuck to this principle throughout my career and I think it has helped build my reputation within the equestrian industry. When I first started out I was always honest with clients or potential clients about my capabilities. If I didn’t know how to do something, I would tell them, and then tell them my plan for how to accomplish the task regardless. This was the catalyst for be building out my team. I quickly realized that I couldn’t be an expert in everything, but I still wanted to be able to offer my clients all the services they desired. Today, if there’s something that MLE can’t handle, I tell a client and make recommendations to other businesses when I can.

Alongside the honesty, I have strived to always be fair. I offer customized packages so that clients can build packages that fit their individual needs and budgets. If someone doesn’t have a big budget, I don’t judge them. I simply put together a package that will fit their budget. I’ve always allowed new website design and branding packages to be paid in installments. I know what it’s like to be a new or small business, and I know that these one-time big bills can sometimes be challenging. So I created payment plans when needed and where appropriate. In my mind, it’s just the right thing to do.

And what’s most important to me is trying to be a company that people want to work FOR. I know what it’s like to be underpaid and under appreciated. I try to always treat my team with the respect they deserve. I try to respect their time, their skill and their personal goals. You’re only as good as the team around you, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by some of the best in the industry.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

This is an easy question … communication! We communicate with our clients the best way that works for them. That means we email some, text others, and pick up the phone to call others. We have WhatsApp groups too. If a client never checks their email, I won’t be able to do my job if I only email them. And if I can’t do my job, then the client is likely to get cranky. An that’s never good. So while it may seem like a burden to keep track of who likes to text and who likes to email, it’s just a small way of ensuring success.

I also make it very clear that our #1 goal is to promote THEIR business, not our own. While we have sent MLE logo wear to clients in the past, my preference is for a client to wear their own logo wear, not mine. I want to see them sporting their logo, or even better, the logo of a sponsor. It’s not their job to promote MLE, it’s our job to promote them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mythiclanding.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mythiclanding/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mythiclandingenterprises
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mythic-landing-enterprises-llc
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/mythiclanding
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mythiclanding.ent