We were lucky to catch up with Marschelle Weeks recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Marschelle, thanks for joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?
My brand is Things from Mars started in 2004. I have been on the entrepreneurial journey for years. In all my endeavors, I’ve always handled my own social media marketing without knowing I was building a brand and fine tuning my creative skills. As time passed and “branding” became a buzz word, I realized I was doing “the things” and learning how to market via social media. It is odd how you can have undergrad and grad degrees in business but still not know what it takes to run and actually operate a business. You’re taught how to work for someone’s company in the confines of job task bullet points, not knowing how the whole thing works together.
I began to take free classes offered by others who had mastered marketing their own businesses on Facebook and Instagram and I began to enjoy it. Even though over pandemic I discovered I could turn a passion into a business which has been featured in Voyage Atl magazine and Shoutout Atlanta, my financial coaching business, Money Things from Mars, I have always run my own social media campaigns. I create my own content which includes graphics, lives and edited videos.
From this, I started another business under my brand, Things from Mars, called Pretty Things from Mars. I have to thank The SheEO District for the opportunity serving as their Senior Leader, Director of Social Media. Running their social media in addition to my own, I’ve been asked by other small businesses to create their graphics, reels and post to their social media accounts. In addition, I am creating save the dates, party invitations, flyers, etc. I enjoy the creative space.
I think as an entrepreneur we have to learn how to operate all parts of our business. Then we get to the point, hopefully, when we are doing so well we can hire someone else to help us out. That is the goal. In my case, I realized I enjoy creating content for my businesses and cam do the same for others. It does not feel like work at all.
Benefits of becoming an entrepreneur is discovering additional gifts and talents as well as dislikes. I’d suggest to the busy business owner to hire someone to manage their social media needs. It is important to maintain a presence on social media. It is okay to ask for help. Businesses who are established have a voice and tons of content. A social media marketer is able to listen to the business owner, read about the business owner and communicate the business brand via social media.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
I have a passion for financial literacy. Over the pandemic, I was given an opportunity to get licensed in life insurance which I did quickly. Because of losing my own father at a young age and not having enough life insurance to assist my Mother in raising the four of us, I wanted to be in a position to help others in this area. Finances has always been at the forefront of my mind. I have grown from a young person learning the importance of budgeting and investing to being a married, mother of 2 who now thinks about legacy.
For the majority of adulthood, I have been an employee. After having my first child, I discovered I wanted to have a business of my own. The entrepreneurial journey has allowed me to discover so many things about myself. I am much happier as an entrepreneur than I am an employee. I am grateful, although it is challenging, to discover there is so much more I can do. I want people to know they can reinvent themselves as many times as they want. It is okay to start over even financially. We should NEVER give up on ourselves.
It is important to me that I market my own brand, so it is important to me to market the business brands of my clients. My own finances are important and so are the finances of others. People may ask ‘how do you do both’? My response is as an entrepreneur I have the flexibility to schedule time to take care of both areas under my brand, Things from Mars.
I am living proof that when you really enjoy something, you push through the challenges because you’re passionate about it. It’s fulfilling and it’s not really work but a mission.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn that a college education and a job equates to success as well as a college education is needed to be successful. I think in the time that I grew up it is the advice that was given. However, I do not necessarily hold a degree in the businesses I run daily. It has been life experience and the indirect experiences of undergrad and graduate school that has benefited me most. I’d never tell anyone NOT to go to college as education is important. I come from a family of educators. As a parent, I am focused on the likes and dislikes of my children more so than sewing the seeds of college education equals success unless what they’d like to do requires a degree. I do not want to put pressure on them to have it all figured out by the time they graduate high school. I think had I been directed to do more soul searching, exploring to figure out what I liked, I would have tried more things. It is nice to have options. We don’t have live in a box.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Having lost my father at age 13, divorced at 30, major surgery at 32, and losing my mom at 33, I have learned that life has pitfalls. Things happen that will knock the wind out of you. But, you have to fight to stand and still believe God’s promises apply to you. It is okay to cry, take a step back but quitting is NEVER an option. I know my faith is important and at times it’s the only thing I have that propels me forward. Hope. There is ALWAYS hope.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: prettythingsfrommars and _moneythingsfrommars
- Other: https://linktr.ee/thingsfrommars
- Website: coachmoneymars.com and prettythi ngsfrommars.com