We recently connected with Chantel Williams and have shared our conversation below.

Chantel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

It is very true that successful business results do not happen overnight. As a full-time creative the operations are ongoing. Each day brings forth new mercies to do better and to be better. Having a strong supportive system at home and gaining peace and encouragement from immediate loved ones also plays a major role in the success story. I am beyond blessed to have been given the opportunity to experience this and more. I have received direct access to resources and tools from meaningful programs and business scalable groups throughout my full-time entrepreneurship journey. The opportunities are endless, and once I stepped outside of the box, accepted and became exposed to all that God had already had in store for me, I stepped into my season of “release”. Again, this was no overnight success point, and I admit there are still new opportunities being presented to me daily, but being able to reap the harvest of my labor is what sets things apart and pushes me to keep going. See, I once visualized and daydreamed about life as a full-time entrepreneur, at home taking care of the family, and building a legacy, and now those dreams have come to fruition. I must add that there were things that took place along the way that helped to mold, shake, and bend me, but they didn’t break me. I am thankful for the PIVOT and the fact that God trusted me with the vision. The vision included me walking away gracefully from my 9-5 job when I was laid off unexpectedly during the Pandemic. It was as if God was speaking to me the whole time and saying “I got you, you are my child, trust me and trust the process”. It didn’t make much sense during the time, because it was such an unbelievable moment. However, it makes perfect sense now. God kept me covered throughout the entire process, and he is still continuously blessing me and my family. He saw something greater in me. He knew that my family needed me at home more and the vision needed to be properly executed with my immediate focus. He knew that my (then) environment was creating a space for complacency, and he knew that I had more work to do outside of the workplace. Work was needed in the community, the marketplace, in the various sectors, and other entities were needed to help successfully birth the vision. I feel that if I focused a little more on my business and the vision then things would have sped up a little more because I would have made the decision earlier on, to build on my legacy more instead of building the vision of another’s just to gain a paycheck every two weeks. (No Shade). I honestly feel that everything fell into place at the perfect time-God’s timing. It’s reality checks like this that keeps me grounded and keeps my eyes on the prize to continue pressing forward. I would definitely agree that it takes patience, dedication, support, and resources to help achieve various milestones along this full-time entrepreneurship journey. “I Love It Here”

Chantel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I come from a single parent home and learned very early how to be independent and responsible. My mom along with God are the reasons behind this vision. Building a legacy for my children in my overall goal. Building Community connections as a robust graphic designer and marketing strategist helps with bridging the gap. At Maxxtell Creations, LLC, we believe that our graphic designs are visual content that helps you communicate your message. I assist entrepreneurs, organizations, and other entities who may be struggling with the promotion of their business to their ideal target market. I assist them with strategic ways to create their unique business model, through design and creativity and by providing services from beginning to end as a one-stop-shop entity. I also believe in creating visual concepts that inspire and transform the way your customers view your brand. My attention to details are what aligns with your brand which optimizes user experience, creating a Win-Win situation for everyone. Lastly, I believe in connections. A focused vision tells a visual story.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I love this question, as the word “PIVOT” is one of my Power Words. As mentioned earlier how I had to shift/PIVOT into full-time entrepreneurship after being unexpectedly laid off from my 9-5 job this subject is very true and dear to me. This story will forever be my “voice”, as I know that it is a topic that will always be needed. I actually wrote an Amazon Best Seller book entitled “The Purposeful Pandemic Pivot”. The PIVOT was purposeful- and true reasoning came forth as a result of it. Everything that led up to the shift had purpose. The Pandemic had to happen and it really brought forth so many new advancements that would have gotten overlooked had we not been forced to follow certain regulations and cautious measures during this worldwide moment of distress. Overall the PIVOT was God’s way of pulling me from the background into the forefront. I was forced out of my comfort zone to better grasp a hold of the vision and God-given talent/gift that had been placed inside of me. I was able to pursue full-time entrepreneurship that will allow me to build and create a legacy for my children. They are able to reap the fruits of mom’s labor and understand the importance of trusting the process and making faith moves to PIVOT.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Since the COVID 19 Pandemic, I have increased my virtual presence more while utilizing the space to collaborate with other like-minded entrepreneurs and community leaders. Maintaining the privilege of bridging connections with local and Global Community organizations, faith-based organizations and non-profit organizations. Applying my knowledge and skills in the graphic design and social media marketing arena has allowed me to help these entities expand their reach and virtual presence as well as their Community presence. Being a Public Relations and Media ministry leader, has allowed me to involve youth ministries and children to assist in the advancements of expanding global connections to further enhance kingdom building. During the start of the Pandemic many buildings and localities were forced to close, therefore even the faith based community had to experience a “PIVOT” and incorporate creative virtual ways to grow membership, enhance participation and maintain financial status outside of the “four walls”. I have also tapped into certification programs and cohorts to better enhance my knowledge and skills within the area. I have launched new products and services while bundling to offer a more cost efficient solution to the consumer.

My overall advice would be to create that virtual/online presence and be consistent with the work. Be creative and don’t be afraid to get in front of the camera to share your story, areas of expertise, and knowledge every chance you get. Social media is what you make it-so don’t become too caught up in the negative reviews of it. Just enjoy the moment and have fun with it. Lastly, ensure that you have an offline presence as well, such as email list building, telephone/text marketing, and word of mouth marketing. These key items are very important in the event social media access becomes limited or inaccessible. Overall, keep building, keep learning, keep trusting God, and keep making connections.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maxxtellcreations.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/maxxtellcreations
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/maxxtellcreations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantel-williams-06321b10a/
• Twitter: @maxxtellc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC945Gkax75yWqkZrTh3Voxg
• Yelp: Maxxtell Creations, LLC

Image Credits
Images/flyers customized and designed by Maxxtell Creations, LLC