We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maria Orozova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I am a firm believer in “mind over matter”… a positive mindset is key — paired with a lot of grit, passion and thick skin. I literally don’t allow it to cross my mind that I will fail — I simply focus on what is in front of me, giving that goal 100% of my attention and energy. Of course things can go wrong, but I personally don’t give those possibilities any power. Beyond that, everyone’s definition of success is very different… which is why it’s important to define yours and live it to the fullest.

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?

Originally from Bulgaria, I moved to the US in the early 90s with one suitcase and the belief there is a better life to be had — as all immigrants do. Despite adversity, language barriers, gender inequality and more, I loved the idea of being in control of my own destiny. And instead of spending the $500 I had in savings, I started a small creative agency out of my spare bedroom right as the 2008 recession was looming.

MODintelechy was born and our lives forever changed.

Fourteen plus years later, along with my husband, Scott Thomas, I have overseen the agency’s growth from a one-woman shop to a 35+ person data-driven marketing firm. As an agency, we have earned over 100 industry awards: Addys, Stackies, HSMIAs, MarTech — you name it, we got it. MODinteelchy even popped up on the Inc 5000 list and I have been fortunately enough to win some personal awards such as the Graphic Design USA Magazine’s “People to Watch”, Austin Under 40, Austin Woman: Woman’s Way Professional Services Winner, and most recently, the Austin Business Journal’s Women in Business Award.

In 2019, we found our company’s forever home: a 127-year-old, run-down historic building in Downtown Austin that we remodeled to perfection. It now serves as our HQ and an endless source of inspiration for our teams and clients alike.

The following year, we doubled down on our mid-market and enterprise service offering and created a new home for our small and local business clients, an agency specifically focused on their growth called Four Wings Marketing.

Today, I am focused on overseeing both firms and the continued growth of our service offering and client base, as well as being a mom to my 5-year-old son, Astor. And, of course, striving for that elusive work-life balance thing.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Ahh, yes! We implemented EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) in our business a few years ago and it has been a game changer. In terms of books, I seem to always re-read Good to Great, The Magic of Thinking Big, Essentialism, and The Inner Matrix for some good mindset work.

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

I think we are laser-focused on our clients winning… We pour everything into making them the hero and meeting their objectives. If they win, we win — it’s very simple.

Contact Info:

• Website: mariaorozova.com
• Instagram: @mariaborozova
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-orozova/

Image Credits
Sarah Q Photography, Mary Kang Photography, Tanialee Gonzalez Photography.