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

Hi Mariah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

Back in March of 2023, I was still in school and set to finish in December of that year, so I had been thinking about what I’d want to do after I graduated. At the time, I was also trying to recover from being burnt out and just completely out of it the past year, so I was craving something creative, something that would allow me to have a flexible schedule, and something that would be more slow-paced and not super intense. In the past, my family kept telling me that I should start a business with my calligraphy, and considering my circumstances, I thought to myself “You know, maybe it’s finally time that I start that calligraphy business.” Initially, I had only thought of making it a side hustle to get started and thought of selling personalized stationery items and creating large-scale signage for businesses, but then I came across a YouTube video about “luxury lettering”, and fell in love with the idea of becoming a live-event artist and doing calligraphy at events for brands and learning to engrave as well.

Once I had the idea of starting a business, I spent the rest of 2023 really improving and honing my skills, and bought a course called “Luxury Lettering 101” to learn a bit more about how to get jobs with luxury brands, who might reach out, what to bring on-site, etc. At the start of 2024, that was when I got really focused and came up with a name for my business and registered my LLC and DBA with the Florida Department of State. I’m not sure what it’s like for entrepreneurs in other states, but in Florida, I had to also publish a notice in my local county newspaper since I registered a fictitious name for my business. I also got my service contract together, opened up a business bank account with Relay, bought my website domain with GoDaddy, and my domain email address with Gmail. I had also set up an account with Quickbooks for bookkeeping but cancelled the subscription later on because I figured I could save money since I had just started my business and didn’t have much going on for me to make full use of the software.

After the admin side of my business was established, I started to design my website on Squarespace, figure out what content I wanted to have on it, and create a few projects to showcase. I also found SEO strategist MariahMagazine on YouTube and learned lots of helpful tips and information from her YouTube channel that I could implement onto my website.

With both the foundation of my business established and my website completed, I finally launched in June of 2024!

I will say that I didn’t buy a marketing course until about 10 months after I started, and I wish I would have bought it sooner haha. I only spent about $150 on it and it was a perfect fit as to how I wanted to run my business, and it has really been helping me dig deeper into the core of it. The courses I bought are no longer being sold unfortunately, but I really encourage others to spend the time to look for a marketing course that fits their personality and aligns with how they want to run their business and the goals they want to achieve for their business.

Mariah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Mariah. I am a calligrapher and engraver. I started calligraphy about 10 or 11 years ago simply because of failed attempts at trying to write beautifully on a picture I had drawn. I remember thinking to myself, “Well, that didn’t work out. I should learn calligraphy!” And that’s how it all began. This lighthearted approach that was with me in the beginning, guided me in my practice and really allowed me to explore styles freely, improve my skills, and appreciate my growth in a way that I hadn’t allowed myself in the past. The years following I’d initially spend time on and off creating little projects for family and friends, but then eventually dedicating more time and effort to honing my skills.

About three years ago, I decided that maybe it was time I finally started a little side hustle with my calligraphy, so I researched tips on how to start a side hustle. I came across Becca with the Happy Ever Crafter on YouTube, and she has these interviews with other creative entrepreneurs on her channel. It’s through these interviews that I found out about doing calligraphy for luxury brands at live events. I really hadn’t expected to fully take on a business, but the timing of it all and the way it all unfolded felt meant to be, and I am just so grateful to have come across this idea because I immediately knew it’d be both fun and fulfilling.

Within the next year, I established my business and launched Inked Intuition!

I offer personalized calligraphy and engraving services for luxury brands to help make their client experience more personal. So, for brands that are hosting live-events or crafting gifting experiences for their audience or team, this can look like engraving on their new product for guests at a product launch or creating special details, like custom place cards or handwritten notes, for an intimate dinner party. There are many possibilities, and it’s these types of interactions that help emotionally bridge that gap between the business and customer in a way that feels sincere, all while maintaining the inherent luxuriousness of the brand.

Whether they’re initially focusing on establishing deeper relationships with their audience rather than scaling and outreach or they’re wanting to keep their brand feeling small and organic as they grow, these carefully curated experiences and details help make their customers feel like guests that are actually a part of the brand’s journey and story. The heart and soul of the business that captured their interest and compelled them to stay is shared with them every step of the way through the thoughtfulness and care shown down to the finest details.

And I really love that I can be a part of these interactions through the art of calligraphy. It’s refreshing to be able to devote a lot of my time to an analog/tactile activity and really allow myself to stop thinking and create intuitively. I think it’s this intuitive process that gives me the flexibility to create in a way that helps convey the unique spirit of each client’s project to their audience. I really want the details I create to blend seamlessly with the brand and feel special to the recipients.

I am so excited to learn more about the people behind the brands that will come my way this year and work on new projects!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative has been dreaming up all of these different ideas in my head and then seeing the final tangible result of what I dreamed. I’m finally at a point in my life where I believe I can create and I always get really happy to see what came from me and not completely hate it haha. I now have a feeling of surprise, admiration, and delight whenever I see what I’ve created. And getting to see what others create is so rewarding as well. No matter the field or interest, I get really emotional whenever I see people doing things they love and revealing the unique qualities about themselves through their creative outlets or new ideas and discoveries. It’s all really inspiring.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My website has definitely been the best source of clients for my business, and I hope to keep it that way.

I knew before I started my business that I wanted it to align and flow with my life versus me feeling like I have to constantly be online, and my website gives me that time, flexibility, and freedom to create when I feel the need to and not feel pressured to post and rely on social media as a primary source for new clients. Whatever I create for my website I know will have greater longevity than anything I create for other platforms and will be found by people that are actively looking for the services that I offer. Because of this, I can properly give what I create the time and space to come to fruition and exist within my business seamlessly, connect deeply, and still feel true to my heart. Without many constraints, I can run my business more thoughtfully, feel relaxed, and really take the time to create content that resonates with those who come across my website and business. That’s really what’s most important to me.

I am actually working on updating my website right now and am super excited to have a space that feels more aligned with the heart and soul of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inkedintuition.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkedintuitioncalligraphy/