Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeana Marino.
Hi Jeana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, I’m Jeana Marino! The Founder of Soulful Brand Boutique. We are a creative boutique to serve “people first” mission-driven SOULFUL ENTREPRENEURS IN BUSINESS. We deliver powerful Branding & Website Solutions for small businesses.
I was a VIP Concierge at The Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. My clientele were the likes of the most senior Hollywood Elite to the highest levels of government and the highly revered spiritual world leaders. I met everyone and served them within the most luxurious brands in the world at the time. A 30-year Les Clefs d’Or Concierge trained me, and I knew I was in the company of the greatest hospitality minds. After 90 days with them, I was moved to be a trainer in how to treat others.
After my career with The Four Seasons, I created my own professional concierge business in Austin and began my “Art of Living Services.” Along with that business, I ran a custom-commissioned art business for my paintings and started representing other artists.
Simultaneously I started a contracting business as a Chief Executive Virtual Assistant for huge worldwide brands. I learned how to run a business remotely and in person while witnessing the rise and fall of executive C-Suite teams discussing everything and anything related to operating and owning a business.
All of this comes together at the end if you stick around a bit more…
Ok so, my love for creating brands started with the fun of MySpace Pages in 2005. Back then, the platform was revolutionary, and I was the go-to girl for companies, artists, and lifestyle brands to create a presence and sell virtually for free. One day a friend said: “you should charge people for that.” So I asked for my first $100 to design a page. And not only were people willing to pay it…they told everyone they knew! I was designing, running, and strategizing the first social media platform for businesses. I had the most popular local music pages, some fashion designers, artists, and dozens of other companies on retainer.
I immediately knew this virtual social gateway was revolutionizing marketing and advertising – When I realized MySpace could be used as a business platform, with many opportunities for brands to reach customers and build their businesses, I was hooked for life. Every person I knew and worked for heard my pitch for this “wild-west” opportunity.
This led me to teach myself everything I could about social media with Facebook for Business, Instagram for Social Selling, and Lifestyle Personal Branding to leverage a business model.
I devoured anything I could to learn everything I could about virtual business management, how to use your website as a selling machine, how to launch a digital product, how to use graphic design software, and how to write copy.
I even opened up my own art gallery in downtown Austin. My goal was to help artists sell, market, and exhibit their work. From there, I went on to curate two other galleries. Additionally, I began an art show event service to raise awareness and resources for many non-profit organizations.
Then, I bought a camera kit at Best Buy and began learning photography. I took pictures of everything and anyone to understand the art of it genuinely. Before I knew it, I had a full-blown media company. I called it Jeana Marino Media. Anything from video production, brand photoshoots, social media marketing, campaigns, and online business management, I could and would do it!
After supporting over a dozen brands on retainer and for various contract launches, program creations, website development, and online business management, my little company began, and I was now taking on clients looking for a Business Strategist or Marketing Director.
As I was gaining momentum, the pandemic hit. And, like all of us, I pivoted. But not like most people. Because I operated from home already, I knew how and what the world needed to know and be supported with… HOW TO RUN A VIRTUAL BUSINESS!!!
Ah-hem, I started Soulful Brand Boutique to get everyone on board for branding, websites, and virtual offers. My business in 2020 EXPLODED.
As the world shifted, I opened and rebranded with Soulful Brand Boutique to help others live and work intentionally with empowered messaging, a beautiful visual identity as well as strategy.
I’ve learned more than enough in the last two decades to earn a few more degrees in Marketing, Graphic Design, Branding, Web Design, and Business. After almost a decade of running my brand and two successful companies, I’m excited to own the business of my dreams finally.
Soulful Brand Boutique is about more than just delivering a website with branding, a cool logo, and some pretty colors. It’s about creating your place where your passions, strengths, and unwavering purpose align so you can take your next step toward living up to your definition of success—a place where you can find confidence, power, and authenticity!
My goal is to help you find your voice, purpose, and passion so you can create a brand and a business to connect with people that drives them to action. It’s more than just delivering a website with branding, a cool logo, and some pretty colors. It’s about creating the place where your passions, strengths, and unwavering purpose align so you can take your next step toward living up to your definition of success—a place where you can find confidence, power, and authenticity!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As a business owner, you are the biggest asset your company has. The success of your business is dependent on your ability to perform at a high level and make the best decisions possible.
Being an entrepreneur can be overwhelming and stressful. My struggles have mainly been ME. How I related to the client was a huge one in the beginning. I was attracting the wrong clients, and chasing people for money was not what I thought would happen. I didn’t know how to set up my business with structure and a solid payment system. Initially, I said yes to most requests and didn’t set proper boundaries. My relationship with money was in shambles.
I learned hard lessons, and staying in momentum and not quitting was the most difficult to endure. There were and still are strictly hard days I spent/spend coaching myself back to the game. Luckily, I have amazing support in my life.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to empower women to go after their passions! And monetize them! I love waking up every morning and getting myself mentally and emotionally prepared to hold and direct my clients.
This is seriously a dream come true!!
As an artist, creative-intuitive, and business professional, I’m using both sides of my brain and keeping it in balance.
As a soulful woman, I’m using all my gifts, experience, and wisdom to deliver the highest quality outcome.
I love what I do and who I do it for.
I want others to show up like I do and dive in, dig deep and wake up to the reason they were born. 💥
Making money is the reward some of the time. The biggest and best way I can describe why I love what I do-
I give women business owners the tools to impact the world how they choose.
And when they fully show up in our meetings with inspired vision and love for their work- it’s the highest experience I’ve ever had with other women! It’s amazing. I’m serious. I’m ahhhh-mazed at how good it feels to witness another woman own her god-given power to make her business come to life!!!
How do you think about happiness?
I have the most beautiful husband and daughter. They are my happiness. Our family is the reason I never second-guess my path. They give me more love than I can hold and then some. Even though the last three years were intense and wild, we held on and grew stronger. I couldn’t do this without them. Period.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.soulfulbrandboutique.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulfulbrandboutique/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulfulbrandboutique
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanamarino/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jeanamarino
Image Credits
Carrin Lewis Photography
Lacey Melguizo of Unscripted Lens
