Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Johnson-Maquilon.
Hi Erica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I studied Marketing at UCF in Orlando, FL, and graduated in 2011. Then, I worked at a few Advertising agencies in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. While there, I learned much about the industry and fell in love with website design. I started my own business, E-Partners Marketing, in 2016. “E” for online. “Partners” for small business owners needing extra help (from experience). “Marketing” because the combination of marketing and design pushes a business forward. Being online, I got to help clients around the world. My business took a while to get going. In 2017, I became a teacher at a small private school in Jacksonville. During this time, I still helped entrepreneurs part-time. I encouraged my class to embrace technology in my lessons, and we enjoyed many art and science activities together. STEAM was my thing.
In 2018 and 2019, I got serious and consistent about my business. I decided to go full-time with it again. It laid the foundation for where I am today. 2020 was another pivotal year. When Covid hit, I was tempted to close shop because many of my client projects revolved around marketing in-person events, which were all canceled. But in June 2020, things took a surprisingly positive turn. In 2021, I partnered with entrepreneurs in Jacksonville, Tennessee, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Nigeria. In 2022, I enjoyed working with entrepreneurs in Jacksonville, Washington D.C., Jersey’s Gold Coast, Atlanta, and The Bahamas. 2022 has also been my best year in business so far. I’m excited about the entrepreneurs I get to partner with this year.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has been a bumpy road. The first few years were like a vacation. I became a teacher, and that was challenging. But that experience gave me the consistency and discipline to use that energy in my business. It also gave me the skills to partner with my clients in new ways. I used Zoom a few times before the pandemic. When the world shifted, I was prepared and opened up a new way to interact with clients. No more endless emails back and forth. We can jump on a Zoom and talk about it. We love chatting quickly, even though I’m in Florida, and they may be in Washington, DC, or New Jersey. The biggest challenge now is keeping the consistency and momentum going. Things are changing so fast in the marketing and design world. I have to keep up with what clients need now. That required me to create new services and products. In business, there’s always doubt about whether a product or service will succeed, but as an entrepreneur, you get to try again.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I help businesses have the business they love with marketing and design. I design—websites, logos, brand identities, business stationery, social media graphics, emails, and more. Anything with graphic design I can pretty much make. I also create marketing strategies and content for businesses. I offer social media management, but clients are drawn to my website and graphic design projects. I’m known for my website design style and “design eye.” I’m most proud of my clients’ transformations and the success they experience after working together. My seamless process from start to finish working with clients sets me apart. I try my best to partner with the client.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people might not know that I studied marketing and didn’t spend a day in design school. I wanted to be a fashion designer, but my father encouraged me to attend business school. I went to business school and worked in the industry I studied, but I was always interested in design. At one agency where I was doing SEO consultations, Google Ads (PPC), and Facebook ads all day. Sometimes I’d jump into a client’s website and make the requested changes. At another agency, During a client project, one of the designers was too busy. The CEO told me, the account executive, to make the ad creative and landing page for the client. In agencies, this is extremely rare. But I rose to the challenge. And fell in love with the process. I do this for my clients all the time in my business. On the job, I learned how to make simple changes in WordPress. On my own, I’ve learned how to use WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Wix, Dubsado, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Flodesk, Acuity, Calendly, and XPRS. What I offer now is way beyond a website. It’s a whole system online.
Contact Info:
- Website: Epartnersmarketing.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/epartnersmarketing
- Facebook: Facebook.com/epartnersmarketing
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericajohnsonmarketingmajor/
- Twitter: Twitter.com/epartnersmarketing
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/epartnersmarketing
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-content-cure-co-podcast/id1529015047
Image Credits
All Branding Photos and Makeup are by Kimberley Maxine Beauty and Photography
