We were lucky to catch up with Maria Orozova recently and have shared our conversation below.
Maria, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
Growing up in Eastern Europe, I saw not only my parents, by my grandparents create multiple streams of income. This meant anything from small freelance gigs to excelling in their careers, etc. I’ve always had tremendous pride in my work and want to make sure that every job, no matter how big or small, is done right. I also just really enjoy working – it gives me purpose to know I am contributing positively to my clients’ businesses and endeavors so I have never shied away from taking on hard problems. And I hope to teach my son the same values.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m the founder of data-driven marketing agency, MODintelechy, headquartered in Austin, TX. For the last 15 years, we’ve earned over 100 industry awards, continuing to serve our enterprise clients with strategy, creative and technology to optimize their customers’ journeys.
In 2019 we bought a 125-year-old historic building in Hyde Park, remodeled it and moved into our forever HQ, along with our team of 30+. And in 2020, we earned the Inc5000 award. There is never a dull moment in agency life, and I love my work the same way I did when I first started in this industry.
Most recently I founded Four Wings Marketing, an agency specifically focused on start-ups, small and local businesses. We offer a flexible approach that is better able to align with the needs of this client profile, with exceptional design, digital thinking, and clear messaging that produce results.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think being resourceful is a great skill to have when it comes to entrepreneurship. Every day is so different, and you are constantly problem-solving. I also believe that having a detailed plan and knowing exactly what you want is one of the only ways I have been successful at achieving my goals. If you can list it out in as much detail as possible, then break it down into small, measurable actions, you will get there sooner than you think. Lastly, I am a huge believer in “positivity breeds positivity”. Having this mindset of attracting what you give energy has paid off incredibly for me in my life.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
I have done a lot of reading and personal work with mindset. Even though this has always been a topic of interest for me, I have become a lot more intentional and have put a lot of concepts into practice like never before. Some of my favorites that I pick up over and over are The Inner Matrix by Joey Klein, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, and You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. I have also gotten a lot out of 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest – especially the audiobook version. These are short chapters you can listen to when going for a walk that are really thought-provoking and calming.
Contact Info:
- Website: mariaorozova.com
- Instagram: mariaborozova
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-orozova/
Image Credits
All images by Tanialee Gonzalez Photography
