Meet Mai De Leon | CEO of Good Studio Co.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mai De Leon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mai, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
My name is Maira De Leon. I am a Latina and I am 33 years old. I was born in Mission, Texas but raised in North Georgia, in a small town called Alto. My mother is an immigrant from Nuevo Leon, Mexico and my step-father is an immigrant from Durango, Mexico. Growing up as a child of immigrant parents, our parent-child relationship was different than other families here in the U.S. We, as children born and raised in the United States, took on a responsibility for our families that exposed us to family struggles most children don’t have to face earlier on.

We’ve had to translate the American culture, language and norms to our parents while juggling the tasks and responsibilities of every day life. To be a child in an immigrant family home means growing up faster but it also means carrying the hopes dreams of our parents and former generations and this expectation was one of the driving forces that made me want more for myself and my future children.

I started working at age 14, at a local steak house getting paid $5.50 an hour. I remember being mistreated by the owner almost daily but my hunger for having my own income was much more important. As a lower-middle-class (border-line poverty) immigrant family, the little money that we did have was used to pay for food, shelter, and basic utilities. I wanted to be able to buy my own things and eat whatever I wanted without depending on my parents’ income.

When I turned 16, I had three jobs; a part-time job at a retail store, a gas station in the mornings for 5 hours a day and a jewelry store on the weekends… all while going to College and High School simultaneously (dual-enrollment program). The pay from all three jobs was enough to afford a car payment. My grandmother gifted me the $2,000 for the down payment and the car quickly became the ultimate tool to move up from job to job. I asked my mom to help me open a bank account and I started building up my credit by applying for small loans and later on, student credit cards. By the time I was 18 years old, I had graduated college with a diploma and Cosmetology license. I had a credit score of 750 and when I turned 20, I had reached at score of 820.

I was able to buy my first home that year, during the recession of 2008/2009, which was a huge blessing because I did not have to pay anything towards a down payment or closing costs. I decided I would rent out my rooms to cover the mortgage payment and utility bills so that I could focus on my first business. When I was 26, I had just been through a really hard break-up and it helped me realize I needed to go back to school and focus on what really made me happy. I started a career in Marketing and was able to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. I wanted to help businesses with their marketing and advertising needs. I already had knowledge in graphic design, photography, and videography. This helped me land a marketing specialist position with Lanier Islands Resort, while in school, which was an experience that inspired me to start my own photography and videography business! Good Studio Co. LLC was birthed and the rest is history! Haha.

Fast-forward to five years later, we are well on our way to being a 6-figure business! We are working on a branch of Good Studio Co. called Good Studio Agency that will provide photography, videography and social media marketing consulting to small businesses. We are very excited for this new business venture! We can’t wait to work with all the small businesses and make their presence on social that much more effective.

What should our readers know about your business?
Good Studio Co. LLC is a company based in North Georgia that offers photography and videography for weddings, entrepreneurs and small businesses. We travel for weddings and elopements and work in Puerto Rico 2-3 times out of the year.

The journey has not been easy, that’s for sure, but we’ve stayed persistent and consistent with our work ethic, core values and priorities. We always put the client’s interest, desires and happiness first above all. Most of our clients have become life-long friends and through them, we’ve gained more referred clients. We are truly blessed to be able to do what we do. We love our business and are excited to see where it’s going!

I really want people to know that anything is possible when it comes to achieving success with a business. Dreams come true with hard work, dedication. consistency and persistence. Passion makes the magic happen but the hard work makes the needle move.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a best friend decided he/she wanted to explore the city, I would recommend these places in a heartbeat:

– The Millennium Museum
– Hall of Fame Museum
– Atlantic Station
– Cafe Intermezzo
– Ponce City Market
– Krog Street Market
– The Beltline
– The Aquarium
– The Mercedes Benz Stadium
– Street food/food trucks
– Piedmont Park
– Eclipse de Luna
– Any restaurant with live music, honestly!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Ahh, so many to mention. There are so many people that shaped our journey but to name a few of these incredible humans, I would love to give recognition to my family; Jose Algarin (my husband), my parents– Raquel & Saul Chavez, my grandparents, my siblings – Geo, Yadiel, Claudia & Jake Nicholson, Maria & Mario Huaroco and my besties; Ana & Samara Delira. They all have been such a wonderful support system and we can’t thank them enough for their endless love and encouragement!

Website: www.goodstudioco.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/goodstudioco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mairadeleon/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodstudiocompany

Other: Google: Good Studio Co. LLC

Image Credits
Good Studio Co. (our own)