We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista O’Neal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista, what is the most important factor behind your success?
We see ourselves first and foremost as problem solvers. We saw a huge gap in the market for both consumers and business owners when it comes to local businesses being present and relevant on social media. The problem…? Consumers had to find businesses through traditional advertising (google, magazines, billboards, etc.) and often don’t really know the brand or business they are reaching out to. We wanted to change that and give customers a way to connect and get to know a business more personally and we found the best way to do that was through social media! Likewise, many businesses don’t have huge marketing budgets to help them show up on page 1 of google, buy a billboard, or advertise in local magazines, so it’s often hard for GREAT businesses with conservative budgets to be found. What a lose-lose situation for both the business and the consumer! The solution… provide effective and affordable options for local businesses to connect with the local community through social platforms!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business has evolved so much over the years, and I think that is my most proud accomplishment – being able to adapt and change as our clients needs evolve. Starting out with just print advertising, I realized quickly businesses need more! Thus, I stepped into the digital space and now am able to help businesses develop a complete and well rounded marketing strategy. Miss Social Media focuses specifically on the organic social media element but we have the ability to help businesses with print ad placement, digital ads, SEM, SEO, brand development, logo creation, email marketing and more! The journey to get to this point was absolutely NOT EASY. I’ve failed more times than I’ve succeeded, but the beauty is you only need one success to be successful! What most people don’t see when they look at a profitable business is all the unprofitable ventures that came before it. Miss Social Media was my 7th or 8th business attempt. The biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way are: 1. NEVER give up
2. do something you LOVE because success takes a lot of time, and you will burn out if you don’t enjoy the process as much as you look forward to the end result
3. Solve a problem and you have a business
4. Do the best that you can do and trust God with the rest
5. Surround yourself with people who fill you up and encourage you along the way

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There would be a lot of eating and outdoor activity. We’d hike Kennesaw Mountain a few times and walk to grab coffee daily. I live in Roswell so my go-to coffee spots are Pop’s Coffee (not walking distance but AMAZING coffee), Douceur De France, Roswell Provisions, and Summit Coffee! We might drive into the city and try a few new restaurants, and for sure we’d do the classic Atlanta BeltLine!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gosh, there are so many people, organizations, and life experiences that have lead me to where I am today. Ultimately, I believe we are all put here for a reason and my personal goal is to live the life God intended for me. That requires being the best I can be, and doing the best I can do each day. That being said, God works through other people to help along the way. My parents (and the genetics they passed down) play a huge role in my success. My mom taught (and demonstrated) that you can do anything you put your mind to, and my dad taught that you’d rather be prepared for an opportunity than have an opportunity and not be prepared, hence pushing me to do my best and go to college. I had a few amazing college professors at Georgia Southern who helped me expand my understanding of the world and helped develop my mind and skills. From there, my career took off immediately – I graduated from college and became a waitress at a local taco shop! All jokes aside, being a waitress taught me so much about customer service and hard work. I worked there until launching my first business, a local magazine franchise with N2 Publishing. N2 was and is a great company and taught me how to be a business owner! That was my first taste of entrepreneurship and I became addicted. So in sum, my shoutout list would be longer than the credits of a major motion picture film. My faith, husband, family, friends, teachers, coaches, and clients have all shaped who and where I am today and I couldn’t be more grateful!

Website: www.miss-socialmedia.com

Instagram: @MissSocialMedia

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/miss-socialmedia

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OGMissSocialMedia

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