Meet Elise Ellis
We had the good fortune of connecting with Elise Ellis and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Elise, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process for starting my own business really began when I realized that I’m genuinely good at social media marketing—and I truly enjoy what I do. I feel fulfilled when I can help someone build their brand or grow their business. I love having meetings, understanding what the client wants, and figuring out how I can support them. I start by assessing their page to see what’s missing, what they want to portray, and how I can help bring that vision to life.
Growing up, I realized I didn’t want to spend my whole life answering to someone else. If I want to go home at a certain time, I want that freedom. If I want to travel, I want to do so without stressing about getting time off. I just want to enjoy life without constantly wondering if my 9-to-5 will allow it. I live by the motto “YOLO – You Only Live Once.”
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is EBE Socialz.
What sets EBE Socialz apart from the rest? Simple—I don’t see what I do as just a job. It’s something I genuinely love. I have a huge passion for social media marketing, and I truly enjoy working with people to bring their vision to life.
How it all started…
Back in 2020, during the height of COVID, my sister Zola—who already had experience in social media marketing—was approached with a project for an upcoming clothing brand. She asked if I wanted to assist her. As someone from Generation Z, I already had a good understanding of social media, so I started doing my own research and quickly got to work. I helped grow the page from 11K followers to 55K. From there, I started getting recommended to other business owners, and that’s when I realized this could actually be a source of income.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with several brands and businesses, including:
THE BRIDGE (clothing brand)
Sexy Garments by the talented designer Karen
AliCrafts, my sister’s art company
Living Food and Juices (my first restaurant client)
Scotch Boyz (a local sauce company)
Whitfield Bakery
Karma Muse, a new hotel in El Salvador
And currently, I proudly serve as the Social Media Content Producer for HEART/NSTA Trust
I also take on small side projects for various businesses, offering custom strategies and content support.
Was it easy?
Not at all. I’ve failed many times. But I don’t give up easily. I’ve learned to use the internet to my advantage and keep going. There have been moments when I struggled to come up with content ideas or couldn’t seem to grow a client’s page. For example, I once spent months trying to build a TikTok presence, but no post passed 200 views. So I dove deep into research—and eventually, I hit over 900K views on a single video.
The biggest lessons I’ve learned?
Keep pushing, even when a brand decides to stop working with you.
If a client refuses to take your advice and chooses to end the contract, let it go. There are others out there who will appreciate your insights and be willing to grow with you.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people in your field or turn to online resources—the internet is literally at our fingertips.
If you feel stressed or burned out, take a break. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
I want the world to know that I love what I do. I love helping others grow, and I know what I’m doing. Business owners—don’t stress about everything. Hire someone who can make your life easier. That’s what I’m here for.
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.
That’s an interesting question! Firstly, I love going out of town. I would plan a trip to St. Ann, Jamaica.
Our first stop in the morning would be Juici Patties for breakfast—either a nice hot cheese patty or an ackee breakfast with orange juice. After that, we’d head to Dunn’s River Falls to climb the falls and enjoy the beach. If we’re looking for a different vibe, we could visit Island Gully Falls to take in the beautiful blue waters, go for a dive, climb, and explore the area.
For lunch, we’d stop by Whalers Seafood Restaurant—they serve one of the best steamed fish dishes, paired with mashed potatoes and a cold Red Stripe beer.
To end the evening, we’d take a walk through the town of Ochi, stopping at Margaritaville for a sweet treat at the famous Chillpops and if we’re in the mood for a night event, we could swing by Tacbar for good vibes and some tasty tacos.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Firstly, I want to give a huge thank you to my family—my two sisters, Alison and Zola, and especially my mom. Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to take this passion and turn it into a business.
I also want to give major credit to all the creators I’ve watched online, especially Modern Millie. Her videos played a big role in helping me along my social media marketing journey.
I truly want to recognize and thank my clients. Working with so many different people has pushed me to try new strategies for marketing various products and services. I’m incredibly grateful that they’ve trusted me with their businesses, their content, and their brands. As I work, I continue to learn—and I’m excited to keep growing and meeting more amazing people.
Of course, I have to shout out to my friends. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, they’re the ones who remind me that I’m strong—especially when I’m juggling a million things and still finding a way to pull through.
To my partner, thank you for your constant support, encouragement, and help, especially when I feel discouraged or unmotivated. I also want to give special thanks to my manager at work, who always credits me for my efforts, and to my coworkers, who constantly encourage me and let me know how proud they are of my growth. Thanks to God of course.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebesocialz/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elise-ellis-3193a7265/
Image Credits
Photo credits to all models. Martine, David, Claudia, Harrie-Ann, Demani
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
