We had the good fortune of connecting with Mariah Althoff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mariah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Although I always had dreams of going freelance “someday” I ended up starting my freelance journey much earlier than anticipated after I was laid off from my job. I had only spent about a year in corporate America when I quickly realized it wasn’t where or how I wanted to spend the rest of my career. From being underpaid, overworked, and undervalued, I quickly realized I wanted to take my finances, success, and schedule into my own hands. I was only 23 years old when I started freelancing. I initially believed I couldn’t go off on my own until I had more experience in the industry but I quickly decided that was a mindset shift that I needed to overcome and I should just go for it anyway. It’s since been 7 years and I’ve built a multi six-figure and have never looked back!

What should our readers know about your business?
During the first 5 years I spent growing my freelance business to a 6-figure agency, I had also (accidentally) grown a following of other designers online who wanted to learn from me and someday do what I do. It was from this demand that I created my first online course, Ditch the Degree Design School, where I’ve since mentored hundreds of designers to learn Adobe Illustrator and the foundations and psychology of graphic design. In 2020, like so many of us, I really began reflecting on my business and where I was truly finding my greatest joy and passion. Although my graphic design business was as busy as ever, I felt like I had achieved all of the goals I had set out for myself and was really finding fulfillment in teaching and mentoring other designers. By 2021 I had made the big decision to let go of 95% of my graphic design clients and go full-time into teach and mentor graphic designers online. I’ve since added a portfolio-building course, Project: Portfolio, and have been working one-on-one coaching freelancers to confidently grow and scale their businesses so that they can build a life of freedom that freelancing can provide.

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.
I’m based in St. Louis, Mo, (although my business is fully online). If my best friend was visiting, I would start by taking them to the City Museum which is by far the wildest place I’ve ever been. I’d take them to South Grand to grab food and walk to Tower Grove Park for a picnic. We’d go to the St. Louis Art Museum and walk around Art Hill in Forest Park, have dinner and drinks in the Central West End, catch a Cardinals game, and we’d finish the trip by going to The Gentle Barn where you can hug cows and snuggle rescue animals – it’s magical.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have so many people I could shout out that have helped me along the way! My biggest mentor has by far been Melyssa Griffin (melyssagriffin.com), who after watching one of her free online webinars 7+ years ago helped me realize the potential I had to grow in the online space. I’ve since purchased all of her online courses and eventually worked with her in a coaching capacity through her masterminds. These masterminds have by far been my favorite investment I’ve made for myself and my business. Through these masterminds, I’ve built a network of incredible female business owners who are always in my corner, supporting me along the way. Some of the most notable being: Dr. Rebecca Ray (rebeccaray.com.au), Ashley Greeno (tenthousandcookies.com), Tracy Dungo (unodostrae.com), Julie Hartigan (juliehartigan.com), and Erinn Bridgman (erinnbridgman.com).

Website: www.mariahalthoff.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariah_althoff/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MariahAlthoffDesign

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mariah_althoff

Image Credits
Brooke Henning, Henning Photography Alyssa Pearson, Pearson Design

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