Meet Sarah Maxey | Business Owner of Slate Social Management – Social Media Management & Content Creation

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

Hi Sarah, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I never thought I was going to own my own business. I went to school to be an Elementary Teacher. I worked full-time for a business all through college. I never thought that owning a business was in the cards for me. While I was working full-time in college, I was presented with opportunities to explore social media management and the digital marketing world. And once I started submerging myself in that world, everything clicked. I knew I was going to school for the wrong career. I knew I didn’t want to be a teacher. And I knew that I found a career that I loved and was passionate about. I ended up still getting my degree while working full-time (thanks to Covid and all the online class options). After college, I knew I wanted to continue down this road that I was on in social media management & digital marketing. I was learning from experts, gaining experience, and learning the ins and outs of running a business. At the end of 2022, the business that I was working for closed its doors as a result of the owner going a different career route. Which initially scared me, but ended up being exactly what I needed. By that point in time, I was creating a vision in my mind of what the future with this career could look like for me. I kept seeing social media management companies on Instagram and knew that I had an interest in taking my own clients one day. So this was the push I needed to start creating that dream. In January of 2023, I created Slate Social Management. A digital marketing business that focuses on social media management, content creation, SEO, and more. Just like every other business owner, I would say the journey of owning a business has had many ups and downs. That it has been the most stressful yet the most rewarding journey I’ve been on. But I know this is the journey I’ve always been meant to be on.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I believe that everyone’s business/brand is different because no person is the exactly the same. So if you embrace your authenticness, you’ll automatically stand out against the rest. But besides that, I do have two other factors that helped me with my career as a social media manager and content creator that I think are unique. On top of owning Slate, I am also a signed model. I’ve been modeling since I was about 17 and was signed to my first agency around the age of 18. With my experience in the modeling industry and in front of the camera, I am able to capture content much differently than most & direct people in front of the camera easier. Being in front of the camera for so long has helped translate what looks better while I’m behind the camera. When I capture content of my clients, they always mention after their shoot how empowered and confident they felt in front of the camera. They love how I am able to physically show them pose ideas and communicate what to do in front of the camera so they don’t feel awkward or shy if they don’t know how to pose naturally. I also have a background in content creation that goes way back into my childhood. I got my first camera for Christmas when I was 7 years old. I’ve always loved taking pictures as well as being in them. When I was a little older and Ipods/Ipads came out, I was always making “Youtube” videos and silly music videos with my friends. I always loved grahic design and video & photo editing. In middle/high school, I actually ran a social media account that was a Taylor Swfit fan page. (Yes, I know how cringey that sounds – But I’ve been a die hard fan since I was 8 and I will stand as a swiftie until the day I die) I thought it was so fun meeting other fan accounts and posting video edits & graphics I made about Taylor. Looking back now, I actually learned a lot about managing an account and an online community! At the end of high school and going into college, I went viral on an app called “Musical.ly”, now known as “TikTok”. Musical.ly was basically just a platform for lip syncing and dancing videos and my viral video was exactly that. But after I gained a following, I continued to create content and interact with the community surrounding my profile. So content creation and social media management has always been apart of my life some way or another. Having a passion for something and then making that your job is the best because then you are never “working” a day in your life. I actually enjoy what I do and I think you can tell that through my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I just moved to Denver in April of this year, so I’m still fairly new to the city. But if I had a friend visiting Denver for the weekend, I would start by going to grab a quick breakfast at Rosenberg’s Bagels before driving about 20 mins out of the city to go on a hike or some sort of adventure like paddle boarding. Being so close to the mountains, you always gotta experience the beauty of Colorado no matter what season! Then we would come home, get ready, and head out for a cocktail hour/dinner at Viewhouse if we were feeling casual or Uchi if we were feeling fancy. Then we would end the night by going out to a bar like Recess or go see a concert at Red Rocks. Sunday morning, I would take them on one last adventure to get brunch at Wonderyard!

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?
I wouldn’t be where I am without my best friend, Kore. I met Kore when I was a sophomore in college looking for a part-time job. I applied to interview for a receptionist position at a salon in Fort Collins that Kore happened to be the owner of. From the moment I met her at our interview, I knew that this was going to be the start of a new friendship. Little did I know, that this part-time job that I got just because I needed a little bit of money to get through college was going to be the start of my dream career. While working in that receptionist position, I took on the responsibility of the salon’s social media and started capturing content. I was eager to jump into that role because I’ve always had a passion and talent for content creation and social media was second nature to me. My position grew as I was presented with more and more opportunities and I wanted to step through every door that was in front of me. By the time I was a junior in college, I was working full-time while still being a full-time student thanks to Covid and my college’s online/hybrid class options. Kore and I’s friendship grew into the most beautiful and supportive dynamic as she was mentoring me as my boss and also as a role model. I was a rock for her to lean on and she was mine. By the time I was a senior in college, I was working in the digital marketing world and Kore had given the Director of Marketing & Merchandising position for the salon and her online store. Fast forward to 2022, Kore stepped away from being a hairstylist and closed her businesses. She empowered me to keep following my dream and open my own business. Our friendship is stronger than ever and I owe so much of my success to her and her faith in me all these years.

Website: https://form.jotform.com/230794673193061

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmaxey-slatesocial/

Image Credits
@floriiphoto