About

A curious mind with an obsession for collecting new experiences

Hey, I’m Marly!

I’ve spent the last decade working in the retail and service industries for businesses, including movie theaters, restaurants, investment property organizations, and The UPS Store franchise.

Midway through 2021, I left my position as CEO of seven privately owned The UPS Store locations to focus full-time on developing a new set of skills for the ever-evolving digital landscape of web development. It was a terrifying leap, but I felt fortunate to be in a position to take on this new challenge to diversify my skillset and further my career.

In the time since, I’ve realized just how diverse digital roles are and how difficult it can be to find one’s professional footing when operating exclusively online. It has given me a deeper appreciation for the ease of in-person business dealings, but I am also glad for the challenge of learning to connect with others in a meaningful way online.  I love the ability to discover and build communities of like-minded people who may not have had the opportunity to connect otherwise.

In my heart, I am still deeply entrepreneurial and a puzzler. I love figuring out what makes different businesses and industries tick behind the scenes and from the customer’s perspective. There is a lot of theoretical information out there, but nothing beats learning these things firsthand. Above all else, I love sharing the small pearls of wisdom and insights I’ve gathered from the amazing people I have met in business and or my own personal experiences.

The only thing more terrifying than leaving a stable, well-paying job is taking that first step away from home as a newly independent adult. There’s so much to know and navigate, from your decisions regarding any post-high school studies to furnishing your first place and dressing for your first ‘real’ job. Ever since leaving home, I have held on to one mantra:

DO IT FOR THE EXPERIENCE

It has served me well so far, both personally and professionally.

I’ve run 17 miles through the Sonoran desert and dined in well-loved locally owned and Michelin-rated establishments around the world. Bought last-minute tickets to a concert in Madrid, presented to the executive team members of a multi-billion dollar company, and collected about 20 beloved Shutterfly photo books of all my travels along the way.

These experiences have taught me a lot, and not always what I expected to learn. 

Now, I am simply living happy in a quaint small town outside Greenville, South Carolina, writing for SLH while contributing my insights and experience to publications like Orlando Family Fun Magazine and others.

Thanks for being here and allowing me to share my story with you. I hope you get a lot from this site and visit often.