Today, we’d like to introduce you to May O’Connor.
May, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. My boss told me they might not reopen the store where I worked, but would I like to move to Miami and open a new store there? So I got a fresh start in South Beach.
That job didn’t last long, but I wound up getting a job as a stewardess on a yacht after randomly chatting with a super cool yacht captain at a hair salon. Despite never working on boats, I got the certifications and moved on board. My very first trip was tumultuous, and the weather was nearly catastrophic (9-12 foot seas), pushing the yacht’s crew to their breaking point. On the final day of the charter, both the Captain and the Chef quit. I didn’t know what to do. The yacht owner turned to me as they left and said, “We really like your food. Do you want to be our chef?”
I was taken aback. I had helped out in the Galley all week and loved cooking. “But I’m not culinary trained,” I responded. “If you want the job, it’s yours,” he said. So I stepped up, diving headfirst into the culinary world, learning everything I could, driven by my deep love for cooking for friends and family. Hosting dinner parties had always been my favorite pastime, and now my hobby was my profession.
Over the next eight years, I worked on 12 yachts, traveling the world cooking in tiny galleys. However, life on boats started to get old, and I missed the stability of life on land. So I started “May in Miami,” a private chef business. I bootstrapped the entire venture, from building my website to managing social media.
Despite my efforts, the chef business didn’t flourish as expected. But in a serendipitous twist, my hospitality peers admired my website building skills. “Could you build us a site?” one friend asked for a new bar opening. This request started a new chapter for me: I began taking on clients and building websites.
I caught the attention of Wix, the website design software I used. After meeting a few people at their Miami office, I was offered a new opportunity and became the second of what would eventually be over 80 global ambassadors for Wix. I spoke at events across Miami about leveraging Wix as a business solution. I earned my certification as a Wix Pro and even co-founded WixCon, a conference dedicated to website designers.
I officially launched Magnolia Digital in 2014, named after my beloved magnolia trees of New Orleans. As we approach our 10th year, my agency is thriving more than ever, and I couldn’t be more excited about our next chapter. We’ve got a new offer debuting soon: a monthly membership that helps people leverage their website to get more business, teaching everything from how to write effective emails and interesting blog posts to managing social media and more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been smooth sailing—literally. Transitioning from never sitting at a desk to working in tech was a significant learning curve. However, I discovered remarkable similarities between building websites and crafting delicious dinners. My brain organizes both as creative processes. Just as ingredients in a dish come together to create a perfect plate presentation, elements on a website combine to produce a stunning digital experience. When people see a beautifully crafted website, their reaction is similar to seeing a well-presented dish: “Wow! It’s so beautiful!”
Lacking tech experience became an advantage. I can explain things to clients in a relatable, uncomplicated manner, making the website-building experience easy to understand.
We’ve been impressed with Magnolia Digital, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Magnolia Digital is a full-service digital agency that designs stunning websites that drive business success. Our websites are visually captivating and serve as comprehensive business solutions.
Although I initially thought I would niche down to hospitality, I’ve had the privilege of working with clients across every industry imaginable and have gathered a ton of experience about what works and what doesn’t over the past 10 years.
I can look at a business and immediately identify its digital needs. This is my “superpower” and has allowed me to help businesses become more profitable by creating digital programs, automating systems, and helping hundreds of clients streamline their processes. As a result, my clients can focus on what they do best—running their companies—without worrying about their digital presence.
I’m incredibly hands-on with each project and am passionate about helping businesses represent themselves effectively online. Our websites go beyond being merely informational; they are powerful sales tools designed to enhance business operations and drive growth. I’m super proud of the impact we’ve had on our clients’ businesses and their success.
Interested in working with us? Get started HERE.
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