Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha McKinney
Hi Samantha , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a creative person, deeply involved in the arts for as long as I can remember. I started as a dancer by trade and grew up surrounded by music, movement, and theater. Being in the creative space always felt natural to me—it felt like home. As I progressed in my performing arts career, I realized I had another passion: administration. I discovered a talent for capacity building and infrastructure development, which were much-needed skills in the arts community. The organizations I was part of were constantly trying to grow and expand, not only their operational capacity but also their support systems, networks, and overall organizational structure.
While working with various arts nonprofits, I often doubled as an administrator, as many in the field do. I found my calling in using my creativity in administrative roles and projects. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Dance and Choreography, I got my first professional job as a full-time instructor at a performing arts studio. In addition to teaching, I also handled administrative duties for their nonprofit arm. However, I quickly found myself burning out. The workload was intense, and while I felt fulfilled helping and connecting with people, the constant demands left me exhausted. I knew there had to be a better way.
That realization led me to transition out of my career in the arts and arts administration. I explored new industries, trying to broaden my skill set and gain a fresh perspective on how I could use my talents to help others in creative ways. During this time, my passion for creativity and administration resurfaced. I soon found myself doing similar work to what I had done before, but this time with a renewed passion—helping a variety of organizations rather than just one.
Eventually, it all came full circle when I understood that what I loved most about my previous roles was connecting with people, helping them, and solving problems in creative ways. That realization led me to entrepreneurship, but I knew I didn’t want to own a dance company or start an arts organization. Instead, I wanted to build something rooted in relationships, creativity, and support. As I reflected on my skills and experiences, marketing kept coming to the forefront. When I decided to pursue a business in marketing, the doors started opening, and it became clear that this was the path where all my passions and talents converged—and it’s been a successful journey ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Even though doors were opening for me in this field, the journey hasn’t been as smooth as I would have liked. In hindsight, though, I think that’s been for the best. As I launched my business, I sought the Lord’s guidance on what it should become, how it should operate, and what it should look like. Along the way, I met various people and engaged in different projects that helped me understand what was and wasn’t the right fit for me, based on my values, beliefs, and goals.
One of my main struggles early on was setting my priorities and making decisions that aligned with them. My priorities are deeply influenced by my Christian faith and value system. So when opportunities came up that might have been good for business financially but didn’t sit right with me spiritually, I had to say no. This caused some challenges, especially from a business standpoint, but it brought me peace in the areas of my life that mattered most. In the end, it balanced out.
Another significant challenge was time management. I was working 16 to 20 hours a day, trying to figure out the next steps, improve, and learn new skills. I became a workaholic for several years, completely focused on getting the business off the ground and making it as successful as possible. However, this intense work schedule made it difficult to maintain relationships that were important to me. I was often too exhausted to nurture the people in my life, which was something I had to address.
Eventually, I had to reevaluate my priorities and ensure that my business aligned with my values, rather than letting the business dictate them for me. This was a critical turning point in overcoming those early struggles. Now, I’m much more firm in my beliefs and values, and I make decisions based on those priorities. I’ve learned to manage my time, energy, and resources better, ensuring that I don’t let work or external pressures decide what matters most to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Create A Heart Marketing, we’re a people-first digital marketing firm, and I want everyone to understand what that truly means. We prioritize the needs of people above the needs of the business. Many of the clients and organizations I work with are made up of people, led by people, and rely on operations and customer service that are implemented by people. So, when we value people over profit or product, or allow people to guide how we pursue profits or create products, it leads to a more sustainable and successful business overall.
That’s what my marketing company helps our clients achieve within their businesses. At Create A Heart Marketing, we specialize in building relationships and connecting with target audiences through social media marketing, email marketing, online paid advertisements, SEO campaigns, and website design. Our goal is to help clients create a strong, consistent, on-brand digital presence that not only strengthens their business but also supports their community and its activities.
What sets us apart from other marketing firms—especially those that specialize in digital services like ours—is how strongly we focus on empowering our clients. We never want our clients to feel like they don’t have control over their marketing collateral, strategy, or campaigns. It’s essential to us that our clients feel a sense of ownership over their marketing, understand it fully, and stay involved in the process.
When our clients feel empowered and involved, it opens up a lot of opportunities for us to create custom-tailored campaigns and projects that truly reflect their business needs. We can customize every campaign and piece of marketing collateral specifically for their brand, which allows us to be more agile and pivot quickly when necessary. This approach helps us deliver campaigns that are perfectly aligned with their current goals and objectives.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, for Create A Heart Marketing is how strongly our love for community and people shines through in everything we do. It’s evident in our marketing materials, in the way we engage with clients, and in how we interact with community members. We’re actively involved in various initiatives, and it’s clear that community building and relationship building are key core values for us. This commitment is deeply embedded in our company’s branding and is something I’m proud to showcase through Create A Heart Marketing.
What I want readers to know about Create A Heart Marketing’s brand and services is that everything we offer is tailored specifically to each client. We don’t provide cookie-cutter solutions. While we have a range of products and services available, each one is customized to fit the client’s unique objectives, goals, needs, and brand. We intentionally design our work to fit seamlessly within the existing infrastructure of our clients’ businesses.
When clients partner with us, it’s like they’re adding an extra member to their team. They don’t have to adjust what they’re doing to fit into our system; instead, Create A Heart Marketing integrates into their business as an additional resource, partner, and team member. It’s a seamless partnership and support system that helps them achieve their goals more effectively.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is connecting with other people, because that’s truly the fabric of society—it’s what makes us human. In marketing, when you’re attracting people to a business, nurturing them to learn about a brand, and encouraging them to engage with it, you’re really talking about how to connect with another human being. It’s about understanding what they need and communicating with them in a way that builds a mutually beneficial relationship.
That connection is the most important part, especially in marketing. Once you know who your client is, you have to figure out how to attract them to your business, how to connect with them through your copywriting, imagery, and messaging. Then, you need to continue that connection through your sales pipeline, guiding them to transact with you. After they purchase, the connection doesn’t end—you have to keep nurturing it so they come back, leave reviews, and even tell their network about your products or services.
It’s all about finding that key connection point with people—whether through a customer journey map or a touchpoint map. You need to figure out where, how, and when to connect with them. Most importantly, it’s about creating a two-way communication between the people you’re trying to reach and your business, so you can truly understand each other and strengthen the relationship. That’s what makes me happy—building those meaningful connections.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.createaheart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createaheart101/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Createaheart101
