Today we’d like to introduce you to Ms. Neeq | Shaniqua Edwards.
Hi Ms. Neeq | Shaniqua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, I’m Shaniqua Edwards, best known as Ms. Neeq. I’m 33 years young, proudly based in Minneapolis, MN, and I’ve transformed my content creation / logo design hobby into a thriving Digital Marketing Empire.
My journey began on July 1, 2019, when I decided I no longer wanted to be confined to a cubicle, answering customer service calls. I had just been denied a raise, only to find out that a newly hired coworker was making more than me, despite us having the same job. After four years in that role without any disciplinary issues, I realized it was time for a change.
I wanted to be home with my kids and have the flexibility to bring them to work with me, creating my own terms. At that time, I had three beautiful little girls. Now, I have my three beautiful girls and my beautiful son. This desire for a better work-life balance and the need to be there for my kids were the catalysts for starting my digital marketing business.
Entrepreneurship is hard, and there have been many tough lessons I’ve had to learn along the way. Recently, I entered back into the workforce to maintain the necessary income flow to support my family, as my business is not currently providing the level of financial stability we need. Fortunately, I enjoy my current job, which contributes to me not having a negative outlook about returning to the workforce. It’s important to remember that you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to provide for your family, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a job you don’t love. You can be an entrepreneur and have a fulfilling job as well.
Despite the challenges, Creative Empire remains my passion project and will forever be a priority. I am fortunate to have the best long-term clients who have helped keep me in business.
I’m passionate about helping people monetize their gifts and finding creative ways to market them in a way that is unique to their brand. While I understand the importance of following trends, I always prioritize authenticity and originality, even in a world where duplication is often praised. I started off as Ms. Neeq Marketing, and after the birth of my son, I rebranded to Creative Empire. My vision is to expand it into a full-service creative agency and coworking space for entrepreneurs, also serving as a hub for employment and intern opportunities for youth.
Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship has been challenging but rewarding. With five years of expertise in crafting effective online strategies, I blend creativity and strategy seamlessly to deliver personalized and impactful online campaigns. My journey from a customer service cubicle to building a digital marketing empire is a testament to my dedication, passion, and resilience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Even though I appreciate this journey, it has not been smooth. Being a single mother has added layers of difficulty. For example, there have been times when I had a project deadline, but my kids were sick, or I was sick myself, with no one around to help. This resulted in delays and setbacks. Once, a pipe burst in my basement, flooding the entire space. I got no sleep and needed to put the finishing touches on a client’s website with a tight deadline, which I unfortunately couldn’t meet due to the circumstances.
Funding my business entirely out of my own pocket has also been challenging. I couldn’t always afford certain trainings I wanted to attend or keep up with the costs of subscriptions like Adobe Creative Cloud or Photoshop. Starting a business was my way to create a better life, but I had no prior knowledge or guidance on how to run it effectively.
Not having proper funding or real knowledge about startup costs and resources has been difficult. I would be further along if I had the finances to hire staff at an hourly rate instead of contracting freelancers, which I depend on based on project demands. Outsourcing tasks when falling behind on deadlines has also been a challenge.
Additionally, my ego and pride created internal battles. I was ashamed to admit that my business was not as successful as I wanted it to be, I was ashamed to admit that I had fumbled some projects, And that some months I went from making thousands to making damn near nothing. If I had humbled myself sooner, I might have found the resources I needed and connected with mentors who could help me expand.
Despite these struggles, I remain committed to my passion and continue to push forward, knowing that every challenge is a lesson and an opportunity for growth.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in helping people monetize their gifts and market them uniquely, focusing on authenticity and originality. I’m known for my personable touch and dedication to my clients, blending creativity and strategy to craft impactful online campaigns. I enjoy creating original logos, developing marketing materials, and helping businesses establish a digital presence with websites, whether basic or premium. I’m most proud of transforming my content creation hobby into a thriving business while balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. I’m also very proud of my Ask Me About My Black Owned Business & Ask Me About My Business apparel line. As a single mother of four now, I’ve faced many challenges, which has made me resilient and empathetic.
In addition to my digital marketing career, my journey as a single mother has motivated me to create a Facebook vlog, Baby Mama Chronicles, which will eventually evolve into a podcast.
What sets me apart is my genuine care for my clients’ success and my commitment to their growth. My cup of creativity overflows and I choose to share that with those that the universe aligns me with verses, keeping it to myself. Sometimes you are Given a dream, idea, strategy for someone else’s growth.
My vision is to expand into a full-service creative agency and coworking space for entrepreneurs, providing opportunities for youth. I’m excited to have a home Away from home for my creativity and connect with the other creatives regularly. I’m passionate about giving back and helping others succeed, just as I continue to learn and grow.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Man. This question has evolved for me overtime.
In this season of life success means no longer trading my time for money just to survive. If I am doing purposeful work, Investing in myself and my children, improving my mental health, not struggling to provide my children with experiences, Giving back to my community, living out my dreams, have freedom and flexibility with my schedule, oh and buying a cup of bubble tea without worrying if my account is going to go negative, lol. That is Success.
Pricing:
- •$450 • Base Website Design • Modern 3 pages. Responsive design. Content upload. 10 products. 10 revisions Hosts; Wix, Square, GoDaddy, Shopify. 14 Business Day Delivery $60 Maintenance / Support fee View this website live – https://my-skin-therapy-by-o.square.site
- •$600 • Standard Website Design • Modern 4-7 pages •Responsive design. Content upload. 30 products. 15 revisions Hosts; Wix, Square, GoDaddy, Shopify. 21 Business Day Delivery $60 Maintenance / Support fee View this website live – https://www.pipthebrand.com
- •$40 • Consultation • Which services are you interested in? The purpose of a consultation is to address & identify your business needs. It is also to determine if Ms. Neeq Marketing is the best fit for you & your Brand. Once your appointment request is received you will be emailed a link to my intake form, once that is completed & payment is received your appointment will be locked in. We do not accept same day appointments. The $40 fee is non-refundable. If we choose to move forward the consultation fee will be applied towards services that are $500+.
- •$735 • Hiring a social media manager can provide long-term success for your growing small business. Having a professional in this area will do more than just guarantee an active social media presence; it will improve customer service, perfect branding, increase sales, & much more. – Dedicated Account Manager – 2 Platforms (+100 for 3rd Platform) – 7 Images + Video / Week For 30 Days – Designs – Captions – Hashtags – Emojis – Post Scheduling – Reporting / Analytics – Monthly strategy Meeting
- •$65 • Flyer Design • Custom on brand design – Print Ready – Source File – 7 revisions
Contact Info:
- Website: https://creativeempiredigitalmarketing.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creativeempire.co?igsh=eTdzdHJ6dHdhbnZt&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativeempire.co?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/babymamachronicles?mibextid=LQQJ4d
