Meet Maya Hood | Public Relations Professional

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

Hi Maya, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Although academics were a priority of mine, I was raised on entrepreneurship and the older I got the more I valued financial freedom. Simply acknowledging the state of the world and economy I knew that going to college and obtaining degrees would be a stepping stone to leverage the many ideas I had to eventually run my businesses. I knew I wanted to help other people bridge gaps of opportunity and I had a gift for teaching so I decided to combine the two and build an agency that did both.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Pioneers PR has improved so much over the years. Initially, we were Pink Pioneers, specifically targeting women entrepreneurs until I desired to service both men and women in the creative space. I wanted to help small businesses, artists, models, and others tell their stories through visual art and activations. What sets us apart is how unique yet nostalgic our projects are, they’re inclusive of people of all walks of life and everyone feels emotions after experiencing our creations.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy but it also hasn’t been hard to persevere. When you decide to be dedicated to your passion projects you accept everything that comes with it. “Choose your hard,” I would always say because truthfully nothing in life is easy. When you choose the things that drive you the most and fulfill you, you learn to overcome obstacles more easily.

One of the lessons I learned along the way was to have your integrity and moral grounding in place. In this industry particularly it’s important to know what you are and aren’t willing to sacrifice to see things through. Some partnerships aren’t worth it and all money ain’t good money. Knowing how to stand on business and boundaries is most important when running a business. Don’t sell yourself short and don’t play small. Divine timing is everything.

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?
One of my favorite spots is definitely Pascha, the food is good and the hookah is great. It’s intimate, grown, and sexy. That’s my spot, I’d take the girls, a guy, siblings, an all-around good spot. Oh and the DJ is amazing too!

I’m still finding my way around the citayy but there’s so many good spots.

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?
Because I took an untraditional route to my agency’s success I have been advised by many supporters and mentors in the past. I do want to shout out and thank the @MediaGirlsNetwork for being so consistent and welcoming when it comes to allowing members to expand their experience and build their portfolio in the media industry. The networking has been both amazing and fruitful for my business.

Instagram: @hoodgooods

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoodgoods/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNRG3EWBS4ipGu1UIb75kg

Image Credits
photographers on deck: @ashtonTY @mpxvisuals @photosenseiatl @photyegraphy