Conversations with Mary Spencer Veazey

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Spencer Veazey

Hi Mary Spencer, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a small town called Tifton, Georgia, for my entire life. I always had my nose in a book and loved reading from a young age. I graduated from high school with 54 other kids in my class and then decided to go to Auburn University where I knew no one.

It was tough at first but quickly became the best thing to ever happen to me. I had an incredible experience at Auburn and graduated with a degree in public relations and then went on to Belmont University to obtain my MBA.

From there, I worked for an addiction treatment center for women where I worked in development – fundraising to support women who couldn’t afford addiction treatment otherwise. After a few years in this role, I transitioned a kids’ counseling center nonprofit, where I also fundraise to provide affordable counseling to families in Middle Tennessee and beyond.

In my free time over the past two years, I have written a book called Cul-de-sac Crossroads which is about navigating your twenties, and every season of life, with courageous clarity. It’s been a dream true watching my own words come to life in paperback form!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’d love to talk to someone that says it’s always been a smooth road… I need some of whatever they’re having!

Trying to figure out what to do with my life was a struggle post-college. What do I even enjoy doing? And why do a lot of the things I enjoy doing not seem to make ends meet? I wasn’t aware of all the options I had and what all jobs existed until a mentor of mine introduced me to nonprofit development. Finally, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be career wise.

Writing a book has been an extreme challenge. I was living out a lot of what I was writing in real time and it was hard and vulnerable talking about what was going on at the time. While I was writing, I was navigating a family member’s cancer diagnosis, had someone repeatedly try to break into my home resulting in the inability to sleep through the night for almost a year, and difficulties in the job I was in.

I kept pushing through and giving myself grace. Both can be true and have to be true to keep going. The only way out is through.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So hard to choose a category! I have a 9-5 job, but at my heart I am a creative. I write on Substack pretty consistently and have written on some form of a blog for the past 10 years. I have written for some magazines over the years and am known for my storytelling – whether it’s about future Olympic ice skaters or my own personal experience people tend to laugh and cry in the same paragraph through my storytelling.

I am also known for writing about my faith in a very authentic way – no fluff.

Through my freelance work, people know me for my resume design business.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I connect easily with people because I meet them where they are. In the same hour, I have chatted with a woman who has been homeless for 10 years to having lunch with a TV actress we all know and love. I don’t believe in climbing the ladder; I believe in loving people no matter who they are or what they can or cannot do for me.

Pricing:

• My book, Cul-de-sac Crossroads is $18.99 on Amazon.
• Resume Design – $115
• Linkedin Profile Review – $45

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maryspencerveazey.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mencervz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryspencervz
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryspencerveazey/