Customer Profile: May Thanda, Pinterest Manager

There are so many different types of ittybiz owners in the world, but so often only the biggest or flashiest ones get represented in the media we consume.

To counter this, I've been interviewing real IttyBiz customers and clients so that you can see the variety and diversity of solo businesses out there – and the different ways that people run their business and manage their work.

So without further ado, I'd love to introduce you to IttyBiz customer…

Hey May! What do you & your ittybiz do?

I’m a Pinterest manager and strategist for online coaches, service providers, and course creators. I provide done-for-you Pinterest marketing services and Pinterest consultation services. Basically, I help my clients attract their dream audience, grow the traffic and leads by using Pinterest as a long-term marketing strategy.

Where can people find your website?

You can find me at maythanda.com.

How long have you been running this business?

I started as a VA in early 2018, and then I niched down to Pinterest 8 months later. So I’ve been doing this for about 3.5 years.

Why did you start this business? What was the catalyst or “reason why”?

My journey to becoming a Pinterest manager hasn’t been a straightforward one. I’ve always loved to use Pinterest to find recipes and home decor ideas, but never knew I could make a career out of pinning on Pinterest. 😄

I worked in the life insurance industry in the corporate world for over 10 years before I ventured into the online business world. While I enjoyed my cushy job, I always knew I didn’t want to be sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours, 5 days a week until I’m 60.

My commuting time was usually spent googling about what kind of business to start. And then I stumbled upon Chris Guillebeau’s blog, read his book “The $100 Startup” (which also led me to discover the ittybiz blog), and it gave me the encouragement and the inspiration to get started in the online business world.

So I saved up for a year, quit my job, and started my VA business. In my role as a VA, I got the opportunity to work with a couple of clients who needed help with their Pinterest accounts. Seeing how Pinterest helped with my clients’ business growth was an eye-opening experience for me. That led me to turn Pinterest into my specialty.

What was the hardest part of getting started / the early years?

The hardest part as a newbie online business owner was trying to wear so many hats balancing it all. I didn’t know how to allocate my time between delivering the best work for my clients and working on my own business, and what to focus on to move the needle in my business.

What’s easier for you now than it was in the beginning of your business?

The journey of an online business owner is an ongoing learning process, but it feels so much easier now. Discovering Asana and using it to manage all my to-do lists and goals has been a game changer with my productivity.

I also now feel more aligned with my messaging, and feel more confident with my content and how I’m showing up online.

How many hours a week do you work on average?

I work about 30 hours a week.

How much time do you spend per week on social media?

I probably spend about 3-4 hours a week on Instagram and in Facebook Groups. Most of the time I’m either spending time in the DMs and in the comments, or working on my posts and stories.

Showing up on social media hasn’t always been easy for me as an Introvert, and it’s only last year that I started putting in more effort into social media.

When I want to take a break from social media, I love that I can rely on Pinterest and Google to bring in enquiries in my inbox.

Do you answer your own email, or does someone else do it?

I answer my own emails because I still enjoy it. I’ll probably do so until I find that my time is no longer best spent there anymore. I especially love to personally reply to emails from my email subscribers.

How frequently do you produce content?

I used to be pretty inconsistent with my blogging schedule, but lately I found a system to be more consistent with my blog. Nowadays I publish blog posts every two weeks.

How frequently do you email your list?

I email my list weekly.

Do you do everything yourself, or do you hire others to manage parts of your business?

Do you do everything yourself, or do you hire others to manage parts of your business? If the latter, what do you hire out?

I do most of the work myself but I sub-contract some parts of client work. I’m in the midst of streamlining and scaling my business and my next hire will be a VA to help me with social media graphics, scheduling, and blog post formatting.

What’s the best purchase / investment you’ve ever made for your business?

First one is an online tool. Getting a Canva Pro subscription helped me save hours of work. As a Pinterest manager, I spend a lot of time designing graphics in Canva and Canva Pro keeps me more organized and sane.

The second one is a course. I invested in the Pinterest Gameplan course by Kathryn Moorhouse. It’s the most comprehensive course out there for Pinterest managers, and it has given me more confidence with my work as a Pinterest manager.

Last (but definitely not least), is a group coaching program I joined earlier this year. It’s called Yay for 100k by Courtney Chaal. I have gained so much knowledge, confidence, and new friendships from this program and it has given me the accountability and guidance I need to bring my business to the next level.

What’s your favorite product in the Karma Store?

I love The 1-Hour Content Plan! I love how it’s structured in a simple, easy-to-use format.

I go back to it whenever I run out of content ideas. You can literally get tons of content ideas in under an hour!

More customer profiles are coming – maybe one will be yours?

If you're an IttyBiz customer and would like to be featured in an upcoming customer profile, get in touch!

And if you're not a customer yet, consider May’s favorite product, The 1-Hour Content Plan – or any of the pay-what-you-want products in the Karma Store.

100% of store profits go to help ittybiz owners around the world through Kiva, in over 60 countries so far!

Take care!