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

Hi Maegan, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I grew up in foster care and was out on my own by age 14 fighting to survive. It was almost Christmas and our group home was filing up. My brothers went home to their fathers – my sister and I didn’t have a place to go. Our social worker found my grandparents in Orange County and we came to meet them and stay over Christmas. Flying in, seeing the ocean, was truly amazing! We went to Disneyland. My grandpa told me about how his company did consulting work at Disney over the years. We went to South Coast Plaza. We bought new clothes for the first time. There used to be a Rain Forest Cafe on the main floor, and I recall having lunch with my grandma after all that shopping. Looking up and all around. I was enamored by everything: by the sounds and fairy tale visuals – it was an immersive experience! That very trip I became a California dreamer.
I had hope for the first time in a long time.

When I moved out on my own, I somehow returned to Orange County and I had an opportunity to work at various small businesses learning how to make the very best blended mochas and bagel sandwiches in the South Coast Plaza area.

And yet a flame of “hope” burnt inside me that didn’t go out. Through countless bedtime prayers, relentless hard work to realize my OC dream, and a lot of guidance and grace from local entrepreneurs like yourselves – I fell in love with business! Absorbing what it took to be an entrepreneur, to manage and support people, and help them achieve their own goals through living out their passion, in business.

For the first time my soul felt alive and my California dream got even bigger – a business woman in tech was born. Fast forward to today, and I’m a Director at Toshiba But I decided to never let the way I grew up keep me down. They inspired me. I started my own business to be an inspiration to others. To let others know that you can overcome hard things and you can change your life and be who you want to be if you are willing to work at it. I want to share the knowledge and wisdom I have gained to help others rise.

What should our readers know about your business?

I have always had entrepreneurial roots. As a corporate leader who’s represented the Toshiba brand as a marketing technology speaker, I have given keynote presentations to thousands of people in person, and most recently virtually. Yet, I didn’t have a defined personal brand outside of Toshiba or my industry. I had a word-of-mouth reputation that got me recognized. I didn’t know what to do with that. It started with having to give a speech on my career path and how I got to where I am. Which was terrifying. I had to step out from behind the Toshiba brand and be me. That forced me to figure out who I am and what I stand for, and how I want to share that with the world. In November of 2019 I shared my message and story at the Cannata Report’s Annual Charity Gala event, you can read more about it here on my blog. Being named an influencer needed to mean something, to me. So, I figured out what an influencer was (again, I’m a corporate person here), and what they should be and do. Real influence. From there, I spent countless hours gap filling all of my marketing knowledge from corporate branding into personal branding, and more money than I want to admit outsourcing my digital footprint and learning how to build a personal brand. This is where my book series comes in. Becoming a digital leader, everything that I did to build my personal brand was captured in project plans and launch frameworks. My personal brand didn’t just happen. It was meticulously crafted which has taught me so much about myself, what I want, and how to work forit. I have taken what I have learned and I’m now sharing it through the book series in a way that enables me to do my day job and also share my thought leadership knowledge in the personal branding space with digital products like books, templates, community membership and courses. Because I have been there and done that. LifeStamp, my new digital marketing agency, is an extension of the personal brand that I have built. Now I am able to offer a catalog of digital products that help with brand creation and management and also done for you services through the agency.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

One of the things that I love about South Orange County, and still amazes me after all of these years, is how different the local culture is from city to city. Huntington Beach is very different from Newport Beach, and Newport is very different from Laguna Beach. It continues as you drive south on PCH. For that reason, I try to show people a little bit of each city. Brunch at Bluegold to start, then meandering around the Pier and checking out little street vendors in Huntington Beach is always fun. From there, I’d drive down PCH to take in the serene ocean views and land at Roger’s Gardens for a drink and walk through their grounds. Finishing the day off with Sushi at 242 Café Fusion in Laguna Beach and watching the sunset at Cheney Point is by definition “perfect” to most. There are so many unique and fun places to visit between Dana Point and Huntington Beach that I would mix it up daily. From a morning nature hike at Nix Nature Center, to picnics at Inspiration point in Corona Del Mar, the ferry from Balboa Island to Balboa Peninsula, charcuterie plates and craft cocktails at Sidedoor, shopping Fashion Island and happy hour at Red O, walking the Marina in Dana Point and dining at Glasspar, the list goes on and on. It would take much longer than a week to experience it all at the chill, South OC pace. But those are a few of my favorite things to do when showing visitors around.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My team at Toshiba. If it were not for the dedication, wisdom, and experience that this amazing Fortune 500 company has taught me, I would not be where I am today. So many people have taught me lessons over the years that I have to thank for all the success I have achieved. Also, the team at The Cannata Report for selecting me as the 2016 Young Influencer and 2019 Woman of Influence which has been a great highlight in my career and encouragement to keep going.

Website: https://www.maeganlujan.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maeganlujan/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maegan_lujan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maegan.lujan/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9kZg2wGc8z_gfM87O0X-bA

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.