146 One student saw a need for more local businesses to have an online presence, so she decided to act on it. Sophomore Elizabeth Fisher cold called 16 businesses in 2020 offering social media management until one business said yes. “Doing social media management was never the plan,” Fisher said. “It happened through opportunity.” This opportunity led Fisher to create her LLC-certified business, Elizabeth Mae Media, in order to help local businesses invest in their online presence. She had seven clients representing different industries including food service, real estate, home goods and missionary groups. One of the businesses, El Mercado, was a Mexican grocery store hoping to grow their clientele. Jose and Catrina Mendoza noticed that their store was not as well known outside of the Hispanic community. “We asked Elizabeth to come in and visit with us to talk about what we could do, and she had some great ideas,” Catrina Mendoza said. “She’s a fresh set of eyes on our store.” El Mercado highlighted new and seasonal products on their social media, and as a result, customers frequently visited to try the featured products. “What I’ve most appreciated is coming in and looking at our store from a new angle, then showing it to us so that we can also help people find something that they love at our store,” Catrina Mendoza said. Fisher studied political science with minors in French and journalism. In addition to school responsibilities and running her business, Fisher was a member of Harding’s ROTC Program who planned to graduate as a commissioned officer. Fisher stayed busy, but she had a motivation for her work. “I have found a passion fighting for small and local business, especially through the pandemic,” Fisher said. Following Fisher Sophomore Elizabeth Fisher starts her own social media management business. “They are genuinely very hard-working people who want to invest in their community, and investing back in them makes a big difference in the place that you live.” As Fisher’s business grew, she was able to outsource a media team to help her. Jon Wood, director of the Waldron Center for Entrepreneurship, encouraged students to pursue their passions like Fisher. “College is the safest place to take risks, but a lot of people don’t think they have the confidence to do that,” Wood said. The Waldron Center for Entrepreneurship was a resource for students who wanted to pursue their own business. The center strived to educate, encourage and empower students. Wood and his team aided students in using the Harding community to grow their network and learn from their peers. “You need to have connections,” Wood said. “To get into any type of business you need to have connections to help you get the lay of the land.” Fisher encouraged other Harding students to also take a risk and start their own business. “Just do it,” Fisher said. “This is a very supportive community. You will find support, whatever your ideas are, somebody wants success for you.” Written by: Anna Yingling THE PERFECT ANGLE Sophomore Elizabeth Fisher takes a picture for one of her clients. Fisher managed social media for seven different businesses in Searcy in 2020. Photo by: Lauren Simmons
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