At Home With Marquita Cummings
We are so excited to share our next “Planner-preneur” for 2020! In this ongoing series, we share an inside look at people from our community that have poured all their creativity and inspiration into a “planner-related” entrepreneurial venture. This time we are talking to Marquita Cummings of @athomewithquita.
Marquita (Quita) is a real favorite among the planner community on social media and on YouTube. Her lifestyle content covers everything from a weekly plan with me, to cook with me, clean with me, goal-setting, budgeting, DIY projects and vlogging/blogging. Her own unique style of planning with neutral layouts and “real life” tips inspire so many in our community. With millions of views on YouTube and running her own online shop, Little Miss Fancy Plans, she does it all. Quita has also recently added speaking to her list with presentations and workshops at the Planning A Better Me Retreat, Planner’s At Tiffany’s and the Chicago Planner Conference. In the upcoming months, she will be at the Southwest Planner Meet Up (UK) and Go Wild in Anaheim.
Here, Quita shares a little of her journey from planner to Planner-preneur:
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into planning and the planner community?
I started my journey about two and a half years ago. I was feeling unorganized, like I was forgetting important things in my life. I decided to explore some solutions and of course that led me to YouTube. I did a search on how to stay organized and that led me to some amazing ladies who all seemed to use paper planners. They seemed to have it all together and I wanted to be just like that. After I started exploring paper planners, I watched video after video and became more intrigued with each click. I then decided to purchase my first planner which was an Erin Condren Life Planner. I also decided to develop some sort of home management binder system to manage my entire household in addition to my daily life. From there, I just needed to find my style of planning that would work for me. Today I’m all in. I am loving every minute of it and how it makes me feel.
Do you believe in planner peace and what inspired you to create your own planner/inserts?
That’s a tricky question. I love the idea of changing things up from time to time. I try to keep things fresh in my planner so that I want to pick it up on a daily basis. But, I also tend to keep my planner setup the same overall. I totally believe that peace comes from using your planner in whatever way you see fit whether its keeping the same setup forever or changing it out monthly. I decided to create my inserts mostly through the encouragement of my husband. He is always telling me how amazing he thinks I am and that I can do anything I set my mind to. I was searching for planners with neutral layouts. I’m not a super colorful person and I tend to lean towards neutrals. I enjoy using colorful stickers to jazz things up. I couldn’t really find classic disc bound inserts that functioned the way I needed. So I decided why not create my own, and design them exactly the way I wanted them to look.
What are some of the ideas/tips you have been sharing with the community at planner conferences and workshops?
Stepping out into the speaking world has been tough for me because I’m more of an introvert, but it’s been a fun journey so far. I mostly share tips on organization and how to manage the day to day. I also love anything DIY and I enjoy sharing some of the projects my husband and I are working on.
What is your favorite type of content to create on YouTube and what direction do you see it going in the future?
What a whirlwind this YouTube journey has become! My favorite type of content to share is anything lifestyle! I enjoy sharing DIY projects mostly although I don’t alway have the time to endure the filming process. It can become lengthy and grueling at times. I also love organization and cooking videos. Basically I’m at a place right now where I want to share things with my audience that I’m already doing. I see much more lifestyle content in my future!
What are some of the goals you have for your shop, Little Miss Fancy Plans, this year?
I really love making planner stationery and stickers that can be useful in planning. My goals are to continue growing the shop by constantly adding new items and possibly introduce a subscription box in the future. Eventually, I would like to open an office space and maybe hire a few employees to assist with the production.
What advice can you share for creative entrepreneurs and content creators starting out?
The biggest advice I can give is to stay consistent! It’s not going to be easy, everyday will present a new challenge. Stick with it and all your hard work will pay off. I would also say to learn as much as you can by reading, watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts. It is super important if you want to take things seriously and grow as a social media influencer, content creator or entrepreneur. Lastly be you! There’s only one YOU and you’re fabulous. People will love you so never doubt that you are amazing and you have a message to share that people will want to hear.
Be sure to follow Marquita and see all the amazing things she has to offer:
IG: @athomewithquita
YouTube: @athomewithquita
Facebook: @athomewithquita
Blog: www.athomewithquita.com