So Scottsdale October 2018

Page 34

Pulse BEAT

SHINE BRIGHT

Web designer Leeah Murray builds heart-centered brands and websites

BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE

True stars shine bright, especially on dark nights. And growing up, rising star Leeah Murray had a lot of dark nights (and days). “I came from an abusive household and grew up without my mother. If not for my grandma, who knows where I would be,” says Murray, whose grandmother stepped in to help raise her with a keen sense of curiosity. Curiosity, coupled with creativity, led Murray to computers. “As a pre-teen, I found myself obsessed with graphics, quickly learning that if I taught myself HTML I could translate those skills into a purposeful website,” Murray says. By age 14, Murray had web design skills far beyond her years. Murray enrolled at Pima Community College to study computers after graduation, but found she was required to take beginner classes. Uninspired at school, she started designing websites part time. “Before I knew it, I had a book of business,” Murray says. She soon left the college environment behind to concentrate on work full time. She would spend the next several years building her business, as well as working for others now and then, but by 2012, at 27 years old, she reached a crossroads. “My past still haunted me,” says Murray, referring to her childhood trauma. “It bled into my business, leading me to set poor boundaries and get taken advantage of more than I would like to admit.” Done running from it, Murray began working through her issues, embracing spiritual healing modalities such as the study of mindfulness and even reiki. “It did not happen overnight, but by 2016 my soul felt at peace,” says Murray, who started her company, Meraki & Co. (www.merakiand.co), that same year. Through Meraki – Greek for the soul, creativity, love and essence of yourself put into your work – Murray does far more than graphics, web design and web development. She helps entrepreneurs find the soul of their businesses and translates that into an online platform including websites and social media. “We offer life coaching, mindful marketing and design, and workshops to help people develop their brands in a holistic, purposeful way,” says Murray, now happily married to a fellow techie. “We want to help others find their light, and then use our skills to assist them in shining it brightly for the world to see.”

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So Scottsdale! October ‘18


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