Conversations with Ahndea May

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ahndea May.

Hi Ahndea, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the Midwest, and when I was 14 years old, I lost my father. It was the kind of loss that forces you to grow up fast, and it taught me something I’ve carried ever since: I had two choices — I could live under my circumstances, or I could use them to rise and become an impact to others. That choice has shaped nearly every season of my life that followed.

My parents gave me the foundation for that choice long before I understood I’d need it. My dad was a self-made businessman who started as the mail boy at a bank and worked his way up to bank president. After he passed, my mom got her real estate broker’s license — and for most of my childhood, she was also a signed model in Chicago. Between the two of them, I learned grit, standards, class, etiquette, and the belief that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. My dad used to say, “Something good is going to happen today” — and he believed it. I still carry that with me.

One of the most formative opportunities of my life came early, when I was just 21 and spotted as a young, up-and-coming leader by Dr. John C. Maxwell’s organization, INJOY, where I began working in 1999. Being mentored by John and working under his leadership taught me the power of proximity and relationship — and, more than anything, the power of developing people. It’s a lesson that still drives how I lead, coach, and build today.

In my early 20s, I became an entrepreneur and fell in love with the idea of multiple streams of revenue. I built a life around real estate, flipping, property management, and design, and I started a consulting business helping others discover their unique gifts and bring them to life. Along the way, I became a mom of five.

At 40, after 20 years of marriage, I went through a divorce. It was one of the scariest and hardest things I’ve ever walked through — and yet it became another opportunity to grow. My kids were 16, 14, 12, and twins who were 7, and with no family living in Georgia, I knew that season would take a strong mind and a strong heart. The Lord says He will always make a way — that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. During that time, I stepped into a huge career opportunity as CEO of a large real estate brokerage, leading nearly 500 realtors in an office with over a billion dollars in sales. For the next six years, I worked long hours while also taking on the title of single mom, laser-focused on rebuilding our lives and giving my kids every opportunity to heal and thrive. I’m so thankful for that difficult season, because it shaped me again — and it’s what makes the victory of overcoming so much greater and more impactful.

Through all of it, I kept my consulting business running alongside my full-time role, and it grew into what is now Elevate Branding Agency, a full branding and creative production company. After nearly seven years at the brokerage, the next door opened for me to step out of that leadership role and into my agency full time, while also leading a real estate team and focusing on content creation.

Sharing my story to help others is one of my greatest passions. I share my sourdough, my fashion, tips on raising teenagers, what it’s really like being an entrepreneur, and how I help women reset and rise through all of life’s transitions. I’m so thankful for the journey — and for the blessing of finding love again. I’m remarried now, and our family lives in Marietta, Georgia, where our twins attend Walton High School.

We’re often afraid to share our truths out of fear of being judged. But I’ve learned that the story you’re most tempted to hide is usually the one that gives you the most credibility to help someone else. I’m uniquely qualified, through my own story, for the value I offer others — and that’s why I choose to share it.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What I specialize in is something no one really talks about — I’m a creative and a multi-passionate at the same time, and I built my business by learning to use my own talents and gifts, then creating a company around them. That’s exactly what I help other people do too. I’m a “lid lifter” — I spot talent in people, and as a coach, I give them the belief that they can. Mindset is everything. What I’m most proud of isn’t a number, it’s the lives I’ve been able to impact, and building a legacy business for my own family in the process — my daughter now works with me full-time as our lead photographer. What sets me apart is how I’m wired. Based on my DISC assessment, I’m what’s called a “unicorn” — someone who is fully both business and creative, not one or the other. Growing up, there wasn’t really room for people who showed up that way; you had to fit in a box labeled either “business” or “creative,” and I felt a lid on me at every turn because of it. Becoming a lid lifter for others started with learning how to take the lid off myself.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
You can find me on social media @ahndeamay on Instagram, tiktok and Facebook. I am also on youtube @ahndeamay. You can go to my website elevatebrandingagency.com you can email me ahndeamay@gmail.com for PR and UGC or brand partnerships and follow @elevatebrandingagency on Instagram and tiktok

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.elevatebrandingagency.com/
• Instagram: https://www.elevatebrandingagency.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahndea.may/