Marah Lago has a storied history of success in business and entrepreneurship. Now she helps the next generation create their own path to success.
Marah Lago learned early on that if she wanted something, she must go out and get it; waiting and hoping wasn’t an option. At the tender age of 5, Marah somehow convinced her mother to formally change her name from Marah Greenberg to use her mother’s maiden name, Lago.
The incredible early success was just a precursor of things to come. Ever since then, Marah knew how to make things happen and knew how to be successful. And she started early.
“Ever since I was 19 years old in a bank in savings and loans, I worked my way up through a company called Ernst and Young. I was in mergers and acquisitions and management consulting,” Marah said.
She continued, “I was the vice president of Krispy Kreme in their human resources department in their corporate office.”
Like any true entrepreneur, Marah knew there was more to the world than just rising the corporate ladder. She knew in her heart, as did her colleagues, that if she stayed the course, she could go far up that ladder. But she knew there were limitations.
“I just sort of decided to exit because, realistically, I’m a little too bold and a little too direct. And as a woman at that time, there was really a glass ceiling. And there was a perception of what we [women] should be like,” Marah said.
Marah Lago Goes Out On Her Own
Instead of relying on company executives to give her opportunities, she sought them out just like she did as a 5-year-old when she changed her name.
“My first business was a boutique ad agency, and that was a great business,” Marah said.
Things looked great for Marah and her ad agency business, but as most entrepreneurs can relate to, she hit a major roadblock that clipped her wings.
“It was taking off until Sizzler International declared bankruptcy – took me down,” she said.
But as a true entrepreneur, she didn’t give up there.
“I think failure is something we tend to avoid in life. And the truth is it’s the greatest teacher. So for me, once that failure happened, I did a couple other little things. And then I built what I considered to be my pièce de resistance which was a luxury jewelry brand as a co-founder and co-creator and CEO of this brand called Mar-a-Lago,” she said.
Her company expanded to nearly 800 locations with five factories worldwide. Since her dramatic success, Marah ventured out and appeared on numerous television shows, including a cable shopping channel.
After her fantastic entrepreneurship journey, she now wants to give back.
“So I help people who are struggling, they’re not sure how to take their business to the next level. They aren’t even sure what business terminology is even,” Marah said. “I believe fear is the worst thing that we can live with. Let it show you the way.”
To learn more about the Marah Lago brand, visit their website www.marahlago.com and follow them on Instagram.
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Who is Trudy Jacobson?
Trudy is an entrepreneur and leader. Her path to success and entrepreneurialism started in the trucking industry decades ago. She encountered numerous obstacles in the male-dominated industry- like discrimination. She was even conned out of a lot of money in a fraudulent scheme. Despite all that, Trudy always fought hard and pushed forward. Once she realized she could do anything, she started her own company and excelled. Now she empowers other women to do the same and to learn from her experience. Trudy now highlights their stories for the world to see in the Great American Women Series. Trudy wants women everywhere to know they can achieve their goals.