Today we’d like to introduce you to Mae Linehan.
Hi Mae, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I originally started sharing content because I was new to Arizona and genuinely wanted to experience everything this state had to offer. What started as simply documenting places I loved quickly grew into something much bigger. People began turning to the page to discover restaurants, hidden gems, weekend trips, local businesses, and new experiences, and I realized there was an opportunity to build a real community around exploring Arizona.
With a degree in marketing and more than 10 years of experience working in digital marketing and social media, I’ve always been fascinated by what makes people connect with a brand online. As the page continued to grow organically, I started seeing firsthand just how powerful social media could be for local businesses. A single piece of content could introduce thousands of people to a business they had never heard of before, drive new customers through their doors, and create a lasting connection with the community.
Eventually, what started as an Arizona Travel social media page evolved into something even bigger: a marketing company that now supports small businesses across the Valley. Today, I’m both the owner and creator behind Things to Do Arizona and the owner of a marketing company specializing in organic social media strategy, content creation, and brand growth.
In a lot of ways, Things to Do Arizona has become our living brand portfolio. Everything we do on the page—from the content strategy and storytelling to community building and organic growth—is an opportunity to practice what we preach and show potential clients what thoughtful, strategic social media can do for their own brands. Rather than simply telling businesses what we can do, we’re able to show them through a platform we’ve built and grown ourselves.
What I’m most proud of is that the heart of what I started hasn’t really changed. I still genuinely love discovering new places, supporting local businesses, and helping people experience more of Arizona. Now, I’m able to combine that passion with my background in marketing to not only grow my own platform, but help other businesses build communities and brands of their own.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t always been a smooth road, but I think that’s part of what has made the journey so rewarding. Starting a business at 23, just months after moving across the country to a place where I didn’t know a single person, came with plenty of learning curves. I was building a business, a network, and a community all at once, and it pushed me to grow quickly, trust myself, and create opportunities from the ground up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in organic social media, content creation, and helping brands build genuine connections with their communities. Through Things to Do Arizona, I get to highlight incredible local businesses, experiences, and destinations, while my marketing work allows me to take those same strategies and apply them directly to the brands I work with.
I think what sets me apart is that I don’t just teach social media strategy. I actively use it every day. Things to Do Arizona has essentially become a living portfolio of what strong storytelling, consistency, community building, and organic strategy can accomplish.
What I’m most proud of is the impact behind the numbers. Of course, growing a large audience organically is exciting, but hearing that a business had an incredible weekend, gained new customers, or saw real growth because of content we created will always mean more to me. I’ve been able to turn something I genuinely love into a platform that supports Arizona businesses while also helping other brands build communities of their own.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is waking up every day happy, grateful, and excited about the life I’m building.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/things.to.do.arizona
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1cGRsP3zNg/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maekenzie
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@things.to.do.arizona?_r=1&_t=ZT-98q5NsoYUbG
