I’m Elba María, the creative mind, problem-solver, researcher, business guide, and occasional digital warrior behind IDEAS.

 

Around here, I’m also known as IDEASLady: part Creative Business Alchemist, part technology detective, part small-business champion, and part person wondering how a “quick five-minute fix” became a three-day forensic investigation.

 

I’ve spent more than 25 years helping businesses improve their image, communication, and operations. My work lives where creativity, business, and technology collide, usually with me standing in the middle, asking why nobody thought this through earlier.

 

How Did I Get Here?

I earned a BBA in Finance "cum laude", spent more than 11 years working in administration, and somehow ended up as a self-taught designer, web developer, brand strategist, technology researcher, and entrepreneur. Naturally.

 

IDEAS began in 1998 after Hurricane Georges, offering photographic business cards. From there, it expanded into branding, graphic design, websites, promotional products, business strategy, technology guidance, productivity, and training.

 

This wasn’t a carefully orchestrated master plan. A problem appeared, I researched it, learned what was necessary, figured out a solution, and added another skill to the collection.

 

Occasionally, someone said, “That probably can’t be done.” Those people were especially helpful.

 

The Almost-Architect and a Few Other Lives

Becoming an architect was one of my broken dreams. I also imagined becoming a pediatrician, or perhaps a veterinarian, before life, admissions processes, and chemistry began editing the script without requesting my approval.

 

The architecture dream never completely packed its bags.

 

It appears in my love of home décor and in the time I spend building and decorating properties in video games. Instead of designing buildings, I now build brands, websites, business systems, and virtual homes, without permits, unavailable materials, crooked walls, or contractors who vanish halfway through the project.

 

So technically, I still build things. I simply prefer projects with more pixels and fewer inspections.

 

Blame It on the Stars

I’m a Gemini sun, Leo moon, and Sagittarius rising.

 

Gemini contributes curiosity, adaptability, communication skills, and enough ideas to keep several imaginary employees requesting overtime. Leo adds creativity, confidence, and a perfectly reasonable desire for personality, visual impact, and perhaps just a touch of drama. Sagittarius brings independence, optimism, and the unfortunate habit of saying what everyone else was carefully trying not to mention.

 

Apparently, my creativity and communication skills were written in the stars. My sarcasm came from a far more powerful source: my mom.

 

Some families inherit jewelry or secret recipes. I inherited the ability to deliver a devastatingly accurate remark with perfect timing and a completely straight face.

 

Thanks, Mom.

 

I like my humor with a little pique: sarcastic and frequently wandering toward the dark side.

 

Bland design? Absolutely not.

 

Bland conversation? I’d rather reorganize a spreadsheet.

 

Gaming Since Atari

I’ve been playing video games since I was 11, beginning with Atari, when characters consisted of approximately six pixels and imagination handled the special effects.

 

Today, I play on PlayStation as DiamondStilettos, because eliminating barriers and enemies is no reason to abandon personal style.

 

Depending on the game, I may be exploring post-apocalyptic worlds, completing missions, surviving combat, or building and decorating properties. Whether I’m fighting enemies or choosing virtual flooring, one rule remains: "I play in style".

 

I even co-owned a business in Second Life where we built malls, rented commercial spaces, hosted events, sold designs, and made money. 

 

Some people entered a virtual world to escape responsibility. I became a landlord.

 

Learning Is My Other Hobby

I love learning, researching, testing tools, and figuring out how things work.

 

I can begin with one simple question and, three hours and 27 browser tabs later, know the company’s history, its competitors, four alternative programs, and why everyone in the reviews is angry. 

 

Was all that information necessary? Not... yet!

 

But give me time... I don’t simply fall down rabbit holes. I furnish them.

 

Still Curious?

There’s much more behind IDEASLady: unexpected stories, unfinished projects, strong opinions, useful discoveries, and several questionable gaming decisions. But we’ll reveal those little by little.

 

I can’t tell you everything at once. I’m a Gemini. We need material for future conversations.