Host: Nicole
Guest: Mary Charleson – Marketing Strategist, Speaker, Travel Writer, and Founder of Five Minute Marketing and Carry On Queen
✨ Episode Summary
In this soulful episode of Hello Moxie, Nicole sits down with the ever-curious and adventurous Mary Charleson. From their first conversation at Mark Schaefer’s Uprising Retreat to deep reflections on curiosity, content creation, motherhood, and multigenerational influence, this episode is an homage to pursuing serendipity and lifelong creativity.
Mary shares how she built two seemingly separate brands—Five Minute Marketing, a consultancy for marketing strategy and speaking, and Carry On Queen, her passion-fueled travel writing platform—and how the pandemic led her to beautifully merge them at the intersection of travel, content, and communication.
Through heartfelt stories about her trailblazing mother, quiet leadership role models, and serendipitous travel moments, Mary invites us to embrace our own “weaving journey” and find the magic in curiosity, sketching, disconnection, and reflection.
💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why Mary still reads the Globe and Mail in print—and what it says about her mindset.
- The origin stories behind Five Minute Marketing and Carry On Queen.
- How COVID helped her unite two passions into one unique professional path.
- What it means to live a multigenerational legacy of strength, courage, and quiet leadership.
- Tips for staying grounded in a hyper-digital world—and how to rediscover presence while traveling.
- How sketching during travel helped Mary connect more deeply with people, places, and stories.
- Why serendipity is one of life’s most powerful teachers.
🧭 Connect with Mary Charleson
📍 Website – Marketing Strategy & Speaking:
Five Minute Marketing
📍 Website – Travel Inspiration & Storytelling:
Carry On Queen
📬 Newsletter Signup:
- Weekly(ish) insights via Five Minute Marketing Newsletter
- Monthly travel writing gems at Carry On Queen Newsletter
🌍 Follow her travel + marketing musings:
- LinkedIn - Mary Charleson
- Instagram – @carryonqueen
🧡 Quotable Moxie Moments
“Being open to serendipity is a huge part of remaining curious.”
– Mary Charleson“You won’t walk a straight line—and you’re not supposed to. That weaving journey is what makes a rich life.”
– Mary to her younger self
🎧 Listen + Subscribe
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Special bonus from Mary: Mary prepared a special guide to embracing serendipity just for our Moxie Members. Sign up for our newsletter to get Mary's deep dive: https://hellomoxie.us/member-registration/
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