MEET MICHAELA
Michaela Olexova is a London based website designer, Squarespace expert, digital marketer, educator, business mentor, mother and the world's biggest dreamer.
Hi, I’m Michaela!
From marketing director to yoga teacher to website designer, my journey into the world of website design began over a decade ago in order to create a balanced lifestyle when my daughter was born and I’ve never looked back.
As a completely self-taught designer, I’ve mastered the art of website design, creating modern, intentional online homes that combine beautiful aesthetics with the latest digital marketing strategies, working with hundreds of clients worldwide.
Being passionate about inspiring and empowering women to dream big, I share all my design, business + mindset secrets through courses, templates, mentorship and free resources with women seeking a holistic approach to business.
★★★★★
“Not only Michaela made me feel at ease, but she really made me excited about the future of my brand. So proud of my website, it’s eye catching, modern, user friendly and already got lots of new bookings!”
LAURA DAYKIN, YOGA TEACHER
Through The Years
How it all started
As a big music fan in my early 20s, my dream was to get all-access to English electronic music icons Depeche Mode. Being in the right place at the right time, I was offered the opportunity to become the editor of their hugely popular international fan club magazine ‘Bong’ in London.
So, this Czech girl with big dreams started flying between Prague and London and spent almost nine years mastering her design, writing, photography, and production skills, becoming obsessed with all things creative. It’s a long story short that involved a number of serendipity moments but that's the law of attraction for you!
Before long, I moved on to work in music, publishing and film production, heading brand, marketing and public relation departments and getting the first-hand experience of international brands such as Madonna, Harry Potter, James Bond, Harper’s Bazaar or Rolling Stone magazines.
Taking the leap
Dealing with stresses of a 24/7 corporate job, it soon became clear to me that it's time to swap Hollywood for Bollywood. So, I decided to quit my well-paid job and escape to an Indian ashram to study yoga and meditation, re-connect with myself and get so much needed headspace.
With a fresh diploma in my hand, I packed my bags, sold most of my possessions, including my apartment, and moved from Prague to London to pursue my new career as a yoga teacher. You can imagine that pivoting and starting from scratch in a new country was one of the biggest leaps in my life, but I was excited and ready for this new beginning!
Knowing little about manifestation and visualisation at the time, this fresh start seemed to be in the cards, and I'm counting my blessings today, as meeting my husband Jason and becoming mother to our gorgeous daughter Maya seemed to be part of the great Universal master plan.
New beginnings
After 12 years of running a yoga business, I started to feel restricted by the studio walls, wanting to make bigger impact and change more lives. As a new mum, my desire was to have more location and financial freedom so I could spend time with my family, travel and work with clients anytime, anywhere.
Discovering Squarespace, I designed, built and launched my first website, and before long, people started reaching out to me for help with their own brands, websites and marketing. I knew I was onto something and the potential of designing full-time was realised.
My calendar was booked with one-to-one clients, and with this momentum, I closed the door to my yoga studio and launched MICHAELA OLEXOVA Design Studio in 2014. With my MacBook, an inspirational playlist, and a cup of tea by my side, I found my new happy place!
Dreaming big
As the whole world slowed down during the Covid lockdown in 2020, my calendar got fully booked with entrepreneurs and small businesses who needed to bring their products and services online to continue serving their clients. It was a busy, stressful, and overwhelming period as we were all trying to navigate the new normal.
While everyone was moving their business online, I started to crave more time off the screen and wanted to express my creativity through a different medium. My long time dream to publish a photo book suddenly started to feel more real and exciting…
After several months of going through my archives, scanning, editing, and planning, I self-published a photo book called ‘DREAM’ - a curated collection of my photographs covering a nine-year period working with Depeche Mode. It was my personal tribute to the band, their music, and their fans, dedicated to my daughter as a reminder to always dream big.
Expanding my voice
While carving out my own pathway towards a more fulfilling, meaningful, sustainable and impactful life, I decided to turn my one-to-one design services into digital offerings and set out to create a one-stop-shop for all things Squarespace, websites and digital marketing, bringing together over a decade of design and business experience in one place.
Using my signature ‘feel-good’ framework, I’ve launched a collection of designer website templates, online membership + courses and mentorship sessions in 2024 with one shared goal: to create an educational platform for entrepreneurs and designers who want to elevate their design skills, confidently grow their business and unlock their full creative potential.
Fuelled by my passion to inspire and empower women to start + grow their online business, my vision is to create a vibrant community of individuals who come together to learn, create, grow and support each other. But above all, I’m here to inspire you to dare to live your dreams, no matter how big or small, and believe that anything really is possible - one step at a time.