About

Marlene Dillon, CEO & Owner

“I believe I’m here to share ALL my gifts and teach others to do the same. I love to U.S.E. people—Uplift. Support. Empower. That’s my purpose.”


Thank you for stopping by! Scroll through and see all I have to offer.


About Me

Hi! I’m Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist, author/illustrator of I’m Proud to Be Natural Me!, creator of the Healing Our Families parenting communication course series, and designer of all things #Proud2BNaturalMe.

I am a proud mother, a powerful speaker, an inspirational writer, and a multi-talented artist. I inspire, uplift, support, and encourage people of all ages to love themselves, to heal from the messages that make self-love challenging, and to adopt behaviors that move them closer to their dreams.

I am the owner and Chief Empowerment Officer of MDillon Designs & Publishing.


My Blog

Do you love a feel good story? Do you need encouragement or an inspirational pick-me-up?

Then you’ve gotta check out my blog! I love to use my gifts of writing and storytelling to inspire, uplift, support, and empower. Tap an image below to check out recent posts, OR scroll through all posts on my Blog page!


Podcast

Do you love positive vibes, motivational posts, and great storytelling?

Then you’ve gotta check out my Share & Let’s Live! podcast on SoundCloud! Tap the Share & Let’s Live! icon below to check out recent episodes.


SISTAMoms

Learn about my collaboration with my new business partner Yvonne Livingston LLC to empower families and our communities. https://sistamoms.org/

Have you heard about my #IMAYCHALLENGE?

Pink to yellow gradient background with text graphic that state 31 Days! in big bold pink font underneath it states Sharing a new song daily!
Heading states Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist
"I May" Challenge
For the month of May, I am sharing an original song... EVERY DAY! 
I am sharing these snippets of my raw personal recordings to shake myself out of the fear of sharing 
my voice, so I can live my dream 
of being a songwriter. Details below. mdillondesigns.com

I have been writing songs, choruses, hooks, baselines, etc. in private for at least a decade. I have wanted to share my music, but being a perfectionist kept me from feeling safe to do so. I wanted it to be perfect before I shared it. However, I don’t have the skills for that and I’m finally tired of hiding my… gift. It feels more like a calling. So for the month of May, I am challenging myself to share snippets… scratchy morning voice recordings of my work. I just want to overcome the fear of sharing so I can feel free to do more with my music. It’s scary, that people may comment in unpleasant ways, but I’m hoping people will be kind, because it’s not easy to be courageous. 

To learn more about, and hear songs from my #IMAYCHALLENGE, check out my blog post the Shift From May I to I May.

If you want to cheer me on and support me during this scary challenge, please visit my Buymeacoffee page to send a gift of encouragement. Check out my daily #IMAYCHALLENGE posts on my podcast, Share & Let’s Live! on SoundCloud.


Just want to support?

Image of a small bouquet of purple flowers on a gray wooden background with a note that simply states "Thank you" on a periwinkle sheet of paper/card. Top of square states Marlene Dillon Empowerment Specialist with mdillondesigns.com at the bottom

Maybe you just want to send a monetary gift to encourage me to keep doing what I do. I definitely can use the help so thank you. I am so grateful.

I’m a single mom, and a full-time entrepreneur who’s still learning how to sell, promote, and monetize so please send money.

You can easily and securely send me gifts via PayPal, CashApp, Venmo, Amazon, and more!

There are also many important nonmonetary ways for you to support my work. Shares, comments, hearts, subscribing, following, liking my pages, writing reviews for products you’ve experienced or purchased, and so on. are tremendously helpful!

To make things simpler, I have listed links and specific non-monetary ways you can support my work. Please take a little time to support in these ways because this is how more people find me and get to engage with my work, insights, and products.

I want to have a worldwide ripple and you are a huge part of that.

So on my support page, simply scroll down after the monetary giving options and you’ll see many nonmonetary ways to support.

I appreciate you!


Looking for unique gifts that celebrate our beauty?

I’m Proud to Be Natural Me! gifts and apparel were designed to celebrate our hair and our skin, and teach children we are ALL beautiful.

Order unique customized gifts from my online store!

I love receiving thoughtful gifts. They let a person know that you really care. All the items in my store can be personalized. When you add their name or a personalized message, they know that this gift came from the heart. Use the button below to browse my store and get them something extra special this holiday season.


Does your child struggle with self-acceptance?

I’m Proud to Be Natural Me! uses positive affirmation to teach children to love themselves.

So many of our children struggle with loving themselves. Maybe they are the only one in their class with curly hair, or the only one in the family with dark skin.

I’m Proud to Be Natural Me! is the story of a little girl who’s teased because of the texture of her hair. Her mom explains to her that her hair is part of her identity, and that she is beautiful the way that God created her. By the end of the story the little girl is saying, “I’ve learned to love what I see. I’m proud to be natural me!”

As children read this story, they gain this powerful message of self-acceptance for themselves. The beautiful images display children of different skin tones and hairstyles. Every other page repeats the positive affirmation, “I’m proud to be natural me,” so as children hear her story, they are learning self-acceptance.

Children’s self-confidence erodes very rapidly once they begin to interact with peers and teachers. Often, family members can be the main ones who teach them that their beauty is inferior. This book helps to reinforce the truth in our children, that we are ALL beautiful. Order today.

Need a preview? Watch my read aloud video below, then order copies below.

Get a copy for all the little ones you love. BUY NOW on Amazon.


Looking for natural hair tees, personalized gifts, or invitations?

Order personalized t-shirts & gifts, customized invitations, & more!

I designed every item in my online store. In 2011, when I first opened, seeing a woman with natural hair was rare—melanin and curly was not mainstream. I wanted our kids to know their hair and skin is beautiful, so I took the characters from my book, I’m Proud to Be Natural Me! and designed t-shirts, mugs, keychains, stickers, etc. Even back then I knew that representation matters.

When my daughter was little, I struggled to find items that reflected her beauty. Now, with my #Proud2BNaturalMe product line, our children have options. From mocha to latte, dark skin, to albinism, I’ve created products that celebrate our spectrum of beauty. Shop now to buy personalized gifts, tees, birthday party decor, and more, in various shades of melanin!

Order custom mugs, tees, gifts, & so much more!


Are you struggling to communicate with your child?

Healing Our Families: Healing the Parent-Child Relationship is my online communication course that teaches parents how to talk to their children. Check out my video for more info.

Check out this video to learn about Healing Our Families: Healing the Parent-Child Relationship! Enroll today on Udemy!

Healing Our Families: Healing the Parent-Child Relationship is a self-study online course, meaning you buy it today and have access to it forever. You can begin today, or wait ’til you’re on vacation from work. You can finish it in a day or work through it a week at a time. It’s really on your schedule. The videos, lectures, and journal prompts are set up to walk you through the information at your own pace. Get it today, and start when you’re ready. Tap the button to order.

Still got questions? Not a problem. Send me a message.


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