Meet Multitalented Branding Expert Melissa Mizer

Melissa Mizer gave up the glamorous Mad Men world of the advertising industry to branch out as a freelance brand strategist. But it's her latest makeup-free project in support of female victims of violence that really has her lit up. 

We chatted with Melissa about getting clear on your vision, the value of collaboration and what she wants to learn next from all of *you.*

Name: Melissa Mizer

Businesses: MoreSeekers and The Face Forward Foundation

Started: January 2014

How did you create your awesome job? 

My background is in brand strategy. I started out on the media side as a Promotions Director at a top-rated radio station and got my Brand Strategy Certificate at the Miami Ad School. Then I started working with big agencies such as Leo Burnett, The Integer Group and BBDO. 

One day I was walking through Target and there was a promotion for Swiffers. I suddenly thought, "Oh God, the world does not need more Swiffers!" 

From that day on, I decided to go solo.

I started working for myself as a freelancer in 2007, but by 2009 I'd become really sick. In two years my own company had grown really fast and had eight employees, but I’d had two miscarriages and then got a stress fracture in my leg. It was a sign of the pressure I was under. 

I ended up studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and became a Health Coach. Through that experience, I realized it’s not just important to maintain our physical health — we have to also address the issues that run deeper. I got a certificate in neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and then channeled that into my life-coaching business, MoreSeekers.  

Can you tell us what you're working on at the moment?

Right now I do two things. First, I work with lifestyle brands and creatives who want to leave a cultural legacy. Brands and people are not that different in terms of how you relate to them, so a lot of times I’m doing life coaching for brands as well as for the people who are responsible for them. In my work, I incorporate a lot of NLP in order to unearth positioning ideas, personas and identity belief systems. 

The second project I'm working on is called Face Forward. I’m really good at connecting the dots — constantly paying attention to what’s going on in the world and pulling together connections from a trends perspective. I started seeing things bubble up around being makeup free, so I began The Face Forward Foundation. 

We’re officially launching this year to support women who experience any type of violence, whether that’s domestic abuse, workspace harassment or online bullying. We're asking women to go makeup free for a month and make a donation in exchange. Women can’t be self-empowered without feeling safe — that’s where it all starts. 

What’s been the biggest surprise so far after branching out on your own as a freelancer?

How hard it is to do all all this stuff for yourself! 

Because of my past experience working at ad agencies, I was like, "I can totally create my own brand!" But, it’s difficult. When I work with other people I get a sounding board, I get to explore different perspectives and I have an opportunity to collaborate. When it's just me, that is a lot tougher.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I’d probably get a partner. I’m a very connected person and very socially minded, and I love that there is always someone to bounce ideas off within an agency. You can double check things and make sure you’re not drinking your own Kool Aid! 

As a marketing expert who works with other businesses and brands, what is the *best* piece of advice you'd give to other small business owners?

Get super clear on your vision, mission and values. 

I tend to use the term "belief system" rather than values. Beliefs are a natural fallout for values, but they’re more specific. It’s important for me to get as specific as I can. We have this tendency to go really broad because we don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves, but the key is vision and focus. 

If we have vision and focus, then we can execute what we want to do. Without that execution, it becomes almost impossible. That’s when we start to feel lost and begin to procrastinate. 

How do you price your services? 

I do a mix of different things because it depends on where the client is in their business, but primarily I work on a project-by-project basis. Most of the stuff I do is positioning work or research, and I’ll pull out a project rate for that and detail what each step costs. I estimate how long it will take and the value I'm offering, then it’s my responsibility to execute the work efficiently. 

What would you most like to learn from a community of fellow small business owners and freelancers? 

I'm looking for as many opportunities to connect with other people as possible, to truly network and do it in a fun and interesting way without it feeling "networky." 

I have learned that I wouldn’t do something like Face Forward by myself again, so collaboration is really important. I’ve never gotten anything without a relationship — every bit of success I’ve had has come from working with someone else. The more we can create dynamic connections and relationships that are give and take, the better. 

Also, I would love to learn how to network more efficiently. I think there’s an art to it, and many people don’t do it really well unless they have that connecter gene. It’s the key to success, especially if you’re a small business.

Now, it's time for *you* to share your tips with Melissa!

Do *you* have the connector gene? What have you learned about networking successfully from the other members here in QB Community?

Share your own tips, tricks and stories below! :-)