Welcome everyone to disrupt your
day season two emerging businesses cultures.
We have the beautiful Michelle,
who is a Powerhouse in the advertising
marketing, Piat, PR realm, but has recently,
kind of took her expertise into
that and transferred it into now Meeschell.
Which is a Online Marketplace for
natural products and she will
talk about her journey being a
woman why she empowers women as well as.
about her. Pat form is, you know,
all women having a Synergy...
...together and one of her saying
is better together, and I love that. I was y'all. Welcome. Thank you so much. I'm excited to be here. Yes. I'm excited to have you.
So Tell us how are things been
going?
Tell us about your journey from,
I guess. Well, you weren't corporate. Then.
You started your own advertising
PR type situation and right...
...into this and you Empower women.
So, Mark is our whole series
on empowering women and I love
it. I love it. I love it. So yes,
so my journey started about 22
years ago. Actually, I worked
for a couple at agencies right
out of college.
And at the age of 26, I decided
to start my own full-service marketing agency, which is still in existence. Hardhome marketing services.
That was interesting. It was the
mid 90s.
So women in Corporate America was
the minority women. Entrepreneurs were certainly the minority.
So it seemed to me at that time.
And of course,
We still are exactly.
And you know what that young age.
I've been.
In addition to I was just super
naive. Yeah, you know, so but
I was blessed with a few folks
mentoring me and kind of holding my hand. But but more importantly,
I've always been a big believer
in trusting your gut and trusting the journey.
So I kind of just rolled with the
punches and let things happen as they were supposed to.
Came across some amazing human
beings, you know, in the throughout my entire,
professional career still do.
but most recently, what led me
to launch Michel.
And I guess it's really when I
started really dialing in my passion,
to really work with women entrepreneurs',
women owned brands.
with hard. He'll marketing Services.
I've always worked with globally
known, cpg companies. So you're Kraft, Heinz, PepsiCo kind of were foods,
and that's when I really.
embraced the women in Corporate
America, who had been there for
with these companies for quite
some time.
So they had a lot to teach me,
but as I Journey Through My Career,
I started teaching and mentoring
at Cal State Fullerton here in Southern California.
And for some reason, I would always
kind of embrace that.
Young ladies who were seniors in
college who are marketing majors who wanted to be entrepreneurs.
About seven years ago.
I partnered with a colleague of
mine who started a sales broker agency.
and that was kind of my pivoting
moment away from corporate cpgs...
...because she focused on bringing
onboarding emerging Brands owned by women. Ortiz.
It were in that natural organic,
eco-friendly space. Okay.
So that was my first kind of experience
to back that world. Oh my God, so in see that, did you see that?
There was a challenge for minority
women bringing their products to the market bringing awareness, you know,
was there a fair playing field
with, you know, this is a loaded question, but I always like final,
Yeah, you know with doors being
open for them financing, you
know that whole quality kind of
thing. Absolutely.
So when I started working with
these emerging Brands, as the marketing arm, for the sales broker agency, which is Navigator sales. Okay,
I quickly became very involved
in their brand of building efforts
and I kind of saw two sides to
that one.
Was these In had phenomenal stories,
their brand stories were very, very intriguing.
They were never business owners
prior to starting these Brands developing these products.
So that portion of what I did came
into play because.
they didn't know how to Market.
They really some of them didn't
know how to sell. Yeah. Yeah, right.
So it wasn't that they didn't want
to, but as an entrepreneur.
Overall, we get bombarded with
wearing so many hats but it becomes super overwhelming very very quickly. It does. So it's soaked for me.
It wasn't just simply marketing
and selling their products to retailers. It was more about, okay.
Let me teach you what I know and
let's talk about my experiences...
...and let me kind of show you
what you need to do.
So it becomes a partnership and
I Think, you know amongst us women entrepreneurs,
a partnership is very very necessary.
Right?
Right?
It's really necessary. But even
now, with Michel and Michel is indeed a,
you retailer dedicated to women-owned
Natural Brands. Okay, one
of the the biggest things that
we do is we work, if we're better together, we work as a team, so, Or new brand. We are co-marketing one. Another. We're supporting one another,
we're collaborating because we
can't do it.
We should never do it by ourselves.
No, right? Yes.
Yes, I agree.
I feel like that's very powerful
because not only is it scary
to become an entrepreneur and launch
a brand. But then you know, there's all those questions.
How do I get it out into The universe,
you know, who'll buy it, you know,
and you're already coming in to
Michelle and having like a group of women. How did you get it? You know, that.
whole set of other voices,
that of, you know, audience of
there's and within your ecosystem as well. I love it. I love it. I love it. So,
So,
So, how is it going?
How is it going through these women?
How are they feeling? You know, all that good stuff. It's going very well.
I can say that when I launched
me show, you know, I was watching...
...specific brands that I wanted
to have as a part of a Michel...
...Community closely for about
6 to 12 months. Yeah.
I reached out to them and said,
this is what I'm doing. I mean,
they were very intrigued and it's
interesting because Cuz some of them have corporate backgrounds. So some of them, you know, they were in Corporate America. They knew that life.
They didn't like it or they got,
you know, they realize that
there was more to their Journey
than just being a part of corporate America,
which has its own set of challenges,
only because I became kind
of involved in that culture for,
you know, two decades. Yeah.
So some of them come with phenomenal
marketing, backgrounds sales that You know, people skills.
So it wasn't a huge leap for them.
Okay, what was a huge leap...
...as and you kind of set it.
A couple seconds ago is when you
become a business owner and you're wearing all these hats,
you're also funding the business
yourself. Yeah, unless you've
got someone stepping in and saying
here's a bucket of money.
Give me fifty one percent of give
you this bucket of money.
We are self funding these businesses.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
How do you feel if you guys are
going through?
Are you guys going to getting funding
collectively for everyone on the platform?
Or how does that work within your
system? We know.
We haven't gotten that far yet.
I think currently.
So Michel wants to June of 2020.
Okay, and because it's a Marketplace and because I'm super, I'll use the word pick.
About who is a part of Michel and
you should be right me the natural ingredients. Boxes need to be checked, you know, packaging needs to be beautiful.
The Brand Story needs to be aligned.
Like I've got specific things that
we look for right now, to...
...say that those that come to
me, that aren't immediately onboard Ananda. Michel, doesn't happen,
because I kind of see them as well.
This is what we can do to help
you kind of get there. Yeah, there's those cases. As well because again, going back.
You've got someone who's never
been in this room before and they
don't know that their packaging
needs to have specifics on it...
...or any way all of the logistics
that are kind of behind the scenes.
So far with me, show you what I've
been super focused on is just...
...collaborating and bringing on
the best natural women-owned Brands. Yeah,
doing everything together. Our
which right now, we're hyper focused
on marketing.
because the more organic we can
be the better, you know, our...
...ultimate objective is to build
this community where people...
...see us as the holistic lifestyle,
no, tubes, you know, right. And it's mm-hmm. Yeah,
and the fact that we're doing it
as women. Entrepreneurs.
I think just makes it even stronger.
Yes, it does. So.
in working with women entrepreneurs,
you know minority women...
...in a hole and women are considered
minorities, right? We still are. What do you see? We're with, you know,
running your first business with
still has been around for a...
...long time to now.
running Michelle and dealing, you
know, even diving deeper into the community with women.
What do you think that needs to
be done for change?
So that it's like equal playing
field for women in all areas, you know,
even like marketing and you know,
finance that, you know, what you've seen throughout your journey. Well, it's interesting. I'm a,
I'm a part of a organization called
network of executive, women Southern California for this region.
And when I first joined eight years
ago, these women women You are amazing, but there was no men, a part of the organization. Right? Ask for eight years later. Men are getting involved.
Oh, okay. Getting involved. Why.
great question.
for a lot of them.
completely understand and kind
of grasp the fact that women lead
in a different manner than men.
Our mindsets are different. Were.
we can multitask all day long with
no problems whatsoever. Yeah, you know,
there's just things skill sets
that we bring to the table as Leaders.
It makes men say I need to have
them in my circle or on my team, right?
But so I use an example with networking
business, executive women because eight years ago, as I said,
Said it was truly all women. Now,
more men are getting involved...
...and it even though that's more
of a networking perspective.
They see the value but we still
have a long way to go. Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. Well, you know,
women do have a voice and they
need to do.
so and seen and a better way, right?
So so I have a couple of questions
for you.
Okay?
So what's something people seem
to misunderstand about you?
Oh gosh. Yeah, probably.
misunderstand about me. Well,
I'm a pretty humble person.
I'm a very giving person, I will
stop what I'm doing in a heartbeat to help somebody else, you know,
specially you're in my circle are
even outside my circle. I.
because I've been regimented over
the years to come. Bi use the phrase hard-ass.
Really had anything.
you need to be right, right. I
can be, but I'm, I'm pretty. I tried to be very, very giving and very open-minded. Oh, that's awesome.
I think in our roles as CEO running
a company, there's levels that we have to have, right? We have to write actually, when dealing with Narcissistic men. That's.
which I found a lot when I, with
my cpg, Corporate America days
more so than I do now, which I
still, you know, have them but
it even and even to that point,
you know, 20 years ago. And I'm not labeling,
all of them as being narcissus
rights, right, but I dealt with
a lot of men in Corporate America
and miseq G corporations as clients.
And they always, I always had the
feeling that they felt like, you know,
they were a higher authority than.
me, or even the other women on
their tea,
and I think it was a learned behavior
where now, it doesn't seem to be so much. That does that make sense? Yeah.
It makes a lot of sense, because
in my corporate experience,
I've experienced the same thing
where Well, I think our experiences...
...on maybe just a more challenging
level.
being a woman of color.
and having like a c-suite role
and have like an old boys club board. You know,
I'm kind of having some win them
over.
They don't they not they're not
sure how to deal with you because
they're just not used to it which
I, which is shocking in itself.
And you know me being stern but
at the same time not being labeled
as a bitch right.
to balance. Yes earlier by hard-ass,
right? And I got you.
I knew it just you.
know, and I found it not to be
fair her women because the same...
...way a man like let's say it's
just mimic to end the same way. A man were handle situation.
He would be A pat on the back and
saying, yes, that, you know, was a strong powerful decision. And then we do,
we kind of have to like, he's our
way to its.
first, right? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
I mean, I became like a mute
like literally walking into meetings
and quickly reading the
room and say in and adjusting my
personality.
based upon who was sitting in that
room. Yes. Yes, is where I
don't think that men do that. No,
thank you seen that. Wait.
All right, so thank you.
So the next question I ask you
is.
what is the failure that you most
cherish throughout your professional career?
The the the failure that I most
cherish.
or if you want to look at it like
a challenge, you know that you.
as entrepreneurs were always going
to have something she wouldn't understand. Ask but yeah,
that's how you actually process
it. So yes, I think well, the
one that comes to mind first is
when you become successful when you feel like, okay,
I built and built and built and
now I can kind of level things out a bit. Hmm.
At one point.
I became super comfortable and
that was a huge mistake.
Because you take for granted that
everything's going. Well, clients are happy businesses. Good. Everyone's you know,
on the same playing field on the
same page and then all of a sudden one day, they're not run.
It just kind of starts playing
this, which is when pivoting becomes super important. It's exactly right, which is another, you know,
behavior that.
And a lot of women business owners
that I've had relationships with my hit that wall, they somewhat Panic. Yeah,
to where I did for a short brief
time, but then it's like, okay, you've got to Pivot, Something's Gotta change.
You got to get things back on track.
So I would say that was definitely
a failure, but a learning curve for me. Yeah,
you know about ten or so years
ago. Okay, great.
Thanks for sharing that with us.
Yeah, absolutely.
Right. And throughout that time,
you know, you've been in business for awhile for yourself.
What would you tell women as far
as having, you know, some resilience and great, you know, staying positive, just, you know, because, you know,
you get knocked out a couple of
times that's ratchet dirty. Like,
what would your advice be to, you
know, minority women or, you know what? I'm color, just, you know,
come into their own and they just
want to be entrepreneurs. But, you know,
sometimes the journey can be hard.
Absolutely.
I think my best advice would be
B and I kind of live by these...
...words is network.
and keep your circle close. Oh,
no, I mentioned network of executive
women a couple seconds ago and
there's lots of networking organizations.
That was just the one that I seem
to connect with the most.
but my point being as women and
as minorities, we certainly need...
...to stay connected to those who
kind of love.
The walk and talk the talk. Yes,
right. I mean, because I think
about my circle and I can pick
up the phone right now and call
a handful of them who would drop
what they're doing to help me provide advice. Provide assistance,
even to say Pat me on the back
and say today is just a bad day. Tomorrow's going to be better.
I think that we need that because
we get in our own heads so much because again, we're We're by Nature. When we are multitaskers.
We just like to get things done.
But when we get slammed against
a wall, we get aggravated. And we tend to say, okay now,
what do I do or what should I do?
Yeah, and I think we need to have support system.
We need local folks that says this
is what you're going to do. Absolutely. I agree with you, a thousand per side. I call it. I I My Tribe.
Like I have my tribe that you know,
like you said they drop anything and everything, you know,
if you're I mean need or you know,
and it's very very important to have that Circle,
it doesn't have too many people,
you know, even from a resources
perspective.
I think that's another important
piece of it.
Is that we get to share resources
because again, you know, my colleagues.
have Different resources than what
I have.
But somehow we can bring them together
because we're consistently...
...sharing in collaborating with
one another. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah,
like I always have your community.
Have you tried, whoever that is? Yeah, you have absolutely. So.
So.
What, so some of the amazing things
coming up for you.
You will everyone that has listened
to the podcast and follow us.
We'll get a 20% off.
their purchase with the coast disrupt
and.
some other great perks that will
be in the description for me.
She'll definitely follow.
Michelle and Michelle and these
woman's Journey support them.
It's a great thing to see this
happening. The collaboration,
The Better Together.
as well as the natural. Products,
you know, because I primarily use natural polymers myself, the amazing having you.
Is there anything you would like
to share with the audience? Before we go? He had there is, you know, for anyone listening watching,
whether you're an entrepreneur
or not.
Please feel free to reach out to
me.
If I can provide any insight, you
know, positive any things to
help you get through your day,
your week, your month, especially from a Perspective.
I love to give free advice. You
know, I built my career on relationships.
I think that there is super super
important and I think that
the more that we can have the better.
Yes.
So I encourage anyone who's thinking
about starting a business or owns a business.
If I don't have the resources,
I'm pretty sure.
I know somebody who does and I
can help.
So please use the Contact us page
on Michel.com.
Send me an email and I'm happy
to jump on the phone or reply and help out. Thank you so much.
It was a pleasure having you on
a school day and looking forward...
...to again following your journey
as well as staying in touch. Thank you so much.
Great rest of your day you to thank
you. You're welcome.