Today we’d like to introduce you to Oskie Mignon.
Oskie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
California born and Angelino raised in the quaint City of Commerce by two Mexican immigrant parents. I am a product of the millennial generation. I grew up in the perils of the 1990s when xenophobia and classism was rampant and overwhelmingly successful. I was taught to obey orders and remain obedient at a young age and that was faulty. Thoughts of wrestling the world to its knees is habitual thinking within the Mexican American community. However, the hurdles I endured produced a beacon of drive and zest for upward mobility. Tough love gave me thick skin and proclivity for leadership roles at a young age without becoming tawdry. Cut to my tenure as a college student, I helmed an on-campus position as Chapter President for PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) at Cal State LA, worked full-time at a public relations agency, and maintained a savory GPA that kept me on the Dean’s List and a member of the Honor Society for Communication Studies.
Recently, I jumped into a new role as Traffic Commissioner for the City of Commerce as a way to give back to my community and become active in politics. I wear many hats and consider myself a polymath with a capricious personality. After keeping my due diligence positive and some corporate flirting, I earned the confidence and experience to take majority stake in myself. Eventually, I created OMPR (Oskie Mignon Public Relations) in 2015 to prevail in a saturated PR market. After graduating from my alma mater, #CalStateLA, I matriculated my freelance business into an elaborate revenue positive network. Soon after, OMPR evolved into Playa – Public Relations, Branding & Marketing where I remain as Founder and President. Currently, Playa’s portfolio covers clients in various industries ranging from beauty artist, restaurants, fashion brands, and influencers. Playa is my raison d’etre.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing is ever easy! Ipso facto, we’d all be successful and probably rich. Nevertheless, bumpy roads teach the best lessons and have the greatest journeys. Before finding my footing in the PR world, it was recommended to me that I find a mentor or femtor to clear up some of my fog and help me avoid any landmines along my way. I had to learn how to drop my “code switching” in favor of communication jargon mixed in my own lexicon – this helped me avoid sounding disingenuous. Things move fast in this industry and everything is due yesterday, so being avid with time & project management is essential to my success. This lesson definitely left a chinq in my armor.
Funding a communication network in an overly saturated industry is a snafu. Prospecting new clients while retaining existing ones, is strenuous. The days are long and the nights are short. This might sound like a routine but it’s far from mundane. I do enjoy the ebbs and flow of my journey – though I didn’t always think this way. In PR, one first needs to know that press is never guaranteed. Nothing is. Timing enmeshed with an angle that is unique to your client can certainly help you land top-tier press –but things can still go awry. Rolling with the punches is a mantra that I’ve incorporated into my daily routine. Juggling clients is exhausting, dealing with pitch rejections from journalists or publicists, and attending social events are all part of the métier. If I could’ve seen to this end, I’d do it all over again.
Playa – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Playa is an innovative communication group led by talented practitioners from various industries. We have proven results in landing clients press in top-tier publications, event coordinating, branding, media placement, and partnerships. We have a welcoming culture where ideas and diverse backgrounds give life to successful strategies and meaningful connections. Playa encourages its clients to enmesh their ideas with ours in order to create something evergreen and fruitful. In short, we execute the task at hand with zoosh and efficiency. We work avidly to unite our clients with revenue positive opportunities while fostering rapport for a long-lasting relationship. Playa has a history of working with charitable clients because giving back is essential to our success. We have a flare for talent and well-connected relationships in various industries.
At Playa, we speak your language and understand your needs. We have credentials, business acumen, and market intelligence to deliver the expertise you need. At Playa, we listen! We understand your needs and act altruistically to ensure your expectations are exceeded. A vanguard presence, a charitable backbone and exceptional talent are at the forefront.
Playa is an ethos that we share with our clients – it means a successful balance of work & play. We work hard so that the client can play.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
At Playa success is an aphrodisiac. Same goes for myself. No matter how small or large on a scale, every victory is celebrated. The rapport we maintain with our colleagues in and out of the office is what bankrolls our operations. We are a small group and we avoid showboating, sounding pompous, and delivering cockamamine promises. Through magical thinking and bravura we can work like clockwork. My motivation is to always stay ahead of the vanguard. Connections are currency and we are rich with extraordinary people who have exceptional talents. Nothing is outside our wheelhouse.
I’m not here for headlines. I’m here for the results…and a gorgeous flute of champagne.
Contact Info:
- Website: WelcomeToThePlaya.com
- Phone: 213-207-6602
- Email: WelcomeToThePlaya@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/welcometotheplaya/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cometotheplaya
- Other: https://linktr.ee/welcometotheplaya
Image Credit:
Saliah Loreen Gray @SlaySal
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