Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Dacher.
Melissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Glendale, a small suburb of Los Angeles, California. I’m not sure what the exact moment was that sparked it all—or if there even was one defining moment—but I was interested in art and drawing at a very young age. My mom liked to keep my younger brother and I busy, so she’d do a lot of arts and crafts projects with us and helped foster our creativity. I don’t know if it’s a characteristic of being the first-born child or something else, but I was also a perfectionist and very detail-oriented early on as well. I loved coloring books, but if my crayon or pencil veered outside the lines I would get so mad at myself and start crying because it was no longer “perfect” in my eyes. I remember when I was around seven years old, I drew little comic strips on pieces of toilet paper and taped them to the back of the bathroom doors at my grandparent’s house—just so whoever was using the restroom could enjoy some reading material. I was also very interested in typography early on, and I would check out different lettering books from the elementary school library to practice. No matter where I was, I was almost always drawing in some form.
I was fortunate enough to attend the University of Southern California and graduated Cum Laude with my BA in Fine Arts & Graphic Design. During college, my passion for makeup grew, and by the end of my senior year, I became a self-taught freelance makeup artist. For me, makeup was another form of creative expression, another outlet for me to express myself. I got to work on photoshoots, commercial and film sets, fashion shows, and LA Fashion Week. I really loved being around and collaborating with other creative individuals.
I’ve been a graphic designer now for over 14 years. My professional career started at a boutique studio in Los Angeles where I designed high-end wedding and party invitations. The process was especially gratifying when it was for a celebrity client, or when it got featured in a wedding magazine.
I also worked for a well-known modeling agency for a bit retouching photographs and creating zed card templates. Shortly thereafter, I moved to Las Vegas where I entered the gaming industry and quickly climbed up the corporate ladder. Within three years, I had made it to the peak managing an international design team from Las Vegas, France, and Macau for one of the biggest gaming companies at the time. My favorite part was designing money. People don’t tend to think of casino chips or the international jetons and plaques (think 007 Casino Royale) as money—but that’s exactly what they are. This is where I really learned how to pair form with function. By understanding the intensive process of how they’re made, I was able to push the envelope and try new design elements that were aesthetically pleasing but also functioned as security features. During my time there, I won the 2012 Chip of the Year Award, issued by the Casino Chip & Gaming Token Collector’s Club.
After a four-year stint in Vegas, I moved back to California at the age of 25 and relocated to Orange County where I began working in the MMA and combat sports industry. I’ve been doing this as well as freelancing for the past six years and have met and networked with a lot of talented people along the way.
Since moving back my passion for makeup transitioned into a passion for skincare. For me, self-care is an important component of a balanced lifestyle. I started my skincare journey because I was interested in finding better solutions for my skin. I started researching green beauty brands and learning about clean product ingredients—and more importantly—what ingredients I should be avoiding. I was shocked at how many toxins and irritants are allowed in skincare in the US. Once I educated myself I was able to make smarter choices and invested in better products, and my skin transformed. Pretty soon I became the go-to person for all my friends and family for their skincare needs. It was their confidence in me that encouraged me to pursue this path. As a licensed esthetician I want to make people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. My focus is about bringing the skin back to a harmonious balance, as well as promoting a balanced lifestyle for overall health and wellness.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is always full of challenges and unpredictable moments. Everything I’ve achieved in my life I’ve worked hard for and earned. Nothing worth having ever comes easy. As a designer, it’s kind of a roller-coaster process. I start off with an idea I’m excited about, then in the creative process I end up hating it, or thinking it’s shit, then thinking I’m shit and self-doubting my abilities, then I take a break and come back to it, rework some things, and end up with multiple versions of something I’m (usually) happy with in the end. It’s a weird mental cycle.
When it comes to working for a corporation or business, unfortunately, there are politics no matter where you go. One of the hardest things you have to face is perception. Sometimes, it won’t matter how good your work is, how talented you are, or how hard you work. Some people will dismiss you simply based on your age and how you look. Because I was young when I entered the gaming industry, I had instances where coworkers would talk down to me. My first manager used to call me “minion” and as soon as his boss heard him say it, she shut it down. Sadly, I also had to deal with avoiding unwanted advances from married men in executive positions of power. Then there was the time I dealt with resistance from a disgruntled co-worker I managed, simply because he didn’t like the fact someone half his age was his superior.
But the worst was how other women treated me in the workplace. Some women would complain about my appearance, accuse me of being “a distraction” to my male counterparts, even though all I did was sit at my desk all day focusing on my work. Everything I wore was well within the professional dress code, but they would try to tell me I couldn’t wear certain things like v-neck shirts, yet it was ok for them to wear the same thing. They talked to me like I was their child instead of a fully functioning adult with a higher maturity level than what they were exhibiting. It was always the divorcee single mother who took issue with me, and I could tell it was because they were unhappy with where they were in their lives and their careers. They’d see me, a young, smart, hard-working female with everything going for her, and instead of supporting me and wanting to see me succeed, I reminded them of where they aren’t and that bitterness got the best of them. I never dealt with a complaint regarding my work or dropping the ball on a project. It was always some dumb, petty shit from an unhappy female I had limited interaction with.
Then there’s the challenge of working with clients. A lot of people are under the assumption that what I do is just “point-and-click” so to speak, and they don’t actually understand how much time goes into creating a project. One of my pet peeves is hearing a client say, “It’s super easy, super simple—it shouldn’t take you long.” Nothing is ever “SIMPLE”, especially when a client says it. Do you know how much work and effort goes into the no-makeup makeup look? Well, the same concept applies to design. It’s basically a visual, psychological equation you’re trying to solve. Sometimes the most simple-looking projects end up being the most challenging. The cherry on top is when they ask you the very next day if the design is done when you’re still waiting on them to send you the specs and all the information needed to start building the file.
Another challenge with clients is design by committee, where you create what the client has asked for but they show their co-workers, wives, husbands, parking attendant, and mailman’s cousin three times removed for their opinions. I feel like Ryan Gosling in The Notebook ripping my hair out screaming “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” with Rachel McAdams as the client crying “I DON’T KNOW! But I’ll know it when I see it…” I’ve also had instances where I’ve designed something I think is great and I’m really proud of, but the client asked for revisions to the point where the original is bastardized into something I truly hate and would never want my name attached to. And I think I speak for all designers when I say the most hated, instantly enraging, aneurism-inducing phrase of all is: “make it POP.” If you’ve found the POP filter or know where it is, please let a girl know and best believe I’ll layer that shit on everything.
The best advice I can give is to know your worth. Be confident in yourself and your abilities, and don’t be afraid to ask a client for their budget. Don’t let people take advantage of you. If someone really supports you, they will ask you for your rate, instead of asking for favors or a discount. I personally don’t like to do work for friends or family, but the ones I’ve made an exception for have always asked for my rate. Trust your gut. Some people and projects just aren’t worth your time or your sanity. If your gut is telling you that it’s going to be a hassle or cause you stress—it’s ok to say no.
A word to the wise, save your working file often because the one time you fail to do so is when your computer will decide to crash at the most inopportune moment. And with that lesson, always back-up a copy of your work to an external drive.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
The unique aspect of being a graphic designer is that I can be a bit of a chameleon. I don’t just have one specific look, or one specific thing I create—for the most part, I can design anything in any style I choose. It’s important for me to be versatile. One day, I can be working on a fight poster, the next a new t-shirt design, and the next on a logo and packaging for a new vape juice line. After all, variety is the spice of life. I’d honestly be miserable if I hyper-focused and only specialized in one thing the rest of my career. Design is constantly evolving with new trends and new software updates. It’s important to me to stay current and never stop learning.
I have a vast range of work from different industries, but I think I’m most known for my work in the MMA industry. Working for a combat sports company and a mass media conglomerate has allowed my art to have a global reach. It’s crazy seeing my graphics on television, in-arena and shared all over social media. And it’s even crazier to see the fighters, fans, and even public figures wearing apparel I designed. Someone liked my stuff enough to buy it and wear it, and that’s a pretty great feeling.
With my esthetics brand, FIVE POINT FIVE, I want to be known as an esthetician who empowers her clients and makes them feel beautiful and confident in their own skin. So what is FIVE POINT FIVE? 5.5 is the pH of healthy, balanced skin. My practice is founded on the principle of balance. Healthy skin comes from a healthy barrier function, which comes from the balance of oil, lipids, sweat, and water in our skin. When the production of any one of those factors is off—due to intrinsic or extrinsic factors—it changes the pH of our skin and acid mantle, causing a variety of skin problems. Our skin is a direct reflection of what’s going on inside our bodies. When internal organs cannot get rid of waste, stress, or even negativity, those internal imbalances are outwardly demonstrated.
My goal is to bring the skin back to its harmonious balance. That comes from taking a holistic approach and analyzing not only the client’s skin, but also their diet, lifestyle, and homecare in order to select the right combination of products for treatment and corrective care. It’s about minimizing inflammation and maximizing healing. Every single treatment is custom-tailored and results-driven with a healthy dose of relaxation. When you leave my treatment room, you’ll walk out glowing, confident, and with the knowledge on how to best care for your skin to get the results you deserve.
Which women have inspired you in your life? Why?
That is such a strange question to me. I have never looked at another woman, or another person for that matter, and thought to myself, “Wow, what an inspiration! I want to be like (insert name here)!” I’ve watched, read, and met people with inspirational stories and I’m the first to be happy for someone else’s success. But no one has ever inspired me into action if that makes sense. I surround myself with people who are driven and focused on their own paths, but their drive and success doesn’t affect or inspire my own drive because no one can make you want something for yourself. You have to already want it. I’ve never been inspired by someone else or wanted to emulate someone else because I’ve always focused on being me. It’s not cockiness, it’s authenticity—it’s knowing exactly who you are, believing in yourself, and knowing what you need to do to make shit happen.
My parents raised me to be very independent and have a strong sense of self, of who I am and what I stand for. They raised me to have my own voice, to be a fighter, and to stand up for myself. I never believed that being a woman would prevent me from being successful, or that things would be more difficult for me because of my gender. It was never part of my mindset and still isn’t. They taught me that nothing in life is free; things don’t just get handed to you because you deserve it, and nothing is ever owed to you. They instilled a great work ethic in me, and I know that whatever I want to make of myself, all I need to do is set my goals and work towards achieving them. I know what I want, I know what I need to get there, and I know how to fight my way through. I am proud of the woman I am today, and it’s largely thanks to my parents in how they raised and supported me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coroflot.com/melissadacher
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @melissadacher @5.5_Skincare
Image Credit:
Lucas Noonan
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