Rising Stars: Meet Tanisha Mickel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanisha Mickel.

Hi Tanisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My marketing interest started in college. I entered as a Business major, then switched to Broadcast Journalism, THEN finally settled into marketing after I took an advertising class that blew my mind. Prior to college, I always thought that advertising and marketing was simply about making commercials, logos and (not to date myself, but) jingles. It hadn’t even dawned on me that there was the multitude of areas that I could go into within the marketing space that don’t revolve around being a designer or a writer. I always knew I was a creative, but since I couldn’t draw and had no desire to be a writer I just wasn’t sure where I could fit in. Until I got familiar with the world of marketing.

Fast forward to my first job out of college, which was a small ad agency in the city where I’m from, Minneapolis. They focused mostly on B2B clients, so though it wasn’t the “sexy” consumer-facing work that you may associate with advertising, I definitely learned a lot of the foundational tools that I still use to this day. I worked my way from office manager to the project management team, which definitely gave me a lot of hands-on experience in making creative campaigns come to life. This was right around the time when digital was exploding. There was more advertising on social media, streaming services were just getting their start and influencer marketing was starting the be a “thing”. I knew I wanted to be a part of that world and I knew I wanted to shift more into consumer-facing work. I also knew I wanted to be surrounded by more peers and leadership that looked like me. So, I began taking on my own clients — running social accounts for small businesses in the city in order to reach their customers. At the same time, I had an opportunity to venture to California where a few friends already lived. Seven years later, I am still here and have been immersed in the world of entertainment ever since.

Since getting to LA, I have worked in digital strategy mostly within the entertainment space, a few lifestyle brands and some production on the side. I have focused mostly on paid and organic social media campaigns. I contribute to campaigns through the development of digital marketing concepts/content, distribution strategies and influencer integration for clients in TV, film, music and retail. I currently lead digital marketing strategy for TV content + Shonda Rhimes’ brand for Shondaland and remain a consultant for my company, Mickel Media Group.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Whew! It has not. Though I was blessed enough to get a job fairly quickly after my move, there were definitely some ups and downs. I worked with more notable brands and projects in my first year in LA, then my entire career back home. I’ve been laid off twice (to no fault of my own), I’ve been overworked, I’ve been underpaid, I’ve reached my highest salary yet. I’ve had some big wins and dealt with big losses (personally and professionally). I’ve worked with some amazing teams and some not-so-amazing coworkers. Through each hurdle, I have learned so much and carried that acquired knowledge into each position I have held. It truly has and continues to be a journey.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a marketing manager specializing in digital content and strategy. So, I love helping brands not only identify who they are and what makes them special in their respective spaces, but elevate the content they put out into the world. For me, it’s not about growing followers, it’s about helping people cultivate community. I like to say a hyper-engaged group of 100 is way better than a disengaged group of 1 million.

I pride myself on being equal parts creative AND operational. I am someone who swears by spreadsheets AND Adobe. I’m also proud of my relationships and my integrity. I have gotten really great opportunities based off of recommendations from peers and I love that I am trusted enough to do the same for others. I am a true believer in being kind to any and everyone. Especially in an industry that is so small.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tanishamickel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanishamickel/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanishamickel/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tanishamickel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tanishamickel 

Image Credits
Jahbrielle Henning-Rayford