Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandana Mellano.
Hi Mandana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I worked in advertising for nearly two decades. Leading media practices for some of the most iconic and creative agencies in the world was both a privilege and a daily challenge! Advertising requires you to welcome change with open arms, to do things differently, and to innovate and take risks. I arrived at a point in my career where I felt that I had achieved my personal goals within the agency world. It was time to re-invent, take some risks, and lean into an area that I had become quite passionate about: talent solutions and recruiting. I started PEONY Talent back in 2019 and with one genuine goal at the core of the practice: to humanize talent. I wanted to prove to the industry that being thoughtful and strategic when building teams and hiring talent is the number one factor in driving success. Great recruiting should be time-consuming; if it isn’t, then it isn’t great!
Today, PEONY Talent serves as a high-touch strategic talent and recruiting partner for some of the best ad agencies in the U.S. in addition to leading adtech, technology and entertainment companies.
Alright, 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?
I think as an entrepreneur, you accept the fact that you’ll always drive on a bumpy road but in a car that you love driving! The biggest challenge that my firm faced in its first year was the global pandemic. Within three days, 90% of our clients went into hiring freezes and there were days during the “lockdown” where I felt that things would never go as we had planned. But then you roll up your sleeves, let go of what is not within your control and focus on what you can influence and build from there. Fortunately, the tough times don’t last and I was able to turn things around and continue with a growing and successful practice and team over the last few years.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Peony Talent?
Peony is a boutique talent recruitment and advisory practice servicing the media, advertising, marketing, technology and entertainment industries. Peony’s mission is to modernize recruitment, humanize talent, and revitalize organizations through an expert search and assessment process anchored in design thinking, human values, and cross-functional competencies. We focus primarily on mid to senior-level searches and bring deep industry expertise and an unmatched network of top talent nationwide.
What sets us apart is that none of us at PEONY have been career recruiters! We come from the same teams that we now help to build. We understand the business model, have had those responsibilities and know precisely who can do the job. We are selective with our clients just as we are with our candidates.
I believe that meaningful business growth is only possible when organizations start investing in their number one asset: their people. We do this repeatedly for our clients and have a solid track record in acquiring top talent for global holding companies, independent agencies, tech platforms, entertainment companies and brands.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
One of the things that I love about my job is having this vantage point of being a trusted advisor to so many different organizations and their C-suite leaders. In doing so, and particularly during the Covid-19 Crisis, I saw that no two organizations managed things the same way. So, while everyone was affected by the same pandemic, the business and human challenges were unique to each company and we worked diligently to create bespoke solutions that reflected that. While the challenge may be universal, the solution is often customized.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.peonytalent.com
- Instagram: @peony_talent
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandanamellano/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itgMtXG_xDk
- Other: https://www.peonytalent.com
Image Credits
Pink Peony Flower photo: Fallon Michael
