Building The Brand w/ Jesse Mills
Jesse Mills | Brand Vista
Atlanta is full of brand strategists, but there are only a handful that aren’t afraid to embrace their individual creativity and truly stand for the culture.
Jesse has worked with some the nations leading brands; dissecting his clients’ marketing profiles and pinpointing exactly where a client can add value are two of his biggest strengths - All while wholeheartedly blending the art of community and authenticity, making him one of Atlanta’s top Branding + Lifestyle experts.
We sat down with this multi-faceted, straight shooter to discuss the past, present and future.
His journey is far from over and we are excited to dive into Building The Brand with Jesse Mills.
LL: Tell us a little bit about your background
I’m from Columbia MD, came to Atlanta to attend Clark Atlanta University and pursue my Marketing degree. What drew me to Atlanta was the culture, entrepreneurial spirit and penchant for creativity. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Especially working in the creative fields: branding, social media, and event marketing.
What let you to become a branding and event strategist?
Social media and event experiences are the primary ways people connect and how community is built. Social media is digital and events are in-person, so it really rounds out how audiences are reached from both sides. You need a healthy balance of both to seamlessly humanize brand interactions, which are an essential part of the everyday fabric.
No matter what industry you are in, what would you say is most important when it comes to building a brand?
Nowadays we see brands leading with shock value. However, I’ll always think authenticity should be at the center of brand building. It’s taking that authenticity, communicating the value and consistently delivering it. Brand value should be anchored in altruism. If you’re helping people and solving problems you’ll be indispensable. That in-turn becomes your brand AKA reputation.
Speaking of reputation, how important is giving back to your community? Tell us about your philanthropic efforts.
I give back daily through thought leadership and straightforward insight that our culture needs.
My agency is completely setup to service and help the brands of tomorrow to be more resonant and deliver at their highest level. This is my vocation. So giving back is interwoven into the DNA of what we do. I also mentor emerging marketing talents, speak to multiple youth motivational groups and host quarterly seminars.
What inspires you when working on a new project?
My inspiration first comes from the client and their engaged community. Then, by doing diligence on their industry.
There are sets of best practices that should be respected, but also while studying these, you discover gaps. Gaps are were the creativity comes to play. Gaps in the marketplace allow you build healthy differentiation because you’re communicating in a novel way to a competing audience.
With so many other great lifestyle strategist here in Atlanta, how do you make yourself stand out from competitors?
This is more natural than manufactured. We were all created different. Different DNA. Different everything. At one point we were socialized to be “more normal”. Standing out is throwing away normal, and embracing more of the individual. Then allowing the beauty of the individual to attract and magnetize unapologetically. I embrace who I am. My weirdness. My idiosyncrasies. My disagreements. Unapologetically. It could appear to be somewhat courageous to have stylistic trademarks in a world that has overwhelming pressure for you to style your shit the same way as everyone else.
What is something that you love about Atlanta that is different from many other cities?
I love that Atlanta has a lower cost of living that allows creators to create, without struggling (as much), to determine where they’re going to live.
That’s a huge boost to the entrepreneurial and creative communities, especially when starting out.
LL: Who’s your biggest role model and how did that person help shape who you are?
My biggest role models are really multiple people in the industry that selflessly introduced me to opportunities. Really too many to name. My biggest role models are my peers and friends. I don’t think role modeling is some mystical thing we gotta seek afar. It’s the people I’m going to lunch with today, that are around my same age, that inspire me. We gotta learn to be grateful for leadership that isn’t attached to a celebrity name or clout.
LL: What is your biggest accomplishment? And challenge? And what advice would you give your younger self?
My biggest accomplishment is creating my social media and experiential marketing agency, Brand Vista, which champions lifestyle brands to lead. Some of our current and previous clients are: STK, Morgan & Morgan, W Hotels, Combs Enterprises, Belvedere, Heineken, Southern Company, Complex, etc… I’ve made some of these clients millions & helped others generate millions of impressions - I think that’s pretty cool!
My other biggest accomplishment is doing this without quitting. There are so many Nos before you get to the Yeses. Showing up is my biggest win.
I’d tell my younger self to talk less, listen more, and focus on body language and non-verbal clues.
LL: Sounds like you had some amazing accomplishments! What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to scale and automate some processes that will allow our clients brands to reach larger audiences. So, continued pursuit of innovation and technology to grow my enterprise.
LL: Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. What advice would you give other entrepreneurs who are just starting out their journey?
Make sure your budget matches your ambition.
Hold on to consistent income.
Don’t underprice yourself. It’s hard to go up in price once your contract is engaged.
Pay taxes and build business credit as soon as you can.
Put company expenses on a rewards-based card so that you get a lil kick back to cover short term expenses in between client retainers and project-based payments. It’ll offer more peace of mind and financial flexibility.
We don’t talk about mental health enough. What was the most mentally challenging part of the past 2 years and what advice do you give to others struggling with the same?
The challenging part is knowing that everything can change in an instant and all forms of normalcy have been disrupted. Humans like routine. Some of that is good, other parts of that we have to learn to unlearn. A big part of mental health is flowing and adjusting, instead of forcing (something to be what you want it to be). Our biggest gift as humans is our adaptability. These last 2 years have given us painful lessons, but as the pain subsides, if we respond to things well, the growth inevitably endures.
That’s when we catch a groove.
Is there anything else that we haven't mentioned that you might like to share?
I’m really grateful for this interview! I love what you do and what your publication means to the real cultural leaders of this city.
It’s refreshing and authentic.
