Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren McMillan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lauren. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I would describe myself as a creative “Jill of All Trades”. I am the owner and creative director of Arrogant Images, a graphic design, brand management and creative consulting firm. I also curate events for young professionals under the handle “Netwerk and Chill”, and I am a music blogger/host with my latest position being with Cosign Magazine.
I began Arrogant Images, as a college student in 2008, doing odd design jobs for organizations on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. I moved to Dallas in 2011 to further pursue my professional career in marketing & public relations. While working on the corporate side of marketing for 6 years, I also maintained Arrogant Images, building design clientele in the city. In 2016, my business developed to the point where I was able to step away from my position as a brand/social media manager and pursue entrepreneurship full-time. In the last two years, my business has grown exponentially and I’ve helped many start-ups actualize their brand visions. Some notable clients Radio One, the State Fair of Texas and Cantu Beauty.
2016 was an eventful year in my journey, as that was the year Netwerk and Chill came to life. Netwerk (a colorful play on “network’) and Chill began as a group chat with 100 of my personal friends for a birthday celebration and has grown to a GroupMe of 500+ contacts, 2000+ Instagram followers, and nearly 4000 newsletter subscribers. I am a Detroit born, Houston raised, Oklahoma Sooner, now making a life in Dallas. As a transplant, I struggled to connect with other young professionals when I first moved to Dallas. Netwerk and Chill aim to bridge the gap, connecting natives and transplants, and facilitating social and professional events for Dallas movers and shakers. This year one of our signature events, “Shoot Your Shot: Speed Networking Happy Hour” was featured on the CW33.
Music is a major passion of mine and I’ve tried to stay as involved as I can on the music scene. I began blogging nearly 10 years ago for the Houston based website DayandaDream.com. From 2016-2017, I co-hosted the Dallas based Good Culture Podcast on www.goodculture.life. In 2018, I had the opportunity to join the music staff at Cosign Magazine. In the last 6 months, I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter PJ Morton, platinum recording artists Day 26 and most recent author and music mogul James Prince.
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?
Being a successful business person is about timing and preparation. I tried shortly after graduating college to pursue entrepreneurship full-time. I was 24, super eager but inexperienced and untested. The talent was there but the relationships and knowledge I needed to be successful were not. I had no idea how to win business or how to price myself to be profitable. I tried for about 6 months and was forced to go back to a corporate position. I don’t consider that time a failure. It was an experience so that I could understand how I needed to position myself in this market. 4 years later, I was about to set out again better prepared and I’ve been successful for 2 years.
Entrepreneurship is tough no matter who you are. It’s even harder as a woman. I don’t think I really understood what sexism truly was until I became a full-time entrepreneur. I have a super strong personality. On the Myers Briggs personality scale, I am an “ENTJ” which is the “Commander” personality type. We only account for 3% of the population. So here I am this super bold, driven, opinionated (admittedly bossy at times) leader, standing at barely 5’4 in a dress and a full face of makeup. People don’t know what to make of me. And a lot of times, being a woman with this personality, works against me.
Even though African American women are the fastest growing group of business owners in this country, I often find myself as the only woman at the table. Sexism in business isn’t always blatant. Sometimes it’s just a slightly bigger deposit for an event venue than what is asked of my male colleagues. Or the assumption that I’m a man when people reach out via email to partner. In many cases, I have to more knowledge and better prepared than my male counterparts to get the same opportunities and deals.
I would advise young women to stay true to your vision. Everyone works hard, but you will have to work harder. And hard work is not as glamorous as it may seem on social media. Deciding you want your work for yourself will be filled with a lot of sleepless nights in front of the computer, missed dinners and social engagements, budgeting, planning, and sacrifice. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, because when you put in the work, you will begin to reap the rewards. Also, don’t allow anyone to persuade you to play small to make other people comfortable. People will always be intimidated by powerful women. That’s not our fault. We have to keep being powerful no matter what and continue to break through societies glass ceilings.
What should we know about Arrogant Images & Netwerk and Chill? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I absolutely love helping brands bring their vision to life through Arrogant Images. What’s unique about my business is that it’s not just a cookie-cutter graphic design service. Unlike most graphic designers, I have nearly 10 years of marketing experience from both agency and internal corporate marketing. I am able to help my clients develop a brand strategy so that their business not only looks amazing but is actually successful. I’ve worked with several national brands and I bring the same expertise and energy to every client no matter the budget or the size.
My clientele is also very diverse. I work with everyone from charities, non-profits, fashion, beauty, entertainment, nightlife, faith-based organizations, public figures, realtors, etc. You name it, I’ve got a client in the space. So, I am also able to connect people and brands, which connects the dots between Lauren the graphic design and Lauren the networker. As I said previously, I’m a Dallas transplant. But through my business dealings, my network had grown beyond what I could have imagined.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I think any leader is constantly short on opportunity and resources. Historically, we know that women always have less of both. But I also think female leaders refuse help thinking it will take away from their impact. I’m guilty of that. There is no such thing as a superwoman. You have to accept help, know when to say no, and seek advisors, male and female alike for counsel. No one person has been successful ever been successful without help in some way.
Another barrier is a lot of women are the first of their kind. Unlike men, there aren’t a whole bunch of examples to look to. So, we have to learn from trial and error.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.arrogantimages.com
- Email: info@arrogantimages.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/theellemac instagram.com/arrogantimages instagram.com/netwerkandchill
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/arrogantimages/
- Twitter: twitter.com/theellemac
- Other: dropr.com/laurenmac
Image Credit:
Mimosa Photo: Courtesy of Black Spadez Media
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