Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mike Mena. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mike, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

Yogi said: “You can learn a lot by just watching.” I’m a curious soul. When I see something unfamiliar, I research and find out what it is. My first client was the SEA Lab on the border of Hermosa and Redondo Beach. I used to jog by the facility and wondered what it was. I picked up the phone (yes, we did that in those days) and was fortunate enough to get the facilities director on the phone. His name was Giancarlo Cetrulo and he was very generous with his time explaining that the SEA Lab was a program operated by the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. The SEA Lab rescued animals caught up in the tanks at power stations and retrieved by Fish & Wildlife at the airport. I was hooked and knew I wanted to work with them. They had so much great educational content. I pursued them and have enjoyed working with them until they closed. Twenty odd years later, I’m still working with the man that hired me (Dan Knapp) at the Conservation Corps of Long Beach.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I love a great story. I love to read. I’m currently reading “Crook Manifesto,” by Colson Whitehead. He’s a fabulous writer. I love music. A great song with strong lyrics is a short story set to music. Bob Marley, Bono from U2, Leonard Cohen, Bryan Ferry, Chris Martin from Coldplay and Dua Lipa are a few of my favorite songwriters because of the masterful way they tell a story through a song.

I pride myself on being a good story teller. When I speak to a client, I ask a lot of questions. I inquire about how they got involved and send them a questionnaire to unearth some nuggets I can use in a pitch. I get revved up when a journalist tells me no. It’s a perfectly good answer and it lights the fire under me to turn it into a YES.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I was the Record Label Director of a company called Tone Casualties. The label’s owner, Gabor Csupo was a partner and founder of Klasky/Csupo. This is the animation company that created the first 6 years of the “Simpsons,” and introduced the world to the “Rugrats.” In addition to loving animation, Gabor had a love of music. I was tasked with elevating the company into more of a business.

One of my key signings was a Japanese band called: the Pugs. They were a spectacle on stage and had great musicians. However, they did not sing or speak English. I had this deep down belief that language did not need to be a barrier. Great music would find a way. I knew I needed a determined publicist to be an accessory to the vision. Ileana was both determined and visionary. We became a great team and continued to work together. The more we did, the more I admired her. We formed a business partnership but I also fell in love with her. She’s now my wife!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I love music. I really thought that I’d be in the music business my entire life. I was a guy who started in the mail room at A&M Records in NYC and worked my way up to Director of Alternative Music. When SBK Records formed, Daniel Glass doubled my salary and convinced me to join this start-up. I had a great time there for a while. I was VP of A&R and VP of Marketing. I had great success with Jesus Jones, Blur and Slowdive. Then mergers and consolidation squeezed me out. I had my own label for a while and released a Jesus Jones album. When digital music replaced CD’s, I wasn’t sure where to go. My partner Ileana noticed that I was a good story teller and suggested I give PR a try. The story-telling bug is alive and well! I’m doing it to this day!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ileanainternational.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.mena.90
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mena-0a23389/

Image Credits
Mike and Ileana. Young Mike, Manhattan Pier. Wine.