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

Tawanna, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

My writing mentor, Elmaz Abinader, had a profound impact on not only my writing career but on my entire life, and especially as a business owner. She helped change the trajectory of my life’s journey. Elmaz opened my eyes to the possibilities of becoming a successful woman business owner. Upon first meeting Elmaz I was sitting on a ton of ambition but with no real belief system in myself or understanding of how to actually bring it to pass. As I listened to her story I found many similar characteristics in our personalities and life experiences. I thought this unusual given that I am of African-American descent and she is Lebanese-American, and that we were from different parts of the US. I discovered that even though we were different women from two different backgrounds we shared a common understanding of life and how best to navigate its joys and challenges. Nevertheless, Elmaz became a key factor in my gaining the courage to start a business in 2018 and it maintaining a steady path of growth, which is determined by my hard work, intelligence, meaningful networking, and fortitude. I can now depend on my own judgement with total confidence. Prior to meeting Elmaz I never would’ve gained the understanding of how self-reliance and ingenuity can become dependable components of one’s success. Good bosses and/or mentors are pivotal. Finding one that is a personal glove fit is a true blessing.

Tawanna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Mitchell Marstin Media, LLC is a consulting firm for independent artists and entertainers in the entertainment industry. We offer a myriad of services from industry lifecycle management to IP portfolio maintenance. In business since just 2018 our steady growth is attributed to our mission, which is to educate and equip our clients for successfully doing business in the entertainment industry.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

We are a young company and are still in the process of building our brand reputation. Building a brand is a slippery slope and is filled with unmitigated risks. We believe in taking risks. If there are no risks there are zero chances of rewards. Having said that, a staple for our business is something I learned at my undergraduate institution, Texas Southern University. TSU’s university motto is, “Excellence in Achievement.” Mitchell Marstin Media, LLC has a strong commitment to excellence in everything we do. We believe operating in excellence automatically builds widespread confidence in brand reputation. Excellence will speak for you when you are small and unknown, and will also become an incredible catalyst to your growth and expansion.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

The Covid-19 pandemic challenged a lot of business owners, especially those that were newly established businesses. During the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2020 we saw a tremendous drop-off in a few client sales especially in comparison to the prior year’s successes. At the time we didn’t know which way to turn or what to do to prevent the company from going under the following year. Fortunately, we received some reliable advice from both our business management and accounting professional teams. Business management suggested we immediately offer a few service offerings previously slated as future milestones, while accounting consolidated loose expenses and accelerated collections on a few outstanding accounts receivables. The timely creative genius of our professional teams were and still are pivotal in keeping us afloat during times of uncertainty.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mitchellmarstin.com; www.tawannamarsh.com
• Instagram: authortawannamarsh
• Linkedin: Tawanna Marsh
• Twitter: trustthenovel
• Youtube: Mitchell Marstin Media, LLC

Image Credits
Photo of Tawanna Marsh by Tomayia Colvin of Tomayia Colvin Photography Mitchell Marstin Logo Re-Designed by William Jones of Tash Group Limited