At Hover, we’re pretty lucky to have the customers we do. Our customers are incredible entrepreneurs who start their own businesses and turn their ideas into a reality. Choosing a domain name that is going to represent all you’re building and creating is complicated, personal, and often frought with difficult decision making. We thought it’d be great to feature some of these cool entrepreneurs and explore the person and the business behind the domain name (and how they chose their domain!)?

In the latest installment, we speak with Nicole Mickelow, who founded Mnemonics Media, a full service agency that works with small and medium size businesses. Her goal is to help these businesses and their owners learn the techniques she uses to help them grow. Our past articles with Dan Fallak of Adulting FTW and Kody Willnauer of MobileLyre take you through their entrepreneurial experiences running their businesses. Read below to learn how Nicole is managing her agency.

Hi Nicole! Please, introduce yourself:

While I had always toyed with the idea of starting my own company, it took being laid off a few years ago to push me toward actually making it happen. Soon after that change in my job status, one of the amazing people I had hired along the way for some freelance work ended up contracting me to help with a couple projects. It was then that I realized this “working for myself” thing might truly be viable and a few months later Mnemonics Media was born!

I’ve had the great fortune throughout my career to have gained a lot of experience in everything from video production to digital channel management as well as all aspects of marketing so I can help my clients with most of their content/digital/marketing needs. Plus, when there’s a specific requirement that I can’t fulfill myself, I team up with one of the many trusted freelancers I’ve worked with through my nearly 20 years in the biz!

Why did you pursue this career path?

For me, this was an extension of everything I had done previously in my career but also gave me the opportunity to be completely hands-on. I love that I have the chance to work with mostly SMBs across different industries and that I can really make a difference to their business. I have also learned so much in such a short time and continue to do so on a pretty much daily basis. The world of content/digital is always changing and I thrive on that!

What gap in the market does your agency fill?

While there are a lot of consultants and agencies out there, what I offer that my clients seem to really value are the following things:

• I will teach them how to manage things themselves if they want to learn – my business model will never force a client to pay me for simple updates if they prefer to do them themselves
• I will spend time with them and their team regularly if they so choose – becoming a more embedded part of their company only helps me be even more effective
• I work on a tailored strategy for every single client – resources always need to be taken into account to ensure plans are manageable

How did you come across your domain name and what made you choose it?

I knew I wanted to incorporate my initials somehow into my business name so I did a little solo brainstorming exercise. The word mnemonics rose to the top of the pile because it also fits in terms of my goal of ensuring content, digital channels and campaigns are memorable. Luckily mnemonicsmedia.com and mnemonicsmedia.ca were also both available when I searched for the domain name on Hover so I knew it was meant to be!

How do you start your day?

It really varies, sometimes I get started by jumping on my laptop immediately which often means I soon realize I’ve skipped breakfast and it’s almost Noon. Other days I head straight for my favourite neighbourhood cafe so I know I’ll stay focused on the days tasks with a delicious latte in hand. Most of the time lately, I head into client offices to spend the day with their teams. It keeps life interesting, that’s for sure!

What’s the most exciting thing about running your own company?

Working with so many different clients and continuing to team up with other freelancers is a dream come true. No two days are the same and I love, love, love that! Plus, I truly appreciate the opportunity to help my clients market and grow their businesses.

What’s the most challenging thing about running your own company? 

Being comfortable with being uncomfortable. The ups and downs, the slow times versus crazy busy times, the wondering if you’re doing the right thing…it’s a lot. But the longer I do this, the more resilient I feel (maybe? I think? Haha).

What’s the most incredible thing you’ve been able to do or person you’ve been able to connect with thanks to running your own company?

Through some connections made by key people along the way in my entrepreneur journey, I was introduced to the founder of Camp Tech who has since given me the opportunity to start teaching. For someone with a pretty intense fear of public speaking, it’s been a huge step, but I really enjoy it and look forward to doing it more often!

What do you do to step away from work and relax?

I’m a runner so you’ll often find me out traversing the streets with my Eastbound Run Crew friends (or drinking beer with them!). Otherwise I can likely be spotted on a patio or inside one of Leslieville’s awesome restaurants laughing, eating and drinking with good friends.