Meet Monique Mitchell: a full-time dreamer, and doer holding numerous titles as a publicist, media maven and podcaster. She has worked in the network television industry for over eight years assisting with the launches of new animated programming, spreading the word about immersive digital spaces, implementing social media strategy and creating memorable viewer experiences. Hailing from Miami, she attended the illustrious Florida A&M University and majored in broadcast journalism.
After graduation, she moved to New York City where she began a career in media. She was selected out of thousands of applicants for the prestigious and historic NBC East Coast Page Program where she worked for various shows and networks including Oxygen, NBC News Marketing, Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock Live and the Today show. In 2018, Mitchell embarked on entrepreneurship and created Mo Mitch Media Agency to assist entrepreneurs and creatives alike to publicize and maintain their brands.
Mitchell is known for her gift of gab, magnetic personality and unapologetic authenticity. Every Monday, you can catch an episode of her podcast, One Mo’ Minute, for #MoMitchMondays where she shares hilarious and heartfelt gems of wisdom from her personal experiences and thoughts. Keeping in stride with her passion for millennials of color, she created One Mo’ Minute to encourage self-awareness, self-love and authenticity.
We sat down with Mitchell to discuss what led her to entrepreneurship, her commitment to public relations and why she loves being a rattler and Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumna.
What led you down your path of public relations, entertainment and entrepreneurship?
I still remember falling in love with television after doing a Black History Month project on Oprah Winfrey. As a little dark skin girl with a big personality, she was one of the first people that I saw on TV and identified with. At a young age, my parents were instrumental in helping me cultivate my dream by enrolling me in the top broadcast magnet programs through high school and helping me secure a scholarship at Florida A&M University to pursue broadcast journalism. Between various internships and being a FAMU TV news anchor, I was certain that I would grow up to be a news reporter in a top ten market or have my own talk show, but God had other plans.
My road to a career in public relations has been quite unique. I owe my success and expertise to people who saw something in and took a chance on me. In some cases, I’ve learned how to do the job while on the job and have been fortunate enough to be molded and trained by some of the best in the industry. While in other cases, I have used my free time to leverage my skill set by teaching myself things I don’t know and staying up on the latest trends in communications.
You’re a proud alumna of FAMU! How has attending an HBCU inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Florida A&M changed my life in every single way. As a fourth-generation FAMU alum, I knew from the moment I set foot on my illustrious university’s campus that it was a sacred place. As a student, I was taught to do everything with a spirit of excellence and that has spilled over into my professional career and entrepreneurial endeavors. During undergrad, I learned what it meant to be tenacious, ambitious, brilliant, personable, steadfast, resilient, well-read, charismatic and fearless—all the tools that I’ve used to propel my dreams and talents forward. FAMU has produced some of the world’s greatest movers and shakers including my late father, Michael Mitchell; my big sister, Melissa Mitchell; Will Packer, Rashan Ali, Common, Andrew Gillum, Melissa Butler, and Karamo Brown to name a few. Seeing what they’ve been able to do in their respective careers as FAMU alumni have only added fuel to my fire to strike from the top!
Can you tell me about Mo Mitch Media Agency’s mission, objectives, and public relations strategies?
Mo Mitch Media’s main objective is to help my clients find their voice and tell the stories that they want to tell. It’s my job to make people care about what I am working on and work tirelessly to make press outlets/consumers/readers buy the narratives that I am selling.
Every Monday, you air an episode of your podcast, One Mo’ Minute. What’s the purpose behind #MoMitchMondays?
My name Monique means wonderful counselor and that is something that I pride myself in truly living up to. My podcast serves as a platform to talk about my experiences (and those around me) in a humorous and authentic way. This year marks the fifth anniversary of One Mo’ Minute and it continues to get better. Keeping in stride with my passion for millennials of color, my podcast’s mission is to encourage self-awareness, self-love, and authenticity.
What’s next for the Mo Mitch Media Agency?
I see great things on the horizon for Mo Mitch Media. My biggest goal is to continue to help entrepreneurs, creatives and influencers grow their brands and tell their stories. I dream of expanding my team, growing my roster and changing the landscape of public relations and brand management.