Every career is built on relationships, Lauren Melcher built hers at MIMA.
As a marketing professional always on the lookout for the next great thing, Lauren Melcher, director of platform strategy at Target and proud member of MIMA since 2009, enjoys studying technology and the many ways in which tech can affect our lives. When she first set out to find a group of individuals just as excited about exploring the boundaries of automation as she was, she found MIMA.
Lauren’s first MIMA event featured a graphic designer who worked on an Obama presidential campaign. Not only did she get insight into why and how the campaign was designed, but she also met new friends and colleagues— connections that are strong to this day.
From then on, Lauren contributed as a volunteer where she discovered a passion for event planning via the programming committee. In this circle, Lauren had the chance to learn about topic planning, inviting guest speakers, and much more. She was inspired by the way the committee took an idea and brought it to life. On top of this, working on the programming committee allowed her to work on projects that fed her.
“It’s important to do things outside of work that feed you,” she added.
The members themselves are one of Lauren’s favorite aspects of MIMA. She credits her first job in marketing to someone taking a chance on a newbie, but for every opportunity after that, she points to a MIMA connection. She believes, though all meaningful relationships take some effort, each one she has made through this association has been well worth the energy.
Lauren believes MIMA will remain an opportunity for those willing to step out of their comfort zones, ask the important questions about what’s next, and make new connections. You might just find your next passion.
Lauren Melcher is a MIMA Next 25 Luminary. MIMA’s history is filled with local leaders who volunteered, spoke, served on the board, or participated as members of the community. These luminaries ignited a passion for digital marketing in our community, nourished the flame for the past 25 years, and new luminaries are lighting the path for the future of local marketing exploration and evolution.
