MICHELINE BOWMAN CREATOR of “MEET ME MONDAY”
By Taroue Brooks
Tell us about your business and services.
IN 2018, BOWMAN MEDIA GROUP WAS CREATED AND DESIGNED WITH EVERY BRAND IN MIND. WE REALIZE THAT ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS TO SUCCESS IS BELIEVING IN THE BRAND YOU WANT TO PUSH. SO OFTEN THE SAME BRANDS GET EXPOSURE OVER AND OVER IN THE MEDIA. NOT BECAUSE THEIR BRAND IS ANY BETTER THAN ANOTHER, BUT BECAUSE THEY APPROACHED THE MEDIA WITH A SOLID PRESENTATION THAT CAPTURED INTEREST.
WHERE YOU ARE NOW IS JUST FOR THE MOMENT. WHERE YOU WILL BE ONCE YOU WORK WITH BOWMAN MEDIA GROUP HAS ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. AT THE PRESENT MOMENT I AM A TEAM OF ONE GETTING THE JOB DONE. WHILE I’M A NEW BUSINESS, I HAVE WORKED WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES SINCE STARTING MY COMPANY. I WORK ON THE VISION OF SETTING OBTAINABLE GOALS AND SETTING REALISTIC APPROACHES. I WANT TO LAY OUT A PROGRAM THAT WILL ENABLE ALL BUSINESSES TO GROW IN THE MEDIA/MARKETING INDUSTRY. FOR EVERY 3 MONTHS OF COMMITMENT, I WANT TO ENSURE 3 MONTHS OF GROWTH IN YOUR BUSINESS. I OFFER EVERYTHING FROM MEDIA TRAINING, COACHING, BOOKING APPEARANCES ON RADIO, TELEVISION AND PRINT, PREPARING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS, DEVELOP AND PRODUCING SEGMENTS FOR TELEVISION APPEARANCES TO BEING THE LIASON THE DAY OF APPEARANCE.
What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
IN 2017 AFTER 27 YEARS IN THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY, MY POSITION WAS ELIMINATED. IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT I REALIZED THAT THE ODDS OF ME BEING HIRED BY A COMPANY WERE SLIM AS I’M OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE. I HAD TO HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON AND REDEFINE MYSELF, MY PURPOSE AND MY PLAN. I TOOK A YEAR OFF SOUL SEARCHING AND DECIDED…”THEIR ELIMINATION, WAS GOD’S ELEVATION” TO DO SOMETHING NEW AND FOR MYSELF. SO I NOW WEAR THE HAT AS A NEW FULL TIME ENTREPRENEUR. THERE ARE MOMENTS I WAKE UP WONDERING WHAT MY NEXT MOVE IS BECAUSE I WAS SO USE TO HAVING MY MOVES DICTATED BY A CORPORATE CLOCK. NOW MY DAYS TICK AND TOCK AT MY PACE WHICH SOME DAYS ARE FAR LONGER THAN AVERAGE.
What kind of experience should a client expect from you?
HONESTY IN MY THOUGHTS ON WHERE THEY ARE WITH THEIR BRAND. OPEN COMMUNICATION FROM DAY ONE TO WORK TOGETHER ON DEVELOPING A STRATEGY THAT WORKS FOR THEM AND MAKES THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE.
Tell us about your Meet Me Monday event.
MEET ME MONDAY WAS STARTED IN 2004 BECAUSE I WAS TIRED OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT MONDAY AND HOW THEY HATED THAT DAY OF THE WEEK. PEOPLE SAY, “I HATE MONDAY!” “UGH BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY!” MONDAY HAD THIS UGLY LOOK ON IT AND MONDAY IS MY FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK. WHEN THE VENUE CLOSED DOWN THE FOLLOWING YEAR I JUST STOPPED DOING IT. I FIGURED IT WAS A ONE AND DONE EVENT. BUT… IN 2013 I WAS AT AN EVENT AND SOMEONE RECOGNIZED ME FROM DOING “MEET ME MONDAY”. THAT HAD BEEN YEARS AND HE REMEMBER ME. HE ASKED WAS I STILL DOING THEM? WHEN I REPLIED NO, HE ASKED WHY NOT? HE TOLD ME HOW MUCH FUN HE HAD NETWORKING AND THE ENTERTAINMENT COMPONENT OF IT ON A MONDAY WAS A LOT OF FUN. SO I ASKED MYSELF WHY DID I STOP? THE VENUE CLOSED BUT MONDAY NEVER STOPPED COMING. I FOUND A NEW VENUE AND ON APRIL 1, 2013 RELAUNCHED WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THANKS TO TECHNOLOGY I DIDN’T HAVE IN 2004. TO DATE IT HAS TRAVELED TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS SUCH AS BALTIMORE, NEW JERSEY, CHARLOTTE, MIAMI, WITH THE HOME BASE BEING PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY MARYLAND. WE HAVE FEATURED AND SHOWCASED SOME OF BEST CELEBRITIES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AS WELL AS LOCAL TALENT. WE SPOTLIGHT AUTHORS, BUSINESSES AND WE GIVE BACK TO NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH DONATIONS. THE EVENT IS ALWAYS FREE!
What has been the biggest challenge for you as an entrepreneur?
RIGHT NOW, GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOW I WORK FOR MYSELF AND I CAN’T DO WORK FOR FREE. WHEN I HAD A FULL TIME JOB I WOULD OFTEN HELP OTHERS AFTER MY WORK DAY, AND DIDN’T THINK CHARGE. NOW I HAVE TO CHARGE AS I DON’T HAVE A FULL TIME JOB TO FALL BACK ON. THIS IS MY FULLTIME AND NOW TIME JOB. I’M STILL AT THE FIGURING IT OUT STAGE AND UNDERSTANDING THIS NEW JOURNEY MYSELF. ALSO TIME MANAGEMENT. I DON’T HAVE A SET TIME OF WORK AND FIND MYSELF WORKING SPLIT SHIFTS DAILY AS THE WORKLOAD INCREASES IN SPURTS. BALANCING AND TAKING TIME FOR MYSELF HASN’T TRULY HAPPENED, BUT I’M BLESSED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITES THAT COME MY WAY. CHALLENGES ARE MAKING ME FIGURE IT OUT AND REALIZE THAT I NEED HELP 🙂
What advice would you give someone interested in becoming an entrepreneur?
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE. DON’T LOOK AT WHAT OTHER HAVE DONE OR ARE DOING AND BASE YOUR SUCCESS OFF OF THEM. GOD HAS GIVEN US ALL INDIVIDUAL AND SPECIFIC GIFTS AND TALENTS. BEING AND ENTREPRENEUR IS IN MY OPINION A TOTALLY DIFFERENT MINDSET AND EVERYONE DOESN’T HAVE IT. IT TOOK ME NEARLY 30 YEARS TO BECOME ONE AND I KNOW BEING THE BEST ISN’T GOING TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. YOU MUST WORK ON YOUR MINDSET AND SET YOUR MIND TO BE SUCCESSFUL DAILY. BE GOAL DRIVEN AND IT’S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES…I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN…IT’S OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. BE OPEN AND HONEST WITH YOURSELF AND KNOW THAT IT COMES WITH A LOT OF SACRIFICE. PEOPLE AREN’T GOING TO ALWAYS SUPPORT YOU, BUT DON’T EVER STOP SUPPORTING YOURSELF. IT’S YOUR LIFE…YOUR MOVE…LET’S GET IT!
Where do you see your business in the next five years?
FOR MY BOWMAN MEDIA GROUP- I WANT TO ACTUALLY BECOME A GROUP WITH MORE PEOPLE WORKING WITH ME AS WE BUILD THE BUSINESS. MY MOTTO: “ARE YOU READY TO BE SEEN?”
FOR MEET ME MONDAY- I WOULD LOVE TO GET A SPONSOR ON BOARD FIRST AND FOREMOST. THEN TO SEE A MONDAY EXPERIENCE HAPPEN ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THE SAME DAY AND WE HAVE VIDEO TO BOUNCE BACK AND FORTH FROM CITY TO CITY TO SEE HOW MUCH FUN YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE ON A MONDAY. MY MOTTO: “MONDAYS JUST GOT BETTER!”
