Did you know there is an art to ‘figuring sh*t out!’ or at least this is the belief held by our newest My Icon Story Printfluencer – Rebecca Mackay Miller! (what a great name!)
Many small business owners and founders struggle with overwhelm and figuring out the direction in which to take their business. With a wealth of experience in brand building and marketing, we welcome Rebecca, Founder of Bloc + Rose .
Like many of the amazing entrepreneurs I’ve featured in our Printfluencer series, I first met Rebecca at a network brunch run by Found & Flourish. The community F&F has built for women in business is one of the greatest there is. I feel extremely lucky to be part of such a supportive network, one which has given me and My Icon Story a brilliant opportunity to share other people’s stories. Rebecca, over to you:
REBECCA MACKAY MILLER , BLOC + ROSE
In a tweet (280 characters) what do you/your business do?
I’m a brand strategist and word of mouth marketing expert. I help intuition led, small business owners build brands they love and that their audience can’t stop talking about.
Did you have a job/career before starting your business?
Yes! Prior to launching Bloc + Rose I spent 14 years building and shaping brands powered by consumer opinion. I’ve done my time brand side in both the soft drinks and beauty industries, and most recently spent five years at the helm of a specialist word-of-mouth marketing agency running large scale campaigns for big brands from Pampers, Fairy and Always to IAMs and Batiste.
Why did you decide to start your own business?
On a Wednesday in 2017, I was made redundant. That Saturday, we moved into a new house and the following morning found out I was pregnant. I think the saying goes ‘you couldn’t write that shit’, yet here I am! I firmly believe everything happens for a reason. I always knew that would be my last proper job and after dabbling with a pivot into millinery I saw sense and launched BLOC + ROSE, combining my love of brand storytelling, geeky fascination with the psychology of what gets people talking and what I’m really good at; figuring things out.
Tell us a bit more about Bloc & Rose
My tagline is ‘The Art of Figuring Shit Out’. And that’s what I do. My clients are exceptionally talented and inspiring founders building their own empires who want to refocus, pivot or evolve their businesses, but often have so much going on in their heads they just don’t know where to start. I delve in, dig everything out, connect the dots and help map out a brand strategy that will ensure they get to where they want to go. Then translate it all into compelling, relatable content and stories their audience re-tell over and over again.
If you were a recent client, what would you write in the review?
Part of this was an actual review (is that allowed?!), but I couldn’t have put it better myself!
“I have never been more in love with my brand or had more confidence in the value I offer my clients. Rebecca took my all-over-the-place ramblings, skilfully ignored the chaff, pulled out the good bits and helped make them shiny. Her total passion for her craft is apparent – she gave so much value and genuinely cares.”
FINISH THESE SENTENCES…
My business is amazing because…I get to work with incredible, inspiring founders doing what I love – seeing that ‘light bulb’ moment when everything starts to click into place literally makes my day.
This time next year… You mean in a world where social distancing and isolation is a distant memory? I will be hugging. Everyone. All. The. Time.
REBECCA’S MY ICON STORY
SIZE: Small & Mighty My Icon Story (fits 4-6 icons), White background with black icons and solid black wooden frame
Tell us the story behind your My Icon Story print?
Wellington Boots – I live in the city now but I’m an absolute country girl at heart. We had dogs, a horse and walking through the lakes to the pub in the next village is sill my favourite thing to do.
Hats – Hats, well headwear in general. Love wearing them, LOVE making them. I’ve done all of the courses, interned with one of the UK’s most renowned Milliners and very nearly launched a business (I ordered branded labels and everything). One day.
Rose – There are three generations of ‘rose’ in my family: my mum, daughter and me. My friends call me Miss Rose. It’s an integral part of me, so incorporating into my business name was a non-negotiable.
Space – For me space and the universe represent connectivity. A belief we’re part of something bigger, an energy. I’m not a fatalist but do believe that what’s meant for us won’t pass us by, if you tune in and listen to what your intuition is telling you. I’m also an absolute sci-fi geek, was raised on a diet of Batteries Not Included, Flight of the Navigator and X-Files and yes, I still have a crush on Mulder.
Us – My Why. We dream big. Building businesses that enable us to live life on our terms, whether that’s hiring a camper van for a month and exploring somewhere new or heading to the beach on a Tuesday because the surfs up, is all part of the plan.
JUST A BIT OF FUN…
You’re in a cocktail bar. What do you order?
Espresso Martini
What’s your favourite type of shoe?
DM’s or Trainers…or DM’s
If you could have any other job in the world, what would you be?
A Milliner
THANK YOU
A huge thank you to Rebecca for taking part in our Printfluencer series. One of the greatest things about these features is the opportunity to design new icons. To complete Rebecca’s My Icon Story, she asked us to design a couple of bespoke icons including a Rose, Fedora Hat and Planets of the Solar System. All these icons are now also available for anyone to use when creating their own My Icon Story prints.
To find out more about Rebecca’s services and how you can work with her, visit the Bloc + Rose website https://www.blocandrose.com
And follow Bloc + Rose on Instagram @blocandrose
If you’d like to nominate a founder to be featured in our Printfluencer Series, please email laura@myiconstory.com
To create your own My Icon Story visit our design-your-own here. We also offer a free icon request service so any icon you can’t find, simply drop us an email to info@myiconstory.com or use the Submit Request form on our homepage.
