Today on Phenomenal Grit, Mimi Dixon, Crayola Marketing Executive takes us back to a pivotal moment in her childhood which helped define the leader she is today. She’s an engaging storyteller and visionary. I appropriately titled this episode, “She’s a Baaaad Mama Jama” and you’ll have to tune in to find out why. Enjoy the conversation. 

About Mimi Dixon: 
Mimi Dixon is a highly motivated and dynamic thought leader with +20 years of expertise in Integrated, Shopper & Sports marketing for leading global brands. She describes herself as a “Big Idea Generator, Activation Master, Strategic Thought Leader, and Passionate Marketer”. Currently, she is Director – Brand Activation & Content at Crayola. In this role, she spearheads Advertising, PR, Shopper Marketing, National marketing campaigns, and Digital & Social Content & Imagery. Most recently, she led the development & activation of Crayola’s 2020 Colors of the World skin tone crayon launch which garnered over 3 billion impressions to date and has gone on to win various marketing, diversity & inclusion & product industry awards including a TOTY (Toy of The Year) award for Creative Toy of the Year. Mimi also serves as the Chair for Crayola’s first Diversity & Inclusion Council & is hard at work in building the council’s foundation for both the council and the company.

Mimi has been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Diversity Woman, AdWeek, and CBS Saturday morning. She has also served as a 2021 judge for the Effie, AME, and ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards. Prior to joining Crayola in June of 2014, Mimi held various roles within increasing responsibility at Campbell Soup Company over a tenure of 16 years. During this time period, Mimi executed copious national marketing campaigns, managed the company’s NFL sponsorship for eight years, activated numerous brand & celebrity partnerships, and lead retail-specific activation for key retailers like Target, Kroger, Safeway & Publix.

When Mimi is not creating or activating the next successful national marketing campaign, she enjoys traveling, reading, binge-watching true crime & reality TV shows, shoe shopping and spending time with family and friends. Mimi is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and completes public service activities with her local alumnae chapter. Mimi has a Bachelor’s of Arts from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Delaware. She currently resides in Hamilton, New Jersey.

Colors of the World Skin Tone Crayons & More | Crayola.com | crayola.com

Ayodele Kinchen is a native and current resident of East Palo Alto (EPA). She grew up in a Pan-African home and community circle, attending independent, k-8th grade African-centered schools in EPA and was immersed in Afro-centric cultural academia, leadership development, and rites of passage programs created and coordinated in part by her mother. She is a graduate of Howard University (Washington, DC) where she received her BA in Business Administration-Management (1999) and graduate of START-Up (2002) – an EPA business incubator and training program for entrepreneurs.

Ayodele is an entrepreneur and professional dancer. She began making jewelry and handbags and officially launched her business, Duafe Designs in 2004. She worked her business during off-hours/weekends and managed to perform as a primary dancer for Fua Dia Congo - a Congolese African Dance company where she studied under the renowned Malonga Casquelourde. Her dance career extended to teaching youth Congolese dance, drum, history, and song as a part-time resident artist for and the ALICE program (Arts & Literacy in Children’s Education, Oakland- 2004-2008) and VALA (Visual Arts Language Arts, a Tides Program, Oakland, 2008-2013). Her resident artist work introduced her to EnCompass Academy Elementary in Oakland, where she accepted the position as the Director of After School programs (2013-2016).

Ayodele worked full-time at EnCompass Academy and part-time as a business entrepreneur until her 3rd child was born. Her growing family needs and increased demand for her products did not function in tandem with a full-time job. Ayodele too long desired to be 100% self-employed. Thus, in 2016, she resigned from her Director post to further invest in her growing business and create a better work-life balance for her and her family.

As the gifted visionary, designer, and owner behind DUAFE Designs, Ayodele specializes in one-of-a-kind waist beads, natural shell jewelry, fashion accessories, and eclectic handbags. She is a self-taught artist with a keen eye and talent for design, and finds joy creating wearable art that transforms the everyday woman into a Queen, and young girls into empowered Princesses. She builds awareness of African culture, tradition, and holistic wellness through her services that include waist bead parties, facilitating sister circles, youth/community workshops, a rite of passage program for girls 7-17 (Sisters of Tomorrow Bat Area), and consulting. Ayodele uses her art as a medium towards empowering young girls and women by designing pieces that heal, encourage, honor, and beautify the mind, body, and spirit. Her products can be found on her website www.duafedesigns.com or at her store located in Downtown Oakland, Ca.

duafedesigns.com 
IG @Duafebyayodele 
TikTok @waistbeadsbyayodele 

How do you overcome adversity and develop an authentic voice while thriving in corporate settings?  "There is no such thing as a diversity hire. Sit at the tables that value  and respect you!" Tiana  and I cover a myriad of topics in this raw and rare conversation. We're talking about self worth, how to recognize true allies and, thriving  not just surviving in your career. Enjoy the conversation! 

Tiana Conley serves as the Vice President of Global Cereal for the Kellogg Company, where she is responsible for the $6 billion flagship portfolio with treasured brands such as Special K, Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops and Corn Flakes. Prior to joining Kellogg, she was Marketing Director of global tequila at Beam Suntory, where she led a portfolio of 5 brands and oversaw operations at the Casa Sauza Heritage Center in Tequila, Mexico. Before joining Beam Suntory, Ms. Conley held a variety of marketing roles at Kimberly-Clark and Procter & Gamble, including leading the $4 billion Global Bath Tissue Portfolio as well as leading the P&L for the North American Olay brand. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Business Administration degree from Xavier University Williams College of Business in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tiana is based in Chicago and is mother of two children, Griffin and Ava.