Female Founders: Robyn Streisand of The Mixx and Titanium Worldwide On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Create a distinction between work relationships and friendships. My work is my passion and my vision for the future. My friends are truly my chosen family and I love them to pieces. I think when you have two things that are such a major part of your life and that you care about so much, it’s healthiest to draw a line and not mix the two.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Robyn Streisand of The Mixx and Titanium Worldwide.
Robyn is a trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, and has made it her mission to make marketing and advertising more inclusive. As the recipient of AdColor’s 2021 Advocate Award, Crain’s 2021 Notable LGBTQ Leader Award, AdAge’s “Women to Watch” and the OUT100, Robyn is recognized as a gifted connector, strategic problem-solver and champion of marginalized communities. Having led The Mixx for 25 years, Robyn has built the creative agency into a formidable offering for Fortune 500 brands. With the 2014 launch of Titanium Worldwide, the world’s first collective of certified-diverse marketing, media and communications agencies, she continues her quest to provide innovative solutions. Robyn is living proof that when you lead with love, the ROI is remarkable.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve always been a naturally curious person, and it’s led me on a path to always want to unpack the layers and discover what’s new. I went to school for marketing, and my first internship was actually with CitiBank between my junior and senior year of college. I didn’t know the first thing about banking, but I was passionate about marketing and willing and eager to learn and be successful. That internship eventually led to a full-time job, and I had the opportunity to advance as the company grew.
When CitiBank made the big move to Long Island, I was faced with the decision of moving with them or figuring out what my next steps would be. At the time I couldn’t fathom the thought of leaving Manhattan, so I had to do some digging and really think about what it was that I wanted to do. I had mixed feelings–on one hand the thought of change made me nervous, but on the other hand it was exciting because I knew a new chapter was up ahead. I was at the intersection of life where I really had to determine what happiness would look like going forward.
One day, while I was still in the midst of my decision, I was with a group of friends and we were talking about what I should do. One of the things they brought up was the fact that when I was on the corporate side of the house, I was often frustrated with the creative agencies I would have to partner with. One of my primary frustrations was that they brought the A-Team to win the business and the C-Team to execute after they’d won the account. My friends saw my potential and thought that opening my own agency would be something I’d be good at. This sounded great, but I was hesitant because I didn’t know anything about running a business or even where to start. One by one they started mentioning their connections and how they’d seen other people branch out on their own, and hearing these stories made it become more of a tangible reality for me. Before I knew it I was giving my two weeks notice and putting my stake in the ground as a graphic design studio with a specialty in financial services. The vision was to be a new type of boutique agency that cares about the challenges and pain points of our clients and actually does the work ourselves.
Then it was time to think of a name. I was talking with a friend and I was just throwing words out there of things that I love like “the beach,” “traveling,” “Madonna,” “cookie dough.” There were literally dozens of random words, but when we stopped and looked at all of them, we got stuck on cookie dough and how it’s made of different ingredients–it’s a mix. That’s how we got our name, The Mixx (spelled with two X’s for love, of course).
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
We’ve been in the game for over 25 years, so there’s a lot of interesting stories along the way. If I had to pick just one, it would be the way Titanium Worldwide came to be because it shows how a small moment can turn into a big idea. I vividly remember this day–it was summertime about ten years ago. It was a relatively slow day, and I was looking around the office feeling this really strong desire to grow and do something different. I got together with the intern who was working with me at the time, and we reflected on the work we’d done in the past and how we could iterate and innovate upon that success going forward. At the core, our focus was to create a new way to collaborate with other companies that shared our vision, while also becoming a larger player in the game.
On that day we ended up brainstorming the initial idea for what became Titanium a few years down the road. The initial vision we had on that day was to develop our own holding company, at the heart of which would be minority and women-owned businesses. That idea, which may seem cliché now, was very novel at the time because it was ten years ago before diversity was being used as a buzzword. We were truly the trailblazers of creating diversity as a business strategy. What we were doing was so special because beyond being our business model, it was the very essence of who we were, what we believed in, and what we were working to see more of everyday.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In the beginning I was running The Mixx from my apartment for seven years. It was a fun time, but when you’re conducting meetings from your home there’s also a lot of juggling. Eventually it was inevitable that we had to find an office space.
I had no clue how to navigate that experience at first, and we made mistakes along the way, but I learned my lessons about conducting due diligence, finding a complementary team, and having a little separation between work and home. In hindsight, this “problem” or “mistake” seems so small and laughable, but at the time it was a huge deal for me.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve always had mentors and coaches for as long as I could remember. The one person that stands out is Marc Byron. Marc had a light about him that was truly inspirational. Whether it was about business, life, or myself, I always learned something from him when we were together. I attribute my success to him. Marc passed away a few years ago, but his light and life lessons are here with me always. Now I have the wonderful opportunity of mentoring his daughters, so things have really come full circle.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I think that people hold themselves back, and as a result women hold themselves back. When we start separating ourselves from stereotypes and releasing limiting beliefs, we find that we actually have the ability to do anything. People say things about what women can or can’t do, and if you’re not paying attention you may subconsciously begin to believe those things. However, after you make it past those initial mental barriers, I think it’s really about finding the right team and resources. These aren’t easy things to put in place, but the right people and resources are out there for us; we just have to be tenacious in our pursuit of them. It’s our time.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
For starters I would stress that you always have to reconnect with what matters to you. It’s easy to get bogged down in the small details and daily goals and lose sight of your overall vision. Check in with yourself and make sure you’re clear on what matters to you, and resist the urge to compare yourself.
Second, I would recommend that you get intentional about surrounding yourself with people who have more knowledge and experience than you. Whether it be coaches, mentors, or guides, one key way to overcome those obstacles is to have the right people in your life.
Finally, I’ll say that if you’re not happy and passionate about what you’re doing, it’s hard to be successful at it, and even harder when you’re an entrepreneur. At your core, if you’re going to go through with the journey you have to be happy. This all goes back to vision and the way that you execute that vision on a daily basis.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
Ultimately I think it boils down to the fact that women were built to lead. If you look at the data, men think in a linear fashion, whereas women are natural-born multitaskers and jugglers. Without women in leadership society lacks the true wealth of creativity and opportunity that’s available to it. I think this is the case for a couple of reasons: first, I’ve found that women operate with a lot less ego than their male counterparts, and with that comes a greater degree of equality and collaboration in the workplace. Secondly, I believe women have a very innate sense of creativity and problem solving because that maternal instinct inside of us (regardless of our parental status) makes us want to bring out the best in ourselves and those around us. We’re natural connectors.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
The biggest myth I’d like to dispel is that founders have all the answers. Some people think you get to this magical place where you know everything and that’s simply not the case. What is the case, is that being a founder means being a lifelong learner. Routine, process, and effective systems empower you and set you free by giving you clarity and structure. However, you’re never at a place where things are perfect. As a founder you just have to have faith that things can and will come together, but the journey is an evolutionary process of consistent learning.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
To be a founder you have to have vision. It’s not about what you do or sell–it’s about what you create that doesn’t exist today. As a founder and CEO you’re essentially the one casting the vision for your organization, and that’s what makes the founder’s role different from any other role. You actually have to live and breathe your vision every single day, and believe in the vision even when others don’t get it.
Being a founder doesn’t come without it’s rough days, and so I think you also need to be a person who is a natural problem solver and has an innate curiosity to make things work. This trait also goes hand-in-hand with being a connector, because when you can’t do it alone, you need to be vocal and willing to reach out to others so that they can help you help yourself. It truly takes a village.
Once you have your village and your vision, I think it’s important to have patience. Many people want to see results overnight, but a successful founder knows that it’s going to take a couple years to really build a brand.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Create a distinction between work relationships and friendships. My work is my passion and my vision for the future. My friends are truly my chosen family and I love them to pieces. I think when you have two things that are such a major part of your life and that you care about so much, it’s healthiest to draw a line and not mix the two.
- Let someone else manage the money. As the CEO you don’t need to be buried in all of the details and there’s some things, like finances, that will really take away from your focus on the vision and growth of your company if you don’t find someone with the proper background, knowledge, and time to take this on. Of course you should have a firm understanding of how your company is doing at all times and where you’re generating revenue and expenditures, but when it comes to details like managing daily transactions, benefits plans, and tax reporting, you should not try to handle it all on your own.
- Stay in your lane. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. I’m a starburst thinker and I like to problem-solve, but there’s a balance between leading and managing.
- Always have a coach. You don’t know everything and you can’t know everything, but if you are connected you’ll likely know someone that will know what you don’t know. I get coaching for every stage in my life, and I have different coaches as I continue to evolve as a person and a leader. I think having a human resource that you can lean on for guidance is invaluable as a business owner.
- Have a business partner. Entrepreneurship isn’t an easy road, so I would recommend looking for someone that has a shared core value system and end goals, but that has a different, yet complementary skill set. Having a partner will make the journey a lot easier.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
The work I do is all about making the world a better place. The space I work in at its core is all about connectedness and alignment–ensuring that advertising, marketing, and entertainment are truly representative of the great diversity that’s present out there in the world.
Outside of my companies, I also give to a number of nonprofits, as well as serve on a number of boards: the Hetrick Martin Institute is an organization that is near and dear to my heart for the work that they do to provide resources and protection for LGBTQIA+ youth. I serve on the board of How Women Lead, which is committed to three distinct missions including helping women in their investment journey, getting women representation on boards, and connecting women executives with underserved youth. Finally, I’m also on the board of the Phluid Project, a gender-free fashion brand committed to promoting freedom and self-expression.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
There’s something really cool about intentional social consciousness that’s becoming more and more prevalent today. I think we’re at this intersection where my whole career is about what’s happening in the world right now. The focus on ESG as core values and pillars that really resonates with me because it puts words around what I have always been focused on at my core. People are really paying attention to how their actions, decisions, purchases, and relationships matter, and companies are finally taking the responsibility of thinking about their influence and legacy when it comes to making the world a better, more inclusive place. If I could continue to inspire this movement within my sphere of influence I’d feel very accomplished. That’s how I make my mark.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
There are quite a few people, actually. If I had to pick just one it would be Sarah Blakely. Not only do I wear her products everyday, but I love her story and admire the journey she took to build the Spanx empire from the ground up. I also really admire her leadership and the way she treats her employees. I’m all about my people and my community, so to see someone else who has achieved so much lead from that kind of heartspace is very inspiring.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this
Female Founders: Robyn Streisand of The Mixx and Titanium Worldwide On The Five Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.