This off-the-wall marketing team didn’t just pop out of thin air. Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Rachael Mattice, used her years of experience backstage, in the pit, and in-office to build RMCS from the ground up. With her leadership and ingenuity, this women-led marketing team provides expert support to businesses big and small to help them thrive and stay true to their brand, no matter how alternative that brand may be.
Keep reading for an inside glimpse into the world of this powerhouse mastermind at the helm.
The mind behind the brand: Rachael Mattice
So, Rachael, you weren’t always the fearless leader of RM Creative Services. How did you find your way to creating your own marketing company?
It all started with a piece of advice I received when I was in my early 20s. An older business owner I was networking with told me, “The only way you’ll ever be free from potential layoffs and bad bosses is to start a company of your own.” This advice really stuck with me.
Since that point on, I’ve had it as a long-term goal to start my own business. The rest was just a natural progression of what I was already doing in my career – social media marketing, copy and content writing, photography and videography, building creative teams and project management. I found a way to combine all of those skill sets, and serve clients that align with my same impact-driven goals.
Have you always dreamed of having your own marketing company? If not, when and why did the idea for this pop into your head?
Business, yes; marketing agency, not necessarily.
When I was working at marketing agencies myself and also on the brand side, I saw such a beige, bland view of branding. I was so unbelievably bored with the same fonts, the same colors, the same types of brands that were popular on social media platforms and online.
I saw an opportunity to market to bold, ambitious, and out-of-the-box brands, and I’m glad I jumped on it. More and more companies are attracted to our own ‘Wednesday Addams weirdness’, and we proudly use that weirdness as our unique differentiator. At the end of the day, it’s about creating strategic content that delivers results, and that’s what we do best.
What are some of your favorite memories or lessons learned from working as a live music journalist?
1. All-in participation: The lead vocalist of a Swedish extreme black metal band called Watain proudly applauds concert attendees that “give all of their energy” at their shows. Although paraphrasing, he says, “These fans showed up to participate” and I’ve always LOVED what that represented.
Businesses can take a lesson from the metal world. If you want to become a millionaire in your business, build a massive social media following – or hell, get that first person to buy from you – you need to show up and take the wheel behind your business. There’s no way to 100% delegate everything. You have to take ownership and actively participate in your brand’s growth.
2. Big vocalist energy: Being a business owner means you’re going to wear a lot of hats, but it also means you’re going to become the face of your brand. Even though I identify as an introvert, there are many scenarios when I have to push past my own insecurities and vulnerabilities to show up as the face of RM Creative Services. It’s expected – you have to own that leadership stage.
3. Work hard, but stay humble: Working as a music journalist can be a complete crapshoot, especially when shooting live rock concerts. Even the most experienced photographers may have to deal with a low-light set to shoot, a puking fan, or get kicked in the head after a long day.
There are so many external factors that are outside of your individual control when it comes to business and your work. Eventually, you’ll have to take deep breaths, prepare to the best of your ability, and do the best that you can when you’re delivered a plate of garbage. Keep putting in the effort and producing work you’re proud of, and opportunities will come. The work will speak for itself.
4. Check your “rockstar ego” at the door: You don’t need to go bragging about how many times you were published, how many dollars you made, or whatever the current flashy real-world vanity metric is. Sometimes, the people who get continuous work are the ones who are the most reliable, deliver on what they say they will, have manners, and are generally easy to work with. Period.
5. You can always find common ground, you may just have to dig deeper: I remember talking to Mike Portnoy backstage at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California, right before he went onstage to play with Metal Allegiance. This metal drumming icon was asking me for Instagram tips, and we shared a laugh at how much of our lives are wasted “doom scrolling.”
We’re all human; even the “personas” we see online, our favorite musical heroes or that successful entrepreneur. You can start building long-term relationships with the biggest stars by laughing over everyday life. You never know if that small encounter will lead to something later.
How did you end up in sunny California? Do you see yourself staying here or are there plans to build your empire from a different state?
I was introduced to California during my college years when my mom moved to Southern California after her divorce from my dad. I never felt like the Midwest was my forever home, and never felt like I could be my genuine self.
California is glamorized for a reason; dreams have a much higher probability of coming true here just on the economic opportunities alone. My personality fits well with the Golden State. I have dreams of buying property in other states and countries, but California is my home.
What is your favorite memory from the past five years, besides creating RM Creative Services?
I have so many! If I had to narrow the list down though, these would be some of the best ones:
- One of my photographs will be featured in an album
- Getting to speak at my first conferences, on podcasts and in other people’s blogs
- Finishing Invisalign!
- My husband becoming a U.S. citizen
- Traveling to so many cool places – Camping, road trips and a few international trips
- Sitting in a warm hot tub in Big Bear on my birthday as the snow fell around us
- Landing my first 5-figure deal for RMCS
Now that we are in the new year, it is pretty apparent that social media and online marketing is shifting a lot. What are your biggest predictions for what will impact online marketing in 2023?
1. More variety in social media videos: The surge of TikTok created an unmistakable trend of punchy, DIY-friendly video content that felt more scrappy, less filtered, and more “every day.” This trend will continue, but with TikTok pushing for more long-form, “original” video ideas, this will bring cinematic filmmaking back under the value umbrella. High-quality filmmaking really took a hit when TikTok exploded in popularity, but now brands are trying to find that middle ground of keeping video content high-quality while adhering to the DIY rules of TikTok. I see much more variety coming back to social media platforms again, thank god.
2. Brand photography will have a resurgence: To add onto the last point, because DIY TikTok videos completely dominated the online space the last few years, the creatives who suffered the most from this blunt change were photographers. People were putting aside professional brand photoshoots for quick videos they could shoot on their lunch break in their cars. Now that photographers have had more time to find their way in the “video” world, more will remember the value of creative photography.
3. A surge in “creator economy,” the new “influencer” marketing: The influencer marketing world has been shaken up quite a bit, and the days of pristine travel influencers are over. Professionals of all makes and backgrounds are putting on their influencer hat and are becoming creators themselves. Not to mention, if any e-commerce brand wants to grow and thrive this year, influencer marketing is a non-negotiable.
4. Content that tries to say “I don’t care that much” (but you actually do): Just like TikTok drove demand and need for casual content, the same trend is going to continue on social media platforms, in emails, in ads and in video format.
The days of the rigid Instagram grid are behind us, but quality visual content is not. Instead, social media managers and graphic designers will be producing content that “looks” amateur, but will pair it with on-point messaging.
Hint: Have you seen those social media posts that look like they were written in someone’s phone “notes?” This whole trend is for the content to appear more like “IDGAF” when really, you do, you’re just trying to appear more relatable.
You’ve probably seen your fair share of mistakes in the marketing world by now. In 2023, what are three of the biggest mistakes you want to help people avoid?
1. CEO social media marketing expectations: Even if you hire a social media marketing agency like us to manage everything for your brand’s social media from start to finish, you are still going to have to be involved as the leader of the company. Whether it’s being a part of a monthly podcast recording, doing an Instagram Stories takeover or approving copy for posts, successful social media marketing in 2023 requires regular participation from brand leaders. This is not to be confused with micro-managing social media teams OR scrutinizing every single post, but you do need to be involved at some level.
2. Taking the cheap way out: When you try to cut corners in your business, it will show. The same goes for your marketing and branding efforts. Sure, at the beginning of your business, there are some components that you’ll have to create yourself or do without until you have the funds to invest in professional branding. But the economy is rebounding and 2023 is the year when we are all looking to make big waves after a couple of tough years. The brands that invest in their professional development, hire experts that fill gaps, and find creative ways to bring in more revenue will succeed.
3. Short-term thinking: Whether it’s social media marketing, email marketing, SEO or sales, building a business is tough. It can take months, years or more to achieve a certain goal or reach a certain revenue milestone. While we can see many quick wins in the marketing world, building a timeless brand that thrives requires patience and room for growth. Many branding and marketing efforts can take 6 months to 1 year to complete, let alone see results. Invest in the best, trust their expertise, trust the process, and make the commitment.
Speaking of mistakes, we’ve all made them. Do you have a funny “whoops” story you’d like to share?
Not using contracts when working with “artists.” This was a storm I could see happening before it even happened. I wanted to use influencer contracts during a big campaign I developed for a jewelry brand. However, the brand owner was completely against using contracts and did not want to scare off these artists she wanted to work with for her campaign in Europe.
As anticipated, it caused a lot of problems.
Always use contracts when doing business, even if you work with companies, artists and influencers in countries where contracts aren’t common. These are put in place to protect both parties, but if you pull the short straw and end up working with a monster, you’ll be glad you had that contract in place to protect your business and creative work.
What is one thing you’ve done that you’d say everyone should try to do at least once?
Splurge on a VIP “fun” experience! Whether that’s flying first class to a vacation you’ve been waiting to take your whole life, seeing Elton John in concert for his last hoorah, going to that 7-course restaurant or booking an all-day spa day. Things are not experiences, and experiences will fill up your cup much more than any tangible item could. You owe it to yourself and your inner hard worker to make your dream experience truly incredible.
If you only had one band you could listen to the rest of your life, who would it be?
Probably Opeth. Their music has changed so much over the years that it feels like a true story of the band. It’s beautifully layered and an auditory treat for anyone who listens.
Last but not least, we have to ask about podcasts. Do you listen to any podcasts? Which ones would you recommend and why?
To be completely honest, I don’t listen to many podcasts. I’ll tune in here and there to support friends’ podcasts, but it’s not an everyday thing. The little free time I have to turn on audio throughout my day is usually prioritized with my favorite music.
Music and my favorite albums are what inspire me.
Now that you know more about Rachael, it is easy to see why she is great to work with. If you need help with branding, content planning and management, social media management and more, you can trust the RM Creative Services team.
Contact RM Creative Services by sending a message to rachael@rmcsofficial.com or visiting our Contact page.
Written by Brianna Fries, a California-based writer, editor, bookworm, and mother of two. You can contact her at brianna@rmcsofficial.com and discover more of her work at brigibbsis.wordpress.com
Wow oh Wow…..
Congratulations Rachael on this interview & article on FBook.
We feel enlightened to hear your Journey….. You are a Creative Wonder…
Best Wishes on your continued success. Sue & Jerry