We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Swader and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, how do you think about risk?
As a young entrepreneur, I don’t believe I would be where I am today if I had not taken extreme measures or big risks in my decision-making. Everything always seem to great on paper but in order to measure the outcome you want, you really have to have a strategic plan in place and do your research how it can be effectively executed. Sometimes you just have to play the cards you’ve been dealt with and outplay your competition.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been in the media, marketing, design, publishing, editing, and PR industry for over 20 years. I have taken big risks over the years throughout my professional journey and that is what really pushed me to become the very best at what I set out to accomplish. I started my own business before I even had my Bachelor’s from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. and I have been doing what I love since. I love helping professionals build their business through strategic marketing plans and position them for success. As a young entrepreneur, it was never easy for me and even today as a veteran media & marketing professional, there are still some difficult obstacles to overcome but now with experience, I know how to overcome those much easier. I own a comprehensive marketing & media company, Ruby Red Media, LLC, where I am President and serve as Editor in Chief for my online business & community publication, Elevate Magazine. My business has meant everything to me over the years and the people I have helped along the way mean just as much to me. I entered the Commercial Real Estate scene with SVN Desert Commercial Advisors in Phoenix as the Director of Marketing, PR & Administration 5 years ago and as of March, we have grown to the #6 SVN brokerage in the country. I have learned a lot over the years in business and have received some monumental milestones in my career. My new business & marketing book will be coming out soon in 2020. It is very exciting to me as this will help many other people get set up for success using some fundamentals, “My secret Recipe” to leading a successful business and a happy life. I have served as expert marketing panelists on several national webinars over the years and am pleased to be a mentor to the students of the W.P. Carey School of Business & Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU. I will also be a judge for an upcoming business program for the winning student to win a grant for the entrepreneur program. It is all very exciting time in my career and I could not be more excited about what it happening now and what opportunities lie ahead. www.melissaswader.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Honestly, this is a tough question for me because I actually work a lot but as a Phoenix native, there are such beautiful mountain trails to walk and Arizona is a big destination for outside BBQ and food/wine/art festivals so there is always something to do in the valley. The growing economic retail development and entertainment centers have also created a real interactive experience for those who love a great sports bar with a lively twist. Downtown Phoenix has an urban and eclectic feel to it as they are so many boutiques, shopping and sports that you can pretty much stay downtown in one of the plush hotels and experience everything within a few miles of each other. If someone enjoys the smell of fresh pine, the cabin life in Flagstaff, Pinetop and other places is just mesmerizing. The Arizona sunsets from anywhere are hard to beat as the colors are a mix of orange and gold range coupled with hues of blue and purple, like looking at a bowl or rainbow sherbet. They are simply breathtaking but under the stars, it feels like heaven. No matter where you go or city you’re in, culinary food concepts are taking over the valley. There is such a mix of wonderful ethnic foods that you just can’t get them all in a weekend. Regardless, Phoenix is a wonderful place to live.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a HUGE Shoutout to everyone who supports me on Social! I have such a supportive following on social media, from my Facebook pages, Groups, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. In a world full of competition, I am truly blessed to be recognized by so many other people for all my work in the media, marketing & PR industry. All my social platforms and are very different and yet all these people across the country continue to show the love and support of my career and my business endeavors day after day.

Website: https://melissaswader.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaswaderaz/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-swader-b7402152/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/azprninja
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaSwaderAZ/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3wJ51nhGn0aAx8mzxwWdw
Other: https://rubyredmediallc.com/ https://elevatebizmag.com/ https://twitter.com/ElevateBizMag https://www.svnpartners.com/sperry-van-ness-advisors/?brokerId=melissa.swader%40svn.com https://twitter.com/svndca https://www.instagram.com/svndca/

Image Credits
Let’s Get Social Photo – Sponsored by RealNex All other photos are my copyright.