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Creating new ways for companies to connect to customers physically and digitally
USA
Chief Pop-Up Architect™, Innovator and retail strategist.
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About Melissa
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A former Wall Street executive, speaker Melissa Gonzalez is the founder of The Lionesque Group, a firm of award winning retail strategists and Pop- up Architects™ who are strategic and have produced more than 150 retail experiences in major cities across the United States. In 2017, she also launched Clark, an interactive platform for physical retail that empowers consumers to truly connect the online and offline worlds while giving brands real-time transparency into store performance. Some of her clients include major brands such as Amazon, COTY, Estée Lauder, Intel, M.Gemi, The RealReal, YUM brands, and others.
She reflects on her work in her book, The Pop-Up Paradigm: How Brands Can Build Human Connections in a Digital Age. Melissa is also a regular contributor on ABC LA Radio, Cheddar TV and Advertising Week 360.
In 2018, she one of LinkedIn’s top 10 must-know writers and creators breaking down everything about the present and future of retail and was named one of Design: Retail’s Top 10 Retail Design Influencers of the Year. In 2017 her teams work was selected as a Glossy Awards finalist for Best New Pop-Up Store Concept for IRL at home. In 2016 she was awarded Design:Retail’s 40 under 40.
In 2015 she was awarded Innovator of the Year for pop-up retail experiences by Retail Touchpoints. Also, in 2014, her work was honored with the CLIO Image Award for experiential engagement, and was a finalist for the New York Design Award for marketing and branded experiences. She has also been awarded the Wall Street Journal’s Donor of the Day, one of the top 20 Most Inspiring People in New York City.
See keynotes with Melissa GonzalezFrom a trading desk to leading the industry’s shift to pop-up retail, learn how a former Wall Street executive leveraged her skill set in business and finance to pursue a more creative endeavor. Through twists and turns hear how her experiences along the way constantly informed her decisions and path to success.
As the owner of multiple business as well as working and thriving on Wall Street, in a male dominated industry, Melissa understands the strength in takes to be a leader, an award-winning business owner and a woman all at the same time. In this keynote, she shares her experiences, her challenges and her triumphs. In this keynote she shares:
The consumer is evolving at a record pace and with that commercial real estate is being completely overhauled. Curating multi-use environments is helping but isn’t enough on its own to attract the brands and retailers of tomorrow.
In this session, we will dive into strategies to position your company for the future of retail.
With technology advancing and reshaping at today’s consumers’ speed of light pace, Melissa will dive you into forward thinking trends impacting the future of retail. Customers want brands and retailers to know them better than they know themselves regardless of how quickly they are evolving. Hear how you can leverage key trends to answer how people will shop in the coming years.
Technology is ever changing and your business should change with it. In this informative talk, Melissa will share how your business can evolve along with the future of your organization’s market.
Learn how an omni-channel approach to brick-and-mortar retail help brands unlock “super consumers” by bridging their online business in the physical world. Via a dive into best-in-class examples of multi-channel retailers strategically meshing e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail.
Recently we have had the pleasure of having a conversation with our exclusive speaker Melissa Gonzalez, here are some nuggets that she shared with us.
Why do clients typically hire you to speak?
Thought leadership in retail, especially in the physical world. There is a titanic shift happening in the way in which consumers interact with brands and retailers and I sit at the intersection of how that shift is changing brick-and-mortar retail. We help brands and retailers rethink what’s possible, how to reposition the purpose of physical real estate assets.
What are your 3 habits for success? How do you implement these habits into your everyday or weekly routine?
I make lists, prioritize and focus. We are constantly pulled in so many directions that it’s hard to keep track without lists. I am also sure to prioritize the items on my list, and then I carve out blocks of time on my calendar to ensure I allocate the space in my day to dedicate focus to key deliverables. I also interweave open windows of 30 min blocks to allow for space for things like lunch or spontaneous calls or conversations.
What keeps you inspired?
On a daily basis my daughter’s fluid creativity keeps me inspired. In retail, I carve out time to read design magazines, blogs and visit stores weekly. I love seeing what’s happening in the world on an international level and across sectors and industries. We can learn a lot from the hospitality world when it comes to retail for example; as with the entertainment world and retail.
What is the most unique experience you’ve had as a result of your job?
A couple of years ago I was invited to the White House to ideate around how initiatives can be implemented to help small businesses and entrepreneurs in this country. It was two power packed days of meetings with senior executives in business and government with individuals like Shari Redstone, Kal Penn, Senator McCain, founders of Dannijo and others. It was a unique opportunity to sit with leaders, innovators and decision makers to help affect change on a national level.
What are your tips to individuals who are struggling with creativity?
Leave your desk and go for a walk. Allow yourself to engage in real life, in your 3D world, and allow it to inspire you. There are a lot of great online tools like Instagram and Pinterest to provide inspiration but daily interactions, nature and life can be the best way to fuel creativity.
If you were to start your own retail business, what would it be and what would be the 5 key components that you believe would be fundamental for that business’s success?
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