Meet Megan DeCicco | Helping Small Businesses Do Big Things

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

Hi Megan, how do you think about risk?
I like to think of every risk as really an opportunity to take something amazing and make it my own.

There’s a great quote by John A. Shedd that I think applies here; “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Sometimes something can look like a risk, but is really an opportunity to believe in yourself and your abilities. You have to stop and ask yourself honestly: is it the risk itself that gives me pause – or is it the belief that I can do it that’s missing?

Some people go to college, I took professional risks. I had been working for a destination resort that had a real issue with promoting outside of seniority. At one point I sat down with the General Manager to talk about my long term goals, and he told me to go work at other properties and get management experience elsewhere. Then I could come back with opportunities for advancement. What I heard was; “We want someone else to take a chance on you first, before we do.” What they missed out on was the opportunity to groom a passionate and enthusiastic young professional who probably would’ve spent my career there.

I went and applied the next day at a new resort that was opening in a few months, and they hired me on the spot for a frontline Guest Service position. I was a Supervisor after three months, a Manager after six. The property I had worked at before reached out and offered me an assistant manager role, which I turned down because I wasn’t going to give my energy to a company who didn’t see my worth from the beginning.

After a year and a half, I wanted something more than hotel guest services. At the time, the resort was getting ready to launch a big training initiative for all supervisory staff and they needed an administrator to oversee the launch. I understood their vision and was ready to use my organizational skills to bring it to life, so I applied and was accepted for the role. Taking this first step out of my comfort zone and into a realm I had no experience in was the best gift I ever gave myself.

I spent 12 years of my early professional career at this very resort saying yes to every new opportunity that was presented to me beyond that first role. I worked on building new departments from the ground up; and was often taking half an idea from the executive team and bringing it to life with no real experience beyond a healthy dose of self-confidence and good problem-solving skills.

Often, once these new programs or initiatives were ready to transition from temporary to permanent, the individuals the organization approached to take them over were hesitant to do so. Honestly I could never understand that; the concept of “it’s too new, I want someone else to step in and run it for awhile and then I’ll see if I want to be involved.”

I don’t have that caution, that hesitation about change. I’d rather be uncomfortable and learning than comfortable and stagnant. From my perspective: the building, shaping and growing is the most important and enjoyable part of any new outlet. Why wait for someone else to tailor it to their vision before I get involved, when I can jump right in and tailor it to mine from the very beginning?

Focusing on the opportunity instead of the risk is what ultimately led me through an incredibly diverse collection of experiences, both personally and professionally, that helped me identify what I am most passionate about. Each failure was both a learning experience and an opportunity for growth, and each success added to my growing skill set and supports me today as a successful small business marketing consultant.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Solutions On 2nd, LLC was created to provide small businesses and nonprofits with marketing professionals and project managers who could provide right-sized solutions to accomplish their top priorities. Our motto is: your vision + our support, and that is truly what we strive to deliver.

I like to tell our clients from the very beginning: “If we are doing our job right, no one will know you aren’t handling all of this personally in house.”

Unlike a typical consulting group, there are a few things that set us apart.

First: We don’t engage more than one client per industry at a time. If we have a long term agreement with you, we won’t be working with your local competitors at the same time. In order for us to work effectively with our partners, we need access to sensitive internal information including marketing strategy, objectives and analytics. And we don’t want there to be any concerns that this information will be used in any way beyond our scope of work together.

Second: Our first differentiation means we work with a variety of businesses, allowing us to bring creative insights from other industries to each specialty. Our professional diversity supports out-of-the-box ideas and access to new tools to help our partners reach their goals.

Third: We are as careful about selecting our clients as they are careful about selecting their marketing partner. If we don’t believe we will be able to share mutual success based on the stated objectives, we let them know so they don’t lose any time finding the proper partner.

I spent 8 years working in the marketing department of a large company, and I spent a lot of time observing how their agency and consulting partners operated. Always upselling, always overcharging for things the company could acquire cheaper if purchased directly. When we set out to design Solutions On 2nd and the work we wanted to do with our partners, I took all of the things I observed that I didn’t like about those partnerships and kicked them to the curb. For us it’s not about the quantity of clients or the prestige of the work. It’s about impact on these small businesses, and helping their owners bring their dreams to life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So this is fun because I’m based in California! I would create a week-long itinerary of fun that included a private tour of Mendenhall’s Museum of Gas Pumps and Petroliana (you’ve got to see this place at night to believe it – their collection of neon is amazing!); a walking wine tour of Industrial Way; a picnic lunch at Figueroa Mountain overlooking Santa Ynez Valley; and a day exploring one of the local beaches. Of course we’d stay together at Flying Flags Resort, probably in side-by-side cabins or restored Airstreams so we could hang out by the fire pit and visit in the evenings.

If I were coming on vacation to Houston, I’d want to make sure my first stop was to Good & Well Boutique. I discovered this adorable shop through my #BuySmallSaveSmall project, and having ordered a few times from them would love the opportunity to explore Happy the Airstream! From there, I’d just be asking everyone I met for recommendations on where to go and what to see and do, since I’ve not been to Houston before. I love to travel, and when I do I always ask locals for their recommendations!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been fortunate to have incredible role models throughout my life, including my parents and siblings. But the biggest influence in my life has been my husband John. Hands down. For more than two decades he has inspired me with his passion and creativity; and believes in me enough for both of us when I’m feeling insecure or overwhelmed. And for every risk I’ve taken that hasn’t panned out, his response has always been; “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out together.”

He is truly my partner in life, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without him.

Website: solutionson2nd.com

Instagram: instagram.com/solutionson2nd

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/megdecicco

Facebook: facebook.com/solutionson2nd

Other: Join us for our #BuySmallSaveSmall adventure as we support small businesses in all 50 states! In our free time we explore the amazing small businesses that are shared with us, and post new purchases every week on Facebook and Instagram. Shop small with us on social media! buysmallsavesmall.com | @buysmallsavesmall

Image Credits
Solutions On 2nd, LLC