Talk given at Sonoma State University's What Physicists Do program on March 10, 2014.

1. Melissa Geissinger
BA in Physics Sonoma State University, Spring 2007
Owner: New Skin Media
Co-founder: WIMP (Web & Interactive Media Professionals)
Lead Designer: Wine & the Web
Author: 1 Day Web Designer
Program Director: Dreamer Connect
www.newskinmedia.com
www.beawimp.org
www.wineandtheweb.com
www.1daywebdesigner.com
www.dreamerconnect.com

2. Owner: New Skin Media
Co-founder: WIMP (Web & Interactive Media Professionals)
Lead Designer: Wine & the Web
Author: 1 Day Web Designer
Program Director: Dreamer Connect
www.newskinmedia.com
www.beawimp.org
www.wineandtheweb.com
www.1daywebdesigner.com
www.dreamerconnect.com
Serial Entrepreneur:
Business person that successfully starts
(does not kill) a number of different
businesses.

3. • About me & why I’m awesome 
• About my education and experience
• My companies, communities and
projects
• Top 12 reasons why you should work for
yourself
• 10 lessons in being successful working
for yourself

4. 2007

7. Arches In the Round
2nd Place Illustrative 2013
Vintage Puppy
3rd Place Portrait 2011
Old Time Love
1st Place Wedding 2012

9. B- C D

11. • First Job ever
• Self-discipline
• Working on a team.
• Skills I use every day.
• Importance of educating young
people and getting them
excited about learning

13. • Physics is hard.
• NASA should never trust me to do calculations
• I love optics!
• Start to photography passion
• Never ever give up

15. • Worked part-time as a web design engineer for
WebPex.com, Inc.
• 5 years
• Small team = more exposure to inner workings
of company
• Boss supported starting my own business.

17. • Started in 2006 (6 months before graduation)
• Started out general, almost failed.
• Learned the beauty of specialization.
• Specialize in designing & building websites and
brands for professional photographers.
• SmugMug, WordPress
• 1 Day Build Sessions
• 80% income

18. • Advertise/partner/SEO to bring in inquiries
• Engage, educate and make sale
• Inform and set expectations
• Do awesome work, wow client
• Don’t forget to follow up to propel business
forward

22. www.newskinmedia.com/portfolio

23. www.newskinmedia.com/portfolio

24. www.newskinmedia.com/portfolio

25. • Lead Designer/Front End Developer
• Websites for small wineries
• Build on WordPress and Vin65
• Hand in Business development but not project
management
• 20% income

27. • Founded in April 2011
• Today have almost 500 members
• Meetups 2x month
• Strong network of industry professionals
• Educate, inspire, refer and raise standards of local
industry
• Raise awareness of local talent pool (Partnered with
SRJC)
• WIMPgives, WIMPcamp, North Bay Web Conference

31. www.facebook.com/groups/northbaywebpros

33. • Plans to expand geographically
• Corporate sponsorship
• Membership Services & Incentives

34. • March 5, 2014 Self-published
eBook on Amazon.com
• Teaches web designers how
to be more productive and
work smarter.
• Referral network =
Commission
• http://bitly.com/PhbRZI

36. • Mission Statement: Dreamer Connect is a
career exploration program that pairs students
across the nation with mentors employed in
their dream field in order to inspire and
motivate them to work hard and accomplish
their goals.
• Launch pilot program Fall 2014
• Path to nonprofit, Crowdfunding campaign

37. Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

38. 1. Work from anywhere
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

39. 2. Do work you enjoy
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

40. 3. Opportunity to create jobs
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

41. 4. No limit to how much
money you can make
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

42. 5. No Boss.
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

43. 6. Work as much
or as little as you
want
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

44. 7. You will become more mature and self-disciplined
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

45. 8. Your skills will grow at an astonishing rate
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

46. 9. Every day is full of infinite possibilities
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

47. 10. No Pants.
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

48. 11. Taking risks can
pay off big
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

49. 12. It can give people a reason to remember you
Top 12 Reasons Why You Should Work For Yourself

50. 10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

51. 1. Dream Big
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

52. 2. Set goals and
work hard to get
there
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

53. 3. Don’t sit on it.
Take action now.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

54. 4. Don’t be thrown off by failure.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

55. 5. Charge what you’re worth
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

56. 6. Don’t nickel and
dime people.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

57. 7. Be transparent.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

58. 8. Be flexible, but organized.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

59. 9. Don’t ever stop learning.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

60. 10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
10 Lessons in Being Successful Working For Yourself

61. Surround yourself with people who inspire you.
Family, friends, mentors, anyone who pushes you to work
harder, achieve more and aspire to be better tomorrow
than you are today.

63. Melissa Geissinger
BA in Physics Sonoma State University, Spring 2007
Owner: New Skin Media
Co-founder: WIMP (Web & Interactive Media Professionals)
Lead Designer: Wine & the Web
Author: 1 Day Web Designer
Program Director: Dreamer Connect
www.newskinmedia.com
www.beawimp.org
www.wineandtheweb.com
www.1daywebdesigner.com
www.dreamerconnect.com