What do macaroni and cheese, floral design, and corporate librarianship have in common? GSLIS alumnus Ozzie Meza has found a common thread throughout his career as a librarian and entrepreneur in his strong creative energy, a knack for building relationships, and the courage to take on new challenges.
Where do you work and what is your role?
I am an entrepreneur. This is the first time I have written the previous sentence, and it feels good. I am currently an owner and coproducer of a 2,000+ attended foodie concept and event, the first-ever Mac & Cheese Fest Chicago. The Mac & Cheese Fest is pretty self-explanatory. The fest brings together more than fifty restaurants for the chance to be named Best Mac & Cheese in Chicago by mac & cheese lovers. The fest attracts foodies to indulge in this gourmet experience, where they enjoy creative twists on a classic favorite. Business owners are responsible for everything, but my main areas of focus are customer experience, building restaurant partnerships, and marketing strategy. In addition to producing Mac & Cheese Fest, I am the owner and chief designer of Gromeza Floral Design Studio, a Chicago-based floral and event design workshop. As you can imagine, I manage the day-to-day activities of the business and determine the design aesthetic of our pieces. Our main clients are brides, grooms, and large and small corporations.
What do you like best about your job?
I spent numerous years in a corporate environment and enjoyed every single minute of it, but what I love most about my job is the freedom to create! Don’t get me wrong—my corporate roles required tons of creative energy, but this is completely different. The barriers are fewer in gaining consensus on a floral sketch or providing a new service to our customers. I also enjoy that I have to fight every day. My services are considered a luxury expense to many, and the only way to acquire and retain business is to show trust, empathy, and passion. We need to show our clients that they need to spend their hard-earned money on our service. Everyday it’s a fight to show that you are the best for them. Most importantly, I live for the “wow” moment, and we have tons of those!
How did GSLIS help you get to where you are today?
What has GSLIS not done? I will be honest—I had no idea I would be in this position today, and many may find it difficult to connect GSLIS to what I am doing now, but everything happens for a reason. As a corporate librarian, I had the opportunity to connect and engage with many professionals at every level within the organization. When I joined the professional ranks, many still had questions and misconceptions of who an information professional was. Along with some amazing mentors, I pushed hard to break down those misconceptions and show we were as important or even more important than the revenue-generating consultant down the hallway. Without GSLIS, I would not have been able to build a corporate research team at a Fortune 100 company. Besides learning a trade, GSLIS taught me how important it is to take the time to understand your client’s needs, which is something I use every day. Most importantly, GSLIS taught me courage: the courage to stand out and think outside the box. I may not have “librarian” or “information specialist” in my title today, but I promise you . . . I am still a librarian at heart.
What advice would you like to share with GSLIS students?
Do not be complacent. Have an open mind. Network and share best practices. Stay connected and relevant. Find a mentor. Laugh as much as you can in and outside of work. Creativity takes courage, so do not be afraid to speak your mind. Have empathy and do not be a know-it-all. Lastly, do not be the smartest person at the table. You still have tons to learn.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Traveling (the Chicago winter months are no fun!) and “researching” the competition by going to tons of food festivals. I know it’s hard, but someone’s got to do it. Also, you have to burn those food festival calories somehow! I am an avid Crossfitter and Zumba-er. Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program that has pushed me beyond my limits, and I swear it works.
What’s next for you?
Both of my ventures are new, so there is a lot of building and learning still to do. We have other projects we are reviewing, but for now we hope to make Mac & Cheese Fest 2015 even more fantastic. The floral studio will continue to evolve, but my main goal is to broaden my portfolio, maybe get published on a wedding blog, and build my network within this community. The sky’s the limit.