MELISSA A. MITCHELL

A collaboration with Spanx was only the beginning for the artist

Ford Motor Company, Cadillac, Foot Locker, Hallmark and Party City are just a few of the big-name brands that have partnered with artist Melissa A. Mitchell, founder of Abeille Creations. She quit her corporate IT job in February 2021 on the heels of a successful collaboration in 2019 with Buckhead-based Spanx, and since then, her artistic rise has been nothing short of meteoric. “I just woke up one day in 2021 and was like, this is not it. I had no plan. I had no direction, but I said, forget it, I’m going to live my life to its fullest potential,” she says.

The collaborations have come hard and fast for the artist, whose work is graphic, saturated and colorful. Recently, Mitchell was approached by Toyota because leaders loved her strong social media presence and point of view. The automaker asked her to do a campaign for the 2023 Toyota Camry, including a commer cial where she talks about the new blue color from an artistic perspec tive. “It’s a great car that I was able to drive around Buckhead and hire my creative friends to produce the commercial locally,” she says. “I want ed to show that the car is perfect for Buckhead driving and living.”

She’s also the author of a new book of one-liners that debuted earlier this spring. “I’m like my own little Nietzsche,” she says. “Before my dad passed away, he told me that I had to find a way to monetize all the wisdom. People are always saving my tweets.” Called Black Love Notes to Self, it's filled with what she calls black sticky notes.

Rounding out the partnerships for now is a deal with Microsoft where she gets to show off how art and technology merge together. “I created my newest collection and my latest book on my new Microsoft products,” she says. She’s also traveled to different cities to teach people how to monetize their digital art with the brand, and she has an upcoming activation here to demonstrate the technology for Atlanta’s youth.

‘I’m going to show kids that you don’t have to wait until you grad uate from college or high school.

You can be an entrepreneur now by using these Microsoft tools.” She feels particularly adept to advise

Look for her activations and collaborations around town. She’s been at Coach at Lenox Square twice to creation, and to trust herself. If you’re looking to keep up in real-time, she’s got a text club skills. Photography remained a hobby that she began to rethink her choices. formal training and had to learn the technical aspects as well as how to make money doing it.”

Park quickly caught on and launched Alice Park Photography in 2006. Within a year, Kyu quit his job as an Emory researcher to be her full-time partner. “We found our rhythm,” she says. “We’re each other’s No. 1 cheerleader.” he said, ‘Let’s figure out how to make

Park’s success came from carving a niche as a children and family photographer who stresses unposed, natural settings. Today from her Miami Circle studio, she oversees a team whom she has trained to her exacting standards. They keep busy with holiday-party-meets-portrait-events for clients. When the family arrives, they’re greeted with music, cotton candy, snacks and crafts to entertain the kiddies while the moms get a makeup session.

“We create a set design with live floral arrangements, then we sneak the kids in,” she says. “Afterwards, they enjoy the rest of the party and leave with goodie bags. The experience gets them really excited to be there and participate.”

To connect with other photo experts and share the same high level of professionalism, Park and her husband launched The National Association of Portrait and Child Photographers 13 years ago. The organization has set standards for the industry, educated members and provided business support. It also recognizes talented members with competitions, gallery showings and certifications. In January, she launched the Elevate Summit, a small business conference for women that debuted in Nashville with 25 speakers addressing about 250 participants.

And Park has never forgotten the frustration of not having an artistic outlet for her young self. Now the mother of two, she started Creativity Camp in 2020 to help girls 8 through 12 learn from experts how to develop skills around photography, painting, sewing, embroidery and more.

“I got the idea from my daughter who has always been very creative,” Park says. “I was, too, but pursuing that side as a career wasn’t an option for me. I want to focus on building girls’ confidence to follow that instinct.” n aliceparkphotography.com

• @alicepark

It wasn’t a grand plan or a career road map that catapulted Jeremy Smith into real estate. Rather, it was a 2012 assignment from a busi ness class at Georgia State Universi ty that introduced him to his future as one of the youngest members to hold a lifetime membership in the Million Dollar Club of the industry’s top producers.

“I had always been curious about real estate, so when I had to interview a business owner, I called Atlanta Intown Real Estate and 10 other big companies,” he says. “Intown was the only one that called me back.”

Smith started the meeting with the brokers with basic questions around how real estate agents get paid and licensed, but the conversation quickly branched off into other areas, particularly around the company’s foreclosure inventory, much of which was in Smith’s hometown of Dallas, Georgia.

“It was nearing the end of the recession, and they later called me and asked if I could help with their listings,” he says. “I immediately started working with them, doing everything from making repairs to marketing, and I was soon managing their foreclosure inventory.”

As foreclosures began to fade, Smith left Intown to work as a business assistant to Julian Rather, an Intown colleague who was opening a new venture. “I learned a lot,” he says.

In 2019, the Peachtree Heights resident became Rather’s partner in the office of Engel & Völkers Atlanta that specializes in Buckhead and Midtown high-rise condos. “There’s more to selling a condo than a pretty pool and a nice gym; we do our homework on the homeowners association financials, the reserves, the building’s history and more so you will know everything about it before you move in,” he says.

Last fall, Smith expanded his business onto the airwaves as a monthly host for “The American Dream,” a 30-minute TV show that highlights the metro area’s culture, lifestyle and real estate on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, the Travel Channel and, locally, CW Atlanta. At first, he was skeptical about doing it, but when he learned the other hosts were also real estate agents, he signed on.

“When people hear the name, they think it’s a reality TV show