Alicia Wiley and Natalie Contrera: Pushing for Parity Through Digital Marketing

They both might be from contrasting backgrounds, but one thing that binds them together is their passion for helping women-owned businesses, primarily in the beauty space, with excellent quality marketing. Alicia Wiley, a published wedding and editorial photographer turned website designer, and Natalie Contrera, a commercial-focused makeup and hairstylist turned marketing pro, joined hands to create Mango Marketing Co., a strategy-driven digital marketing and design studio to help businesses grow.

Alicia’s transition from being a wedding and editorial photographer to a website designer was a natural progression. As a photographer, she found that creating her own website was not just a way to showcase her work but also another medium to express her creativity. The positive feedback she received for her website prompted her to start designing websites for other photographers and, eventually, for small business owners. On Natalie’s part, she felt there was a need in her current industry for better marketing techniques. After years of cosmetic education with brands that gave her access to sales strategies, packaging, and marketing, Natalie started helping them cultivate their online experience and not make big PR mistakes. This gave rise to the need for a bigger vision than just doing it through her current makeup website.

Mango Marketing Co.

Alicia and Natalie were co-peers before becoming friends. Their current professions helped in building their friendship due to shared interests, morals, and values. Alicia shared a studio with another photographer who Natalie often rented from. The duo went on working events together and shared wedding clients. One fine day, they decided to get into business together, and “Mango Marketing Co.” was born. The name, suggested by Alicia, came from their love for the fruit, which goes by the same name.

Mango Marketing is an inviting space where the duo takes the client’s business idea and skyrockets it to success. Their mission is to plant the seed to help women-owned businesses grow. Comprising of a collective, brainstorm-focused, innovative, and challenge-winning team, the main focus of the company is branding, website design, content creation, and social media strategy. Natalie loves teaching clients how to read and understand their analytics and creates a strategy that benefits the community. With social media being unreliable and dynamic, Alicia values investments like SEO and websites that provide a boost to the business. Transparency is key, and the duo does not believe in keeping information from the clients. Businesses with thousands of followers are also not making money on social media, and Alicia and Natalie want their clients to understand that and not get fooled by it. 

Navigating Roadblocks

Alicia and Natalie have a professional understanding among themselves that lets them work in tandem. With trust between them, they engage in something called “brain dumps”, where they allow themselves moments to get whatever they need out to each other. Alicia and Natalie both bring unique skills and expertise to Mango Marketing Co. and complement each other well. They trust and respect each other’s decisions, knowing that they both have the knowledge and experience to make the right choices for the business. They both ensure to keep one another in the loop and on the same page. The duo believes they got lucky being business partners, as not many friends succeed when they join hands for a venture.

Alicia and Natalie believe in giving back to the community and donate every quarter to a non-profit the team believes in. They also throw mixers every summer, the proceeds of which go to chosen charities. They try to make their hiring as diverse as possible. They constantly use inclusive language, besides actively speaking out about causes on social media, and try to align themselves with other businesses that do the same. The vision is to help more women and make the world a better place to live in.

Disrupt and Move Ahead

The aftermath of the pandemic has been challenging for women in the workforce and for those who own businesses. In a male-dominated industry, it can be difficult for women to succeed. However, the duo behind Mango Marketing Co. believes that it’s important for women to advocate for themselves and not be afraid to seek out new opportunities. They advise, “If you feel that your ideas and contributions are not being heard, it may be time to explore other options. In today’s world, we should strive for everyone to achieve success. Some companies will value and appreciate you as an asset, while others may not. Remember, there is a company out there that is the right fit for everyone, so don’t be afraid to keep searching.” Natalie also shared a piece of advice that her mentor once gave her: “Save for a rainy day, not a rainy season.” This has been a valuable lesson for both her and Alicia, both personally and professionally.