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Meet Matt Mills of Milliono Art Studios in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Mills.

Matt, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My success started off 2009 when I graduated High School. I wasn’t the most popular kid in High School but I was a hustler and new how to make money and market things. After High School, I got into party mode where me and my group of friends “The Mob” would party every weekend either at our house or someone’s house who wanted us to throw a party at.

It got to a point where we would have so many people wanting to party with us we always ran out of space and stopped letting people in. Months passed with us doing a party every weekend and I got the idea of renting out places and doing it legit. My first official event I threw was at a loft in the middle of December downtown Peoria, Illinois, cold, wet and nasty outside but the event Sold out! That event opened my mind to the possibilities of turning party promotions into a job so I seemed out venues and met with a man named Robert I worked with who lived in a private mansion he built himself 35 mins away from the city. With three months of promotion and a complex itinerary for this mansion event, I ended up spending $4,300+ To put together one of the most epic events Peoria, IL has ever seen.

My second ever event and I made 30,000! That event changes my life and opened my mind to so many new opportunities. I then started to work for clubs creating events and still doing private parties until I wore myself out but I didn’t like to be labeled as a promoter so I took a break to learn more skills and broaden my ideas. I then started to put together fashion shows and started a record label featuring some of Illinois dopest upcoming artists and producers. Managing artists was by far one of the hardest and most challenging things I’ve done and after running the business a year and creating a plethora amount of buzz and material, I then sold the business. During my time managing artists, I taught myself some basic skills in Photography, Graphic design and marketing strategies because I was always so motivated to learn and make myself an asset.

I then moved out of Peoria, IL where I started my entertainment career and started a business to build my name “MILLIONO ART STUDIOS”. The name came from a nickname I used to be called “Milli” that quite a few friends called me. I then incorporated my Graphic Design, Photography, Videography and etc. into the business and branded by business everywhere! After moving out of Peoria, I then ventured to Chicago where I lived a year and then moved to a Phoenix, Arizona August 2017. In Arizona, I was new to the scene and knew nobody. I started to go out after two months of living in Arizona and met some dope people and a promoter who was upcoming in Glendale. Me and the promoter clicked and he seen what I could do and bring to the table so he hires me as a promoter for his brand and his marketing director to help brand his business.

After a year in Arizona, I was at the point where I was in the scene and known by a lot of people in the Entertainment business. I was promoting Downtown Phoenix, Old Town Scottsdale and where ever I got booked but just like Peoria, I wanted to do more than promoting. I always had beautiful women around me and that started to become what I was known for so I started a modeling company where I had contracts with videographers and businesses to book ladies for events, paid video shoots and etc within the business I then got established in the fashion and production scene in Arizona where I started a few marketing platforms that is still upcoming in Arizona today. I partnered with Phoenix Dimes in which I do Public Relations and Marketing for, established a fashion platform called “The Circuit” where we have over 130+ magazines that we create material for to be submitted and published and now working with AT&T to help the production of the new call center they built in Mesa, Arizona.

The past ten years, I trained myself and my mind to never lose my motivation and drive and to this day, I have never stopped putting in work and creating ideas. If I could have a job title I honestly wouldn’t know what to label myself but in short words, I’d label myself as “Life’s Artist” because I create a gross amount of ideas and help build brands. I recently got promoted within AT&T and now moved to Downtown Atlanta where I’m taking up a career in Media while still traveling back and forth to my home in Illinois and Arizona.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Within my ten years of the industry and finding where my strengths and weaknesses are it was never a smooth sailing journey. I’ve had my fair experiences in losses, criticism, struggles and financial issues but that’s just like anything in life but I appreciated the tough times because it humbled me and taught me things winning didn’t. Nothing in life worth it is going to be handed to you for free. It takes hard work, perseverance and a special type of motivation to really be consistent and stay focus. Even though life knocked me down, I told myself this is only temporary and it will be worth it in the long run.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Milliono Art Studios – what should we know?
My business is Milliono Art Studios (MAS Productions). With MAS I do a numerous amount of services for booking as well as business.

Marketing Strategies
Public Relations
Graphic Design
Brand Building
Photography
Creative Arts
Short Films
Events

My main goal now is to focus on creating events as well as learning more on video production to one day create major commercials deals and marketing platforms.

I also am the Creative Director and 1/3 of The Circuit Arizona. A magazine publishing platform based out of Phoenix, Arizona. I work close with Fashion Expert, Stylist and Designer LaMark Cole And Multi Published Photographer Robert Billings to create magazine material to for up to 130+ magazine submissions. We just started this business July 2019 and already have two published shoots of 3 & Creating more every other month.

Other than MAS & The Circuit one of the businesses I have partnered with is Phoenix Dimes located in the Phoenix, Arizona Region. I Do Marketing and PR as well as organize weekly shoots with the upcoming models and photographers on a weekly basis. Phoenix Dimes is a business that works in Marketing and Promotions with business and events. Creating fashion shows, private party’s, business marketing shoots for businesses and etc

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think the most important quality or characteristic to have is Drive & Genuineness. Drive because you never want to lose your ideas and ambition & being genuine because being genuine has built me a lot of great relationships in my life that has helped motivate me and advance me to the next level.

Pricing:

  • Graphic Design – $25- $175
  • Photography – $75 An Hour
  • Videography – Booking 2020

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Robert Billings – @rbphotographs, Savoy -@shotbysavoy, Muhammad – @mvphotography11

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1 Comment

  1. Deon

    November 20, 2019 at 9:29 pm

    Man this dude is really inspiring and is an example of black excellence

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