Woman 2 Watch-Beth Meixner

With a successful career spanning more than 20 years, Beth Meixner is the Director of Sales & Marketing for Target Media Group, a creative full-service multi-media design firm and founder of The Moxxie Network. The Moxxie Network, is an elite group comprised of high level professional women who are naturally inclined to a balanced exchange. The group embraces diversity and is committed to developing the careers of the younger generation of women as well as those women whose careers are starting later in life. Read below to find out why this Long Island lady is a Woman 2 Watch…

FG: How did The Moxxie Network get started? And why did you feel developing the site was important?

BM: As the Director of Sales & Marketing for Target Group Media, a small graphic design firm, I was completely enmeshed in the Long Island networking arena. Although I thoroughly enjoyed networking, I was getting increasing disenchanted by the groups and felt that there was a better way for women to network. We think, interact and communicate differently from men so why not concentrate on that and design a group that embraces those differences. This feeling is depicted in our logo. The correct spelling of moxie is with one X but we use two X’s because women have two X chromosomes – men have one X and one Y. If you look closely at the logo, you’ll see a woman’s leg on a Y chromosome.

FG: What programs and services does the Moxxie Network provide?

BM: Moxxie Network is a women’s business community made up of 4 Legs:

Moxxie – for senior level executive & professional women to network in order to expand their business and social circles. We also provide an opportunity for members to mentor younger women – either formally or informally.
Ms. Moxxie – for young professional women in their 20’s and 30’s. Our goal is to develop young women into well-rounded business professionals who are better positioned to represent themselves and their employers in the networking world. I have selected 10 young women to act as the Ms Moxxie Advisory Board. The Board is responsible for planning events, recruiting members and handling the marketing – all under the guidance and supervision of myself and some Moxxie Network Advisors. The goal is to not only provide a forum for young women but to give these 10 Advisors the experience of starting an organization from the ground floor.

Jr. Moxxie – a formal one year mentoring program for college women whereby Moxxie members volunteer to be matched up with a mentee in college. Our Jr Moxxie mentees are expected to accompany their mentors to business and networking events and to shadow them for a day. They are also required to work alongside our Moxxie Girls (Girl Scouts) and assist them when the scouts are working on patches and badges. This is accomplished through joint events with the Girl Scouts.

Moxxie Girl – our partnership with the Girl Scouts whereby Moxxie Network provides age-appropriate, business-minded role models to girls. Our Jr Moxxies and Ms Moxxies help the Girl Scouts when they are working on their patches and badges. This interaction also helps Moxxie Network to develop our Jr and Ms Moxxie into role models themselves – just as we are role models to them.

FG: How do you see the Moxxie Network growing in the next couple of years?

BM: I would like to start a Jr Moxxie Program on every campus on Long Island and also open new chapters across the country.

FG: What are common mistakes young women make when transitioning from college into the business world?

BM: I have seen two types of young women – those with too much confidence and those with too little confidence. A happy medium and one based in reality is the best. Moxxie Network encourages our Jr Moxxies in college to dream big but have realistic and attainable goals that will ultimately get them where they want to go.

FG: How do you balance family life and the work you do?

BM: I have an adult daughter who lives in Miami and a very supportive husband who doesn’t mind cooking for himself. This gives me a lot of freedom to attend business meetings and events in the morning, afternoon and evening. I am at a stage in my life where I am able to pursue my passion and have the ability to do it. I consider myself very fortunate – most people do not have this luxury.

FG: How many of your business decisions are based on know how vs. your intuition?

BM: Almost all are based on intuition. I have never started or run an entire company so this is all new to me. I am just following my gut instincts – of course, I also have a business background, an MBA and lots of experience in sales, marketing and office management.

If I had to wait to get all the information I needed to make decisions or try new ideas I would never have started Moxxie Network or any of its innovative programs. Sometimes, you just have to take the leap of faith and build your parachute on the way down. It’s a real learning experience but an organization like Moxxie Network has never existed so all of us involved are real life guinea pigs.

FG: What do you consider to be some of the major highlights of your career thus far?

BM: When I was working full-time with Target Group Media, our company was chosen to present website design ideas to Donald Trump, who was building a new facility on Jones Beach in Long Island. We had 20 minutes in the Boardroom with Donald Trump and his advisors on the project – and we got the contract to design www.TrumpOnTheOcean.com. Now that was exciting.

I reached a point in my life when I said to myself “If not now, when?” I decided to stop being afraid and to experience new things. So – I went sky-diving (tandem), trained as a boxer for 4 months and fought in the LI Fight For Charity fund-raising event in front of 1000 business people and started Moxxie Network. It was a real life-changing time in my life.

FG: What is a spiritual mantra or philosophy that you live by?

BM: I do not consider myself to be a particularly religious or spiritual person. I live by a common sense approach to life and also by the Golden Rule of Do unto others …

FG: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

BM: Don’t sweat the small stuff. I remember a time when my daughter was a teenager and we use to have arguments about her messy room. One day my girlfriend (who has 3 daughters) advised me not to get upset about the situation – that my relationship with my daughter was far more important than a tidy room. She was absolutely right and from that day on, I never got upset over it.

FG: What would you tell your younger-self if you knew then what you know now?

BM: Get more involved and meet as many people as possible. Venture outside your circle of fear and experience what the world has to offer. We can re-invent ourselves whenever we want so you don’t have to settle for any situation where you are not happy or fulfilled. And, of course, never burn bridges.

Finish this sentence….

FG: Women should stop complaining about________ and start_____________________

BM: Women should stop complaining about NOT GETTING WHAT THEY WANT and start LEARNING HOW TO NEGOTIATE FOR WHAT THEY WANT.

FG: If your life came with a soundtrack, what would be the top three songs (and please indicate the singer or band)

BM: From the movie, The Sound of Music – Climb Every Mountain, Country song by Garth Brooks – Unanswered Prayers, Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli – The Prayer

FG: What project(s) do you have coming up?

BM: I am meeting with a major women’s magazine to discuss doing a joint convention on Long Island next year for business and professional women. Moxxie is also planning the first Long Island Business Women’s Diversity Dinner in October. There are many ethnic-based networking groups for women and I thought we should all get together for an evening. The idea is to celebrate our cultural differences and realize that we all share that extra X chromosome.

For more information on Beth and the Moxxie Network please visit, www.moxxienetwork.com or email Beth at beth@MoxxieNetwork.com. You can also call the Moxxie Network at (631) 328-4545.

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