Toni Miller Of Mill Pond Estate: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life
An Interview With Jake Frankel
I wish someone told me before becoming a business owner was the importance of setting firm boundaries with clients from the beginning. Make sure your scope of work and policies are clearly outlined in writing somewhere, and your clients know the expectations when booking with you and what you can and cannot do.
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Toni Miller.
Toni Miller is the visionary owner of Mill Pond Estate, an outdoor wedding and events venue featuring 18 acres of untouched natural beauty in the Tampa Bay area. Her love for nature has become the driving force behind the venue, reflecting her commitment to providing couples with an enchanting backdrop for their weddings and creatives with an inspiring space for capturing content, all while maintaining her dedication to sustainability. Through Mill Pond Estate, she invites others to share in the magic of her vision, where love, creativity and the beauty of nature converge to create unforgettable moments.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was born on the island of Barbados, where I grew up, but my family and I would vacation during the summers in Orlando. When I turned 18, I decided to attend the University of Tampa, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Communications, and I ended up staying in Florida for good. Having resided in Florida for longer than my time in Barbados, it seems I’ve truly embraced the identity of a Floridian.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“When they panic, you pause.” I’m a people pleaser, and I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that initial upset and anxiety you feel when someone comes to you with a problem. You want to immediately jump in to fix and solve the problem for them. I’ve learned, instead, that it is better to pause and not allow their panic to become yours. If you pause before acting, you will find you can solve the problem without sacrificing yourself in the process. As people pleasers, this often comes to us naturally. Just pause.
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
The first quality is adaptability. What works one year may not work the next, so being able to see trends in your industry and pivot when needed is important. I think it lends itself to the second quality, which is curiosity. You need to stay curious and hungry for knowledge to keep growing and learning so that when you see that shift, you can implement the new things you have learned. Adaptability and curiosity will help you be resilient, the third quality you need if you are in this for the long haul.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
After college, I kickstarted a 12-year career in advertising and marketing. Serving as the social media director at Grey Canada, I played a pivotal role in expanding and enhancing their social media presence and worked with notable clients like Volvo, GSK and Yellow Tail Wine.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
I reinvented myself by leaning into the things I knew that brought me joy. From being outside to expressing my artistic abilities and designing, I nurtured these skills that I naturally gravitated toward and was able to forge a path forward to what I do today as the founder and owner of Mill Pond Estate.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
As we all know, the world changed drastically when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. People were forced to adapt, including myself. Faced with the uncertainties of the pandemic, I realized it was a now-or-never moment when the opportunity to create Mill Pond Estate presented itself to me. The adversity became a catalyst for change, and the decision to embrace this venture wouldn’t have been the same without the unique circumstances brought about by the pandemic.
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
Small business owners are superheroes. We have a ton of untapped potential that may not arise until we need them, and they’re usually discovered by just doing the job since it’s only you in the beginning. I found my project management skills evolving significantly since venturing into this new endeavor, and what makes me particularly proud is the continuous development of these skills as I navigate being a small business owner.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
It’s been fun and challenging in a good way. Our new focus is trying to shift from predominantly weddings to incorporating a variety of other events. We had an amazing corporate event recently with a 20 foot inflatable movie screen and snow. We also loved having the opportunity to work with the Food Network on their web series called “Stoked.” As we look ahead, we’re excited to attract more opportunities like these to Mill Pond Estate.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are so many people I am incredibly grateful for, but I would have to say my dad. He’s a straight-laced, by-the-book kind of guy, whereas I tend to be more unconventional, often coming up with eccentric ideas. Despite our differences, whenever I approach him with my kooky ideas, he just shakes his head and says, “Let’s hear it, and how can I help?” Many times, I’ve practiced my pitches in front of him before presenting them to the world, and his constructive feedback has been invaluable in refining my ideas.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?
I’ve met so many interesting people through the wedding industry. I would say one of the funniest things that has happened was when a wedding guest tried to take one of my silky chickens home with them. I stopped the guest on their way out and kindly let them know she was not one of the party favors.
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
Oh, every day! I think it’s normal and okay to sometimes say I don’t think I can do this. The trick is that you do it anyway. Try to do the things that scare you the most and work that muscle continuously until you can acknowledge the fear without it limiting you.
During my first offsite floral job, I was nearly in tears. The couple asked for a last-minute change to the order, so I ended up having to collect their payment on their wedding day. I almost walked away without asking for the extra money. It wasn’t much, but I knew if I didn’t confront this now, this could become a much bigger issue with me not asking what I’m worth in the future. I think that’s a big thing for small business owners when it comes to making sure you are charging and receiving what you are worth.
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
I would suggest finding a good mentor, and by good, I don’t necessarily mean the biggest name in the industry or the most popular. It’s someone who shares your core values and approaches problems like you would like to one day. It’s so important in this process of building to stay authentic to yourself, so try to learn and get support from those who share your values. For me, that person was Kristin Binford. She owns a wonderful and successful venue in St. Louis. Our two properties couldn’t be more different from one another, but our core values and desire to serve our couples to the best of our abilities were the same. Her teachings were invaluable to me.
Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?
Practice doing things you aren’t comfortable with. I’ve recently taken on more media opportunities, including participating as a guest speaker on a podcast. At first, the idea of speaking on a podcast was intimidating, as it involved navigating uncharted territory and refining my communication skills in a different way. However, I recognized the value of this experience and how it taught me the importance of embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth. By actively seeking and embracing challenges, whether it’s being a podcast guest or exploring other unfamiliar avenues, I’ve found that I not only learn more about myself but also develop the resilience needed to thrive in new chapters of life.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?
One thing I wish someone told me before becoming a business owner was the importance of setting firm boundaries with clients from the beginning. Make sure your scope of work and policies are clearly outlined in writing somewhere, and your clients know the expectations when booking with you and what you can and cannot do.
As a business owner, you always have the ability to go above and beyond for a client if you feel comfortable doing so. There are many times my team and I are asked to help with things that, technically, we’re not paid to do. While we are more than happy to assist, there are times we have to decline, so having clear boundaries makes these types of conversations so much easier.
Devote some time to learn how to be a good educator and guide your clients through the sales funnel and beyond. Teach them the value you bring to the table, why your process is the way it is and how they benefit from it. You will quickly find that people won’t always read everything, so you have to present important information in an engaging way. To tackle this, my team and I recently set up a monthly email series for our couples that walks them through the important parts of their contract, along with planning tips.
And lastly, many businesses will see you as their competition, but keep trying to reach out your hand to them. I have always been a firm believer in community over competition, but you may find not everyone in your industry feels the same, so try not to take it to heart. Find retreats and conventions where you can mingle and connect with others, brainstorm problems, learn and lean on each other. It’s invaluable.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I am growing a lot of the flowers on the property right now for the design side of the business. It’s a process and movement known as slow flowers. Currently, in the event industry, most flowers are shipped from overseas. They travel long distances and make many stops between where they are grown and the end consumer. The entire process takes up a lot of resources, and the flowers aren’t always so happy when they reach us. If we could shift towards locally grown flowers in the industry, it would really reduce the amount of waste produced. I think it would lead to a happier planet and happier flowers. Sustainability is something I am always actively working on implementing in the business. I also think it is a value that consumers are prioritizing more these days.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
Martha Stewart, she’s a hustler and a hoot! My mom and I watch everything she is a part of.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow our journey at Mill Pond Estate on our Instagram and Facebook pages @millpondestate. We also have a newsletter, which often features really cute pictures of our farm animals for an instant serotonin boost right to your inbox, and you can sign up for that on our website.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Toni Miller Of Mill Pond Estate: Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.