Today we’d like to introduce you to Dee Cinque.
Hi Dee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Originally from the old steel town of Ambridge, PA (about 15 miles from Pittsburgh), I moved to New Jersey in 1996 after just one interview in NYC. I look back at that crazy decision to leave everything I knew with everything I had – $1,200 and $30K in student loans – and wonder what in the world I was thinking. But at 22 years old, I had a degree and my youth, so I figured it was now or never. If you’re wondering about that interview, I didn’t get the job. The hiring manager realized the salary they were offering wouldn’t be enough to sustain any kind of life in New Jersey that also required a daily commute into the city. But it was too late. I was enamored by city, excited for the opportunities, and ready to break free of my small town roots.
Fast forward 30 years – I’m married, have 2 kids in college, and… a failed career. Yep. My career in Marketing really never took off. I white-knuckled my way to countless interviews afraid I’d somehow find myself driving straight into the heart of Manhattan with every turn. My makeshift suit barely pressed and hair tussling around in my 1985 S-10 Blazer that had only plastic covering the crushed back window until I finally found a sales job that would pay enough to cover my bills. It wasn’t until 1998 that I’d finally land a position in a real marketing department at a large financial institution. I had a salary to support myself free of roommates. I made it! Or so I thought.
I found myself in a corporate environment that I thought was my dream but that felt more like a nightmare as each year passed. I guess some people are just cut differently than others. While I watched many of my colleagues flourish, I was stuck. Stuck in a cycle of small promotions with a new boss every two years (some great, some not so great) and organizational changes practically every 6 months. I learned how to write content in attorney language, attempted to dodge the office politics (but not always successful), and by year seven was not an attractive hire for any marketing department outside of the financial industry.
Finally, after 14 years, three locations, five marketing departments, and countless bosses, I was re-organized right out of my profession. I was “too valuable” to layoff as a Manager (Don’t get too excited. This is not even middle management in a company of this size.) and no longer had a role in the new(est) organization. I was moved into a role that I would not have even applied for yet alone accepted. I was exhausted and defeated and no longer willing to start over at another company even if the opportunity arose. The salary, benefits, and bonuses – although great – no longer made the daily grind worth the sacrifice of happiness and family balance. So, with two grade-school children who were both beginning their sports endeavors and husband that traveled for work, I decided it was time to focus on my family.
That was 12 years ago. I don’t regret it. I look back at every soccer match, basketball game, and gymnastics meet knowing I was right where I was supposed to be. But I did feel like something was missing. Something that being a class parent, baking holiday cupcakes, and carpooling wasn’t filling. Along the way, I was meeting moms, teachers, and neighbors who apparently felt the same way because I discovered that many of them had small businesses or side gigs. So, in 2019, I decided it was time to go back to my marketing roots and put my talents to use – and maybe even make a few extra bucks while doing it.
I had just built a website for the parent organization of my daughter’s gym using one of the many self-service website builders. This kind of work was right up my alley, so I thought maybe there are other people out there who needed a website, but had no idea where to start or didn’t want to be bothered with it. Then the perfect opportunity was sitting there as plain as day in black and white. The local Patch article was introducing a new food pantry in need of a website. I was sure they were seeking an experienced website designer or agency and was anticipating either no response at all, or to be kindly sent upon my way. I stepped back into my 22-year-old shoes, and decided to go for it any way. I offered to build their website for free. They said YES! I built that site and maintained it for 5 years – for free – until they eventually had to merge with a larger pantry to fulfill the community’s needs. This was the launch of Digital Communications Creations (DCC), and I am forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me. Since then, I’ve built about a half dozen websites for small and niche businesses around town, and even got paid for those ones!
But this is where the best part of the story starts.
Remember all those moms and neighbors with side gigs and small businesses? Well, I decided they deserved a new community resource dedicated to helping them be discovered. So, I set out to build the mother of all websites — a directory! In May of 2023 EXPLORE BR was born to support my community’s small business owners and act as a new resource to encourage residents to support these hidden gems. It is a grass roots venture with community at its heart. With two grown babies off at college, it has become my new baby.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think the road is long and winding, and I’ve just barely merged into traffic.
I really didn’t think this through if I’m being honest. I am a very visual person. I like to see results. I like to hide away behind my computer, work, and see the end result. This directory I’ve built actually became a full blown community of business owners and end users that requires a lot more of me than I anticipated. That includes a lot of social media – something I was not prepared to dive into beyond my regular Facebook posts. I’m just barely scratching the surface on what this community could be – both from a business listing perspective and an end-user perspective – and I’m still trying to figure it out. I know I have something good. I’m reminded of that when I meet a business owner and they thank me for my efforts. I realize that I need to tap into everything I know this can be. I need to put myself out there more than I’d like, and I’m still struggling with that.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Both Digital Communications Creations and EXPLORE BR have one focus – small business. I have a passion for helping small businesses realize the importance of marketing and giving them a bigger voice within the community for a reasonable price. I am not a designer. I am not a programmer. I am not an agency. Therefore, I do not charge agency fees. I suppose I am a full-fledged small business advocate, but I do admit that I have my “big box” guilty pleasures.
What I most enjoy is connecting people. And I might even be good at it. EXPLORE BR has helped realize this. When the right group of people are together for the right reasons, it’s like a spark ignites and spreads. Relationships – both professional and personal – can spread like wildfire in these circumstances, and I’m proud to say that I’ve conceptualized and brought to life several events that have created new connections for people including myself. The icing on the cake is to have new ideas and collaborations born out of these events. And when I think back to my corporate career, I was told on several occasion that I was a good delegator, so I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised by this. The relationships that I’ve gained and created through EXPLORE BR are an extension of my natural ability to delegate.
I am most proud of EXPLORE BR. I had a vision and I brought it to life. It has grown to over 85 businesses and has remained true to its mission – to offer supplemental marketing support for small, independent businesses that are not receiving the marketing support of a larger parent company or corporation through a franchise or any other partnership. These businesses have very little to no budget for marketing. That’s why using organic, cost effective methods to achieve the mission is a vital component of this grass roots venture. This includes minimal plan fees for listing in the directory, community events & collaborations, and social media.
EXPLORE BR exists as a resource to DISCOVER – CONNECT – SUPPORT our local small business community.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I love hard and alternative music! Tool – Rage Against the Machine – Metallica – The Cure – Depeche Mode.
Coming from a small steel town, my favorite pastime before moving to NJ was shooting pool. I was actually in a pool league in NJ back in the day, but I somehow was not as good in an organized setting as I was when I just played for fun. I used to run the table for hours with my Marlboro Lights and Miller Genuine Drafts. I have since graduated to no cigarettes and wine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.explore-br.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explorebr.directory/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/explorebrdirectory/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/explore-br/posts/?viewAsMember=true
- Other: https://www.mysbmarketing.com
