Melanie “Mel” Miller is nona.media’s Promotional Manager. Her high-energy and quirky personality are a boost of positivity we all needed. But don’t be fooled by this fun-loving individual … she’s a boss when it comes to her job. She helps us continue to find the light and share it with the community, rather than dwell in the darkness.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Extrovert or Introvert? “Extrovert – I meet everyone.” 

Indoors or Outdoors? “Outdoor girl – I love swimming and riding my brand-new bike. We moved from the Washington, D.C., area (growing up in Virginia, and it is amazing having warm weather all year long. [It] is fantastic.)”

Sun or Snow? “You can find me at the beach almost every weekend, and I am at our pool here in our neighborhood in Eagle Creek almost every day. It is such a blessing to have such beautiful weather with palm trees. When we moved here a year ago, I loved giving away my snow shovel to my neighbor!”

Dogs or Cats? “We are huge dog lovers! Right now, we have a four-year-old ‘Dorkie.’ Her name is ‘Dixie,’ and she is three-quarters Yorkie and a quarter Dachshund. She is eight pounds of hot mess that loves Florida, too. She is obsessed with the little lizards and thinks it’s her full-time job here to just chase them, not eat them, but make sure that [they] know they don’t belong on my patio furniture.” 

Vans or Converse? “Vans all the way. I had a pink pair when I was in high school.” 

Coffee or Tea? “OBSESSED with iced coffee. I drink a trenta iced coffee from Starbucks every single day. I have lost over 100 pounds on a keto diet, and it’s my reward for keeping it off for over four years now. I proudly was the first customer of the week here in Lake Nona at our Starbucks. I love the staff here, and last month when I had my heart surgery, they brought me a HUGE bag of presents to the hospital. If you go in there and ask for my recipe, they call it the ‘MEL.’ Here is the recipe for success – trenta iced coffee, seven packs of stevia, no classic, and a splash of heavy cream!”  

Adventurous or Laid Back? “Adventurous.” 

Canon, Nikon, or Sony? “Canon.”

Books or TV? “Netflix junkie who hides on the couch on the weekends to binge out on a series.” 

What brought you to the Nonahood?

“My husband is a PGA professional. His name is Steve Miller, and he took the job as the director of golf instruction at Drive Shack prior to the opening and building completion. The best careers for golf are here in Florida. We knew that we wanted to be where it was warm and close to the beach.” 

What’s your favorite hobby? 

“I have an old planner. You know, the kind you really write in with your dates and journal in. I decorate my planner and have over 200 rolls of washi tape, tons of stickers, and erasable gel-colored pens that I keep track of my business life in. When we were little in class, our teachers would prepare us for the day by coloring a picture in the morning and getting our mind focused. I realized I love to feel prepared for the week just like the teacher would do every morning before class. This is a stress reducer for me, and it’s gorgeous [to] work in. The motivational sayings remind me of what I am working toward. It’s proof that life is so amazing to live; work hard, and God will continue to bless you.”

What’s your biggest dream? 

“I have already achieved so much in my life that just living in Lake Nona and being a positive influence on the shape of the culture and helping businesses that are here or that are moving here to become a massive success is where my dream lies. I LOVE seeing people win at life, achieving their goals and dreams. I would love to be known as someone who loves to just participate in others becoming champions in whatever they desire. I believe being a partner and promotional manager through my marketing company with nona.media, meeting Rhys and Jenny, are a part of some of the greatest dreams of mine yet to be achieved.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

“I see myself as a leader and as an example of a godly woman who took the time for others to build value in them. I will be here in Lake Nona supporting our community, running my business, and watching my husband definitely play a little more golf on the course. We will be grandparents this summer with our first grandchild. I see myself being in his life, being the kind of grandma that grandkids beg to come and see.”

Who’s your biggest inspiration? 

“[I’m] so blessed to have Desire Monk [NFL Hall of Famer Art Monk’s wife] in my life for the last 17 years. As a young mom of two beautiful children, she always cared about me. She has been a rock during some of the toughest life challenges and my greatest blessings. She is a prayer warrior, supporter, encourager, beach buddy, and one of the best friends in life God has ever given me. When you become older, you realize it [is] not the number of friends, but having one who loves you unconditionally.

What’s your favorite book? 

“The Bible is my 100% favorite, and anything in the red lettering is the absolute best part.”

What’s something you’ve done that scared you the most or brought you out of your comfort zone? 

“The day I became the marketing director for the Washington Redskins alumni was the biggest step of faith I have ever experienced. NFL All-Pro and former Washington Redskin Ken Harvey hired me to run his marketing and the marketing for the NFL Alumni office in DC. I pulled up to FedExField where the Redskins play and, as I got out of the car, 1982 NFL MVP Mark Moseley was standing there. Ken told him I was gonna make a difference for the alumni office. I thought to myself, ‘I am?’ 

“Then I followed the guys into the stadium to do a private event for the president of Bank of America. There were all [of] these guys that had been on TV, and I was like, ‘What in the world am I doing here?’ They had come to do a fantasy football game with Bank of America leadership. The former NFL guys handed me all [of] their Super Bowl rings to put on my fingers so they would not lose them during the flag football game. I remember standing in the middle of the field and looking at all that success those men had worked hard to achieve on my fingers. Then Ricky Ervins yelled, ‘Hey … watch that girl. She is worth a mint.’ And I turned, looked up seeing myself on the TV screens like you see during the football games with all those rings on scared out of my mind! But [what] I didn’t realize at the time is that I absolutely was meant to be there, and Ken saw leadership ability in me that I didn’t see in myself. 

“In over a 15-year period, I was blessed to work with the biggest names that played for the Washington Redskins, started my own company with over 1,000 appearances, events and marketing for some of the biggest corporations. The best part was raising millions of dollars in charity with the help [of] these incredible men for a greater purpose than on the field. Combined, it has defined me as a leader, no longer that scared-to-death woman who didn’t understand her purpose but is now helping others to achieve their dreams and goals.”

Describe one of your most memorable experiences. 

“One of [my] favorite memories is when my mom took me to my first concert – Duran Duran. We spotted their limo, and my mom took off following them. I thought that was so embarrassing until we got inside to the concert, and she started screaming like us young teeny boppers! She said the one with the drums has the biggest muscles, so I will scream for him. Oh, brother! Now I am just like her and I am the coolest mom even though my kids don’t think so. Their friends tell me instead! HA!”

Check back next month to get to know another nona.media staff member/partner!