just two girls who decided the corporate world wasn't thEIr cup of tea.
We created Refined Marketing as a passion project. We both loved branding and how it could breathe life back into a business. When we got started in Huntsville, AL, there wasn’t a single design studio focused on digging below the surface and actually getting to know the owners behind the brand. Your vision is the single most important thing about you because it’s what makes you unique. So, we decided to create our own! And would love the opportunity to bring your dream brand to life!
We created Refined Marketing as a passion project. We both loved branding and how it could breathe life back into a business. When we got started in Huntsville, AL, there wasn’t a single design studio focused on digging below the surface and actually getting to know the owners behind the brand. Your vision is the single most important thing about you because it’s what makes you unique. So, we decided to create our own!
the bigger picture
treat your business like a multi-million dollar company. because, sis, it can be. what you bring to the table is completely & totally yours. no one else is going to cherish your biz the way you do. you've already done the heavy lifting. let us help bring your brand to life.
xoxo
Volleyball had been my life for 12 years. So, when I went to college, I hadn't really thought about what I wanted to do with my life (outside of your typical personality test that gives you your top 3 career choices based off how you deal with people at 16 years old). Can we all just say an "Amen!" we're not who we were at that age?! Moral of the story is I graduated with a generic Marketing degree and got my first big girl job straight out of school as a Social Media Manager for a Real Estate Brokerage.
Growing up, I watched my mom bust her a** to provide for us, never getting the recognition she so rightly deserved for excelling at everything she touched. However, my dad has always been an artist - kind of doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted to. So, I really got to see both sides of the coin.
Three years into my first big girl job, life hit...hard...and I accepted a job offer in Atlanta, GA, working for a private equity firm. My corporate girlie era lasted one whole year. The lavish lifestyle, corporate jets & helicopters, snazzy yachts, and the most amazing bottles of red wine were the blinds to a life I did not want. Well, not in the way I saw. That job owned me. My time was not my own. I missed out on holidays with my family. And had to make sacrifices I wasn't comfortable with. So I took a huge leap of faith.
And 6 months later, Sahara & I launched Refined Marketing, where I became a full-time business owner and creative entrepreneur. I may be working more hours than my ritzy corporate job but everything I make is my own.
Since then, we've had the opportunity to work with the most incredible clients from various industries including real estate, interior design, construction, quilting, health & wellness, coaching, event planning, and property management. Our only goal is to inspire other women (and men!!) to go after their wildest dreams. To empower them with the knowledge and equip them with the tools needed to be successful as an entrepreneur. And that's our mission with Refined.
meet micayla
founder + our creative genius
DOG MOM & CHAI TEA COFFEE LOVER
I got my first sales job when I was 12, walking around neighborhoods selling jewelry my mom made. I loved sales because if I sold one… I made money. If I didn't, well, that fell back on me.
So when I graduated high school and started college, I didn't last very long...because I knew if I created something of value, I'd make money based off how much work I put in. I quit college shortly after getting started and jumped into Real Estate. Selling houses seemed like the best way to make money & build something of value.
I got - what I would consider - my first corporate real estate job. Made lots of money; worked my way to the top leading a team of agents; and, as soon as I got there, I quit. I wasn't happy...and I knew something was missing, even if that meant starting over at 25.
COVID hit and I took 6 months to decide what I truly wanted to do with my life. I felt destined to do more and be more.
My heart was always in real estate so I dove head first into selling homes again. 1 year after starting back up, I launched my own Real Estate Team. This is where things started falling in place because I finally had a business of my own, kinda.
In 2021, I had my daughter and she drove me to want to succeed at an even higher level. I wanted to show her that women can create successful businesses and positively impact so many along the way. I wanted her to see that her mom was a bada** CEO - that she is capable of and can achieve anything she sets her mind to!
I was 19 when I dropped out of college with a big dream. Ten years later, I own 3 businesses, two of them being in real estate. I truly have such a love for all things business. And that's why I'll do anything I can to help other people do the same thing!
meet sahara
c0-founder + the process queen
WIFE, MOM & CEO OF 3 BUSINESSES
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2019
I just graduated college with a Marketing degree and got a job offer at a Real Estate Brokerage in Huntsville, AL, as a Social Media Manager. This is where I met Sahara. She was the Agent Team Lead, working on her Broker license.
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2020-2022
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6.28.23
After two years of planning and prep, Sahara and I launched Refined Marketing on social media & I became a full-time business owner and entrepreneur.
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now
We have the opportunity to inspire, learn from, and grow alongside some of the most creative minds in the business. Our hope is that we can show other women that their dream is worth it and they can launch the biz! We want to equip anyone who is looking to launch their own business with the necessary tools to set them up for success and, of course, have lots of fun along the way!
Sahara and I stayed in touch as our lives went in different directions. I slowly began learning more about the importance of branding & falling in love with how it completely transforms businesses. However, there wasn't really a design studio in Huntsville that humanized the branding experience. So, over a cup of coffee, we decided to start our own.
how refined came to be
told by micayla
WE MAY EARN A COMMISSION ON A FEW OF OUR MOST USED & FAVORITE TOOLS
HONEYBOOK
Get 25% OFF your first full year of Honeybook - the absolute best for proposals, contracts, and invoicing! You can even start with a 7-day free trial to get your feet wet.
ADoBE
Try out the full version of Adobe apps with a
7-day free trial. This includes our most loved apps - Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Premiere Pro.
NOTION
We use Notion as our project management system and love it!! So much so, we'll have a discount code for you soon.
FLODESK
Get 50% OFF your first year of Flodesk by using our link below! It really is that easy :)
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