Connecting Threads, Exit Interview with Dmitry Mikheyev

Last month marked the departure of our fearless and fabulous communications coordinator, Dmitry Mikheyev. He’s off to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams in the fashion industry and we have no doubt we’ll be hearing his name mentioned on all the red carpet. I sat down with him to reflect on his time with Spaceworks. Here are some of the highlights of the interview.

Michael: How long have you worked at Spaceworks?

Dmitry: I’ve worked here for just over two years, starting in 2016. Literally my first day was helping with the big public fundraiser, NEON. That was a great experience because it’s when our community of creative entrepreneurs and artists come together to help support the organization that supports them.

ML: What were the different job titles that you’ve held at Spaceworks?

DM: Marketing Intern, Marketing Associate, Marketing Coordinator, Communications Coordinator

ML: What was one of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

DM: My first project, which was to interview seven entrepreneurs from the business incubator program who had received Spaceworks coaching and also microgrants from South Sound Together. We wanted to capture the impact of that support. I loved connecting with and calling all these entrepreneurs. It really was the first time we got to tell in-depth stories about how these businesses got started along with Spaceworks’ contributions.

ML: What is a lesson you learned during your time here?

DM: A person who really changed my life was the communications director for the Chamber, Carrie. Her advice was, “when you’re communicating something, always communicate what’s in it for them, the audience.”

ML: What are you most proud of?

DM: I’m very proud that we’ve increased our social media engagement. I learned those skills on the job, learning how to set goals and make them happen. I’m also proud that I’ve always aimed to communicate our immediate value to the community, really saying how our projects add to Tacoma.

ML: Where do you hope to see Spaceworks grow in the future?

DM: I’m excited to see multiple levels of support for artists, like training, workshops about grants, selling one’s artwork, supporting oneself economically. I think we can really grow the Artscapes program like the Business Incubator program.

ML: What advice would you give to the next person joining our team here?

DM: Make direct partnerships with people. Find the people already on the ground and work with them. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.  Engage with the community. Just sitting together in a room, spending time connecting and building relationships, can show how different organizations can line up and support each other.   If you’d like to follow Dmitry on his next life adventures, you can follow him on Instagram at : @designbydmitry. Best of luck, Dmitry! Michael Liang