DBusiness Magazine's 30 in Their Thirties

DBusiness Magazinecelebrates 30 in Their Thirties making a difference in neighborhoods and the lives of those living in them. Chelsea took part in a 6-day remodeling project in Detroit this past August, just one more way she gives back to the community. DBusiness's 30 in Their Thirties recognizes business leaders who move their company, industry and community forward. Chelsea is honored to be recognized along with several other driven industry leaders. Check out Chelsea's excerpt below:

Growing up in Flint with entrepreneurial and artistic grandparents, it was a pretty good bet that Chelsea Mills wouldn’t end up in the banking world, which is what she studied in college.

Before accepting any of the offers she received from various banks around the country upon graduation, she decided to work as a ranch director at a summer camp. That’s where she met her U.K.-born husband. After a year at the camp, she was hired by the Flint City School District to work at the Base Camp Challenge Center, which teaches people how to communicate and work better together via group activities. From there, Mills went to the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“When I worked for the chamber, I realized how important chambers are to a community and how important it is to make those connections,” says Mills, who left the chamber when one of its members hired her to build his company’s website, which she could do from home while raising her 2-year-old child.

When the Great Recession hit and businesses were laying off their marketing people, her original employer started sending his associates to her for things like logo designs, websites, business card designs, and brochures.

Now, Behind Your Design has 300 clients. “We do everything that has to do with a company’s brand,” Mills says. “Our clients started to figure out that it was much easier to have everything done in the same place. That’s how we ended up growing.”

In addition to her professional career, Mills was appointed chair of the Fenton Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2015. Under her leadership, the chamber acquired a building where they rent out office space to small or home-based businesses. She also has chaired a program called Career Connections since 2008. Twice a year, Career Connections introduces 100 high school juniors and seniors from three local high schools to 11 influential business people.

“I really enjoy teaching people about these tools and little tips that can help them succeed and spread their brand,” Mills says. “I also enjoy working on things that make my community better, making it a great place to live and work.” — Tim Keenan

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