Meet Marissa Nichols, Detroit Sales Associate…and former Disney insider!

“I’m a bit of a go-getter,” admits Marissa Nichols, our new Detroit Sales Associate.

It’s a slight understatement coming from someone juggling a demanding new role with part-time study, a newly adopted niece and nephew, and a passion for music and sport.

And if all of that’s not enough, Marissa has already taken steps to expand her responsibilities to include weekend set-ups throughout the city.

“The set-ups are one of my favorite parts of the job – I love seeing everything come together. You spend so much time working with a client to develop that vision, and the set-up is where the magic truly happens.”

When she’s not helping with set-ups and tear-downs, her day-to-day role involves helping with sales and consulting with clients about their events and event design.

“My sales approach has always been very personal, so the way we do things at Linen Hero is perfect for me. I love being able to work one-on-one with clients to turn their ideas into something real.”

Having previously worked in sales at a family-owned luxury florals company, Marissa has plenty of experience in both consulting on the look and feel of an event – and in helping bring it all to life.

“I came from a very close-knit company, and we all worked very attentively with each bride or corporate client for their event. The culture there definitely influenced my sales approach,” she says.

“I was actually brand new to sales when I started there. But they told me that they knew I could handle it, and I did! I learned the ropes very quickly, and I’m very confident and comfortable on the sales floor – if you throw me in the deep end, I’ll swim!”

Over the years, Marissa found herself working together on events with Linen Hero and our Detroit staff members, and there came a point when she wondered if there might be an opportunity with us.

“At my last position I worked with Linen Hero all the time, and everyone was always so nice and friendly. I thought, gosh yes, I’d love to work there!”

So she texted DeVonna Snowden, our star territory manager, and the rest was history.

“Everyone’s been incredibly helpful and supportive of me. It’s such a family-like place to work, and everyone’s completely confident that I have what it takes.”

There’s been a learning curve in terms of familiarizing herself with the huge range in our showroom, but Marissa has whole-heartedly embraced it.

“Linens are definitely a change from florals – and it was definitely intimidating to work with all of the different colors at first – but it’s really helped to have that wedding and events background.”

Marissa also brings a formal education in business hospitality to the table – on top of her demanding new role, she’s also finishing off a degree.

“I do have a few things on the go!” she says. “My studies definitely complement what I do here, and I’ve learned a lot in the classroom and out – a highlight was probably my involvement with the Disney Program.”

Marissa’s university participates in a work placement program where students can apply to work with Disney for a semester, living in Florida and getting a first-hand glimpse into the vast media empire.

“You have to apply through a pretty intense three-stage interview process in order to get selected. You pick your timeframe, and then you work and live there being a part of the Disney experience for a whole semester.”

It’s the stuff of childhood dreams, and Marissa agrees.

“It was an amazing time. There were a total of 7,500 of us working across the different parks. We lived on-site, with six of us to a room for six months – and we all became pretty close in that time.”

Marissa heads back to Orlando two or three times a year to visit the friends she made through the program, and can’t speak highly enough about it.

“I worked incredibly hard, but I met some wonderful people, and now I have friends all around the US and in a couple of different countries I keep in touch with. When you have an opportunity to do something like that, how can you say no?”

Given all that she has on her plate, it’s apparent that Marissa rarely says no to an opportunity.

“I’ll do anything that gets me out of the house,” she says. “I love concerts; and I make a point to go to the baseball and basketball games with my dad. I’m a pretty constant visitor to the DTE Energy concert venue, especially in the summer. I’m not picky – I’ll see pretty much anyone who plays there!”

They’re the words of someone who loves events and special occasions, and we think it’s safe to say that Marissa’s going to get a kick out of being part of the Linen Hero family.