When she launched The Mixx nearly 30 years ago, TD Bank client Robyn Streisand had no grand plan, just a burning curiosity, a belief in relationships and the courage to leap into the unknown.
Back then, she worked in the financial industry, a place she never imagined she'd land. "I didn't grow up thinking I'd be working in that industry," she said. "I was always more interested in the people behind the work."
As a college junior, she joined the management associate program, an elite program that included many interns who were attending Ivy League schools. "I didn't really fit the mold," she said with a laugh. "So, I punched up. I built relationships, asked questions and stayed curious."
That curiosity and her ability to connect made her stand out. She was offered a full-time position before she graduated. She went on to spend a decade there, rising through multiple divisions, learning strategy, new product development, and marketing along the way.
"Those years were my foundation," she said. "I learned how to thrive, to think strategically, how to innovate, and most importantly, how to build trust."
But she noticed something missing in her various roles as she worked with vendors.
"It was always the same complaint," she said. "The work isn't fresh, the agency isn't listening. The relationship became purely transactional."
That realization sparked an idea: what if she could build something more personal — an agency designed to be more nimble, creative and deeply connected to its clients. That's how her new marketing agency, The Mixx, was born in her Manhattan apartment in Union Square.
"It wasn't some glamorous plan," she said. "I just knew I wanted to create an agency that could deliver value in a different way. One that was small enough to adapt, but powerful enough to make a real impact."
The early days were scrappy, but full of heart. She reached out to colleagues she had met throughout her career to get her business off the ground.
"I have always been a relationship person,” she said. "Never burn a bridge, stay connected and show up for people."
That philosophy became the backbone of her marketing business.
Business, at its best, is about people
Nearly three decades later, The Mixx is a respected marketing agency known for helping Fortune 500 brands navigate constant change. She expanded in 2014 by creating Titanium Worldwide, a collective of certified-diverse marketing, media and communications agencies.
The Mixx, however, has stayed intentionally small. The agency's small size allows it to stay agile in an industry that reinvents itself every few years.
"I wouldn't say we've been thriving every step of the way," she said. "This industry changes at lightning speed. There's no roadmap for what we do. But we've always adapted, innovated and stepped out of the box when we needed to. That's what kept us relevant."
Mentorship has been a crucial element throughout her career. Robyn has consistently relied on mentors to help her navigate challenges, from launching her business to weathering the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Having mentors to help me reimagine leadership, team structure and culture in that moment, it was everything," she said.
Her openness to learning and change came in handy again when after 15 years of banking with a financial institution, she found herself without a bank as the financial institution was exiting its U.S. commercial banking business.
After exploring options, she turned to TD Bank because she saw its neighborhood presence across New York City. She sent a cold email asking for help setting up business accounts and within 24 hours, she had a response. After the initial communication, Robyn saw how TD prioritizes relationships as she met with colleagues from the bank to discuss her business.
"At TD, we are dedicated to building lasting, human relationships with our clients and helping them meet their needs and goals," said Craig Ratigan, Regional Vice President of Manhattan II, TD Bank. "We work with clients like The Mixx while taking the complexity out of banking and meeting their unique needs."
How baking cookies sparked a name
Robyn's business philosophy — community, culture and love — is even reflected in her company's name, The Mixx. Originally, she wanted to call it The Mix, inspired by her childhood memories of baking cookies from scratch.
"It's all about the right ingredients, the right timing and the right heat," she said.
When she discovered the name was already copyrighted, she added an extra "X." It turned out to be a perfect symbol of the company's difference: a little unexpected, full of meaning and built on care.
Now as The Mixx approaches its 30th anniversary, Robyn is thinking about the future. She's focused on mentoring the new generation of marketers and helping clients build genuine, human relationships in a digital-first world. Her advice for anyone striking out on their own is simple.
"Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you," she said. "Build real relationships. Trust your gut. Because the only thing scarier than taking the leap is never doing it at all."
Tips to Find the Right Bank for Your Small Business
Choosing the right financial relationship truly matters to the life of a small business. The support from a financial institution can help enormously to enable businesses to reach their full growth potential. It's not just the financial products and services; the insights and guidance that bankers can offer are often an important way to help steer a business to success.
Here are four tips from Chris Ward, Head of U.S. Small Business Banking, TD Bank to help find the right bank that will best meet the needs of your small business:
- Most importantly, find a bank that genuinely cares about you as an individual business. Every small business is unique, so seek out a bank that really sees you as more than just a number. At TD, we have a level of customer service and expertise for every size business to meet their specific needs.
- Make sure the bank has dedicated experts who are specifically trained to understand small businesses' challenges, goals and what it takes to succeed in multiple industries. Make sure you can have easy access to these professionals, both in-person and virtually, so you can speak to them in real time as questions and concerns arise instead of waiting for a quarterly or annual business check-in.
- Open communication with your relationship manager is essential. When business owners don't feel comfortable talking about the highs and lows of their business, they may miss out on valuable products and guidance to help the business succeed.
- Find a bank that has deep ties in the communities where they operate. Small businesses can benefit enormously from working with banks that have community relationships and can recommend resources or connections to the business owner.
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