Meet Renee Dee of ICONIC in Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Dee.

Renee is a woman who has never done the expected. Inspired by Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People which tells us to “begin with the end in mind,” each decision she has made has been to do just that. She recently launched ICONIC, an online luxury magazine that is the culmination of the journey she has been on for decades. It’s put her back in the publishing industry for which she has an inexhaustible amount of passion and energy.

As a young student, Renee chose to attend a private university in a city that was home to one of the most important consumer magazine titles of all time, Better Homes & Gardens, which boasted one of the largest circulations of any consumer title at that time.

There she learned from the best in publishing and forged a career in sales via the broadcast division. This ultimately put her in Phoenix selling for the corporate-owned station.

Her passion for publishing burned deeply, and in 1996, she put all she knew into action with the launch of Arizona Foothills magazine, a luxury title that surpassed the multi-decade standing giants in the community in less than six years’ time. Her drive was fueled by the voice she had with a significant, affluent audience capable of social change and economic power. She spent nearly a decade as founder and publisher before moving on to other pursuits.

Renee’s career has encompassed all sides of the media — as a media buyer and a broadcast account executive, an editor and a television reporter. Some of her important career stops include working with Porter Novelli, NBC Today Show, Arthur Andersen Worldwide, Meredith Corporation and founding Girlfriend University/Amplify U and Vitamin G Creative.

Recognized for her philanthropic endeavors, Renee was named a Woman of Distinction in 2001, Business Journal “40 Under 40” in 2003, and a Trend’s Magazine Trendsetter in 2007 for community volunteerism that is still ongoing today. In 2014, she was named a Dynamic Woman of Orange County by Modern Luxury Magazine and was nominated for the Orange County Business Journal Outstanding Women in Business Award.

Fast-forward to today and she is poised to make a mark in publishing once more with the launch of ICONIC. This next chapter is a passion project to inspire readers to LIVE BEAUTIFULLY and she is armed with years of experience, a smart business plan, a talented team and a creative spirit.

ICONIC is that which stands the test of time: innovative design, inspiring style, decadent dining, exotic travel and profiles on the people, the thought-leaders, the innovators and the visionaries who lead our community.

It’s only the beginning, but the beginning began with the end in mind to inspire readers with ICONIC to live a beautiful life. That, in itself, creates a ripple in the pond to make a bigger impact.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Anything worth doing or creating comes with its challenges, and while I have had many along my road, I’ve always seen them as opportunities to learn, to innovate and to get better. When something hasn’t gone my way or when something hasn’t turned out as expected, I’ve naturally adapted myself to quickly figure out what’s next? I feel I’ve got the knack for quickly assessing what’s possible, turning chaos into decisiveness and taking action. I’ve never thought it was a good use of my time to look back or get stuck in a challenge, in fact, that is when I find myself to be the most creative.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the ICONIC, a digital luxury lifestyle magazine story. Tell us more about the business.
This spring, I launched ICONIC, a digital luxury lifestyle magazine with the mantra “live beautifully.” We offer our clients magazine-quality content with gorgeous images, original photo shoots and fresh content published daily. We reach a high-end demographic, and our social channels inspire our followers to engage at a high level. I am first, most proud of my amazing team and the incredible product we produce. ICONIC is clean and modern with enticing editorial and exciting visuals. We are committed to providing an optimal reader experience, we are lead by our value for integrity and transparency, and we dedicate our best efforts to delivering results for our clients… and we are not afraid to get innovative in any of those areas.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
A Roman philosopher said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. You can be lucky, as in a fortuitous meeting or connection can occur, but if you aren’t prepared, you can’t capitalize on it.

Preparation ranges from running a business that is ready for unexpected opportunities to YOU being ready on a personal development, education, and experience level to maximize on that opportunity. I believe the most successful business people “got lucky” because they were prepared.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.iconiclife.com
• Phone: 480.330.3737
• Email: renee@iconiclife.com
• Instagram: @youriconiclife
• Facebook: @youriconiclife
• Twitter: @youriconiclife

Image Credit:
ICONIC

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.