Angie Meltsner
Q What do you do?
“I am a researcher and strategist at my own company Tomato Baby.”
I unearth juicy insights to help companies better understand and connect with the people they care about. That might be through consumer insights and market research, helping to inform brand, marketing or advertising strategy (among other things). It could also be through user experience and design research, helping make product or service experiences more delightful (among other things). It could mean observing people doing their thing out in the world, interviewing them in their home or virtually, checking in with them over time via text or diary submissions, or even aggregating their attitudes and experiences via a large scale survey. I think it is incredibly important that brands have a foundational understanding of their customers or consumers or users or however they want to call the people they are trying to reach, and I love designing and executing primary qualitative / quantitative / mixed-method research studies or diving into desk research or syndicated tools to connect the dots and help tell those people’s stories.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I had a twisty turny path to get here. I studied marketing at Michigan State University, and when I moved to Boston after graduating, I spent a year working as a hostess at a seafood restaurant. I eventually found a full time job as a receptionist at an ad agency and then as a media planner. Media planning took me to London for a couple years which was an amazing experience, but the job made me realize that the research and insights side of things is what I loved and I was getting a bit too far away from that for my liking. I moved back to Boston, started working as a market researcher at an agency, then went in-house for a bit in brand strategy and consumer insights, and then went back to agency but this time in user experience. I learned so much in all of my jobs, including (and especially) the restaurant one, and wouldn’t change my path for anything. In 2018 I had my daughter – if my priorities hadn’t totally flipped around then, the pandemic exasperated everything. Right now she is at such a fun age (preschool) and I’m excited to have made the freelance jump so I can balance projects with spending more time with her!
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Besides being fun and delightful to work with ;) I have a few specialties. On the hard skills side, I have an expertise in survey research and pride myself on crafting a well-designed questionnaire and finding the insights in the numbers that come back. Survey is not always the right method to use for research, but when it is done properly and for the right reasons, it can be very powerful. Especially when combined with qualitative research, which I also do. On the soft skills side, I am (proudly) obsessed with pop culture. I know a lot of details about a lot of things would be pretty mundane or too low-brow for some people. But, when I can bring in this personal passion with my research and strategy work, everything is richer, brighter, more colorful! By always keeping a pulse on what’s going on or bubbling under in the zeitgeist, I can bring that knowledge into my work to connect more dots and tell more stories.
Q What are you working on right now?
Interesting freelance projects, networking, spending a lot of time with my daughter, and consuming alllll the content (newsletters, articles, books, podcasts, tv shows, the list goes on).
Q What’s your style?
I like to work on projects that are curious, bold, and unique. Those qualities can appear in a lot of different ways and I keep an open mind.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I’d love to have more opportunities for in-person research in the coming year(s). Obviously there are some external forces at play that make that difficult these days but the Zoom fatigue is real.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Ghosting! It is rough submitting a proposal or responding to an inquiry and then hearing… crickets.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Some extra hands for meal prep would be fantastic. I enjoy cooking but famously underestimate the time I need and start things a little too late to have things ready on time.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I would have told myself, before having my daughter, to try out a lot more classes and take up more hobbies! I do miss when free time was mine to spend as I like and it was easier to be out and about.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I’d love to talk to Debbie Millman (host of the podcast Design Matters) about how she researches and plans her interviews. She always asks great questions and has really good nuggets to talk about from her interviewee’s history that they sometimes even seem to be surprised she found.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I’m really open to anything -- project based work, covering a parental leave or sabbatical, new business pitches, working with agencies or directly with brands, etc. I’m not looking for any long term contracts (6 months+) at this time. I love working in lifestyle / consumer products or services as well as media. While I can find something interesting in everything, it’s just more fun to work on those types of products or brands you know and love and can see in the wild.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
It is very helpful when clients are prepared and want to be successful together as a team – sharing existing content or documents that will help inform my work, being available for check ins or collaboration as warranted, etc. And then also just being cool with some out-there ideas! Research can be FUN (even quant!), I wouldn’t be doing it otherwise.
Q What is your rate?
A researcher’s favorite answer: it depends! Some projects I charge a flat fee, sometimes I work on a day rate, but it all comes down to things like what’s the scope, how long the engagement is, etc.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email is great! (angie@tomatobabyinsights.com) Or contact me on my website. (tomatobabyinsights.com/contact) I’m always happy to do intro get-to-know-you conversations or talk about specific project work.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
I really enjoy Naomi Otsu’s illustration and design work. I have some of her prints and her pickle ornament and they make me happy. She seems very cool and I like to see New York City through her eyes.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I find inspiration constantly in my very imaginative and spirited 4 year old daughter.
This member profile was originally published in September 2022.