Career Overview

Photo taken by Ariel Panowicz

I have more than 20 years of brand and marketing experience, including over ten years within advertising agencies (i.e. pressure cooker on high 24/7). I have a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design that started me down an exciting, organic career path with roles in creative services, client services, project and portfolio management, strategic planning and execution as well as team facilitation.

Over my career, I have worked with and in various industries including healthcare, finance, consumer goods and services, agriculture and education. I’ve learned a ton from those less-than-successful moments and work to find the silver lining in our daily realities to help move forward. A ton of ideas to execution! Check out Success Stories for more details.

I am a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and help teams form, break down silos, align and get laser focused on delivering meaningful, strategically planned work that connects to business outcomes. The teams I work with are in IT or Marketing and we have a lot of fun figuring the ideal way to work for success. I also contract at RTRN Strategy, an Endeavor Management company, working on Marketing & Communications for healthcare clients.

I served as the first Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium communications co-chair as well as a nominated steering committee member for the Public Affairs and Marketing Network (PAMN) for NCI-designated cancer centers across the nation. Both organizations brought me a wealth of opportunity to learn and grow. I’m a current board member and elected president of a non-profit library board in my home town of Elkhorn, Neb. Along with my professional aspirations, I’m running around with my family trying to soak up every moment.

I started freelancing in 2020 as the next exciting turn in my journey. Follow along for tips, thoughts and more. Feel free to connect here or on LinkedIn. Thanks!

-Melinda

To know me you’ll quickly understand that I reflect on situations, projects and life to ensure I understand the part I played and to see if there are any aspects to gleam and grow from. I have managed thousands of projects, campaigns, client meetings, executive presentations … you name it, there’s a strong chance I somehow experienced it.

Here are some of the reflections I have from the past:

  • Humility - without it, I stop listening and learning

  • Relationships - it’s how I manage to move things from point A to point B and have a lot of fun along the way

  • Clarity - it’s essential to the success of everything I do

  • Goodness - without it, nothing is worth it and I won’t compromise being a good human first

  • Worth - everyone has it and when it gets lost, I’ll help highlight it

  • Creativity - it’s my jam and extends into creative problem solving

  • Failure - it’s inevitable and not a bad thing to embrace

  • Hope - belief in that I/we can solve what’s in front of us

  • Faith - instilling support in others so they have the confidence to deliver great things

  • Reality - yep, it exists and is very real and nope, not everyone lives in it and I’ll need patience to understand

  • Expertise - it comes in time and I hold plenty of wonderful pieces to help others

  • Quality - a continued "gut-check” with double checks for accuracy

  • Integrity - knowing where I can and can’t add value and being transparent and accountable