Melinda has been in the marketing, advertising, and creative fields for thirty years. In 2018, she started her own consulting practice and now works full-time as a professional matchmaker. She doesn’t help people in their love lives—she helps companies find marketing, advertising, and creative firms and individuals that match their culture and mission. Through thorough interview processes and conversations, she builds complete profiles for the agencies with whom she works. While her profiles might include some of the things most companies would rather not hear, her careful attention helps to bring her clients the talented individuals they need. She is a non-biased third party who can look at companies and individuals to match them in the best ways.
As a matchmaker, Melinda works with a wide demographic of individuals, including those who might not be the obvious first choice for a recruiter. When COVID hit, the first people that many companies let go were the more senior employees. As a matchmaker, she finds fulfilling and effective work for these people.
Melinda worked for Fleishman-Hillard for a long time; she enjoyed working there, and her hard work paid off. Ultimately, she needed something new. She wanted to be inventive and a little bit risky: her consulting company was born. By working for herself, she has the freedom to “roll the dice and go for it!” She had clients right out of the gate and has had steady success connecting people ever since. She’ll be working with her first global client this year!
Through her years in her field, she’s found that taking every opportunity to learn from others—especially brilliant leaders in her field—and having confidence are two of the key factors of her success. Whenever she is at a crossroads, she asks herself what these brilliant people would do. It’s helped her have the confidence to move forward with her business.
Starting a business takes almost all of Melinda’s free time, but she gives back to her community by working pro-bono with Hope Creates, which is an organization that provides creative outlets for youth between the ages of 12-18 who are struggling with sobriety. Wherever she goes, she donates her time and works to connect small businesses and individuals with the resources that they need.
Melinda reads as much as she can and particularly enjoys the St. Louis Forum book club. She has a partner, two grown daughters, and two dogs that she loves taking to dog parks.
Melinda’s recommendation: Visit a little art museum. Even when she’s flying into a city for one day, she tries to find an art museum to visit while she’s there. Her favorite piece at the St. Louis Art Museum is called “Girl with Mandolin.” She loves the texture, emotion, and style of the piece.