Building a Brand, Finding Community & Creating Success on Your Own Terms with Malena Putnam

Rewrite the Rules Podcast with Jordan Reynolds

Building a Brand, Finding Community & Creating Success on Your Own Terms with Malena Putnam

What if success wasn't about climbing someone else's ladder—but building a life that actually fits you?

In this episode of Rewrite the Rules, I'm joined by Oklahoma entrepreneur, brand strategist, and founder of Chicks in Charge, Malena Putnam. From being raised by her grandparents in a small Oklahoma town to building multiple successful businesses rooted in storytelling and community, Malena shares how she's intentionally designed a career around freedom, purpose, and meaningful relationships.

We talk about branding beyond logos, why community matters more than ever, how to discover what makes your business different, and what it really means to rewrite the rules of success.

If you're building a business, craving deeper connections, or wondering how to create a career you genuinely love, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and encouragement.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Malena's journey from small-town Oklahoma to entrepreneurship
• How storytelling became the foundation of her business
• What makes a memorable and authentic brand
• Why community can be one of your greatest business assets
• Balancing multiple businesses without losing your focus
• The importance of leadership, networking, and genuine relationships
• Creating success that aligns with your personal values
• Defining wealth beyond money
• Why doing your research before making big decisions matters
• Practical advice for anyone ready to pursue something new

Connect with Malena Putnam

Website: [Add Website]

Instagram: [Add Instagram]

Chicks in Charge: [Add Link]

Connect with Jordan Reynolds

Instagram: @jordankylieofficial

Website: https://www.jordanreynolds.co

If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend or fellow entrepreneur. Your support helps us reach more women who are ready to rewrite the rules and build businesses—and lives—they truly love.

Transcript

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SPEAKER_02 0:02

Welcome to the Jordan Reynolds Show, Rewrite the Rules, the podcast for women who are done living by someone else's idea of what their life should look like. I'm Jordan, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, world traveler, and wellness girly who refused to settle for a life that didn't feel like mine. Around here, we talk business, health, mindset, and freedom with real stories and honest behind the scenes. If you've ever felt like you were meant for more, you're in the right place. Let's rewrite the rules together. Hello, guys, and welcome back to Rewrite the Rules. Today I have an amazing guest on here. She is an Oklahoma girl. Her name is Melina Putnam, and she is incredible. She is a marketer, she hosts events for women, retreats, and you guys are going to love her. She has been doing this for a few years, and she's incredible. So I'm so excited for this conversation. And I know that you're gonna leave with just so much inspiration and you're gonna start doing the things because she is so fun. So let's get into it. I have an amazing Oklahoma girl on here, and I know that you guys are going to absolutely love her. So I would love for you to share a little bit about you and what you do. And I've got some other questions, but I'm so excited to have you here.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Yay, I'm excited too. Thanks so much for having me, Jordan. So I I am a native Oklahoman, so I'm a Western Oklahoma girly originally. I in Shattuck, which is a tiny town, I always tell people it's like the armpit of the state right there. And then in like seventh grade, we moved to Woodward. So then Woodward seemed huge. And of course, compared to you know, Oklahoma City and Edmund, it's not, but because the fun fact is when I lived in Woodward and then I wanted to go to school at OU, which I did, and I looked at the population at OU was the same as my whole town. Oh my gosh.

unknown 2:00

That's so funny.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

So I love that. But yeah, I was raised by my grandparents, my paternal grandparents. May they rest in peace. They were great people. And so many of my values and things I do today are based on growing up with them because they were that, you know, depression era generation. And I still like I am I am so big on finding a good sale or like thrifting and all that. And I really think it's because of being raised by my grandparents. They were just so self-conscious of those things, which I just love hard workers, good ethics. I mean, all of that. So that's kind of the foundation of who I am. And then love storytelling, love reading. I mean, I was a voracious reader in school. And so, and I always wanted to be an author, I always wanted to write books. And so now it's kind of like I get to do like all of that. So I grow brands and community through strategy, storytelling, and social events. So I get to like have my introverted side where I'm like deep, insightful, and write and all that, and help my clients with their brand story, creating that what's your different, better special, but then also get that extroverted social side with Chicks in Charge, which is a social and leadership club that I started nine years ago. And we just have a ton of fun together, but we're also growing personally and professionally. And there's a book club in it too. So of course I gotta put some, get some more books in there. I love that.

SPEAKER_02 3:32

That is so fun. I love that you do multiple different things. I feel like the more women that I meet that are entrepreneurs, they're kind of moving away from just being about one thing. They're like, oh, and I also do this and I do this. And so I love that you have so much going on. Um, that leads me to our next question. So you do a lot of things. How do all those pieces connect? What was first? Kind of talk me through kind of how you got started.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Yeah, so I would say first and foremost would be the marketing and communication piece because uh in high school, which my journalism teacher was the head football coach, and he was approached by the radio station. And so I was the editor of the school paper. So I was the editor in Woodward for Woodward High for two years. And the radio station approached him and said, Hey, do you have anyone that you think would be willing to host a high school radio show? And so he nominated me and I was like, Oh, that's interesting. I'd never really thought about broadcasting before. Um, because of course you got to be exposed to it. And I was like 17. And so I said yes. And so it was so cool because so Z92 was a radio station that was owned by K101. So K101 is a hundred thousand watt station, so you can hear it in all, you know, good a good amount from Woodward. So it almost reaches Oklahoma City, but anyway, so it was the sister station, so not as big of a signal, but um, there were two lawyers in town who wanted to basically sponsor this show. Um, and I don't believe I got paid for it. I think I did it for free, but I was employed by the radio station at that point as well. So they're like, hey, you can. So I was like traffic coordinator. So I'm just like scheduling promos and stuff like that. But oh my God, talk about amazing experience because I shared an office with the head of DJ, Tony was his name, real firecracker of a guy, like smoker, like always smelled like smoke and one of those deep radio voices. Like I learned so much just being around. And then, of course, the salespeople, I mean, just learning how a radio station works. And so for my show, they said, you can do whatever you want. Like, we just want you to interview all these other small town schools around there, and and it was great because I got to take all my journalism knowledge, like I knew how to write a story, but how to do it for broadcast is different. And but I got to I create so it was inside out with Melina Brown was the name. And then I love Diana Ross. So Inside Out and the song was my theme song. Inside Out, boy, you turn me that. So that was my theme, and it was so cool because that, of course, that experience led to me becoming a McMahon scholar at OU, which I here they still have it going. They pick five a year, and I don't know how much they pay them, but basically back then it paid for like all my classes, it didn't pay for my you know extracurricular and sorority life and stuff like that. But um, so that was really cool. So without that experience, I don't think I would have gotten that McMahon scholarship because it really made me stand out. And um, it's just a cool experience. And I love, and of course, nowadays people can have podcasts, and um, of course, we've got video with social media, and so everything I learned at OU and in those early days, like still applies today, and you know, from the time I was 17 and I'm 54 now. So, like, that's a lot of years and a lot of changes and transformation, but storytelling will always persist. So, I love that.

SPEAKER_02 7:19

That is so cool. I did not know that. That is amazing. That's so fun. Tell me kind of like how you started in marketing now, because I know you mentioned a little bit about jobs and things earlier, but would love to hear kind of how everything got started.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah. So, you know, when I was at OU and trying to decide, so at first I was a print journalism major because most of my experience was in writing versus the broadcast. And so, but then it's like I I changed it. I decided, you know, I'm gonna go all in, let's do broadcast because I wanted to learn TV as well. And so, um, so I switched my major. And so throughout my four years, I was on the work study program. And so I always had a job like in the journalism school so that I could learn a little bit more. So worked at the library, I worked in the video lab, and so like checking out equipment. And but while you're there, like you get to experiment with equipment, all that. Because I so I learned so much from that. So then I was like, what do I want to do for my career? So I just applied for a bunch of jobs, but I was gonna, I got married right out of college, and so I didn't want to go be an anchor. So, really, in TV news, you know, you have to go to a small market and then work your way up, and then maybe you'll get hired in a bigger market kind of thing. And so I did not want to do that. I was gonna live in Oklahoma City, and so I did a couple of internships. I still highly recommend for people to do internships because I learned a lot. I was at channel five one summer, and then um channel four had a creative services coordinator position open. And I remember it was like seven bucks an hour, and it was part-time, so they didn't have to pay benefits. And but I was like, okay, like I don't know what a creative services coordinator does, but I was a creative person and I knew how to coordinate things because I'd already done trap, been a traffic manager for K101, so I knew how to do that stuff, and um and I got hired, and they told me that there were like 2,000 applications, something crazy like that, you know, for a seven dollar. But but it makes sense if you have all these people graduating with these journalism jobs, like what are you gonna do? There aren't that many as you know, even today, TV stations, radio stations, all that. And so I took that job and again I learned a lot because I was still doing traffic. So I did promotional traffic and I did get to produce some commercials, and but mostly like it'd be promotional things. So, but the funny thing is, like, I worked with Mike Morgan during doing weather school. So he and I would get in the car, hit his, you know, Jeep, and of course, I think they probably had we probably had a cameraman with us and go to all the little schools and do his little weather school thing that he did in the gymnasiums. And I don't even really know how I was helpful on that, but I remember doing that, and I just think it's so funny that he's still there today, and I've had like so many jobs since then. But anyway, that was great. And I I was Channel Force employee of the year that year. I I don't know how I got that, but I I got that. And so because I did work with all the different departments, and so um that was that was good because I got to learn how to just work with more people, you know, and learn from different people. And so from that, I was like, oh, now I know what marketing is. Like I before in school, like I knew there was a PR department. I don't even know if I knew that there was a marketing degree at that point because I think you're only exposed to what you know. And so from being in a small town, like, yes, I knew we had a newspaper, I knew we had radio stations. But I I mean, small businesses, I guess I just knew that they did ads in the paper and on radio. But beyond that, I didn't really under like know about ad agencies or and I was a really smart person, but it was like I just wasn't exposed to that. So that being said, even though I don't have a degree in marketing, all that I was doing was marketing, you know, writing and and learning persuasive copywriting and and all that. And so after channel, so I was only there for a year because again, like I wasn't making very much money. So I went to work for Frontier City and Whitewater Bay as their marketing coordinator, and I loved that job. Like, of course, what and I think there's are they still they're still around. Frontier City is now owned by Six Flags, and it was in the owned back then, and then um Whitewater. Um, so yeah, I think both of them are owned now by the Six Flags franchise. But again, just planning events. So that's my first time, even though I had been like I've always been in sororities, and even in my high school, we had a social club. So I did do a lot of event planning and stuff since you know, starting in high school, but I got to do it more for like a commercial purpose and inviting the community in. So I would say like my community marketing and advertising and event planning really started from there, so which I still do a lot of that today. So that's really where I learned all of that. And I worked a lot of hours and it was really hot, of course, in the summer because you had events. We had something called Rhythm Pit at Frontier City, which was a Friday night dance club, and it's amazing. Um, nothing really bad happened during the I was like, it was so we had the D, you know, uh KJ103 was our sponsor. So that's the thing too. Like, it's so funny. I ran into my um, I think back then she was my news nine rep, Gala was her name, and I ran into her at a charity event the other day, and she was like, Melena, and she's got this cute accent, and I was she was like, You look exactly the same. And so, and I worked with her when I was 22 and and she looked the same. I mean, it was just it's such Jordan, it is such a Oklahoma is a big small town, the whole state is, and so that's why I tell, you know, recommend never burning bridges. Um even if I've been let go somewhere, like downsized or whatever, because I was, because then I started work, I worked in corporate marketing, and that's how I like rose through the ranks. And like every so basically every year I would find a new job. Like if I wasn't getting promoted, or if they said they were just gonna pay me a tiny bit more, I would always find a better job. So that way, by the time I was, you know, in my upper 20s, I was making a really good income. So, you know, coordinator, then manager, then director. And so, and then when our companies, the corporations I work for, were bought, that's when I started my own ad agency. So I was 28. And but the smart thing is, because I wasn't very, I mean, at 28, you're you're usually not very connected. I mean, so I my business partner was 12 years older than me, very connected. Like she was in the downtown rotary and a couple of other things. Of course, we were members of the Edmund Chamber. So our agency was called Brain Works, and it was in Edmund. And so we got a lot of clients like really early on, like because my partner was she was very vivacious, very charismatic. I learned so much from her because I was not like the person you see today. I was not that then. I'm always kind of had quiet confidence, but didn't really feel comfortable speaking out and all that and and presenting, you know, because again, I had radio, I had TV experience, but but speaking in front of people is a whole nother thing. Yeah. And so I um so learned again, learned so much from her, but from that, we got the Oklahoma City Zoo account back when Will and Wiley were first born and brought over from Alaska because their mother was killed. So that's how we got those cubs. And of course, Will and Wiley are still there, did a big Laura Key campaign. Oh, so I was the creative director at the agency. So I did all the creative and I had we mostly used contractors, but then we had two employees. So the biggest that our agency ever was was like five people, and then I always had summer interns because I love that because I knew that young people, you know, had so many great ideas. And and I will never say that young people don't, because I remember like I was a great employee and had great ideas when I was 17, 18, 19, 20, you know. So I've always had so back then we had a lot of interns too. And so yeah, the Oklahoma City Zoo and we had 7-Eleven, that was so fun. My kids were in the TV commercial, so yeah, so at this time, like I'm also having babies, so I had three, so I have three kids, and so that was great because that was the first time I got to balance, like I could take my kids to the office or take my little, you know, and then um, or I could work from home, and so everyone else that sort of experienced work from home and like during the pandemic, like I already had already been doing that for like all ever since the kids were little, you know, and babies. And that's I just I think that's the smartest thing. I mean, I loved it, and now my kids are all grown, and I'm so freaking glad that I did that. And so for me, it's always about I want to be challenged, I want that the creative, but I'm such a believer in community because everything, everything I feel like that I've been gifted in this life is because of a connection that I had, you know, because of the community supporting me. So because like that journalism scholarship, well, if you know, if the owner of the radio station had not given me a chance and he was on the board at OU, and so he made a recommendation, you know, for me. And it's like, so yes, we do our best work and prove that, but then also it's like, well, who do we know in the community that can help? And I definitely believe in, you know, giving more than you take. But yeah, it's just so that's so that's kind of how it went, like corporate and then ad agency, and then and my partner left. Well, so she moved to Texas because her husband got a big VP in the oil and gas. Of course, pays way better than advertising. And so I was like, I wasn't mad, but we sold our agency. And so then me and my team that were left here worked for them for like a year, and that didn't really, it wasn't really a fit for the rest of their business. Um, and it's a great company. I'm still friends with all of them and everything. But so then after that, I just went out on my own. I was like, okay, well, you've had you have all these years of experience, like just freelance for a while, like figure out what you want to do. And oh, the other big uh company that we got through RFP is called Request for Proposal, and they still have those around today. But the Swasu account, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, we uh pitched that, and my pitch was the focus is you and got them as a client, and they were my client for 21 years. That's amazing. I know. So even when it's just Molina and they're like, so I knew, and this is so important, like for the viewers and listeners to know, it's like if you do a great job and you have that connection with that person, like I figured as long as as he was he was VP and then he was senior VP, my client, then I'm probably safe. You know, it's when you're unsafe, is when there is a complete change. Like if the company sold, if they bring in, bring in someone new and then they want to bring in their own people, which I get. Like that's so I figured, and when he told me he was gonna retire, I was like, okay, like bye-bye to this account. Like it was a wonderful. I'm like, 21 years is such a good run. Like, I can't be mad about that. And now it's plus, it's just different. I mean, a lot of companies, um, of course, people still use agencies, but but because of, you know, Canva and now I guess AI, but I could just I saw it changing. So the important thing for me and for everybody else out there is like you have to continue to evolve too. Like, just because I have all this experience doesn't mean someone's gonna want to pay me five times what they want to pay someone who's just learning, right? So it's just like you just have to know that, which is why I had to evolve and go, okay, well, I can train your team. Or like if you can't afford this in your budget, then maybe we can do this. And so I've had to learn how to be like really nimble to keep myself employed in my own company, right?

SPEAKER_02 20:04

So I think that's just like entrepreneurship. I feel like it's it changes so much, but especially in marketing, like the last I think four years, even probably six years since like video came on the scene. Holy moly, it is wild. But I also loved what you said about like community and connections and doing a great job. Like, I know we have so many women that are starting businesses or are scaling businesses that listen to this podcast. Can you give them like maybe one or two things that you've done to kind of maintain great relationships with clients? Because I think that that is so key for sure.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

Yes, yes. Thank you for bringing that up. And actually, because that is a new thing that I'm doing this year. I launched my Trailblazer program within Chicks in Charge. So it's a higher level, deeper level program where we do focus on scaling our brands and community. And so again, I always put brand and community together because I think it takes both. So to answer your question, what I would say is that um, so every month we have a different trail. So last month's trail was um the art of the follow-up. Most people only follow up once, if at all, and then they drop it. Oh, you didn't hear from me. Oh, I guess you don't want to do business with me. Oh, I guess research shows you need more than five follow-ups. Five, which sounds insane. But the other thing is I think we we have too, we rely too much. Like, let's say you have a CRM and like for me, I just have square. I don't, and then I do my own newsletter out of that. I don't really rely. So it does send you reminders, like I'll send reminders, of course, for people to pay their invoices and stuff. But but the cool thing is what I recommend is that you create barrels. So, like, take take your target audience. So you've got a barrel for your past clients, you've got a barrel for your existing clients, you've got a barrel for like, I would say, like, soft clients. Clients or soft acquaintances. Like you, you maybe have touch points with them once in a while. Maybe you share some community with you're in a group together online, or you're in an actual club or association. I always recommend that. Like join as many as you can that makes sense for where you are in your life. I've gone in and out. Like in my 20s and 30s, I was on so many boards. I mean, all marketing, advertising, law at American Long Association, like just a lot. And now where I scale back and I'm like, I'm just volunteering for that. But all that's considered community. So you've got that barrel. And then you create a plan that includes brand touch points for each of those. Like, how often do you want to re-engage? Like with my past clients. I've had clients leave and then I sit there and go, who did I really enjoy working with? And I'll go back and I'll get that client back again. So, because they already know what it's like to work with me. And so, but for whatever reason, they that relationship ended at that time. But and so that's what I would recommend is like really divide, like, don't treat everybody like they're the same because they're not, right? Our relationships with them are different, their needs are different. Plus, you're looking at like in terms of if they have a business, well, are they a solopreneur? Are they uh are they a brick and mortar? I have a lot of hospitality clients, and so like the hospitality industry is so, so different than another service industry, professional service industry that doesn't have all that. It's not like having to buy food and have rising costs and employee turnover, da da da, right? So, so I look at all those and then say, well, what I want my brand touch point to be, and then what's the best fit for me and then my time? So I always recommend people do a time, energy, and money audit because then you've got to see, and I would say don't even at least do it every quarter because your your life's gonna change at that time. Like my daughter is getting married in October, so obviously I've got I've have to slice some time to work on that, to help her with that, and uh to be available. And so by doing that, then we're able to like create a plan that really works for you and create the communication plan that's the most appropriate, you know, for all those barrels. And because whenever I just so I just did this extra, I'm doing all the exercises along with the there's eight of us in the in our um little cohort cohort. But um, I had 1400, almost 1,500 people in my CRM in Squares. So these are all people that have paid me for something. And if you would have asked me before, I would have been like, I don't know, seven or eight hundred. Like I've hosted more than a hundred events, so like it makes sense that I would have a lot of people that were new or only came one time or whatever, and then of course, marketing clients and chicks members and all that. But that's why we have to know our numbers to grow our numbers. So, so important. And so, so again, once you know your numbers, then we're dividing it up to say, okay, now how what's our connection like? Like, who do I need to invite to something? Who do I need to have um what go on a podcast with, like whatever those those things are, then we can figure that out and then and then plan that out. So like that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Absolutely. Yes, I coach a lot of people too, and I hear, I just don't really have anybody else to reach out to. And I'm like, girl, like we have follow-up, and I agree because I feel like people feel like following up is bothering people, and it's like, no, people have so many other things in their life. You don't know if they've been thinking about it for a long time, like, man, I need to work with her, I need to go to this event, and you reaching out just opens that door again and makes them say yes, and then it completely changes.

SPEAKER_01 25:49

I like Jordan, I like saying remind is kind, remind is kind. It is, I mean, because we're not we're not saying uh pestering is kind. That's not what it is. It's really just reminding, hey, this thing is coming, or like this deadline's approaching, or and then of course, throughout, you know, whatever your funnel is. But for me, I don't, I don't really rely on a lot of technology stuff to do it. Um I mean, I use that as the basis, but then it's it's more like the in-person follow-up, like personal follow-up, I'll say like the DMs, the text, like if you've gathered all that information, and again, depending on your relationship with them, but usually people don't mind being pinged if it's something that like they're they're obviously on your interest list for a reason. And then we just remind them too, like, hey, we're on lead, we're in leadership admund alumni group together. It was good seeing you last about you. They're like, oh, because we're all like trying to rack our brains, right? For how we remember people. Because over the years, especially when you get to be my age, like there's thousands of people that I've met, you know? And so to figure out and jostle my memory, um, just got an email from a potential client yesterday and he was like, Yeah, I think we met back in the day, and I think we did, and it was probably like 25 years ago. And I'm like, you probably did, but um, but yeah, so so that's yes, I love that, Jordan. Remind is because if you don't remind me, goodness, I missed a book club thing I really wanted to be on the other day. Could not find the reminder. I don't know. So I missed it, and then I felt bad, but it's like we all need it. So I know I need it, and so then I know other people need it too. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 27:32

I know that you work with so many people, and I just get this question a lot, and it's like, how do you do it all? Especially being involved with multiple different things. Yeah, um, I feel like a lot of the people I coach, they're like, Well, I want to do this, I want to host retreats, I want to do events, but I also have coaching, and then I also do this, and they're like, How do you fit it all in? So I would love to hear like your take on that.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

Yeah. I think everything starts with like your life strategy, which is why people need coaches, right? But but people could even do this on their own. So I would say sometimes you have to you okay, this is good because I'm kind of thinking back because I have had so many years of doing some of these things, but so I'm trying to think back to the beginning of like when I first wanted to do these things, like retreats, because I do host two retreats a year. The summer one, Chicks and the Sticks, we just had at Lake Murray. That was 19 women, and then typically I have between 13 and like 20 women for our fall retreat, which is in a luxury cabin in Hocha Town, broken above area. So, yeah, so I'm trying to think back of like, I feel like whatever you're going to do, probably don't just do it once. Like it's go, and then you want to give yourself a lot of lead time. And then does that thing really fit with the overall? So I call it the umbrella brand. So this is my brand strategy hat on, but like you've got your umbrella, and so for me, it is growing brands and community. So anything that's not that, if I'm not growing someone's brand for them or growing one of my brands and community, it then I'm then I'm not gonna do it. You know, that that's my filter. So I would say for uh the viewers to go, like, does that fit with my overall plan? So that doesn't mean that you can't like have a side hustle or something, but I do know for scaling our businesses and scaling our brands, we do want to simplify and then it's like repeat. You got to simplify and then you gotta be consistent and repeat, repeat, repeat because there's so many people that I've invited to events, and I do have the same events every year now. So that I learned my lesson that like I thought when I got this space, you know, it's 2500 square foot, you fed a hundred people in here. I was like, oh, well, I'll have events every two months. Girl, that was so I felt like I was constantly like you just come to my event and I'm already pitching my next event to you, you know, and it's like you can't keep going to the well for for the same people, like there's gonna be burnout, like there's gonna be invitation burnout too. And so I thought, and I was spending so much of my time. So again, on that time, energy, money audit, the events were not paying for themselves. And so I'd say you want to start small, but be consistent. So now I know every August I have fire and ice. And I do like I'm doing fire and ice here, and I'm doing a fire and ice on Tulsa. So that's manageable, but I have someone in Tulsa that's helping manage that one. But um, so that's that's the thing. It's like, what do they really want? And then, like in my Trailblazer program, I have like, what's your valley and your peak? What's the minimum you're willing to make on something? And then the peak is what you ultimately want to profit. And of course, we know revenue is different than profit. So I really want to encourage everyone to look at the profit on it because sometimes when I add in my hours, I'm like, girl, you're you're making the same as you did when you worked at channel four, making seven bucks an hour. Like, whoo, like we're not gonna do that again, or we're gonna do it differently, or I'm gonna outsource some of it. Like, and so you constantly have to be evaluating. And so that's what I do, even you know, because I still like I'm a in Enneagram, I'm a seven wing eight, so I love novelty, adventure, fun, but I am a strong leader and I love to lead and all that. But I have to know, like, I'll look at that adventurous whatever, and I'm like, and then I'm like, okay, realistically, then like let's put my eight hat back on. Like, what is that gonna take to manage? And then what do you have to cut? Because normally we only have so many hours in a day, right? Where you're you're gonna have to say no to something to say yes to something else. And so that's where I've had to really be better. And then, and I will say, I mean, to give myself a plug, like that my Hojatown retreat, when I started that four years ago, like I will say I am much better about managing my time, my expectations, because I I review, you know, we review the year, what worked, what didn't, blah, blah, blah, and then set it for the next year. And so that has helped me personally and professionally so much too, because I there have been several ideas that I've been like, oh, that seems so fun. I'm like, no, you can't do it, Melina. You can't do it. Whereas five or ten years ago, Jordan, I would have said, Yes, let's do it. Like, I just want to jump in. I'm someone that if you say this, and I've had them back when I had bosses, um, they would say, I would come to them and I'm like, okay, here's this thing you asked for. And they're like, You already did that. Like to them, it was just an idea. Like, if if you know now, I know some people just ideate verbally and they didn't really mean that they would, but I'll go ahead and do it. Like, I'm just a doer, you know. So I have to stop myself and go, no, like, let's focus. What do we really want? What's the time investment there? What kind of resources is it gonna take? And again, does it fit within that filter, that umbrella? Is it underneath there? Because if it's not, that's cool, but I'm probably gonna have to say no on it.

SPEAKER_02 33:10

Yeah, I am also a seven we eight, so everything you just said, I'm like, uh-huh. I would have already had it strategy twins. I'm already doing it. And it's like, oh, I was just talking about it. It's so hard. I don't know if you do this when you meet someone and you find out what they do, and it's like, I already see like offers they can do, positioning, messaging. It's terrible because I'm like trying to be in the conversation, but also my brain's already gone at the same time. And then I'm like, oh, can we stop talking about personal stuff and I can talk about how I can help your business because it's already there.

SPEAKER_01 33:42

I know I have to, and actually, because I I volunteer quite a bit as much as I can. And I was volunteering for an organization that I love. They had a gala, and my girlfriend that was with me, she uh also volunteers a lot, and she and her husband were there, and we're walking around and we're and exactly what you're saying. Like, we're evaluating, we're like, I would do this, this, and you know, I could not wait until they ask for my feedback at the end. I was like, because I have learned, like, I don't give feedback unless I'm asked for it, right? But boy, when they ask me, like, I'm like, yeah, da da da, right? So it's so I have to turn that off when I go places, when I especially when I go to an event, and then when I see a business, especially if I see a business online, a small business, and they're struggling and they're like, no one's coming in, and all that. And I'm like, I haven't seen any post from you except for now you're posting. So it's like they're not doing the marketing aspect. And I get it. I mean, times the economy is not great right now, and so I get people cutting that, but I think that they should cut marketing almost last. Unfortunately, they cut they cut marketing first, and that's why I'm like, like when someone tells me, um, now if it's a client that I they already have my ear, like I'm I I I'm so direct, you know, and I will tell them. But if other people, if I say, Well, would you want some feedback? I'd be happy to to tell them that. But that doesn't mean they're gonna listen. But that's an unfortunate thing, is that on you know, when we are struggling, we think that we have to cut off instead of actually doing more. So it's you're you're you're so scared and you get into that uh the abundance, you know, it's like, where's my abundance mindset? I need it right now because I need to be part of it, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 35:34

I 100% agree with you. Because I just feel like if you're not posting on social media and even if you're not running ads, like how can people find you nowadays? Like we have people, whether they're traveling out of state or even if they're local, like they find you because they're on TikTok or Instagram. It's Google's still great, but I think a lot of people are looking on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. And if you're not on there, I mean you're not even giving people the opportunity to find you. And I agree with you, like they're like marketing's gotta go. And I'm like, if you're gonna do it, then you gotta double down and you gotta start posting yourself, then yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

Well, and so often you probably hear this too. People say that they hate quote unquote hate social media. And it's like, I I get it, but okay, so back in the 90s, okay, so when I worked for corporate, I had a big marketing budget. I wanna, I mean, it was big for me back then, it was like two million dollars. Um, but you know, so then you splice it up and you go, okay, this much is on TV, this much, this much is on like phone book ads, right? So you had yellow page ads, and then you had you had listings, and it's like a bold listing is this. This is and so that's what I I tell people that are, you know, even clients that are older than me, that they remember those days. And so I have to be like, hey, remember when you were paying an ungodly amount for a bold listing and the yellow pages so people could find you. Today that's meta, that's Facebook and Instagram. And so I'm not saying that you have to show up there every day, but your ad can show up there every day. Like for this space, I don't do a lot of social media for it, but I have an ongoing ad. Every day it's reaching new people. And my SEO is really, really good because when I say, How how'd you find me? It's usually a chat GPT, like or Claude, or you know, one of those. It's LLM. And they're like, Yeah, I typed in exactly what I was looking for and you popped up. And I'm like, that's how it should be. And so for people to not even do that part, it's kind of like they're not even trying, you know, because there are some pretty basic things that you just have to do if you're gonna have a business. And that would be one of them to make sure that the word is out about your b uh oh, so here, here's my you've probably seen my videos and on my disco ball, but it's disco lasso rodeo. So disco is for discovery. Like you've got to have the disco ball in the right places for your audience to see it. If they don't, and you're not shining it, then who's who shines the light? The disco ball has to have a light to reflect. It's you, like you are the light that you're gonna have to do. I don't care if you like it or don't like it. Like you have to do it, pay for it, find someone else to help you with it. Like, but to me, that's just like a non-negotiable that you have to do something.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Yeah, I agree. I think that it's like a mindset shift, and when people decide that they're going to just go for it instead of saying, I also think it's like avoidance too, whenever you're like, oh, I just hate Instagram or I hate Facebook or I hate social media. And it's like, man, I just think about how 25 years ago, the people back then advertising and trying to get the word out about what they do, they look at this opportunity because that's what it is. It's opportunity, and we can put as many of them out every day as we want. It's it's so exciting to me. So I'm like, I'm like reframe that because it is amazing. Like, there's been no other time in history that one video or one ad can absolutely change your life. Like, I just get excited.

SPEAKER_01 39:16

Well, and the thing too, Jordan, is that the cool thing, okay. So I remember so again, like let's go back. This is what you get for having a Gen Xer on your show. But back in the 90s, when let's say, or even even the early days actually of my ad agency. So this would have been like 2005, you for a 30-second commercial, 30 seconds, okay, you were at least gonna pay $10,000 to $15,000. At least, okay. And so it cracks me up when people then are like, I'd like a, I want a social media manager and I want you to give me whatever, like eight reels a month and all that, and then and they want to pay like $500. And I'm like, yeah, it doesn't happen. But I mean, there are people women out there, and again, I don't want to poo-poo people trying to make a living and all that. And uh, and there are a lot of people that will hire, you know, their niece or nephew because they're young and they're like, well, they're on Instagram. But the funny thing is, young people are not on Instagram that much anymore. So that's what they're on TikTok. And so, so it's just like, but do they know marketing? Do they know person, or are you just gonna let AI write everything for you? And that's gonna sound just like everybody else. Um, so I don't know. So that so that's been an definitely interesting for sure, but but to go from companies being willing to, and there still are businesses out there that you know do pay, um, still pay for ads and and and all that, but small businesses used to also at least pay for some of that or understand, like, I need one core video. And so now these days, that's why I tell people those are your three pinned posts, you know, they're pinned on Instagram, they're featured on Facebook. Like when people go to you, like I I gotta know where you are, what you stand for, all that stuff. And so many don't even do that. And so that, so that's really my focus now is yeah, if they can't don't have the budget for like a monthly retainer, let's at least get your core marketing in place, you know? That's so, so important. So, yeah, I'm glad you brought that up because it's like you don't have to spend a whole lot of time, but what you do need to spend on is going to be worth it because that is better than being invisible. The thing you cannot be is invisible. And sometimes it's worth like spending some extra time, like really think through it. Like, what is your different better special? I know with um, I don't know if you saw my, I did a reel for Eddies and then collaborated with like Visit Edmund and Yay Dude, which is my my agency, but the Route 66, and I have been wanting to do that, Jordan, for ever since last year, when I knew it was the Route 66, it's the hundredth anniversary this year. And the fact that Eddie has Eddie's, the lounge, and four horsemen on Route 66, I was like, and he had I he has vintage cars. And so I was like, Eddie, I really want to get you like this is my vision. And I pitched it to him several times. And finally he's like, okay, when are we doing it? Let's let's just do it. And I'm like, okay. And I knew I was like, I need at least two and a half hours of your time. And so we did it. And so that took me, Jordan, like, I think it was four hours to edit, and it was probably about two and a half hours of shooting. And I had two shooters, so Peyton that that works with me, he, so I had him stationed, so I did a shot list. So it's like, yeah, it wasn't a $15,000 production back in the day, it would have been. And I knew I had to get it under three minutes because Meta won't promote it, you know, if it's more than that. But so it's like it was so, so such a creative thing. And and it's and the and the commercial's doing really well, and so that's what I love. Yeah. So my last thought was just like on that, like let yourself have creative ideas and don't be afraid to invest the time in your brand storytelling because it's so worth it. And that becomes evergreen content that you know you'll be able to look back on. And so I just love that. So once in a while, yeah, I have I definitely like to spend a little bit more time and do something kind of bigger and more memorable. So I think it's always worth it.

SPEAKER_02 43:31

That's awesome. I think so many people skip that part. I would love to know from you because I know that I just love interviewing women that have done multiple things and they're so passionate about what they do. So this show is called Rewrite the Rules. So I would love to know in your own life like where have you rewritten those rules and really what has happened since.

SPEAKER_01 43:52

Let's see. I would say I think how afraid I was to be an entrepreneur after. After having my business with a business partner, especially someone that was what I thought, you know, older, wiser, a lot more connected. And so I think that that's really when I rewrote the rules. Two things back then, in so in 2005 is when I had my third child. And um, but even back in 2001. So 2001 is when I started my agency, though. So Autry, my daughter, who I said is getting married, was one then. And so I would say two things. So I rewrote the rules by a going just going out and trusting my business partner and having that business. And we didn't make a lot of money at first. And and the second part of that is deciding like how I wanted to be as a professional mom because I knew I always wanted to work, but yet I also really wanted to be there for the kids and be able to, you know, pick them up from school or meet the school bus. Or I mean, like some of my very, very favorite memories are picking up my um, so now he's 21, but when he was in school, I would drive and so I had the best minivan. Loved it. I loved that. I saw a Toyota Sienna the other day. I was like, oh, I remember my Sienna, it was the best. So, but like pulling up and then seeing his cute little face with his tiny little backpack. I'm like, hmm. So I would say that. Like when we think about what do we want to when you're so let's say you're in your 20s right now, and then when you're my age, and so you're 54, like what do you want to look back on and say, gosh, I wish I'd done this or tried this and and all that. And I just think that you never know, I mean, life is short. We never know how long we're gonna be here. And so just go ahead and and try those things now and give yourself permission to create the life that you really want. Again, that makes sense for your like you still want your lifestyle too. So it's like, well, what could I cut here or whatever? And like, what do I truly what like what's wealth really mean to me? Uh, because it's not usually the amount of dollars in our bank account. And for me, it is like I feel wealthy if I'm able to travel, if I'm able to help my kids, if I am able to give my daughter a nice wedding and be able to support. I love to support local. So I want to shop local. I want to go eat at the local restaurants. Like I'm not someone that's gonna cook at home seven days a week. Like I want that budget that makes me feel wealthy, that I can do those things that I love and be passionate about and have a flexible job and be able to volunteer and donate money, that kind of thing. So um, so I think that for me is how I rewrote the rules back then. And then it's kind of set me up for now I do have the flexibility and freedom, but definitely still, you know, still have to produce the work and constantly get new clients and all that as well to be able to support that. So it's not like you're ever one and done. Same thing with like marketing and branding, right? Like you're we're still gonna have to work on it. Same thing is with our careers and with all those decisions that we have to make.

SPEAKER_02 47:13

Yeah. Okay. I love to ask everybody before we go if people are listening to this right now and they're thinking about going for something new, what is a couple things that you would share with them?

SPEAKER_01 47:26

Going for something new. So, yes, I will say doing your research first, like research it as much as you can. Like, talk to people who've actually done that thing. That's why I think internships are so important too. Like, if you're thinking about doing something new, whether it's traveling to a place or you want a new side hustle or whatever, like really talk and try to experience it before you've made a big investment in it, because time is just as much of an investment as money is, or sometimes more so. And so that's what I would say is like, do like do all your due diligence first. I know that sounds like, and especially for a seven, like I do love new adventure thing, but even then I'm be like, okay, I want to know like where am I going? What's what's this gonna look like, feel like, all that. And then you can make a more informed decision. That's so good.

SPEAKER_02 48:20

I love that. I agree. It's been so awesome having you on this podcast. I'm gonna have everything in the show notes for everybody to connect with you and all the amazing things you're doing. It has been so good. So thank you. Thanks for listening to the Jordan Reynolds show, Rewrite the Rules. New episodes drop every Tuesday, so make sure you're subscribed. And if this episode spoke to you, leave a written review and five stars. It helps this message reach more women who need it. Until next time, trust yourself, take the leap, and keep rewriting your own rules.