Today, I have a guest whose bio screams “masculine in business.” So far, she has been engaged in political science, history, IT technology, and marketing. However, when you see her, she’s so beautiful, radiant, feminine, and still confident and successful in what she’s doing.
And I invited her to tell us her secret of doing business like a woman.
She’s Melissa Kellogg Lueck, the CEO and Lead Coach of Avanti Business Academy for Women. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science and an MBA in Marketing from Hofstra University in New York.
For the last 20 years of her career, she founded numerous internet and technology companies before setting up her current enterprise, Avanti Creative Group Inc, in 2005. Now she is helping women make more and have fun doing it through building their confidence and marketing skills.
She serves her clients through one-on-one coaching and group experiences. She’s also a sought-after speaker and writer passionate about helping as many women as possible to build and scale successful businesses, make more, and hustle less.
Tune in for today’s episode, as we cover so many hot topics, such as:
- how do you redefine marketing as a woman leading with confidence instead of hustle
- what hustle is
- how to market successfully as a woman
- how to create your own “blue ocean”
Let’s dive in!
Doing Business Like a Woman in a Masculine World
Although Melissa has been formally educated in marketing, she doesn’t do her job as they taught her in school. And it’s no surprise since the marketing area often seems intimidating to entrepreneurs, especially women in business.
Many people don’t even know what to do when it comes to marketing. (I used to be one of them for a long time.) I’ve met many women who would either hold off their businesses or not scale them because marketing felt so daunting.
I think marketing is often a huge stumbling block for women because they are trying to do it like men and pigeon themselves into what marketing is. That’s why they can’t be authentic, feel exhausted and empty, and consequently fail to scale their businesses to multiple six figures.
Melissa (as an expert) confirms this view. She says there is a very masculine approach to marketing training at college. Although she went through formal education, she decided to do it her way when she started her own business.
Partially because she wanted to be authentic, partly because she didn’t have time or money to do a typical corporate marketing plan, Melissa created a way of marketing and communicating that was all about connection and relationship.
In our interview, she gave a beautiful explanation/definition of marketing, and I have to quote it here:
“Marketing is creating relationships with other humans. At the end of the day, it’s always one human selling to another human.” – Melissa Kellogg Lueck
When we try to put ourselves into a corporate box of what we think we should be doing, it doesn’t allow our spirit or energy to come through. That’s why there’s so much dissonance for many women – because we miss that relational piece.
What Melissa Learned From 9/11
Melissa experienced the hustle of the masculine world, and the turning point was actually a devastating moment that changed the lives of many Americans. The catalyst for the change was living through 9/11 in New York City.
Melissa was there, and she lost friends, neighbors, and classmates who just went to work that day. In that period, she lived with the motto that a lot of hustle and hard work equals money. But then, after the tragedy, she asked herself a simple question:
“If I go to work today and don’t come home, is this how I want my life to end?”
And the answer was, No.
So Melissa decided she needed to make some changes. She got out of that environment and went back to Colorado. Her goal was to create a life and a business that, if her last day came that very day, she’d be totally fine with it.
The attacks of 11 September made her turn her back to corporate indoctrination and its masculine energy and create something completely different. This is a powerful example of taking a horrible experience and turning it into a catalyst to bless first Melissa and then also so many others’ lives.
Make More, Hustle Less
As I mentioned, Melissa is helping women to build and scale successful businesses, to make more, and hustle less. What’s her secret – how does she convince herself and other women to get out of the hustle?
She has a simple yet powerful definition of hustle.
“Hustle is overworking, underearning, and compensating for a lack of confidence and faith in ourselves with action.” – Melissa Kellogg Lueck
In her opinion, we’re trying to cover our lack of confidence and faith in ourselves and the mission God has for us with constant action – hustling.
To get out of that, we have to come back to ourselves. First of all, to listen to our inner knowing (or the voice of God):
- to trust ourselves
- to have our own back
- to create safety for ourselves internally
In that way, we can fully express ourselves. Once we connect with who we really are, what we really love, and how we’d love to serve the world, that creates a lack of hustle. Because we can just be (the feminine trait of being) and go out to the world to serve our people.
And they (or He) will reward us with money.
Marketing Will Never Be Hard Again
Isn’t it inspiring when Melissa puts these deep truths in such a simple way? I absolutely enjoyed the interview with her. Make sure to check the full episode – she explained so many things you can apply, especially in this challenging period for the economy in general.
And she has a phenomenal freebie after which you’ll never run out of ideas or think marketing is too hard again.
Pick up Melissa’s 12 Brilliant Marketing Topic Ideas and learn how to use them for your blog, podcast, webinar, YouTube videos, podcasts, social posts, reels, freebies, etc.
Visit Melissa’s website and check out her podcast Doing Business Like a Woman.
Join our 5-day workshop, Conscious Creation the Feminine Way, and discover the components of conscious creation, laid out in practical terms, but apply them like a woman.
Book a free consult call with Team Prosperity and learn how to stay on track in your manifestation process.
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