Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Lushbaugh
Hi Melissa , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
South Made Marketing is a full-service marketing agency with locations in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Marco Island, Florida. I attended Florida Atlantic University and bring over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry.
During college, I began my career in restaurants, working as a server and bartender before quickly advancing to leadership and marketing roles in high-end establishments. I served as head bartender and later transitioned into marketing and event planning for several fine dining restaurants in Boca Raton, Florida. I also gained marketing experience in an internship position with Keller Williams Real Estate.
After college I became a high school English teacher and head cheerleading coach where I utilized social media to gain attention for my athletes and seek out scholarship opportunities.
After teaching for roughly ten years I decided to follow my heart and put full energy into social media marketing. At the time my husband, Derek had a web design company and I was assisting with this business. I opened South Made initially as a social media company offering other related services like graphic design and photography. After several years we joined the two companies to become a full-stack marketing firm.
I also has a strong background in professional photography and have been published in notable food and beverage industry publications, including Food and Wine, Food Network, Southern Living, and other leading websites and cocktail/travel books. I use my expertise in visual storytelling and design to craft compelling marketing strategies for brands, ensuring every aspect of a brand’s presentation is polished and effective.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Work life balance. Marketing is a round the clock job often needing time and attention well after normal business hours. I have three children so juggling running a business and being a mom can be difficult. And being able to sign off when it’s time to be at home or go on vacation (what is that?)
As you know, we’re big fans of South Made Marketing . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We handle everything and anything marketing wise. From social media and web design to video, photo and graphic design. We work with a lot of hospitality brands like hotels, restaurants and bars. But we have clients in every industry and love the diversity of what we get to help market.
My biggest goal is for our clients to feel like we are part of their team and have a genuine passion for their success. We want to treat each business we work with like it’s our own. Taking great care to represent them well and help them stand out and tell their unique story.
I think the team at south made is highly creative and we come up with very unique ways to market things to potential clients. It’s about seeing a campaign or idea not just building a website or managing social. It’s coming up with a concept or story to reach an audience and using every platform in conjunction to do that.
South Made truly partners with our brands and we strategize and plan and create concepts that resonate with viewers to generate genuine excitement. That may be an event we create and market or a YouTube series we pitch and shoot.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Opening my own firm! Expanding and getting a larger space. Hiring more people who rely on me and this brand to take care of them financially and help them advance in their field.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SouthMade.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southmademarketing?igsh=eWtuM29wOWdkamNy&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BDij6spZb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
