She's So Suite: The Artist turned The Founder at The Borden Group ft. Melanie Borden
- Kristi Faltorusso
- Sep 8, 2025
- 3 min read
LISTEN TO THE LATEST SHE'S SO SUITE PODCAST
IN THIS EPISODE KRISTI AND MELANIE DISCUSS:
1. Embracing the Unpredictable Career Path
Melanie’s journey from aspiring artist to CEO shows that career paths are rarely linear. Flexibility, curiosity, and openness to new opportunities are crucial.
2. Fear is a Green Light
Melanie underscores that fear signals growth. She urges us to treat fear as motivation to move forward, not a stop sign.
3. Personal Branding Matters
A strong online presence, especially on LinkedIn, can open unexpected doors. Melanie’s own shift to building a personal brand brought her new business opportunities.
4. Done is Better than Perfect
You don’t need perfection to start something new. Take action—even if you aren’t fully prepared—and improve along the way.
5. Personal Stories Build Connections
Posting personal milestones on professional platforms like LinkedIn can help humanize leaders. People want to engage with people, not just job titles.
6. Adversity Builds Thick Skin
Facing hostile work environments taught Melanie to compartmentalize negativity and not internalize others’ aggression—a critical leadership skill.
7. Women Can Change Male-Dominated Industries
Melani’s story highlights the power of female leadership, even in industries like automotive, which are typically male-dominated.
8. Mentorship Can Come from Unexpected Places
While early mentors were mostly men, later on, women became guiding figures, reinforcing the importance of learning from diverse perspectives.
9. Creativity Powers Innovation in Business
Her artistic background didn’t go to waste—creativity fueled her success in marketing and personal branding, showing that past skills often find new relevance.
10. Start Before You’re Ready
Melanie didn’t feel “ready” to start her own agency, but took the leap anyway. Sometimes, stepping in before you feel completely prepared is the key to unlocking growth.
Sponsored by: ClientSuccess and WednesdayWomen
Produced by: Manali Bhat
Listen to the She's So Suite Podcast:
Podcast Episode Overview:
In this engaging episode of the She's So Suite Podcast, Kristi Faltorusso sits down with Melanie Borden, a pioneering marketing executive and founder of The Borden Group. Melanie shares her unique journey from aspiring portrait artist to C-suite leader and entrepreneur in the world of marketing and personal branding.
The conversation opens with Melanie describing her formative experiences, including her initial dream of becoming a painter and her transition into the professional world driven by the realities of living in New York City. She details the first pivotal steps in her career, from getting her real estate license at a young age to discovering her love for earning and marketing herself, all before the social media era. As her story unfolds, Melanie recounts her transition from agency life to spearheading in-house marketing operations for a multi-business CEO, ultimately saving millions in ad spend and building an empowered, mostly female leadership team in a male-dominated automotive industry.
Melanie dives into the challenges she faced, including navigating hostility and skepticism as a young woman leading major change. She candidly discusses experiencing direct harassment in the workplace, the importance of compartmentalizing negative experiences, and the skills needed to maintain composure and drive impactful results regardless of obstacles. A strong theme throughout is how Melanie’s willingness to take risks—including launching The Borden Group essentially overnight—opened new doors professionally and personally. She shares that overcoming fear and trusting in her own abilities were essential to her success.
The episode also tours Melanie’s views on the evolving landscape of personal branding, especially on LinkedIn, and her advocacy for authentic, personal storytelling—even on professional platforms. Melanie’s strategies and philosophies not only shaped her career but now serve executives, founders, and leadership teams looking to elevate their own brands and online presence.
About Melanie Borden:
Melanie Borden is the Founder & CEO of The Borden Group, where she help other Founders, C-suites, and Executives align their real-life expertise with impactful strategies to unlock opportunities and build meaningful relationships at scale.
Timestamps:
00:00 Melanie Borden Launches The Borden Group
04:51 LinkedIn's Evolution: Community and Connection
06:40 "Building Trust Through Personal Posts"
12:56 Career Growth in Advertising Sales
16:23 Building In-House Agency Success
17:30 Pre-Pandemic Brand Refresh Sparks Innovation
22:29 "Career Pivot Amid Pandemic"
24:49 "Take the Leap: Just Start"
30:15 Diverse Professional Experiences
32:30 Building Resilience in Diversity
Comments