Business Insights from Mellissah Smith and Mike DeMos
Our founder, Mellissah Smith, appeared on the podcast “Finding Your Grit” hosted by Mike DeMos, CEO of C-360 Agency. During the podcast, they sat down to discuss their experience in modern business and insights on marketing strategies.
Mellissah and Mike provide practical advice and perspectives that are invaluable for business and marketing professionals today. They explore a range of topics, including the necessity of flexibility, the art of strategic change, the benefits of integrating AI, and the significance of a proactive mindset. Their discussion acts as a comprehensive guide to overcoming current business obstacles and seizing potential opportunities. This podcast shares insights and information and motivates and prepares professionals to excel in their fields.
Welcoming Transformation and Gaining Insights from All Experiences
Business and marketing are inherently volatile. It is crucial to foster a mindset that views unexpected job changes or market shifts as opportunities for development and growth. Such attitude underscores the need for quick learning and the capacity to adjust strategies in response to evolving market demands.
In their discussion, both speakers, pioneers in their own right, emphasized the value of perceiving unexpected or unplanned events as catalysts for learning and personal growth. They highlighted the significance of reframing rejection, such as job loss, as a chance for personal and professional improvement, suggesting that it is this mindset that builds and fosters resilience.
Tactical Reasoning and Decision-Making
Their conversation highlighted the importance of quick learning and the agility to make thoughtful changes in business strategy. Being able to quickly assimilate new knowledge and adjust to the market’s changing conditions is essential for success in any field.
They also discussed the importance of deliberate and consistent improvements in business methods to stay ahead in a variable market. The consequences of hesitating in decision-making can be costly, as slow reactions may hinder a company’s progress.
Mike credits his professional success to the strategic, yet minor adjustments he has implemented over time, adapting to the evolving market. Such adaptability is key to avoiding what is known in the industry as a “Kodak Moment”—the downfall of a business due to its inability to foresee and respond to industry evolution. The dangers of procrastination in decision-making are clear. Mellissah and Mike shared their insights on endorsing quick and adaptable strategic changes for continuous business growth.
Podcast insights also highlighted the advantages of collaborative decision-making. Both speakers concurred that collaboration often leads to more favorable outcomes than decisions made independently, concurring that pooling diverse views and skills is what leads to enhanced decision quality.
Their conversation highlighted the criticality of capitalizing on every opportunity, planned or not, for business growth. They proposed that budget-conscious businesses might benefit from, like employing a part-time CMO rather than a full-time one. The main takeaway is that even minor, yet carefully considered changes in one’s strategy can have significant, beneficial impacts.
Harnessing Technology and AI for Marketing Innovation
The evolution of AI in marketing, notably through tools like ChatGPT, has been significantly reshaping the industry, by fostering creativity and deeper engagement, not just increasing speed. Yet, AI requires marketers to enhance their understanding and use it wisely. Mellissah and Mike noted that AI, particularly ChatGPT, improves efficiency and drives both innovation and unique audience connections. Improving AI literacy is essential for leveraging its full capabilities in marketing strategies.
The Power of One’s Mindset
Mellissah and Mike emphasized the need for a forward-thinking mindset for career advancement, focusing on small wins and consistent progress. Mike used a simple analogy to make this point clear:
“Wherever you are is the baseline, and then your job is to just make incremental improvements overtime. [We need to] stop judging [ourselves] on wherever [our] baseline [is]. Even if we’re 4 feet underwater, if tomorrow we’re 3 feet underwater, that’s still progress. That’s something we should be proud of.”
He suggested that we should avoid harsh self-judgement based on our starting point; progress, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction and deserving of recognition. They also noted the importance of collaboration in decision-making, which typically results in more successful outcomes than those made independently.
For those aiming to enhance their approach and drive growth in both their personal and professional lives, the full podcast is a rich source of practical advice. To access strategies that can truly impact your career, listen to the full podcast below.
