About Me
Hi, I’m Melanie, although most people know me as Mel.
I’m the face behind Boutique Marketing and Design. Like most things in life, I did not arrive here in a neat, straight line. There were a few career changes, a tree change, a newspaper closure, a mild identity crisis, and eventually, a business that started with me, a laptop, a lot of coffee, and a genuine belief that I could help.
My working life started as many do in retail. I learnt pretty quickly that people are interesting, customers are unpredictable and not always right, and that good communication can save you from a lot of awkward moments.
From there, I spent time as a sales rep, running around Brisbane and the Gold Coast, working with business owners in the food industry. It was busy, fast-paced and full of variety, and it gave me a real appreciation for the people behind the businesses, the ones juggling stock, staff, customers, paperwork and still somehow managing to smile.
Then came the tree change to the beautiful South Burnett.
Culture shock? Absolutely.
But it did not take long for the region to feel like home. I started working at the South Burnett Times as a media sales consultant, back when advertising was mostly print, TV and radio, and watched the industry shift into what it is today, a big, noisy digital world full of opportunity, confusion and an unreasonable number of passwords.
Over 11 years, I worked my way into the role of Sales Manager, working with businesses across all sorts of industries. I loved learning what made each business tick, what brought customers through the door, what made people stop, look, read, click or call. Somewhere along the way, I also fell properly in love with design.
So, I completed a Diploma in Graphic Design and kept adding short courses along the way, because apparently I enjoy making myself busier. I wanted to better understand not just what looked good, but what actually connected with people.
Then COVID happened.
News Corp decided local printed media was no longer viable, and the South Burnett Times was closed. After 11 years, it was heartbreaking. It was also one of those strange life moments where you are standing there thinking, “Right. What now?”
So, somewhat in despair, and with more determination than business planning, Boutique Marketing and Design was born.
At the time, it was small, understaffed, underfunded and very much figuring itself out, which is a polite way of saying it was mostly me, a laptop, a coffee and a lot of tabs open. The idea was simple, I wanted to help local businesses understand what options were available to them in the digital space, especially after so many had relied on traditional advertising for so long.
Not long after, I was contacted by a former employer about joining a new locally owned newspaper. I said yes. It felt like the safe option, and honestly, it was wonderful to see a printed paper back in our community again.
But somewhere along the way, I realised I had lost my love for it.
Call it a bruised ego, call it the rose-coloured glasses coming off, call it finally admitting what I already knew. My heart had shifted. I wanted to create, design, build and help people bring their ideas to life in a different way.
So, I made the scary decision to give Boutique a proper chance.
Since then, the business has grown, changed and adapted, just like I have. I was approached by the local tourism organisation, Visit South Burnett, to work with them on boosting tourism in the region, and I’ve been working with them since 2021. That work has become a huge part of my story, combining strategy, design, storytelling and a genuine love for seeing this region shine.
These days, I love working with people who are having a go. The new businesses, the growing businesses, the people with half an idea scribbled on paper, the ones starting again, trying something different, or finally backing themselves.
I’m passionate about design, but I’m just as passionate about people. I love seeing someone’s idea start to take shape, watching their confidence grow, and being a small part of the adventure.
Away from work, I’m a mum to three beautiful children, have way too many pets, love gardening more than I ever expected to, and have a husband I absolutely adore. Life is full, noisy, messy, funny and occasionally held together by coffee and blind optimism.
And honestly, I would not have it any other way.
