Melissa Hughes
Melissa is the Chief Operating Officer at Foundation and brings 13 years of experience in marketing and communication to the team. Having spent half of her career at a creative agency and the other half at a digital agency, Melissa brings a unique pairing of qualitative and quantitative research to provide digital direction for our clients. Her areas of expertise include stakeholder facilitation, qualitative research analysis, business analysis, data analysis, persona development, customer journey mapping, measurement strategy and marketing, and communications strategy.
Melissa has provided advice to clients in 20-plus industries (regionally, nationally and internationally) across B2B and B2C. She focuses on helping clients connect their unique selling proposition with the needs of their target audience so that they can compete within their industry.
Known for being part lefty and part righty, brain-wise, Melissa is passionate about understanding the reasons why a business is looking for a solution to a specific problem and helping them through the journey of finding the right solution. This has allowed Melissa to truly appreciate all skill sets needed in creating a digital strategy. Working with and mentoring a diverse group of subject matter experts throughout her career has provided some of her most fulfilling moments.
Melissa will not stop until she understands the “why.” Her motivation to help someone else solve a problem is awesome. Here’s a brief taste of Melissa’s personality:
What is usually playing in your headphones?
It’s a mix of everything and really driven by what I’m doing. If I’m cooking or baking it’s usually a country channel. If I’m working out it’s hip-hop I’m a huge Beyonce fan….well, who isn’t? Music has always inspired me and has had the power to turn any bad day around.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
It should be obvious from my headshot! A hairdresser LOL. I am still so impressed by the skill set a hairstylist possesses. Cutting hair or colouring hair feels very important and directly linked to someone’s self-esteem and confidence.
In the end, it turned out I could barely get my hair in a ponytail, so after a few years of trying to get that right in junior high, I set my eyes on a new dream.
What are you happiest doing, when you are not working?
Trying something new with my kids. The joy I feel when watching them learn something or experience something for the first time is hard to fully explain. It’s even better when I’m trying that new thing with them—this could be as small as a new baking recipe or as big as going on vacation to a new destination.
What is your hidden talent?
If you were to ask my mom, she would say singing. She thinks I gave up too soon on my grade school musical career. If you ask me, I would say I’m an old-school arcade geek and an undefeated Skee-Ball champion!
Although my kids are quickly gaining on me so I’ll need more practice now.
What is one of your favourite quotes?
I love this quote so much you’ll find it displayed in two places throughout our home:
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. — John Lennon
MELISSA’S LATEST POSTS IN THE LAB:
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