Melanie Boylan, Director and Co-Founder, STOMP Social Media Training Ltd
Melanie has been bringing social media training to business professionals since 2013. She has worked with SMEs, state bodies, Social Media Influencers, public figures and businesses across all industries. She customises her training to the needs of the individual trainees to make sure that they are using the correct social media for their businesses.
Melanie is a journalist with a keen interest in start-ups. In 2016 her writing on this subject brought her to the attention of Irish Tech News. And she has since been writing for them. She was brought on as a core team member in late 2017 and reports for them at events across Europe on social media.
Over the last three years, Melanie has started to mentor businesses through Micro Mentor. As a result, she has been recognised for her exemplary customer service by her peers by twice winning the Micro Business Awards (2018 and 2019).
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
Google My Business, mainly because it works so well for SEO.
Tell us about you and your current role or area of interest.
I have spent the last eight and half years building my business as a social media trainer, manager and strategist in a bid to empower business owners to manage their own social media and time better. It's been a ride so far! I have gained further roles along the way as an NUJ Journalist with Irish Tech News, a Business Mentor with the Local Enterprise Office, a podcaster on The Monday Morning Marketing Podcast and an Enterprise Nation Advisor. However, my passion is training!
What do you like about your career or area of focus?
As training is my focus, it's that moment my client has that moment of clarity and simply feels better about what they're doing.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Don't be afraid to ask for help, and no one got anywhere without it.
What inspires you, motivates you, or helps you to move forward?
My clients inspire me to be honest. As they come through my screen/door, I have learned so much from them. Of course, there are various teaching styles out there, and I guess mine would be more relaxed and patient than some. But, as most of my training is 1:1, I get the chance to see what they have absorbed or not.
My ultimate goal is for them to go away with a great deal more knowledge than they arrived with, and as we talk, I discover other areas I need to brush upon. So each client is actually helping the next one on the way.
The overall goal is to build a team and slowly but surely be able to spend more time with my two children and my husband. So, these days I am looking to build my brand and be able to step back a little, so I can pursue other projects of interest.
What are you proud of in your life so far?
Professionally, I would have to say it would be my STOMP brand. I have got some great testimonials and worked with some tremendous companies and people over the years. Setting up The Monday Morning Marketing Podcast with my good friend Esther Ocampo has been very enjoyable, and that's also starting to bring a return in now after 18 months.
On the personal side of things, it would, of course, be my lovely children. They amaze me every day with their thirst for knowledge, the way they manage with all the trials of today's life, and I love the way they are developing and have great aspirations for their future.
What is your preferred way to meet new people/network?
In an ideal world, I would love to return to face to face networking; it made building relationships so much easier, but I have adapted well to Zoom, and in some ways, I will hate it when I have to drive everywhere again!
What skills or qualities do you feel have helped you?
Perseverance - this has helped me, no end as I have only myself to keep accountable. I am also quite organised and love a list or three. Initially, it was excel sheets, then whiteboards. Now it's hardback books and Google Calendar.
Over the years, I have set aside time to continuously upskill myself, and I have stayed in touch with all the changes in social media by having a monthly round-up.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
Honestly - the lessons of the last eight years have been so necessary. If I had walked into my role with the knowledge I have now, I probably wouldn't be so confident in what I know and would still have to make the mistakes in order to test myself. In some ways, I wish I knew what area of my job would've made me happier earlier, but again, it was an experience I needed to go through to truly understand.
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles and why?
Gosh, so many people, to be honest. There are the usual great and well-known people like Mari Smith, Teresa Heath-Wareing and the like. Still, to be honest, the longer I have been around, it's just seeing the more durable small business owner and the sheer gumption they have had to display to keep their business ness running.
Outside of your professional/work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
I love gardening and the time spent with my children and cats. When we can, I would love to return to places like the National Art Gallery and other places of interest too.
Has the pandemic had a positive or a negative effect on you and/or your business, and how have you managed it?
The pandemic has been a double-edged sword, really. I am busier than ever. And have been able to add new revenues of income by collaborating with a number of people on a regular basis as well. Unfortunately, my family is overseas, so I haven't been able to see them for nearly two years now, which is a shame, but at least we can still communicate via video call.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever mentored anyone?
I've never had a formal mentor, but I have had some excellent connections that I admire and have been fabulous in supporting me over the years. They would also be female entrepreneurs who have given me their time and expertise, and frankly, there's too many to mention, and I'd fear I had missed any. With regards to my mentoring, gosh, I have had a few now! I'd say I'm in the hundreds at this stage between micro mentors and mentoring for Westmeath Local Enterprise Office and Micro Finance Ireland.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work or interests?
There is a great deal of support here in Ireland to help you set up and get training in running your own business. Then I would suggest they write down all the areas they have a gap in their knowledge and look at a way of plugging it. Either by getting group or 1:1 training and then prioritise what they need to do first.
That would most likely depend on the budget and time they had available as well. The downside to being a sole trader is that you wear so many hats, which can have a large impact on your productivity. So, by prioritising early on, you can improve yourself and your business in a faster manner.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
Having a business that doesn't make a profit for longer than it can withstand. Most new businesses fail in the first two years, and the only way to stop that is to massively bootstrap from the beginning. Unfortunately, this is not something that is natural or taught and unless you know who to talk to to get some support in this, very hard to achieve.
In my opinion, if people asked for help sooner, they would last longer, but many business owners feel they are failing if they do. Also, a lot of business owners aren't aware of how much support there is out there as well.
Is there a phrase, quote or a saying that you really like?
"Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear."
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Well, the companies I would look, would be in my niche; I think that would be fair to say. I would say I most admire the Women's Inspire Network for over-delivering in pretty much every way. Public Sector Marketing Pros for niching and getting it so right. I also highly regard Agorapulse for seeing their brand grow so exponentially and Digital Women for what they stand for and how they have so effectively matched their mission statement to what they have achieved so far.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience/readership?
Success for me would be doing a job you enjoy and getting paid fairly for it. I would also see it as something you can get away from, so having processes in place means you can step away from it too. Since I started with a VA, it's been the best thing ever.
I get to continue the work I profit from and still have someone working on the processes I can hand over. I'd encourage everyone to try something new and different and think of as many different contingencies that they can to evaluate its success. Most of them will work out, some of them won't, but you'll only find out one way.