Influential Woman · Marketing Social Media

Melanie Remkus

Independent Contractor, Self-employed

Chicago, IL

4Years experience

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree BA Marketing - Columbia College Chicago (2024) Degree Summa Cum Laude Cert BA Marketing Cert Summa Cum Laude Member National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)

Her Story

About Melanie

Melanie Remkus is an independent contractor based in Chicago, Illinois, who specializes in marketing, social media, and content creation. She graduated with a BA in Marketing from Columbia College Chicago in 2024 as a summa cum laude graduate and has been working professionally in the field for almost three years. In her role, Remkus handles all aspects of client work including content ideation, creation, posting, client communications, analytics, and payments. She is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and has served as a social media manager for Step Up Women's Network for 11 years, where she contributes to content creation for an organization focused on preparing young women to be career-ready, confident, and focused. Outside of her professional work, Remkus has been a dog sitter for 10 years. She attributes her success to the strong support of her family, including her parents and her Step Up family, as well as a major personal loss before her final semester of college that motivated her to grow. Remkus emphasizes the importance of networking, honesty, communication, work-life balance, collaboration, and being true to oneself in her career advice.

Milestone Moments

In June, I became a Social Media Ambassador for Step Up Women’s Network! Here is a little background on the nonprofit. Success is subjective. No one destination fits all – so why would one path fit all? At Step Up, we believe girls deserve to define and pursue success on their terms. By bringing girls together in inspired spaces – on and offline – we spark exploration and discussion of what’s possible. With structured support and access to a strong community, we guide girls towards their unique goals: first, by identifying those goals and then, building the roadmap to get there. Whether there is college, an internship, a network, or simply confidence – we’re there for it and there for you.

Quick Facts

IndustryMarketing Social Media
Based inChicago, IL
Specialty Marketing Social Media, Content Creation
Volunteers with Step Up Women's Network (11 years, Social media manager), Dog Sitter (10 years)

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Melanie

01What do you attribute your success to?

My success comes from my strong family support behind me, including my parents and my Step Up family who have guided me. A major loss right before my last semester of college really drove me to do better and grow into a better version of myself. I truly believe I would not be where I am without that strong family background and the influential people who supported me.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I received is from my dad: it's not what you know, it's who you know. This has come full circle through networking, and that's what I've built my life around - truly networking and getting to know people.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Network, network, and network. You are going to have to work very hard but the best thing is be yourself, be true to who you are, and just be a good honest person in the business world. Don't let people walk all over you. Make your own business cards, take your own headshots, and your reputation will precede you.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenge is standing out and being unique in an overcrowded field because everyone's doing it. AI is a big thing - I use it 100% to help and assist but not to do all the work, and it's taking away a lot of people's jobs. Being fully remote can be wonderful but also very lonely at times because you want to be in a room with other people, so you have to put yourself out there.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Honesty is huge for me, communication is a huge thing, work-life balance, collaboration because I like working with people, job stability, and recognition for hard work. Those are all important values in both my work and personal life.

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