<p>Last week, Melanie Allen was working on plans for fall 2026. As the Chief Marketing Officer at Brooks Running, she&#39;s always thinking three steps (or, at least four seasons) ahead. In this week&#39;s episode, she&#39;s talking us through how she arrived to this role, and what it’s like to own her power as a leader and make decisions without “a safety net.” Plus: The important lessons she learned from her mother, what it was like to run her first half-marathon, and how she manages to tame negative self-talk.</p><p><strong>SOCIAL</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-allen-9a44057" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Melanie Allen on LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/emilyabbate" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠@emilyabbate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/hurdlepodcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hurdlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE</strong></p><p>(4:54) Melanie talks about her time working at Starbucks and how she was the mastermind behind the PSL marketing boom and making it a chilled offering</p><p>(7:40) Melanie talks about the decision to train for her first half-marathon because of her co-workers when her daughter was 5 years old</p><p>(18:34) Melanie talks about how it felt to take action once she transitioned into her role at Brooks, and no longer having a safety net to make important decisions</p><p>(21:55) Melanie talks about how she makes importance of having grace when making difficult decisions</p><p>(26:54) What balance looks like in practice for Melanie, plus takeaways from corporate development programming she did at P+G</p><p>(39:15) What it’s like for Melanie to own her mistakes and lead with compassion</p><p>(44:04) Melanie talks about what it was like to grow up with a deaf mother, and the lessons that relationship has taught her about tenacity</p><p>(48:15) How to move from managing at work to truly leading</p><p>(52:10) Some of the best career advice that Melanie has ever received</p><p><strong>OFFERS</strong></p><p><strong>Brooks Running |</strong>  Loving my new Glycerin 22, grab yourself a pair at BrooksRunning.com/</p><p><strong>SEQUEL |</strong> Head to <a href="https://trysequel.myshopify.com/discount/HURDLE" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠trysequel.com/⁠</a> and use HURDLE at checkout for 15% off a box of super</p><p><strong>JOIN</strong>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaSpMJZ0k0nuExh/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠The Daily Hurdle IG Channel⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>SIGN UP</strong>: <a href="https://emilyabbate.substack.com/subscribe?" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Weekly Hurdle Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>ASK ME A QUESTION: </strong><a href="https://anchor.fm/hurdle/message" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠<strong>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave me a voice message, or email </strong>hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!⁠</a></p>

Hurdle

Emily Abbate

249. I'm Possible: How To Own Your Leadership Style & Make Difficult Decisions With Brooks Running Chief Marketing Officer Melanie Allen

MAR 31, 202559 MIN
Hurdle

249. I'm Possible: How To Own Your Leadership Style & Make Difficult Decisions With Brooks Running Chief Marketing Officer Melanie Allen

MAR 31, 202559 MIN

Description

<p>Last week, Melanie Allen was working on plans for fall 2026. As the Chief Marketing Officer at Brooks Running, she&#39;s always thinking three steps (or, at least four seasons) ahead. In this week&#39;s episode, she&#39;s talking us through how she arrived to this role, and what it’s like to own her power as a leader and make decisions without “a safety net.” Plus: The important lessons she learned from her mother, what it was like to run her first half-marathon, and how she manages to tame negative self-talk.</p><p><strong>SOCIAL</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-allen-9a44057" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Melanie Allen on LinkedIn</a></p><p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/emilyabbate" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠@emilyabbate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><a href="http://www.instagram.com/hurdlepodcast" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hurdlepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>IN THIS EPISODE</strong></p><p>(4:54) Melanie talks about her time working at Starbucks and how she was the mastermind behind the PSL marketing boom and making it a chilled offering</p><p>(7:40) Melanie talks about the decision to train for her first half-marathon because of her co-workers when her daughter was 5 years old</p><p>(18:34) Melanie talks about how it felt to take action once she transitioned into her role at Brooks, and no longer having a safety net to make important decisions</p><p>(21:55) Melanie talks about how she makes importance of having grace when making difficult decisions</p><p>(26:54) What balance looks like in practice for Melanie, plus takeaways from corporate development programming she did at P+G</p><p>(39:15) What it’s like for Melanie to own her mistakes and lead with compassion</p><p>(44:04) Melanie talks about what it was like to grow up with a deaf mother, and the lessons that relationship has taught her about tenacity</p><p>(48:15) How to move from managing at work to truly leading</p><p>(52:10) Some of the best career advice that Melanie has ever received</p><p><strong>OFFERS</strong></p><p><strong>Brooks Running |</strong>  Loving my new Glycerin 22, grab yourself a pair at BrooksRunning.com/</p><p><strong>SEQUEL |</strong> Head to <a href="https://trysequel.myshopify.com/discount/HURDLE" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠trysequel.com/⁠</a> and use HURDLE at checkout for 15% off a box of super</p><p><strong>JOIN</strong>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbaSpMJZ0k0nuExh/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠The Daily Hurdle IG Channel⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>SIGN UP</strong>: <a href="https://emilyabbate.substack.com/subscribe?" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Weekly Hurdle Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p><strong>ASK ME A QUESTION: </strong><a href="https://anchor.fm/hurdle/message" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠<strong>⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leave me a voice message, or email </strong>hello@hurdle.us, to ask me a question!⁠</a></p>