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Do I have to be friends with my co workers to get ahead? Should I take the promotion even if I hate the job? Is my salary big enough or am I getting screwed? Do I have to choose between having a family and having a career? I've been laid off now what do I do? I'm Melissa Franks, and I've spent the last 25 years building my corporate career and a family to along the way, there have been bumps and bruises and some epic going down in flames of glory moments. My journey up the corporate ladder found me forging new ground without a safety net. Through my real life stories, experiences, and special guests on the show, I take the mystery out of how to succeed in the corporate world. I'm going to spill all the tea about how decisions are really made, how to tell who the hidden influencers are, and how to realize your full potential while enjoying the process at the same time. Each week, we will dive into a topic where I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my experiences and what we can all learn from them. You will walk away each week with a clear set of next steps to take action and improve your circumstances. We are going to speak frankly and freely about when it's time to opt in or to opt out. Opt In is a place where you can come to get practical, actionable advice to propel your career and your life in the direction you want. Work with me: www.melissafranks.com/offers
156 Episodes
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In this episode, Melissa breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in small business growth: organizational design. If you’ve ever wondered why your team feels stretched thin, why certain roles aren’t “working out,” or why it’s so hard to hire strategically this conversation is your roadmap. Small businesses often grow faster than their internal structures, and that leads to confusion, overwhelm, and poor decision-making. Using examples from corporate America, real client scenarios, ...
It’s the end of the year, do you know how your employees are really performing? In this episode, host Melissa Franks walks you through exactly what business owners should be doing in the final stretch of the year to evaluate their team, strengthen retention, and prepare for a smooth start to the new year. Drawing from her experience as a Fractional COO, Melissa breaks down a simple, actionable framework that replaces corporate-style performance reviews with a more human, results-driven approa...
In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, host Melissa Franks shares her Holiday Season Survival Guide for Business Owners. A practical, heartfelt, and sometimes hilarious look at how to stay sane, strategic, and successful during the busiest time of year. Whether your business is deep in Q4 chaos or wrapping up a slower season, these 10 essentials will help you finish strong and start 2026 ready to thrive. Melissa draws from her early days in retail (and a memorable Black Friday gone wrong!) to...
Have you ever hesitated to hire someone who knows more than you… because it felt risky or intimidating? In this episode, Melissa breaks down why not hiring up is one of the fastest ways to cap your business growth and why your job as a CEO is not to be the most qualified person in every function. Sparked by a controversial take on Diary of a CEO (where a guest said small business owners should never hire more experienced people), Melissa shares why she completely disagrees – and what actually...
In this special post-election episode of The Opt-In Podcast, host Melissa Franks steps away from her usual business strategy deep dives to unpack the real-time ripple effects of America’s shifting political landscape and what it means for small business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs. From the Supreme Court’s review of U.S. tariffs to the newly elected Mayor Mandani of New York City, Melissa explores how major political moves could reshape how businesses operate, grow, and survive ...
In this episode, host Melissa Franks tackles a topic she’s never covered before: how to create an annual budget that actually works for you. Whether you’re a five-figure startup or a nine-figure company, Melissa breaks down why every business needs a budget and why it’s not the restrictive tool you think it is. Drawing from her own experience managing $180 million in annual spend as a COO, Melissa shares the exact framework she uses with clients to build clarity, confidence, and control into ...
In this episode host Melissa Franks takes you behind the scenes of her entrepreneurial journey. From losing her job and starting over as a single mom with no plan, to building a thriving seven-figure company in just two years. Melissa shares the 10 most important lessons she’s learned along the way. The real, unfiltered truths about what it takes to go from surviving to thriving in business. You’ll learn: Why every entrepreneur starts clueless (and why that’s okay)The power of finding the hel...
Most small business owners have been taught to obsess over their “Ideal Client Avatar”. To name them, write their life story, and plaster their face on a mood board. But what if everything you’ve been taught about your ICA is… wrong? In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks breaks down why your ideal client is not: One personThe person you wish would buy from youEven you, the founder (yep, sorry) Using real examples from working with clients across industries, she reveals: ...
In today’s episode of The Opt-In Podcast, I’m taking inspiration from the unexpected king of business advice: Tom Hanks. His mantra, “This too shall pass” became my lifeline during one of the darkest moments of my entrepreneurial journey… and again during one of the best. Whether you’re drowning in problems or overwhelmed by opportunities (yes, that kind of chaos exists too), this episode is your blueprint for getting grounded, getting clear, and getting back in control. I’ll walk you through...
Does everyone you interview look like you, sound like you, and maybe even want to be you? If so, it’s time to rethink your hiring approach. In this episode of the Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks takes a candid look at why diversity matters in small business hiring, and what can happen when diversity of thought, background, and experience disappears from an organization. Using both real-world headlines and her corporate COO background, Melissa explains why innovation, creativity, and growth dep...
Every business owner eventually faces it: the dreaded plateau. Sales stop climbing, growth stalls, and suddenly you’re left wondering what went wrong. In this episode of the Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks breaks down the truth about business plateaus and how to navigate them without panic or wasted effort. Melissa dives into the four core areas every entrepreneur should interrogate when growth has flatlined: Your Data – Why understanding metrics like customer acquisition cost, lifetime value,...
This week on The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks unpacks a rarely discussed—but vitally important—topic: how your personal behavior in public spaces can deeply affect your business or employment. Whether you're a business owner or an employee, your actions, your posts, your tone, and your choices in public and on social media all have ripple effects and sometimes, unintended consequences. Using a powerful personal story from a youth baseball tournament gone sideways, Melissa explores how behav...
In this candid solo episode, Melissa Franks opens the curtain on a deeply personal and strategic recalibration she made in both life and business. As the fourth quarter looms, a season that often demands more from entrepreneurs, Melissa shares the internal reckoning that led her to rewrite how she works, lives, and leads. This isn’t a burnout story; it’s a blueprint for realignment. From hiring help to reshaping routines, Melissa offers a powerful invitation to evaluate how we’re spending our...
Fourth quarter isn’t just October through December—it starts now. In this episode, Melissa Franks breaks down why the most successful businesses treat September as the true kickoff to Q4 and how you can use this mindset to set yourself up for a profitable year-end. Melissa shares insights from industry analysts on consumer behavior this holiday season—what Gen Z, middle-class, and affluent buyers are really planning to spend on—and what that means for your business strategy. From stacking pro...
If your business collapses the moment you go on vacation, you don’t have leaders—you have helpers. In this episode of the Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks, your On Call COO, unpacks the hard truth about bottlenecks in small businesses and why your growth may be stalling because you are in the way. Melissa shares real client stories of founders who couldn’t unplug, explains the signs that you might be the bottleneck, and introduces a practical framework for building a team that can operate indep...
What separates the CEO who scales from the CEO who stalls? Spoiler: it’s not strategy—it’s habits. In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks, your on-call COO, pulls back the curtain on the daily practices that either propel businesses forward or keep them stuck. Drawing on insights from working with nearly 50 entrepreneurs across industries, Melissa explains why consistency beats intensity and how three core habits can transform your role as a leader. You’ll hear: The three growt...
Is your business growing—but instead of celebrating, you feel like you’re drowning? If sales are pouring in but your systems, team, and sanity can’t keep up, you’re not alone. Growth can feel messy, chaotic, and overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. In this episode of The Opt-In Podcast, Melissa Franks, your On-Call COO, breaks down why growth often feels like chaos and how to stabilize while you scale. She shares real-world stories of clients in both explosive growth and major t...
Gen Z is stepping into the workforce—and the conversation about them is louder than ever. Are they ready? Or is the real question whether we’re ready to welcome them? In this episode, Melissa shares the behind-the-scenes story of a viral interview that landed her insights in Entrepreneur, Yahoo, and media outlets across the globe. She challenges the idea that Gen Z needs “fixing” through etiquette coaching alone and instead makes the case for mentorship, guidance, and an open mind. Melissa co...
In this episode, Melissa challenges business owners to take an honest look at how they show up in their businesses. Are you bringing CEO energy—strategic, intentional, and future-focused—or are you operating with employee energy—reactive, task-oriented, and stuck in the weeds? Melissa draws on her experience as a former co-CEO, Fractional COO, and current business owner to break down the key differences between leading and doing. You'll learn why staying in the trenches stunts growth, how to ...
Are you still the one writing SOPs in your multi-six or seven-figure business? Then this episode is your wake-up call. Melissa returns with a no-holds-barred look at the true cost of doing everything yourself—especially once you’re no longer a solopreneur. From million-dollar mistakes in the corporate world to time-sucking $10 tasks in your own business, Melissa unpacks how DIY can silently stall your growth, drain your energy, and leave money on the table. You’ll learn: Why "just doing it yo...
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