In this episode of The Brand Herald, Landon Wade chats with Melissa Bailey about her leap from corporate marketing to independent publishing with Hurstbourne Living, a part of the Best Version Media family. Melissa’s story blends classic entrepreneurial grit with a modern, people-first approach — all rooted in her deep belief in community, consistency, and the long game.

She unpacks what it really takes to build trust in business: showing up, sticking to your word, and yes, sometimes learning the hard way on how to delegate. From sharpening her sales skills to refining a multi-channel marketing strategy, Melissa shares the behind-the-scenes work that’s gone into growing her publication, Hurstbourne Living, and her brand.

This isn’t a fairy tale about quitting your job and finding instant success — it’s a grounded look at what it takes to build something that lasts. Whether you’re leading a team or launching your own venture, this conversation is full of insights, a few hard truths, and more than a little encouragement to stay the course. Enjoy!

Chapters:

00:00 From Corporate to Entrepreneur: A Journey Begins
03:09 Building a Community Magazine: The Best Version Media Model
05:57 The Power of Local Publications: Relevance in a Digital Age
09:00 Navigating the Transition: Challenges and Strategies
11:57 Sales Training and the Road to Success
15:01 The Multi-Channel Approach: Beyond Print
18:03 Hitting Baseline: The Reality of Entrepreneurship
21:01 Looking Ahead: Growth and Future Opportunities
25:30 Client Care and Business Growth
26:56 Nurturing Client Relationships
28:29 Learning to Delegate and Sell
30:02 Overcoming Sales Objections
32:58 Building Trust Through Consistency
35:01 Brand Building Strategies
39:00 Expanding into New Markets
41:00 Advice for Aspiring Publishers

Resources:

Instagram (Best Version Media)
LinkedIn (Melissa Bailey)
Best Version Media