CEO & FOUNDER
Melany’s career path took a series of twists and turns before she found her niche in the world of public relations. A native of Southwest Virginia, she received a degree in Biomedical Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology and worked at several hospitals in Chicago as both an inter-operative surgery photographer and a healthcare marketer before relocating to Park City, UT in 1999. There, she successfully merged two of her biggest passions – film and sports – into a new career, managing celebrity guests and executing events for the Sundance Film Festival, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the CineVegas Film Festival. Her next stop was a move to Charleston, SC, where she cut her teeth in the hospitality business at Pearlstine Distributors, an Anheuser-Busch distributor. In 2005, she joined the team at Wagstaff Worldwide, where she found her true calling for telling clients’ stories in meaningful ways. In March 2012, she left Wagstaff to form Polished Pig Media (now known as Sprouthouse) and has never looked back.
Calling upon her technical background, Melany approaches her public relations career like a science; she smartly blends detailed logistics with a thoughtful approach to connect like-minded people with common goals and ultimately create strategic and fruitful partnerships.
After almost ten years in Birmingham, AL, Melany and her family transitioned to a new home just outside of Portland, ME to expand the business.
A fan of all athletic endeavors, in her free time, you’ll find Melany working up a sweat trail running, skiing, playing tennis, and enjoying the abundance of outdoor recreation in her new home state with her husband, Drew, daughter, Grace, and stepson, Connor.