You will never find Meagan Francis idly sitting on the sidelines. The twists and turns her career path have taken could actually be behind the name she has evolved her personal brand to — Reinvention Media. In that realm, she is laser focused on content strategy and execution for clients across the landscape. She is also cofounder of a company with nationwide exposure, Mom Hour Media — a digital brand that produces the podcast The Mom Hour which has been downloaded 15-million times and reaches hundreds of thousands of moms every month. Additionally, she played an integral role in launching the Buy Local Berrien! blog and email newsletter for the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber as well as the Chamber’s Your Voice for Business podcast. In all of her roles, Meagan is a sought-after speaker, content creator, and podcast host. Meagan’s nominator characterizes her as “A low-key, self-made powerhouse!” adding, “She’s a published writer (hundreds of articles and four books), former radio host, and was way ahead of her time in the podcasting space dating more than ten years back.” She did that by capitalizing on her real-life experience as a mom to five kids in order to connect with an audience of fellow moms while she slowly built her empire. Realizing that many women have joined her, she has recently launched the podcast “Mother of Reinvention,” where she interviews women in mid-life who are reinventing themselves. A remarkable story from the ultimate boot-strap life. Learn more about Meagan Francis, a Bold Woman of Business for 2022.
Name
Meagan Francis
Where do you live?
Stevensville, MI
Company or Organization
Reinvention Media, LLC
What is your job or role there?
Founder
How do you think that Bold Women of Business demonstrate being bold?
Being a bold woman in business looks like having the courage to ask for what you’re worth and walk away from opportunities when they aren’t serving you or some greater good. I think we often put an unfairly negative spin on so-called “feminine” values like being cooperative, humble, nurturing and kind. Those qualities can be superpowers as long as we don’t forget to also take care of ourselves, set boundaries, and communicate directly and clearly.
Bold women are often defined by a number of descriptors. Please choose from the following descriptors to produce the top three that you would say most exemplify your personality?
Risk Taker…Confident…Distinctive
Please provide an example of when you feel you were at your very best in taking action on the job or in your role.
As a media professional and creator, my revenue often comes from incorporating marketing messages into my content. I draw a hard line when it comes to promoting products or companies that I think are harmful, predatory or just not that great. Turning down a potential client or advertiser because it won’t serve my audience can be hard, but it’s always the right thing to do – and I do it often.
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened on your road to success?
My career has taken a lot of twists and turns, but landing on the Coast morning radio show with Jonny from 2016-2018 was absolutely one of the strangest and most fun. Every single morning of those two years was a blast and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard every day at work. Also, I just find it so funny now that when I list off all the myriad things I’ve done for a living, I can add “morning show co-host” to the list. It’s made for some great party conversations!
Who most inspires your personal drive for success every day?
At the beginning of my career, I would have said that a desire to provide well for my kids drove me most. Now I realize that I’m actually driven to succeed for myself alone. My kids would be OK no matter what I did for a living, and there are a lot of ways to be a good mom, working or not. But I feel happiest and most creatively fulfilled when I’m dreaming big and making things better.
What is your best advice to women in Southwest Michigan looking to succeed, as you have, in business?
Invest in relationships. 9 out of 10 of the opportunities I’ve had come my way have been directly related to a relationship I’ve made, and connections I’ve nurtured, without being worried about what the other person can do for me. Raw talent is only so valuable, and it means nothing unless you actually execute your ideas. So work hard, but don’t forget about other people – it’s a lot easier to execute ideas when you’re working alongside others.
What does your selection to the ranks of the Bold Women of Business from Moody on the Market mean to you?
I’m honored and flattered to be recognized for my accomplishments! As a self-employed woman who has always worked mostly from a home office, a lot of my local friends don’t really have a good sense of what I do every day. It’s gratifying to represent those of us running “micro-businesses” from home since we don’t always have a team to help us toot our own horns 🙂
