Hi, I’m Melissa Culbertson. Just Call Me Mel.

After 25+ years in marketing, 15 of those in social and creator marketing, I started Throughline because I kept seeing the same problem: brands working hard on social, but in a silo, disconnected from everything else they're doing.

I'm what I call "multi-passionate," and it's given me a view of marketing from every angle. At Burt's Bees, I led social and influencer marketing, overseeing a community of nearly 3 million followers and growing engagement 390%. On the agency side, I built an influencer practice from the ground up, including an award-winning campaign, and later directed a $3.8M social and influencer division serving global CPG brands.

Before all that, I led marketing for a financial institution and spent 13 years as a creator myself, running a blog business, writing Blog Design for Dummies, and teaching more than 5,000 creators.

So I've been the client. I've been the agency. And I've been the creator. That's why I can connect the pieces most brands keep separate.

About My Marketing Partners

While I’m a pretty versatile marketer, I’m not an expert in everything. (I mean, who is?)

That’s when I bring in my people from my trusted network to support client work under my leadership and direction.

Whether it’s someone who can write clever copy, take gorgeous product shots, or knows all the secrets to TikTok Shop, I work with the best of the best.

My Services

Why work with me?

  • 25+ years in marketing communications

    Social and influencer marketing shouldn’t exist in a silo. My quarter-century in marcom means your strategy is rooted in brand positioning, audience insights, and business objectives. I care about business impact, not going viral.

  • Cross-industry expertise

    I've run programs across CPG, financial services, SaaS, and more. That means I'm not locked into one industry's playbook. I understand core marketing principles and how they translate across different audiences and markets.

  • brand + agency leadership

    I've led marketing inside both brands and agencies. That means I understand your priorities, your constraints, how your business actually runs, AND how to work effectively with whatever agency partners you have (or don't).