We were lucky to catch up with Nikki Melago recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nikki , thanks for joining us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Scaling up didn’t happen overnight for me, it was a slow, intentional process built over years of consistent and clarity. I spent a long time balancing two full-time jobs: teaching during the day, and building my brand in the evenings, weekends and summers. My early strategy was simple but powerful: show up consistently, create valuable content and truly connect with my audience.

The real turning point came when I left teaching after 15 years. That decision created the space I needed-not just in terms of time but also mentally and creatively. It gave me permission to think bigger. I shifted my content from a niche focus on teacher style to a broader, elevated lifestyle space that includes luxury travel, classic fashion, and experiences that bring me joy.

At first, it was a little scary. There was a period of uncertainty where some of my original followers weren’t sure what to expect. But I trusted the vision and leaned into storytelling, visual branding and refined my aesthetic direction. I invested in a web designer, photographer, social media strategists, and virtual assistants. I mapped out my content pillars, got clear on my dream partnerships, and made collaborations part of my long-term growth strategy (including content with my husband who is a creator now)

There were definitely mistakes along the way. Figuring out a daily routine where I could be productive, underpricing early partnerships, and not saying no when I should have. But those moments taught me how to advocate for my worth and protect my creative energy.

One of the biggest lessons from this middle phase of growth was that you don’t have to do everything at once to scale. You just have to move with intention, stay close to your purpose, and be willing to evolve without abandoning what your made your brand special in the first place.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my brand in 2018 while I was still teaching. At the time, my goal was to inspire fellow educators to dress well and feel confident in the classroom. Most of my early content focused on style inspiration, specifically for teachers. Last May, after 15 years in education, I made the decision to leave teaching and pursue my brand full time. I felt a strong urge to travel more and to evolve my content to reflect a broader, more elevated aesthetic. Now, I share luxury travel recommendations, outfit inspiration, and lots of lifestyle content featuring my husband, who is also a content creator on the side (@thestylematters). My hope is to inspire others to embrace their personal style, explore the world, and find joy in the everyday.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

For years, I balanced two full-time jobs, teaching and building my brand. I loved being a kindergarten teacher and had been doing it for 15 years-but behind the scenes, I was going through something incredibly personal and painful. Infertility.

It was a season of my life that completely reshaped me. While I was pouring everything I had into helping my students and growing my online presence, I was also silently navigating doctors’ appointments, emotional highs and lows, and the uncertainty of a dream I’d been holding onto so tightly.

Eventually, I reached a point where I knew I needed to make a change, not just professionally, but emotionally and spiritually. I needed to create space in my life for joy again. Space for healing, for travel, for creativity and for presence.

Leaving teaching was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but it was also one of the most freeing. I leaned into my brand full time, began exploring the world, and focused on sharing beauty-from style to destinations to small, meaningful moments with others.

While our infertility journey is far from over, stepping away from the classroom allowed me to feel like myself again. To reconnect with who I am beyond the struggle. It reminded me that resilience doesn’t always look like pushing through-it can also mean choosing joy, even when life doesn’t look the way you planned.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first started my brand (@teachpretty) in 2018, it was centered entirely around teacher fashion. I wanted to show that style didn’t have to stop at the classroom door, that you could still look polished, put-together and still feel like yourself while working in education. My content was very niche, and my audience was mostly fellow teachers who were looking for that same inspiration.

But as time went on, both my personal life and my creative vision started to shift. I was craving more. More space, more depth, and more freedom to explore different sides of myself. After stepping away from the classroom, I knew it was time to pivot the brand as well.

The pivot to @nikkimelago was scary. I had built a loyal following, and I knew some people might not understand the shift right away. And honestly, some didn’t. But I trusted my gut and kept showing up authentically, sharing the things that were genuinely bringing me joy-travel, fashion, thoughtful details, and meaningful moments.

Over time, a new audience found me-people who connected with this more refined, and lifestyle driven aesthetic. And what surprised me most was how many long-time followers chose to stay, grow and evolve right alongside me.

Now, my content includes everything from luxury travel guides and outfit styling to lifestyle snapshots with my husband (@thestylematters). We also have a shared account @thenmcollective where we share daily curated collages. The pivot taught me that evolving doesn’t mean abandoning your roots-it means giving yourself permission to expand. And when you do, the right people will come with you-or find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nikkimelago.com/
• Instagram: @nikkimelago // @thenmcollective
• Facebook: @thenmcollective
• Other: @nikkimelago on TikTok as well

Image Credits

Kailey Marie Photo