Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abigail Mellinger. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Abigail, appreciate you joining us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

In my experience—especially in a male-dominated industry—I don’t think the focus should always be on forcing inclusivity for the sake of optics, but rather on inspiring the people who are truly motivated. Some of the most talented individuals I’ve worked with (mostly men, to be honest) didn’t have degrees or formal training—they just showed up, took risks, and put in the work. That’s what stands out to me. I’ve definitely faced my own challenges as a woman building a business, but those roadblocks aren’t exclusive to me. You adapt, figure it out, and keep going. For me, success is about being able to adjust and make the most of the tools you’ve got. I’m never going to hire someone just to check a box—I hire the person who’s best for the job. If you’re sharpening your skills and showing up fully, there’s no reason you shouldn’t earn the respect you deserve. And if you don’t feel respected despite doing everything right, don’t wait for validation—find or build a space that sees your value. This industry doesn’t hand out favors, but it absolutely rewards the ones who keep showing up, no matter what.

Abigail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I majored in documentary studies and production due to my passion of story telling. After taking some documentaries I produced on tour, I got a “corporate job”. In only 6 months, I realized what worked and what didn’t. I quit and founded Penza Productions on the core values I felt was missing: transparency, integrity and communication.

What started as just a video production company, has grown into an agency. My marketing training in my first job opened my eyes to the value of marketing on a larger scale, seeing that it’s just storytelling. I continued my education through online and in person marketing trainings and to this day I still take courses in the topics I think can apply to my industry.

At Penza Productions, we aren’t just video production and marketing. We are story tellers. We deep dive brands and businesses to come up with lead conversion worthy stories, then employ a marketing strategy edgy to execute it. By integrating marketing metrics (like ad campaigns, web development, social media management, etc.), we’re able to deliver KPI’s to our clients that PROVE the difference our content makes, instead of blindly delivering it.

I mean.. what’s the value of content if it’s not getting in front of the right audience? By keeping content creation and marketing in house under one roof, we’re able to check in on our performance and make the right creative adjustments in real time. There is often a gap in communication when your agency is outsourcing to other content creators, because those content creators didn’t sit in on your KPI check in meeting, they didn’t perform the buyers persona research, and so the list goes on.

The problem we solve is identification and communication. The ability to know who you’re targeting, create content that speaks to them, and moves the needle on lead conversion.

I think my background in production as a producer is one of my super powers. It’s not all KPI’s and marketing. It’s the human touch of knowing what direction to take and tell your client/brands story.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In the early days of my business, I tried to do everything alone. I had a mindset that other companies in my industry were competitors. However, pretty quickly I realized I had something they didn’t. My background in corporate marketing combined with my history of being a producer gave me a competitive edge that some people in my space lacked. A lot of companies like this start off with a person and a camera and a dream. I started connecting with those people and offering to be a consulting producer for their clients and it’s grown ever since. I have consulted for about 5 different production companies to date, and still maintain relationships with them. They have clients with projects that require a producer to help with, so working together, we execute something far better than going at it solo. The same goes for my own crew. There is always going to be someone better at something, so it pays to open your mind and heart to collaborating and learning/growing together than at it alone.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When first starting out, I thought that making myself available, over delivering and exploring every potential opportunity would get me where I needed to be. Which at first, yes. You need to build your portfolio and have credible testimonials. However, I wasted tons of time lead nurturing networks with dead ends. In time, I’ve learned that if you know what you have is good and you have the social proof for it, it shouldn’t take that must to get your yes. Throw your bait, and if they don’t bite, find a new spot.
One of the pivotal moments I realized this when I was younger was when I had a potential client ask to meet me to talk about a project. Upon meeting, it became increasingly clear he didn’t care about the project, he just wanted someone to have dinner with. After that I made a rule; I no longer do any in person meetings until we have a deposit in hand. If someone is serious about your product or service, they’ll take the discovery call on zoom over needing to physically meet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://penzaproductions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penzaproductions/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@penzaproductions8144
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/penza-productions-fort-lauderdale