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People of Media: Melissa Chowning | TFD | Mastering Fundamentals; Fighting for Focus

I recently interviewed Melissa Chowning, who I have admired for a long time. She’s the founder and CEO of Twenty-First Digital with a mission of clarity.

Top 5 Takeaways:

  • 🎯 Master the Fundamentals: Melissa believes the most overlooked asset in media is the audience, and everything should be built on understanding and serving them.

  • 👶 Your Audience Is Your Baby: Like raising a child, audience needs evolve. Success depends on how well publishers nurture, listen to, and adapt to their audiences over time.

  • 🔬 Focus Over Everything: Amid all the noise, Melissa argues that the fight isn’t for more tools—it’s for focus. Choose your core and go deep.

  • 🔁 Experiment, but Intentionally: Innovation is essential, but it only matters if you have the infrastructure to measure success. Don’t throw spaghetti at the wall.

  • 💡 Start With Subtraction: If your team is maxed out, look to the data to identify what’s not working and stop doing it. That’s how you reclaim the time to innovate.


I’ve admired Melissa Chowning for a long time, and after this conversation, I admire her even more. She’s not only the founder and CEO of Twenty-First Digital—she’s a mother, a strategist, and a master at helping media companies cut through the chaos.

From Paper Routes to Boardrooms

Melissa’s media journey began at age 10, delivering newspapers. But that early start evolved into a lifelong career in media, from circulation roles at D Magazine to launching her own firm after realizing there had to be a better way to balance work and motherhood.

A Risk Aligned with Values

Faced with the challenge of commuting, pumping in the car, and burning out, Melissa made a decision many dream of but few take: she launched her business from a place of deep personal clarity. She needed to be home with her kids—and the industry needed her insights. The demand came fast, and her passion fueled the long nights.

“The business was my third child,” she said. “I’d get my kids to bed and go back to work until 11:30.”

Helping Publishers Focus on What Matters

Melissa’s core conviction is simple but profound: Audience is the most important asset a publisher has. Her company helps media teams:

  • Build and leverage first-party data

  • Simplify and clarify their analytics

  • Prioritize what content and strategies are actually working

  • Drop what’s not serving them

“We help publishers master their fundamentals and find their focus,” she said. “From there, everything becomes possible.”


Melissa’s story is a reminder that greatness often looks like clarity, consistency, and courage. You can learn more about her work at twentyfirstdigital.com.

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