Madeleine Naleski is a junior marketing and social research double major from Bowie, Maryland. She founded Red Line Marketing, a marketing consulting brand.
"Marketing is about making business people happy. It is about adding value to people's lives by being totally focused on them and their needs. Business is all about the people. Red Line Marketing can help you reach your people." -Madeleine Naleski '23
Describe the journey that led you to the beginning of your business creation.
"My professors tell me that the best way to learn business is to practice it. I started practicing with my blog. Then, I got an internship at my business school. After that, people in my home state started asking me to help them with their websites and social media pages. So, like any young entrepreneur, I started a brand for my work."
How has the Busch School at CatholicU piqued your interest in starting a business?
"My professors, particularly Andreas Widmer and Luke Burgis, helped me to realize that humans are created by God to participate in His creation. When we create something from nothing, we practice what God wants for us. From that moment, I knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur in this way."
What is most challenging about running your own business?
"The most challenging thing so far is taking on clients in the middle of the school year. I want to put school first, but knowing that there are people who would benefit from my services makes it hard for me to focus on school sometimes, and vice versa. Sometimes, I want to put Red Line first, but knowing that I need to succeed in school makes it hard for me to focus on Red Line."
What do you love most about running your own business?
"I love contributing to my clients' businesses and helping them learn tips and tricks about marketing to help them grow. They are so appreciative and kind and it reminds me of the importance to put the consumer before profit."
What advice do you have for students who are interested in becoming CEOs?
"Take your ideas and run with them as soon as possible! If you fail, then you fail (and that, by the way, does not make you a bad businessperson). Utilize the resources on campus, like the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, that will always be there to support you and challenge you. If you don't just start, you will never reach your end goal."