Melinda has over 25 years of experience managing and directing a small business. Her background in theater, her unbridled energy, and her thirst for financial knowledge enable her to understand each client’s particular business needs quickly.

Since founding Zumifi Inc. (previously Phillips Business Consulting) in 2001, Melinda has helped hundreds of business owners through one-on-one consulting services, ongoing bookkeeping/accounting services, QuickBooks consultations, Cloud integration work, and her popular, effective, and inspirational financial education classes.

Her use of humor and common sense has helped a wide range of business owners fully understand the financial relationships that often drive their businesses.

From 1990 to 2000, Melinda was hired as the bookkeeper for The Balloon Lady®, the world’s premier balloon delivery and decór business. With 14 full-time staff people and over $1 million in annual sales, this first step in her career provided her with a unique, intensive education in managing a fast-growing business successfully, the unique personality of each client, and why customers choose to buy their products and services.

Previously, Melinda combined her deep, practical experience with a strong theoretical background, completing a Master of Science in Business Administration from S.F. State University with an emphasis on Business Analysis. She believes that her greatest strength is her ability to listen to business owners’ needs and provide common-sense, practical approaches to their challenges.

Her broad view of business is a direct result of her varied background. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Union College in Albany, NY, double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science. Upon graduation, she received a fellowship and pursued a 15-month independent study of Latin American political and street theater, traveling to Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia.

When not deeply engaged with her clients, she enjoys listening to blues or jazz music, cheering for the Stanford Women’s basketball team or the San Francisco Giants, or savoring time with her family.