Runhappy’s Co-founder & CTO, Naveen Akunuri, caught up with Melanie to talk about her unconventional career path, the leadership lessons she’s carried with her, and how she’s navigating an industry where guest expectations are changing faster than ever.

Take us back to the beginning. How did you end up at Andretti?

It was actually my first job. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, so I got a job at Andretti’s just to be around kids. I then moved into sales, I got sucked in, and here we are, 16 years later.

I started off as a cashier at the redemption counter. I was a birthday host. I passed out pizza. Then, in the sales office, I worked my way into every role, from birthday sales manager up to senior. I’ve been able to see us go from one location to 14. It’s my longest relationship, that’s what I tell people.

I was just eager to grow and learn. I think I got that from my mom, who worked three jobs raising us. I would pick up doubles and do whatever I could to make a little more money.

Who has most influenced your leadership style, and what lessons have you carried forward?

My leadership style is very similar to my mentor’s, the owner of Andretti. He has a great success story. He started as a dishwasher. I call it rags to riches, because he was literally a dishwasher with the rags and now he has these successful 14 locations and we’re still looking to grow.

When I met him, it was my first couple of weeks there. He was a very humble guy. He acted like he was a janitor, and he asked if I liked my job. Luckily, I said I did, because it was my first couple of weeks. Then I found out he was the owner.

It was the little things he did, like asking us as team members about our personal lives, who we were beyond being employees of Andretti. Who is Melanie? What does she like to do? What is her family like? I’ve carried that along.

You really have to care about the people you work with. They’re not going to put their best foot forward or really buy in if you don’t connect with them, if you don’t ask them questions. So I try to make it fun. I’ll ask a question of the day, like, “Would you rather be stuck in an elevator or stuck on a ski lift?” And then I tease them. You said ski lift? Are you claustrophobic? Is it the temperature? If they say elevator, is that because you’re afraid of heights? It just keeps the conversation going.

When I visit the stores, of course I ask, “Do you have clarity in your role? Do you feel supported?” But I also ask how their kids are doing and what they did this summer. When you enjoy who you work with and who you work for, it makes the process a lot easier. It makes coaching easier.

(For the record, Melanie would take the ski lift: “I don’t want to be hot. I don’t want to lose cell phone service. I enjoy a view.”)

You’ve said the most rewarding part of your job is seeing people grow. Why does that matter so much to you?

Because I lived it and I experienced it. We like to promote and hire within, so a lot of the sales managers in our offices were, at one point, greeters, receptionists or track attendants. I learn a lot from them, because they’ve worked front of house. Sometimes they’ll tell me, “Melanie, it doesn’t make sense to book it this way.”

And I can relate to it. I’ll talk to someone in reception and ask about their career plans, and they may not have one. Then I show them an avenue in sales. I’ve seen someone eventually become our senior sales manager, overseeing a store. They may not have had that confidence, and Andretti was able to bring it out of them.

What do people outside the industry misunderstand about group event sales?

You can have the nicest go-karts, attractions, and food and beverage offerings, but if people don’t know who you are, you have to drive that business. You have to drive those sales, and you have to be ready to respond and sell that product to the consumer.

And there’s no typical week, because every event is different. For me, it’s a lot of consulting and coaching and finding new ways to drive revenue. For the team, it’s relationship-based. It’s getting that lead and bringing it to life, from the discovery call to the confirmation call, and making sure their clients feel seen, heard and understood. Whether it’s a birthday party or a company team outing, what the salesperson and that contact agreed on has to come to life, and all of those guests have to have a great time at our facility.

And in the FEC business, sales and operations have to be aligned. They have to consider one another.

How have guest expectations changed over the course of your career?

People want answers immediately, and I’m guilty of it. Whether you’re calling for a car rental or a doctor’s appointment, or wanting to book a birthday party or an event, you expect an answer immediately. And sometimes that’s not realistic.

If people are looking to spend money, their mentality is, “Do you want the money?” And of course we do. But our process is complex, and we have a lot to offer. So the challenge is not losing the value of the product, still making sure every client’s needs are met, while answering every question and request and getting to the next guest.

It’s not that everyone books with whoever answers first. Some clients really do their homework. They’re comparing pricing, and it’s about the person they’re booking with and that personal experience. But people aren’t as patient. It’s whoever gets back to them first, and who seems to give them more bang for their buck.

As guest expectations change, how are you helping your team adapt?

A skill that’s always going to matter is how quickly you adapt, because things are always changing. Bringing in Runhappy was a change like that. We saw the need for someone to respond immediately, especially after 5 p.m., when there’s nobody in the office.

A big part of it has been getting the team comfortable with the idea that feedback is welcome. Sometimes in corporate, people feel like if they say something, they’re going to get in trouble. And it’s like, no. We want you to give us the answers, the scenarios. Help us build this. I want our teams going through the conversations to see what the common questions are, and the ones we’re not thinking of. Every market is specific, so we need everyone on point, listening and ready to make whatever changes are necessary.

What advice do you wish someone had given you earlier in your career?

Don’t confuse being busy with being effective. Sometimes we take a long time building reports, or even with leads. For our sales managers, it’s about asking the right questions. How do you take what could be a 20-minute conversation, cut it to 15 or 10, still keep that personal touch and have an impactful conversation, and then carry on to the next lead you have to get to?

Being busy doesn’t always mean you’re doing the right things. You have to really focus on what’s important. What’s going to get me to my sales goal? How do I organize my time a little better?

Looking ahead, what are your biggest priorities for Andretti’s events business?

Of course, to hit our targets, to exceed our targets. That’s the one that will allow me to sleep peacefully at night.

Beyond that, it’s staying ahead of technology with “ANDI”, our Runhappy agent, making sure we have the right training and the right people in position to grow, and local marketing. I want our teams out in the community, making sure everyone there knows who Andretti is.

And I want to keep seeing people grow. We’re looking to open Austin in early 2028, and that’s going to open six positions. My hope is that those are all going to be internal positions within the company.

See Melanie’s ideas in action. Read how Andretti keeps event sales personal when guests won’t wait, and what changed when her team started answering every guest right away.