Interview With Melissa – FAQs

What is your business background?
I graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management and went into that field as a Purchasing Agent. For 5 years, I moved every 8 months, cities, states, and companies, turning around purchasing departments. As a guest, if you ate it, drank it, wrote with it, or slept on it, I bought it! From Hilton in Philadelphia to The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island for a summer, to Opryland Hotel in Nashville and many others. I cleaned up departments, cut costs, put buying systems in place, implemented staff training and turned the department from red to black.

How did you get into interior design?
While I was good at purchasing and every move was a step up, I felt it lacked the creativity and change that I wanted. Moving companies frequently was exhausting but I got bored quickly once I’d made the department turn around. I’ve never been good at routine but like a lot of variety, travel, and work that requires imagination. Interior design is an ideal fit for that, so I headed back to school for a second degree.

What made you go from interior design into marketing mentoring and speaking for small business?
When I jumped into design I was entirely on fire. I worked 15 hour days joyously to build my business. I started out over $70K in personal debt so literally launched on a shoestring. I was turning a profit in the first 3 months and debt free in 3 years. One of the key activities I did to build my business was teaching continuing education programs at the local universities (Emory and Oglethorpe). I taught both decorating and design, but also business development and marketing.

This was a natural fit because when I began networking with colleagues I was surprised to learn that my results and my profitability were not the norm at all. I had created my own marketing engine and systems and my own methodology for attracting prospects and converting them simply and easily into clients with lifetime demand. When I began sharing these techniques with fellow business owners, those that took action found their businesses growing, their profits climbing, and they stopped being overwhelmed and instead enjoyed working only with their ideal clients. The best part was that this wasn’t limited to interior design but worked across the board for small biz owners.

How can I work with you on my business, I am a solopreneur?
do one-on-one mentoring specifically on business development, marketing, motivation and mindset. I also offer a group coaching program. In response to demand, I will be launching a membership site dedicated to ongoing trainings by webinar and teleseminar and including live events quarterly to connect you with other business owners and keep up with the latest marketing tools and shortcuts. I will also provide a resource center loaded with virtual resources for copywriting, PR, graphic design, ezines, website and blogsite design, video, social media and more.

I have a team I work with; do you do trainings either virtually or live?
Yes, I’m delighted to do trainings either live (my preference as then I can include one-on-one hands on guidance) or by teleseminar or webinar. The format depends both on you as my client, and on the material you want me to cover.

As an event planner, I am often doing last minute requests; are you available for last minute bookings?
I’m always delighted to consider any opportunity and if I have an opening and can be of benefit to audience in a last minute booking, I’m happy to look at it. Always ask, my goal is to make a profound positive and profitable difference to clients always.

What are the material take aways that you provide to audiences?
This varies with each engagement and program. For virtual programs I provide up to the minute digital downloads of handouts, manuals, workbooks, and other training materials. For in person events I will provide these in printed format with a confirmed number of participants. At live events I also offer additional materials to audience members when agreed upon with my event planner in advance.

Can I contact previous clients for references on your speaking?
Absolutely, you are welcome to contact anyone on my list of clients. If you want specific contacts and numbers, simply ask and I’ll gladly furnish those to you.

I noticed that you write frequently on business and personal development. Do you write articles or white papers for publication and are you open to guest blogging?
Yes, I love to write and am often asked to write for online and offline publications. Let me know your target audience, your deadline, and your desired marketing topic. Depending on the length of the article or white paper and your desired reach (social bookmarking and syndication), we can agree on the format, keywords, and fee. And yes, I’m always honored to guest blog.

How soon will I see the results of working with you?
Some clients see results in as little as 30 days, others 90 days and others 6 months. It depends entirely on where you are in your business cycle and growth, as well as the speed at which you take action.

Can you guarantee my results?
I wish I could! I guarantee that you are satisfied with the material and presentation. Only you can guarantee your results as they are the fruit of your actions. When you take consistent and persistent action on the methods taught, the shortcuts shared, and the strategies created, you will find subsequent progress, results, and success. When instead you simply learn but don’t implement, you will find your results match that lack of effort.