IAM1253 – How This CEO and Author Helps Struggling Entrepreneurs

Melane Mullings is a successful entrepreneur, Founder of Aere Management Consulting, and author. A self-described ‘Venture Catalyst’, Melane catalyzes the reaction that turns seemingly simple, esoteric business ideas – born out of passion and purpose – into ventures that experience combustible success. Thirteen years after establishing and operating her first entrepreneurial venture in the healthcare recruiting space, Melane successfully sold the business, and is now sharing her unconventional strategies to success in her book: ‘Lemonade! Squeeze Your Challenging Life Experiences Into a Successful Business, through her consulting practice, Aere Management Consulting. Her book and consultancy grant her the opportunity to help struggling entrepreneurs and business owners build a solid foundation for their ventures and achieve purpose-driven, impactful, sustainable success.

• • CEO Story: A miraculous cancer survivor and a registered nurse. Melane built her first entrepreneurial venture without a business background. Learned from the ground up and built a solid foundation. She successfully sold it after 13 years of operation. Now focusing on her Consulting firm and amazingly wrote a book to further reach out to entrepreneurs and business owners.
• Business Service: Her book, ’Lemonade! Squeeze Your Challenging Life Experiences Into Successful Business’ 17 strategies to help build a solid foundation for a successful business.
• Secret Sauce: Spiritual anchoring. Moving to your direction of purpose in life. Operating in the purpose of faith.
• CEO Hack: Give back and give more. Servant leader. When you have a need sow a seed.
• CEO Nugget: Pay attention to your inner work. Invest in your emotional intelligence. Develop effective communication skills.
• CEO Defined: Someone who is humble and transparent. Person of integrity. Person of excellence, creative, adaptive, and open. An effective leader who empowers his people.

Website: melanemullings.com

Instagram: @iam.melanemullings

Facebook: Melane Mullings

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00:15 – Intro

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresh values your time and is ready to share the valuable info you're searching for. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

00:43 – Gresham Harkless

Hello. Hello. Hello. This is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast. I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Malane Mullings of AIA Management Consulting. Melane, it's great to have you on the show.

00:52 – Melane Mullings

Thank you for having me Gretchen.

00:54 – Gresham Harkless

Definitely super excited to have you on. Before we jump into the interview, I want to read a little bit more about Malane so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Malane is a successful entrepreneur, founder of a management consulting and author. A self-described venture catalyst, Malane catalyzes the reaction that turns seemingly simple esoteric business ideas born out of passion and purpose into ventures that experience combustible success.

Melaine established and operated her first entrepreneurial venture in the healthcare recruiting space 13 years ago. She successfully sold the business and is now sharing her unconventional strategies for success in her book “Lemonade: Squeeze Your Challenging Life Experiences into a Successful Business.”Through her consulting, practices A in management consulting.

Her book in consultancy grants her the opportunity to help struggling entrepreneurs and business owners build a solid foundation for their ventures and achieve purpose-driven, impactful, and sustainable success. Melaine, super excited to have you on the show and hear about all the awesome things that you're doing. Are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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01:53 – Melane Mullings

I am.

01:54 – Gresham Harkless

Yes, absolutely. Well, let's make it happen then. So to kind of kick everything off, I wanted to rewind the clock a little bit. Hear a little bit more on how you got started, what I call your CEO story.

02:02 – Melane Mullings

Well, to give you just a little bit of a bird's eye view of it all, I am a Kansas survivor, a former registered nurse turned successful entrepreneur. As you mentioned, I sold that first entrepreneurial venture and started AM management consulting really to help struggling entrepreneurs and business owners transition to a state of sustained profitability and also to give them a solid foundation for their businesses. I recently learned of a couple of stats that were just so heartbreaking for me 50% of entrepreneurs and business owners that start fail by year 2 and you know only 3 in 10 make it to year 10.

So there's so much assistance that is needed out there to really help entrepreneurs get on solid ground and prepare them for success. And so with my book, Lemonade, Squeeze Your Challenging Life Experiences into a Successful Business, I basically distill all of the information that I've learned through my journey to success into 17 strategies that individuals can implement to help them build that solid foundation and move forward to experience combustible success. When I started Gresham, I didn't know anything about business. I was an RN. And I started with a passion.

My Christian faith, which was solidified through my cancer journey, I experienced a miraculous recovery and really learned from that experience, the foundations that laid the success of my business, really. I used those life-and-death experiences to really help guide my business journey many years later. After becoming an RN and then realizing, you know what? I need to follow my predominant passion and move forward and start this business, I really was blessed to be able to operate my business from the perspective of my passion and my purpose. And that's one of the things that I think is so key, Gresham, is that when people operate their businesses from that perspective, their personal purpose, and they have the tools and the keys to build that solid foundation.

They're well on their way to experiencing success in business. I learned everything from the ground up. I read probably over 75 business and management-related books. I was a sponge because I had no business training and no business experience. I had very little capital to start my business and a boatload of insecurities to boot. So When I started, I had to take classes and courses and read books et cetera. I made a lot of mistakes, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of mistakes. It took me 3 and a half years to make my first dollar for my business.

But perseverance, applying those principles as Jim Collins from Good to Great, an amazing book. He says, you know, turn your flywheel turn after turn day after day, just keep pressing forward. And when you're starting from the perspective of your purpose, and you're utilizing those strategies to build a solid foundation. As I said, you're well on your way.

05:05 – Gresham Harkless

Nice. So I wanted to drill down a little bit more. I know you touched on a little bit. Here is a little bit more on how you're serving your clients. Here is a little bit more about your book and what you feel is maybe what I like to call your secret sauce, the thing you feel kind of such a part and makes unique.

05:17 – Melane Mullings

My secret sauce. Well, I like to think I love Italian food. So I'm really into that. So when I think of marinara sauce, right, there are ingredients to it that are standard, right? You need tomatoes, you need oregano, you need basil, salt, and pepper. So those things, you know, the basics I would say are, you know, talent and experience and competence, etc. But the little secret that I think I would say is my spiritual anchoring, really recognizing that you know, at the end of the day, moving from a direction of your purpose first. And why am I here? Not just what is the purpose for my business, but what is the purpose for me even being here?

And when I go back to my Christian faith, there's a Bible text, Ephesians 2:10, that says that we are created for good works. So I am here to operate a good work of service. There's something that I am uniquely prepared to deliver to the world that is to be of service. And so really I had to drill down and understand, okay, what is my particular good work of service and all of these challenging life experiences that I've endured, which in my book, I call them lemon experiences.

What am I here to do? And then really commit to operating my business from that perspective of my personal purpose. And so I would say my own secret sauce is operating from a perspective of my purpose and anchoring that spiritually and the entire journey, operating from a perspective of faith. It's not just about the numbers and the success and the material accouterments and all of it, but there's a bigger reason for this. And there's an impact that I am uniquely prepared to deliver. And so is everyone else in your audience and really committing to an understanding of finding out what that is and then moving forward from that perspective.

07:10 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome, I absolutely love that and I appreciate you sharing that. I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. What's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

07:23 – Melane Mullings

I would say my CEO hack would be, and this is one of the chapters in my book, give back and get more. I firmly believe in the concept of a servant leader. You know, at the end of the day, if we are a leader who can serve others and get down and be humble and give back our time, our talents, and our resources. When I started to do that consistently, Gresham, and intentionally, everything in my business changed. I had years where I was frustrated and anxious and it's not going fast enough and I'm doing all these things, it's not working et cetera. And I really became consummated with the concept when you have a need, sow a seed.

And I had a business meeting with an executive, I talked about this story as well in the book, which was transformational to me. She was a huge figure in business and a very successful, Order of Canada recipient, just a highly decorated business leader. And I requested a meeting with her and was granted it, which, you know, I was tickled pink over that she was willing to connect with me. And she wanted to connect with me. She chose the place Gresham and it was a homeless shelter. And when I met her there, most of the conversation that we had was around giving back. It was just transformational.

I really made the commitment and that and several other instances that happened around that. I really realized through that interaction with her, the importance of being an example and giving back, not just for what you stand to gain, but giving back and thanks for what you have right now. There are things that are going well in our businesses right now, right? Even when we're in the thick of the struggles, there's still something to give thanks for, there's still something to be thankful for. And really developing a thankful attitude really transformed my business. It was shortly after that, that things changed dramatically. And so that would be my CEO app hack, would be just to give back and recognize that when you do that, you will get more.

09:25 – Gresham Harkless

Yeah. So I want to ask you now for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is a little bit more of a word of wisdom or piece of advice, it might be something from your book or something you might tell your favorite client or potentially if you were to happen to a time machine, you might tell your younger business self.

09:39 – Melane Mullings

I would say 3 things. one is definitely pay attention to your inner work. I touched on that already. Really recognizing that the person that you bring to your business is extremely important. If you have issues or you know, there's issues with, as I said, forgiveness or faith or focus or you know, lack of belief in your own abilities and all of that, you'll visit that on your business, 100%. So really getting to the place to tell yourself the truth about your own state of mind, your beliefs about your ability to achieve success, etc., etc. Really paying attention to your own inner work would be the first. I would also say it's important to invest in your emotional intelligence.

I think it's huge in business because at the end of the day, when we develop our emotional intelligence, we show up more effectively in our businesses. If we're self-aware, we can staff for our weaknesses. We can tell ourselves the truth about, you know, different aspects and challenges that we're experiencing in our businesses and make changes quicker, right? If we manage ourselves more effectively, if we are more socially aware, and manage our relationships more effectively, our businesses can grow, and thrive.

So I think, you know, at the end of the day, that is incredibly important for CEOs to develop their level of emotional intelligence. What I like to say is the number one most important indicator for success in business is effective communication. You can have all the capital in the world. You can have the greatest teams around you. You can have more degrees in the thermometer. But if you don't know how to effectively communicate with empathy, with even the cadence and the tone of your voice, your business is going to have challenges. So really developing your business communication, I think is incredibly key.

11:33 – Gresham Harkless

Right. Yeah. And I definitely appreciate that. You might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you what I call my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping that different quote-unquote CEOs on the show. So, Malay, what does being a CEO mean to you?

11:45 – Melane Mullings

I would say 100% someone humble and willing to just be transparent vulnerable and accountable. You know, you make a mistake, hey, put your hand up, I did that, I made a mistake. Communicating it effectively, of course, but just a person that has integrity. I mean, CEOs that are individuals of integrity, you know, really, dramatically draw people to them, people that want to support and, you know, support their dream and progress them forward. And it's just a quality that I think is so important in business.

Also, somebody who's committed to excellence, right? Again, going back to your passion, right, and your purpose. If you really care about this business, you want to give it your best. You want it to be set up for success and to the best of your ability, right? And so having that commitment to excellence, is obviously intelligent, right? Convictant. I would also say somebody that's creative and adaptive, right?

And open, You definitely need to be adaptable, especially in the times that we're living in now more than ever. An individual who's an effective leader as well, someone who can draw the best out of their teams, an encourager and empowerer, right? And I think that makes a CEO a joy to work with.

13:01 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. No, I truly appreciate each of those, you know, aspects. And we start to see the holistic impact and, you know, kind of things that really great leaders and great CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners really have around them and are able to do in order to impact and make that legacy, I guess, felt overall and over time. So, Elaine, truly appreciate that definition. I, of course, appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do now is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional that you can let our readers and listeners know. And of course, how best people get a hold of you, get a copy of the book, and find out about all the awesome things that you're working on.

13:35 – Melane Mullings

Well, thank you again, Gresham, for this opportunity to be here. I am just so thankful to have this time to be able to share a little bit of my journey and who I am with your audience and my perspectives on what it means to be a CEO. Even though my approach may be a little different than the typical CEO's answers to these questions, I would say that it's not pie-in-the-sky thinking. Some individuals are operating in this manner, CEOs that are great organizations, say like Warby Parker, who have an amazing corporate social responsibility initiative.

I think of Mackenzie Scott. I think last year she gave away $6 billion or so. These principles that I'm discussing here, you can experience success when you operate from the perspective of a higher purpose and allow your challenging life experiences, past or present, to really guide you to an understanding of your purpose and operate your business from the perspective of that purpose. That's where there's peace, that's where there's blessing, that's where there's impact, and that's where there is success.

And success leads to peace. Of course, you know, we're in business to make money. I believe that the definition of an entrepreneur, a successful entrepreneur, is one that solves problems at a profit from the perspective of their purpose. And when you operate from that perspective, the success that you experience is sweeter, It's more fulfilling and you have greater impact. So thank you again for discussing my book. It's Lemonade.

Squeeze your challenging life experiences into a successful business. It will be out in spring 2022. And for those who are interested in connecting with me, you can find me on LinkedIn, Malayne Mullings. On my Instagram, I am dot Malayne Mullings. And I'm also on Alignable and Facebook. And they can get me to my website actually too, is malaynemullings.com.

15:29 – Gresham Harkless

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And to make it even easier, We'll have the links and information and show notes so that people can find out about your book as it gets closer to coming out. And of course, connect with you in so many different ways. Truly appreciate you, of course, taking some time out. And I love even hearing about the documentation of your journey as well.

And I think hearing how that has manifested itself in the 17 lessons and strategies that you've learned, we can hear about in the book is absolutely huge. I think it's a great reminder to us to document our journeys so that we can net the same way, make lemons into lemonade as you have been able to do so well. So I truly appreciate you, Malane, for, of course, taking time out and all the awesome impact that you're having. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

16:08 – Melane Mullings

Thank you, Gresham. You too. Take care.

16:11 – Outro

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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