A Bit About Myself
The Path To Me
I wanted to take some time to let you know a bit about myself and what brought me to this place, Melody Elm. To truly understand, you must first know I have some fundamental beliefs which have been a part of me for as long as I can remember. I believe there is a universal plan in place and I am meant for something special. To be clear, I feel that about everyone not just myself. We all have something special inside of us. No one’s path is the same, but we all have a path and they all lead to a place of fulfillment and tranquility. Each of us has been given gifts to help us reach our potential, and each of us has weaknesses we need to overcome. There is always a balance in the universe so if your trials seem great it only means your path leads to great things.
The greatness is not automatic. It takes work to overcome the trials put in your path. You can’t just sit on the path and hope for the best. You have to get up and take that next step.
I call it “The Path to Me”, because when a person is on their path, they are on the way to being the person they were meant to be.
Through my life, there have been times that I was directly on my path. Basking in success. Other times, I wondered off, taking the long route, but found my way back. At the worst of times, I wondered around in the darkness. Ignoring the signs of the universe sometimes because of fear, sometimes because of arrogance. What I have come to realize is even in the worst of times, the universe is still directing us. It may be only a whisper so we have to be still and listen for it. When we hear it, we need to humble ourselves and take heed. We can’t ignore the whisper waiting for it to say something else. Believe me I tried.
My Career Path
My Day Job
I am the VP of Business Operations for a company that provides business services for start-ups. Our company is more than HR and payroll management. We invest in our clients. We don’t take on every opportunity presented. We look for individuals or groups which we believe have something special to offer. I have been with this ownership group for over fifteen years. I have seen great successes as well as considerable failures. I have learned from each of them. We currently are partnering with seventeen businesses, which we fight for every day. Some of those businesses are less than a year old and others have been with us for over ten.
This wasn’t my first corporate job. I’ve been in that world for twenty-five years. I got my start working for a global company with over 33K employees. It was an amazing experience. They valued their employees, and it showed. They cared about the well being of their employees which resulted in the employees going the extra mile. On that job, I learned so much from both staff development and on the job experience. I grew my knowledge both horizontally and vertically. I extended my skill set dramatically. .Of everything I learned the one thing that has served me best was understanding, that if you treat your employees with respect your will be rewarded with loyalty and dedication. Having a solid team on your side is as good as gold.
I next went to a company with around one-thousand employees. During my tenor there we completed several successful mergers and acquisitions growing the business to over 65 thousand employees. Again, I am so thankful for that experience. I came on-board at the right time, in the right position. I was able to make pitches directly to the CEO and work on teams with the VPs who supported him. That company provided me with Six Sigma Black Belt training resulting in significant growth in business process management; these techniques I use every day. Again, a company that invested in their employees resulting in great success.
After that experience I decided to give it a go on my own. I had several clients in the DFW area, then life got in the way. I was pregnant and put on bed rest. My inability to travel made it very difficult to support my current client base with only one local exception. (The internet existed but was not being utilized in the way it is today.) Sometimes things happen and we don’t see the rainbow for the clouds. I was initially both devastated and terrified. I had no insurance and only one client, but what a blessing it was. That one client was the person I partner with today. I was in the right place at the right time. It was a lot of hard work, many late nights…but I loved it. I was able to work from home which was critical with a new born. We were growing something tangible. Something special. We were thinking outside the box, doing more with less. I felt it was exactly where I should be. We started and grew multiple businesses. I was on my path.
The Path Leads To Me
The Wondering Path to Melody Elm (ME)
So why am I here telling this story? Because things changed, as they always do, and I failed to adjust. I sat on my path and ignored the whispers. Additional partners joined the group, and in many ways, I was pushed down while they grew. I was no longer referred to as a partner, but an employee. Ouch! I had relied on handshake deals and was crushed when those were ignored then eventually forgotten. At that point, I had given this business ten years of my life. I felt trapped and was in a very bad place. I was working 60-80 hours a week and if my team’s work product wasn’t perfect…well I heard about it. The constant pressure and the scream fests were unyielding. I became a punching bag. I was given all the responsibility and none of the authority. I felt trapped in this little hole with no way out. Looking back I don’t know why I refused to look at other alternatives, but I didn’t. I attempted to be perfect because nothing less was tolerated. Surprise, I’m not perfect, but the criticism made me feel like a failure. It was ugly. I was understaffed, underpaid, and there was no relief in sight. Looking back, I can’t understand why I didn’t just leave. I don’t blame anyone but myself. Why? Because I can’t control those around me only my reactions. I allowed their words to rob me of myself esteem and lost my will to be the person I was meant to be. Things changed, and I failed to adjust, and was lost.
Something Had to Give
Time to Pivot
Finally, after a year I hit a wall. If something didn’t change I was going to break. I had to crawl out of that dark hole. I knew I had two choices. I could leave or I could accept work was not going to change, meaning I had to change my response to the situation. I really evaluated what was still in my control and what wasn’t. I did some serious soul searching and decided to stay, but I was going to make some changes. So, I pivoted. I quit being a punching bag. I evaluated the situation, got away from the things I could not control and discovered a new way I could bring additional value to the company. Value that no one could deny. This brought me joy. I was again building a better business. I focused on my team. Together we grew into a lean, mean fighting ma-team. I actively worked on myself by reading, listening to TED talks, anything I could get my hands on. I put that information into my team-building sessions and staff development. I shaved hours off of task by building software to automate things that were previously being collected by hand. I was so proud of my team. I was proud of myself. We were asked to do the impossible and we did it. Not perfection but close. I read, researched, and taught. By empowering them I was empowering myself. I pulled myself out of that very dark place. I set boundaries and said, “I will not be held responsible for things I can’t control”. I literally said those words to the people making the demands. Success! Boundary set and for the most part respected; meaning, I wasn’t being yelled at for things out of my control. If you gave us a challenge, our team would be successful. At that time, a business coach said to me, “You must be compensated for what you do, either monetarily or in stock”. I took those words as gospel. I asked for what I deserved and didn’t stop asking until I was heard. I got both.
The changes I had made in myself worked for a while. Looking back, our team was actually too successful. We would over deliver and instead of being apricated over achieving became the new bar. We did more with less time and time again. Our teams responsibilities continued to grow, but we were the last to get relief.
I loved most parts of my job. I loved my employees. I loved a challenge, but the ownership group continued to be less involved, always expecting more. They had no idea the true scope of our workload which explains promises made to new clients. Promises that were impossible to meet with our given resources. We were being set up for failure plain and simple. As a result, we bent ourselves into a pretzels trying to meet everyone’s expectations. The business model that made our company successful had been completely ignored. Everyone wanted what they wanted NOW for less and it had to be perfect. No matter how strong a team is, if you pull it hard enough, it will break. I broke, my team broke, my company broke…we were broken, and I was back in that dark place.
Searching for the Cure
A Final Hail Mary
So, the pivot wasn’t a cure just a Band-Aid. Five years later and I was back in the hole. I knew how to get out, but I wasn’t sure if I had the strength. There had to be a major change. I needed to take my resume and walk out the door. That was so hard for me to conceive. It wasn’t the thought of getting another job. I had several offers on the table and had always thrived when given a challenge. I could not conceive of giving up. This had been over fifteen years of my life. These were my visions and my goals. How could I walk away? I truly loved these people. What if I walked into another situation that was exactly the same? Then what’s the point of leaving? On the other hand, how could I stay? It was toxic for me. I lost a little bit of myself every day. Someone once described their situation as soul sucking. I felt that was an appropriate description. I loved ninety percent of my job; the part I had control over. The remainder was soul sucking.
I made the decision to meet myself in the middle. I sat down with my business partner of sixteen years, and let him know A,B, and C had to change for me to stay; for our business to survive. He committed and I stayed. Three weeks later we were back to A,B and C. When I asked about it, well let’s just say, asking was a mistake.
Be Still and Listen
The Universe is Whispering
Thanksgiving 2019, I’m in the airport and come across the book.
Don’t Keep Your Day Job By Cathy Heller.
I thought, well that’s timely. Had no idea what it was about or who the author was. I simply thought, I want to know more. By the next morning I was halfway through the book and bought the audio version so I could listen as we were traveling. I listened to the book two times on that trip. I joined Cathy’s Facebook group, started listening to podcasts. I was hooked. I felt empowered. I felt I could move forward into my passion at a speed that I (and my pocketbook) could live with.
To-date I have set up Melody Elm Productions purchased domain names and began building my web site (Welcome). I am fixing up an office on the edge of town which has a spot for training and meditation. I purchased domain names, Participated in a five day workshop and am in the process of completing Cathy Heller’s 90 program, “Made To Do This.”
I m here to share my story, my gifts and my knowledge with the world. I have been in the business of building businesses for a quarter of a century. I know what works, I know what doesn't. I know how to do more with less and build processes into a foundation that will take you and your business to the next level.
I found my path. Let me help you find yours.
Cory Locke of Melody Elm Productions, LLC
https:\\melodyelm.com
Melody Elm (ME) Service Branches
Get to Know ME for Individuals
MELODY ELM's program The Path To Me - Utilizes many different platforms to help individuals be the best version of themselves. We all have a purpose with strengths and weaknesses different from any other being on this planet. Each of us has a unique path that will lead to abundance and tranquility. It's our responsibility to find that path and keep moving forward. This program was created to help you clear the obstacles from your path, and find the stepping stones to the person you were meant to be. The Path To ME begins with defining what success is to you then creating and implementing a plan to achieve it. It is full of tools and techniques which can be incorporated into all aspects of your life from self, to family, to business and beyond. Everyone has gifts meant to be shared. Take the next step toward achieving the success you were born to have. This program will help you find the path to YOU.
Getting to know ME for your Business
It has been my business to grow businesses for a quarter of a century. I know what works, I know what doesn't. I can help you build a solid foundation and assure your business plan is set up for success.
Are you ready to take the next step?
From defining a mission and vision statement to obtaining long term sustainability with a healthy balanced team made up of individuals working together to achieve the vision. Management training to stay focused on the mission while identifying warning signs before it's too late.
The Business training includes team building, staff development, management and upper management training and Strategic business planning.
Let ME show you the way.