She is Inspiring

Happy Monday Family,

I hope you had a great weekend and if you didn’t I hope this week is off to a good start. So lately I have been doing some serious reflecting. My birthday is July 17th (super excited!!) and every year around this time I take a look at my life and the people in it and try to figure out the areas where I need growth and what people need to go and who needs to stay. Needless to say I am definitely happy and thankful for the loyal/honest friends in my life. Melissa and I have been friends since high school. She is sweet, loyal, driven, really down to earth and an amazing event planner!

Wishing you all the best Mel J!
xoxo
Ally

She-blogs: Who is Melissa Jones?
I am a “liberated” hard-working woman who really and truly just likes to be happy and spend my time with positive people engaging in positive environments. I am also a very good friend, a sister, an aunt (aka ‘TT’ for my niece and two nephews) and a business owner.

She-blogs: What was your inspiration for starting Mel J Events & Consulting?
I discovered my “labor of love” for the events industry three years ago. My experience has always entailed retail/ customer service, public relations or events. The equation was very simple – I knew that PR wasn’t something that I wanted to pursue full-time, so I fused my passion for events with my customer service skills and here I am with Mel J Events & Consulting!

She-blogs: What makes Mel J Events unique?
There are two things:
1.    Me! I say this because I have a huge talent when it comes to planning, organizing, and project management. I truly value this gift – it is a treasure of mine. I have ALWAYS had the ability to learn something once – and then be able to apply it instantly, no questions asked…it’s scary, so watch out world:)
2.    Mel J is not only about hard-work, but also fun. Anyone who works with Mel J must bring humor – or we’ll cry from the stressors that the work can bring. I could not be anymore serious – humor is embedded into Mel J Events!

She-blogs: What was your turning point? What made you decide that the 9-5 was no longer an option for your future?
I have to LOL at this one!! I had to take a moment and reflect on all my work experiences one day. I am a person who has not been at job for more than two years ever (out of the many I’ve had), I have gotten promoted (or some type of merit) within a year at just about every job, but nothing was able to keep me…mainly because of boredom and frustration. I knew that my talent exceeded the office walls of a 9-5!

She-blogs: What events have you worked on recently?
I was always working on events before the launch of Mel J – but more recently I signed my very first official Mel J contract with Y Lowe Signature Events. Yvonne is a total sweetheart and has contracted me out to assist with some of her projects. Earlier this year, I worked with on a Green Wedding Showcase with lori hill event productions. I have also worked with C. Brower & Co Creative Events based in New York. I have some more prospect clients in the coming future!

She-blogs: What is your average day like?
Reading lots of books, developing business plans, making a strong effort to keep my Mel J Blog current, sending emails, researching and the list goes on. I wish I had a set schedule!

She-blogs: Tell me about one of the biggest career obstacles you have faced and how you worked through it?
In 2007 when I had to make the decision to either stay in D.C. and continue working in the PR field or move to New York and pursue the events industry. I just packed my bags and left!

She-blogs: What advice would you give to a woman who wants to break into event planning? Do you suggest internships or finding a mentor?
BOTH!!! The best advice that was given to me: “find someone who is doing the same thing and learn from them.” You cannot do it on your own – and this is coming from someone who has experience, but I still have TONS to learn. Internships are great as well, but I also suggest joining networking groups, volunteering for event fundraisers, planning small events for your friends, etc. Document and keep pictures of everything you work on to develop a portfolio.

She-blogs: Why do you think it is important for women to stick together and genuinely help one another?
It would bridge the gap between those who don’t want to support each other and those who do. Therefore, all female business-owners and individuals would succeed. It’s almost like a domino effect, the economy will become much stronger…so you have to look at it long-term.

She-blogs: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Mel J Events will be fully-developed and will have offices in at least three or four of the major cities. I’ll also be on a white-sandy beach with clear water and my house sitting on top of someone’s hill on an island.

She-blogs: Name one place that you have never been that you want to travel to and why?
South Africa – I want to see original beauty, and experience how our brothers and sisters live over there.

She-blogs: What is your mantra on life?
Count your blessings and not your problems – always work with what you have and don’t worry about what you don’t have.

She-blogs: When was the last time you laughed so hard you couldn’t breathe?
It would have to be the time when some friends and I took a road trip in college to Norfolk for a conference. My best friend was in the back seat sleep and all of a sudden he woke up screaming because he had a frog in his leg, he had to open the door while the car was in motion to stretch it out! I was in tears – if you knew him, you would know why it was so funny. I laugh hard at everything though!

She-blogs: What do you do to stay balanced?
I pray and read the bible a lot. I also eat very healthy 90 percent of the time (I have my cheat days) which consists of a lot of live foods, fresh squeezed carrot and green leafy juice– this plays a huge factor. Exercise and positive affirmations!

She-blogs: What do you like the most about the way you look?
I also have a dangerous smile:)

She-blogs: What do you like to do for fun?
Read, eat at different restaurants (I’m a veggie), dance and anything activity-based.

www.meljevents.com

This entry was posted on Monday, July 12th, 2010 at 6:07 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.