The Raddest Girls On The Planet: @MELRWHITE
Dear Rad Girl,
If you've been following my Diary (blog) over the past 4 years, you are familiar with this segment #theraddestgirlsontheplanet . In this series, I feature Rad Girls that are energetic, ambitious, fun, loving, uber talented, kind and artistic... I search all around social media for the raddest girls on the planet and I've came across some amazing girls I would love to share their stories with you. This February, the month of love, we caught up with Mom, Mogul, and jewelry designer Melanie Marie!! We are totally instacrushing on her! She’s literally the most chic mom ever!!!!!
Introduce yourself:
Where are you from? Born & raised?
I am from Yonkers, NY
What fueled your vision to becoming an entrepreneur? How did your journey begin? Hardest part of being an entrepreneur ?
I have always been creative and have had the entrepreneurial spirit in me. A lot of people don’t know but I went to school for nursing. I wanted to be a nurse practitioner. I graduated with my BSN and worked in the hospital for about a year and a half and I couldn’t take it lol. I didn’t like that I was working my butt off to make someone else rich. I hated that I had to ask to take a vacation and even after you ask, it may not be granted. I felt like I was destined for more and was trapped behind those walls lol. I started Melanie Marie in 2009. I had that business going for a while and it was doing well when I got with a partner and opened a brick and mortar store at the end of 2010. That boutique had a lot of teachable lessons for me. When we closed that boutique in 2012, I launched my custom gold jewelry and that took off. The rest is history.
The hardest part of being an entrepreneur was learning to do everything. When you work for someone, you have tasks to complete everyday. Someone gives you these tasks. As an entrepreneur, you have to do everything yourself. You need to be the boss and the worker. You have to be the accountant, the production team, the photographer, the marketing team etc. You have to be disciplined enough to know when to wake up to begin work, when to take a break and when not to. There is a lot that comes with being an entrepreneur. Once you learn all of the ins and outs of your business and go through a lot of trial and error, everything else becomes easy.
How do you balance being an entrepreneur, author, mother, and style icon?
I am extremely organized. I believe people that have a lot going on need to be. If they aren’t good at it, they should delegate to someone that can. I utilize my calendar and to do lists everyday. At night, I write my to do list for the next day. That way I wake up ready for the day and know what needs to be done. I make sure I do everything on that list. This is how I always stay on top of things.
What's one piece of advice you can share for new entrepreneurs from your " Melanie Marie Business Consulting and Business E- Guides?
I always tell aspiring entrepreneurs to never quit and utilize the power of manifestation. If I quit the first time I failed, my business wouldn’t be where it is today. I use failures as lessons. They stick with you the longest and make you stronger.
I also manifest a lot of things. I write down yearly goals and envision them all happening.
Is your life exactly what you envisioned 5 years ago? or completely different from what you expected?
Five years ago, I didn’t envision some of the things I am doing now. I knew that I would be doing great things but not everything that I am doing. It’s crazy sometimes to look back at where you were compared to where you are. It makes you have an attitude of gratitude.
What would you tell 15 year old you?
A few little lessons I would pass on would be:
Always know your worth
The world is bigger than you think it is and your worries aren’t as important as you think they are, just be you
Keep exercise, eating well, and healthy living in balance. Schedule rest and recreation regularly. The older you get, the more you’ll understand why.
You are on a journey, which means things will change. Even more important things will change, sometimes shockingly. But it is a nevertheless a good journey, and it’s worth every step.
Also, I would tell 15 year old me to get on the social media wave early. I would also tell myself to start a business early on. I would teach myself about passive income and the importance of it.
What was a pivotal learning experience that helped shape you into the woman you are today?
When I opened my boutique I did it with a partner that I shouldn’t have gone into business with. When the business began to fail, my partner ditched me with all of the bills. It was a very tough time for me and I had to pick up the pieces all by myself. I learned a lot of business lessons during that period and it was a huge learning experience.
I learned that you need to be very careful who you choose to do business with. You need to make sure that they have the same goals and intentions as you. Sometimes people may try to let you do all of the work while they sit back and claim the glory.
I was featured in Inc Magazine regarding this topic. Here is the link for reference: https://www.inc.com/angela-benton/why-running-a-startup-is-like-getting-married.html
Coffee or tea, if so how do you take it?
I have never liked coffee and never drank it lol It’s just not my thing. I am a tea girl. I like my tea nice and sweet !
Favorite hidden gem to eat in NYC?
I can’t give up my favorite gems. Now y’all know that lol If I give up my secret spots, everybody will be up in there hahaha
Go to piece for fall?
I must have an essential black boot. I also love a good versatile blazer.
You always have on a very rad red lip, what lipstick is your go to?
actually, my go to lip color is a nude! It’s my everyday favorite and I have a million nudes in my makeup box. Nude lips go with everything and can be worn for every occasion.
How’s life living with a rockstar “AnnDrew”? She’s such a star, how does she like modeling?
My daughter is my favorite person! She is so fun and such a great kid. I know people say it all the time, but I don’t remember how my life was before her. She is smart, fun, loving and we always have a great time.
It’s funny because she actually really loves modeling. She knows what to do when she gets behind the camera and she is great at it. We always said if she got older and didn’t enjoy it anymore, than we won’t force her to continue.
Happiest memory for the year of 2019?
I have a lot of happy memories so I cannot choose just one. I do have a super cool Boss memory for the year of 2019, which was going to China to go straight to the source. I always come up with new ways to upgrade my business and I decided I wanted to go to China to see what new ideas I can come up with. That experience was so cool And I will never forget it. Being able to cut the middleman was the most boss thing I did this year!
Dream collaborations? If so, Who with and why?
I would love to collaborate with Oprah or Beyoncé. Somehow and in some form. The two of them are the epitome of BOSS! They both work super hard and have done the most major things. The records that they broke, the drive that they both have and the barriers they continue to cross. I love what they both stand for and the platforms that they have built. I would love to work with them on some sort of program for girls all around the world!
What's your favorite Dear Laney piece?
The “Cali” dress is super cute. I love an off the shoulder look.
What does being our Raddest Girl On The Planet mean to you?
It means that you are making an impact. It means that someone is noticing and seeing the great things that you are doing. I feel that is it super cool because I am doing all of these things while living my life and being me. I am not putting on a show for the people, I’m just me. I am confident in myself and love to be able to make a positive impact. It is an awesome compliment and I truly appreciate it.
Thank you so much! You’re very insightful and sweet! We know you’ll go so far!! We wish you the best of luck in your career! Please K.I.T!!!
xo
Laney