Today we’d like to introduce you to Meilissa Weed. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Empowering Dreams: Serial Entrepreneur Advocates for Working Women, Side Hustlers, and Mothers
In an inspiring narrative of perseverance and dedication, Melissa Weed, a serial entrepreneur with a heart for supporting working women, side hustlers, and mothers, is making a significant impact in the business world. Raised in a single-mother household with two siblings, Weed’s journey is a powerful testament to ambition, compassion, and the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. Weed attributes her early success to her love of school. However, Weed faced a significant setback during high school, leading to her decision to finish her high school education at the alternative school, graduating a year and a half early. Despite this hurdle, Weed excelled academically, pushing someone out of the top 10% of the graduating class due to her outstanding grades. She also started college at age 17 with a 21-credit hour course load. While her grades and overall standing were good – Weed became disconnected from school due to the adverse experience.
Weed underwent 10 years characterized by intermittent enrollment in college as she sought to explore her identity, personal truths, and beliefs after this devastating experience. A pivotal moment occurred during an encounter at a church, where Weed realized she had been attributing her decisions and anger to the individual who suspended her, rationalizing her actions based on perceived injustice. Through this transformative experience, she forgave him and others. She later went on to obtain a Masters Degree in Management.
Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit instilled in her by her Grandparents, who were self-employed corn and bean farmers, and her single mother, Weed embarked on a journey that led to the establishment of multiple successful (and unsuccessful) ventures. One of Weed’s current ventures offers women and side hustlers flexible work opportunities. Acknowledging the increasing importance of supplementary income, she has implemented innovative policies such as self-set work options and flexible hours. These initiatives foster a supportive work environment and accommodate the needs of individuals and families. Weed also works with the Kelce College of Business team at Pittsburg State University, helping connect business students to internship opportunities. Bridging the gap between academia and industry for students is critical to having a prepared workforce when students graduate.
Fueled by her experiences, Weed embarked on a journey of entrepreneurship, establishing multiple ventures. Her commitment extends to connecting business students to internships, bridging academia and industry while also helping employers build their talent pipeline. Weed’s motivation, rooted in her upbringing, aims to inspire and support individuals facing challenges. Her story encourages those striving to balance career, side projects, and family life, reflecting entrepreneurial spirit and resilience in overcoming personal struggles.
Weed currently owns Honey Does LLC, EBS – a custom-built app, and is the co-founder of SEK Women Entrepreneurs. Weed is the Internship and Career Readiness Coordinator at the Kelce College of Business at Pittsburg State University. She is also a courtesy instructor of management.
Melissa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, emphasis in Public Relations, from Pittsburg State University, a Master’s Degree in Management, an Entrepreneurial Planning and Management Certification from Missouri Southern State University, and an Entrepreneurial Mindset Practitioner Certification from Eckerd College. Melissa was a Pipeline Entrepreneurs Fellow – 2023 Pathfinder. Melissa and her husband, Steve, are foster parents to two exceptional children.
Melissa is available for guest speaking, keynote speaking, or workshop engagements. She covers topics such as overcoming adversity, resilience and determination, women in business, entrepreneurship, building the entrepreneurial ecosystem, management, internships as a talent pipeline, internships, and general business topics. Weed is also actively seeking opportunities to write about these topics – with access to a professional camera and drone – able to provide written content and original photos for any work submitted. In addition, Melissa is available for youth, college-level, or community-level judging or mentoring opportunities such as entrepreneurship challenges, pitch competitions, or general mentorship to anyone wanting to start a business or is currently in business.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
My journey as an entrepreneur has been resource-scarce. I’ve had to bootstrap and work overtime to make it all happen. The glamor of starting or owning a business is fun until you get into the weeds and see what it takes to make it work. Sometimes you don’t get paid – sometimes you don’t get days off. The sacrifices you have to make sometimes seem like punishment, and you question why you are doing this. You have to dig deep and find a reason or a “why” that is bigger than a paycheck if you will make it. I’m able to keep going because of the impact I’m creating. I think about one employee who came to my company at a time when she was teetering on going back to a destructive lifestyle, on the brink of losing her children – and the support we were able to give her gave her hope and introduced her to a different group of people that provided just enough hope that she was able to avoid a relapse. Another employee was soul searching, deep searching for meaning in her life – not even sure if she wanted to finish school, and somehow, the intersection of her life with the position opening we had created this alignment that gave her the support she needed to make some big decisions. She is thriving now. It’s fantastic to see. Others are side-hustlers paying off student loans and mortgages, making positive steps towards a better quality life. We’ve been able to give others internship opportunities, such as an Accounts Receivable Intern/Clerk, a Social Media Marketing Intern, and others. We have an incoming Sales and Recruiter Intern, an MBA student at Pittsburg State University.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those just starting.
Remember not to underestimate the power of community and connection. You don’t have to know it all to start something – but you will need to know “someone” for each area you don’t understand, someone you can reach out to for a quick question or advice. I encourage you to join business support groups or entrepreneur support groups. Talk to the Small Business Development Centers or Entrepreneurial Support Organizations such as NetworkKansas, KC, MOSource Link, the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, or places like the eFactory in Springfield. Get into whatever cohorts you can to get around other business owners. It might feel like you are the only one going through this or that thing – but you are not. Other business owners who have gone before probably have experienced something similar – and are willing to help you. Building this network is essential for your long-term survival and success. If you cannot get into any of these immediately, read, read. Read books about entrepreneurship, business owners, and how to run a business, take a course, talk to a business professor, ask for an introduction to another business owner, and seek one-on-one mentorship. Know your ‘why.’ Why are you doing what you are doing? Knowing your purpose and motivation can be the difference between success and failure. Don’t be afraid to fail. If your ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work – you need to have a ‘Plan B.’ Don’t be afraid to experiment and try again, and again, and again. You need to be tweaking your strategy constantly. One failure doesn’t define your entire operation. It’s a slight hiccup – slight turbulence – keep going, re-evaluate, and pivot as many times as necessary. Last, take what others say with a grain of salt, whether good or bad. You will have raging fans and die-hard critics. Everything everyone says will have some sliver of truth – but realize the raging fans and die-hard critics have the loudest voices and sometimes the least amount of substance.
You’ve got to ask yourself, what is the sliver of truth from both the raging fan and die-hard critic – take that – and leave the rest. In 1865, almost 160 years ago, PT Barnum’s museum in downtown Manhattan was burned down. Some speculate that die-hard critics caused the fire. In 2017, the circus was still around, traveling and bombarded with the same critics, just from different eras. Now, the circus has come back again with a relaunch in 2023. People will have opinions, there will be hurdles and setbacks, there will be hurt and pain, but the show always seems to go on. Consider the feedback, consult advisors, make an informed decision, keep moving, and ask yourself, “what is the lesson here?”
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