What made you take the leap in entrepreneurship?

I have always been self-motivated with an entrepreneurial spirit. One could say it runs in the family, my parents are entrepreneurs, and so is my older brother. Just Like OM is the third business that I have owned. When I began my career, I also chose independent contracting positions where I could create my schedule, make goals, and comprehensive plans to achieve them. I previously had a career in the fashion industry doing sales and product development, but unfortunately, I never loved it as much as I hoped I would.

Taking my future into my own hands, I decided to move across the country to NYC, switch careers, and enter into a new industry that interested me. At first, the change was challenging, especially while having to work full-time, but it helped me realize how much I can accomplish if I really want to achieve something. I knew that once I had found a path that I loved I would eventually want to start my own company again.

What’s your favorite part about being your own boss?

I love having the freedom to see an idea from start to finish. When you are your own boss, you have to come up with a lot of creative ways to make something work- sometimes with zero budget; However, I found that you meet so many amazing people and build a community along the way.

Do you have any work philosophies that drive your business?

I have a few:

1. We go further together

2. Treat everyone who comes into our space like a guest in your home

3. You are never too tired to do something you love

What does “bringing breath to business” mean for you and your brand?

To me it means bringing a personal element into your business. At Just Like Om, we strive to make everyone feel like part of our OM family. We want everyone who supports our business to know how grateful we are. We also know that as we grow and things go wrong, which is inevitable, that we acknowledge our mistakes, we hear our client’s concerns and suggestions, and we treat them how we want to be treated and make it right. Our clients and our instructors are the core of our community, and in our hard times or during our growing pains, they have truly made it seem like we have created a caring community.

What’s your biggest tip for social media success?

In the beginning, all of my clients were referral-based, so I decided I would make it about the team and connecting with other businesses to cross-promote, and that is what really helped us grow.

Now that the studio has been around for a couple years, I have been taking it more seriously, trying to learn more about how to scale our business. I would say when you’re starting out, connect with like-minded people, and build together.

What would be the one piece of advice you’d give to someone working to “find their passion or purpose”?/piece of advice you’d give to someone working on building a brand/business?

You know it is your purpose if even on your worst day, you find it more fulfilling than the best day doing something else.

Most days, I work from 6 AM to 8 PM, and I have as much energy for my first client as I do for my last.

If you are building a business or brand, make sure you are adding value to the people you work with: clients, other companies, interns, vendors, employees, etc.

Get to know people and remember things about them rather than trying to sell all the time. Be a Nice Human.

Connect with Melissa digitally through her Instagram and through Just Like Ohm’s Instagram and Facebook pages. What inspired you most about her journey? Share with us in the comments below!