THE ACCRESCENT™ PODCAST EPISODE 151

Melissa Camilleri: [00:00:00] Okay.

Leigh Ann: get going. I want to make sure that’s good. Um, yeah, I, I’ll have her edit. So if for whatever reason we need to cut anything out, we totally can, but otherwise we’ll roll with it.

Melissa Camilleri: Awesome.

Leigh Ann: Well, Melissa, welcome to the Accrescent podcast, the Accrescent world over here. It’s so fun to have you on.

Melissa Camilleri: Yes. Thank you so much for having me on. I’m a huge Leanne fan.

Leigh Ann: we’ve been in each other’s orbit for a few months now, and it’s so I’m excited about this conversation because I know bits of your story. Obviously, I’m in the prosper network. So there’s so much we’re going to talk about there and so much I can share my own experience. But it’s also like kind of a fun, selfish opportunity for me to get to know you better and your journey and kind of what led you on this road.

Melissa Camilleri: yes.

Leigh Ann: So I think that’s a great place to start if you’re comfortable starting there. It’s just kind of your entrepreneurial journey.

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah. Okay. So I like to think of myself as an accidental [00:01:00] entrepreneur. I had no idea I would ever start a business growing up. I always. I wanted to be a writer, actually, so, um, I thought I would end up in journalism and go, move to New York City. And I wanted to write for a women’s magazine like Cosmo or Vogue or something like that.

Um, and it was my senior year of college when, uh, I just graduated college when 9 11 happened. So it tells like kind of the age bracket that I’m in and it totally freaked me out. And so I decided that I was going to, um, stay put here in California where I was born and raised. And, um, that led me to do some like deep soul searching.

And I realized that what I really wanted to do when I was a kid and what I used to play all the time was being a teacher. And so I would line up my stuff. Stuffed animals. And I would give the lessons that I just learned that day in elementary school. And so I thought, well, that was so prevalent. in [00:02:00] my childhood, I think that’s what I meant to do.

So I put this dream of writing to the side and I became a high school English teacher and I thought I had just like hit the jackpot. I fell in love. I loved everything about my job. I loved the students. I loved reading literature. It was wonderful. And very soon into that experience, um, I realized that teaching is, I’m going to go on record.

I’m just going to say it is the hardest job occupation in the world. I think it’s harder than surgery and I’ve not ever been a surgeon, but it requires. So if you’re doing it well, or if you’re doing it in the way, I think that we’re called to do it in this day and age. Um, it requires you to give so much emotional, every bit of your emotional self to students.

And I was working in a situation where, um, that my [00:03:00] students were amazing, tons of potential, but many of them, um, came from, backgrounds that weren’t supportive of or the most supportive of their future. So these kids all wanted to go off to college. They wanted to become doctors and nurses and lawyers, but came from families that were steeped in poverty or addiction or abuse.

And, um, They had no real adult examples of anything that they could be outside of like what they’ve seen in their neighborhood or maybe like on TV. And so the program that I taught in was to help these students who had tons of potential and very little means to become college and career ready. And they were amazing.

So like I had them all for years. We studied for all the tests. We got them,

Leigh Ann: No.

Melissa Camilleri: you know, all prepared. And at the end of their senior year, Um, they started coming to me and saying, Miss, you told me freshman year that if I were to do all of these things, just like you laid out for [00:04:00] me and you said I should do them, then I was going to be able to go to college.

And I just got my financial aid package back and, um, like it might as well be costing a billion trillion dollars because there’s no way. that I can go. And so hearts were breaking all

Leigh Ann: Mm.

Melissa Camilleri: all over. And I was all like, so gung ho about educational equity. Like, why should it be that only the top kids from the best families get to go and pursue their dreams?

Shouldn’t every kid get that chance? And so I started a fundraiser. And this fundraiser was my first step into entrepreneur land. It was a fundraiser where I was making jewelry and, um, it started off because I was just making jewelry for fun as an emotional, like, Things are intense at school. Yeah, outlet like a creative outlet for myself.

I wasn’t very good at it, but um, I had ones to match all of my outfits and I really like fashion. And anyways, um, I had one student come to me and she said, could you make me a ring [00:05:00] for homecoming? So I made her this ring. I just had her buy the beads from the bead store and I think it was like maybe four dollars to make.

And then I gave it to her with a little note that said, I’m so proud of who you’ve become. You like just shining a light on who she was. So fast forward a couple of weeks later, prom had come and gone or homecoming had come and gone. Um, I had 22 orders that week to fulfill cause all the girls started talking and they all wanted to match their dresses and I wasn’t charging them any more than it costs to make, you know, just for the materials.

But where the idea started was, um, my student came back to me. One of them And I had written all the girls the notes that went with these rings. And she was holding her binder, and on the back cover of her binder there was a plastic cover and was the note that I had written her. And, um, I said, oh yeah, like I’ll help you with whatever homework, I don’t even know why she was at my desk, like whatever her question was.

But I was like, but you still have that note? That’s so nice. And she goes, are you [00:06:00] serious? Of course I have this note still. And I was like, what do you mean? And she, her eyes just filled up with tears and she goes, this is the nicest thing that anybody has ever said to me. People don’t talk to talk about me like this and I never want to forget it.

And it makes every time, Oh, I’ve told this story probably 10, 000 times and every time it makes me tear up because the light that these kids had and still have, cause I know them now as adults, they’re in their thirties now. It was just so bright and so incredible, and that other people did not see them the way that I saw them was just like, that smashed my heart into a million pieces.

And there’s a book called The Awakened Woman by Dr. Tara Wright Trent. who is, um, an amazing, um, thought leader. And she, um, writes about what, what is your purpose and like, what, what should you pursue in your life when you are pursuing a life of [00:07:00] passion and of meaning and of purpose? And she said, if there’s, if you find something that breaks your heart so bad that it’s, it gets you into action, that’s what you need to pursue.

Well, the fact that these girls didn’t. perceive themselves in the way that I saw them. And the fact that they did everything right and were still coming up short, it was like, oh, well, obviously. I went to school. I have a master’s degree in writing. Obviously, I have this English degree, so you know what I should do?

I should start this jewelry company, right? Like, um, there was a, an episode of, um, Portlandia, which was like popular at the time when I ended up actually leaving the classroom, where it was about this woman who was going through a midlife crisis. And they’re like, so what’s your sister in law up to lately?

And they sing this whole song about how she’s making jewelry now and her lifestyle on track. And so when I left teaching to [00:08:00] pursue making jewelry and it, the whole company is called Compliment. And it was about it, yes, it was about the physical gift, but it was really about the words behind it and how you could personalize it and, and shine a light on the goodness that you saw in other people.

And, um. People would joke with me like, Oh, you’re whole, you burnt, basically you burnt your life to the ground. And there’s like a whole personal side of that. Like I, it happened all at the same time as getting a divorce and losing three loved ones in my immediate family. And so this business and my foray into entrepreneurship was equal parts, an opportunity to heal myself, going through the deepest, darkest, Like, I don’t even know, like, big pit of grief that I think anybody can come out of.

Like, if it doesn’t take you down, then that’s like the deepest you could go with it and still get up. Um, so being in this state [00:09:00] of just like really, really deep grief and big change and um, unraveling a lot of the, the things that I thought about myself, that I thought about love, that I thought about marriage.

And career and it combined it with the heart break of like, I got to do something about this educational equity piece because these kids need more money and they need to know how incredible they are so that they can go off into adulthood with some self efficacy or self trust that they are worthy of all of these good things.

So that was the crossroads. And I ended up leaving teaching, like I said. I built up this company within 18 months to, um, It was like, massively tripled the amount that I was making as a teacher. I had so much more time freedom. And that was my first business. And that lasted 10 years before I burned that down to the ground [00:10:00] after I became a mom.

So, um, at the peak actually. So there’s been a lot of growth, a lot of change, and I don’t think it would have happened for me any other way unless I was like massively kicked in the butt. by God and said like, listen, no, no, no, this is your path and I need you to trust that you’ll figure it out. And that’s kind of been my motto ever since.

Like, I don’t know what, where I’m going to be five years from now, but I’ll figure it out. I’ll figure it out. And it’s been so much better than having tread that well worn path that I was already on.

Leigh Ann: there’s such a great quote that I’m sure everyone’s heard of, but it’s like, God will never give you peace in something you’re not meant to be in.

Melissa Camilleri: Oh, I’ve never heard that,

Leigh Ann: Oh my gosh. I feel like

Melissa Camilleri: but it’s so true.

Leigh Ann: but it’s like, and or like the peace leaves once it’s, it’s It’s time for a new era. It’s time to [00:11:00] step into something else and being able to attune to that within us and go, Hey, this thing used to light me up.

It doesn’t anymore. I feel like I’m best. I serve others best in a different Avenue now, but having the trust, the grit, the resilience, the bravery to just kind of take that leap of faith. I feel like every step I’ve taken in my own entrepreneurial journey has been one step before the world would have told me to take it.

Right? Every step. If I had, if I had asked the logical world, like, should I do this? The logical world would have been like, no, absolutely not.

Melissa Camilleri: Right.

Leigh Ann: But being able to just trust that deep, deep intuition of I’m being called to something, I’m being pulled to something.

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah. And you know, there’s, I find that the people who have this entrepreneurial streak, who have this self trust to be like, I think I got to act on this, [00:12:00] are often surrounded by a lot of people who are not that way and want to keep us safe because we’re Being an entrepreneur is inherently risky. Now, to me, being on that well worn path and looking at my old self, that was way riskier for my life.

Leigh Ann: Yeah.

Melissa Camilleri: But, but based on like the collective that was around me, um, not having a plan like all laid out, which I mean, entrepreneurship really is like, There is no certainty in anything really, but there’s this facade of certainty in a traditional career path. And, um, I don’t know. I think the people who we surround ourselves with, well meaning, who love us, who want us to, to thrive, um, but maybe who don’t see what we see can, um, sometimes tell us you’re, you’re making a very unwise choice when really we have [00:13:00] to Be so tuned in to know that our inner wisdom will never lead us down the wrong path.

It might be a different path and you might have to pivot, but it’s never going to be wrong.

Leigh Ann: Yeah. Yeah. Something I want to sit with. I want to lean into this just for a second and then we’ll talk about sort of, you know, how you became like a leader for entrepreneurs or a guide or a support, but there’s, I have a lot of small business. Friends, acquaintances, connections. And then I also have a lot of clients and friends and family members who are kind of like where you were in that teaching job of I’m feeling this nudge into entrepreneurship, into launching something of my own, but there’s.

The fear, the risk, so many things kind of holding them back. And I’d love to just spend a sec kind of talking about like, what would you say to someone in that place of like, I feel these nudges to go do my own thing, to birth something into the world, but, but, but,

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah. So [00:14:00] I think that sometimes stalling or procrastination or not taking action on something that part of us really wants to do. And then there’s like a bigger part that’s keeping us. Stuck. Some of that. can be attributed to you really aren’t ready. And most online coaches or whatever, they won’t tell you that.

They’ll say, of course you’re ready. Um, but I do think that, that we all have our own inner compass that is never, ever wrong. And your success is commensurate with how well attuned you are to that inner compass and to, to be able to act on it one way or the other. So in some situations, your inner compass is screaming at you and saying, get out, get out of this nine to five, go do your own thing.

You have been called. Stop sitting on the sidelines. It’s your time. Go for it. And then we talk ourselves out of it [00:15:00] because we’re scared. What will people think? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, all the reasons. It’s risky, whatever. And so there comes a time when you get a kick in the pants or you don’t. And all of the entrepreneurs that I know, um, you know, The successful ones have not waited until they felt like, Oh my gosh, I’m totally ready.

I know all there is to know about starting a business. It’s they had some sort of kick in the pants where the universe moved them there was no other choice. And so in my situation, within 90 days, I went through a very sudden and traumatic divorce. I mean, I don’t know if I guess I’m sure that there are divorces that are not traumatic.

Mine was very public, very traumatic, terrible in all the ways. I had to have like triage counseling for a very long time to get over it. So there was that. And then I lost three family members. I [00:16:00] changed jobs. I changed, I moved. So there was just like all kinds of transition that could last somebody a lifetime condensed down into 90 days.

And that was God being like, listen to what I’m telling you. That’s not the life. This is the life and I need you to trust.

Leigh Ann: Mm-Hmm.

Melissa Camilleri: I’m thick headed, so I needed, I needed that, right? Other people might already have this sense of inner wisdom where they’re like, you know what, I’m really, I can pinpoint this. Really, I’m just afraid.

of what my parents might think or what my spouse might think if I were to do this. And I haven’t yet developed enough self trust to know I’m not going to let myself down. And so that’s what I would say is whatever you can do to develop your own self awareness, your own self trust, and maybe start taking [00:17:00] little action and keeping promises to yourself, that’s going to build your confidence in order to have this runway.

to jump and do something that seems like maybe like this impossible dream, because really nothing is impossible for us

Leigh Ann: Yeah. The something I used to journal every single morning was the universe offers boundless abundance. It’s like the, the limit is what I make it

Melissa Camilleri: Right. That everything is available to us right here. And the opportunity to be brave enough to receive those opportunities, to be open to what is coming to us. And the universe speaks to us in very mysterious ways. You’re never going to get this. I mean, it’s very rare that there will be somebody who says, Hey.

I just plucked you out of obscurity because I think that you should go and pursue this dream of such and such and I’m going to give you permission and I’m going to give you all the money and you don’t have to worry about anything. Like, that’s not how it works. [00:18:00] Everybody has to stick their neck out at some point to receive that kind of abundance and it’s the limits that we put on ourselves that keep us in, you know, this status quo.

Growing is uncomfortable and, and we will create. Worlds to keep us, to keep ourselves comfortable. That’s just our, like a, you know, that’s like a survival mechanism.

Leigh Ann: Yeah, and it’s also like what the thought that’s coming up for me right now is what part of me am I protecting or keeping comfortable in each of these decisions if I stay in this thing I’m in that isn’t aligned, I’m feeling these nudges towards something more, more aligned that would really fulfill me so much more.

If I stay, it’s like, I’m protecting my scared limited self, which is okay. We want to listen to that self, but we want to expand it versus if we make that decision to go, I’m going to protect and [00:19:00] honor this dreamer self, this ambitious self, this, you know, intuitive self. I just, that’s kind of the thought that was coming up for me just now of I’m, I’m protecting one part and I’m ignoring another.

Melissa Camilleri: Right. Because what we say is What we say yes to, we’re saying no to something else. And what we’re saying no to, we’re actually allowing or saying yes to something else. And so there’s always both sides to that, right? So if, if I’m protecting this comfortable self right now, or, or which parts of my, of my, of my comfort, am I protecting, then what am I saying no to,

Leigh Ann: Mm hmm.

Melissa Camilleri: out and vice versa?

Wow. That is such a good question. And I think one that. Nomad, I don’t think we stop growing until we’re done, until our very last breath, and then who knows what happens after that. But in this lifetime, in this vessel, there’s always, as long as there’s another breath, there’s an [00:20:00] opportunity for growth. And so that’s a question we can continually ask ourselves, regardless of what level of success we feel like we have achieved in this lifetime.

So what parts of myself and my body Am I protecting to stay comfortable? Thank you. You just gave me a gift. I’m gonna, I’m gonna journal on that tonight.

Leigh Ann: Oh, I love, I love that. Yeah. Well, and it’s, I, you know, so much of my process when I’m working with clients is we might get an answer to that question and then it’s okay. Now it’s not about dismissing any parts of ourself. This is something I’m so, you know, I work so much on with people is that scared part still needs to be heard, but it also needs to be expanded to feel safer in this new journey, to feel safer in this new venture, to trust you, You’ve got them, you’re going to take care of them, whatever that looks like.

So yes, but I love those questions. Um, and I’m very visual. So my audience knows, like I give, I give [00:21:00] metaphors so often of like, you know, here’s your, here’s your scared self. Here’s your safe self. What do each of them have to say? So yeah,

Melissa Camilleri: I love that. And have them dialogue to each other is like, what a powerful exercise that is. I love it.

Leigh Ann: totally. Okay. So we went from. It’s so funny because, like, you’ve always been pouring into people, but just in all of these different ways. So first teacher, then this compliment business,

Melissa Camilleri: hmm.

Leigh Ann: then tell us kind of, when we, as you said, burn that to the ground,

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah!

Leigh Ann: where that took us from

Melissa Camilleri: What happened? Okay. So I, my, um, first two kids, I have three children and my first two were born 13 months apart. And this was in year, oh gosh, like seven and eight or eight and nine of compliments existence. So compliment truly was my first baby. I poured everything I had. It gave me the courage to fall in love again, to remarry, which I never thought I would [00:22:00] do too.

And then to take this A new quantum leap into motherhood, which changed everything about me and how I looked at the world and how I, um, conceived of my own. Or understood my own mortality and everything. And what I realized, um, shortly after my second was born and I had a, I had a one year old and a newborn, um, was that it’s so awesome.

I created my own business. So awesome. I had my own schedule, but I did not build it in a way to support me, the mother. It supported me. the single and then maybe newly married, uh, I have all day to work on this project, but I had no systems in place. I had, I had very little in place to support this new me.

And so that required me, um, breathing into and coming to terms with, I had to push pause. And I say that because [00:23:00] when somebody said, well, why don’t you just like knock it down to the ground? It was like saying. I mean, it was like my child, like, how could I do that? Right? So I gave myself permission just to push pause for a second and maybe do something else.

So I started taking on jobs, um, in training and facilitation in our local school districts and our county office of education. So I was traveling around, I was teaching a lot. Um, so I still was like putting money on the table and I just kind of let compliment Peter out a little bit until I, okay. was quiet enough to set my ego aside and say, really, this is done.

Like this season has to be done and it’s going to be okay. And I don’t know what’s next. And that, um, took so much, um, there was a lot of tears. It was a lot of like, ah, but I don’t want to, but I think this is right. And so it was a lot of [00:24:00] negotiating, you know, with what, um, I was being called to do. And ultimately I, um, I ended up liquidating all of my physical assets.

I kept all of my digital assets, but all my liquid assets I, I sold off. And this was at the very end of 2019. And we know what happened at the

Leigh Ann: Oh, wow. Yeah.

Melissa Camilleri: And so had I waited even just a couple of more months, I wouldn’t have been able to sell anything because everybody was freaking out. And so I, um, I feel like that was my reward is that like, no one knew that that was coming and I was so sad.

And then there was such peace, like letting it go. And I said, blessings over all of this stuff and said, go bless somebody else. And I gave away as much as I could. And then that was like, okay, it’s going to be closed. And I don’t really know what’s next. Well, the pandemic happened. And during that time when everybody was home.

I was doing odd jobs and [00:25:00] supporting curriculum development from my teaching days. with some of the contacts that I had made in this online entrepreneurial space. Cause I had an e commerce business, but I knew tons and tons of coaches and I had done a ton of networking. And so, um, in 2020 online education was just booming, obviously, cause you couldn’t go to conferences, you couldn’t go to whatever.

And so people are like, what do, what can I do to get my course finally up and out, or what can I do to like, whatever? So they would bring me on because I have this whole background in education and many, many years of training and facilitating experience. And so I helped write courses and launch programming behind the scenes of some really big name, um, online people.

And, um, in doing so, Angela Greaser, my partner now in this new iteration of my business, We were working on many of the same contracts and as a way to [00:26:00] basically reduce confusion for our clients, we found that what our jobs were and what our skillsets and what we were being hired to do separately as contractors really could not be done one without the other to have the best results.

And so I come in and do like instructional design. And And program development and really understanding the client journey. Um, that’s my side of things. And what she was doing, um, was systems operations and launching and marketing. And you can’t have one without the other piece for somebody to truly have a successful online learning platform.

And it doesn’t matter what you teach. It doesn’t, you don’t have to be a coach. You don’t have to be a whatever. I mean, we’ve helped, we’re totally industry agnostic. We’ve helped. I mean, like the gamut of industries is just ridiculous, but this like teaching and learning piece plus the marketing and messaging piece combined is what Angela and I, um, [00:27:00] do now in our company.

We had known each other for many, many years, um, saw each other through, um, pregnancies and having young kids right around the same age. And then when it was time in 2021, we combined forces and we created an organization called stand for the end, which is basically a value statement, which is you can be a present parent and a very successful business owner.

You have to have the education piece. and the business piece. And so instead of really being in this like black and white, either or rigid dichotomy of how things should be done, we like to stand for the end. It’s both and in whatever way in capacity that we can find. So that’s our biggest value in business.

Leigh Ann: I love it. Okay, now,

Melissa Camilleri: Okay. How?

Leigh Ann: Sherry? How did you guys get introduced? Where does this all begin? And then this is gonna take us into the [00:28:00] Prosper Network and all the, you know, yummy goodness that’s happening there.

Melissa Camilleri: Yes. Okay. So Angela, um, and I were networked with, um, with a group of people in the online entrepreneurial space that we had done some work for, and they were in a mastermind with Sherry Salata, who is the former executive producer of the Oprah Winfrey show and the, um, former president. She’s just amazing in so many ways, and she needed a growth strategist, which is what Angela does in her other business, outside of the one that we share.

She, um,

Leigh Ann: You didn’t say it’s present parent and multi business owner.

Melissa Camilleri: yeah, right, exactly. Like, we both own, Angela and I each own a separate business. or two outside of what we do for stand for the young. So we’re like all over the place. Um, but which is weird because now that we have so many awesome systems in place, we’re working way less [00:29:00] than we did in any singular business, which is amazing.

Okay, so we met Sherry, uh, Angela first met Sherry, became her growth strategist, helped her grow her membership community called the support system to what it is today. And they have developed such a wonderful working relationship. Well, because Angela and I work so much together behind the scenes. They needed some support first in launching, um, behind the scenes stuff and then, um, support with copy.

And that’s like one of, you know, one of my gifts. I have my master’s in writing. That was the hell. Like everything comes full circle, right? Like whatever you spend time on is going to serve you later on

Leigh Ann: a reason,

Melissa Camilleri: Right. Exactly. So I got brought in for a few projects and you know, at the, at the time, Angela and I were looking for ways to grow our own business, our, our stand for the end business.

Yeah. Yeah. So networking and relationship building is what I built all of my businesses on. It’s how I was successful as a teacher, and I’m [00:30:00] really, really adamant about that. building relationships for business growth, but for just being, that’s the kind of human I want to be. And, um, we were looking for networks for people like us and people like us meaning we’re kind of past the trolling Facebook group stage of trying to build a business.

I’m looking for clients answering like random inquiries about stuff. And we aren’t, I wouldn’t say we’re not, it’s not that we’re not at the level. We do not want to prioritize. Um, spending 50, 000 a year for a mastermind because that’s not the growth. That’s not where we feel like that’s the best fit for us.

And it’s not that we can’t afford that because I don’t, I don’t want to say like, Oh, well we haven’t made it yet. And that’s like the pinnacle. We don’t want to be it. That’s not how we want to grow. So we were looking for this unicorn of a networking group and [00:31:00] I belong to, um, a couple in person networking groups and they’re okay.

And they’re, they’re fine, but there was nothing online. And every new woman in business that I had met in that, in this like timeframe, I was like, where are you, where are you networking? Where are you finding clients? And they’re like, people just. Send me emails and I asked for referrals and I was like, there’s gotta be something.

Well, we could not find it. So we created it and it’s called the prosper network. And as we were talking about it, Sherry said, I want in on that because I, she hosts this network and it has nothing. Um, it had no professional networking component to it. It had all personal development, but not professional development.

And so we’re like, okay, let’s do this together. And Sherry is like the most connected human on the planet. Having worked 25 years, 30 years for the Oprah network. Right. And so we’re like, little old us, [00:32:00] you want to partner with us? This is amazing. And I’m not going to pretend like that wasn’t a big deal.

Cause it’s a huge deal. And, um, she’s so generous and so thoughtful and so kind and, um, is like, yeah, like you guys have built these businesses. Let’s figure out how we can support all women who have business. And now she, um, was like, listen, this year we’re going to grow the prosper network, this networking professional women’s networking group.

to over a thousand members, because this is the future of how women should be doing business, which is if I’ve got a door that’s open, let me bring all of you through it. And that’s how we manage the network. The three of us as founders, but it’s also how we hope that All of the women who come into the network perceive themselves and the opportunities that they can create for other people, knowing that it’s reciprocal.

[00:33:00] So our core values are generosity, reciprocity and expansion. And already we’ve only been like a thing since, you know, for like, I don’t know, four months, five months. And already we are seeing tremendous growth, tremendous expansion for the people who are taking, uh, um, advantage of the opportunity of who else is gathered around this table and who they know.

And so you’re a part of the network and like I am curious to know how it’s benefited you so far.

Leigh Ann: yeah. Well, and I, you probably, I am also interested to hear, cause you’ve probably been in many more networking groups than I have. I know you have just from conversations, but all the networking events, groups I’ve ever interacted with, it was like. So much was promised,

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah.

Leigh Ann: to nothing was delivered, in person groups, you know, we’ll get to this, but one of your [00:34:00] values is give, give, get.

Melissa Camilleri: Mm hmm.

Leigh Ann: And I feel like if I had to say it, what I experienced in other groups, it’s like, take, take, maybe give.

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah.

Leigh Ann: And so I, I honestly was just like, F these networking groups. They’re just not, never ended being worth my time. They always fall short. They’re very surface level. The ones I have experienced when I found the prosper network, when I found Sherry Salata, And there was so much in it that I was like, Oh, this is amazing.

I of course read her book. I just love her, her energy, her sentiment, her wisdom in so many different things. But within a month I was blown away with how many opportunities there are with the weekly speed networking where we’re literally like, Hey, here’s who I am. Here’s how you can help me. [00:35:00] How can I help you?

And like, we’re just doing that on repeat week after week after week, and it’s so tangible, but also how present Sherry is

Melissa Camilleri: Yes.

Leigh Ann: in so much of this, to have a big name on something, I have also been a part of other things under the umbrella of a big name. And it’s really just a name that’s been like slapped onto something that they’re really not a part of in any way.

And I have been so beyond, excuse me, so beyond impressed with how ingrained she is, how much face to face time we all get to learn and connect with her.

Melissa Camilleri: it’s it’s remarkable actually and for somebody who’s at Sherry’s level of success. She doesn’t need the money. She doesn’t need the ego stroke or the status symbol of like all these people are fawning over [00:36:00] me. She really. puts her heart and soul into how do we elevate more women because that’s who she is as a human being.

And I love that. And I, I don’t think this would have worked in any other way. Um, for Angela and I to find another partner like Sherry. There’s just, she’s one of a kind. She’s so incredibly generous and thoughtful. She shows up Monday through Friday. every single morning and leads meditation. And that’s for whether or not you are in the professional network or just the personal development network.

It’s open to everybody who’s a part of either one. And I think that that alone is worth the cost of admission. Monday through Friday meditation for a hundred bucks a month. It’s 97 a month, not even a hundred dollars, right? For 97 bucks a month is like that alone would be enough, but she brings in all these thought [00:37:00] leaders and functional medicine doctors and there’s a book club and there is a writing circle and there’s, um, people who are implementing Um, fitness and just like every aspect of your life to up level in addition to the prosper network, which is where people go to expand the businesses, uh, that they’ve created.

And so it’s, it’s so packed with value and it’s so, um, supportive because the people who we are gathering are all saying the same thing. Every other networking opportunity I’ve ever had. is like, here’s who I am. Here’s my card. What can you do for me? What can you do for me? What can you do for me? And that’s just not the energy of the prosper network.

It’s really about give, give, get. It’s about showing up. How can I be of service? Where can I offer expansion to you knowing and trusting full well, that [00:38:00] it’s going to come back to you in some way, shape, or form. Maybe not tit for tat. Maybe not. This person was on my podcast. So I’m going to be on their podcast.

But that opportunities are abundant, and the more that you are in the swirl, the more opportunities come your way, and it’s working. Like, this experiment that we put together is working, and it is one of our proudest things that we’ve ever created. Because, um, to see how it’s benefiting everybody involved is, that, that was the vision, and it’s happening.

Leigh Ann: It’s such a no brainer. It’s like the easiest 97 I have ever spent.

Melissa Camilleri: Yay.

Leigh Ann: I mean, literally, I would pay triple the price for what I’m getting. You know what I mean?

Melissa Camilleri: For sure. For sure. In fact, I was for just a professional networking, um, situation that was not even, we, I think we had the opportunity to meet up, um, twice a [00:39:00] month and it was really just a glorified Facebook group for 300 a month. And I was paying that gladly because at least there were some contacts in there for people that I could meet.

This is like. Not even that.

Leigh Ann: So we have touched on some of the, the pieces of being a part of this network, but let’s, let’s kind of go through it. A to Z. Let’s say someone gets online. They’re like, okay, let me check this out. I’m going to sign up. What can they expect in their first, you know, month, two months of what is going on in this network?

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah, that’s a such a great question. So somebody signs up and immediately they’re going to get in their inbox. It’s an opportunity to jump into our asynchronous online portal called the Prosper Network. It’s that it’s sim it looks similar to a Facebook group, but it’s housed on Mighty Networks and it allows the user to create a profile to say a little bit about what they do.

So it’s like their online presence. immediately. They [00:40:00] can list themselves in our prosper network directory, which gets circulated quarterly to over 100, 000 contacts on many, many important people’s lists, including Sherry Salata. We have members of the prosper network who have actually gotten clients from just that distribution list, which is amazing.

Um, Immediately, you can start making connections with other members in the online platform. And immediately, you can RSVP to our events section. So, within our events section in the online portal, we have events at least Once a week within the prosper network. So you had mentioned speed networking, speed networking is very much as it sounds, it’s like speed dating where whomever shows up to this one hour live event gets broken up into breakout rooms where you, um, have a short thing that you’re asked to say about [00:41:00] yourself, what your ask is, um, and how you might be of service to other people.

So it’s a way to quickly. make new contacts, get contact information and the opportunity to follow up. So it’s sort of like shuffling a deck of cards and a live touch point where you get to meet a whole bunch of new people each week. There’s an opportunity for that, but if you, you know, however many times you want to go a month is, is up to you.

You also get full access immediately to Sherry’s personal development side of the network called the support system. And that’s where there’s the, um, weekly daily meditation, the weekly gathering with Sherry, which is sort of like her, uh, like her little TED talk or, or like a, like a sermon or something where, where you can gather in, and she shares some wisdom, um, immediate access to all of the subgroups on the personal development side that may support [00:42:00] what you’re working on in your life, whether it’s working on your writing or your creative expression or your fitness or your holistic healing.

So it’s accessible 24 seven. There are so many, um, similar value oriented people, women and those who identify inside the network that you could start meeting immediately and ample live touch points each week that you can get on your calendar as soon as you join.

Leigh Ann: and you get to go back through all the past recordings like it is a university in there. There,

Melissa Camilleri: Yes. A university of growth.

Leigh Ann: Yeah. All the past guest experts. And to your point, it’s Sherry. She has. You know, connections and access to some of the biggest people in the world. So to be able to go back and listen to those conversations, and then when she has them live and you get to join live, you get to raise your [00:43:00] hand and speak sometimes and connect with these other people.

It’s just so profound. And I do want to speak to the speed networking quickly, because something I was thinking about as you were talking is even in these in person network events, I’ve been to. They call it networking, like come network. And really it’s just like, Hey, come in this room. There’s food. Talk to people.

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah, and it’s awkward.

Leigh Ann: quite enough structure where I’m actually going to like walk up to someone. At least I’m not and be like, right. Random person I’ve never talked to before. Here’s what I do. Um,

Melissa Camilleri: awkward. And that’s how they all are. There’s not enough structure.

Leigh Ann: Oh my God. And so it’s like the, the intention is there, but the execution and like the structure of it is just not actually. Fostering what everyone hope it’s going to foster hopes. It’s going to foster. And so I actually love how structured the speed networking is, but I also really want to speak [00:44:00] to this cause I think it’s so important and it’s one of the things that has been most impactful for me is just showing up to those speed networking events.

Like lights me on fire

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah.

Leigh Ann: just like gets me back. Cause you know, you get, you get kind of caught up in the day to day of your business and all the things and the logistics and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. And you just sometimes start to feel like sluggish or stagnant. And so when I go into these sessions, I come out of that like, okay, let’s go.

What’s the next thing I’m going to do? I’m going to go help this person out. I got to go do this thing for them. They’re going to go do this thing for me. And it. Keeps throwing these gentle logs on the fire.

Melissa Camilleri: I love that feedback. And it’s true because, I think it’s because people are showing up with a heart for service first. It’s how can I serve you? So that gets us going. It’s not like, Oh, more things I have to do. I, I just pitched all these people. [00:45:00] Hopefully somebody chooses me. That’s like. that kind of energy that is sluggish and heavy.

And this way it’s like, Oh, I made a connection. I can help this person. So then you get into that flow of things and people are also feeling that about you. And then these opportunities just start landing in your inbox and you’re like, Yay. Cool. Let’s go.

Leigh Ann: Yeah. And it’s just so, so specific, right? Like, you know, giving an example, I can sit down in these networking events and go, Hey, what I, what would really support me so much this week is I just launched a podcast. If everyone could go listen to the first episode and leave a review, like you can get that specific.

Melissa Camilleri: Yes.

Leigh Ann: I just launched a new page on my website. Kim. Can everyone go read through it and tell me what you think

Melissa Camilleri: Yes.

Leigh Ann: it’s not just like, Hey, maybe one day, if someone comes along that you could refer to me, could you do that? Like you really can get into the nitty [00:46:00] gritty of this week today. What am I needing support with?

Melissa Camilleri: right.

Leigh Ann: be so hyper specific.

Melissa Camilleri: Right. We’ve had people who’ve said, I’m looking for a contact, um, at one of these big companies in Silicon Valley. Who do you know that handles speaking for Pinterest, Facebook, Google, da, da, da, da, da, da. And somebody goes, Oh, my brother in law’s neighbor works for Google. Let me shoot him a message.

And it’s things like that, that how would you ever know? And it’s not just, Oh, maybe they’ll become a client or I really need clients out of this group. It’s. It really truly is a network. It’s wonderful. We have somebody today who came to speed networking who goes, this is high. This is very specific, but I’m looking for an in person receptionist in San Diego.

And I don’t live in San Diego. I live in Sacramento, but I know people who live in San Diego. So I asked for the, her job description. And I’m going to circulate it around with [00:47:00] people who live in San Diego that I know. And it, part of those people I’m related to, some of them are old colleagues who have moved there, but like you just never, every single person who joins a network like this also brings with them a full network of people.

that you don’t yet know. And to me, that like bends my brain in the best of ways, because we all truly are interconnected. And to think, oh my gosh, yay, a new person just joined the network. I wonder who they know that we get to know.

Leigh Ann: Yeah. And there is, there’s so many, I think this is all of you, you, Sherry, Angela, I really do believe that we, you know, we attract what aligns with us. I attract in clients who are aware of Are what I’m looking for. And so I have found that because of the very conscious intention you three have set with this network, you are attracting in those people [00:48:00] who want to be reciprocal, who want to be giving and like, again, same thing, like in some of these other kinds of random networking stuff.

I haven’t seen that where it’s like, I’m meeting some people here and there, but they’re not really actually people that I’d want to connect with super deeply. So I just think that’s. Super, super beautiful. It’s such a nurturing, uplifting, authentic space.

Melissa Camilleri: Yay, yay, that’s music to our ears because we have been very intentional. It’s not by accident that it was designed this way. It was very well thought out. Our language is very, very specific on purpose because we are looking for that type of person because that’s how we feel like we are going to revolutionize.

what it’s like to be a woman in business, which historically we’ve been left out of conversations, left out of funding, left out of other things. And women biologically are [00:49:00] wired to connect and create community. And so that is how we think the future of business is leaning as, uh, and not to get too like deep in and, you know, You know, I don’t know weird about it, but as patriarchal structures are crumbling, this is what’s what’s moving into place.

And I think that we’re pioneering. a new way of doing business, and it feels really good and really exciting where everybody wins, not just the people who are running the network, but the people who are involved, and not just the people who are involved, but all of the people that they touch in their business as well.

So even clients are on the winning end of all of the goodness that we’re stirring up in this pot in the prosper network. So I’m so glad it’s been beneficial for you. Um, it’s just, uh,

Leigh Ann: yeah. It’s been huge. I mean, you, you know, cause we see each other weekly

Melissa Camilleri: do.[00:50:00]

Leigh Ann: the last two months, my business has blown up and 100, like I attribute so much of that to being a part of this community. And this network that is so uplifting and inspiring and actionable and tangible and all these different things.

Melissa Camilleri: Fantastic. It’s, it’s exactly what we want to hear where everybody is like bursting at the seams and going, oh my goodness, I cannot believe that my business has grown like this. And this is what I attribute it to. That’s the dream. That is what we dream of. And then it makes it such a no brainer to stick around and see, Who else do I get to meet?

Who else can I help?

Leigh Ann: Yeah, a thousand percent. Like the easiest, are you kidding me? 97 a month. The easiest business expense I’ve ever, ever made. Okay. Last, last thing. And I promise I’ll let you go.

Melissa Camilleri: Yes.

Leigh Ann: we talk about the prosper era event?

Melissa Camilleri: Yes. Okay. So if you are, I think this is [00:51:00] going live the day before we start the prosper era. Okay. So tomorrow we kick off the prosper era and the prosper era is a three day free event. So if you’re listening to this and you’re like, Oh, I want to get in on this prosper network action, but I want to dip my toe in and see what it’s all about.

The Proser era is what you have to be at. It’s going to be at 12pm Eastern 9am Pacific. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. So that’s April 30th, May 1st, May 2nd. And each day we have, um, different programming. So day one is really going to be about understanding what the current status quo is in business today, how we have previously shown up.

What opportunities have previously been extended to us and how we might, um, identify some areas of growth for where we want to go in business. Day two, Sherry Salata is coming to join us live and sharing what the [00:52:00] vision is for where the Prosper Network is going and how to get involved, um, which is really about women supporting women, kicking doors open and holding them open for our sisters in business so that everyone thrives because the rising tide lifts all boats.

And then on day three, we are actually going to practice a free session of speed networking. So as of right now, we are still, as of recording this, we’re a week out and we’ve already had 350 amazing women register for this event. We still have a week of promotion left, so I know it’s going to be huge. And what’s going to be wonderful is that during this day three experience, I mean, there’ll be opportunities to meet people all three days, but on this day three experience, you will literally walk away with new contacts.

And that is, I, like, I don’t show up to webinars and leave with [00:53:00] actual business contacts, right? It’s just sitting and listening, um, to a sage on the stage. This is different. You’re going to get in there and you’re going to be prepared to know what to say and how to serve and walk away with actual contacts.

So we really, really are excited about it. It’s going to be huge. It’s going to be beneficial. and give you some, whether or not you decide to join us after this prosper era network, uh, networking event, you are going to walk into your most prosperous era because what you’re going to get from these three days are going to set you up to prosper in the next months to come.

Leigh Ann: Oh my gosh. I love it. So I’ll make sure in the show notes, there’s a link to the prosper era event for anyone listening to this after that event has passed, there’ll also be a link just to the prosper network where you guys can learn more, you know, sign up if it’s there. If it’s of interest to you, but that is going to be so, so such a gem of an event.

I [00:54:00] think I shared on my Instagram stories today. I was like, I’m a part of the network and I still go to these free events because they’re so juicy and impactful.

Melissa Camilleri: Yes.

Leigh Ann: Um, that it’s just like, it’s just, yeah, impact after impact. Every single thing you guys put out is so actionable and impactful and informative.

Melissa Camilleri: Yay.

Leigh Ann: So I love

Melissa Camilleri: that we work really hard to make it worth people’s time because there’s nothing that like all three of us are very Uh, what’s the word? Like just itchy about, um, wasting time and so many lot free live events are like listening to somebody’s rags to riches story and then pontificating.

It’s one big sales pitch, and it’s not like we’re we’re very clear. We are opening the doors doors for enrollment to the prosper network. So that’s not like hidden a hidden agenda. That is what this is for. But even if you decide not to join the prosper network, you will [00:55:00] walk away with so much So much value from these three days at the Prosper Era event, for sure,

Leigh Ann: Yeah, it’s not just listening to an inspiring story, it’s

Melissa Camilleri: right?

Leigh Ann: I’m actually going to walk away even if I don’t sign up with a ton of value from this experience.

Melissa Camilleri: Yep. Absolutely. So come one, come all. We are so ready for you. Um, we can hold, uh, a few hundred more people. So I hope they come from you. Yeah. It’d be so fun.

Leigh Ann: Amazing. Well, thank you so much, Melissa. This has been so much fun to get to hear more of your story. I’m so ecstatic. I mean, I’m already in it, but I am so ecstatic for where it will continue to grow the prosper network. And also just like as a cheerleader of you guys ecstatic to see it start to grow and, and where it will lead.

So

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you so, so much for having me. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it and, um, what amazing work you’re doing in the world. And I [00:56:00] cannot wait till I’m able to get down to Southern California and give you a hug in person.

Leigh Ann: it’s totally, Oh my gosh. I know so many fun places to go

Melissa Camilleri: Yeah, for sure.