Jan 9, 20236 min read

Celebrating 5 years with Everyday Leaders 50in50

On Jan 12, 2018, Everyday Leaders 50in50 Podcast was launched from a vision inspired by my mentor John Maxwell. After joining the John Maxwell Team in 2016, I began understanding how to become a better leader through investing in personal development. It was only after six months of weekly personal development classes studying the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth is when my vision became very clear. My head and my heart started to align with how I needed to participate in my growth. It was at the point that I could no longer be a spectator in the class; it was time to take action.

It wasn't long before I had FULLY committed to personal development. When I say fully committed, I mean FULLY committed. When you are ready to grow, nothing can get in your way! I was a sponge and took every opportunity I could to learn about personal development from the best mentors in the world. I believe it was my mindset toward learning that prepared me to have the courage to take action.

In 2017, I attended to John Maxwell International Certification event, joined mentorship, and leaned in to learn from the number one leadership coach in the world. I was working in a "job" that I enjoyed, yet I was unfulfilled, surrounded by very insecure leaders. I felt like I was living on someone else's checklist. I wanted something different. I didn't work to compete with others, and in the corporate world, that purpose doesn't always align. So when I joined the John Maxwell Team, my curiosity was to learn how to invest in my personal growth to make a bigger impact in the world.

It was in 2017 that I started my company to build programs around leadership. Part of personal development is learning to identify your strengths and then connect those strengths to your past, as Steve Jobs talks about in his famous graduation commencement address at Standford University. Once you identify your strengths, you have to go back and reconnect the dots in your life to what you love that brings you joy and purpose.

In a work environment, I always enjoyed helping build confidence in others. I wanted to create a business around helping other leaders see their values and impact on the world. This is what became so clear to me. As I searched in my heart for a way to connect and learn from others, I began to get clear on how I could serve others.

My strengths included asking questions, evaluating experiences, and creating action plans for success. This is the foundation for my next steps in building my vision.

As I started my Podcast on my Birthday 5 years ago, Jan 12, 2018. I started interviewing my guests in 2018; I shared my vision. The program was designed specifically to share stories to inspire others to overcome everyday obstacles.

What are the processes you use to identify growth gaps in your life?
What was the biggest risk you ever took, and what did you learn?
How do you reflect on defining moments in your life to make important decisions?
How do you become stronger through persevering?
How do you make decisions when life is tough?
How do you use your passion to serve?
How do you get inspired when you are stuck?
How do you find an inner circle to learn from?
What process do you follow to stay consistent?
How do you remove toxic people from your life?
What are the tradeoffs you have made, and what did you learn from them?
What is your legacy, and how do you want to be remembered?

So after interviewing my first 50 guests, my vision was to host a leadership summit. This was an opportunity for these leaders to share their voices and journeys with growth-minded leaders. This was a way to grow in my vision and help others grow in theirs.

INTENTIONAL LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

On March 2, 2019, I hosted my first Live Leadership Event at Newfield's.

I signed this contract on April 7th, 2018, just four months into starting my first year of Everyday Leaders 50in50 Podcast. Listen in, Subscribe, and Turn on Notifications for all updates on upcoming events, specials, workshops, and more.

What happened on April 6th, the day before I signed the contract?

I was eliminated from my job. I was eliminated at 50 years old. I was forced to take a closer look at my beliefs about my abilities, and I didn’t have any answers about what to do next.

What I did know is that I wanted to serve leaders who were developing strategies to overcome obstacles…. Obstacles were exactly like what I was experiencing in those moments.

Every day you must choose to do difficult things that you believe in.

My heart was focused on serving and celebrating these leaders that I knew were making the difficult decision to survive, thrive, and make an impact every day.

So who were these leaders? How did I connect to them? How did I know what accomplishments they had overcome? My heart knew.

INTENTIONAL ACTION

Here's my announcement right after I signed the contract committing to this event. This was not even 18 hours after I was told that I was eliminated and had to get on a plane and fly back home.

My heart sought out people who were true to themselves. People who were figuring it out every day and on their journey they learned how much better life was when it became about making a difference for others.

This photo was from March 2, 2019, when my cousin Mike Qualls shared his journey on stage in the private Deboast Theatre. He inspired many. He was celebrating a very special time and moment in his life.

We all need to feel loved, appreciated, and included. That’s what being an everyday leader is all about seeing the gifts in others and finding a way of celebrating them every day.

First Annual Everyday Leaders Leadership Summit March 2, 2019.

Pictured from Left: Melahni Ake, Founder of Everyday Leaders and Event Host, Dr. Jeff Van Valer, Mike Qualls, Erik Sandvick, Candy Key Ashby, Toyinda Smith, Chip Helm, Chris Arbuckle, Cary Curry, and Tiffany Woods.

A sincere thank you to every one of you that has taken the time to share your story with the audience of Everyday Leaders 50in50!

My wish for you is to share your heart. Share your love for others and find your way to make your impact in the world.

Everyday Leaders Change The World. It begins with changing ourselves to change the world.

If you are ready to share your story of impact, let’s connect: Send me a message here or reach out to www.everydayleaders.com

If you want to get clear in your life and learn the process I learned, I encourage you to consider investing in your growth and joining my 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth Class.

My next personal growth class starts Jan 15th, 7 pm-8:30 pm: It's 5 Sundays, as an introduction to learning more about improving your life every day from my favorite leadership book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth.

I am celebrating my 55th Birthday on January 12, and this is the 5-year celebration of launching my dream to serve others. I didn't know where this vision would take me, yet I knew I was ready to embrace the possibilities. What I have learned over the last several years is that I had to take action in my own life before I could get clear on my purpose to fulfill the void in my heart. If I wanted to show up and serve others, I had to gain confidence in my value. I had to take action to learn what worked and what didn't. I started Everyday Leaders 50in50 podcast from the principles in the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth. The questions I asked my guests were designed to learn about their journey of personal growth. Learning from others helped me to see the purpose of my life with greater confidence.

The vision behind this show, and this book is the basis of how I learned about leadership in myself and others. 5 years later, I am still investing in my personal growth every day. It all began with taking action from a void in my heart that I knew had to be filled. If you are at a place in your life where you are at a crossroads and need a level of clarity, I invite you to join me in this specially designed class, and if you use the code below, you can bring two friends for FREE.