Meet Melanie Perez

We were lucky to catch up with Melanie Perez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melanie, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My purpose is to provide my children with a better life and show them that anything is possible. I discovered this purpose through the struggles I faced as a single mother—raising three children with little support, battling suicidal thoughts, and enduring the hardships of doing everything on my own.

At 16, I was homeless while raising my daughter, who is now 27. At that moment, she became my reason to keep going. As I continued my journey, raising my other children without much help, I realized that my purpose wasn’t just to survive but to thrive—not only for myself but for them. My youngest child’s mental health challenges added another layer of difficulty, but every challenge reinforced my commitment to breaking generational cycles and providing my children with the stability, love, and opportunities I never had.

This is why I push myself every day. I want to teach my children financial literacy, be present in their lives, and show them through my own actions that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Being self-employed allows me to balance my roles as a mother, a wife, and an entrepreneur while building a legacy they can be proud of. My ultimate goal is not just to create a better life for them but to equip them with the tools and mindset to go even further than I have.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am an entrepreneur and business owner focused on growth, transformation, and creating opportunities for others. Currently, my main priority is expanding Leo and Mel’s Gardening Services, a landscaping business that provides residential and commercial property maintenance, cleanups, and design services. My husband and I started this business together, and as we continue to grow, I’m working on building a larger crew and securing commercial contracts.

What excites me most about this business is the ability to help clients enhance and maintain their outdoor spaces while building a company that provides stable employment opportunities for others. I take pride in running a business that values transparency, professionalism, and quality service.

What’s Next?

Right now, my primary focus is:
• Expanding into commercial landscaping and growing our client base.
• Building a strong team to ensure we can take on larger projects.
• Streamlining operations to make our services more efficient and scalable.

Outside of landscaping, I have experience in body contouring, wellness, and education. While I’m currently evaluating my next steps in that industry, my overall mission remains the same: to create a sustainable, successful business that provides for my family and helps others succeed as well.

At the heart of everything I do is a passion for resilience, growth, and creating opportunities—not just for myself, but for my children and the people around me.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back on my journey, three key qualities have been the most impactful in shaping my success: resilience, adaptability, and financial literacy. Each of these played a crucial role in helping me navigate challenges and build a sustainable future for myself and my family.

1. Resilience – The Power of Pushing Forward

Life has thrown many obstacles my way—becoming a single mother at a young age, facing homelessness, managing a business, and overcoming financial struggles. Through it all, resilience kept me moving forward. There were moments when I wanted to give up, but I reminded myself that my struggles did not define me; my perseverance did.
Advice: For those just starting their journey, understand that setbacks are inevitable, but they are also opportunities for growth. Strengthen your resilience by focusing on your long-term goals, surrounding yourself with a strong support system, and reminding yourself that challenges are temporary if you keep pushing forward.

2. Adaptability – Learning to Pivot

Success isn’t about having a perfect plan; it’s about being willing to adjust when things don’t go as expected. I’ve had to shift my focus multiple times—balancing different business ventures, adjusting my career path, and learning new skills when necessary. The ability to pivot and embrace change has been critical to my survival and success.
Advice: Stay open to learning and evolving. Be willing to shift gears when something isn’t working, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. The more adaptable you are, the more opportunities you’ll create for yourself.

3. Financial Literacy – The Key to Business Growth

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of financial literacy, especially when it comes to growing a business. Managing money correctly—particularly when it comes to marketing—is essential for bringing in clients and generating revenue. Early on, I realized that investing in marketing is one of the smartest financial decisions a business owner can make. Without marketing, there’s no steady flow of customers, and without customers, a business cannot survive.

However, if you plan on running multiple businesses, it’s important to understand that marketing strategies don’t work the same for every business. Some businesses fulfill a need, while others are based on wants, making some much harder to grow than others. If you can’t figure out the right marketing strategies to attract the ideal clientele, it will be difficult to scale financially.
Advice: If you’re starting out, prioritize financial literacy and marketing knowledge. Learn how to budget effectively, invest in marketing, and tailor your strategies to fit the type of business you’re running. Not all marketing methods yield the same results, so research, test different approaches, and track what works best for your specific industry.

Education & Mentorship – Investing in Knowledge

To strengthen my business skills, I pursued my associate’s degree in Small Business Management and Marketing. Taking business courses helped me understand everything from branding to financial planning. However, one of the most valuable decisions I made was getting a mentor—someone who could guide me, provide insights, and help me avoid costly mistakes.
Advice: Never stop learning. If you can, take business courses or seek out mentors who have experience in your field. Learning from others will help you avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your growth.

Final Thought

The key to long-term success is never stopping your personal and professional growth. Stay resilient through challenges, be adaptable to change, and make financial literacy a priority—especially when it comes to marketing and business investments. If you plan to run multiple businesses, understanding how to market them individually is crucial. Not all businesses grow at the same rate, and knowing how to bring in the right clientele will determine your success. Education and mentorship will take you further than you can imagine, and with the right mindset and strategies, anything is possible.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

One of the biggest challenges we are currently facing is balancing the financial demands of our two businesses—our gardening business, Leo and Mel’s Gardening Services, and the body contouring business. Each presents its own unique set of obstacles, but the common theme is ensuring sustainable growth while managing financial responsibilities.

For the body contouring business, the primary challenge is gaining enough clientele to generate revenue that will allow us to pay off accumulated debt. Over the past year, the business has not been profitable, and that has created additional financial strain. Ideally, we want the business to become self-sustaining—meaning it can cover its own expenses without relying on income from our other ventures. Until that happens, we are focusing on marketing strategies to attract more clients while carefully managing expenses.

For the gardening business, the challenge is securing enough revenue to hire additional crew members while ensuring we have consistent income to cover payroll. Currently, the gardening business is the primary source of income that supports not only our personal expenses—such as rent, household needs, and living costs—but also the financial obligations of the body contouring business. The demand for our landscaping services is growing, and we recognize that bringing in a team would allow us to expand further. However, hiring comes with financial commitments, and we want to make sure we are in a stable position before making that move.

Our Goal Moving Forward
• For the body contouring business: Increase clientele and revenue so that it can sustain itself financially and contribute to its own expenses.
• For the gardening business: Secure enough consistent work to afford at least one to two additional employees, which will allow us to scale operations and take on larger projects.

We are actively working on solutions—investing in marketing strategies, streamlining operations, and finding ways to maximize efficiency. Despite these challenges, we remain focused on our long-term vision and are determined to push through these obstacles to achieve growth and stability.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.memyselfandispa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memyselfandispa?igsh=MTdobmxtdjdxajF2bQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A7nGHJV4a/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits

SHEILA MEAD FROM LITTLE WONDER PORTRAITS