Meet Madison Smith

We recently connected with Madison Smith and have shared our conversation below.

Madison, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

This is such an influential and humbling question. My ability to be resilient developed over a series of vicarious trials and tribulations within my early childhood. I was meant to be a statistic – having been born to teenage parents. My parents never went to a university, my father never graduated high school and I was the newest addition to an adolescent couple that were underdeveloped emotionally, financially and educationally. Witnessing my parents learn to navigate adulthood had it’s perks and disadvantages. I was exposed to absolutely everything – which meant I could absorb knowledge and emotionally develop faster than most children. It also meant that I would be exposed to years with food stamps, financial hardships and familial strain. As I grew older there was absolutely no source of stability – both of my parents have been separated not only from each other but from the other marriages and relationships they formed thereafter. Divorce and conflict within the home became something that was a routine in my life and nothing was ever set in stone. This contributed to my ability to thrive in unstable environments all while working incredibly well under pressure during immense stress. As I got older, I eventually shifted my focus from what I can’t control to what I can control. I began to focus solely on my creativity and academics. I obtained my Bachelors and Masters degrees within 5 years and became a Director of Social Services for a skilled nursing facility during COVID by the age of 24. I have mastered the art of remaining calm through uncertainty and unsteady waves, which is exactly where my resilience formed when I was a child – through all of the turbulence.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I currently am the Founder/CEO of Vivacity! My company is a smoothie franchise specializing in low calorie, low sugar and low carb options to cater to a truly healthy lifestyle, as well as, to individuals with dietary restrictions. Revolutionizing the way people enjoy nutrition. We offer a wide range of gourmet fruit smoothies, refreshers, açaí bowls & protein shakes – all geared to replenish the body and curb low energy. I founded Vivacity as a Director in a skilled nursing facility during the peak of the pandemic to combat the mental and physical exhaustion medical personnel endured. Throughout my time as Director I recognized that we weren’t fueling our minds and bodies properly. As essential employees it was important to remain functional and healthy so we could perform to the best of our abilities while caring for sick patients. Essentially – we were in this together. During debrief meetings, the staff and I would make refreshers and smoothies to refuel and replenish. After a month or two – I noticed it became a habit that the staff recognized the importance of monitoring their nutrient intake and performance increased. Not only did this create a sense of the community we craved during lockdown, but we were better equipped to keep up with the fast paced environment COVID created. Fast forward to 5 years later, Vivacity has blossomed from a passion project to a franchisable commercialized concept located in Westborough, MA. Proudly serving and creating impact within the Massachusetts MetroWest communities, with more locations to come!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As I reflect on my ever evolving journey, I would definitely say the key most impactful qualities were and continue to be:

1. Persistence and grit.
2. Heart.
3. Grace.

The best advice I can give for those early in their journey is to understand that the road ahead may not be easy, but your persistence and grit will transition your vision into reality. Due to this it is incredibly essential to use your heart to follow your passion and remember to give yourself grace throughout these transitions. With heart comes passion and with grace comes creativity. Without heart comes distraction and without grace comes self sabotage. If you can manage to attain these qualities you will be able to better understand your capabilities and grow your ideas with purpose and longitivtiy.

The sooner you recognize that you are able to accomplish anything in this life, the faster your life will begin to change. Growing up I was faced with constant redirection and needing to formulate solutions to combat my survival instincts in scenarios I had no control over. I learned that what I did have control over was my reaction to my environment. Instead of victimizing myself I reframed my line of thinking from “why is this happening to me” to “how can I create a solution to this.” This is key to remaining resilient.

Once you develop something that ignites a light within you, there is no dimming it. People will absolutely try to – but the key is your grit, right? You will encounter those who will try to betray you when you’re building something greater than you. You will encounter people that project their own insecurities onto you, as the visionary. The light attracts – however there is no control on who or what it attracts. It is your job to give yourself grace during these phases and remain composed. Your prerogative is to move forward while continuing to influence and create positive impact within your industry. Don’t allow others to distract you from achieving your goals – at least that’s my objective.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for opportunities to expand. My team and I are currently franchising my model and opening other locations. I would love nothing more than the opportunity to provide a prosperous business concept for individuals seeking to open their own location(s) while impacting local communities. Spreading the love is the prerogative at VIVACITY. We have created an alternative concept for franchisees to obtain the life they aspire to curate. We have navigated the ability to provide low overhead opportunities in order to create a profit driven concept. The goal is to provide sustainability for those looking for a business opportunity! We seek strong leaders filled with passion that want to participate in a growing collective that gives back to their communities and collaborates alongside other leaders in our trade. We provide quality products, quality opportunity and quality LOVE.
If this sounds like something you would be interested in and you would like to join our team or seek more information – you can email me directly at: vivacity@therealvivacityhq.org
Feel free to browse our Instagram for some inspiration: @therealvivacityhq
The team and I would LOVE the opportunity to chat, inspire and grow with you!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @therealvivacitynutrition
• Facebook: Vivacity – Westborough
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/madison-smith-316b22162

Image Credits

Laurencaseyphotography and VIVACITY