Meet Melissa “Mel” Alakayi

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Melissa “Mel” Alakayi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Melissa “Mel”, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I believe I get my resilience from the obstacles I’ve encountered throughout my journey as an entrepreneur. If I said this process was easy, I’d be lying. But to me, resilience means having the ability to overcome, to keep going even when things don’t go as planned. Throughout this journey, the failures and the hurdles have actually become my foundation. They’ve given me the strength and stability to withstand the storms that come with building something from the ground up. That’s where my resilience comes from.

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 am an event caterer/chef, as well as a licensed esthetician. What excites me most about both industries is the opportunity to serve people. I’ve always had a natural passion for hospitality and making people feel good, whether it’s through food or self-care. Both careers allow me to do just that, and I take pride in executing each experience with excellence.

For my catering brand, we have some exciting things that have been relaunched, including the relaunch of our YouTube channel featuring live cooking segments that showcase creative recipes and behind-the-scenes moments. On the esthetics side, I am developing a new line of skincare products focused on body creams, yoni steams, feminine wellness, and facial treatments like dermaplaning. It’s an exciting time for both sides of my business, and I’m thrilled to keep growing and sharing my passion with others.

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?

The 3 qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey are remaining prayerful, staying authentic, and operating with integrity. My spirituality has kept me grounded and sane through every challenge. Staying authentic has helped me remain true to my brand and to the vision I started with, no matter what trends come and go. And operating with integrity has allowed me to build genuine, lasting relationships with clients and collaborators.

For anyone early in their journey, I’d say: stay connected to your faith or whatever keeps you centered, never compromise who you are for short-term success, and always lead with honesty and intention.

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?

If I knew I only had a decade left, I would spend it creating new experiences. I believe one of the most beautiful parts of life is the ability to experience. Like to see, feel, and do things that expand your soul. I’d travel to places I’ve never been, explore cultures I’ve never heard of, and embrace every opportunity to try something new. Most importantly, I’d spend that time surrounded by my loved ones and the people who truly love me, creating memories that last beyond a lifetime

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mealsbymelissa.com
• Instagram: _mealsbymel & @soultryesthetics
• Facebook: mealsbymell & soultry esthetics
• Linkedin: Melissa Alakayi
• Twitter: _mealsbymel
• Youtube: @mealsbymell

Image Credits

@studiopeelproductions