Meet María Elena Lavaud (AKA MEL)

We were lucky to catch up with María Elena Lavaud (AKA MEL) recently and have shared our conversation below.

María Elena , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When I was a child, I dreamed of being a great theater director. I loved to read and write. I remember always asking my mother if she thought I would make it, and she, without hesitation, always said yes, I would be anything I set my mind to be and do. So, I am convinced that the great confidence I have always had in myself came not only from my determination and my desire to achieve my goals, but also from the infinite confidence my mother always gave me.
Nothing is impossible if you prepare and work hard to achieve it, she always told me, and she was right. This was so fundamental for me that I did exactly the same with my daughter. And it works! I can say that one of the things that makes me most proud of her is her self-esteem and the confidence with which I see her pursue her goals.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a journalist, writer and editor. For 18 uninterrupted years I was a Tv news anchor in Venezuela and also a correspondent for several international news networks and channels in Mexico, London, Colombia and the Caribbean.
Upon emigrating to Miami in 2014, I founded my own publishing services agency, MEL Projects Publishing & Entertainment, with which I promote independent publishing of new and recognized authors through self-publishing platforms and makes theatrical adaptations from they’re books. At the same time, I have developed a literary coaching method that has helped dozens of authors embark on their dream of writing and have turned it into a recently launched book entitled Hop on the train, my writing coaching method enhanced by AI.

What I like most about my work as an editor and writing coach is sharing the happiness of the authors I work with when they hold in their hands the book they have so longed to write. It is an enormous satisfaction to be able to accompany them to reach a goal that they almost always see as very far away, until we start working. I have assumed my work as a very important mission that makes me an instrument for people to fulfill themselves.

I have written the novels Red Days, published in Venezuela and Colombia by Ediciones B, Grupo Z of Spain, an autofiction book inspired by my own experiences covering the 1992 coup d’état; Clarissa, ispired in a real case of domestic violence, was published in Spain by Ediciones Dauro and in Venezuela by Ediciones B. This fiction novel received an honorable mention at the London Book Festival (2017).

Another of my book, Havana barefoot, a travel chronicles, became a best seller in Venezuela and sold more than 20,000 copies in three editions. This book won first place in the International Latino Book Award (2017) in the category Best Latino focused Non Fiction Book. A first dramatized reading of this book was presented in Caracas, Miami, Calgary and Edmonton. As a next step, I also wrote a musical theater adaptation of that book and did the lyrics to all the songs. This work is a wake-up call in the face of indifference to human rights violations, the confiscation of fundamental freedoms and democracy. A journey full of surprises, action, humor, adventure, unexpected events and a love story, aimed at all Hispanic audiences, where Cuba and Venezuela are the protagonists of an urgent and universal message: democracy and freedom are the only way to progress and development. The prestigious Colombian musician Mickey de Narváez has composed the original music for this piece, which is scheduled for production in 2024.

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?
I think my career in journalism gave me a very important basis to establish my personal method of literary coaching, which is based on questionaries. I have been able to transfer my experience as an interviewer to my work as an editor and that has been a powerful tool when it comes to interpreting the wishes of my clients. One of my greatest strengths is being a good listener. That’s where it all starts.

I also would say that it is very important to set a clear goal, focus and study a lot what is happening in the area in which we want to develop, in order to identify our competitive advantages over the rest.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
For me, permanent reading is an indispensable tool. Apart from the benefits of reading in terms of entertainment, it is also vital for the training and cultivation of the mind and intellectual capacities. That is why I am so concerned about the immediacy of social networks, the ease with which everything is solved and resolved today. I think it is very important to encourage reading, no matter what format it is. Knowledge is the only thing that allows people to make better decisions in any aspect of life.

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