We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monica Montgomery a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Monica, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
When I was younger, I used to be a pessimist. I would always think and prepare for the worst outcome which created so many negative thoughts. I would believe that situations would not work out and I use to have low standards. As my relationship with God became deeper and I started to realize that I was causing myself more stress, I decided to change my thinking pattern. I got tired of feeling stressed and being disappointed because I knew my life had to be more fulfilling than what I was going through. I kept reading the scripture Philippians 4:6 believing that God has already blessed my path and I started thinking about the best outcome for every situation, no matter if it was just finding a set of keys I lost or winning a top business award in my county. Every positive thought I had, I believed in it, prayed about it, and worked towards it as if it already happened. Overtime, because it was definitely not easy, I was able to get away from being a pessimist to an optimist since I realized that my negative thoughts were disrespectful to God and the power of His will within me. Now, every situation I’m in turns out to be better than I imagined. I’m less stressed, more relaxed and stopped constantly living in fight mode. Being optimistic helps me to live a healthier life spiritually, mentally, and physically!
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 Monica C. Montgomery, owner of MCM Services. I’m an Author and Technical Writer with a background in Business Development so I use my talents, skills and 15 years of industry experience to help SME businesses reach their full growth potential. When I started my business 8 years ago, it was something that I was just doing on the side to get my creativity out. I created my business plan as a way of slowly planning out my 10 year goal with strategic steps that would still allow me to work my corporate job. As my business and referral base started to grow, especially during the pandemic, I decided to leave my corporate job of 11 years and manage my business full time. Thankfully, I reached my business goal faster than expected in my 10 years timeline, but this also meant that I had to restructure my operations and goals. By following my plan and staying on pace with my industry’s growth, I have been able to increase my revenue, add more staff, and maintain an easier onboarding process for my clients. But my greatest enjoyment is seeing my clients achieve increased business profitability and stable operations pass the 4 year mark. Small businesses are the economic backbone of the U.S. and my mission is to help them be successful as they support local and national economic growth. Through my services of market research, consultation, and management structure, my clients are able to work on the creative direction for their business while we focus on strategically planning their future for long-term profitability.
Personally, I just finished publishing my book titled “Raising Parents: The Journey of Caregiving Amid Perilous Times” which is my journey of being a caregiver for my parents while being a business owner and single mother. My book displays how my perspective changed about life as a caregiver and how I learned to overcome challenges that seemed too big to handle. Writing my book was therapeutic for me and I hope it will be a guide to others who are navigating their role as a caregiver.
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 most impactful qualities that benefitted my journey were perseverance, educated risk taking, and observance. These qualities helped my to stay focused on my goals and not give up just because one aspect didn’t work out. Perseverance helps to keep believing and staying on the path knowing that greatness is coming with every step. Taking educated risks helped to push me out of my comfort zone in order to reach my next level of greatness with the understanding that I have attained knowledge and experience to endure the process. Then, observance helped me to realize that sometimes being silent is the best answer. Whether it’s trying to calm myself from being over stimulated, engaging in self-care, handling a tough customer, or trying to make major decisions, being silent helps to regain a solid perspective and consider what’s going on around me. Sit back and observe each situation, and if it doesn’t make sense or feels uncomfortable then you know you’re in the wrong spot.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I immediately take responsibility for not setting boundaries in my schedule, emotional capacity, and mental capacity. Usually when I’m overwhelmed, I lose my appetite, I’m constantly exhausted, and I have difficulty formulating my sentences. My remedy is to first tell myself that everything does not have to be accomplished in one day and remind myself that if I only gave less than 100% of my efforts that day, then that is ok. I then reschedule any tasks that are lower priority to two weeks out or delegate them to my employees/contractors. I plan strategic 30 minute naps on my busiest days as a way of mental reset and rest to keep my energy stable instead of constantly in survival mode. As another option, I light candles to help calm my emotions, go on a two mile hike, or sit in silence to relieve myself from being overstimulated with meetings, networking events, and numerous consultations. As an entrepreneur, the best option is to always schedule yourself off days weekly to give your mind and body a chance to reset and relax before tackling another week of major projects. I always remember to manage my business, not run it on my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mcmsrvcs.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mcmsrvcs
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcmediting
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@mcmsrvcs
- Other: www.dppublishing.club
Image Credits
Neville Simpson, HeadShotHSV
