Story & Lesson Highlights with Michelle Ghassemi of Raleigh,NC

We recently had the chance to connect with Michelle Ghassemi and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Michelle, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
How to get out of their own way! They may not know the blocks they have in place or the upper limits they fear but that awareness alone has helped me get over my own B.S and build a brand from zero to 7 figures(without being the service provider) to exiting that and mentoring other business owners build better habits+strategy to expand and create momentum.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Michelle is a sought after business mentor focused on growth & operations, as a mani gen she understands what it is like to have “all the ideas” but her no BS style is what guides her clients to new heights.With over 8 years of founder experience in CEO, COO & CFO roles she has been able to use those skills & frameworks to not only take her first business from 0-7 figures but support other business owners as well. When she isn’t working out, blasting hip hop & spending time with her husband, she is investing in her continued growth, being a community leader & volunteering. Michelle is an expert in helping multi 6-7+ fig. business owners cut through noise, stay focused, optimize systems & data while most importantly increasing profits.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My husband Hessam. He saw a natural talent in business early on for me and helped nurture that belief.
I didn’t graduate high school, came from generational poverty in an extremely small town with no diversity so to believe I could achieve the success I’ve had in my first business has been eye opening.
He’s always been my biggest cheerleader, tells me he’s proud of me daily and his hugs are the best!

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Keep going! Stop expecting others to act and think like you in the speed and energy you have-not all ambitious people are built the same. Other peoples opinions of you are NOT yours to carry! Embrace all the facets of you and never let someone shame you into believing you are less than because they don’t understand your methods or who you really are. Own your boldness and success and keep learning always.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
That I am Ojibwe (Native American) of the Red Lake Nation and Sioux tribes, crane clan which is one of leadership.
I am led and guided by my ancestors and I am grateful for their wisdom.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes! Once I achieved success in my first business, I loved building that capacity for me with all new skill sets with the jobs and opportunities it afforded my team but after awhile it felt empty, boring and didn’t carry the same passion I once had.
That’s when I felt the nudge to walk away/sell to create a more meaningful career at this stage of my life in a completely different industry for a different audience and business type, that really enabled me to be in my zone of genius while directly helping my clients do the same. It’s been one of THE best decisions I’ve made in my life, even though it was hard and filled with uncertainty. I’m here to tell you do the scary thing, be bold!

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than

Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?

Growth often means stepping into what once scared us. The things we resist can become