Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Medley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
When I think about my legacy, impact is the word that comes up for me.
I want to positively impact the lives of Black women in a way that builds their hope, resilience, and a path to a better life for their families.
Lisa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi, I’m Lisa Medley, Executive and Leadership Coach to some of the world’s most talented Black women.
I am the Founder and CEO of Lisa Medley Executive Coaching, LLC, a global executive coaching firm headquartered in Charlotte, NC where I provide professionals and teams a safe space to assess their strengths and opportunities, build their strategic advantage, and expand their contributions through strong leadership.
I’m especially passionate about using my gift to coach, encourage, inspire, and educate Black women as they navigate the corporate landscape.
I’m also the mother of five amazing young adults, and a budding plant enthusiast.
In July of 2022, I left a 16+ year career at a Fortune 50 financial services company to advance the careers of Black women full-time.
My mission to support the resilience and wellbeing of Black women started in the 90’s when my home in Philadelphia was a safe space for a handful of us to gather and share our most intimate challenges. Every month we shared a delicious breakfast, played our favorite gospel music, and prayed.
That time together grounded us, inspired hope, and facilitated change.
Since that time, life happened. I went through a divorce and raised my five children alone. It was one of the most difficult times of my life.
But, oh the come back! I grinded my way through earning two degrees and securing a seat at the table where I gained a clear understanding of the gaps existing for Black women seeking to advance into leadership roles.
I turned my personal growth system into a research-based framework to help high-performing Black women leaders around the globe. When you choose me as your executive coach, you benefit from a well-researched, tested, and proven approach to developing the right mindset and habits to pursue and achieve your goals with confidence.
I am grateful for my success as a Black mother, a leader, and business owner. For God is great!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 1999, my husband of 10 years came home from work, told me his girlfriend was pregnant, stuffed his clothes in trash bags, and left.
We had five children. My youngest baby was just a few weeks old. I had a high school diploma and a job earning $9.00/hour.
I vividly remember sitting in the welfare office with my swaddled newborn baby applying for public assistance.
For the next four years, I worked two – three jobs while going to school to earn my Bachelor degree and raising my children. I was offered my first “big girl job” in 2004 working for a local non-profit. And in 2006 I was presented with an opportunity to work as a call center temp for a fortune 50 financial services company.
I took a risk, accepted the job paying $13/hour, and drove 144 miles a day, four to six days a week.
That was one of the best decisions of my life. In just three years I advanced to a senior role leading a heavily matrixed organization throughout the largest merger in banking history.
When the dust settled, I went back to school earning a Master of Science in Executive Coaching,
I’m one of the first 24 people in the U.S. to do it.
The rest of my story is history.
I’ll share a quote that describes my life journey, “And then one day I discovered my own light, my own inner gangster, I snatched my power back and the game changed” Unknown
You got this!
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Last year I expanded into the eCommerce space. Talk about divine alignment!
At the end of 2021, I had the idea to create a T-shirt as a thank you giveaway for my coaching clients. Since I don’t have a design background, I engaged the company who created my logo and color palette. I provided them with a few slogans, inspired by my clients, and designed a product and conducted vendor research.
I ordered and mailed out 18 T-shirts.
A few days later, one of the recipients sent me a video wearing my Tee. I posted it. on LinkedIn and was instantly flooded with purchase inquiries. Mind you, these were gifts. Selling merchandise was not a part of the plan.
There’s a saying, “money is attracted to speed”. In this case, it’s true.
Within 24 hours, in response to the demand, I created a shopify site (on my own), ordered more shirts, and closed 2022 with over $7,000.00 in sales from that one shirt!
Here’s what I learned through the process:
Agility is a critical part of entrepreneurship.
You won’t always have all the answers. Be willing to learn as you go.
Executing without a plan is a risk because you don’t know what you don’t know. In my case I had not researched anything about sales licensure and tax liability. Since every state has different laws, contact your accountant and your local Department of Revenue.
Listen to your gut. It never steers you wrong.
Don’t underestimate the power of LinkedIn. Over 600 orders came from LinkedIn. The highest of my social sources.
I’m in the process of expanding my line and still have a ton to learn. If you’re thinking about branching out into the product space, do it afraid. Lessons and learnings will present and you’ll be ahead of the game.
Contact Info:
- Website: lisamedleyec.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisamedleyec/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisamedleyec/
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lisamedleyec
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisamedleyec
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lisamedleyexecutivecoachin7924
Image Credits
MJWPhoto