We were lucky to catch up with Mealea Newbill recently and have shared our conversation below.
Mealea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
I have always dreamed of being an entrepreneur. For financial freedom but mainly for flexibility to be able to be more involved in my children day to day life. I was working at a financial institution and had been promoted three times in a very short period span. I was doing well financially and climbing the ladder of success rapidly but I was working nonstop! Doing lots of overtime and projects. I stepped out first on faith with my online boutique in 2013, I began by researching for vendors and although there were many companies selling vendor lists, I later discovered that you have to put in the work yourself to find good reliable ones. I kept my corporate job because I needed a consistent paycheck to fund my new business venture, I began to slowly create content on social media and had people reaching out to me for brand partnerships and brand ambassadors. Unfortunately some of those turned out to be scams as well. I had sent out free merchandise to people who did not promote me as promised and even paid large amounts of money for advertisements that did not gain me any followers.
The boutique was bringing in small profits but I did not want to give up my dream, so I stuck to it. Fulfilling orders and mailing them out of my home. In 2014 I was affected by a major layoff at the company I was working for. I was devastated, it was my first time going through this and I was pregnant at the time. Instead of being bitter about the situation, I decided that this was God pushing me to step out and become a full-time entrepreneur. I always wanted to be a Realtor but kept putting it off since it was a conflict of interest with the financial institution I was working for. I enrolled in Real Estate school and started studying hard. Fortunately, I passed my state board exam on the first try! I began working in real estate, learning the ins and outs, and just like all other self-owned businesses, there were a few rough patches. I did not sell my first home until my second year as a Realtor. I attended many real estate conferences (paid and unpaid) and learned the hard way as well that there was no shortcut to success in this. I simply have to be patient and put in the work,
The boutique and selling homes were not bringing in consistent income so I decided to take on another business venture. I have been a licensed nail tech. since high school but never worked in the cosmetology field. Instead, I maintained my license throughout the years while I worked in corporate. I decided now was the time to put my certification to use and began doing nails. I was nervous but after a year I picked right back up with my skills and my clients began to grow at a fast rate. In addition to nails, I also began operating a call center business where I hire customer service agents for various fortune 500 companies. All the businesses slowly began to thrive with one another. It’s a never-ending cycle of learning, and failures while operating a business. Yet, giving up is not an option. Through years of determination, I’m proud to say I am now a licensed real estate broker and currently finishing up on my MBA degree.
Some may say I am doing too much and although the hours and schedule can be exhausting, I am given the freedom and flexibility to attend my children’s school games, and field trips and take long vacations with them. For me it’s not the money that I am after but more family time. The entrepreneurship role has given me the chance to be with my family more and for that I am grateful!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My reasoning for each business is different. I started the boutique because I wanted to provide unique luxury fashionable pieces for women. yet, I wanted it to be reasonably priced while offering high-quality materials. I have also given away free apparel and shoes to abused women and children in shelters.
My pursuit of real estate stemmed from my own dream of becoming a homeowner. I have learned that most people lack the knowledge or help on the steps of homeownership. They think it is harder than it really is. I want to educate our community and assist them with maintaining resources.
Becoming a nail tech falls in line with my love for beauty and fashion. I remember being a single divorced mother and not being able to afford to pamper myself. So I give back by providing my clients with quality service at an affordable rate. I also do many free services for proms and weddings for those who are less fortunate. Everyone deserves to feel and look nice.
The call center operation is a way that I can provide others the ability to work from home and have some freedom as well to be with their family. Agents are able to select their own hours, giving them flexibility in their schedules.
I am most proud of (1) not giving up on myself and my dreams. It was so much easier working in corporate and getting a steady paycheck but the income cannot replace the flexibility and time I have with my family. (2) I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met the clients that I have in all areas. some have become good friends of mine. I enjoy helping people and at times my listening ears are all that my clients need. I am truly thankful they chose me to do business with and continue to trust me with their needs.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
My character plays a major role in the growth of my business. I often get referrals from existing clients. My clients and I tend to build a bond, for different reasons of course. I am open and honest and I am a hard worker. I treat my clients with the same respect and care as if I was the client. My clients know that whomever they refer to me, I will do my best to assist and professionally provide the needed services. I have clients that drive hours from Georgia, Virginia, and St. Augustine, just to get their nails done. I do not take that dedication for granted. I strive daily to meet the needs of my clients. I have even gone out and shown homes after the death of my father. While I was mourning inside, I could not let my personal life affect my professional life. I have stayed up at 2 am and 3 am in the morning going over contracts and reading emails. I have taken clients late at night outside my scheduled hours to accommodate their emergencies. That is the type of dedication I provide to my loyal clients.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn in operating my own small business is that you cannot please everybody. No matter how hard or how accommodating you are, there will always be someone that feels you did not do enough. I had to learn how to set boundaries even in my work life. I had to learn how to be firm with my deposits and refund policies, being firm with making people adhere to and respect my appointment times as well as learning to charge my worth.
When I first started my business, I kept adjusting prices to attract and please consumers, I let clients no-show for appointments and waste my time looking at homes they had no intention of buying and providing discounts to friends and family.
I had to start enforcing my business policies on the public and my close friends. I no longer gave exceptions and I began to weed out the problematic clients. At first, I was scared to lose business, but then slowly I realize not all money is good money. Sometimes you have to choose your peace.
The hardest lesson was charging what I am worth! Especially with friends and relatives, charge your full price. If they can support others, why can’t they support you with the same energy? It cost to run your business and takes up valuable time, dedication and hard work, so you should be charging every penny that you are worth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.miyokosgallery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miyokosgallery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/miyoko.gallery
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mealea-newbill
- Other: Real Estate https://www.newhomebk.com/ https://www.facebook.com/mealea.newbill Nails https://www.instagram.com/glamgallerybylea/ https://www.facebook.com/glamgallerybylea Work at Home opportunity https://www.freedomsolutionswork.com/