We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melinda Powers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melinda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

At Intentional Professionals, our mission is to help women-owned businesses scale, sell or franchise their business as assets through strategy, planning and implementation. This was not the mission in the beginning. Over the past year, it became clearer that women need more support and that they are actively seeking the information to go further in their ventures. However, the statistics regarding money as it relates to women-owned businesses does not match the energy with which women are starting and running their businesses. The statistics tell us that about 10% of women-led businesses are reaching 6-figures in revenue and only 2% are reaching 7-figures. If you are on the outside looking in, this seems incorrect. But if you are on the inside when women owners are together sharing, the money woes are on full display. These woes are compounded when women owners are also spouses, mothers and caretakers. The problem is not initiative or motivation, it’s sustainability and ultimately, leverage. We want to see women-owned businesses scaling and having the ability to sell, franchise or license their creations but do it at an advantage to them and their families. The reality is that most businesses, regardless of the owner’s gender are not able to sell because of a lack of due diligence to the tune of about 75%. This indicates that not enough owners are educated on what is required to sell successfully. Unfortunately, everyone is fixated on social media and marketing but those are not the tools that will solve this problem. We aim to address that gap in knowledge with consulting, coaching and implementation for owners who are serious about their success.

Melinda, 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?

I am a native of Detroit, Michigan (check out my love letter to the city at The Detroit Hustle Podcast) but have lived in Florida most of my adult life since college. An attorney by trade, I have practiced Administrative Law as a state employee and as a solo attorney in Business Law, Estate Planning, Probate and Guardianship.

I began my Business Consulting career in 2019 with the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) and have since built my own company called Intentional Professionals, LLC in 2023. Our mission is to help women-owned businesses scale, sell or franchise their business as assets through strategy, planning and implementation.

Why women? Well, because the statistics tell us that 10% of women-led businesses reach 6-figures in revenue and only 2% reach 7-figures. This may sound low, but it rings true with the hundreds of clients that I have worked with and other women I interact with daily. We are not taught or encouraged to maximize the value of our businesses. Most of us grow side hustles to the level (or just beyond) of our 9-5 pay so that we can leave the workforce. So, in essence, we are simply replacing our salaries and creating a new job for ourselves. The problem with this is the claim that doing this builds generational wealth. Another myth. Because only 30% of second-generation businesses SURVIVE. That’s less than a 50/50 chance that your children or spouse will be able to carry the torch that your blood, sweat and tears built. What ACTUALLY creates generational wealth is the ability to use your business as an asset. You have a new interest and want to get out of your business to start a new venture? Scale yourself out of wearing all of the hats…or sell. The problem is that neither is easy. Only 25% of business that want to sell actually do. The culprit is lack of due diligence. All this means is that when businesses need to scale or sell, the owners aren’t prepared. This is not impossible to fix but it takes strategic planning, time (years) and a team. That’s where we come in.

We offer digital courses for startup clients that are in the idea phase or in the initial years of their journey. For more seasoned organizations, we offer Strategic Consultations for individual projects as well as Accountability Coaching on a monthly basis. Lastly, for businesses that are ready to scale, we start with our overall assessment called Organization Rx which provides a holistic review of the entire entity from employee interviews, team meeting observation and business document review. A SWOT Analysis is also conducted with the team. At the conclusion, a report is provided that captures the most pressing issues and best attributes of the organization as a whole. To ensure that the issues recognized in the report are addressed, we also offer services to implement the necessary improvements for scaling.

I bring clarity and practical solutions to my clients. Sometimes, knowing all of the problems gets overwhelming but I aim to break everything down into more bite-sized pieces that are easier to digest. This requires some coaching, but I do not consider myself strictly a coach because my other knowledge of business drives my approach. I also believe that this sets me apart because coaching is so common but also limiting. I can teach crucial business concepts AND be empowering. Not all coaches have been trained to do that, if they have been formally trained at all.

I hope that those who find this article know how serious I am about 1) helping women and 2) teaching them how to do things the right and legitimate way for maximum results. I want to help more hustlers become businesswomen. There is a huge difference.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I had to unlearn is the common habit of losing focus. Some call it “shiny object syndrome” because it revolves around being distracted by new, different and unique opportunities. Since entering the world of entrepreneurship 10 years ago, I also suffered from this syndrome for many years. I began to better understand how detrimental it can be when I went back to work and became a Business Consultant. Most of my clients had this habit as well. That’s when I discovered truly how common it is. I continue to tell my clients (and myself) to say no more than yes, once a strategic plan is made and set in motion. That does not mean that you cannot adjust the plan or strategy. However, you want to avoid completely scrapping a strategic plan simply because there are not instant results. It takes time! I find myself in a unique place because for the first time, in my third iteration of entrepreneurship, I am sticking to my strategic plan and only doing what will get me to the goal. Another part of this lesson is learning your limits and honoring them, mostly in the form of how you spend your time and energy (and who with). Though I am just as involved in my business, I am not unnecessarily obligating myself to people, places and things that drain me.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am an avid reader and personal development junkie, so I have too many to name here! However, I will talk about three books that I love so much I included them in my signature digital course called The Intentional Professionals Masterclass. The books are: The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem by Nathaniel Branden, Atomic Habits by James Clear and Getting Things Done by David Allen. I chose these books because they support my original framework for being an Intentional Professional and achieving personal and professional excellence (as an entrepreneur or employee). I developed the framework in my first year of full-time business consulting and it consists of The PROs which stand for the Person, the Rules and the Operations. The Person speaks to self-esteem and confidence. When this is not in alignment you see underpricing, self-sabotage, impostor syndrome and the like. The Rules speaks directly to personal habits. Oddly, not everyone assumes that personal habits become a part of how you do business, but they certainly do! The Operations speaks to tools, systems and processes which is the bulk of what makes a business (or any organization for that matter) work. Figuring out what to use requires, self-reflection, overall assessment and radical honesty. Each module in the course comes with corresponding exercises to help those enrolled to improve their mindset and how they show up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.intentionalpros.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melindabpowers/

Image Credits

This credit is for the headshot with beige jacket and flower dress photo on Additional Photos page:

Amanda Rosenblatt
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sidewaysphoto.com
@sidewaysphotography
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