We recently connected with Melissa Lucien and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Melissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Being a first generation immigrant comes with many expectations and a lot of pressure. Moving to the United States from Haiti, I found myself stuck in between trying to understand the educational system and not disappointing those who believed in me. I kept my head down and followed the path that was set for me and of course that is going to school to become a medical doctor. I lived with extreme anxiety and migraines for over 3 years; my classes felt like a burden I was forced to carry, my life was a movie that I was assisting while trying to be the main character. As a kid, I always knew I loved law and I often stated that I would be an Attorney but there I was pursuing a career in a field that was far away from my passion. My only solace was my sociology classes which I fell in love with. By my senior year, I did not want to be a doctor and being a lawyer was everything I ever wanted. Now for the hard part, how would I tell my family? How do I know I am making the right decision? What if I fail? 6 months later, I found the answer to all these questions when I took some time to focus on God and the relationship I had with him but that I neglected thus far. I knew that telling my family would mean creating an irrevocable harm and it would mean that I am alone in my decision, win or loose, succeed or fail. Most people might have seen me as a failure at that moment but the answer was clear and simple; there was no losing if I followed my heart and even if the success would be harder to achieve, I would joyfully go through the process. I was ready to lose everything and even fail but I would know I gave it my all. Fast forward 2 years later, it is the best decision I have ever made. Being somewhat alone allowed me to grow in so many different aspects, I got the opportunity to compete in national and international pageants, publish my own book, start my own company, all while building a career in the legal field. Every decision I made from that point on led me to the present moment as a first year, first generation law student, breaking barriers and changing the narratives that people have attached to me.

Melissa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Similar to many young individuals on Instagram, I spent a huge amount of my time on this platform and I would share my stories, experiences, failures, as much as successes in the most transparent manner. I guess we can say people connected deeply to my content as some people started reaching out to me asking for advice and assistance in their own experiences. I quickly understood that as much as I was able to help a few people, not everyone would feel comfortable reaching out personally so I started to make some short videos and eventually some live talkshows to inspire, motivate, and empower others. The invitations to speak at different events on various topics from youth and women empowerment to relationships and love came inevitably. I became a public speaker in 2018 and have been working as such ever since. Being a speaker required proper speaking training but my experiences, the pain, the beautiful and the ugly are things I had to learn to build into strength and they are the foundation of any and all public interaction that I have. Whether it is a crowd that is fluent in English, French, or Haitian Creole, I pride myself in connecting with them and adding something positive that they can take on in their life journey. From my speaking career, I was able to write and publish a book with a sold out book release party. Citing the intro of my manuscript, AMALGAM, “my hope is for it to remind the youth that it does get better and every experience only serves a purpose in the time being. These feelings of pain, love, anger, they all fill into your own purpose. To the older youngsters, I hope this book is a round trip ticket to the late nights you were so afraid to share, the reality that made you scared, and as you return, you smile through all you have learned and earned.” Being fluent in all 3 languages, I also work as a translator and interpreter in different fields. I have worked with psychologists, lawyers, politicians, teachers, writers, and more. Whether it is a meeting, a phone call, or a document that needs to be accurately translated into one of these languages English, French, and Creole, you may contact me via email at melspeaksinspirit@gmail.com and you will receive a timely response.
All my work is reflected on my social media platforms and I pride myself in producing quality, reliable, and efficient work.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building a brand, a platform, and a reputation can be extremely hard in this day and age. Social media is available to everyone and keeping up with the trends make it even harder to keep such reputation. For me, the most valuable assets have been my transparency and authenticity. The Melissa that is promoted through my businesses and on all my social platform is the Melissa that you encounter in real life. I don’t try to hide my flaws or weaknesses, as a matter of fact, I share them as I seek ways to better them, whether it is professionally or personally. I believe in the power of vulnerability.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of networking! I was not a marketing major in college but I sure know how to genuinely be nice to people, introduce myself, my business, and leave a positive impact. I’ve heard people express how they are shy and they can’t network but the reality is if you want to build a successful business, you need to surround yourself with the right people and it does not necessarily include your family and friends. I have networked with individuals at events and from that one interaction, they have referred some clients to me, with whom I have built lifelong business partnerships. Most of my clients come from referrals and I make sure I return the favor. I look out for every business owner that I have encountered as far as opportunities in their field just like they do for me. This does not mean I keep a list on hand and that is why it is important to be an authentic relationship because when the opportunity presents itself, your name naturally comes to mind. I am grateful for every single person who ever sent a client my way and I make sure I never disappoint because the person referring the client is also putting their reputation on the line.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linqapp.com/melissa_lucien?r=link
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mel_inspirit?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: Melissa Lucien
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-lucien-7ab626163