We were lucky to catch up with Monique Menesi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Monique , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success means overcoming fears and believing in your dreams, even when the path is uncertain. My story is living proof of this.

In 2014, my husband and I made the bold decision to move from Germany to the USA with our two children, aged 8 and 12. With little money and only a vague plan, we embarked on this journey driven by sheer determination and hope.

Starting from scratch in a new country was anything but easy. We faced cultural adjustments and language barriers, and we had to confront our deepest fears and limiting beliefs. It’s in those moments of doubt and uncertainty that you realize the importance of casting aside negative thoughts and focusing on your goals.

One of the most defining moments was when I decided to start my own business. Despite the odds, I believed in my skills and talents and was determined to create something meaningful. I focused on my strengths, pursued further education, and built a network of supporters. Through relentless hard work and an unwavering belief in my vision, I successfully established my business.

Taking risks was a crucial part of this journey. I learned that bold decisions, even when they seem terrifying at first, often lead to the greatest opportunities. Embracing risk opened doors I never imagined possible and taught me invaluable lessons about resilience and growth.

Ultimately, success for me isn’t just about financial gain. It’s about personal fulfillment and the ability to make a positive impact on the world. Every step of my journey has reinforced that with passion, determination, and the courage to surpass your own limits, you can achieve anything.

Monique , 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?

In 2014, my husband and I made the bold decision to move from Germany to the USA with our two children, aged 8 and 12. With little money and only a vague plan, we embarked on this journey driven by sheer determination and hope.

Initially, I worked in Charlotte for a German company, focusing on personnel development. During this time, I realized that many German companies struggled to find qualified employees in the USA. With my background in leadership coaching, which I had been doing for large corporations in Germany, I saw an opportunity to bridge this gap. This led to the founding of our first business, Meetus.us, specializing in recruiting, headhunting, personnel development, and leadership development for German companies operating in the USA. Our approach quickly proved successful.

However, as German immigrants, we greatly missed our traditional German bread. It became clear that we needed to address this personal longing through another business venture. We developed a German sourdough bread mix, and to perfect our product, we traveled across the USA in our RV to find the best flours. After developing the mix, we appeared on Shark Tank, launched in Whole Foods and various other supermarkets, and showcased our product at the largest organic trade show, Expo West in Anaheim. What made our bread mix special was its high-quality organic concept, requiring only the addition of water for anyone to bake delicious bread at home. You can learn more about this venture at Breadlovers.net.

Throughout our immigration journey and while running our two businesses, I met many fascinating Germans who had built successful lives in the USA. This inspired me to start a podcast in 2019, which has since become the largest German-speaking podcast for USA immigrants. In Muttersprache Podcast, I interview brave individuals who took the leap to move to the USA, including the first German NFL player, the saxophonist for Rod Stewart, the CEO of FedEx, and many more.

The success of the podcast led to many people reaching out for advice on how to start a life and build a business in the USA. Since 2021, I have been helping individuals, especially women, to strategically build their businesses using my success framework. I developed a community for female founders and have been running this business alongside the others very successfully. More information about this venture can be found at Monique Menesi.

I am often a guest on podcasts and speak at events, sharing my journey and insights. Ultimately, success for me isn’t just about financial gain but also about personal fulfillment and the ability to make a positive impact on the world. Every step of my journey has reinforced that with passion, determination, and the courage to surpass your own limits, you can achieve anything.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most challenging periods in our journey was during the early stages of building our Breadlovers business. We were so passionate about bringing high-quality German sourdough bread to the USA that we poured everything into it—our time, energy, and finances.

However, we soon found ourselves financially and physically overextended. A product-based business requires a significant amount of capital, which we simply didn’t have at the time. We bootstrapped everything, relying on the revenue from our recruiting business to keep Breadlovers afloat. Without sufficient funds to hire staff, my husband and I ended up doing everything ourselves, leading to extreme work hours and immense stress.

This unsustainable pace eventually led us to burnout. We were exhausted and overwhelmed, realizing we couldn’t continue down this path without serious consequences to our health and well-being. This experience was a harsh wake-up call and taught me a crucial lesson about the importance of listening to oneself and recognizing personal limits.

We decided to pause the Breadlovers business and take a much-needed break. During this time, I reflected on my strengths and passions and decided to return to my roots in coaching. I shifted my focus back to leadership coaching and helping women build their businesses. This transition allowed me to realign with my true purpose and find fulfillment in a more sustainable way.

This experience reinforced the importance of following your heart and purpose. It taught me resilience and the necessity of self-care, ensuring that I can continue to support others effectively without sacrificing my well-being.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I decided to start the Muttersprache Podcast in 2019, a podcast for German expats in the USA, I didn’t fully realize the importance of building an audience for my business. In Germany, I had multiple travel agencies and an established business, but in the USA, I had to start from scratch.

The podcast quickly became a major magnet for all my businesses, thanks to the engaging interviews and fascinating guests. Through the podcast, as well as Instagram and LinkedIn, I built a large community that significantly expanded my reach.

For those just starting to build their social media presence, my advice is to create valuable and engaging content that resonates with your target audience. Consistency is key, as well as actively interacting with your followers to build a genuine community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://meetus.us/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monique.menesi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monique.menesi/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-menesi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Lj7JnS6zX2Ii6T-CsA2xQ
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/muttersprache-der-usa-auswanderer-podcast/id1498270289