We had the good fortune of connecting with Kathy Mela and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kathy, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
Personally, one of the top 3 most difficult decisions I’ve made was to move my mother out of my home into an ALF (Assisted Living Facility) as her dementia worsened. We often choose to live in denial for awhile when faced with challenging situations and decisions. Looking back, I lived in the space of denial longer than I realized with my mother’s illness. I have learned through personal and professional experience that the sooner we face a “problem”, the sooner we can move forward. Professionally one of my most difficult decisions was to not hire an individual that I knew personally & professionally whom many others thought we should hire. It was a very unpopular decision and I received a great deal of questioning around the decision. In the long view, the decision was very appropriate as the individual would not have had the outcome and success desired in our working environment.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
For 45 years I saved babies’ lives. I worked in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) as a bedside nurse for 20 years. Then as a single parent of 4, I went back to school to become an NNP (Neonatal Nurse Practitioner). This was a huge accomplishment for me at that time. I went away to school for 3 months to learn the didactic portion and had to make sure my children (Ages 16, 14, 13 and 8) were taken care of while I was away. In addition to that I had to ‘figure out’ the financial piece to attend school and still pay my bills at home. My internal determination and resilience helped me succeed. Now as I’ve transitioned to entrepreneurship in my ‘golden years’, I continue to build my resilience and stand on my internal determination. I’ve always lived my purpose but I didn’t know how to articulate it for many years. Learning to embody who I am and who I’m designed and created to be helps me stay the course. I am here to radiate my light of love and empower humans to know their true value and believe in their possibilities. My business is based on TEAL, the color of ovarian cancer. When my best friend, Rita, died at 54, I committed to ‘Live Full Out’ in her honor. TEAL is the name of my business: True Empowering Authentic Leaders and TEAL stands for: Thoughts become things. Everyone Matters, All things are possible, Lead with Love. My deep desire is to share the idea of living in a world of win-win with everyone who will listen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve lived in South Florida since 1954. I’ve seen it grow and change. My favorite beach is Hollywood Beach. It still has a quaint feel to it and the broadwalk is a wonderful place to walk, people watch and stop for an ice cream cone or a margarita. Some of the touristy places to check out are Seminole Hard Rock being sure to catch alligator wrestling at Seminole Tribe of Florida; South Beach in Miami; Wynwood in Miami; Downtown Delray and Downtown Ft. Lauderdale. It really depends on the time of year my friend wants to visit. In the summer, it’s indoor activities and pool time. So FL is really too hot in the summer to stay outside very long. One of my favorite places to visit when it’s a little cooler is Butterfly World in my town, Coconut Creek. Palm Beach county has a great zoo. Morikami Gardens is a quiet retreat. A great way to see animals from inside your car is Lion Country Safari. If it’s culture you want, we have great places for concerts and Broward Center for the Performing Arts for well known plays. As far as food, we have it all–Italian, Cuban, Greek, Asian, Mexican, Japanese, Thai, American, Indian, French, German and of course Seafood! If shopping is your thing, we have lots of indoor and outdoor shopping with the 11th biggest mall in the US, Sawgrass Mills Mall. And while we’re in the western part of town, we just might have to take an airboat ride in the Everglades.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Where do I begin? My parents provided me with a wonderful upbringing that instilled in me independence and the courage to face any challenge. My nursing career was shaped by many insightful leaders who taught me the essence of compassionate leadership, either through their own examples of compassion or their lack thereof. Transitioning to a new career in coaching later in life was both personally and professionally challenging. I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors and guides along the way. Personally, my life was transformed through working with naturopathic physician, Tanda Cook and participating in all the programs with Klemmer & Associates, including their coaching program. Professionally, my biggest shoutout goes to Wendi Blum Weiss, who continues to guide and mentor me in the world of entrepreneurship.”

Website: https://kathymela.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathymela_/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-mela-leadership-expert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathy.f.mela

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathymela-TEAL

Other: https://kathymela.com/links/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutTennessee is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.