How To Become The Go-To Expert in Less Than a Year With Melissa Houston

Jaclyn Mellone  

Melissa, thank you so much for making the time to have this conversation with me. 

Melissa Houston  

Jaclyn, anything you want. I am always here for you. I absolutely adore you.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Well, the feeling is mutual.  I adore you. And I am so blown away with all that you’ve done with your business, and your brand, and your podcast over this past year. And so I’m excited to pick your brain a little bit on how this all came to be. So before we dive into things, tell us a little bit about you. What do you do? And who do you help?

Melissa Houston  

Okay, perfect. So I am a business finance coach. So what that means is I teach people or specifically entrepreneurs how to manage the finances in their business. So that they’re more confident about managing their cash rather than living in fear and basically avoiding what’s going on in their business. I’m a chartered professional accountant. I’ve been working in this space for over 20 years and it is my pure joy to help entrepreneurs manage their cash with confidence.

Jaclyn Mellone 

Now, you work with people all over the world. How do you work with clients?

Melissa Houston  

I work with people all over the world. Interestingly enough, I have clients in Australia, UK, US, and Canada. So yeah, the reality of it is what I teach is pretty transferable to each country. I’m not talking about taxes, and figuring out how you do your corporate or your personal taxes. What I do is I really show entrepreneurs how to look inside their business, so they know what’s going on, and they understand if they’re profitable or not. I have like this five step program that takes them from. The first step is figuring out your money mindset issues. And then the second step is to understand your financial reports. So we work through that. And then the third step is to create a plan for your business, which is essentially a budget. But people, hey don’t like the budget word. So I always like to talk about it as it’s a financial plan.

Jaclyn Mellone  

So smart. 

Melissa Houston  

The important thing is to monitor your progress against that plan. And then the final step is to manage your cash with confidence. So once you get that financial foundation in place, you are living in a position of authority and power over what’s going on in your business. And it makes you make more profitable and confident business decisions. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

So next month, Melissa is coming back, and we’re jamming all about this. We’re gonna talk about all of it. But today, Melissa is here for a different reason and I’m excited to hear more about your journey with this. So why don’t we start with, let’s go back to you starting your business. You’ve been in this industry for a long time but you started your online business pretty recently. 

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, January 2020. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

Yes. And what you’ve done in the course of a year is really impressive. So take us back to just starting your business. What did that look like? What were your thoughts kind of like new on the scene, January 2020, what a time to start a business.

Melissa Houston  

Had I known. Well, when I first decided to become an entrepreneur and open this business, I felt I had a pretty strong background in business. So I was going to be okay. What a lie. Like I have the accounting and the finance and the strategic planning and all that, like really the core of operations in business. But what I was missing was the factors of visibility, and marketing, and generating those sales and stuff. And doing it online is completely different. So when I first started, I was scared to death. I was definitely by far a very introverted person and I had a huge fear of putting myself out there. I was so scared of what people were going to say about me, what they were going to think, if people even wanted my services, or even just getting the message out there properly. So the person I was back in January to March of 2020 was very different from the person that people have seen in me lately. I definitely went through quite a journey over the last year. And it’s gonna sound a little cheesy, but I feel like a lot of it I owe to Selena because she really opened my eyes to see my potential for me to recognize my potential and say you know what, I can do this too. And she really made me feel I could do it. And that sounds corny, but it’s so true.

Jaclyn Mellone  

It’s so true. I have been in that situation so many times. And Selena has been one of those people for me, too. I haven’t taken Impacting Millions but through little moments over the years, she’s reflected to me something that she’s seen in me. That it’s like, oh, wow, okay, I need to be thinking bigger. That thing that you see that I don’t see. I think a lot of us are, we’re thinking of ourselves maybe as the way we’ve been where other people are able to look at us more clearly and see where we could go. And I think I do that really easily for other people but sometimes I’ve struggled with that for myself.

Melissa Houston  

Me too.

Jaclyn Mellone  

I don’t know if it’s a thing. This must be like, we can’t be the only ones here. Sometimes when I hire coaches or join programs, I almost get this immediate confidence boost. I don’t know how to end, it’s almost like I’m borrowing the confidence that they have in me which isn’t lasting. But if you’re able to hang on to that for the period of time to get you through that transformation for you to feel that on the inside, that has been I think one of the ways that I’ve really been able to grow. 

Melissa Houston  

Absolutely, yeah. And I find that it takes somebody to help you see things in a different way. When I first saw Selena, basically on the internet, I don’t know how she started showing up on my feet. But that was back in march of 2020, I was first drawn in, because she’s saying these media opportunities are still possible for you and stuff. But then I’m drawn out, because I’m like, no way. There’s no way I’m going to put myself out there. That’s way worse than putting up my website and little signs that I’m open for business. So it kind of blows my mind when I think about where I was at that time to all the changes I’ve made since then. I have not been in my comfort zone since I met her and I don’t even know where my comfort zone is anymore. Like, whenever you want to try something new, I’ll try it. Sure. It’s kind of gotten to the point of what have I got to lose. I’ve got more to gain by putting myself out there than losing.

Jaclyn Mellone  

So you’re three months in business, you start seeing, maybe you downloaded the media list. You start following along with Selena’s free video series. At that point where you’re like, I should be focused on a funnel or I need clients first? Or how did publicity become the next step because I know at different points of business a lot of people think they need to be really far along in business. And even when I started doing publicity, I really didn’t think that I was ready. I feel like I fought it kicking. I knew that I wanted it somewhere. And I’m really grateful for people around me that believe in me or kind of pushing me in that direction. But I did not feel ready at all for that. And I was way further along in business than you were. And so I know other people feel like this, too. Yeah, what happened there?

Melissa Houston  

See, I always knew that what I offer is extremely valuable to people. I’m not some sleazy car salesman trying to make a buck. I’m teaching you how to make your business more profitable. It’s a win-win. After hearing her talk about it, I knew that I had to make myself more visible to people so that they would know that I exist. But to think about that, in a way that I had to put myself out there, absolutely horrified me. Because I’m like this chubby 40 some-year-old woman who looks like a pastor prime and I’m looking at all these beautiful young girls who look like movie stars. And I’m like, I don’t know if I can compete because I don’t like to look at people as competition. But I just didn’t know how I would be received by people. And I’m like that just seems so scary to me. But the more I listen to her videos and her Facebook lives, I truly felt that she was talking to me personally which is another cheesy thing for me to say, but Selena had quite a positive impact on my life. I’m just being truthful about how this all came about. So I was really paying attention to what she was saying. And everything she said, always made sense. And the one thing she said to me where I just was like, okay, I’m doing this. And I just said, she said it to me, but she didn’t say it to me. But that’s how it felt. And she said, you need to stop thinking about it. As you are scared to put yourself out there, you have to change the way you’re thinking. And of course, I’m not quoting her here, but you have to think about the person who needs your help, and how you’re hurting them by not offering them help. And that was such an interesting way to think about that. And it’s so true because all I want to do is help people. This has nothing to do with me. This has to do with how I can help people. And from there on, I’m like, okay, I’m in. Not in the sense of like, h, I’m signing up for a program and all this stuff. I’m in like, I totally buy that. I understand exactly what she’s saying, which ultimately led to me being in. It really resonated with me.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Oh, that’s so powerful. And that is such a big shift when we take that attention off of ourselves. And am I ready yet? Am I the person? Do I look that way? And you saying those things, “I’m dying”, “Not at all”. I will say I also relate because sometimes when you look around and you see the people that are having success in a certain space, and everyone kind of looks a similar way. I don’t really fit that mold. A lot of us don’t fit that mold.

Melissa Houston  

Also, it was totally unfamiliar territory to me. So, I didn’t even know what I was getting into by becoming an online entrepreneur. This was all I was seeing. And I was like, I don’t think I fit in anywhere. I mean, I was very wrong about that. But that was my earlier impressions.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Yeah. Okay. So now, you join. You join Impacting Millions.

Melissa Houston  

Okay, but I totally hesitated. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

You’re like, okay, I’m thinking differently. Kind of in but then.

Melissa Houston  

Yeah. And I was like, okay, let me find out how much this is, before I joined. And then when I found out the price, I was like, I don’t know. But there was something in me that was like you need to do this. I had this feeling. I completely resonate with what she’s saying. And I’d never spent that amount on a course before. And it felt like a huge investment. But it also felt, I was going to get a return on that investment in no time. And so I talked about it with my husband, I wasn’t seeking permission from my husband. I was just what do you think I’m crazy or whatever.And he’s like, hey, you sound like you’re really into this. You should try this. You got nothing to lose. So I’m like, yeah, you’re right. So I did it and I joined the program.

Jaclyn Mellone  

I love a supportive husband, by the way. And I know not everyone’s partners are supportive with things but we don’t have to go down the path of husbands.

Melissa Houston  

We’ll end up crying. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

But I’ll never forget, it was for an event that I was going to that Selena was speaking at, that I was a bigger investment to go for a number of years ago. And I think it was right around the holidays, and so typically, I don’t know if I’m paying for my business. I don’t necessarily involve my husband in those decisions. But it was maybe I was gonna pay myself less if I went or I kind of felt like I needed to include him in the conversation. And I called him up and was like, listen, there’s this is what’s going on. And he’s like, are you trying to sell me on this? Are you trying to sell your cell phone? And I’m like, oh, no, I’m sorry. I just want you on board. And he’s like, then it’s already done. You gotta go do it then don’t try to sell me on it. If you know this is what’s gonna be helpful for your business, trust yourself with that. That also helps me to okay, I need to look for his approval which in a partnership is healthy, too. But that reassurance to trust myself with those decisions was really impactful for me too.

Melissa Houston  

For sure.

Jaclyn Mellone  

One thing I want to say, just to be very honest about this whole situation, is a number of years ago, I was following along with Selena’s content and was really impressed with it and when it came time for a car open and I realized that it was a $3,000 investment. I was kind of expecting it to be $2000 because I think a lot of courses in our industry are $997 or $2000. And when I realized it was $3000, I wasn’t prepared for that. And it was okay, this isn’t the priority now, and I just skipped over it. And looking back, it’s interesting. I wonder what would have happened if I would have started publicity earlier on, and I would have done that sooner. So we can’t go back to the what ifs. But thinking of it now. And I know we’re going to talk more today. But the more I have heard from Selena, and I’ve heard from you and other people who’ve taken her course, it’s so much more than a course, it’s so much more. It’s almost like, I’ve had this with clients. And Selena probably doesn’t want my input on this. I call it a course. It’s not a course. I had that with clients where I’m like, okay, can you tell me everything that’s happening in this feels more like as a program than it’s a course? And sometimes when we call something, of course, we think of it as this very automated or impersonal type of thing. But with what Selena’s created with Impacting Millions, it’s a lot more than that. So we’ll talk about that more. But I wanted to share that I had my own price scare when I saw that. And it actually prevented me from joining. So I’m excited this year to join and be a part of it. But I resonate with people who are hesitant about that, because that was me too.

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, yeah. You definitely take it seriously. But I certainly after going through the program, and you’re right, it’s definitely a program, I had no regrets, there’s so much value in it. And she really seems to care about people and wants to see them succeed in a way that I find is really rare to find. And it’s such an organized course because at the beginning, I think it’s six modules that are released but then it takes a lot of work at first to get your systems in place. Not systems in the sense of automations or stuff, but just getting into that rhythm of going through what she’s guiding you on to how to pitch media outlets and stuff, and figuring out exactly who, where you want media attention. But then there’s always support along the way. So, every month, there’s a call with Selena, and then there’s a call with Lynya. Selena offers a lot of the business support and talks about partnerships and shows how collaboration really helps your business and stuff. And then Lynya, who is a gem, she’s the light and so smart when it comes to media pitches and stuff. And she teaches you how to do it properly, and she gives you honest and direct feedback. So the way they do it is they have hot seats for people and stuff. So if you get a hot seat, it’s not hard to get a hot seat, I got many. And it’s worth it, wait and goal. I just felt valued in that group.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Which really stands out because a lot of groups, in a lot of courses, it’s automated and systematized. You don’t necessarily have the people who are leading that have that. They care to go that extra mile to create that type of community and an environment to support transformation because zero is staying in the beginning. This wasn’t just that you learned how to pitch but you’re a whole different person now through that.

Melissa Houston  

A whole different person from it.

Jaclyn Mellone  

And tell me more about that. What is that? What does that mean? What does that look like?

Melissa Houston  

So I learned to overcome my, and I’m still an introvert, I’m not gonna lie. I definitely am still an introvert, you don’t want to change who you are at the core. You can’t change who you are but you can put it aside for certain things. And like for introverts, it takes a lot more energy to put forth our extroverted side, but I’ve definitely learned how to do that and put myself out there and ask for opportunities and not fear getting rejected. Because one thing I really learned through this whole media process is when you ask for something, just because you may receive a no or just an ignore, but essentially, it translates to a no is a no doesn’t mean it’s personal. It just means not right now. This is not a good time and read between the lines and if you pitch them like a year from now, you may get a yes. Whatever it is, but don’t ever let those noses stop you. That is the big lesson I’ve learned this year.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Oh, absolutely. Okay, so let’s go into some of the details of things that you’ve done over this past year. What are some of those things that you are getting comfortable in? You’re gonna go with the comfort zone here. And putting that aside, what are some of those things that happened as a result of you not being afraid of the game?

Melissa Houston  

So I really focused on the course for the first six or eight weeks, and then I started implementing things. So I started pitching online publishing, publishing mints, and podcasts. For the first couple of times, I was ignored and stuff. And then I had this gut feeling in July, I’m going to apply for an entrepreneur position. And I applied and I got accepted within two days. That was a shocker. I started the course in April. So July, I became a regular contributor for entrepreneurs. And then, I have this feeling I need to apply for Forbes. And the only thing I was looking for to be honest with you was for them to publish my article. So I pitched the managing, like the head honcho of Forbes, Randall Lane. And that was probably at the end of July. And I heard nothing. And then I followed up a couple of weeks later, and I heard nothing again. He totally ignored me. And I’m like, okay, so clearly, this isn’t working. So what am I going to do? So then I’m gonna pitch the be editor of Forbes women because I really felt that that’s where my audience was. And I pitched her, I remember it was Monday in August. And it was Monday morning, and she got back to me within three hours. To me, that was just freaking amazing. So…

Jaclyn Mellone  

Eyeballs are bulging. That’s incredible. 

Melissa Houston  

It is incredible. So then she’s like, okay, let’s meet and talk. And I’m like, oh, okay.That’s a lot of attention for somebody wants to get an article published but okay. So we met the next day. And I didn’t realize but she was actually offering me my own column in Forbes. So she’s like, I love what you’re writing about. And I’ve looked at your blog and love your blog. And just so people know, I think I had published maybe one article and entrepreneur at that point and everything else was strictly blogs. And I got these acceptances based on my blogs. So I hadn’t been published professionally anywhere else. And so anyways, I ended up by Friday. I had my contract signed and everything with Forbes. And the following Monday, I started posting for Forbes. It was crazy. And then that led into so many other opportunities. And in October, I launched my own podcast. I was also a guest on other people’s podcasts, but I launched my own and I built a network. And I’ve guested on many podcasts and I’ve had many guests on my podcast. And it’s just been like, super exciting.

Jaclyn Mellone  

It is, what a ride. I mean, what you’re describing, I think people go through that for like five year. The fact that this all is a year now, just blows my mind.

Melissa Houston  

Yeah., and I also got published in Business Insider, and Addicted to Success, and Women Who Money, and all sorts of other places that I’ve pitched. It really gave me the courage to do that. And I also learned how to, I could have that perfection anxiety of making every article that I ever put out there has to be absolutely perfect. But I also learned to let that go because nothing is going to be perfect. And let’s be real here. I am not running for I don’t even know what they call those literary awards. What are they like? 

Jaclyn Mellone  

I don’t know.

Melissa Houston  

I don’t know. Yeah, exactly. Like, writers guild comes to mind. I don’t know but I’ve just combined two awards. Anyways, the point is I’m not some sort of literary specialist, I am a business finance coach who has a wealth of knowledge to share with people and it’s values. And that’s what matters. And maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s accurate. It’s valuable information. And people seem to be enjoying it. So I mean, you got to release things. Release the stress of perfection. release the stress of being visible. Release all that and good things come.

Jaclyn Mellone  

So this confidence to actually take action, I’m doing these things, I’m guessing this came from the community and the support you’re getting from Selena and the team. What was that experience like with the community and working with Selena and Lynya?

Melissa Houston  

The community is amazing because I made a lot of really good friends through that community. And even though you’ve got hundreds of people in the community, people are really supportive. Everybody’s celebrating each other’s wins. It motivates you at the same time, too, because you’re like, hey, if they can do it, I can do it too. So the community was extremely valuable. And then just having the resources available to help you. I mean Selena thinks of everything. Selena is extremely detail-oriented. So she leaves everything from scripts, to steps that you need to take. She’s got this publicity pyramid, which is fantastic. And now they’re pushing me to put myself out there to be visible on TV, which is another hurdle for me. But after I talk to them, I’m always like, I can do it. Let’s do this kind of thing. So that’s definitely in my future, too. It’s crazy when I think about that, because a year ago, if you told me that I would even consider that I’d be like, no way. That’s not possible. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

I totally see that for you. But yes, you’ve gone through the whole pyramid, and you’re at the top of the pyramid now. So this is kind of a different way of looking at it. But what do you think? How do you think your business would be different if you didn’t join this program?

Melissa Houston  

I think I could still be playing small, or actually, no, I don’t even think it. I know what I would just be probably looking for local clients or maybe I would have quit at this point because it’s hard starting a business, and I didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. But it was those publicity winds that kept me going. Because believe me last summer, I shed a lot of tears with my friends from Impacting Millions just like it’s not working out the way I thought it would. It’s so hard but everybody encourages everybody to keep going and don’t give up, and enjoy those wins that you get along the way. These wins whether they translate into money or not, they will eventually pay off.

Jaclyn Mellone  

So true, and thank you for sharing that a little bit of the behind the scenes of it’s not like you join in, you’re like immediately getting there. There are the ups and downs and on that journey of getting comfortable saying putting yourself out for those situations where you may getting the nose right, and all those different things. I think that’s where it’s easy to stop or not go after. 

Melissa Houston  

It really is.

Jaclyn Mellone  

The emotion is real behind when it doesn’t always happen as fast as we want or when we think we’re putting effort in and not getting the return on it or all of those things. And so to have those people to support you through it, and to also keep pushing you to go bigger with it is key, because even as you’re talking about this night, and I’ve done a bit with media, but I know there’s a lot more that I can do and want to do, which is why I’m joining Impacting Millions this year. And even just hearing you talk I’m like I need that push sometimes to go after more because even though I do a lot and I really work hard to stretch myself, I know, I could be thinking a lot bigger if I keep finding ways that I’m like, oh, I didn’t realize that I was still thinking small on that. Because small looks different at every stage of business. 

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, and Lynya and Selena have a really good way of pulling that out of you to get you to think bigger about things. It’s amazing. They’re just so kind and caring and they really want to see people succeed. So it makes you feel like you can do it.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Absolutely. There was something else I was going to ask you. You mentioned partnerships and this is one of the misconceptions, but when you think about Impacting Millions, we think about publicity. But I know that it’s so much more than just publicity and partnerships is something that Selena has really excelled at in her business. And you mentioned the partnerships was one of the big wins that you’ve had throughout this too. So what does that mean? What does that look like? How does that fit into publicity? 

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, Selena is definitely good at partnering with people and I was really drawn in by that aspect. I really started to see it as the course went on. And, for me, it was a great thing to learn because with all the people that I meet through features in Forbes, I can partner with them and work with them more and get more exposure, more visibility, and we can call elaborate and help each other. So I don’t think I would have thought of it the same way had I not seen Selena model it. One of the many things I like about Selena is I really like how she thinks about her business. And I really watch how she makes her decisions because I find it so interesting. And you can tell her well thought out smart businesses decisions that she makes. She definitely doesn’t, or I shouldn’t say definitely, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t talk about partnering a lot at the beginning, but she is definitely a partnering kind of person. And when you partner with people, it allows you to reach so many more people and bring your business to a level much quicker than you can do on your own. And I’m a firm believer that women should be helping women. That’s why I love writing for Forbes women, too. Because I’m here to support you and help you. I mean, I don’t have to feature you. I’m doing it because I see that you’re doing really good work, and people should hear about it. So I’m helping you, and you’re going to help somebody else. And we’re just going to make this world a prettier place to be in right. Just because it’s so much easier to get there with help from others than it is to do it alone. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

Absolutely. When you first start talking, I’m like, wait, is this like the universal you or is it me meeting personally?

Melissa Houston  

I love you, Jaclyn. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

I love you, Melissa. This is so fun.  Okay. 

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, let’s get veered off and start laughing our heads off again.

Jaclyn Mellone  

You never know. Easier said than done. So was there anything that surprised you about the program Impacting Millions or just about like publicity in general, and just playing that bigger game of visibility?

Melissa Houston  

So many things surprised me. I mean, the program itself surprised me because it was so well done. It’s not even just about being well done. She really cares about the experience, and makes it an experience. And that was pretty impressive. And then as far as media winds go and stuff,  that surprised me too, because I mean, I always kind of said I’m just a kid from Canada. Who wants to hear from me kind of thing, right? It’s a big world out there. And it just surprised me how far I came in such a short amount of time and believed in myself, and I don’t think I would have otherwise. Those were the two big surprises. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

Yeah. Okay this might be a sticky question but I’m curious.

Melissa Houston  

I love sticky questions.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Is there anything that wasn’t included in impacted millions, like you wish that it was or any gaps that I got all of this, but there was like this other part that I needed to go get something else from?

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, I definitely would have loved to have an option to buy into one-on-one coaching. That is something that is not an option and I don’t think that you can find it. I mean, I don’t know, I could stand corrected. But wouldn’t it be great to be coached by her one-on-one, and trying to find somebody who, at that caliber level and just intelligent and grace. It would be really hard to find a person who would coach as well as she would. But that’s fine. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

And it’s always different. Yes, the upgrade would be nice. Because sometimes what you can get from what I want is very different from what you’re getting into pyramids and experience which there’s a lot of benefits to like being in a group or having that organized content, or templates or scripts are all of that, but then having that one-on-one. So you get that a little bit with the hot seats, but there’s going to be limitations to how far you can go with that. Yeah. And if you have something personal that you want to talk about it’s kind of difficult to do that in front of so many people, but it is what it is, and I survived that aspect of it. Found other coaches who are just as good.  That’s good to know. That’s good to know. All right, anything else that you would want to tell someone who may be on the fence of it’s now the right time, or I don’t know if this is what I should really be focusing on right now.

Melissa Houston  

I joined in a pandemic,

Jaclyn Mellone  

That’s true. You joined the worst time to join. 

Melissa Houston  

The worst possible time. I was really freaking out about the investment. Yeah, no. I personally feel like if you’ve got that feeling in your gut, that this is something that you really need to do, you cannot restrict yourself from that. You got to take the chance. There’s a reason why you’re feeling what you’re feeling and there’s a reason why you’re attracted to that, and if you’re seriously thinking about it, I would recommend you to talk yourself out of it. Because it’s just when you make the most of things, you never know what’s going to happen. I definitely did not see myself having my own column for Forbes within months of joining this program but that’s what happened. It was so sweet and just how life has evolved since then. It’s been incredible.

Jaclyn Mellone  

So inspiring. All right, Melissa, thank you so much for taking us on this journey. It’s a wild ride that you’ve had the past year. I am so impressed with what you’ve done. And so honored to be a part of your journey, and I really appreciate you peeling back the layers of how it all happened, and really encouraging people to take that leap that it’s available for them to.

Melissa Houston  

Absolutely. I think she said on her videos today, feel the fear and do it anyways. And I really liked that because yeah, that definitely. It really wraps up how I felt back then. And I still do you. I mean, I’m still human, and I still feel fear every day. But my goals are just getting bigger and bigger. I’m fearing bigger and bigger goals, which is crazy, but it’s so fun.

Jaclyn Mellone  

I will try that. I was actually bringing this up to my kids recently so I always go back to Bernie with that, but I’m not gonna try to quote. Bernie brown off the top of my head because I will totally butch her head. It’s his idea that it’s not about courage isn’t the absence of fear, but it’s feeling that and stepping into it. And that’s what is courageous. Is that you’re doing that thing with the fear and that’s where vulnerability comes into play. And that’s where you can’t separate vulnerability from courage because by the very nature of doing that courageous thing, you have to be vulnerable. 

Melissa Houston  

It’s so true. Yeah, well said. 

Jaclyn Mellone  

Well, it’s all Bernie. I’m just channeling for a moment. Alright Melissa, how can we stay in touch with you and the weeks before your other interview is going to air on the Go to Gal podcast where we’re going to dive into all things money. How can we stay in touch? 

Melissa Houston  

Yeah, my website at melissahoustoncpa.com and my podcast is called Think like A CFO. I’d love for anybody to check it out.

Jaclyn Mellone  

Alright, so good. All right. Thank you so much, Melissa. I appreciate your time today. 

Melissa Houston  

Thank you.