Melissa Wick is a brilliant attorney and inspirational life coach (might seem like a contradiction for most folks, right?) who is passionate about LGBTQA+ equity and empowering purpose-driven business founders and execs. With every legal interaction, her goal is always to make sure founders understand their legal rights and obligations so that they can run the business of their dreams with confidence. As a coach, she imparts empowering messages of bravery and empathy from behind the mic of her ‘Send it Sunday’ podcast and while navigating jumps on her trail bike – yep, she’s that cool!
Vicki Bowen Hewes: Melissa, we first met in person at ECDI’s 2022 Out In Business Pride event, and you are a dedicated advocate for LGBTQA+ rights in work and in life. I admire you immensely because you tell it like it is – the challenges for LGBTQA+ folks are daunting, often masked, and perpetuated by outdated systems that need to change. Do you have personal experiences that you’re willing to share that fuel your passion?
Melissa Wick: I love talking about this so much! Like many LGBTQA+ folks, and people socialized as women, I spent many years diluting myself and looking for ways to soften myself so that I was more palatable to the heteronormative privileged status quo. Over time, I’ve been able to see that conforming in order to feel belonging was damaging to me, my creativity, my mindset, and my business; it held me back in all sorts of ways. So, being an example of authentic LGBTQA+ entrepreneurship for other LGBTQA+ entrepreneurs or aspiring entrepreneurs is what fuels me!
VBH: Regarding your work as a lawyer with social entrepreneurs, I heard about you before we ever met from a social enterprise founder who had hired you to navigate a lease agreement. They were so impressed with your knowledge, professionalism, kindness, and dedication to their success. Many people are hesitant to work with an attorney because they’ve heard stories about price gouging and bad advice – and well, we’ve all heard lawyer jokes. What should entrepreneurs know about finding the right council, and why it’s important?
MW: Haha…many lawyers have earned a bad rap! First, the right lawyer for you will be able to give you transparent pricing, ideally a flat rate fee, for the project and they should be able to clearly define the scope of the project so you aren’t left wondering. I offer free half-hour consults as a way to give potential clients value, determine if we are a good fit, and get enough information to give a price quote. Second, find a lawyer who specializes in small business or startups and looks forward to guiding you as your business grows and evolves. It’s about creating a lasting relationship with someone you like and trust. Third, I suggest checking out the lawyer’s free resources (blog, YouTube, podcast, social media) to get a good feel for whether a lawyer is the best fit for you and has relevant experience for your needs.
VBH: That’s important advice. And in addition to your professional legal acumen, you’re a certified Life Coach. I’m a big fan of your ‘Send it Sunday’ podcast – and I love your show description: ‘If you want to create a business you love and feel like a badass while doing it, you’ve come to the right place.’ You keep it REAL and talk about the tough stuff that many don’t. How did you start your podcast, and what’s some of the feedback you’ve received from listeners?
MW: I’m so glad you are a fan! I started Send it Sunday because I believe so much in life coaching as a tool to help entrepreneurs cope with the uncertainty and navigate the inevitable ups and downs of entrepreneurship. At the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey, like many new entrepreneurs, I sought external validation from others because I didn’t know how to trust or believe in myself. And, I think this is a common issue for people socialized as women and LGBTQA+ folks. So, everything I teach on the Send it Sunday podcast is because I’ve done the work on my own brain and want to share what works! And, most importantly, I do the podcast because I don’t want people, especially LGBTQA+ folks, to feel alone in entrepreneurship and I want to be an example to other LGBTQA+ folks who may want to begin their own entrepreneurial journey. LGBTQA+ folks seem to identify most with the episode about belonging because wanting to belong is so primal, yet, for many LGBTQA+ folks “belonging” can jeopardize authenticity.
VBH: You’re an ‘abundance mindset’ leader. How does that affect how you engage with your legal and coaching clients, and with your community work on boards and committees?
MW: I love abundance mindset mostly because I’ve had to overcome a lot of scarcity based thought patterns myself! An abundance mindset is a hard won battle for me, and something I still work on! And, I find that I love those people who struggle to feel abundant, because we are cut from the same cloth. When I coach people, I tread lightly because typically people who have scarcity-based thinking have very legitimate reasons, e.g., childhood trauma, poverty, stigma. So, I’d never shove “abundance” at someone who wasn’t ready. It’s a “go slow” process of noticing feelings, connecting feelings to your thinking and then asking yourself a lot of questions, starting with, “Does this feel good?” With respect to community work, boards and committees, my abundance mindset has actually helped me say no to taking on too much. Making decisions from abundance has helped me see that I don’t “need to” do anything. I do things that I “want to” do. I think women take on too much when they have a scarcity mindset. Now, if I’m involved with a board or community work, it’s because I’m “all in” and I’m passionate about it!
VBH: I live vicariously through you on your kick butt trail riding, and love seeing you navigate like a pro. Were you always a bike enthusiast, and what are some of your favorite trails?
MW: I’m such a bike nut! I’ve always loved bikes. For me, bikes have always meant freedom, adventure and FUN! Mountain biking is the only thing I do that can turn off my brain and get me into that flow state everyone seeks! My favorite local trails are Chestnut Ridge and Star Hill. And, when time permits, I love going to Bailey’s Trail System or Mohican.
VBH: Similar to trail riding, being an entrepreneur can be exhilarating and grueling – and social entrepreneurs, like yourself, are also leading needed change. Can you share a circumstance in your entrepreneurial journey that knocked you down and what inspired or motivated you to get back up and keep swinging, for the greater good?
MW: Early in my entrepreneurial journey, because I was afraid and uncertain, I was just replicating other lawyers and much too reliant upon mentors to tell me what to do. I wasn’t thinking for myself about what I wanted to create, how I defined success, what I should and shouldn’t do to grow my business, and who I wanted to be as an entrepreneur. Ultimately, replicating others and listening to other people more than I listened to myself caused me to crash and burn because I wasn’t being true to myself, and the business I was creating didn’t even feel like mine. I was giving all my power away. It sounds cheesy, but once I started to listen to what I actually wanted, and decided on purpose who I wanted to be, and how I wanted to create my law firm, everything got easier. It’s still very hard sometimes, but because of the mindset work I do, I know how to have my own back no matter what. And, I want to help others, especially women and LGBTQA+ folks, self-actualize through entrepreneurship. I love helping people who want to help other people! There is nothing better!
For more information, visit mwicklaw.com. Listen to the Send it Sunday podcast here.
The monthly social enterprise feature on The Metropreneur and Columbus Underground is sponsored by Meliora Community.
Founded in 2023, Meliora Community is a movement focused on the pursuit of better, together. Sign up to learn more: melioracommunity.com.