August 16th, 2020

What if you could reinvent yourself?  What if you did it again and again?  If you haven’t already done it yourself, can you even imagine where such a journey would take you and who you would become?  

Our guest this week is Melanie Banayat, owner of Wing Space Co-working here in Prescott.  Her career has included graphic design, resort management, holistic health coaching, and fine art. Through each career, Melanie was a typical entrepreneur, grabbing opportunities, working hard, and creating success so she has a ton of experience to share. 

After having to reinvent herself a number of times, Melanie now helps others do the same.  Not just a place to rent a desk and make copies, Wing Space fosters budding entrepreneurs in all the areas they need to succeed.  In response to the Covid Crisis that is forcing so many of us to retool our business or turn our side-gig into an enterprise, Melanie and the folks at Wingspace have created Launch, an incredibly valuable class for folks going through the business start up process. It is a six-week, self-paced virtual class with dozens of video tutorials PLUS peer-to-peer coaching in an accountability group (Called a Mastermind group.) A class like this would normally cost thousands of dollars. Your jaw will drop when you hear how inexpensive Melanie had made it. 

We recorded 3 episodes this week and the thread that ran through all of them was what happens when your life burns down.  All of our guests found the grit and tenacity to keep going when it looked like all was lost, and in that darkness, found gifts that helped them build new lives that turned out to be more authentic, more meaningful, and more powerful than those they left in the ashes.  ​
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Do a Science This Week
Find something to do that has a high likelihood of failure and do it anyway. Make sure to pick something where failure has low consequences. Some examples: 

• Make a challenging recipe from scratch like a souffle or something involving puff pastry
• Try to learn a new musical instrument or brand new sport
• Pitch your wildest idea to someone you don’t know well

​Notice how you feel before, during, and after. Keep track of what you learned. Let us know in the comments for the episode what you tried and how it worked out.

SHOW NOTES
Key Takeaways: 

• Business skills are important, especially for creatives
• Business skills are learn-able, even later in life
• Entrepreneurs have important skills in times of economic and social crisis
  • Entrepreneurs are always looking for new, unexplored opportunities
  • Entrepreneurs are flexible and adaptable
• Entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs need community and collaboration

 Want to learn business skills?

• Launch - A six week, self paced business launch program

Want to join a business community?

• Wingspace - A live an virtual co-working community
• Find a Mastermind group near you

References:

• Video interview with Melanie about her art
• Rocket Feather Podcast “How to Succeed in Business.”
• Rocket Feather Podcast “Coaching and Community Weaving”
• Prescott Woman Podcast 

More Resources for entrepreneurs:

• The Arizona Small Business Development Center

Music Credits: 

• “Dreaming Big” by Ahjay Stelino