[MWVC] Building Resiliency and Connection with Melissa Washington

Beyond The Stethoscope

Favorite quotes of the episode:

“When I lost my job, I went through a grieving process.”

“When faced with adversity, ask questions to positively direct your mind. How can I utilize the skillsets I have? What can I still do?”

“I shouldn’t have worried so much or put so much into that because it all turned out fine.”

Episode Overview

In this episode, I talk with Melissa Washington. Melissa is a Navy Veteran and the CEO and Founder of Women Veterans Alliance. She is a disabled veteran small business owner, speaker, entrepreneur, author, and award winner who is connecting women veterans across the nation.

Melissa proudly served in the Navy and rather than shoulder the burden of a dual-service family, she decided to leave the military early to pursue a career while her husband spent 21 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and transitioned into a successful career in recruiting and human resources for more than 10 years working for both boutique agencies and global Fortune 500 companies.

Melissa was laid off from her job in 2009 due to a failing economy, marking the beginning of a nearly two-year journey and career reinvention that allowed her to use her experience to help others. It all started by holding LinkedIn workshops for job seekers at her dining room table then speaking at venues across the nation. In 2011, she started Melissa Washington, Inc. which offers consulting services to businesses and individuals using LinkedIn for researching, recruiting, job seeking, and collaborating. Her journey, took a little detour for 4 years as she worked at LinkedIn, planning Global Corporate Meetings & Events. In 2014 she authored Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move.

TOPICS

• Melissa’s Unique Career Path; why she decided to become an entrepreneur and start the Women Veterans Alliance.
• The UnConference
• Staying positive and resilient during difficult times of having to reinvent yourself?
• Audience Q&A: How do you grow and retain your membership?

RESOURCES

Connect with the Women Veterans Alliance at https://www.womenveteransalliance.org/

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