Obstacles are unexpected, yet inevitable. They appear only to bog one down. However, only a few show the tenacity to break the shackles and move ahead. Melody Hossaini, the Co-Founder and CEO of InspirEngage, is one such human being.
The world-renowned entrepreneur, with a UK-based social enterprise, did not have an easy go from the beginning. She struggled, fought, and left no stone unturned to reach where she is now.
She had a difficult school life, where she was subjected to constant bullying. She and her siblings, along with her mother, had to move around to seek a decent lifestyle. But these trying times taught her about turning things into her stride. That is when she learned to find a sense of purpose.
She began to give back to the society. She tried her best to make others feel better and do good to herself in the process. After a point, “it became addictive.” Something she still nurtures and tries to impart in others.
The process healed the wounds that she bore for long.
Nurturing Transformations
Throughout her years of struggle, Melody Hossaini learned a great deal that still keeps her grounded and charged for more round of bouts. While inspiring millions, Melody resorts to three simple mantras that she gleaned from her years of experience.
The first one is to say yes, always. She advises young brains to use time wisely and “build experience and support” their respective communities. She asks them to shrug off “can’t be bothered mentality and show up to things.”
Her second mantra is to “speak up and be bold.” She mentions, “The world owes you nothing.” People cannot just wait for the right time to let their voices be heard. The surest thing one can do is to make themselves be heard and, for that, one should trust their voice and ability.
The last one, “consistency is key!” People can achieve nothing without doing a proper groundwork first. She puts herself on the pedestal as an example. Sometimes, people tend to see her attaining sudden success. But they fail to see the hard work providing a thrust to her moves; the long hours she spent to build the enterprise from scratch.
It is the result of consistency. Something, she believes, has to be maintained from day one.
Why, What, And How?
Looking back, when Melody Hossaini tries to pinpoint something that actually drives her, she finds the act of giving back as her guide. And her study of the time she spent with homeless people is all the more pertinent here.
During that time, she realized that some of them committed things under compulsion and lost their home as a result. What amazed her is their intent to do something good for the society. That came from within and without any exterior force. This is something they will always do if they are given a chance. This helped her to make a connection between her own stand and how people react.
In her attempts to transform lives, Melody has built a reputation for herself that is unlike any leader. She thinks of it as the nudge that sets the balls rolling for her. She is “empowering people to be happy, to live with purpose and be successful. It helps those individuals, and also the wider community.”
Identity. Mindset. Action. The Crux of the Core.
To get a sustainable result in human development, knowledge of the core is essential. Melody breaks it down into three essential steps. These steps are like a map with details of how to chart a course and trigger nodes to develop changes.
She starts with identity. Sometimes, it takes ages for a person to realize who he or she is. An identity starts taking shape around passion, stories, strengths, purposes, and other things. Each should be addressed to reach a definite next step.
The second layer digs deep into the mindset from where people derive everything. It is the place where people control their decisions and various moves. The receptor in it decides how a person should react to things and perceive them.
And the last is all about action, wherein a change should be established by doing things consistently, all the while focusing on the direction. Melody believes in balancing of energy and focusing on a purpose to achieve bigger things, and “the journey has to be enjoyed too – not just the destination.”
Mother and Multitasking
She got influenced by a lot of women. During her course of the journey, she came into contact with women who have battled through intense crises to achieve something that is meaningful to them. Among them, her mother has had a major impact on her life. When she looks back now, after becoming a mother of two kids, she realizes how difficult the battle was for her mother.
Her mother started from zero. While changing countries, she raised up three children, studied, and worked in night shifts. Melody Hossaini has three degrees and what she achieved, given her circumstances, is astonishing. Her experience and struggle taught Melody to be a hard worker and independent woman.
In her later phases, it helped her in inspiring women through initiatives like ‘Startup and Stilettos’, where she taught them to counter their adversities and turn them into a social enterprise.
Engaging with InspirEngage
Melody Hossaini calls herself a Human Investor and at InspirEngage International, she and her colleagues follow the same belief. They have learned that “magic happens when you invest in human potential.” That is something they have been doing using several “training programs on mindset, purpose and life skills” in companies like the New York Times, J.P. Morgan, and Women’s Forum.
As a professional speaker, she had the privilege of reaching out to people using platforms like TEDx, GES hosted by Barack Obama, and the United Nations, where she spoke at length on “human development and mindset, social impact, success and women’s advancement.” Their endeavors have helped increase their portfolio across 100 countries and reach out to over a million people.
Melody Hossaini, and her team, engaged themselves in “various programs for women and girls for years on female talent retention for corporates, as well as supporting the ambition of girls from a young age.” While chalking out their paths towards success, she suggests them, “be bold in what you want to make you happy, seek opportunities that offer the balance, and stay connected to your purpose.”
