212: How Melissa Built A Million Dollar Business And You Can Too

Melissa [: 00:00:00

Okay. This podcast episode is so near and dear to my heart as this is two things. Number 1, the first mentor I ever invested in business 5 years ago, that obviously changed the trajectory of my life. But, also, she is going to be a keynote at burnout to all out live in Austin in October. She just released a phenomenal book that I cannot wait to get you guys in front of. Today, she's gonna be talking about some of the foundational concepts in this book. So check it out. Need some effective tactical advice that actually helps you get results and makes a real difference in your life and business? You've come to the right place.

Melissa [: 00:00:49

If you're finding yourself here today, it means you're getting ready to gain serious traction in your business, rapidly multiply your income and impact, and you're ready to make it happen while living all out. Guys, I'm Melissa Henault, your trustworthy corporate dropout turned 6 figure business burnout turned happy and healthy CEO of a multimillion dollar online business. And you're listening to the Burnout to All Out podcast. On this show, we're serving up innovative growth strategies, simple implementation methods to put them into practice, and action stimulating inspiration tailored specifically for the modern entrepreneur. Let's dive in. Alright. You guys, I am so excited. Today is just a fun celebration and bringing in the OG mentor that propagated everything you see today, miss Kayla Craft.

Melissa [: 00:01:54

I am let's see. We're kinda multi we're streaming multichannel right this second, so give me just a second because we're going live on Instagram. We're going live on LinkedIn. We're I'm an omnichannel girl here. We wanna make sure we're, like, on every channel. Okay. Cool.

Cayla [: 00:02:08

I feel like to maximize our time.

Melissa [: 00:02:10

So excited to bring miss Kayla Craft. Okay. Couple things, guys, as we get started. If you're just jumping on, almost 5 years ago, in October, I invested in my very first mentor in business ever, and it terrified me to do it. It was a god thing. I think about it to this day. It was supposed to happen. And I am so excited to bring this amazing human to interview today and really talk about her new book, but it's so full circle that it's been almost exactly 5 years.

Melissa [: 00:02:39

So, Kayla Craft, I'm so excited to have you here today as we're kind of streaming multichannel and really gonna showcase this amazing book that you're releasing. But I just wanna say welcome, and I'm excited to have you here.

Cayla [: 00:02:52

I am so excited, and I cannot believe that it's been almost 5 years. I mean, it's crazy. That's just so crazy. I'm so proud of you.

Melissa [: 00:03:00

Totally wild. So before we, like, dive in, I wanna give folks, like, the formal bio, and then I kinda already gave, like, the informal bio, but just for especially my network over on LinkedIn because

Cayla [: 00:03:21

LinkedIn. Hi, LinkedIn. So

Melissa [: 00:03:24

she is a highly sought after motivational speaker. As a matter of fact, she is going to be one of our keynotes at Burnout to All Out Live in Austin this year in October. She's a real estate investor and mentor in real estate, also an angel investor. One of the things I love is that you're helping women amplify their earning power, and I think I am a phenomenal case study for you. Right? Yes. While becoming the best versions of yourself. Right? And she also hosts Crafted Entrepreneur as a top podcast. You guys gotta get over there and download it and check it out.

Melissa [: 00:03:55

That's actually how I found you was listening to your podcast 5 years ago, kind of grasping at straws, trying to figure out what I was gonna do next. And that kind of brings me into the informal introduction, which I know folks heard a little bit about it. But I found you on a podcast, and I invested in you as a business coach because I wanted to work with you to grow and scale my business. And you really inspired me. There are so many things about you. But what's funny is within the first couple of weeks of working with you, you had me picking up this book by Louise Hay doing, like, mirror work, all this inner child work, and I'm like, what the hell did I invest in, and why does this woman have me crying in the mirror doing this work? But it's so full circle because you are the single person who recognized the talent that I had with LinkedIn, and I leaned into your confidence in me. And you said, you need to go sell this. And it wasn't even on my mind.

Melissa [: 00:04:53

You said, you need to go coach to this. You need to launch a business. And I didn't believe in my self like you believed in me. I didn't believe in myself in the type of life that I could live and not sacrifice with the hustle and the white knuckling it. And you were a steward and just a guiding light to guide me in making so many of the right decisions while scaling and hiring people to help, but not in a way that kept me from my kids, but in a way that, like, scaled my business, but allowed me to be a better, more present mother and wife and all the things. And so I think it is just full circle that this book is coming out, where you talk about all these things. And I am just like, for those of you on Kayla's side, you may not know me, but, like, this past year, the business I launched that she gave me the idea to launch less than 5 years ago, we did $3,800,000 in revenue last year. And if you hadn't kicked my rear and said you need to launch this thing and I hadn't trusted and leaned into your confidence when I didn't have it, this life wouldn't be the way it is right here, right now.

Melissa [: 00:06:00

So thank you for that.

Cayla [: 00:06:02

Oh, yay. That's I have chills because I am so proud of you. And I remember having a specific conversation with you around the kids and around, like, the dream life because what happens is our coping mechanisms work until they don't. Like, we do the same thing over and over again, maybe in a new career, and then we're like, oh, wait. I'm not happy again. I found myself in the same thing. And it's like, yeah. Because you're doing the same coping mechanisms.

Cayla [: 00:06:31

And so, really, like, I cannot believe that it's been 5 years because so much has changed for everybody. But the ripple effect that happened, right, you've impacted tens of thousands of people. I don't even know the numbers at this point. Wild. So many people. Right? Those people now affect people, and that's what I'm all about. And when people say, well, why'd you write the book, Caela? It's like, because I'm obsessed with the ripple effect. When I'm working 1 to 1, it's like I can really go deep and affect people.

Cayla [: 00:07:01

But with a book, you pay $30 and you get a mentor's life's work in here. Like, you're gonna get my coaching method inside of this book called Take 7. Melissa's been through it. She it didn't have a name, but we were going through it 5 years ago. You didn't even know you're going through it. And then you're gonna read the book, and you're gonna be like, oh my gosh. She did that. Yes.

Cayla [: 00:07:20

We did this. So it's amazing that now it's, like, in this method, and everybody's gonna be able to digest it. And Melissa's had result almost a $4,000,000 a year. I'm sure she's gonna surpass that this year. And next year, like, it's gonna be even bigger. But for those of you guys listening in right now, like, that's available to you too. You have to learn how to be your champion self, and sometimes we need mentors to bring that person out. Right? And so that's the point of the book is I talk about I hit myself with it.

Cayla [: 00:07:52

The champion self, like, let's bring her out to start playing and start winning the game of life and see what you're gonna be able to accomplish.

Melissa [: 00:08:01

Yes. Oh my gosh. And it's so true. And I remember when we first started, like, all these specific questions that you asked me. Right? We were really checking in on all of them. And I look back, and it was such a transformation for me. And it's so amazing that you've been able to formalize it and methodicize it and put it in a book and make it available to literally everyone. Right? Can you tell me a little bit about maybe your own discovery as you write in this book?

Cayla [: 00:08:31

Oh, gosh. I had a lot of self discovery in this. And I feel like we're always discovering new things. Like, the work is never done. You know that, Melissa. Like, there are always something new. Like, we're on the growth game. There's always gonna be something to be working on.

Cayla [: 00:08:43

So I wanna point that out because people think, oh, I'm gonna read the book and then my life's gonna be perfect. It's like, no. It's just, like, every new level you're going to, you're gonna have work through something. Right? So this is really a tool. The take 7 is a tool that you'll be able to use for the rest of your life. And what I found is while I was writing it, I found this little perfectionist come up in me, and you know me. I'm, like, done is better than perfect. Like, remember when we put your first landing page out? We're like, just do it.

Cayla [: 00:09:11

Just publish. Okay? Right. And there were mess ups and, like, there were things and whatever. It doesn't matter. You got clients. And I was like, yes. That's my motto. But with the book, it's so final because you can't unpublish it.

Cayla [: 00:09:26

Right? It already is on people's coffee tables.

Melissa [: 00:09:28

Yeah.

Cayla [: 00:09:29

It's in their cars. It's in their purses. And if I have a change of thought about any of this stuff, like, too late. It's there. Like, they have it. And so that was really messing with me a lot, and I was like, what part of me is struggling with the commitment of it? It felt so final to me. Mhmm. And I had to give myself permission that this is version 1.

Cayla [: 00:09:50

So this is the 1st published book. There will be a second published, but there will be a third published book, and there's gonna be new thoughts and new ideas in that, then it's okay. Like, it's okay that this might be my version right now, but in 5 years, it might have something new to say, and I'm allowed to do that. And even saying it now, it still feels like, oh, are people gonna accept that? So I really had to nurture that version of myself that is a perfectionist and love on her and share with her, like, the things that I teach in the book. Like, the things I was teaching in the book, I had to teach to myself at the same time time around the

Melissa [: 00:10:24

book. Isn't it wild how that works? Well, so speaking of that, I remember one of the first books I had to pick up and read was Mirror Work, like 21 Days to Heal Yourself by Louise Hay. I have a number of her books behind me now. And I remember getting photos of myself as a child and, like, really beginning this I mean, I'm 5 years in now, and I'm still pulling back layers that I'm sure I'll be pulling back for decades. But it's a fascinating journey of this whole inner child. How does your inner child actions and choices how can they nurture this in your life? Right? Or how can we be more aware, or how can we just be cognizant of this and kind of move forward with it?

Cayla [: 00:11:06

Yeah. So most people and, I mean, you can share your experience, but most people, especially me, we got our way our level of success, maybe 10 years ago, me, was all through self hate, self criticism. Right? I've got to do this to prove myself to people. I'm never good enough, so I have to do this. Oh, I sucked last week, so I gotta be better this week. Like, just like that like, kinda like putting myself down all the time to get up. Right. It's not healthy, and then you wonder why you're not happy.

Cayla [: 00:11:38

Right? So I don't know if any of you guys listening in right now are self critics. But Yeah. Everybody I talk to and people that hire me, that's what's on repeat in their mind all the time. They're not criticizing other people around them. They're just constantly criticizing themselves. Right. And what switches when you start to nurture your inner child, this is what's so wild and crazy, and this is why you've been able to have the success you've been able to have. You really become a magnet for amazing people, amazing clients for all the awesome opportunities that God has destined for your life.

Cayla [: 00:12:11

You become a magnet for him because you become the person. You become aligned to that Mhmm. Thing. Right? And so because you're in adoration mode. You go and look at those past versions of yourself, even the ones that made mistakes, that didn't get it right, that made the wrong choice, you go, I love her. I love that version of Melissa because she was just doing the best she could with what she had, and I'm proud of her because she didn't give up. She kept going even though she failed. She pushed her way through, and I love her.

Cayla [: 00:12:42

Like, even all of you guys thinking about that version of yourself right now, you start to feel love in your body. And what happens? That's, like, the highest frequency we can have. And it's joy. It's happiness. It's why we could stare at our kids when they're sleeping, and we just stare at them, and we're, like, in love. They're not doing anything, and we just love them. We need to get to that level of love for ourselves, and it only happened by adoring our inner child.

Melissa [: 00:13:05

Oh, so good. And what's fascinating kind of on this theme of sliding into our 5th year, October of this year will be when I actually, I believe, hired like, somewhere around October, I hired you to work with you.

Cayla [: 00:13:16

Yeah. Oh my gosh. Crazy.

Melissa [: 00:13:17

And it's wild. And October at our live event will be the official 5 year anniversary. But it's interesting as I reflect, and I look back at these different versions of myself over the past 5 years when you're in the what I call the slide. Like, over the 5 years, it's not roses and yeah. You hear the 3,800,000, and it's like, wow. That's amazing. But there were lots of valleys. Like, there were lots of dips and peaks.

Melissa [: 00:13:41

Right? Mhmm. And I look back at the dips, and it was actually in the dips that there was more self reflection and inner work and understanding of that inner child than the peaks. Does that make sense? It was like, those were the the times I went and looked within even more to understand why am I behaving this way? Why are things happening this way? Yeah. And it all goes back to that little girl, and it's like you said, can you honor her? Can you love her? And can you move forward with her? Such a beautiful message. Okay. Last thing here on that note is manifestation and gratitude. Right? Like, I am a huge fan. I actually pulled this.

Melissa [: 00:14:20

This was one of the second books you ever had me buy, which is The Circle Maker, and I had really kind of lost my faith and lost my own connection to God, really, before working with you. And this book, like, really rattled me in a good way when you talk about manifestation and calling things in and gratitude. Can you speak a little bit more to your personal practice and gratitude and maybe some things that are folded into the book and and what you do.

Cayla [: 00:14:49

Yeah. So step 5 in the book is finding gratitude in everything. So anything that you've experienced in your life, it's about finding gratitude. Mhmm. And from that place, we're really able to have an empowered perspective because we realize no matter where we are in our life right now, even if we don't like the results, our current reality, we chose it. And that's a very powerful place to be because then we can choose something different. Right? Yeah. So we gotta be grateful for the version that got us here, and we're gonna be grateful for this version that's gonna get us out of it.

Cayla [: 00:15:19

And from that place, we can get resourceful. And the step 6 is what do you really want? K. What is it that I want? And then step 7 is take the next best step because we gotta decide what we want. We wanna speak out loud, what we want to be true. We wanna start putting the wheels in motion for our dreams, and then we have to take action because faith without works is dead. Like, we've gotta take the action. We have to have faith in ourselves, and I just really truly believe that everything that's happened in your past happened for you. And my faith has always been stronger, like you said, in the valleys because I go and oh my gosh.

Cayla [: 00:15:57

Like, why is this happening? But it's character strengthening. Like, if my life had been easy for the last 30 something years, I wouldn't be the person I am today. You wouldn't be the person you are, but it's in those dark moments in the cave. I call it the cave moments where you're all alone and you gotta make good choices, nobody's coming to save you in that moment, you gotta get yourself out of the cave, that's when your character is fortified. And so I really believe that, like, you've gotta decide exactly what it is that you want and then start living in alignment. And that's that take the next best step. You gotta start living in alignment. So if you say, I wanna be a millionaire.

Cayla [: 00:16:36

Right? When we and you met, you weren't a millionaire yet. Right?

Melissa [: 00:16:39

I remember you making me write a check. The first check I wrote to myself was, like, for, like, I don't know, $10,000, like a $10,000 month. Right?

Cayla [: 00:16:47

Oh, let's go. Now you make that in the day. Right? Or in a minute, whatever it is. But here's what's so wild about that. It's that action is so powerful because you go, okay, I'm gonna write the $10,000 check to myself. Well, what are the what's the next best step I have to take in order to have a $10,000 check be given? Mhmm. Okay. I'm gonna post online.

Cayla [: 00:17:10

I'm going to get the skills I need to get. I'm gonna network with the people I need to network with. I'm gonna create the offers that bring people in. Like, you start to go and get into option Right. Mode.

Melissa [: 00:17:22

Yes.

Cayla [: 00:17:23

Period. And so that's really like, you're a collaborator with God. Like, he's gonna put all the right people in your path. He's gonna open all the doors for you, and then all you need to do is you gotta still step into the door. The doors are open. You've gotta step into the door. You've gotta walk on the path and do the things required of you. It's not a like, people think manifestation is just like everything's gonna happen for you.

Cayla [: 00:17:46

No. It doesn't work that way. It doesn't work that way. But, like, when you say, like, I feel that Jeremiah 2911 says, I know the plans I for you, the plans to prosper you. So I just live in that promise that I'm meant to prosper, and everybody listening in right now is meant to prosper. I talk about that in the book. So why do we settle for so much less? Because if I really truly believed that I meant to prosper, I'm gonna take action in prosperity. Right? I'm gonna do the things that bring prosperity.

Cayla [: 00:18:17

Yes. But if I truly don't believe that I'm gonna be prosperous, then I'm going to stay in my cave and do nothing about it. Yes.

Melissa [: 00:18:25

Yes.

Cayla [: 00:18:26

It's important too. Like, you gotta hang out with people. You know this, Melissa. I've seen you do this, Like, seeing you just blossom in this. You gotta hang out with the people that believe these things.

Melissa [: 00:18:35

Yes. Oh, that is a process all in itself.

Cayla [: 00:18:39

Yeah. Because what happens is when you start to uplevel and you become the richest one in your friend group,

Melissa [: 00:18:47

You

Cayla [: 00:18:47

start to settle.

Melissa [: 00:18:49

Mhmm.

Cayla [: 00:18:49

You do. You go, oh, well, I'm good. I'm better than everybody else. I'm doing really good. You've gotta constantly be putting yourself in the new rooms and stuff, and then you create bigger and bigger and bigger dreams for yourself, and then you take bigger steps of faith. I remember the first time I invested in an apartment complex. It's a $131,000,000, 430 units, and I'm like I mean, I I'm not the only investor in it, but it's like, this is a lot. Like, this is woah.

Cayla [: 00:19:16

Like, there's a lot of people involved in this. There's a lot that can go wrong. But I'm like, but do you want to be like a the real estate investor that you wanna be? And it's like, yes. Let's go. Okay. We're gonna step through it. We're gonna take these risks, these calculated risks.

Melissa [: 00:19:31

Calculated. Yes.

Cayla [: 00:19:32

Yeah. And then it's it's working out. It's working out in my favor because I believe that everything's working out in my favor.

Melissa [: 00:19:38

Yes. Well, in the faith. Right? Faith in the process that this is happening for you. I love all of this. So good. Well, I know we're kind of we're wrapping up at time. A couple of, like, last minute kind of let's tie this in a bow. I've got a couple things for all our listeners.

Melissa [: 00:19:54

Number 1, Kayla, yes, how do people get this book? Hold it up one more time.

Cayla [: 00:20:00

You can get this book anywhere that books are sold. Barnes and Noble, Amazon, probably the most popular place. Right now, if you get the book on any of those sites, you can go and redeem it at craftedoffer.com to get a free course that goes along with this.

Melissa [: 00:20:15

Nice.

Cayla [: 00:20:16

I'll actually coach you through the take seven method for free just by buying the book, which is amazing. Right? So it's craftedoffer.com. You can also buy the book from there too. We're just not shipping until next week, FYI, because I have a huge press week next week. So we're running for some lists, so I'm really excited. But this is where it's at. You can listen into the Crafted Entrepreneur Show. We've had Melissa on before.

Cayla [: 00:20:38

I need to have you on again. And this is all my life's work in this little baby right here.

Melissa [: 00:20:44

Yes. And for my listeners on the podcast, because we're gonna produce this, What Do You Really Want It's the name of the book for my listeners. What do you really want? By Kayla Craft. So so awesome. Okay. So we've got the book. We've got the podcast. What's the best way for people to connect with you if they just wanna connect with you?

Cayla [: 00:21:03

Well, we're on LinkedIn. I'm growing my LinkedIn. Good. Okay. For 5 years. I'm not really, but I am going to.

Melissa [: 00:21:10

Okay. Yeah. You can find Kayla on Instagram I mean, on LinkedIn, but likely there she's probably gonna respond in the DMs or her team's gonna respond faster over on Instagram. So that is perfectly fine. So we've got we can locate her. We've got her podcast. We've got her book. Number 2, you can meet Kayla live at burnout to all out live in Austin, Texas the 1st weekend in October for our 5 year anniversary.

Melissa [: 00:21:33

There's gonna be so much fun and celebration there. Wherever you're listening, we'll drop it in the notes or you can go up to my bio, whatever platform like, it wouldn't be here today if she hadn't have said, you need to teach people how to do this. So wherever you're watching, if you wanna link for that, you can just put in the chat lead gen, and we'll make sure we get you the registration there. So, Kayla, so excited for you and it's so wild. We've gotta connect again. Like, I need like a coffee chat with you outside of this, like, 15 minute rapid conversation, but so fun to see you today. So excited to see you in Austin, and I am so excited for the world to get a hold of this book that has transformed me immensely 5 years ago. And now that it's formalized and out here to the world, just excited it's out.

Cayla [: 00:22:30

Yay. Well, thank you so much. I am so proud of you and I love you.

Melissa [: 00:22:34

I love you too. Alright, Fran. We'll see you soon. Thanks guys so much for listening in on today's podcast episode. And I can't wait for you to see my upcoming guest in the next episode. You are going to love this keynote speaker. Hey, here's the deal. If you like this, please subscribe and leave a review.

Melissa [: 00:22:56

And you want the latest online business growth strategies and exclusive LinkedIn pro tips sent straight to your phone? Text the word update to 704 318-2285. That is text the word update to 704 318-2285. Can't wait to see you guys. Come find me over on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, wherever you like to hang. Cannot wait to hear how you are enjoying and applying what you're learning. You guys reach out to me over on social because I love hearing what's resonating with you. When you reach out to me and you send me those personal DMs, they really do impact the content I continue to bring forward to you. So again, come find me, melissa_henault over on Instagram, Melissa Henault over on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Melissa [: 00:23:51

Can't wait to see you guys over there.