This week, we chatted with Melissa Darveau, who not only has a great story about family and legacy, but is an expert on all things business systems and money. So we did what any curious mind would do: we asked her about both! Read what Melissa has to say about owning a biz and self-love.

 

 

If there is one piece of advice you’d give a business owner – in regards to business credit – what would it be?

Always be thinking 2 steps ahead. The decisions you make today will impact your business’s ability to grow tomorrow. It’s easy to lose sight of that in the mix of being a business owner but it is vital to keep that in the forefront of your mind when making decisions.

 

If a business owner feels like they’re already struggling with business credit, what should they do?

Talk to a business banker that works for a financial institution more interested in helping you instead of selling you. They can point out the various plans of action you can take to get yourself and your business in a better place.

 

What are the progressive steps in business credit? Like, do you get a credit card first or business loan?

You start simple and become more complex as your business become more complex. Typically, a business credit card is the 1^st product owners open to start business credit. Then, an equipment loan, build out loan or line of credit come next.

 

What types of lenders are there? What types of funding are there besides business loans?

There are many types of lenders. There are traditional lenders (think banks and credit unions), trade lines (Home Depot), private lenders and hard money lenders. Outside of lending, there are various ways to generate cash for your business. There are investors, crowd sourcing, etc.

 

Love that. Thank you for the info! Let’s move on to your photoshoot. Why did you want one?

I’ve done 2 shoots with Felicia and loved both experiences. My first was for legacy shots with my sister and mother. Not only did we look amazing but they’re images we will treasure in our family. The best part was seeing my mom come out of her shell. She is normally a fairly shy tomboy type of woman. But Felicia worked her magic and my mom came out of her shell. She remarked at how pretty she thought she looked – something I’ve never heard her call herself. Plus, Felicia has our Mom record a message to my sister and me – tears!! It was just so heartfelt and sentimental.

My 2^nd shoot was to capture photos right after I got married. Let me say – again – Felicia did not disappoint. She got my shy hard-headed husband to loosen up and took some amazing images of him – of us but he had never been through a “Felicia” experience so it was great to see him let his hair down.

 

What drew you to Felicia Reed Photography?

Felicia’s passion, her eye for detail and how much fun she is!

 

What was your favorite photo?

I love them all! But there are 4 that stand out amongst the 2 shoots: there’s one of my mom solo — she just looks so happy and relaxed. Another one of my sister where I was making her laugh in the background… #love it! Another of my husband feeling himself, and my last favorite is of he and I.

 

 

How has the experience with her changed the way you see yourself?

I realized that I’m beautiful even when I’m critical of myself.

 

What advice would you give other women?

See Felicia! I actually referred my best friend to her that was really going through a tough time. It was such a transformative experience for her – I literally cried at her photo selection appointment because she looked so amazing and was really taken aback at how beautiful she is. That’s what Felicia does for people.