Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Krivachek.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up as the oldest child of three in a small town of 300 people with parents whom have been married the past 33 years has been the foundation for the solid core values that have been fundamental to the success I’ve achieved. Integrity, hard work, commitment, love, discipline, forgiveness are just a few of the values that were instilled in me as a kid and have carried me through the good times and bad today.
I’ve been blessed to have been fired from the corporate world when I was 21 which forced me to step up with courage and pursue the dreams my family has been fighting for generations. Over the past 200 years or ten generations, my family has been settled in the farmland of Iowa in the small rural town of Fort Atkinson. My grandpa wanted to become an entrepreneur and but had my dad whom was the oldest of eight children. My dad then wanted to be a successful entrepreneur and but then learned my mom (his wife) was pregnant with me and they had an additional two children. Dreams were shattered. There was a day in my early career the day came when I told him “fuck you” and had to apologize much later because I knew with unequivocal confidence I would make it. And … I was willing to do whatever it took to make for that to happen.
Times were not always easy. In The first few years, I spent in my parent’s living room trying to make enough money to leave. There was frustration, anger and days of wanting to give up. Having been in retail for so long I had no idea how to run or operate a computer much less make money from it. I didn’t know the first thing about consulting and I certainly had no idea how much I should be charging. All I knew was that I wanted to make more than I had made before and I wanted to be my own boss.
My brother was great at welding things together and I could sell. We became a powerhouse duo… making just enough to do what we really wanted, which wasn’t welding and running around from fair to fair to make a few dollars here and there. After 11 fairs during one very hot summer, I ended up with a heat stroke and had 10% of whatever I sold for him to run my business. I would take calls from the booth, working my business and his. I wanted others to take me seriously but I could barely be serious about my own business with such lack of resources.
However, if there is one thing my family knows it is how to be resourceful and turn nothing into something. I was never born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was born with an unmatched work ethic learned from my parents.
Gratitude to change problems into opportunities creating a new experience. While we never had money, we had each other and there’s nothing more valuable in entrepreneurship than a team. Whether you win or lose, they will be there. Whether you are a champion or have to start over, they will be there.
I can’t say how many mistakes I’ve made, deals I’ve lost, money I’ve spent and individuals I’ve hurt. What I can say is that every mistake, deal I’ve done and amount of money I lost, I gained invaluable experience that has led me to be grateful for every opportunity, every individual, every mistake and every deal that did go through. It requires guts and courage to get up and keep going again; especially in the face of adversity.
But… those failures, stepping stones or epic finishes have led me to land on the front cover of Evolution Magazine as their Top Power Player Under 40. Being I was nominated for Forbes and Inc. Magazines’ prestigious list of “30 Under 30” and I’ve been named the “Top 1% of US Executives” two years in a row by The American Council of Executives.
In addition, I’ve written 10 books – 7 international best- sellers and have made hundreds of media appearances as well as have been given multiple awards from the states of Iowa and Minnesota. Finally, my company was nominated to be in the 2019 “Inc. 5000” list which is a definitive ranking of America’s fastest-growing, privately held companies.
Today, my greatest accomplishment isn’t any of the awards just mentioned it is that there are five of us in this generation that are successful entrepreneurs.
My brother graduated in 2012 and my dad and brother went into business together and have since built a car dealership and body shop, something my dad has strived for since he bought the building when he was 18. My uncle Alan has since bought the local grocery store and my other uncle David has purchased and runs a broom company.
Over the last 12 years I’ve built, sold and invested millions of dollars in personal development and businesses and I am heavily involved in philanthropy. There is no external award that will make me prouder than the generational chains that have been broken. There is no material possession that will be as fulfilling as the freedom I get from being able to be me, travel where I want when I want and get to work with who I want. It’s the reason I wake up because each of us can and should make an About Face in one or more areas of our lives.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NO – I’ve been to jail for speeding, I’ve had my car repo’d (twice), I’ve maxed out five credit cards, I’ve been in and out of college, I’ve been evicted (three times), I’ve lost all my money marrying the wrong man and traveling to a foreign country only to find out he was already married the past 12 years. I’ve made more mistakes then I could write about and like all incredibly successful entrepreneurs have.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about About Face Inc. – what should we know?
About Face Inc. focuses on helping executives, companies and millionaires individuals make a complete change in their direction, attitude and way of living/being! Integrity and fun are our top two core values and these are the very things that set us apart. It’s a privilege to be able to wake up and serve people in making a change they know they should be making.
No matter what level of success one has achieved they feel a certain way about themselves. I remember being on stage and saying “When is this going to stop?” And No one knew what I was talking about yet everyone has someplace in their life they feel similarly. They lack self-love, confidence and stability. They lack the inability to make a change even when they know what they should be doing making one. They procrastinate on making decisions in regards to that area of their life; be it in their health, finances, relationships, family or faith because they feel it’s going to be uncomfortable.
What’s more uncomfortable is hiding these lies … these feelings of regret, shame, anger, frustration and lack of. Lack of positivity, lack of resources and lack of ability to make a change. It’s the very things driving bottom lines, companies and families apart.
What sets us apart is we aren’t cheap and we don’t give discounts because when you discount the value on your life you take away from your own power. When you don’t commit to your own personal development you never see your own greatness. When you lack a positive mindset, you fail to manifest whatever you want. You don’t need to have millions in the bank to feel like a millionaire, what you need is the intangibles the things you already have inside you most successful people can never figure out how to achieve.
All high performers, high net worth individuals and high profile people know their worth, understand their value and are the most confident people in the room. They are the people that don’t even need to open their mouths to have people flocking to them. The people who’s smile glows so brightly people want to know their secret to happiness. The people who take up so much space with their posture and arm movements when talking you automatically believe know they know what they’re talking about. It is those individuals that we all aspire too and have the capability of becoming. That’s where About Face Inc comes in.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Confidence is definitely the most important characteristic of being successful. If you don’t believe you can achieve something, you won’t. If you come in knowing what you’re talking about and have proved that you are worthy of getting the attention, you will attract success without trying. For success isn’t who you know, it’s who knows you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melissakrivachek.com
- Phone: 763.302.9003
- Email: staff@melissakrivachek.com
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