“ If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready”.
Welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview with Dr. Melissa Alexander, CEO of GMA Interventions and My Soul Purpose LLC. In this interview, Dr. Alexander shares her remarkable journey as an entrepreneur in behavior health and consulting, highlighting her unwavering resilience and commitment to empowering others.
With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Alexander’s expertise and leadership have propelled her businesses to great heights. From founding her own behavior health agency to co-founding a successful coaching and consulting business, she consistently embraces challenges and transforms them into opportunities for growth.
In this conversation, Dr. Alexander reveals how her business navigated a significant challenge during the pandemic and discusses the importance of building resilient teams, maintaining personal resilience, and effective crisis communication.
Join us as we delve into Dr. Melissa Alexander’s insights, experiences, and wisdom, as she continues to inspire and make a positive impact in the business world and beyond.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Dr. Melissa Alexander: I am Dr. Melissa Alexander, CEO of GMA Interventions and My Soul Purpose LLC. I also co-founded Diadem Consulting, a business consulting and marketing agency with my husband. I hold a Masters degree in Counseling and a Ph.D in Education.
I have been working in the behavior health/therapy field for almost 30 years for diverse sectors. However, in 2015, I took a huge leap of faith and started my own behavior health agency. Eight years later, we have multiple brick and mortar locations throughout southeastern Virginia and a booming virtual/telehealth service delivery platform. .
In 2022, I again decided to take another leap of faith by starting a coaching and consulting business that serves women who are seeking clarity on their calling and purpose in order to start their own business.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: In early 2020, we were a thriving 7 figure behavior health business with tremendous scalability potential as we had just increased our bandwidth of services with new licensures from our state.
Then, of coarse, COVID-19 hit and the world suddenly came to a screeching halt. At the time, the bulk of our therapeutic services consisted of group sessions with 8-12 clients. The rising numbers of cases/deaths and mandates for social distancing made our existing service delivery methods impossible.
We were forced to close our offices to in-person services immediately and were facing the very grim reality of closing our doors for good. However, we decided to make the transition from in-person services to tele-health and virtual services. That decision to pivot, while scary and uncertain, is the major reason why the business was not only able to survive, but to ultimately thrive.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: The transition from in-person services to tele-health turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Initially, I and many of my employee viewed the move to virtual services with trepidation.
For 25 years, I had come to believe that our services could only be delivered in person so I viewed virtual services as one of necessity and not quality. I could not have been more wrong! The pivot to virtual/tele-health services has proven to be one of the best “failures” of our business.
We have been able to serve countless individuals who would have never been able to access our services otherwise. We have been able to expand the reach and the scope of our services through our tele-health platform.
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: In order to build a resilient team, I believe you must identify and capitalize on the strengths and weakness of your team members.
One way that we do this is by utilizing assessments such as DISC and Myers-Briggs. This allows us to build our teams based on individual aptitudes which increase efficiency, productivity and morale.
As for qualities for team members, my two biggies are integrity and accountability.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: My personal resilience is a product of my strong faith and prayer. I genuinely believe our greatest growth and strength is acquired not in times of ease and comfort— but in times of adversity.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: I pray! I am a firm believer in God and it is that faith and belief that sustains me during times of crisis.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: My team knows me as the calm in the midst of the storm. I demonstrate confidence and optimism; while still being honest and transparent. I am a solution- focused person, so I inspire my team to remove their focus and attention from the problems to the possible solutions.
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: My advice is to approach every potential obstacle as an opportunity. I truly believe that many of our blessings are hidden in difficulties.
As a CEO, our job is to serve as the GPS that guides our organization through the twists and turns to our desired destinations. Therefore, we must be bold, decisive, open-minded, and optimistic!
How do you prepare your business for potential future crises?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: Every member of my team could tell you my mantra is “ If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready”.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
Dr. Melissa Alexander: During times of crisis, leaders must be aware that they set the stage and standard for those that they lead. Keep an open-mind, an open ear, and an open heart.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Dr. Melissa Alexander for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Dr. Melissa Alexander or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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