The adventure has just begun - Mellissah Smith

Business has been a remarkable journey for me. 16 Years of working away in a job that I not only love, but somehow become more and more passionate about every day.

Life is meant to be lived. Some people use this as an excuse for poor behaviour. Instead, I use it as a mandate for experiencing things that sometimes puts me out of my comfort zone, but always is fundamentally shaped by the necessity to be kind.

I don't frown so much but when I do, it usually revolves around people who don't value others and believe that their needs are more important than a person who may have patiently waited in line. It's a selfish act that I don't reward.

Yesterday, my flight from Dallas to LA was delayed by 7 hours, with four plane changes, and mishandled luggage. Some people just don't care. Some people don't value the safety of others at the same level as they may value their own. It is a reminder of why it is important to challenge these people and remind them that its actually not ok.

But adventure is like that. You meet people of all walks of life. If you are smart, you embrace change opting to mix it up a little rather than travel down a road you know well.

My adventures from Melbourne to heart of Atlanta and New York has been a rewarding one. I have enjoyed the challenge, loved meeting new people and put myself out of my cushy comfort zone to exposure a vulnerable entrepreneur who is just having a go.

I am sitting down enjoying a glass of rose while writing this blog overlooking Laguna Beach. A place that I have gone to interview one of the world's leading food critics, The Food Stalker's very own Sandie Ward. I have interviewed her before, but thorough enjoy the conversation so much that she oozes new content - something as a writing hack, I value.

Why I say that my journey has just begun is quite reflective. As mentioned, I have been in business for 16 years and its been challenging and gosh, I have learned a lot. I mean A LOT!

The lessons have been good and bad. I have fallen over probably more times than I would have liked. I have learned that there are some amazing people out there that will go on long after their journey with me to be amazing business people and marketers. I have also experienced the bad. Those who perhaps through a bad upbringing, a sense of entitlement or insecurities, are just plain nasty. They are mean spirited and attack people either masterfully or in a way that shows their true colours. That hasn't been so nice, but somehow I still value the fact that I see good and bad.

This adventure has a long way to go. I have a business plan that I am implementing. Sometimes I get side tracked. Other times I realise that it needs to be changed to achieve the end goal. There is still a lot of work to do, but I believe that I have the team in place to make it happen.

There's deadlines. Some moving. Some that cannot be changed. But ultimately I am the master of my own destiny. I choose what route I take, and for now its the road less travelled. 

I am not doing it alone. I have a team who will take that journey with me and hopefully by doing so, they too will reach their own personal goals. While the training wheels are off, the road is long, windy and narrow. I can't wait to make it to the next destination and the one after. 

But for now, I am enjoying my rose, irronically "On Top Of The World" in Laguna Beach.