Daring to Dream
Beauty. It’s all around us if we know where to look, but more importantly, if we learn how to experience it. Enterprising Woman Melissa Mitrik feels beauty while connecting with locals over a cup of exquisite European coffee during overseas travels. She’s found beauty in empowering an underestimated woman to reach full potential in business or relationships. She’s learned beauty lies in realizing the wounds of a fearful and difficult childhood can be seeds of determination that bloom into a fruitful adulthood. Through hard work, self-reliance and a mission to shape her own destiny, she’s created her own beautiful peace, filled with blessings and the capacity to give greatly.
“To me, beauty means embracing who we are in all aspects. It’s how we feel about ourselves- – body, mind and soul – and how we choose to present that to the world,” muses Melissa Mitrik. “It starts within, but I also understand that our exterior self-image plays a significant role in how we feel, and that can significantly affect our attitudes and actions.”
Humble Beginnings
Though now a well-traveled, sophisticated and remarkably successful adult, Melissa’s childhood self didn’t yet dare to dream of such a life. Her humble beginnings included challenges of facing her parents’ divorce, a lack of material niceties, and suffering mistreatment by trusted elders. “I was a little girl that lived in fear. Life was not easy. I endured more than you can possibly imagine – things that could’ve broken my spirit and spiraled me out of control.” One particular instance of beratement became the crossroads at which she’d choose her life’s path. When a close adult assured her she’d never amount to anything, the impressionable teen faced a critical decision. “Rather than letting those words break me, they catapulted me to strive hard, better my environment and exceed expectations. I’m proof that our upbringing does not bound or restrict us, and that we choose to become who we aspire to be despite all obstacles.”
Melissa left home at 18 and met her husband, Ryan, who was active duty Air Force. Military assignments stationed them in Europe for many years. There, Melissa felt a sense of wonder and comfort she’d never before experienced. “To broaden my mindset, grow and learn about other culture, I befriended locals. I made lasting connections in their warm family settings, ate, drank and embraced their deep love for friends and family. I felt more at home there than any place I’d ever been.”
European Influence
While living in Italy, Melissa was introduced to the med spa arena and knew she somehow wanted to become involved. As she traveled through Europe, she learned that their industry standards were much higher and stricter than in the United States. “I became immersed in it all – the architecture, the lifestyle of constant socializing due to walking everywhere, and their long history of culture. Our country is so young, I wanted to bring European standards back home as they related to me personally and professionally.”
After returning stateside, she worked for the Department of Defense running a multi-billion-dollar program that foreshadowed a challenge her family would face years later. Her responsibilities included all phases of deployment and reintegration – the process that military families go through after being apart for long periods. “Families have to learn reconnection and grow together again. When Ryan’s retirement was denied at 20 years, we lived apart for two years. Even after developing and running the program, it was a completely different experience to live through it. Individuals grow apart when separated, and it’s a much greater challenge with children in the mix. We sought counseling, and my on-the-job experience helped but succeeding certainly took personal effort and commitment.”
Living Her Dream
Her high-level military experience and the commitment she’d shown repeatedly throughout life would once again serve to propel Melissa to success in her next endeavor. Though she began her business plan for Bleu Med Spa years earlier (the French spelling of her favorite color an homage to her ancestry), she opened her first location in March of 2019. Within 22 months, that number grew to six. “I wanted to cultivate everything from start to finish.” Her background in management, program development, implementation and corporate training allowed her to create an innovative model of everything she learned an elevated med spa should be. “Working with high-powered government men under Congress was not my passion, but it was a huge benefit. It gave me skills to excel in all areas I needed to create the prototype for what would become my franchise and a reflection of myself.”
Giving credit to Ryan, who became a financial advisor after 22 years of military service, Melissa is particularly proud that they required no business startup funding assistance and remain debt free despite launching right before Covid hit. “Because we also provide health and wellness services like concierge medicine, hormone therapy and weight management, our mandatory closure was short and had minimal impact on the business.”
The self-proclaimed one-woman-show says it was difficult to give up direct control of her concept, but that her sought-after franchise platform is implemented with ease by qualified owners. “I don’t really need to market the concept, and the vetting process is rigorous, but God leads the right people to me. One constant is my desire to lift others up because of my past experiences. Once I franchised, it wasn’t about me anymore, but about elevating franchisees to a level they couldn’t attain on their own. Now, my passion is helping them fulfill their dreams.”
Life Balance
Now able to focus more on her family and close circle of friends, Melissa and Ryan enjoy yearly travel through Europe with sons Aidan and Ashton, sharing the beauty they’ve found there. She enjoys recreating some of those experiences back at home. “The social gatherings I host are intimate but usually over the top. A favorite theme is pizza making with good wine, cheese and the recipe we learned from a cooking class on the Amalfi Coast.”
A healthy life balance doesn’t keep the stunning businesswoman from giving “150%” to her enterprise though. This month she will launch her proprietary anti-aging, clinical-grade skincare line available across the franchise. Of her life’s unfolding richness, she says her challenging beginnings keep her grounded in humility and gratitude. “My idea of beauty is helping people feel good inside and out. It doesn’t matter what anyone says to us. We are more than enough and have unlimited potential. We can achieve anything we set our minds to. It takes consistency, commitment and accountability to truly elevate ourselves personally and professionally. But living a life filled with passion and purpose, free of past burdens, is truly the ultimate reward.”
