The best way to characterize Michele Lee Malo is as a force of nature. She gives business owners and corporate achievers who need to make changes in their lives and jobs a taste of sanity. She is regarded as a mindset shifter and goal-driven change agent with a talent for swiftly identifying the areas that need improvement and charting the way forward.
She has earned the title of “The Change CEO” because to her continuous ability to improve the personal branding and career toolkits of her customers. As a coach who leads clients to new professional and commercial prospects using her own Personal Branding Success Menu program or the Entrepreneur Success Blueprint to quit corporate America and establish a new endeavor, she brings her open-minded outlook forward. She is an author and mentor who inspires people to boldly live a life without regrets, a speaker who inspires audiences all over the world, and a mentor who helps bring direction to those that are lost. Michele “lives her life with her hair on fire,” according to those who know her best, and she exhorts others to do the same to optimize their chances of success by embracing change, discovering their passion, and developing a positive mentality.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between CIO Affairs and Michele Lee Malo:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I am the exact same person; I am ADHD and high-energy. I thrive in social situations and in the workplace because I am a natural connector and love trying new things. I am a kid at heart and approach all things with questions and excitement.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
Through my 20-year corporate career, which has spanned across Fortune 500 companies in the foodservice industry, I hit corporate targets in new product launches, spearheaded innovation, and developed successful brand rejuvenation strategies. I started at Dunkin’ Donuts, running local store marketing and event promotions in Chicago. Kraft gave me the honor of being the steward of such brands as Oscar Mayer, Oreo, and Maxwell House Coffee. At Kellogg’s, I led my team as the brand steward for the Cookies and Crackers portfolio and managed partnerships with the Culinary Institute and many others. At Barilla US, I created and optimized the foodservice marketing platform and repositioned products within each foodservice segment. During my tenure as a Global Marketing Manager for Scholle, I oversaw the opening of the Asia-Pacific marketplace, which took me to Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Taiwan, and South Korea.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
I was the sickest 28 year old you would have ever met; self-imposed sick. I actually threw out my back getting out of bed. How does that happen? It happens when your 5’5″ frame cannot support 310 lbs. I had to call into work fat. As I got my life back and lost 170lbs, I decided I was done making my bosses rich and missing out on family and friends. I knew the struggle of weight loss and knew I could help motivate others. I left my corporate career, which spanned over 20 years, working with amazing companies such as Kraft, Kellogg’s, and Barilla, to become a personal trainer to help others get their health back. After working with clients that generally came from peers, I was spending more time helping with career change, business strategy, and health. I expanded my practice to include transition coaching and business consulting.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I do not like the status quo and I am not afraid of change or challenges. I have an appetite for sanity, I will not continue doing the same things repeatedly. I love the process of creating and, as a result, problem solving with other disruptors. Building my network and connecting with amazing people has put me in the position to have opportunities others only dream of. Live life like your hair is on fire, with fiery intention.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
I understand that a brand is only as strong as the people behind it and thrive in situations where I can leverage leadership skills to bring out the best in those I serve. Clients consider me to be a forward-thinking problem solver and team builder whose coaching style is part-badass and part-hand holder. I am also a natural connector who understands that one introduction to the right person can transform a career or business.
Corporate Clients
Michele will deliver sound business strategies and programs for product rebranding, building marketing infrastructure and educational programs for the workplace, and trusted internal leadership development for manufacturing and hospitality companies. She is highly skilled at communicating the vision, building consensus, and allocating people with business objectives.
Entrepreneurs
Her entrepreneurial clients who have a current small business grow by working through their team dynamics, gaining fresh insights into branding and operations, up-leveling employee engagement, cultivating the right relationships, and executing on powerful go-to market strategies and tactics.
She executes on her go-to-market blueprints for start-ups, guiding new business owners through the process of writing business plans and connecting owners with vendors in order to get their business off the ground and into the marketplace.
Career Coach
Coaching clients consider her to be a forward-thinking problem solver whose style is part badass and part hand-holder. She is also a natural connector who understands that one introduction to the right person can transform a career: the new rug. We will walk side by side with you to rediscover all your passions and to help you define your purpose. You have skills that are transferable, brandable, and viable.
