[0.0] He turned it around and he said, [1.8] well, what happened if you don't go all in on cheek of the broad? [6.0] How many women are you not touching by not going all in? [11.7] So that totally slipped it from being selfish, [14.0] all about Melanie to the women that I'm changing [18.1] on these adventures because truly it's life changing [21.7] for every single person that goes on these. [23.7] In some way, shape or form, they come out a stronger woman. [27.2] Hi there, this is her intentional reset, a podcast for women in midlife curious about whether [34.2] the career they chose 20 years ago still fits. [38.8] Here from women who've made pivots big and small, discussed the practical realities, the [44.3] trade-offs and whether the change was worth it. [47.6] I'm your host Molly Woodruffer. [50.3] If you're new here, welcome. [52.1] I'm glad you found us. [53.7] And in between episodes, find us on Instagram [56.9] and Facebook at her intentional reset.co. [60.2] That's.co for guests behind the scenes [63.5] and what's coming next. [65.7] Now, let's get into today's conversation. [69.9] Meet Melanie Kiss. [72.2] Melanie is the founder of Chica Zebrad, [74.9] a women's group travel company focused on adventure, [78.6] connection, and empowering women [80.8] to explore the world with competence. [83.9] After spending years in healthcare, [86.2] Melanie made the leap to entrepreneurship [89.1] to build a life centered around travel, [91.9] community, and purpose. [94.8] Through Chigas Abroad, she now leads [97.5] unforgettable experiences around the globe [100.5] while helping women step outside their comfort zones [103.5] and create meaningful connections through travel. [108.0] She is also the author of two books, [110.7] Adventure More, Worried Less, [112.9] Her Practical Guide to International Travel, [116.0] and When the Compass shifts, [118.8] navigating re-imvention [120.6] when the life you built no longer fits. [124.7] Melanie is also the host of the Chikas Chat Podcast. [129.1] I'm so excited to have Melanie here. [132.0] This is her intentional reset. [135.2] I'm so excited to have you on. [138.2] I'm all eight. [139.1] It's great to be here. [140.6] I want to ask you, Chika's a broad. [143.5] How did that idea first come about? [146.2] Tell us about that. [148.4] Yes, the first nugget of it was in my mind in 2019. [154.0] I went with a group of girls to Peru and did this hiking trip. [159.8] And it was with a different women's adventure travel company. [163.3] And it was just amazing. [166.1] It was a really hard trip, physically and mentally, [169.1] emotionally, the high altitude, everything we encountered. [172.8] And it was just so gratifying to be with a group of women [175.8] that were supporting one another. [177.3] And we just had a fabulous time. [179.7] So that kind of got me hooked on girl strips. [183.0] And not the girl strip for your laying on the beach [185.5] drinking a cocktail. [186.5] It's like adventure girl's trip. [189.7] So I continued to travel with this company a bit. [193.4] And it just was sealing a bit offs. [196.5] The vibe with this company [198.0] with more geared towards the younger crowd, [200.2] the 20s and 30s year old. [202.4] And I'm in my 40s and I hang out with a lot of people [205.9] then I're in their 50s and 60s. [207.5] And so I was just wanting to do something [210.8] a little bit different. [212.2] And so COVID struck. [215.2] And I started exploring the national parks [218.3] with my girlfriends and family members [221.5] because nothing else was open. [223.1] So we were at Glacier National Park. [225.5] There was five of us. [226.6] And we were just sitting around the table. [229.7] We had just done a really hard hike. [231.6] And we bought a huckleberry pie and some ice cream [234.9] and we're sitting around the table. [236.2] And one of us said, you know what? [238.0] We could lead trips like this. [239.7] We could do these adventure travel trip. [242.7] And it was just in the moment talking about it. [245.7] And I went home and applied for business life. [249.8] Then I was like, okay, yeah, look to do this. [253.4] And it was in the midst of COVID. [255.3] I decided to start this travel company. [258.1] Yes, when no one was traveling, [260.0] but from that idea sparked what you have today. [264.3] Why is it set up specifically for women? [268.3] Well, just from having traveled on women only adventures [272.5] a few times and just the empowerment you have, [275.2] the safety you feel, the, you can be vulnerable with one another. [279.4] And it's just that special bond that you have with other women. [283.8] They don't worry about their own joy, their own happiness [286.5] and not, oh, it might have been enjoying this [288.9] and be having a good time. [289.9] No, it's just all about them. [291.9] You can be a little selfish. [294.1] Yes, I love that. [295.5] Okay. So I realized that you were also working full time [299.9] prior to Chica Zaburoad. [302.0] tell us what you were doing and what life looked like previously. [306.3] Yeah, so I have an almost 30 year career history [309.9] and healthcare. [311.1] And I was in the Health Information Management field, [314.8] which is the back office, [316.5] part of healthcare dealing with all the financial [319.1] confidentiality, patient, right? [321.9] And I really enjoyed the work that I did. [325.3] I grew this career and was at the top of my career, [330.0] But when COVID stretched, it really changed my job. [335.2] I was on the international team with my helped [338.8] our organization and so that meant I got to travel [341.2] all over the world and do really cool things. [343.9] And I just loved that. [345.6] But then when COVID hit, everything turned virtual [349.0] and it wasn't as much on anymore. [351.6] And even when COVID started to go away [354.6] and travel opened back up, my company decided [357.8] that it was working well virtually [359.6] and we don't have to pay as much for the travel expenses [362.5] so they just kept most of it virtual. [365.3] It was no longer bringing joy, [367.8] didn't have the passion and I had before. [370.0] So they still kept that job going while I built Chica's Brown. [374.8] I wasn't able to just like, [376.4] okay, I'm done. [377.2] I'm gonna jump right into this. [378.6] I had to grow the business. [380.4] Yes, and let's dig into that a little bit more. [382.9] So when that idea in passing came out in 2020, [387.2] and like, oh, we should start our own woman's travel business. [390.8] Were you looking for something else? [393.5] Where were you in terms of that initial realization of, [397.3] oh, maybe I'm not satisfied to then be like, [401.9] no, I need to find something different. [404.1] Where were you in that spectrum at that time? [408.2] I was really thinking I wanted to do something different. [411.2] I was not loving the work I was doing anymore. [415.1] And my initial thought was that I was gonna open my own business doing consulting work [422.2] in healthcare. [423.2] Because I didn't think that Chica the Broad was going to be my full-time gig. [427.6] It was just a side thing and it's just a way for me to travel and have fun. [432.5] And so my thought process was, all right, I'm just gonna go into consulting so I can [438.5] manage my time better and not be tied to this organization. [443.6] That one might play on it, but then I got retreated away from the organization. [447.8] I was that with this big paycheck and they said, come work for us. [453.1] And so I did do that and I went to a vendor and it was actually a really good transition [460.2] for me. [461.2] It was one of those things where I don't know if I'm making the right move, but it was [465.7] when hindsight looking back. [467.3] I needed that cushion there because I was able to save up a lot of money with that job [473.5] I was able to set my own hours and it would a lot of project work. [478.1] So it was almost like consulting. [480.2] And then on the side, I was able to build my business to you. [483.6] So it was a good transition for me, but I worked a lot. [487.6] OK. [488.5] So after that glacier trip, you immediately [491.8] got your business license. [493.8] So walk us through how you were building Chica Zabrad back then. [499.5] Yeah. [499.8] So back then it was pretty raw. [503.3] It was contacting my friends and saying, [506.1] hey, do you want to go on this girls trip? [508.2] It wasn't a fully thought out business plan of websites [513.9] and registration booking sites and marketing and all of that. [518.6] It was just very small that first year 2021 [522.6] was the first year that we offered trip. [524.9] And we just had four trips. [526.7] And they were all somewhat local in the Pacific Northwest, [530.1] just testing it out to see how I could even do it. [534.1] And my two friends that I was at Glacier went, [536.8] they helped with it. [537.7] On that first year, the three of us went on every single trip. [540.7] We were just trying to figure out the ropes. [542.6] That's what we want to do. [544.0] Is it gonna work? [545.1] And for about three years, it grew pretty slowly. [547.9] And then it just started to kick into gear [550.4] and it's grown a lot. [552.1] And then I assume it started slowly [554.4] because you also were working full time. [557.1] What happened to pick it into high gear, as you said. [559.8] Yeah, yeah. So as I was working a new job, everything throughout my day, I'm just thinking about [566.1] Cheek of the Broad and the next trip, the next itinerary and no longer what I thinking much about [573.7] my health care job. And so I got to a point where I was not giving my all to either one, really, [582.5] because my mind was over here on Cheek of the Broad, but I had to be attending these conference calls [587.7] then doing the project work that I needed to do for my job. [590.7] But I didn't feel like I was being 100% on either one. [596.3] And I needed to decide at some point which way am I going to go? [602.9] So I had a mentor that I was working with, just a friend of mine that got into executive [609.2] coaching and was having conversations with him about, [613.4] Oh, I can't leave my job because I have this paycheck [616.3] and it's just holding hostage. [618.7] And my jig of the broad definitely can't replace that income. [622.7] And it was all about me, me, and my financial state. [627.8] And he really flipped it around on me. [631.9] I'll never forget our conversation. [634.1] He turned it around and he said, well, what happened [637.3] if you don't go all in on cheek of the broad? [640.1] How many women are you not touching by not going all in? [645.7] So that totally slipped it from being selfish [648.1] all about Melanie to the women [651.3] that I'm changing on these adventures [653.2] because truly it's life changing [655.7] for every single person that goes on these. [657.8] In some way, shape or form, they come out a stronger woman. [661.9] So that was really the kick that I needed. [664.9] And so I got very emotional about saving money, [669.0] setting up a timeline for myself of how much longer am I going to work this job and building [673.5] the business so that I could get into it full time. [678.0] So what had to be true for you then to be able to finally walk away from carpet and say, [684.0] I'm going all in. [685.0] Yeah. [686.0] So initially I wanted to have all my bills paid off. [691.2] That was my initial thought. [693.0] And so I was just stockpiling money to pay off my bills. [699.3] And that was my thought. [701.4] But it didn't happen. [703.0] I really, what pushed me, the final straw [706.4] was I had a boss that was reporting to you that she [710.4] and I just did not the IDI. [712.9] And I had a performance evaluation with her. [716.0] And it was a poor performance evaluation. [719.6] And I had never received a poor eval in my life. [724.5] And so it was a bit devastating to me, [728.0] but it also, it was that wake up call for me of like, [732.4] okay, yeah, this is not the path I should be on. [735.8] I need to get out of this. [737.2] So I crunch the numbers and realized that, [741.6] yes, I'm okay. [742.9] And actually I met with my financial advisor. [746.0] If I was worried about, [747.5] him now I'm not going to be contributing to a 401k I don't have corporate pain into that what [752.9] is this going to look like and I should mention that I'm a single woman I'm don't have a man [759.0] supporting me or any of that go it'll me and so I talked to him my financial advisor and he's like [767.4] now any if you never contributed one more cent to your 401k or your IRA you're going to be fine [774.4] We find so that was really what I needed was like, okay, are good. [780.2] Yes, that must feel so good. You mentioned that you were single and in your second book, [784.9] you write about your divorce while you're still working corporate while you're still [789.0] doing chica zabra part time. You mentioned that there was like a financial debt after the divorce [795.0] that you debated on should I just keep working a few more years to offset that. [801.4] was that still weighing in your mind as well or was it still back to your [805.8] mentor saying like think about all the women that you won't be impacting? You [810.6] know like there's all these different the rational side your heart side [814.3] that walk us through you had to like get your heart and your head aligned. Yeah [820.2] yeah to the very easy to say like yeah this is all about the other women and I [825.3] want to support them but yeah there's a financial side of it to you I've got [828.8] the port myself. Yeah, so I did have to take out a loan to pay off my ex-husband when [834.7] he left, so that was definitely weighing on my mind. I really wanted to get that paid off before [839.8] I quit my job, but what I did was I lined up some other side jobs. So here was my plan. [847.9] I had my corporate job and then Chica the Rod was my side gig. So I slipped that where [852.9] cheek of the broad is my full-time job and then I have some side gigs to bring in [859.4] the heading income. So what I'm doing right now and this has been for the last year because [865.8] it was April 2025 when I quit my corporate job. So okay what I did first quarter of 2025 was I [874.2] lined up those jobs. So I'm teaching as an adjunct professor in healthcare for two different [881.8] universities. So it's very flexible. I'll do it at my own time. So I've got some [888.0] study income coming in. I did open up my consulting business. So I can do some [894.1] project work as I have time around all my traveling. So I've got that going for me. [899.8] And actually with that, I have more work and I have time to do. So I have to keep [904.6] telling people no on that. And the other thing that I did strategically was [910.6] healthcare benefits, I needed those. And so I just had been a few years I've done this, but I [917.6] got elected to our local community hospital board and it's a six-year term. And with that, I get [925.0] healthcare benefits through the hospital. And I get a small stipend through them as well. So that [933.2] was peace of mind as well. I am up for the election next year. So I hope that I get [938.6] it reelected. If not, then I'll figure out another way to get health insurance. But that [944.7] was important to me to you to have that. [947.3] Yes. Thanks for shutting that background. I love how you just said I flipped the script [953.6] in Maine. She goes abroad full time and then you figured out other ways to have additional [959.6] income, including healthcare coverage. I think that was a very smart answer-teach-approach [966.0] to this. So now tell us, it's too good to [969.6] Brad, you've gone full time since 2025. Give us a [973.8] little bit more background on what you [976.5] offer now for women now that you've launched this [980.0] platform full time. Yeah, so this year we have [984.2] like 20 22 trips that we're offering and we [987.5] have a lot. And we go all over the world. I [990.9] just got back from brief two days ago. So [994.4] still recovering from that amazing adventure. But we do trips like that on international adventures [1001.8] where we're hiking, we're wine tasting, we're taking in the culture and the sights and the food [1007.9] and all of that. And then we also do some shorter long weekend ones in the United States. We go [1014.8] hiking in Utah. I live in Washington state, so we do a lot and that's a significant northwest. [1020.2] There's some beautiful hiking around tears. [1022.6] And what we get is a lot of women, [1025.3] they'll travel with us on one of our more local adventures [1028.6] that are four or five days and they kinda test us out. [1032.0] And it's a good fit for them and then they get hooked. [1035.6] And then they start traveling all over the world with us. [1038.3] So we have a nice mixture of trips that are kind of casual. [1044.2] We have some wine tasting ones, [1045.8] maybe a little hiking, but nothing too wild [1048.4] as far as the adventure. [1050.8] And then we have one center, very adventurous, [1053.6] like our pre-route trip that we did last year [1056.4] and we're gonna repeat, we hiked in the Andes for three days [1060.2] and we were up to 18,000 seat elevation [1063.4] and we're doing 15 miles a day and so it's hard. [1067.0] So there's some that you have to be very physically fit for. [1071.0] And then there's others that you just have to be able [1073.1] to drink a glass of wine and climb into a hot air balloon. [1076.3] So we've got something for everyone. [1079.5] Yes, I saw that there's like 20 trips for 20, 26. [1083.0] And you've got at least 15 trips already available [1086.4] on your website for 20, 27. [1089.7] Do you go on all of the trips? [1091.7] Not on all of them. [1093.0] OK. [1093.8] I have eight other guides that work for me. [1097.3] All of the guide, they all work full-time jobs. [1100.6] Besides, cheek of the broad. [1101.6] They're just independent contractors. [1103.4] And the what I do each year is I will set up the schedule [1108.1] and then I will pick the ones that I must go on. [1110.8] Okay, then I like to go on any new itineraries [1115.4] just to kind of test them out and make sure they go smoothly. [1119.6] But then the other trip, I offer them up to the other guys [1123.2] to see what they're available for. [1125.4] You know, I would love to go on every trip, [1127.6] but it's not possible. [1129.6] Some of the trips overlap, so you can definitely [1131.4] can't do that. And I am the type of person where I think like, oh yeah, I can just do it all. [1136.0] I can go on the trips. And then in the evenings, I can work and get everything done. [1140.2] And it just doesn't happen. You're just exhausted at the end of the day. So I've been a little bit more [1145.8] intentional about not taking on every trip, even though I really want to go. And giving them to my [1152.0] other guides to give them a chance to go and giving me time in the office to get other things done. [1157.7] Okay, so tell the audience how many countries you've went to so far now. [1163.2] 44. [1164.2] I just checked my 44th country two days ago after my grief trip I went to Turkey and [1172.1] Turkey is a place that I have on my radar for a future trip. [1176.7] So when we're investigating a new place, I like to go check it out. [1181.9] Sometimes I'll bring my daughter with me and I'll tell you more about her later. [1185.0] Sometimes she and I go and we'll do an exploration trip, [1187.9] which those are really fun. [1189.2] And we just go see everything and build an itinerary. [1193.0] So yeah, Turkey was number 44 for me. [1197.0] Wow. Wow. [1198.9] So how do you decide each year [1201.4] where Chika Zabraad is gonna go? [1204.2] Such a great question. [1205.5] I wish I had an easy answer for you. [1208.6] It's kind of multifaceted. [1211.0] It's where does Melanie want to go? [1212.9] Where is the new place? [1213.9] I want to check out. [1215.4] And then I'm also constantly listening to my guests. [1218.8] And they have insights as well of like, oh, you should do [1222.9] a trip to Japan or you should go to Thailand or Australia. [1228.0] If I hear the same destination over and over and over again, [1231.8] I'm like, OK, I need to look into this. [1234.3] So Japan is one that I haven't done to yet, [1237.8] but I've heard it in about 15 times in the last three months. [1241.6] So she's like, oh, yeah. [1243.4] I think we need to add that to our itinerary. [1245.8] So some of it comes from that. [1247.8] And then we do a lot of repeat trips [1251.5] and getting to the point where I have six [1253.6] international destinations each year [1256.2] that are gonna be on a rotating basis [1258.0] like every two years are gonna repeat. [1260.7] And then the guests, they start to see, [1265.1] okay, it's not gonna be offered this year, [1267.4] but next year at Wells, [1268.5] so I gotta get signed up then [1269.6] and it won't be offered again. [1271.6] I'm trying to build that supply and demand. [1274.2] It's a challenge always because maybe [1276.4] where Melanie wants to go isn't where everybody else [1279.0] wants to go. [1279.8] And so I'll put out a trip that I think is just absolutely [1283.5] amazing. [1284.4] And nobody finds out. [1286.0] So I do have to sometimes cancel trips [1290.4] if we don't get enough people on them, [1292.5] which is really heartbreaking. [1294.1] Yes. [1295.0] What I also like too is that you're intentional with the size [1298.8] that you cater to. [1300.0] So just provide a little bit more background [1302.7] on the limits that you set on that. [1305.0] Yeah, so most of our trips will have around 10 women [1309.5] on them. [1310.2] We were angry this last week. [1312.4] We had nine. [1313.7] That was such a nice number because you're able to bond [1316.8] with everyone. [1318.3] You'll feel like you're part of a group. [1319.7] You can blend in a little bit, but you're not [1322.2] in a massive group in a huge tour of us. [1324.9] Where you're going to know it with the crowds of people. [1327.6] We've done trips as small as five people. [1330.7] And then our, to our largest group we've had is 16. [1334.4] I like the number 10. [1335.6] It's a really nice number for the groups. [1339.4] I really like that. [1340.6] In addition, I'm aware that you just made the deposit [1343.4] really reasonable. [1344.8] Yes. [1345.7] So in 2027, I changed the deposit for the international [1349.8] trips to just $500. [1351.3] It used to be $1,000. [1353.3] And then we have payment plans. [1354.7] So for instance, we're doing a trip to Bali in November, 2027. [1360.2] They put down their $500 and then they're paying like $240 a month [1365.5] for the next 18 months. [1367.9] And so this doesn't feel like this huge amount that you're paying all at once. [1372.6] This episode is brought to you by her intentional resets, [1376.1] paid for sponsorship, supporting independent women owned businesses. [1381.5] One day I woke up and discovered my love of plants and they've become a part of my love language [1389.3] So I was so excited to hear about roots in bloom a mobile plant shop [1394.9] Now available in the Twin Cities founded by Sierra Curtis [1400.0] roots in bloom turns plants into an entire self-care experience [1404.9] From painting and planting to plant bingo and so much more [1409.1] Follow for a simple studio on Instagram. [1413.1] That's what's in bloom. [1414.5] Under score studio on Instagram. [1417.5] It's also going to be linked in our show notes to see where the mobile [1421.1] plant shop is popping up near you. [1423.3] And mention her intentional reset for 20% off any plant purchase because [1429.2] taking care of yourself is always worth it. [1432.5] And that's a great segue to your first book. [1436.7] adventure more, worry less. This is the playbook that you wish you had when you were solo traveling. [1443.8] So I want to ask you if there is a woman that's listening, they've never been overseas alone [1453.0] and going international sounds both terrifying but exciting. Any advice for this person, [1461.1] solo traveling. Yeah, we get women like that a lot that have never traveled. Definitely haven't [1468.1] traveled on their own without their family. And so we are happy to help them with their bookings, [1474.8] with their flights and all of that arranging and oftentimes, if it's somebody that's really scared [1480.0] and they have never traveled there nationally, we'll coordinate our flight gets all so that [1485.2] I meet up with them somewhere wherever they're from. Like Minneapolis and I'll meet up with you [1489.2] there and then we'll go on the things like Amsterdam or wherever we're going. So that helps alleviate [1494.4] some fears. But I would say that it is a bit overwhelming intimidating if you never have traveled [1502.7] internationally. But what if you do it the first time? You'll see that the airports in [1509.3] Amsterdam, Paris, Sydney, wherever, they're the same as the ones in the US. Everything's in [1516.8] English, people are friendly, they'll answer questions. So it is scary at first. And there's [1525.0] definitely lots of things that I recommend to people as they're booking their flights. So make [1529.5] sure you give yourself enough time at your layovers so that you have time to get to your next [1533.4] gate and go through passport control and all of that. So lots of tips there. And here's the best [1539.0] items that you should take your travel gear that you'll need on the plane. And we always provide [1543.5] by packing lists for everybody, [1545.0] for each of the trips they're customized to the trips, [1547.4] so you know exactly what to bring. [1549.4] And that book that I wrote, [1550.6] and mentioned more worry-left, [1551.9] actually wrote that in 2019. [1554.2] So it's very outdated. [1556.0] I think at that point, [1557.8] I don't leave my due like 20 countries. [1559.9] So I've learned so much more than then, [1562.4] and I'm even third in my book list at that point. [1565.3] So I really need to do another edition of that book. [1568.8] Yeah. [1569.8] Okay. [1570.6] Okay. So on that note, [1571.6] I totally forgot in this book, [1574.7] you mentioned that you are a picky eater. [1578.6] So now I've gotta ask at that time, [1580.2] you only traveled to 20 countries. [1581.6] Now you're at 44. [1583.0] So has your eating preferences expanded? [1586.5] Yeah, that's a really great question. [1588.4] And they have actually. [1590.5] I've gotten more adventurous with my eating. [1593.8] Okay. [1594.7] And part of that is just trying to push myself [1599.8] out of my comfort zone. [1601.0] because that's one of the big things [1602.5] that I do with my business is I want women [1606.0] to expand their horizons, [1608.0] whether it's like traveling solo or doing a ziplining [1612.8] or whatever it is that might scare them, [1616.2] I try to push them to do that and overcome that [1619.6] and become a stronger woman. [1621.6] And so I have to do that for myself too [1624.3] and follow my own advice. [1626.0] So I've done that with myself with food. [1629.2] Yes, I'm not gonna eat anything crazy wild like we were in South Africa and there were these worms that you could eat and I am walking warm [1637.8] Okay, I have to travel life, but I will try something that I normally don't like and in fact [1646.5] Almost always when I do that like wow actually I kind of like this [1651.2] So we're just in Greece. I don't eat seafood and it's not that I have an allergy. It's just not not something [1657.5] I like and I took the ladies to the beautiful seafood restaurant for lunch and that's all they have on the menu [1664.1] a seafood and [1665.6] The ladies knew that I don't eat food and they're like not any way you're gonna eat. I'm like [1669.4] I'm gonna try every single thing that we ordered because we did like a family style thing and I tried some new fish [1676.3] that I never tried and like, oh, I actually like this. [1679.9] So, yes, so I am expanding my palette. [1682.9] I love that your expectations with your guess [1686.3] or that positive, like pushing them outside [1688.9] of your comfort zone that you're taking your own advice to. [1692.1] Okay, I am going off script here. [1693.5] So what is it about travel that you love? [1699.4] So much, but I think it's probably just experiencing [1704.4] new cultures. [1705.8] And seeing how other people live and then comparing that to how we live. [1711.2] And everywhere I go, I feel like I get a little nugget of inspiration of maybe [1718.4] it's like living more minimalistically and not having six vehicles. [1724.6] You know, there's a lot of places where they don't even own a vehicle. [1729.0] They just walk or take a try and or whatever. [1731.4] And we do a lot of home visits on our tours. [1736.1] And so when you see how other people live, [1738.5] and they don't have all the things [1740.8] that we as Americans accumulate, [1743.1] and they're happy, and they don't need everything. [1746.4] So those are the types of things that I pick up. [1748.3] I was like, okay, what can I glean from this experience? [1752.5] And I think it just took me a more well-rounded person [1755.9] more accepting, let's judge mental of other people. [1759.6] I appreciate that insight and that's something that we all need that exposure in one way or another [1765.4] whether it's traveling or through other avenues. So thank you for sharing that. [1769.8] Wow. I do want to get into your other book because I think it'll really resonate with this [1777.0] audience. It's when the compass shifts navigating reinvention when the life you built no longer fits. [1783.8] Can you tell us the why you wrote this book? [1788.8] Yeah, yeah. [1789.8] So this book has been on my mind for years. [1792.8] I wanted to write this and it's really about inspiring women to go after what they want in life. [1802.8] So it took me about five years to fully transition from when I had this nugget of an idea and to move into my role full time and really find my passion. [1812.8] mind, my passion and life. And I just wanted to share my journey with women. It's kind of [1818.9] a self-help, self-reflection question that the end of every chapter. I get vulnerable [1824.8] and share my story and what I went through. And I think that helped that people can see that [1831.1] it wasn't all roses, it wasn't all great the whole time, but it's doable. And if you [1836.5] work hard for it, you can reach that whatever it is that brings you joy in your life. [1842.1] Yes, absolutely. [1845.1] One of the sections or one of the passages that resonated with me is the chapter on the quiet crisis that no one talks about. [1854.6] You wrote that there is a silent crisis happening among successful women. [1859.4] You see it everywhere. [1861.4] Women who are capable, accomplish, and admired. [1865.2] Women juggling careers, families, relationships, and endless responsibilities. [1870.8] women who appear to be doing everything right and yet beneath the surface, [1876.3] many feel disconnected. [1878.8] They keep pushing forward because that is what strong women do. [1884.5] And I think you sharing and acknowledging this quiet crisis out loud. [1891.1] All of us need to hear that to realize that, wait, because I'm sitting with these [1897.4] questions like I'm not the only one. You aren't the only one. Many of us are in this situation. [1904.6] What were you seeing to make you realize that you wanted to share your story? [1910.7] So others didn't feel alone either. [1914.2] Yeah, as I was leading these trips, I'm meeting all these women and bonding with them. [1921.6] And I'm very transparent and share my story [1925.6] because I want other people to learn from me. [1928.0] And it just constantly had people asking me, [1931.6] how did you do that? [1932.8] And how has this your job? [1935.1] That this is your life. [1936.2] You just travel the world and your own vacation all the time. [1940.0] Now, they don't feel the back end work. [1941.4] I'm doing best. [1942.6] It looked like I'm having a great time, which I am. [1945.4] And then it usually opened up conversations of like, [1949.0] well, you could do this too. [1951.2] I mean, not necessarily this, but you could do something that brings you passion. [1957.3] We always get into conversations on these trips about, okay, what do you do for work? [1961.1] And I love it. [1963.1] And although things, no, we've had lots of conversations about not just work, but relationship. [1970.2] There's a lot of moment on our trips where there's tears shed, we're sharing your story, [1975.4] and you feel comfortable in this space with these women that you've only known like three [1979.6] days. [1980.6] sharing your story. And there's been a lot of huge [1984.3] transformations that I've seen come out of these trips just [1987.0] because you resonate with somebody on that trip that you [1990.4] didn't even know two days ago. And they've gone through a [1993.7] similar journey and they help you with your job crisis, your [1998.0] relationship, you're something with your kids, whatever it [2000.9] might be. And so I wanted to share that with the world, not [2006.7] just with the few people that go on my trip of here's some [2010.2] steps that you can take to transition to the life you love. [2013.9] Yeah, absolutely. [2017.1] On that, in the cup of shifts, you write about women who are waiting for their clarity [2022.2] or waiting for the right moment or waiting until they feel ready. [2027.0] So if someone is listening right now who feels like something is off but can't articulate [2033.4] what they want next. [2035.2] Do you have any recommendations on a step that they can take to move them forward to find [2041.1] some momentum? [2042.1] Yeah, yeah. [2043.8] I would say just be very thoughtful with yourself. [2048.8] And this is what really struck me is when I was working my full-time corporate job, my mind [2055.2] was constantly wandering to what I really wanted to be doing, whether it was going for [2061.7] a hike or just doing kayaking. [2064.5] building a trip by itinerary. It was not sitting at my desk doing a Zoom call and [2070.0] working on this project, which you know who loves that anyway. But I just paid [2075.0] attention to where my mind was going. It was actually in the process of writing [2079.2] this book where I realized that I have had this dream to take women on [2085.6] adventures. Since I was 16, 15, 16, I was working at a store at a lake and the [2094.4] I was like, stormed my dad owned and we're out in this forest area and I got into hiking. [2101.4] And I said to him at 15, 16 years old, like, Dad, wouldn't it be awesome if I could take [2107.0] people on hikes and get paid for it? [2110.0] And he was like, oh, yeah, sure, that sounds great. [2113.4] You're gonna go to college and you're gonna do this and that. [2115.9] And so it just was swept under the rug. [2118.0] But when I was writing this book and doing a lot of thinking, I was like, ah, I had [2122.9] that dream 30 years ago and never did anything with it. [2128.6] But now that's what I'm doing, I'm taking people on hikes all over the world and they're [2133.0] paying me for it. [2134.0] Yes. [2135.0] That's what I tell people of link back to what is it that you really wanted to do? [2142.1] What's something that you would want to wake up and do every single day? [2145.7] I love that connection or that realization that you have. [2150.5] Oh, my goodness. [2151.5] I had this very deep down way long ago. [2154.0] No. [2155.4] You bring us to a really important topic of what brings you joy. [2160.7] What are your passions? [2162.2] And that's another section in your book [2164.7] that I think you talk about really eloquently. [2167.6] What resonated with me is you say that I [2170.6] believe passion was supposed to arrive [2173.1] like a lightning bolt. [2175.0] I imagine there would be a single moment [2177.8] when everything became clear [2180.6] where I would suddenly know exactly [2183.0] what I was meant to do with my life. [2185.7] The kind of moment people describe [2187.7] as finding their passion. [2190.4] I waited for the moment, I searched for it, [2193.5] but that idea is misleading. [2196.5] Most people don't stumble across passion [2199.0] like very treasure. [2200.5] More often, passion reveals itself [2203.4] through gradual things that quietly pull our attention [2206.0] energy over time. What I didn't understand then was this. Passion doesn't always announce itself [2212.7] loudly. Sometimes it grows quietly, patiently while we're busy doing everything else we think [2219.9] we're supposed to do. I needed to hear that and the timing of us crossing paths, you know, I feel like [2229.2] the universe brings you the right signs and the right people when we need it. Yeah, I have been talking [2235.2] about can you make passion your career? And I have been on the search to figure out what [2241.7] my passion is. And I had thought that it was exactly how you were stating it, that it needed [2248.3] to be this lightning bolt, uh-huh moment. And I've been sitting here being like, I don't [2254.3] have that. Am I the only person in this world that does not have any of passion and how boring [2260.5] is that I'm sad. But I love that you're like, no, it's not going to be like, [2267.9] yeah, it's typically not going to be a lightning bolt moment. And truly this passion, [2273.5] it grew over 30 years. And I've been in it deep. I loved hiking when I was 16, but then [2280.5] which college started a career, started a family. And so for 30 years, I just did what society thought [2288.5] I should do and yeah it was actually COVID and I keep hearing this over and over from women that I [2294.9] talked to you like COVID changed their life. So COVID caused me to get a divorce which gave me [2303.6] the power I needed to be my own woman and do what I wanted in life and it also forced me to get [2311.8] some hobbies and do some things and I wasn't traveling the world and working and so it brought [2318.1] pack that hiking and I was like oh I forgot that I love this and I love to travel how can I put [2325.0] this together and view it so it took a long time to put it all together it was not a lightning bolt [2331.6] but now I feel like yes I am I am living my passion I'm making a career out of it but [2338.4] it could take a while to figure out what it is. Yeah and you talk a lot about in the book how [2344.9] The moment you're saying is take that time to reflect, but pause and notice. [2350.8] That was a constant theme throughout the book. [2353.8] Just take that moment to pause and how often are we even doing that? [2358.6] Right. [2359.1] To your point with careers being busy, kids, all of that. [2364.1] Walk us through your realization about what energized you versus what trained you to help [2371.0] bring you to where you're at. [2372.7] Yeah, so what energizes me is just being outside in nature. [2378.7] And whatever it is I'm doing something active. [2382.7] And to be stuck behind a desk all day doing project work was not [2388.7] energizing me at all. That was very draining to me. [2392.7] So I would do a competition with myself every day. [2395.7] I'm like, okay, I'm gonna get up early. I'm gonna get my work done. [2398.7] And then my reward is to get outside and enjoy nature in some way. [2404.2] And over time, the draining part of my day was just less and less and less than I wanted [2410.4] to do. [2411.4] And I didn't care about the paycheck so much. [2414.3] I wanted to enjoy. [2415.9] And 2025, I made math, the salary that I made in 2024. [2424.2] And I was happier. [2425.9] I had everything I needed. [2427.7] I was not missing out on anything. [2430.2] So I truly believe that you're going to spend what you make. [2436.1] And you can live off of much less than what you have. [2441.1] You need to be in your bills and do all of that. [2443.1] But I just cut out all the excess stuff [2445.5] that I didn't need in my life. [2447.4] And I'm actually much happier now. [2450.8] If people think that it's too late to make a change, [2454.9] what would you say? [2456.0] No, it's not too late, not at all. [2459.3] I have a good friend of mine that she's 65. [2464.1] And just decided to make a career move. [2466.5] She had been with the same company almost 20 years. [2468.8] And with near retirement, she has about three, [2471.5] four years that she still wants to work. [2473.9] And she was just like, no, I don't want to do this anymore. [2478.0] So she made a complete career flip. [2480.7] And is loving it. [2482.1] She's loving her life. [2483.4] No, it's not too late. [2486.1] Let's talk a little bit about some practical considerations. [2489.5] And I really love that you've already [2491.3] been telling us financially what needed to be true [2493.9] for you, what the reality was when you did leave [2497.3] your corporate role. [2498.8] What did you have to learn being a new business entrepreneur? [2503.0] Yeah, so it was interesting, even though the careers [2506.5] are totally not the same at all, being [2509.2] helped care and then moving into travel, [2511.4] There was a lot of overlap with the skills that I had [2514.9] as a leader in healthcare. [2516.7] I knew how to do budgeting, strategic planning, [2520.2] work with different types of people. [2523.0] So all of those skills transferred over to Chica the Broad. [2526.8] The other thing that came with my 30 years of healthcare career [2529.9] was this huge network of women. [2533.1] And they knew me, they trusted me, [2535.3] and they were following my journey, [2537.1] whether it was on Facebook or LinkedIn or wherever, [2540.1] and they came with me. [2541.5] And so when my business first launched, [2544.7] it was like 90% of my customers were my healthcare friends [2549.0] that I've met over the years. [2550.3] And even still, it's probably about 30% to 40% [2554.0] of the people that come on our trips [2555.3] are from the healthcare industry [2557.5] because they know me, they trust me from that field [2560.6] and they just follow me over here. [2562.5] So that was huge. [2564.7] The things that I didn't know were, [2567.1] how do I build an itinerary? [2568.7] How do I price this? [2569.9] How do I make a profit on this? [2572.2] And when I first started it wasn't a huge deal for me, [2575.9] I didn't need to make a huge profit, [2577.4] but now it's different because of my livelihood. [2579.7] So I've tried to really figure that out. [2582.8] And my heart had coached last year [2585.4] that just deals with the travel industry. [2588.4] And so she's helped me tremendously [2591.0] with pricing, the marketing and strategic planning [2595.0] for my business and how to grow it [2597.5] and how to deal with independent contractors [2599.9] and all those things that I hadn't done before. [2603.9] I definitely recommend to people [2605.6] if you're going into a whole new feel [2607.8] that you get expert advice. [2610.3] If it's from a friend, from a book, [2612.4] from a podcast, from a coach, whatever it is, [2615.1] as you're building to work with people [2616.8] that can help you along the way, [2617.9] because you'll learn so much more than just the trial [2621.0] and error that was doing the first four years [2623.3] of the business. [2624.9] on that note, I'm networking, I'm trying to figure out [2630.4] other podcast networking groups. [2633.3] And everyone is offering a service. [2635.6] So it's kind of to the point where I'm a little overwhelmed [2638.9] with everyone is trying to sell you something. [2642.7] So how did you finally find your coach [2645.0] that you're like, okay, this is the right one for me. [2647.5] Any advice on that? [2649.3] Yeah, so I was actually following this group [2653.1] that they offered some free online, like some YouTube videos. [2657.7] And I really liked the information they were sharing. [2660.5] So I met with the owner of the company. [2664.1] You know, they offered like a free consultation visit. [2667.8] So I chatted with him about where I am [2671.0] in my business and what I need. [2672.4] And it just sounded like a good set. [2674.1] So I signed up for six months of coaching. [2678.8] And I was overwhelmed at how much I didn't know. [2682.8] And I thought, oh, I'm just going to do six months, [2684.9] and it'll be great. [2685.7] But at the end of that six months, I was like, no, no, no, [2688.7] there's so much more I need to know. [2690.6] And the biggest thing with it is the accountability. [2694.7] And I meet with my coach every two weeks. [2697.5] And I have goals every time we have a meeting. [2700.4] It's like, OK, what are you going to do by the next meeting? [2702.5] And so it's just being accountable to her [2705.9] and knowing that somebody's watching me. [2707.8] And then she has all the answers, too, [2709.5] because she's been in the industry for 30 years. [2712.6] that's good to hear. [2714.2] Will you share a little bit more of your daughter [2716.5] that you've been able to bring on board, [2718.1] provide some background on that [2719.5] and then how do you figure out the rates [2721.9] for the independent contractors? [2723.7] Yeah, so my daughter, she is 26 [2726.8] and she works for me as an independent contractor. [2730.4] I'm hoping next year I can have her on [2732.6] as a salary employee. [2734.3] So she just works on an hourly basis for me [2737.0] and does a lot of the back office work, [2738.9] like building itineraries, news matters blogs, [2741.6] sort of thing and then she's also a guide and then I have seven other guides besides her that [2749.2] will go on the trips. And so the way that I do that is I pay them a daily stipend when they're [2757.9] on the trip and then they also they get tipped from the trip. Well that's good but they get a free [2765.1] trip and they do have to work a bit on the trip but really what the work is is making sure everybody [2771.4] happy and that you know the logistics and get them to the restaurant on time and [2777.1] and those sorts of things. Okay you mentioned that commission based income if I am going on a trip [2783.9] and you do have a guide like what is appropriate to tip in those type of situations? Yeah. [2789.4] So we've just provided a range of here's what people typically tip between $30 and $50 a day, [2794.7] but it's up to you. Thanks for that guidance. And then you mentioned you filled our business [2799.9] to the point where you are able to take in a salary. [2803.1] It's a very small salary, but I do it for tax purposes. [2807.8] It's better to pay a salary and you know, [2811.1] a W2 employee rather than doing like an owner draw. [2815.2] So Molly, I'm thinking about that. [2817.3] So I do pay myself a small salary. [2820.1] And then at the end of the year, [2822.3] if everything looks good, all the bills are paid, [2825.7] and there's a profit, then I can take an owner draw [2829.3] at that point. [2830.8] So looking back in your book, [2833.5] you said that money wasn't your deepest fear, [2836.7] but letting go of that old identity was, [2843.2] who is the new Melanie kiss now? [2846.1] Yeah, I no longer care about title and status [2850.4] and all of that before I was like, [2853.2] oh, I'm a VP, I just got to a VP position. [2856.2] I don't wanna give this up. [2857.4] And we'll look over the senior VP. [2859.7] I was just constantly climbing that ladder, [2862.5] getting that bigger paycheck, that bigger bonus, [2864.6] but how I don't care at all. [2866.7] And truly, when people ask what I do, [2870.3] it's much more gratifying now to say, [2873.7] I own my own business, and I take women [2876.4] on life-changing adventures around the world. [2879.1] And that sounds much better to me than, [2882.7] I'm a vice president of blah, blah, blah. [2885.3] I can say it with so much passion and joy. [2888.3] And I want to talk about it all day, [2890.6] versus my VP job. [2892.7] I would have understood what I did [2894.1] and I didn't want to talk about it. [2895.3] So this is, yeah, all in the world. [2899.1] I love it. [2900.0] You made your full leap into Chica Zebrad at 48. [2905.0] Can you even imagine going back now [2907.0] to what you were doing? [2908.2] No, no. [2909.7] I hope I never have to. [2911.3] I'm maintaining my credentials, [2913.7] maintaining good contacts within the field. [2916.4] If I do have to go back, [2917.9] but it would take another major pandemic [2921.3] or some natural did not mean that [2923.8] we couldn't do travel anymore to make me go back. [2926.9] So. [2927.9] Yes. All right. [2929.3] Because we are not all just career women, [2932.5] I'm gonna transition to our rapid round, [2934.5] just really quick questions. [2936.7] Nothing too heavy. [2937.7] So I wanna ask you, [2939.5] what do your kids think of you traveling all the time? [2943.1] My daughter is often with me, so she's just drapes and it's built a really nice career for her as well. [2951.1] She's like a mini me. She's just got my thing passion and I'm hoping one day to turn the business over to her. [2958.1] My son doesn't travel with me much. [2962.1] She has a few times. He's more of a home body and he takes care of the dog and the house and everything while I'm gone. [2967.1] It's perfect. [2969.1] It works out well. Yes. What is one non negotiable for your well-being? [2974.9] Oh, I need sleep. That's my hardest thing that I deal with traveling to multiple [2980.9] time zones and all of that. So I cherish my sleep so that I can stay healthy. [2985.4] There's been a few times where I have gotten sick on trips and it's really [2989.1] hard to lead a group when you're not feeling 100%. So sleep is not negotable. [2994.9] I have the same non-decocean. [2997.7] Yeah. [2998.7] OK. [2999.5] This is a fun one. [3000.5] What is your favorite country and why? [3003.1] Oh, so I've been to 44, but the number one is South Africa. [3007.9] I've been there four times now and it's funny because when I first went, I had no [3013.1] desire to go there. [3015.1] And once I got there, I fell in love and I keep going back. [3019.5] I was to really, I love the culture, I love the people. [3024.3] And especially I love the animal on the safari. [3027.8] It's just for a wild and amazing. [3030.7] And it's an adrenaline rush. [3032.7] So I love South Africa. [3034.4] But I have to put a little caveat there [3036.2] because I haven't explored other parts of Africa [3039.4] that I know also have amazing safari and all of that. [3042.6] So my answer should change in the future. [3046.3] OK. [3047.0] Last question. Is there a mantra or a motto that you live by? [3051.1] My mantra is to get out of your comfort zone. [3055.6] And I push myself without a lot and I push other people. [3059.7] Even if something is simple, we were in grade-flossed week and we were doing a photo shoot. [3065.8] And some of the ladies were like, [3067.8] ew, I didn't want to do a photo shoot. I don't like pictures of me and [3072.0] I push them to do it. You don't have to show anybody the pictures. [3076.1] It's just a fun time and they did and they loved it. [3080.0] And it was just, we had a great time with it. [3082.7] So get out of your comfort zone, try things, [3085.1] try new things, and for me, you try new foods. [3089.1] I can't think of a better way to end this discussion [3092.1] than on that mantra, try new things. [3095.5] I love it. [3096.3] Well said. [3097.1] Yeah. [3098.0] Melanie, thank you so much for sharing your story. [3101.2] It's inspiring to hear that at any age, [3104.7] We can all change paths. [3107.2] And what I love especially is that you did it slowly [3111.7] and you were smart and practical about it, [3115.1] which made all of this be done on your own terms. [3120.1] If listeners want to travel with you, [3122.5] read your work or follow along with what you're building, [3125.6] where do they find you? [3127.8] Well, you can find me at chikazabroad.com. [3131.4] I'm also on Instagram, just search, [3134.1] She gives a broad and one faith book, [3136.1] she gives a broad so you can find me everywhere. [3138.7] You go on Amazon and search Melanie Kiss. [3141.7] You'll find my two books. [3143.0] So pretty easy to find me. [3144.7] I have a pretty unique name. [3146.7] So it's easy to find me on all the social media sites. [3150.9] We will also make sure that we link all your socials, [3154.2] your website, and then we'll also link your books as well [3157.6] on there. [3158.5] Wait, thank you so much Melanie. [3161.0] It's been a pleasure to have you on the show. [3162.7] Thanks again and to our listeners if this episode resonated with you, subscribe on your preferred [3171.6] streaming platforms you never miss another conversation and share this with one woman who needs [3177.4] to hear it. [3178.9] Every subscribe and every share helps the algorithm get the show in front of more women [3183.7] asking the same questions that we are. [3186.9] That's how we grow this community together. [3189.8] remember to explore on your own terms because nothing changes, if nothing changes. [3196.5] And to our loyal listeners, here are my after show reflections. I really enjoyed this conversation [3204.0] with Melanie. What a cool career pivot being able to travel the world and getting paid for it. [3212.7] I appreciated the transparency from Melanie on all things, including the financial considerations [3219.5] and health insurance and I really loved the mind shift of making Chikasabrod her full-time priority [3228.2] with consulting as supplemental income. Melanie's book, When the Compass shifts, has a lot of [3236.3] similar parallels to the book we're working through in her intentional reset experience creative [3243.1] cluster, the artist way by Julia Cameron. In fact, a couple times throughout the recording, [3250.2] I would pause and ask Melanie, are you sure you haven't heard of this book the artist way? [3255.9] Melanie even had a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Julia Cameron now resides and occasionally [3263.4] host creative cluster retreats. One part of Melanie's book that really resonated with me that's [3270.6] also relevant to the artist's way, is on the topic of creativity. [3276.4] And I want to read you Melanie's words, but she says it better than I could. [3282.6] From when the compass shifts Melanie writes, [3286.9] for years I assumed creativity meant [3290.2] beauty, writing music, or doing something artistic. [3294.6] I didn't realize creativity can also look like designing systems, [3299.5] building experiences and bringing ideas to life in practical ways. The more I built itineraries [3307.1] and crafted travel experiences, the more I realized something important. I wasn't stepping outside [3314.0] of my strengths. I was finally using them in a way that energized me. I was creative, not in the [3323.0] traditional artistic sense, but in the way I designed experiences. [3329.0] I tendererry building turned out to be the perfect blend of structure and imagination. [3335.9] It required organization and creativity, precision and vision. [3342.3] Looking back, it seems obvious. [3344.7] At the time, it felt accidental. [3347.6] I love that framing on what creativity is because I think a lot of us have quietly decided [3355.2] that we're not creative. [3358.1] And the purpose of the artist's waybook is all about unlocking your inner creativity. [3364.1] This conversation with Melanie was that reminder I needed that creativity can be represented [3370.3] in all different forms shapes and sizes. [3373.7] We are all creative in our own right. [3377.1] We all have our strengths and we all have activities that energize and renew us. [3383.0] And by doing the work, by reflecting, pausing and noticing, we can unlock our inner creativity. [3392.3] So this week, my invitation is small. [3395.6] Notice where your mind goes when it's free to wander. [3399.5] There's usually a thread there. [3401.4] If you're interested in joining her intentional reset experience, the artist we create [3405.8] of cluster, there's still time to join us. [3409.3] Follow on Instagram or Facebook at [3411.7] her intentional reset.co. [3414.3] That's dot c o or more information [3418.4] or it'll also be linked in our show notes. [3421.0] That's it for now. [3422.4] I'll see you next week.