Innovator Grows Local Businesses

COLLIER COUNTY WOMAN IS BEING HONORED FOR WHAT SHE DOES TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES GROW. WGCUS MIKE WALCHER IS HERE WITH THIS STORY IS PART OF OUR COVERAGE OF REGIONAL BUSINESS, AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH A A REALLY INSIGHTFUL YOUNG WOMAN NAMED MELISSA SEVERANCE. >> SHE WORKED FOR LARGE COMPANIES IN PHILADELPHIA BEFORE MOVING HERE DURING COVID. SHE FOUNDED A CONSULTING FIRM CALLED INSPIRE BIG DREAMS. AND SHE JUST WON A TOP AWARD. >> FROM THE SWFL THINK GROUP, IT'S CALLED THE INCREDIBLE AWARD. >> THAT GROUP IS SORT OF A REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. SHE TELLS ME THAT SHE COACHES WITH LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS AND ALSO GIVE TALKS ABOUT TRENDS IN BUSINESS. HERE'S SOME OF OUR INTERVIEW STARTING WITH A TOPIC THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE TO HATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. >> EVEN SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE TED TAPS INTO SOME AUTOMATION PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS USING AI KNOWING HOW TO USE SAID TO THE BEST CAPACITY AS POSSIBLE POSSIBLE FOR EFFICIENCIES. AND I'VE BEEN SEEING THAT REALLY ROCK A LOT OF THE AREAS AROUND HERE. I HAVE TO BE INNOVATIVE. WE HAVE TO CHANGE. WE'RE GOING TO GROW. SO A LOT OF THAT IS WITH AI. BUT THERE'S ALSO THE SIDE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE BRING THE PEOPLE SKILLS, THE NEXT LEVEL AS WELL, TOO. I THINK, UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU DON'T CHANGE, ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GROW AND SCALE AND YOU MIGHT GO BACKWARDS IN YOUR BUSINESS. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S SO MUCH COMPETITION OUT THERE. I THINK WE HAVE TO JUST DO IT IN BABY STEPS AND JUST START LEARNING ABOUT IT. AND GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THAT. I'M REALLY A COMPONENT OF DISRUPTING THE FUTURE OF WORK, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE NEW IDEAS AND INNOVATION GOING ON. SO WE'RE PREPARED FOR MONTHS AHEAD OF US. WE WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, RESPONDING NOT REACTING TO WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR BUSINESS AND TO THE COMMUNITY. MAYBE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY WE WORK. I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND THAT'S WHY WE TALKED ABOUT CHANGE. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE GO WITH THE CHANGING. KEEP BEING IN LEARNING BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE. YOU KNOW, OUR JOBS ARE GOING TO TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN 10 YEARS. MAYBE EVEN 5 YEARS. WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TRUST OUR PEOPLE IN POWER THEM AND MICROMANAGEMENT IS GONE FROM LEADERSHIP STYLE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE THERE TO SUPPORT AND COACH, BUT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TRUST IN THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE HIRING. YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. I THINK IT'S BEEN GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE GIVING BACK AND ALLOWING THEIR PEOPLE TO GROW AND EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SEEING A LOT MORE OF THAT SOUTHWEST. PART OF PEOPLE LIKE GIVING BACK TO THEIR PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THEY LEARN AND GROW. SO IT HELPS THEIR COMPANY SCOUT. SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN SEEING AND REALLY KIND OF APPRECIATING IN THE AREA. >> SHE'S A VERY INSPIRING MIKE. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER TIPS THAT SHE HAS 4 STARTING A BUSINESS AND KEEPING IT GROWING IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. WHILE SEVERANCE IS REALLY STRONG ON. >> FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIPS, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. SHE SAYS THIS AREA IS CERTAINLY NOT A SMALL TOWN. HASN'T BEEN FOR A LONG TIME, BUT WE'RE NOT. NEW YORK WERE NOT SAN FRANCISCO WITH SO MANY BIG MULTI NATIONAL COMPANIES. IT'S HARD TO MEET THE RIGHT PEOPLE FACE TO FACE HERE. YOU CAN DO SO. AND SHE SAYS THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THAT NETWORKING AND FACE-TO-FACE CONNECTIONS, PERSONAL CONNECTIONS ARE JUST SO VERY IMPORTANT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU, MIKE, FOR SHARING HER STORY TODAY. THANK YOU.