Today we’d like to introduce you to Miranda Malone-Solomon.
Hi Miranda, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I became the person I am today thanks to several factors, the first of which is being raised by a very strong mother, who remains one of the strongest women I know today. She taught me at a young age that execution and efficiency trump excuses and fear, which in return made me fearless in everything. My mother never gave up on herself, even though she was diagnosed with a lifelong illness when I was 20, only to add breast cancer to her journey 10 years later. Her fight taught me that no matter what life has in store for you, trusting in who you are will always supersede self-doubt. Today, I am proud to say my mother is a Breast Cancer Survivor.
My father taught me that while I may have a plan for myself, I am not in control of my journey and my faith should be in God, not man. These are the lessons that have been my foundation in life.
My father suffered from substance abuse throughout my youth – he wasn’t present in our household. Looking back, I probably wouldn’t have known except for everyone reminding me that he wasn’t my hero because he was an addict. For me, my father just wasn’t part of my home, and that was normal. Still, he was always available and just a phone call away. I can remember vividly calling him from pay phones in our neighborhood. Our conversations then and now have saved me from myself a plenty of times. Dad kicked his addiction the day I moved in with him at the age of 16.
When I was 13, I attempted suicide. I was the oldest of three and mom was always working. I wanted to be a kid, but the weight of responsibility was too much. I wanted to be a normal kid and do things like go to school dances, hang at the mall, skate, have sleepovers and more. But I was accountable for making sure my siblings were fed, attended school, did their homework, had baths, and the list goes on. When my suicide failed me, my mindset changed, and this is how I learn execution and efficiency trump excuses and fear. I realized nothing could ever be as bad as not existing at all. This mindset drove me and has driven me ever since.
My ability to endure and focus paved the way to my first job as a front desk supervisor at a well-known hotel in Houston. I was only 20 and didn’t know how to manage adults but I had a natural ability to lead. Many people think being a leader is the ability to dictate and manage company expectations, but I knew that being a leader meant helping your team identify their passion and purpose and being there to support.
It was this experience that gave me the courage to apply at my first banking position. I always knew I was going to be in financial services – and indeed, my career has been long and deep, with experience as a relationship banker, branch manager, sales coach, portfolio manager, and equipment finance specialist. I have always been career driven and focused on how I can help my community.
I was focused on pouring everything I had into my future, not really thinking about the present. I was 29 when I met my husband, Jock Solomon, proud owner of King Solomon’s Trucking. I knew a lot of things at 29 but I didn’t know how to love, not even myself. My mom had instilled in me I could do anything, and my father had taught me to have faith. But my husband showed the importance of loving and trusting myself. When deciding on who you want to spend the rest of your lift with, to raising kids, to friendships and partnerships, you must trust your own decisions. Most people are talked in and out of situations and circumstances. Self-advice is the only advice you find a way to always live with.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has decidedly not always been a smooth one. In the height of my career and a year into my marriage, I became pregnant. Motherhood was not a goal for me. At 34, I was expecting my first child – and feeling guilty for not wanting to be pregnant. Three months into my pregnancy, I was hospitalized, and I spent the next six in the hospital, wanting nothing but for my baby boy to be healthy. I placed my entire career on hold and devoted all my time and effort into raising King Solomon. I changed everything about me, all the things I knew for sure I no longer relied on because my entire focus was raising my son. I immediately reverted to the weight I carried as a child raising my siblings. I put so much pressure on myself to be the best mother I forgot who I was. Once again, my husband stepped in to remind me that it was still ok to trust myself and love myself first while raising a King. Even with a Business Degree and a Certification in Operations Management, I was lacking emotional intelligence. I begin to educate myself on a deeper level. I have read so many books that changed me, the latest being Letting GO, The Pathway to Surrender by David R. Hawkins M.D., I recommend it for anyone looking for peace of mind.
What is something surprising that most people who know you or your work/brand might not know about you?
Something surprising that most people don’t know is I am looking to start a podcast soon with my best friend Mishe’ Curry proud owner of Mishe’s Hair Studio. Our podcast is called “You want to share that ?!@$… “Our goal is to open up and create a safe space for women to share the ups and downs of being a mother, wife, friend, student and daughter. We intend to give women a forum to share financial literacy, mental health, self-deployment and self-investment. Our goal is to show through fluent conversation and life experiences we can trust our own decisions, have faith that God is in control, and execution and efficiency trump excuses and fear every time.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: youwanttosharethat
Image Credits
Photographer: Monica Blackshire
