Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Mitchell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My first independent consulting company, MEM Resumes, was established in 2004 in my hometown of New York City. It grew out of my love of writing and my eagerness to support others around me in presenting their strengths on a powerful piece of paper with clarity and confidence. I acquired my first job in 1997 and built a solid resume of my own throughout my early administrative jobs and retail positions. It was this early experience that helped me understand what employers were looking for. During the year that MEM Resumes was in operation, my clients were primarily my neighbors, friends, college classmates, and acquaintances. My first clients laid the foundation for MEM Resumes to become a trusted service built on personal connection, strong communication and my commitment to helping people develop an extraordinary resume. I dissolved MEM Resumes a year later in 2005 and began to focus on my career as a legal professional.
Stellar M Services was founded in 2019 in Houston by me as the founder, owner and independent contractor. At the time, I wanted to return to my passion for resume writing and expand it alongside other essential services. I had already become a notary and frequently provided transcription support for legal practice teams at my 9 to 5. The expansion of transcription and mobile notary services was a natural progression and grew Stellar M Services organically into a multifaceted independent contracting company offering professional support in transcription, editing, mobile notary service, and resume development for individuals, small businesses, and corporate professionals. As my vision expanded to support clients with both their professional and creative needs, Stellar M Services began offering support with business proposal creation, creation of podcast scripts, personalized obituary writing, custom lesson plans, and comprehensive legal practice support for semi-retired attorneys, boutique firms, and solo practitioners on a contract basis.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I truly believe that every challenge comes with its own set of rewards. Building Stellar M Services from the ground up has been a beautiful and transformative journey. When I founded the company in 2019 as a seasoned legal professional, I was also by that time a mother, fiancée, and caretaker to my own mother. I knew I would need to balance many responsibilities and find a way to grow Stellar M Services. I also understood that growing my client base would likely happen the “old-fashioned way” which is through word of mouth and within my existing network. At that time, I didn’t have the bandwidth for consistent marketing emails or social media campaigns. I actually despise social media campaigns! Ha!
Then, just one year later in 2020, the world shut down due to Covid-19. Surprisingly, the pandemic became a catalyst for expansion of Stellar M Services with intention. As everything shifted to virtual interactions, I was able to strengthen my relationships with friends and clients online while delivering my services remotely. I had a strong desire to transition to remote work in some capacity but had not been fully supported at the law firm I was working at during that time.
The pandemic taught me so much about myself. It clarified that there is nothing more fulfilling or ultimately more profitable than building your own business alongside your professional career and when I say profitable, I am not talking about financial profit. I am talking about the level of satisfaction you get from watching something you love to grow and when you put in the work, you realize your own strength. Watching companies downsize, implement aggressive policies about vaccinations and testing and witnessing so many lives change so suddenly all over made that truth even clearer.
The rewards of building Stellar M Services have been abundant, and for that, all praise is due to my Creator. One day I might be completing contract transcription work for a California-based company; the next, drafting, editing, and finalizing a client’s resume; and the day after that, be developing custom lesson plans for parents, tutors, and nannies working with young children. These lesson plans actually began during Covid-19 when I withdrew my daughter from elementary school. Pregnant with my son at the time, I felt confident that I could design her homeschooling curriculum as one that balanced traditional academics (letters, numbers, etc.) with lessons centered on self-knowledge, self-awareness, identity, and self-love.
Another blessing for Stellar M Services came when, after eight years, when my professional relationship with the law firm I worked for at the time came to an end. Although I soon found another role, one of my former bosses that worked at my old firm (with whom I had a long-standing great working relationship with) reached out and invited me to support him as an independent contractor during his semi-retirement in practicing law. That opportunity marked the beginning of my offering legal practice support to him and here we are still standing three years later. He was my first corporate client for Stellar M Services. I really am passionate about helping people achieve their vision and it really doesn’t matter what you do – I am here to support in service the creatives, the individuals and the business professionals.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a multi-dimensional creative and business professional! For the past 20 years, I have built a career contributing high-level legal practice support across cross-functional roles including legal practice assistant, legal secretary, and paralegal in both boutique and large law firms throughout New York City, New Jersey, and Texas.
As a writer and lover of words (and language), I became a published author and spoken word poet releasing my first volume of poetry “Come Into My Place: A Collection of Love Poems” in 2011. Two years later in 2013, fueled by my love for my published poetry and my love for music, I turned my first volume of poetry into a 55-track musical spoken word album entitled “Come Into My Place: A Collection of Love Poems – The Album”. I have performed at many spoken word venues throughout New York City and Washington, D.C., sharing my poetic voice with many people of diverse backgrounds.
I have also built two independent companies dedicated to serving clients with legal practice support, notary services, editing, and creative writing. More recently, I embraced an unexpected creative passion in my party rental equipment and party planning business, Cozy In Color. What began as a hobby born from my joy in planning both my son and daughter’s birthday parties and my desire to stop renting tables and chairs from others quickly turned into a thriving small business. With a bit of savings to spend and a lot of creative ideas, I invested in beautiful party rental pieces and officially launched the company in 2023.
Across every role I take on, I specialize in service excellence. That commitment is my foundation whether I am supporting legal professionals, working with creative clients, or assisting small business owners. I am genuinely proud of my ability to serve others while staying true to who I am and to the passions that drive me. It is not always easy, especially when juggling multiple responsibilities or navigating relationships with people who may not fully understand you or the need to nurture every part of yourself.
What sets me apart is that I am not chasing a million followers or a multi-million-dollar empire. If I am blessed with that, I will receive it with grace and humility. My intention is to create meaningful impact with each connection, each referral, and each client I have the privilege to serve while creating a legacy and an example for my children.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I am a New York City gal (born and bred) but have an absolute love for Houston, Texas. I moved here in April of 2014 for a better work-life balance and have been able to thrive both personally and professionally since I moved here. Houston has provided me with many firsts! I became a first-time homeowner living in Texas! I had my first (and my second child) in Texas! I got engaged in Texas! And I am building my entrepreneurial dreams here in Texas! No matter where my life takes me moving forward, I will always have a part of my heart and at least one of my homes in Texas (Katy)!
There are not many things I do not like about this city! I crave a better art, poetry and music scene here and wish the plane ride from Houston, Texas back to New York City wasn’t so long! I also wish we had more diversity in culture and cuisine here.
Pricing:
- Legal Practice Support $150.00 per hour (monthly and annual subscriptions for attorneys are available)
- Notary $15.00 (Mobile Notary Signings); $45.00 (Remote Online Notary Signings)
- Editing $50.00 – $250.00
- Creative Writing $50.00 -$250.00
- Fixed Fee Templates $25.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stellar-m-services.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellar_m_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StellarMServices/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-mitchell-b9b399346/
- Other: https://poplme.co/hash/9uIDgzy0/3/s
Image Credits
My professional pictures are owned by me. My professional pictures were taken by Blue Treasure Photography.
