Mel on a Mission
Meet the freelancer using her skills to help other freelancers, and to give to those in need. By Jessica Hayden
M
el Larson was set to retire this year after 25 years as a self-employed business coach and consultant. But, after running her business crisis strategy course for the sixth time, people were still asking for more. Despite times being difficult for us all right now, the 55-year-old decided to run some more courses, but with a difference.
June/July 2020
Mel chose to donate all profits to the food bank charity, Trussell Trust. “The onset of the virus was a shock to us all and I saw that my clients, small businesses, freelancers, and their networks were really struggling”, Mel tells me. “I wanted to support them and show them ways to regain a sense of balance and power even in these very difficult circumstances. “I looked at what had helped me regain my own balance. I looked around to see what
approaches and innovations were inspiring me. I also drew on my years of experience: being a freelancer demands that you are resilient and agile even at the best of times. “I then turned all of that into an online workshop called, ‘Find a Way for your Small Business’ which has proved to be enormously popular.” The course, designed to help freelancers and small businesses stay afloat during a crisis, has so far raised a staggering £1140 for Trussell Trust. 5
