I sat down with Stacey Jordan for a conversation that quickly went deep.

Stacey opens up about her pivotal decision to get sober in March 2000 as a young single mother, and how that choice completely transformed her life trajectory. She talks candidly about finding support and developing spiritual practices that helped her learn to be present with herself instead of escaping through substances.

One of the most moving parts of our conversation was when Stacey described how her son Hunter's birth in 2012 with a rare genetic disorder shifted her entire perspective. This challenging experience inspired her to hire a business coach and tackle the limiting beliefs that were holding her back professionally and personally.

Throughout our talk, we explore:

• Our shared experiences as women in male-dominated industries
• How working through imposter syndrome transformed our approaches to business
• The journey of recognizing and breaking through limiting beliefs
• Finding purpose in helping others after overcoming personal struggles
• Healing from narcissistic abuse and navigating divorce

Stacey's famous hugs (the ones where she waits for you to finally exhale!) symbolize her approach to both business and life -creating genuine connection and being fully present. Her story shows how personal growth directly impacts business success, and how facing our deepest fears can lead to both professional achievement and personal fulfillment. If you've ever struggled with feeling worthy or wondered how to transform personal challenges into strength, this conversation will resonate with you. We wrap up with our fun Misfit Minute rapid-fire questions that reveal even more about what makes Stacey tick!

About Stacey Jordan:

Stacey is the VP of Sales at Decor IQ, LLC, where she has been since 2021. With 21 years of experience creating Christmas magic and helping others succeed in their business, she specializes in transforming spaces with innovative holiday decor and lighting solutions. Stacey identifies as a free spirit, seeker, visionary, giver, misfit, creative, eternal optimist, business human, unconventional, heart-centered leader, purpose-driven community builder, truth teller, and proud mommy. Her passion extends to her Commercial Christmas Collective, where she helps people grow into commercial Christmas pros.

Connect with Stacey:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stacey.xmas

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyxmas/

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.ursulainc.co/

In this episode Melody dives deep into what it takes to transition from a busy workaholic to a strategic leader. She shares her personal experiences, including the identity crisis she faced after selling her business and the challenges of finding purpose beyond busyness. She emphasizes the importance of measuring productivity by impact rather than effort and discusses the profound shift required to move from being a hustler to a visionary leader.

00:00 Introduction: The Myth of Hard Work

00:36 Welcome to Business Misfits

01:19 The Identity Crisis of a Recovering Workaholic

05:30 The Transition from Worker to Leader

06:25 The Illusion of Busyness

10:21 The Challenge of Letting Go

20:56 Redefining Success and Impact

28:38 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

All the music you heard on the show today was written and recorded by Melody Edwards.

Hey Bizfit! Let’s Stay Connected

Facebook: @businessmisfits

TikTok: @thebusinessmisfit

Instagram: @homeserviceva

Connect on LinkedIn: @melodysedwards

Find all my things: www.melodythings.com

Melody Edwards is a lifelong entrepreneur with a sparkly brain and a passion for building purpose-driven businesses. Over the past 25 years, she has successfully started, acquired, operated, and sold a variety of unconventional businesses, ultimately leading her to co-found HomeServiceVA.com with her first assistant, Din. Together, they built the company they wished had existed when they first started working together—a virtual assistant matchmaking agency that helps entrepreneurs streamline their operations with effective systems and talented virtual collaborators.

Being diagnosed with ADHD as a young adult changed her life. With newfound insight and understanding, Melody set out to master her brain's unique wiring, creating systems that allowed her to thrive in the "sparkliest" parts of her brain while delegating tasks that drained her. One of the most transformative decisions she made was hiring an Executive Assistant, which expedited her impact by allowing her to focus on the big projects and ideas that energize her.

Through her podcast, The Business Misfits, Melody shares insights from her decades-long business journey and interviews fellow unconventional entrepreneurs to empower others to embrace their inner "Bizfit" and build businesses on their own terms. Her mission is to help purpose-driven business owners craft their path with creativity, intuition, and heart.

Outside of business, Melody is a creative human who loves ALL THE THINGS… friends, AI, singing, bike rides, camping, crafting, ice cream, and building things. She lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband Matt, their children Sophia and Max, and their dog Shaun.

You can find all her things on www.melodythings.com

The Business Misfits is moving to a bi-weekly format. Listen to hear why

What does it take to scale a business without burning out? Samantha Doyle breaks it down, sharing her journey from high-level business acquisitions to building her own strategic coaching practice. We dig into what makes a company valuable, why so many small businesses never sell, and how owners can shift from doing everything to leading with intention.

Scaling isn’t just about numbers—it’s about people. We talk about company culture, why high performers can sometimes be a liability, and how to build a business that runs without the owner. Samantha also shares insights on imposter syndrome, navigating male-dominated spaces, and the power of finding the right support system.

If you’re ready to scale, sell, or create a business that gives you more freedom, this episode is packed with real-world strategies and insights you won’t want to miss.

What happens when a love for trees, a passion for lights, and a heart for people collide? You get Lindsay Lights—a true business misfit who's on a mission to brighten the world in more ways than one. From studying forestry to running a thriving Christmas light installation business, Lindsay shares how grief shaped her purpose, why trees tell a deeper story, and how holiday lights became her way of spreading hope.

In this episode, we dive into the magic of trees, the emotional power of light, and the delicate balance of running a business while staying true to your mission. Lindsay opens up about personal loss, finding resilience, and her dream of building a light-themed park. We also talk about the challenges of networking, following your intuition in business, and why creativity and strategy go hand in hand.

If you've ever felt like you don’t quite fit the mold, this one’s for you. Join us for a heartfelt, inspiring conversation with someone who truly lights up the world.

Running a business with an ADHD brain isn’t about forcing yourself into traditional productivity methods—it’s about creating a structure that actually works for you. For years, I fought against my own brain, feeling overwhelmed by endless ideas, time blindness, and executive dysfunction. No matter how hard I worked, I felt like I was always behind. Everything changed when I stopped trying to fit into systems designed for neurotypical minds and built a business that supported how I actually think.

In this episode, I share how I learned to work with my brain instead of against it. I talk about the power of delegation, how hiring an executive assistant transformed my productivity, and why traditional goal-setting and organization methods don’t always work for neurodivergent entrepreneurs. I break down the systems that keep me moving forward, how I manage my energy instead of just my time, and why true productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about focusing on what truly matters.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, scattered, or stuck in a cycle of unfinished projects, this episode will give you a new way to approach work, delegation, and growth—one that actually fits how your brain works.

What happens when you spend years building a business, sell it for a great exit, and then find yourself asking, now what? That’s exactly what Shawn Day faced after selling his cleaning company, and in this episode, he opens up about the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial journey.

We dive deep into the evolution from a natural-born salesperson to a business leader, and why recruiting and company culture became his obsession. Shawn shares the hard lessons he learned about hiring—how investing in people can make or break a business, why most business owners focus on marketing but neglect recruitment, and the mindset shift needed to build a team that actually sticks around.

But it’s not just about business mechanics—we also get into the personal side of entrepreneurship. Shawn talks about the struggles of identity loss after selling his company, dealing with ego, and the emotional weight of transitioning from being a workaholic to figuring out what truly matters. He shares insights on overcoming comparison traps, learning to lead with intention, and finding purpose beyond just the grind.

This conversation is raw, real, and packed with wisdom for any business owner who’s ever felt stuck, unsure, or just plain tired of the hiring game. If you want to build a thriving business without burning out, this one’s for you.

What’s it really like to work with a high-energy, visionary entrepreneur? In this episode, Melody pulls back the curtain on her working relationship with Kristine, her executive assistant and collaborator. They dive deep into the challenges of managing a sparkly-brained business owner, and striking a balance between control and delegation.

Kristine shares her journey from joining the company as a virtual assistant to becoming Mel's trusted right-hand partner, revealing how she helps keep Melody on track (even when new ideas are constantly coming). They talk about the cultural differences between the U.S. and the Philippines, the biggest misconceptions about executive assistants, and why trust is the foundation of a truly successful working relationship.

You'll also hear about the challenges of shifting from managing tasks to managing a person, how Kristine learned to push back and set boundaries, and what it takes to transition from support staff to collaborator. Plus, Melody gets real about being a recovering micromanaging, and the systems they use to stay (mostly) sane in a fast-growing business.

If you’ve ever wondered what makes a visionary-executive assistant relationship thrive, how to find (or be) a great EA, or why every business owner needs their own “Melody Manager,” this episode is packed with insight, humor, and honest reflection.