Self doubt cripples adults just as much as it does children. It can slow your progress and it can hinder your growth to realising your potential. The people you least expect to live with self doubt are usually the ones who do. This includes those who are tasked with helping to shape the minds of young people. Imagine a guidance counsellor at a high school doubting herself in establishing her business.

Donneal Brown-Bruce, guidance counsellor of eight years turned her passion and favourite hobby into a functional business after going through bouts of self doubt for a little over a decade. At 32 years of age, she owns and operates, Melodeezigns, an event planning and decor business while living her other passion of being a guidance counsellor to teenagers.

“In my early 20s, I used to plan and execute a lot of events at church, for my family, and for my friends. I did many baby showers, proposals, bridal showers, birthday parties, and I’ve also assisted with planning weddings. Being part of those events just meant that I was doing something that I liked. At the time, I did not see it as a job or even a business opportunity. I liked doing it because I love to celebrate important events and I like when people feel special on those occasions, that was it,” she said in an interview with Our Today.

She said that in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed many posts and advertisements on social media with people promoting their businesses which were similar to what she did for fun without charge.

“I thought to myself, ‘you know, I can do this! It doesn’t look that hard’. So, I went downtown, Montego Bay, bought some balloons, paired them with other decor-based items that I already owned and went to ‘YouTube University’ to sharpen my skills. That is when I made my first balloon arrangement. The initial attempt looked nice. It wasn’t too bad. Of course, I needed to master the pattern but I learned that it was doable. So, I went and got some more balloons,” she shared.

Brown-Bruce practiced until she got to a point that was pleasing to her along with a few friends and family members. In June of 2021, her brother was getting married and she assisted with decorating the spaces to celebrate the nuptials. She said that she bought decorative items for the event and did her best at decorating.

Her then fiancé, now husband, supported and helped her. He also encouraged her to officially turn her passion into a business but she was crippled by self doubt and told herself that, “I don’t think that I have the proper knowledge or skillset to actually go out into this field full force and start a business.”

It wasn’t until after the wedding when she received photos of the table setting she orchestrated that she was moved to start her business.

“I got some pictures of the table set-up that I did and I liked it. I was then convinced that I should start the business. My partner had also gotten irritated with my indecision and said that he would start the business because, by that time, he thought my business should’ve been operating. So, he set up an Instagram account and asked me what I would like to call it. I decided on ‘Melodeezigns’,” she said.

The name ‘Melodeezigns’ was partially coined when Brown-Bruce was a student at the University of the West Indies, Mona (UWI, Mona) because she was known for her melodies in groups she sang with on campus.

“I coined the name MeloDee because I liked music and the first letter of my name is D. As far as the business is concerned, I felt as though something else was needed so I added the ‘zigns’ at the end, for a little razzle dazzle,” she said, and added that the logo design was the next step and “voila! I officially started my business in 2021.”

DREAM OF BECOMING A FAMILY PSYCHOLOGIST

Brown-Bruce is a guidance counsellor at the Mount Alvernia High School for Girls and jokes that she is considered the event planning guidance counsellor. 

Her intentions and aspirations never included venturing into entrepreneurship. She also did not aspire to become a guidance counsellor. Her goal was to become a family psychologist.

“I never saw much of my guidance counsellor when I was in high school. I sat with her a few times, but I never had that connection. I struggled a lot with self esteem, career choices, and other things that girls go through in their teenage years and the counsellor was not around much to help me through it all,” she revealed.

Brown-Bruce said that while she struggled to identify a career choice she felt was good for her, a few classmates suggested that she become a counsellor on the basis that she was a good listener and seemed to give good advice to people who sought it from her.

“So, I went home, did some research, and was convinced that family psychology was the field for me. I spoke with my parents about it and one of the first things they said was ‘what do they do?’ and ‘would you be able to earn a living doing that?’. We spoke at great lengths and they indicated their support in my choice,” she said.

She started her journey in psychology at UWI, Mona. However, as she inched closer to the end of her three-year programme, she took another route because she noticed that in order to practise psychology, another few years of study at the post-graduate level was required. That meant that her parents, who paid for her tuition would have to spend more as they did not want her to be burdened with paying student loans. It also meant that her younger brother would have been cheated out of a similar debt-free experience at the tertiary level.

“My parents were very smart in planning for my brother and I to go to college. So, I didn’t have to pay for any student loans. I did not want them to have to spend on me to do my Master’s especially since my brother was about to leave high school. I wanted him to attend university without loans if he wanted to. I didn’t know the state of my parents’ purse but I was thinking that if I went to university for a first degree, my brother should be able to go as well,” she explained.

Upon that realisation, she shifted focus to identify what would happen after graduation. She then opted to go into teaching and explored the offerings at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College.

“Though my focus changed, I did not want to waste my first degree, so I chose guidance counselling. I remembered that I didn’t really see my guidance counsellor and I wanted to be there for my students to help them to go out into the world and become great good citizens. I wanted to help them with their career choices, and home life. I wanted to be a listening ear if they wanted to vent. I wanted to be that person,” she shared.

Brown-Bruce has been a guidance counsellor since 2015 and has not looked back since. She noted that as a teen, she probably did not see her guidance counsellor as a teenager because there was only one at her school for a group of 800 and, “she probably had a lot on her plate”.

“I didn’t have any home issues like some of my students and I am not the only guidance counsellor. I did not understand the dynamics then, but now that I am actively in the field, I understand and that’s why I want to make that difference,” she said.

FUTURE OF MELODEE

Brown-Bruce describes herself as someone with a passion to create, design and make people happy and she wants to maximise on it as much as possible for as long as possible. 

Her ultimate goal is to expand her business to a physical location where she would have picturesque views, lawn spaces, conference rooms, and offices where her clients can have have Melodeezigns plan, decorate, and host their events.

“That’s what I see. I want people to be able to come to my space, execute their weddings and host their parties, and do everything they wish for planning and executing their events. I also want to have spaces where caterers can come and complete their meal preparation. I want it to be a one-stop shop,” she explained.

As far as counselling goes, she said, “I am at home as a guidance counsellor. I enjoy helping to shape young minds, helping them with career choices and the issues they face at school and at home to the best of my ability. I hope to continue to do that. Perhaps the very far future will see me revisiting family psychology, but that’s way down the line.”

Connect with Melodeezigns on Instagram @melodeezigns or via email at [email protected].

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