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The Trunk Show with RW ElephantAuthor: Allison Howell
Join RW Elephant co-founder Allison Howell as she connects with leaders in the event rental industry about their rental adventures. Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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0406: From Dirt to Design: Cultivating Peace and Growth with Melinda Perry of M2 Exteriors
Wednesday, 18 February, 2026
In this season finale, Allison Howell sits down with Melinda Perry, the visionary co-founder of M2 Exteriors. Starting her business at age 54 after a move from California to Tennessee, Melinda shares her unconventional journey from therapeutic gardening to managing multi-million dollar exterior design projects. This conversation explores the humility required to go back to school mid-career, the importance of treating staff with dignity, and the spiritual peace found in creating "places with a Capital P."What’s in this episode:The Healing Power of Nature: How a personal season of hardship led Melinda to find therapy and a new calling in the Tennessee soil.Lifelong Learning: Why Melinda chose to attend the College of Design in Oxford even after achieving business success.Staff as Family: The "non-negotiable" standard of respect for laborers and Melinda's plan to eventually pass her business to her lead worker.Setting Boundaries: Learning to identify "trouble clients" and the bravery required to fire a top contractor to protect the team's morale.Scaling vs. Designing: Recognizing the "headaches" of scaling and choosing to stay close to the creative process and the clients.A Spiritual Approach to Entrepreneurship: Moving from "putting down the sword" to "picking up the paintbrush" and learning to hold a business loosely.Quotes:"I just started working with my hands in the dirt. And I knew that it was somehow healing. And it was my therapy." — Melinda Perry"I realized how much I did not know and how expensive it was to pull everything up." — Melinda Perry"I just love to learn; I'm just a student at heart." — Melinda Perry"I'm not sure if the bottom line gets all that better... there were a lot more headaches with having more people." — Melinda Perry"My guys, they're so much smarter than me in what they do... they've been in the business 30 years and could run rings around people." — Melinda Perry"I like to live at the end of myself. I think when we come to the end of ourselves, that's when we see the magic happen, because we are no longer in control." — Melinda Perry"It's time to put down your sword and pick up your paintbrush." — Melinda Perry"The world is so hostile... if we can create spaces that are comfortable and easy for each other to communicate... the more we can set the stage for amazing conversations to happen." — Melinda Perry"I hold [the business] loosely because it's all a gift." — Melinda PerryRESOURCES:The RW Elephant mailing list features more event industry resources and happenings—including announcements about new Trunk Show episodes! Learn what to do with an underperforming piece in your collection with RW’s Utilization & Liquidation Worksheet Learn what Melinda learned at our conference by grabbing your spot for Lend & Gather Online! Join the Lend & Gather mailing list to be the first to hear about our next conference for boutique event rental business owners. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:RW Elephant: Mighty inventory management software designed to help you conquer chaos and reclaim your creativity!Website | Instagram AND OUR GUEST:Melinda Perry of M2 ExteriorsWebsite | Instagram
