>
<
/div>

Melanie launched owned and operated 2 independent TV stations in Houston and Dallas Texas: Houston (Channel 51) and Dallas ( Channel 55) Melanie has a background in Media, Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising. She has been in front of, as well as behind the camera. She started her career as a News Anchor, Producer, Writer, Public Relations, Promotions, Tv ad sales, Programming negotiations and Financial Strategist. She has done business with Warner Brothers, Disney, King World and MGM Studios. Melanie started her career as a News Anchor in Detroit at Channel 20. In addition, to creating and developing successful businesses she has created award winner advertising campaigns.

She got her feet wet in the luxury building and design industry when she was the general contractor and developer for her personal 25,000 square foot home known as “The Houston Mansion” and her 13,000 square foot summer home in Petoskey, Michigan “The Walloon Lake House.” During the economic downturn, Melanie turned both of these properties into successful Luxury Vacation and Event Rental Properties. She now is an estate developer and investor.

She is the CEO of Charity Auction Consignments. Melanie graciously donates her Villa in the Dominican Republic along with her other properties to help raise money for children’s, health issues, education, and animals. She works with numerous charities including Texas Children’s Hospital, Citizens for animal protection, Fanatical Change Foundation, Just Like My Child and a variety of private schools.

Melanie is the CEO of Elite Online Publishing. She is passionate about sharing people’s stories that, educate, motivate and inspire. They publish, market and promote nonfiction books for business owners and athletes to create expert authority status for marketing impact and influence. She is honored to work one on one with their authors to create the best strategies for their book creation, marketing, and social media. Melanie is a five-time best-selling author.

Melanie graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in communications and was the first girl to receive a varsity letter in a boys sport in the state of Michigan. She lives in Houston Texas and originally from Michigan, where she earned the title of Miss Michigan. She is enjoying raising her two sons, who keep her motivated and young. She loves the beach, traveling and spending time with her family.

What Expert Authority World™ is saying about the show:

  • Great show!
    February 9, 2024 by Gisele_Oliveira from United States

    I'm absolutely hooked on this podcast! Huge kudos to Mario for consistently delivering top-notch episodes. Keep up the fantastic work!

  • Amazing Guests, Real World Advice
    July 14, 2023 by Demi @ Comcastro.com from United States

    Just wanted to say thank you, Mario! Great practical ideas and such enthusiasm. I recommend this show for anyone looking to change their mindset through access to access to some great real world inspiration.

  • These podcasts have some great nuggets!!
    April 14, 2023 by Jen from Fort Worth from United States

    Mario has an A guest list that go out of their way to give you their best tips to be successful in your business endeavor. I’ve learned so much in a short amount of time. Highly recommend!

  • Inspiring Real World and Practical
    March 11, 2023 by SheriTraxler from United States

    Love the inspiration of “hey if they can do this so can I “ And that there is practical ideas from their expertise too Also love the variety of times

  • SUPER PRO production, and better content
    February 17, 2023 by JoshRamsey from South Africa

    Hits the nail on the head, and brings practical insight while doing it!

  • Enthusiasm and experience
    January 10, 2023 by Cfow110 from United States

    Mario is an enthusiastic experienced interviewer. He creates conversations with great content but also leaves room for some whimsy with his imperfect action round questions.

  • What an Enjoyable Show!
    December 21, 2022 by BretRidgway from United States

    Mario Frachini is the consummate pro when it comes to being a podcast host. The time just flew by and the conversation was great!

  • Great Show!
    July 22, 2022 by erseburse from United States

    Always providing great content- keep it up!

  • Insightful, inspiring and empowering!!
    May 6, 2022 by Anya Bartholomew from United States

    This is a gem!! You've got to pay attention to "little" things to appreciation the power of this incredible useful information!! The more you listen, the more you love it! Try and you'll see!!

  • Love love love
    May 6, 2022 by Tanyamariedube from Canada

    What a great show. I loved listening to your episode with Dave Lorenzo on the 60 Second Sale. As someone who loves sales (but loathed them when I started with cold calls and cold door knocking), I loved what he said about hearing the word “no”. In sales, we are trained to look for the no’s. It makes us really good at it if we can really get into it. What you two were talking about with regard to how our limitations are i’’our minds really resonated with me. I love that because it’s a game changer when you understand that sales is just about helping people solve a massive problem and getting paid for it and then taking imperfect action, get on your feet and have fun. Thanks so much! Love this show.

  • Amazing podcast!
    January 24, 2022 by maddie@podcastingyou from United States

    This podcast is incredibly informative and empowering! Each episode is an insightful deep dive into an entrepreneurial story that highlights tenacity, innovation, and advice to help you level up in your own journey.

  • INSIGHTFUL!
    January 18, 2022 by Mitko I. from Bulgaria

    A ton of value, keep rocking!

  • Great show!
    January 7, 2022 by Gisele_Oliveira from United States

    I love this show. The host is really entertaining and the content is pure gold. This podcast became my top show. Keep up the great work, Mario!

  • Insightful and wide ranging
    January 7, 2022 by purpletom111 from United Kingdom

    This is an excellent podcast for anyone looking to optimise their business. Mario is a fabulous host with brilliant questions and a relaxed, friendly demeanour. I loved Episode 261 about Growth Marketing, really useful - high product quality is the best marketing strategy out there!

  • Brilliant insights from the best…
    December 27, 2021 by jxywvut from United States

    No matter what big business mountain you are trying to summit, the EA podcast has something amazing to inspire and teach you how to start or scale your venture. I love tuning in every day to learn actionable insights from a new expert or industry. So much value to sink your teeth into. Give it a listen!

  • Top Notch Quality Content for Authentic Leaders
    December 1, 2021 by dropinceo from United States

    A meticulous production, a highly professional host with authentic conversation creates an amazing experience for the listener. A must listen for insights and inspiration for the Entreprener or C-Suite Leader.

  • Love it!
    November 30, 2021 by Mariann!! from United States

    It’s definitely worth your time if you are trying to stay informed.

  • Actionable and Inspiring
    October 29, 2021 by Ben_Cook28 from United States

    I appreciate the authenticity, quality of the guests, and insights from this podcast

  • Essential content for your entrepreneurial journey
    October 17, 2021 by MCarmen Baldovi from United Kingdom

    Mario’s interviews are full of valuable tips from business experts that you shouldn’t miss in your entrepreneurial journey. Listening to this podcast is being a massive help for me and I hope it is for you.

  • Wealth of Information
    October 8, 2021 by KPM D. from United States

    Great interviews. Always great to have the opportunity to hear from experts in their fields and glean from their years of wisdom. Keep up the good work!

  • Packed with actionable content!
    October 8, 2021 by mwforrester from United States

    Mario has a top-notch podcast with outstanding guests! I’m able to come away with information that I can apply to my own business, to generate growth and increase my ability to provide positive impact. When you spend your time to listen to an episode of EA Effect you can be sure that you will get an amazing return on time investment.

  • Powerful!
    September 3, 2021 by MichaelUnbroken from United States

    This is the show I needed 13 years ago before I ruined my first business. I think being able to have tangible and practical insight from people who are one step ahead of you is everything congrats to Mario for an amazing show! - @MichaelUnbroken

  • First Rate Host and Brilliant Guests
    September 3, 2021 by Wade Galt from United States

    Mario is an extremely well prepared and professional host that gets the best out of his guests. He interviews fundamentally sound guests to share powerful business strategies and wisdom. Definitely worth your time to listen.

  • Great show.
    August 28, 2021 by mdaciuk from Canada

    Excellent interviews and guests. Liked the show on how to defend your reputation. “Customers, communities and critics.” Good way at looking at stakeholders. Thanks for the great content.

  • Great topics - and tips!
    August 27, 2021 by Kate | EOFire from United States

    Loving Mario’s podcast! Not only does he hit so many great topics, but his episodes are filled with tips and strategies you can actually use right now. For example, I just listened to his episode about Podmatch with Alex SanFilippo, and Mario doesn’t just read off a list of questions and move through the interview robotically - he actually has a conversation, and shares his own experiences with the power of guest podcasting and why others should be doing this to grow their own audience. Thank you, Mario! Keep up the heat!

  • So glad I found this podcast!
    August 13, 2021 by Nate804 from United States

    I’m so excited to continue jumping into episodes of this podcast. So much knowledge from so many successful business men & women. Adding this to my weekly workflow for sure!

  • So much information
    July 23, 2021 by abal31 from United States

    Such a great show. So much information and helps with many areas of our business.

  • 0285: Sales Driven Agency: Helping Founders Become Predictable, Sustainable and Scalable
    June 28, 2021 by Mary2577 from Philippines

    Thank you so much and keep on doing more great show.

  • Easily One of My Favorites
    May 7, 2021 by ScottDGray from United States

    I recently discovered Expert Authority Effect. It’s quickly worked it’s way onto my list of must listen podcasts. The episodes are less than an hour and packed with great information from top-level entrepreneurs.

  • Priceless Content!
    May 7, 2021 by megan@podcastingyou from United States

    Mario does such a good job covering a variety of topics. His guests offer awesome advice as well. I would recommend this show to anyone looking to learn more about entrepreneurship!

  • Very helpful
    May 7, 2021 by Luke and Susie from Australia

    As a business owner I love being challenged to see things a different way and be reminded of how to do thing better. This podcast has been so helpful to do that.

  • Great Show
    May 6, 2021 by emj-js from United States

    Mario does an excellent job being fun an entertaining while asking insightful questions to draw out the experise of his guests. Thoughtful, helpful conversations to make work and life better. Thanks!

  • Smart Ways to Gift
    April 26, 2021 by Michelle Kaplan from United States

    I learned some key things during Mario's interview with Chelsea Martin on gifting. What stands out is how impactful direct mail really is and how important a customized presentation of your products not only creates happy customers, but also a great referral source. Thank you!

  • Heart Centered Success
    April 18, 2021 by Macnjacs from United States

    Your interview with Brandon Fong was great. I appreciated the fact you started with the 3 steps, it was so valuable it really made me want to hear more. Thanks!

  • Love this show!
    March 12, 2021 by Gisele_Oliveira from United States

    This is so far my favorite podcast. It’s been my weekly dose of motivation and inspiration. Keep up the great work, Mario !

  • So much value!
    March 7, 2021 by Loose Seeds from United States

    The conversation with James, Sana and John Lee Dumas was awesome. Unique questions were asked by the hosts and JLD responded with gems that I stick right into my pocket. Thanks for this valuable info on how to up my podcasting game guys!

  • Always Enjoy Mario's Interviews!
    March 5, 2021 by HarloB from United States

    I really enjoy Mario and his shows. The Stress and Anger in the Workplace episode was great because it cut to the chase of all the issues around this topic. Great interview!

  • Great Podcast
    March 5, 2021 by 11Dreamer11 from United States

    Really interesting interviews that are really well done! Great listen and great for inspiration.

  • Innovative
    February 22, 2021 by Michelle Kaplan from United States

    I love Mario's energy! It captures my attention throughout his podcasts. Listenng to him and his guests, their ideas, actions, and accomplishments makes me brainstorm what's next for my business. Relevant and fresh!

  • Inspiriation 7 Days A Week!
    February 19, 2021 by ST Rappaport | LifePix from United States

    Mario doesn't miss a day. No matter what is going on, there's an episode relase. Mario is on a mission and nothing is going to stop him. He's a real model to be doing these interviews!

  • An Expert on Experts!
    February 12, 2021 by Powerful Eric from United States

    Love this show! Mario's show is a asset to podcasting. Thanks for helping others Mario!

  • Now I know
    January 22, 2021 by Margo Lovett from United States

    Mario, I see how active and generous you are in Podcast Paradise. Today, I listened to a few of your shows - episodes 1 & 59. Episode 1 brought me into the moment of prayer. You produced a show according to the Spirit. Now I know why you are so generous, able to operate from your seat of genius. Margo Lovett

  • Keeping the Books
    January 15, 2021 by E-World from United States

    Great interview with Judith keeping Net Profits as key thing to look at. Interesting point she made some owners make 30 millions but not enough Net to take a paycheck.

  • Excellent podcast
    January 12, 2021 by Atomickitten99 from United States

    I’m enjoying the guest interviews. They are packed full of great nuggets! Thank you.

  • Unique - Engaging - Bold
    January 2, 2021 by Paul D Johnson from United States

    As host of interveiw based The God Zone Show podcast I fournd Mario's show uniquely valuable in providing inpriation and engouragment for my work.

  • Fun, insightful, and quality production
    December 23, 2020 by koltrass from United States

    Mario brings in top-notch guests for engaging conversations on a variety of topics. Moreover, his attention to technical (e.g. audio, editing) quality is obvious and makes a difference. Listen to be entertained and enlightened!

  • Inspiring interviews to take the next step!
    December 12, 2020 by BillableWithBaby from United States

    Inspiring interviews with interesting entrepreneurs inform and motivate you to take things to the next level. Always good things to learn and implement. Thank you Mario!

  • Pure value, I love it
    December 4, 2020 by Jdoggg222 from United States

    Mario has a way of asking the questions I am wondering as the guest is speaking. He seems to intentionally ask the questions that most benefit you as a listener. Great podcast!

  • Loved the Craig Handley Episode
    November 13, 2020 by MHillfan from United States

    Mario’s energy is infectious and Craig Handley is a character and some. But really every episode brings out the uniqueness of each guest. This pod has become one of my must listens›

  • Inspiring. Informative.
    November 6, 2020 by SunDevil from United States

    Mario is incredibly inspiring and does something few other podcast hosts can manage to do… allow his guests to actuall talk at length and answer his questions. He offers great information and I really appreciate that he is invested in what his guests have to offer as well. Other podcasts come across as an ego stroke for the host, but this podcast is truly here to help guests share their stories as well to the benefit of the listener. Worth subscribing.

  • Game changer
    October 30, 2020 by Player's Handbook from United States

    This podcast is informative and inspiring. I love it!

  • If you are a wanna be entrepreneur look no further!
    October 23, 2020 by Elisa Di Napoli from United Kingdom

    Great podcast full of interesting insights. The host is engaging and thoughtful and I can say I have enjoyed listening to each episode!

  • Amazing Interviews not to miss!!!
    October 16, 2020 by Jbower1282 from United States

    Consistantly uniques interviews or amazing people really making it happen.

  • Mario is a great host with great questions!
    October 16, 2020 by alexdesigns from United States

    Take a few minutes out of your day to listen to Mario. He is a super smart guy and I love the questions he asks his guests.

  • A great podcast for dreamers and do-ers!
    October 16, 2020 by Chiquita2727 from United States

    Lots of great information and inspiration for anyone who wants to turn dreams into reality. Mario brings a lot of spot-on information to this podcast.

  • Great Show
    October 9, 2020 by Palminchen from London from United Kingdom

    Love the broad selection of topics for inner

  • Amazing inspirational stories
    October 9, 2020 by Nicholas Lee 18 from United Kingdom

    This podcast is so good. The stories from the people sharing their stories about their struggles in life and how they overcame these struggles is just inspirational and helped me push harder when things get tough. Keep up the good work with these amazing interviews Mario.

  • Fantastic
    October 9, 2020 by sttoggyigctdrvy from United States

    Mario goes above & beyond on his show. Lots of great information for his listeners!

  • Top Learning
    October 2, 2020 by BLNT PPTT from Hungary

    Love hearing these great interviews with a great host. Keep up the good work!

  • Mario inspires!
    September 18, 2020 by CHRISTOPH - HABITFREAK from United States

    These interviews are fantastic. Mario inspires with great questions that draw out great answers from his guests!

  • Expert authority!
    September 18, 2020 by Tara Williams Phone from United States

    Mario shares some amazing people on this podcast and they have some gold to share!

  • Great show!
    September 10, 2020 by Karen @ Interview Valet from United States

    Mario is an awesome podcast host! I love the FB Live interviews and the opportunity for listeners to engage in real time. The audio and video quality is spot on every time. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything! You won't be sorry.

  • A Podcasters Inspiration!
    August 14, 2020 by JamieKullman from United States

    Mario has so much insight and delivers such incredible value through his show. I just started listening, but I've already learned so much from him and his wonderful interviews. Keep up the awesome work!!

  • Quality professionalism
    August 6, 2020 by VirtForce from United States

    I can’t say enough about how pristine and professional Mario is in his interviews. He truly wants his guests to have the best experience and recording possible. And not to mention he is fun and knows how to put people at ease in front of the camera.

  • How to conquer your limiting beliefs
    July 31, 2020 by Dave4syth from United States

    Listen to episode 103 an dlearn how to overcome your limiting beliefs. Great advice.

  • I can’t believe how much I learned in just one episode
    July 29, 2020 by AwesomeMontana from United States

    Mario is knowledgeable, curious and able to bring great guests that deliver value that every business needs to understand! Outstanding podcast!

  • Great content!
    July 15, 2020 by Cory Lee Leadership from United States

    Mario does a great job of providing relevant information and bringing on guests to share their expertise in a variety of fields. Highly recommend his podcast!

  • Fascinating interviews
    July 10, 2020 by Bill Ringle from United States

    Mario brings on accomplished guests and draws out their expertise and stories in a way that leaves me on the edge of my seat. Keep up the great work, Mario!

  • Love It!
    June 26, 2020 by Laura Moreno Cabanillas from India

    Loving this podcasts, an entrepreneur I really appreciate the energy and passion being shared to help us grow our business. Keep up the great work.

  • Boost my Amazon sales!
    June 19, 2020 by SurvivalDad from United States

    I tap Amazon as one of my sales channels and your interview with John Ghiorso was an eye-opener. Ignore at your own peril!

  • Love It!
    June 16, 2020 by LauraMore from United States

    I loved the Memorial Day episode, Mario! Thanks so much for creating this awesome podcast!

  • Flawless interview style
    May 29, 2020 by GninraeL14 from United States

    Mario makes everyone appear even more interesting to me. Great format and style!

  • Come here for value
    May 29, 2020 by Joshua User 202! from Canada

    Really appreciated this podcast for the raw, genuine interviews. Love it!

  • Crisp and interesting interviews
    May 22, 2020 by Joel Goobich from United States

    As someone who created one of the first podcasts dedicated to video marketing, I was very impressed by your recent episode about using video. Your interview style is crisp and interesting

  • If you are in business, this podcast needs to be on your playlist.
    May 22, 2020 by Macstephen1 from United States

    Mario has a great conversational style that helps his guests shine. This show is a must if you have an entrepreneurial spirit. It provides thought provoking content that will help any businessperson in their quest for success.

  • New Subscriber here and on your YouTube Channel
    May 15, 2020 by Angela Brown Oberer from United States

    Wow Mario you have a real knack for interviewing. You ask great questions and have a fun way of keeping the conversations lively and interesting. After listening to your episode with Owen Video I subscribed to your podcast and then I hunted you down on YouTube. High Five and great job!

  • Very Professional & Engaging Show!
    May 15, 2020 by Mitche Graf from United States

    Mario is extremely engaging and can hold your attention, and is a great interviewer! He has some great guests that really get into the details of running a successful business. Keep up the great work Mario!

  • Great Content
    May 10, 2020 by Pilar S. from United States

    Excellent! LOTS of advice from experts. The most recent episode talks about speaking–a must-listen for anyone who presents or is thinking about presenting.

  • Great content!
    May 1, 2020 by @Mentally_Strong from United States

    I really enjoy your podcast each time I listen. The content helps any entreprenur level up with they do. Keep it up and thanks for each episode.

  • Professional and Informative
    May 1, 2020 by Bruce at Mindfulness Mode from Canada

    Mario Fachini is an excellent interviewer and has terrific guests on the show. I highly recommend this podcast.

  • Great Podcast
    May 1, 2020 by Amber Fuhriman from United States

    I love the topic of this podcast. The episode with Tod Lindsay is super super helpful!!

  • Great find!
    May 1, 2020 by Reed Stiles from United States

    Great message and content. Stumbled upon this due to the cool logo, stayed for the content.

  • Great show and great host!
    May 1, 2020 by Laurapowers44 from United States

    Love what Mario offers! So glad he is doing his show and providing all this helpful info! Keep them coming!

  • Walks the walk
    May 1, 2020 by Me15463 from United States

    Mario encapsulates everything he talks about on the show. Be sure to tune in to this!

  • Honest and authentic
    April 17, 2020 by Deano3622 from United Kingdom

    Wow, just come across this podcast. Mario is such an awesome guy. He comes across so honest and genuine. Loved the content. I honestly don’t know where you find the time?! Keep it up Mario, love how honest and real you are!

  • Great and insightful!
    March 7, 2020 by Karty12345 from Australia

    I really enjoyed this podcast, so much relevant content. Thank you!

  • So much Value..!
    February 28, 2020 by Alex Dali Rizo from United States

    Great content, I really recommend this to any Entrepreneur looking to excel in their path, Mario brings topic experts to teach and inspire your day

  • Inspirational Intentional Information
    February 28, 2020 by 10Kforte from United States

    This podcast shares the stories from people that are doing whatever it takes to rise up and help others along the way. “What Are You Made Of” is one of the many messages shared on the podcast. There are so many takeaways that are applicable to anyone. I really enjoyed listening.

  • Wow!
    February 25, 2020 by Tyscoaching from Australia

    Just listened to the 'rescue site AED Program' episode! If you love epic stories and inspirational people, this is the podcast for you!

  • Motivation on Tap
    February 7, 2020 by AnthonyPGarcia from United States

    Mario brings on some of the most impactful entrepreneurs to hear from. He dives into the key performance factors of their business. He extracts information very well and keeps the show flowing very smoothly. Definitely a show to subscribe to!

  • Starting a Movement
    February 7, 2020 by JustMe2say from United States

    There are many areas of business and entrepreneurs have an opporunity to gain some insight with this podcast. Excellent interviews!

  • Great Podcast For Entrepreneurs!
    February 7, 2020 by The Big Game Hunter from United States

    Full of knowledgeable guests and useful information that will help you accomplish your goals in business and in life!

  • Mario Truly Care About His Guests
    February 7, 2020 by Podcast Junkies from United States

    Having met Mario and spent time with him at Podfest I can truly say that he is passionate about his show. He’s genuine and that clearly comes through in his own story and what he brings to every interview.

  • Put your thinking cap on!
    January 27, 2020 by Cliff Duvernois from United States

    This is probably one of the most information dense podcasts I’ve listened to in many moons. Each episode could easily be expanded out into 2 or 3 hours. Mario does a great job of asking the right questions to get his guests to reveal great tips, tricks and advice. Sure a lot of information can be applied to an entrepreneur but I found a lot of advice applicable to my personal life. This podcast is definitely worth my time to listen to and I’m looking forward to more episodes to come. Great job!

  • Relavant for anyone!
    January 17, 2020 by HarloB from United States

    I really enjoy Mario and his shows. The Stress and Anger in the Workplace episode was great because it cut to the chase of all the issues around this topic. Great interview!

  • Mario nails it!
    January 17, 2020 by Mickiezada from United States

    I've listened to Mario for a long time...his podcast is well produced, his guests are influencers and authentic authority, and chock full of insights and inspiration for entrepreneurs. Love it!

  • Mario is the real deal
    January 9, 2020 by jamesnewcomb.io from United States

    I’ve known Mario personally and professionally for over a year now. He is genuinely interested in helping people succeed, and consistently over delivers in his interactions and valuable advice with fellow entrepreneurs, podcasters, what have you. In this era of showmen who “give value” only if they think they’ll get something in return, Mario stands out as a man among men. Listen to his show and learn what true leadership and value in the marketplace mean.

  • Listening On My Entrepreneurial Journey
    January 3, 2020 by FromLisa2 from United States

    I was surprised when I stumbled over the servant leadership that shows up in these episodes. It's collaborative. It's focused on relationships with clients versus transactions. I especially enjoyed the episode on getting clients without "selling" because it's more about genuine relationship building.

  • A Gift
    December 25, 2019 by Lisa Vogt from United States

    Mario uses all his talents, gifts and abilities to produce this life affirming show. It's incredible that we are able to grow our abilities and develop our talents and gifts just through subscribing and listening. Thank you Mario!

  • This show is ON FIRE!
    December 14, 2019 by tibor.mindsethorizon from United States

    Love your show Mario! Your niche is close to mine but I focus more on mindset and manifestation in a business setting. I tuned into episode #103 with Karen Brown which is dope! Keep up the great work!

  • Entrepreneur Must Listen
    November 30, 2019 by HWoodwriter from United States

    If you’re an entrepreneur this is a must listen show. So many inside tips and thought processes behind moving your business forward. Mario does a great job with the guests by asking the right questions at the right time. He and his guests give the information you need to grow your business and leadership skills.

  • What a show!!
    October 26, 2019 by CWLuecke from United States

    Man, do I love interviews with world-changers! Mario does an excellent job gathering the cream of the crop for his show and giving insightful interviews. Check it out!

  • Loved it!
    October 25, 2019 by Seodrigo from United States

    This interview was very enjoyable. Mario brought on a wise guest by the name of Michael Lauria. I loved the interview and Michael's perspective on the topic. He had wonderful insights and around min 31, he hit something very profound. Excited to share what I learned today with others. Way to go!

  • Great listen
    October 25, 2019 by trinity3712 from United States

    Good listen. Great range of guests and topics. Something here is you keep listening will help you in many areas of life and leadership b

  • Great Knowledge!
    October 18, 2019 by Jon Vroman FRD from United States

    Great show Mario! So much valuable information in one episode!

  • Excellent show, very imformative!
    October 5, 2019 by Shaolin Soprano from United States

    Mario loving the podcast bro, great content, immense value. Enjoying these interviews!!!

  • Helpful Information!
    October 4, 2019 by The Medicare Nation from United States

    Love the valuable information on these episodes! Lots of tips & tricks for every Entrepreneur to use. Kudos Mario! Diane Daniels Host of Medicare Nation

  • Love Mario’s Attitude
    September 12, 2019 by marisaimon from United States

    Mario’s heart shines through his interviews, making these fun and positive, and the people he brings on offer such a wealth of knowledge.

  • Lots of Great Info!
    September 6, 2019 by DarlajPowell from United States

    Mario provides lots of great info and advice in this 7 day a week show.

  • Great Content!
    August 31, 2019 by LanceJohnson_ from United States

    Mario does a great job of share valuable information that every entrepreneur could use and apply to their journey. Great work! 🙂

  • Important information!
    August 31, 2019 by Allmenow from United States

    Very engaging information. Mario draws out experiences and knowledge from his guests. Loved the show!

  • Difference-Maker
    August 21, 2019 by Unlimited Beliefs from United States

    Mario is a master at bringing out, shining a light on, and internalizing the difference-making mindset. His knowledge and experience and mission enable him to synthesize information into diamonds for all of us! What you want is accessible by taking in this show!

  • Excellent Information
    August 21, 2019 by Stallion golf from United States

    Great advice and information with a wonderful blend of topics! Loved the episode with the british healthcare professional and the ideas shared on how to make the industry better.

  • Motivating and valuable information
    August 16, 2019 by Calvin Javier from United States

    Great insight on mindset from business leaders and entrepreneurs making things happen. Definitely worth your attention. Will be listening and learning more!

  • Good information
    August 2, 2019 by FIRE NATION! from United States

    Engaging interview with a british health pro, I was surprised to hear the similarties and the application she has for making healthcare better

  • Greatness
    August 2, 2019 by MiaSportFanatic from United States

    Have had the chance to listen to one show so far but man, we should be paying for this information. Lots of greatness. Thanks for the heart to serve.

  • Listen to the experts - and thrive!
    July 28, 2019 by The Marketing Book Podcast from United States

    There's a lot of advice out there these days but, sadly, a lot (and I mean a LOT) of is from people with little to no expertise. That's not the case with this gem of a show. Listen to what the experts say and profit from the experience!

  • Show is amazing!
    July 26, 2019 by BestMorningRoutineEver from United States

    I love learning about mindset and how to master my thoughts. This show provide the tools!

  • Great show!
    July 19, 2019 by Jefferson_79 from United States

    Great information for all businesses.

  • Good value!
    July 12, 2019 by Audrey purplele from United States

    Great information that applies to any business! I really felt he provided value for my time.

  • Interesting Topic
    July 6, 2019 by Real Estate Journeys Podcast from United States

    Interesting topic. Great interviews. Keep up the hard work!

  • Helpful Advice from Experts
    June 14, 2019 by ichuck2 from United States

    Mario talks to experts in a wide range of subject matters and asks good questions to pull out helpful advice.

  • What a great show!
    June 14, 2019 by Christopher List from United States

    Mario really brings out the best in his guests. The police dog trainer had such a great story. Can’t wait to hear more!

  • Great!!!
    June 11, 2019 by tommye w-c from United States

    Great podcast, awesome guests, incredible host!!!

  • Fun & informative
    June 11, 2019 by Saoirse Sky from United States

    Some people want something fun, others want something informative. This podcast gives you both!

  • Great show!
    June 10, 2019 by CJThomas6 from United States

    Very inspirational show! Appreciate the advice and thoughts shared by the host and his guests!

  • Great podcast
    June 10, 2019 by Rosie81200 from United States

    Great podcast! Love hearing about the guests’ journeys and what they learned from them.

  • Never Stop Learning!
    June 10, 2019 by Terri in Fairhope from United States

    Tune in to this great podcast and host! You're probably really good at what you do (top of your game...an Expert Authority), but there is always more to learn...streamline processes and gain more freedom in your life. It's not always about the bottom line. This one is worth a listen!

  • Amazing!
    June 10, 2019 by KatieHBrooks from United States

    If you're looking for inspiration, tune in to listen to Mario and his top notch guests. I find that I am always much more motivated after listening to an episode of Expert Authority Effect!

  • Wonderful show!
    June 10, 2019 by @IV-Heather Tieben from United States

    Mario is a great host & puts on a wonderful show. The quality of his interview guests and entire production is impeccable, I couldn't recommend Expert Authority Effect more!

  • You Will Not Be Disappointed!
    June 10, 2019 by Composer 1853 from United States

    Mario does such a great job of engaging his guests from several different disciplines.

  • The hardest working man in Podcasting
    June 7, 2019 by EOFire.com from United States

    Mario brings the HEAT with real energy and FIRE...don't miss the meteoric rise of this show! ~ John Lee Dumas

  • Great interviews and guests!
    May 31, 2019 by Mel Good Karma from United States

    Thanks for hosting such great interview guests. Look forward to hearing more and kudos on so many a week and also videos!

  • Fantastic
    May 31, 2019 by Jason A. Duprat from United States

    Awesome podcast, going to be adding this one to my list. Interesting topics with great interviews, good sound quality.

  • Enjoying!
    May 31, 2019 by Slordan from United Kingdom

    Enjoy listening to Mario and how he opens up the conversations to ensure it’s as relevant to us as listeners!

  • Nice variety and interesting topics
    May 31, 2019 by emjgreen from United States

    Love the variety of topics presented here on this show. Looking forward to listening to more of Mario's show.

  • Great Content! Great Interviews!
    May 24, 2019 by No BS Mompreneur from United States

    Wow! Really enjoy listening to all these fabulous expert authorities!! Lots of valuable take aways that I can implement into my life. I will continue to listen and share with others!! A+++

  • A great addition to build authority and create an impact
    May 24, 2019 by Cloris Kylie from United States

    A great addition to build authority and create an impact. Also, a different twist on the topic. Engaging. 5 stars!

  • Filled with motivation and ideas
    May 20, 2019 by Thomas O'Grady, PhD from United States

    Mario does a great job interviewing and pulling the stories behind people's stories or success. Good pleasant listen. If you are in a journey of your own, these episodes will give some things to bring into your on life.

  • spartancv
    May 17, 2019 by spartancv from United States

    Great job following your passion, your purpose and creating this podcast to help serve others! Keep up the excellent work.

  • This podcast is the bomb
    May 10, 2019 by Posturedoc from United States

    Mario always crushed it, and this podcast is another example of his amazing insights and knowledge!! Great work.

  • Wow - love the video show.
    May 4, 2019 by Thehighenergygirl from United States

    Thank you for the encouragement and tips on how to succeed on video and the repurposing idea.

  • Motivating and Inspiring!
    May 4, 2019 by KatyJoyWells from United States

    Mario brings such enthusiasm to his shows and his content is fantastic. I’m always learning new things to implement or new ways to grow, thanks Mario!

  • What a great show!
    April 29, 2019 by Gene_HPLN from United States

    Awesome podcast! Mario brings great topic, great guests, and it is very easy to listen to. I definitely recommend for anybody interested in business success!

  • It's great
    April 10, 2019 by Ian Ryan from United States

    Just had a chance to check out your most recent episode appreciate the great insight! Great delivery from the host & can’t wait to dig into future content.

  • Love it!
    April 6, 2019 by Brendan @ Entrepreneurs&Coffee from United States

    I love that this interview podcast doesn't feature the same old folks that everybody has on their show. Keep it up, Mario!

  • Amazing!!!!
    March 15, 2019 by Lindsey Russo from United States

    This show is so impactful! Hearing from the experts and how they take authority in their space is so amazing. Looking forward to more episodes!

  • Learned what I didin't even know I needed
    March 15, 2019 by Camilla-Jean from United States

    Great info. I love the Q episode because I get just quic interst snippets that may get me thinking about where my business might go.

  • Fabulous Interviews!
    March 1, 2019 by Life&RelationshipCoach from United States

    Mario does a fantastic job interviewing really interesting and successful business people who explain how they got to where they are - tips you won't want to miss when your trying to grow your business! Keep up the great work Mario! Coach Riana Milne

  • A+ Show
    March 1, 2019 by Gisele_Oliveira from United States

    I love this show. It's so entertaining and I learn a lot from the interviews. I highly recommend this show if you want to level up his game as an authority.

  • Inspiration, transformation, success stories!
    February 23, 2019 by Chabo101 from United States

    The title of this review should just be enough but it is just more than that. Its life lessons, its listening to personal struggles and how they over came those struggles. Love to hear from people that change the world through their struggle and the lessons that i learn from them are just more than amazing. I love this.

  • Great interviews!
    February 22, 2019 by AlyciaDarby.com PodcastManager from United States

    These interviews are well done and his guests are prepared to give really specific insights and stratagies... great podcast, Mario!!

  • Inspiring story of courage
    February 16, 2019 by StrongHeart<3 from United States

    I love that she found gratitude in her circumstances. lorie is an inspiration

  • Powerful!
    February 15, 2019 by The Food Heals Podcast from United States

    Mario's interviews cover a variety of topics and provide great value in all areas of your life! Episode 15 discusses how change is temporary and transformation is permanent which was really powerful for me. I love this message! Thank you!

  • Great content!
    February 15, 2019 by Blakeob85 from United States

    Great answers to common questions many entrepreneurs have! Thanks Mario for sharing your and your guests' insight!

  • Real Actionable Tactics!
    February 9, 2019 by MattBMaverick from United States

    What I like about Mario's podcast is that he pulls out actionable tactics from his guests that we, the listeners, can actually use. Great show!

  • Great Listen!
    February 8, 2019 by Real Estate Investor from United States

    Mario and his guests provide useful techniques to succeed in any business venture. The interview style promotes learning through real life examples of his guests. Great listen!

  • Great interviews!
    February 8, 2019 by Matt B 1818 from United States

    Love hearing these interviews and learning from people who are top in their industry. Mario is a great host and is not afraid to share his emotion!

  • Love it
    February 1, 2019 by Duffash from United States

    I love hearing interviews of successful business women and taking away what I can learn from their journey. Mario is a great host! I have enjoyed what I have learned so far. Congrats on the launch of your new podcast!

  • Strong, professional, enthusiastic!
    February 1, 2019 by pm legs from Canada

    If you're looking for an interviewer who's going to take you to investigative places to help you be your best you, through your professional life, you'll love listening to Mario!

Watch The Episode

Subscribe to EAInterviews

App | Apple | Google | Youtube | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeartRadio

Resources Mentioned

Business Book Checklist

TEDxSugarLand 

People Mentioned

Sponsors

• Wirecast Pro: It’s time you film your next video the way your audience and you deserve, professionally. To learn how Wirecast Pro will help you with your professional production and increase profits visit: http://www.EAinterviews.com/Wirecast

Charity Music bringing instruments to people in need.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[01:24] Melanie Johnson’s inspiration for starting a charity auction business

  • Difficult business times inspired her to give back to charity
  • Donated her house in the Dominican Republic

[04:25] The Unique Approach she uses to partner with charities

  • Getting the sponsor to donate their property multiple times for higher revenue

[10:40] How to Get A Private Chef and Unlimited Food and Alcohol at a Private Villa in Paradise

  • All-inclusive charity home donation with all the extra included, free

[16:15] The Most Common Type of Charity Auction Client

  • Families, Business Masterminds

[17:19] Melanie’s BIGGEST Charity Auction Success Story

  • Women’s home in Uganda story

[18:52] How Launching A Book Has Helped Boost Her Business

  • Physical calling card that is authoritative
  • Clients love being mentioned in the book, it helps them promote you

[20:01] Why Publishing A Book Is Better Than TV or Magazine Advertising

  • A book lasts longer
  • Magazines get thrown away

[21:15] How Video Helps You to Promote Your Business on Multiple Platforms

  • Helps with branding, SEO
  • Show up in front of potential client well would not have heard about you

[26:50] Best Way To Promote A Charity Auction and Have the Best ROI

  • Tease people and promote event ahead of time

[29:00] Why Melanie Really Recommends Consignment Items

  • No risk if nobody buys it
  • Odd or rare items connect with audience members

[30:18] What is the Main Benefit of Having an Auction VS Other Charity Fundraisers

  • Make it a party, fun time so people come back next time
  • High customer lifetime value compared to other models

[32:04] How to Get Auction Items for your Charity

  • Consignment items, ask board of directors, reach out to the community

[34:30] How to Do A TEDx Talk as a Speaker

  • Connect with the local organizers

Money Quote: Why You Should Write a Book

“So, I came as an anchor, I owned and operated TV stations. We sold TV time, air time but we also bought things to promote our TV stations, we bought billboards, newspaper, magazines, all different types of advertising, we bought radio ads. 

So, I have found to be such a great advertising tool, almost better than any of those things. 

So, we had a client who was spending $2,500 a month in a magazine. Now she was getting results, it was a local magazine. 

But now 12 months later, what do you have? Right? No one’s going to pick up those magazines again. I have magazines, my local magazine, I thumb through it once and then I go back through it to see what I’m going to throw… what I’m throwing out.

So I look at it maybe once, maybe twice. Sometimes, it doesn’t even get the once. So with the book, you have that asset forever, it never goes away, and Amazon now works for you. 

Guess what? You’ve just hired Amazon now that you have a book and it’s just going to promote you. 

And all your information from your author page is going to be right up there on the first page of the search engine.”

Episode Transcript

Read Full Transcript

Mario Fachini  [0:01]  

Welcome to today’s episode and I am excited to share with you, Miss Melanie Johnson. Ten-time best selling author, TEDx speaker, and charity auction expert. I’m going to bring her up next. And let me show you who she is. Here she is: Miss Melanie Johnson, but first, let’s hear from our sponsor.

SPONSOR-Charity Music  [0:33]  

Charity Music. Charity Music, bringing instruments to people in need. What Charity Music does is for the underprivileged that don’t have the luxury of being able to afford any instrument that they want, whenever they want. Charity Music gets donations from all around the country, and redistributes them to people who need them. Check out charitymusic.org.

Mario Fachini  [1:09]  

Melanie Johnson, everyone, here she is. How are you doing, Melanie?

Melanie Johnson  [1:14]  

I’m doing fantastic. How are you doing, Mario?

Mario Fachini  [1:16]  

I’m doing great. It’s such an honor and privilege to have you here. And, let’s just jump right into it, shall we?

Melanie Johnson  [1:22]  

Sure, let’s go.

Mario Fachini  [1:24]  

I know a little bit about your story. And I’m excited to bring that with the audience, but tell me how you started off. What’s the inspiration for starting your business? And just going you know, I don’t want to work a job. I want to go into business. I know you’ve had multiples over the years very successful. But what’s the inspiration with what you started with your charity auctions?

Melanie Johnson  [1:47]  

Well, the charity auctions is something different than I would say when I first started my business. So I started in the TV business as an anchor and before that, was a commercial actress. So, when I got into the television field, then I realized I really love being in front of people, and I was a subcontractor at the time, and then we started our own TV station. So, the other businesses I started, really became out of necessity, right. So, the world crashed and came to an end. I got a divorce and that was tumultuous. So, the first business I started as an entrepreneur really all by myself, besides the TV stations, which I had my former husband that we did together was the Houston mansion. So, we had these two really large homes and I was trying to figure out a way to monetize them, and to make a living to support our kids. So, at the time VRBO had just started, the internet was still kind of new, it was 2008. And I came up with renting those houses. Well, those houses generated a six-figure business for us in the meantime, so I can support our family, which was great. And then I got my feet wet in real estate, I had done some real estate before and did some investment. But as it happened, so my houses eventually got foreclosed on in the market, the my husband filed for bankruptcy. So then I lost my job with my houses, right. And then also the real estate market went down and I didn’t have a place to live. So, kind of had to reinvent myself again. So, what happened that I had been trained to do publishing and marketing in the meantime. Now, my background with TV was advertising promotion, I knew how to do all of that. So, I started a book publishing company. So, that has been really successful. We have a bunch of authors that we’ve all made- Jen Foster and I- that we’ve made number one bestsellers. And then in the midst of that, you know, with my TV business, we used to be able to give back a lot. So, you were specifically asking me about the charity thing. So, we always gave back quite a bit, we are involved either we gave airtime; we gave money; we gave different products that we had. So I wanted to keep that theme up in the forefront, especially for my kids. And we have… I had this picture down in the Dominican Republic. And a friend of mine asked if we would donate it. So we did, I did it on a consignment basis. And next thing I knew it started to mushroom and my kids and I’ve been involved in this. And one thing led to another and we have raised over a half a million dollars donating it to charities all over the country, to help different organizations, whether it’s women in Uganda; people in Puerto Rico; we’ve done children’s thing; we’ve done things for juvenile diabetes; Women’s Center; educational for different private schools, we’ve raised money. So it’s really been a joyful thing to do.

Mario Fachini  [4:32]  

Well, I know you’ve always had a good heart and it’s one of the things I’ve always liked about you since we met at a publishing event years ago. And you know, you have a great family, you have great kids and obviously shines through. So, I love… it’s one of the reasons I wanted to have you here because I know a lot of people in business and all the people I associate with they’re… they’re like us, you know, they have good hearts, they, you know, they’re well to do and all that. But some people just aren’t like that and so I’m excited to share more of your story. So, how would you say for all of the listeners that… you know, I was telling you before that I was working with my local Rotary Club, and we’re in a board meeting and they’re like, we need people for the auction, we need items, we need…we need items for the auction and people that submit them. And, the… people are always coming to me over the years going: what do you think we should do to market the event? What do you think we should do for this that the other thing? So, how would you say if you were to break it down real simply what is… what do you do when you’re partnering with them? And how do you do it differently?

Melanie Johnson  [5:42]  

Well, one of the secrets that I tell our charities to get the most out of it, so I let them auction the trip off multiple times to try and generate as much money as possible. And in this last year, it was not my do… my idea but this charity had an awesome idea. So, what they did was when the trip got auction, they had multiple bidders and then when they hit the highest bidder say it was $10,500 for the trip was the high bidder. So, they said okay, you won, but then they said the second winner… I…guess what? Your bid was 10,000, we’re going to give it to you both for $10,000. So, what does that do, it gets the second person on the hook, right? Because they already said they were committed to the 10,000. The first bidder gets it for $500 less, and the charity makes double the money so everybody wins. So, I thought that was just a really, really great strategy to do that. So, if you have live auction items, try and get permission for the person who’s donating them to do it multiple times. So that’s number one, it really, really can help your bottom line to raise more money for the nonprofit.

Mario Fachini  [6:45]  

And, awareness for the donation too because such as yours, it’s not to say you only have one week a year, you can give it out, you just make sure you don’t double book it. And you could even have three or four if you say hey, grand prize is two weeks. Second prize is one week. That’s a great idea.

Melanie Johnson  [7:01]  

Yeah. So that way we… and some of the charities, they’ve sold it four times. So, just think about that. So they’ve made a lot of money by doing that. And then I tell people, you know, my specific thing is better in a live auction, it tends to generate more money, but it can work in a silent auction. And, what I tell them is to put it at the absolute lowest price you can where you still make money with the consignment fee, because that generates, you know that I want a good deal in my brain thing. And then once you get someone to commit and write on paper that they want it and if you get a couple people to do that, then they’re just committed. It’s kind of like just saw this thing my son showed me where you can get ‘I’ll give you $100 for $1’. And then they were bidding against two people. And before you know it, they’re paying $150 for the hundred dollar bill. So, it’s kind of that same thing you just want to get in the loop and get them committed.

Mario Fachini  [7:53]  

Absolutely. So, I know you have a lot of different success stories. But if you were to take all of them all together, what would you say the specific results are? What’s the timeframe? So, when… when someone reaches out to you, and they want to use your item and their auction? How long does it take to say, ‘hey, let’s get you on board. You’re in the auction’. And what are the specific results of…Have you ever not sold it? Let me ask you that.

Melanie Johnson  [8:20]  

That has happened sometimes, where they just didn’t have the right crowd. People weren’t bidding, especially depending… the Texas economy in 2015 was not doing that well. And then I was more in Texas than I was all across the country. And people… I remember I felt so bad for this charity because I think out of all the the silent auction items that they had maybe four, they probably had 100 items, maybe four… maybe ten sold. There just weren’t bids on anything. It was really sad. So, you know that kind of thing can happen. So, know your market; know the people that you’re inviting. That’s the only thing I would say. When you’re picking your auction items, know your crowd. What kind of things… are they… are they trip takers? Are the people that want to go to the spa? Are they… know what exactly would they want. So… and try and fill it with those types of items. There’s also consignment people that have sports items. They have things from Hollywood, if you’ve ever seen those big shadow box, signed autographed things by different sports celebrities. So, there’s different auctioneers that will provide that stuff for you for your auction.

Mario Fachini  [9:26]  

Excellent. So, obviously know the market. What do you think they could have done better? Do you think they could have had a different crowd? Do you think it was just the economy? Do you think it was how it was promoted? Because I thought a lot of the same things. I remember I’ve done a lot of charity events, and I’ve been there and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s really cool. That’s going to sell’ and sure enough, it’s like crickets. It’s like, are you kidding me? And then there’s like some basket of fruit and everyone’s bidding over? I’m like, why would you not want to get a brand new car or boat or whatever? And so, with what you sell, with… how do you normally do it? Do you normally bid on one week at a time? Two weeks? A couple of days? What are the different price points? You said it sold for ten grand. Was that one week, two weeks?

Melanie Johnson  [10:13]  

One week. So I give away one week for that thing. So, it’s a one week stay, seven nights, you get a six bedroom villa, or and or two three bedrooms and it’s just based on availability. When you get down there, they just assign it so you don’t know ahead of time. It’ll either be six bedrooms, or two three bedrooms. But each one has its own private pool, its own private veranda. And, if you end up with two bills, guess what? You get two chefs that will cook you breakfast every morning. That is…

Mario Fachini  [10:40]  

Let’s tell everyone about that. Because you were telling me about that before. Speak more on this breakfast thing because you got my interest on here. You’re saying there’s a private chef who cooks for you every morning. 

Melanie Johnson  [10:50]  

Mhm…It is…. it’s my family and my kids favorite thing. Mecca we were going to go somewhere else and my son said ‘well, do they have a chef every morning?’ I said no. I’m not going there. That’s like who are you? How did that happen to ruin you at such a young age already? So, yes. So, what… it’s an all inclusive. The price that we have on it is $65 a day. You pay that separately at the resort. But, for the $65 you get all the food you can eat- breakfast, lunch, and dinner- includes unlimited alcohol, you get bottle service to the your Villa for that. And, all the snacks…unlimited snacks, unlimited ice cream net, this fabulous ice cream shop that I just love. So, that is really great and then the chef comes every morning and cooks you breakfast. So you pick the time that you want them to be there. And I just love it like you can kind of hear him banging around a little bit in the morning and then the smell starts to permeate the villa. So literally, I mean, you tell them what you want. And last time we were down there, there was five of us. And everybody had eggs different ways. And he cooked eggs. He did omelets. He did scrambled eggs; he did eggs over easy. So everyone’s like oh yeah, I want mine over easy. I want omelette and he was making it any way that you wanted. We had pancakes, French toast. We… now this is all at one meal, right? This isn’t like oh one day we had french toast. No, you get your eggs, your french toast, your pancakes, your fresh fruit. Oh, and he makes smoothies too. You get a smoothie in the blender that you’re pouring every morning and fresh juice. It’s amazing. And what I love about it is you’re eating outside at your terrace right by the pool and then the kids are like, yeah, I’m just going to jump in the pool now. And I’m coming down in my pajamas. I’m like ‘I’m not changing’, I’m gonna wear my pajamas for breakfast. And, it’s just so laid back and and then the maid comes and cleans it all up, like right after you’re done. And as a single mom, let me tell you to have someone clean up your breakfast afterwards and eat at home. It’s such a luxury. And half the time moms know that your kids don’t like to go to the restaurant and sit if they don’t have to. So this is a great way to start the day that everyone’s together and hanging out with that breakfast. I just love it.

Mario Fachini  [12:52]  

It sounds wonderful. And, I should… I should have put a disclaimer warning because I know we got bottles of water over we’re here to drink but I’m like ‘I need a bowl of ice cream here too’ this is kind of… getting hungry. So, thank you for sharing that. So, you’ve worked with these different auction… you’ve done different auctions, you have a great charity item that people can reach out to you and contact you for. So, what is your biggest success story? What is your favorite success story? Who’s the biggest success you’ve had donating your Villa? And it just provided great results… Tran… you know, transformational, for the people who auctioned it off and just gave them the biggest boost and value add?

Melanie Johnson  [13:35]  

Yeah, I would say everyone… you know what, I want to continue another thing just so they know what it came with. So it also comes with your airport transfers to and from the airport. Oh, okay. Nine holes of golf, one for each person. And, then they have OceanWorld tickets for everybody, which is kind of like SeaWorld. And it’s right next door to the property. So… 

Mario Fachini  [13:54]  

I was going to ask you about that. I saw that on the info and as like OceanWorld, we need to talk about naming here and…

Melanie Johnson  [14:01]  

And I have to say, we did the swim with the dolphins there and we’ve done that probably four different locations and by far, that one was the best. I really loved it. Like it was just so good. I can’t describe it but they just did different things and it was really, really great. And then they have excursions you can go on. So of course there’s snorkeling and things like that the kids and I love the ATV but my favorite is the waterfall adventure. So we went on this waterfall thing and I’ve been to Hawaii and gone to the waterfall so I’m envisioning that you’re going to go to the waterfalls, the end of the pond like stand under the waterfall have feeling you know, look at it, have it pour down on you…no, no, no you are jumping off waterfalls.

Mario Fachini  [14:40]  

How tall was it?

Melanie Johnson  [14:42]  

So, one is about 90 feet, I would say. 

Mario Fachini  [14:45]  

Oh, that’s it?

Melanie Johnson  [14:45]  

The biggest but it’s pretty big. And so the story I have of that. So that was…. so firstly, like you hike through the rainforest and then you jump off the waterfalls, you do have an option to slide down the rock formation. Okay. So and then you hike down the riverbed to each waterfall jump down and hiked down the riverbed the rest of the way down. So, this one that was 90 feet, I am thinking, there’s no way I’m doing that. My sons are like, ‘come on mom, you can do it?’ Uhuh, I’m going to go for the slide down thing on this one. I’m doing the little slide down. No thanks. So, I’m talking to them and we’re talking about it and we’re climbing up the detox. I’m thinking you slide down up at the top. So, we’re and it’s a little ledge. I’m sorry. It’s like Raiders of the Lost Ark. It’s a little ledge. It’s a rock wall here little age and waters right there. And you’re climbing up there. And I’m like three people from the top. And they say, Oh, no the water… the slide downs down there. So, I was stuck. There were people behind me people in front of me and I’m on this little ledge. So, I had to jump off the 90 foot one. I have to tell you, I was scared to death, but it was so exhilarating and so much fun. I loved it. 

Mario Fachini  [15:52]  

Did Nathan get it on video? 

Melanie Johnson  [15:54]  

No, I wish he did. But it was a blast. It was a blast. So, you know those types of things it was is really team building just between my sons and I but I would say like if you went with a group of people, we recommend the trip it can be for families, but it could be for a mastermind. It could be for a corporation to bring their employees together. It really is fabulous in a lot of different ways.

Mario Fachini  [16:15]  

Do more people come to you that want to auction off for like a couple, an individual or like a business like you’re saying with the team building where they could have five or ten people who’s the most that has ever taken it? And I don’t mean like it went to one auction and then four different people got it. Have you had like a company get it for ten or twenty people? Because I know you said there’s eight villas, if I’m not mistaken.

Melanie Johnson  [16:37]  

Yeah, well, there’s 90 on the property. So, I have access to all of them. So I could book you know, up to 10 villas at one time, if there’s availability for those days.

Mario Fachini  [16:45]  

And you can hold how many in the villa,  four… six?

Melanie Johnson  [16:48]  

Well, it depends. There are a variety of bedrooms, so anywhere from three bedroom to six bedroom is what they have there and there’s a variety of those. So they may have a four… there five… four bedrooms, five bedrooms and six bedroom villas.

Mario Fachini  [16:59]  

So essentially, what you’re saying is someone wants to do a mastermind with 40, 50 or 60 people is totally doable.

Melanie Johnson  [17:06]  

Absolutely. Absolutely. So, that’s like…like even at a charity. They could say, all right, I want four weeks, right? I’m going to buy this trip four times, but take it all at the same week. So that’s a possibility. Yeah.

Mario Fachini  [17:19]  

Okay. And, your success story of who, who has been your favorite success story to call you up, contact you put it into the auction, and they did the most with it.

Melanie Johnson  [17:35]  

You know, I think one of my favorite was the women’s house in Uganda, because they were saying, you know, every little bit, you know, $10 could buy them food for a week and things like that. So we raised $10,000 for them, and just impact… to see that happen, and know what a difference that was going to make for them to help build their facility for these women and children. I came home and cried afterwards.

Mario Fachini  [18:04]  

That’s really good. And that’s what it’s about is not just saying ‘Look at all this stuff we have… this and that and you know, people have asked me similar questions. And it’s like, when you have an audience, when you have a platform, I truly believe it’s like, it just reveals who you are. It doesn’t define who you are. So, if you can get in front of a million people, like you’re saying $10 is like 100 bucks to us, or maybe even 1000, and you raised 10,000. That’s, that’s huge. And that’s… I mean, there’s people that… there’s companies that they could do that on their own, let alone get around to other influencers and raise even more to it. So, I think that’s why everyone should start a business and be doing, you know, good stuff. So, thank you for sharing that. So, I remember when we first connected, you were actually launching your book. 

Melanie Johnson  [18:53]  

Right. 

Mario Fachini  [18:53]  

The Dominican Republic one, so speak on that for a minute. So, for anyone listening, what would you say your book has done to help you with your business and promote it and get the word out there.

Melanie Johnson  [19:06]  

So, that specific book was really great, because it was a value added. I could display it at the auctions, people could thumb through it. I give them an ebook of it once they win the auction, it comes with it so they can read about it, and I did another book on the restaurants there. So, it was really a great value added and gave a lot of publicity. Now, this is a backend story of this. I took some of the books down to the resort. And of course they’re always selling to timeshares or two, and so I gave a couple to my salesmen. Oh my gosh, she would have thought I gave him gold. I mean, he… and he didn’t want to give the book up. He was carrying it around to everybody like ‘look at…. we have a book look at we’ve been published’ like it was like the resort publish the book on them. So, it really…. he started using it as a sales tool to close deals for the timeshare.

Mario Fachini  [19:54]  

Wow. So you’d say it’s advantageous for any company organization to get a book published that based on their expertise?

Melanie Johnson  [20:01]  

Oh, absolutely. And not even…. I mean from that, but my background is television. So, I came as an anchor, I owned and operated TV stations. We sold TV time, air time but we also bought things to promote our TV stations, we bought billboards, newspaper, magazines, all all different types of ad….advertising, we bought radio ads. So, I have found to be such a great advertising tool, almost better than any of those things. So, we had a client who was spending $2,500 a month in a magazine. Now she was getting results, it was a local magazine. But now 12 months later, what do you have? Right? No one’s going to pick up those magazines again. I have magazines, my local magazine, I thumb through it once and then I go back through it to see what I’m going to throw… what I’m throwing out. So I look at it maybe once, maybe twice. Sometimes, it doesn’t even get the once. So with the book, you have that asset forever, it never goes away, and Amazon now works for you. Guess what? You’ve just hired Amazon now that you have a book and it’s just going to promote you. And all your information from your author page is going to be right up there on the first page of the search engine.

Mario Fachini  [21:09]  

I’m trying to keep this on point and not make sarcastic remarks. But for everyone listening, she is absolutely… Melanie is correct. And yeah, if you don’t have a book, you should get one. So, next question. I’m going to behave here because we’re twins… so good. Video, we’re live on video right now say what’s up, world? What’s up, world! I know you were this perfect segway…I mean, you’re making this super simple you… because you said you worked in broadcast, you owned a TV station. This is…. how would you say video has helped you over the years with your business?

Melanie Johnson  [21:55]  

Oh my gosh, well, video is huge. I’m trying to convince a client right now who has a design company- interior design company. She has all these beautiful pictures and I said you need to make YouTube videos out of all those. ‘I don’t know why you need that.’ So, you know, you’ve got to explain Well, first of all….

Mario Fachini  [22:12]  

You want leads and new customers and prospects? 

Melanie Johnson  [22:16]  

Yeah….’well, I don’t see other designers doing it.’ Even better, they have….

Mario Fachini  [22:20]  

No competition.

Melanie Johnson  [22:22]

You’ll just blow it out of the market. So, I think video really helps you on several ways, like this podcast doing Facebook Live. It connects people, it shows your vulnerability, it shows that you’re real, they can see your personality. You’re not just a figment of their imagination, it helps with your brand and helps with search engine optimization, which we call SEO. So, that means also sudden YouTube is promoting you. So, when they search you, all of a sudden, you’re not just going to have a bunch of lists, you search things and you just see a list of things. But then you’ve searched things and you see three or four videos come up across the page, right? So, that’s what you want, you want to have those videos there to brand you. And, I’ve seen it where people have done a real estate agent, that broker that we’re working with. He’s got videos out there, but it was all done through a brokerage that he’s no longer with, it wasn’t under his name, his YouTube channel. So, we need to create a YouTube channel for him to brand his name. And that will never go away because he’s not going to jump ship from himself so to speak to like he is with other real estate companies. So, it’s very, very important.  Mario and I were both trained on be everywhere, right? Take your content and make it multipurpose. Look how smart Mario is. He’s doing a Facebook Live, which he’s turning into a YouTube video, which he’s turning into a podcast. So, he’s doing something one time and it’s going to be at least three places who knows where else he’s going to put it. So… and then he can edit it and make smaller chunks and make other Facebook posts with it. So, he can transcribe it. So, now that he’s got the video, he can transcribe it, and he can take the context of the translation and make a blog post out of it. And, he can send parts of that as emails. So, do something once, put it everywhere that you can and repurpose it. Oh, and then by the way, if you wanted to, he could take several of his interviews, transcribe them and make a book. He could have a whole ‘nother book.

Mario Fachini  [24:19]

That’s a good idea. If…If someone were to just do that only, you know, haha.

Melanie Johnson  [24:24]  

We did that with our podcast. Yep, yep.

Mario Fachini  [24:27]  

So, we’re gonna take a break and thank our sponsor, and then come back and go to the lightning round, where I’m going to ask you specific actionable content on people that want to reach out to you. We’re going to tease them with the first question, it’s going to be the… Where did that go? So… So, when someone reaches out to you think about the shortest path to the cash, how you can take them from where they are to get the money for the charity. And, here we go with thanking our sponsor.

SPONSOR-Charity Music  [25:00]  

Charity Music. Charity Music is a great organization, you can check them out at charitymusic.org. And, what they do is: have you ever wanted to play an instrument? Have you ever wanted to be in the band? Have you ever wanted to pursue your dreams of music? Well, I can tell you a personal story of when I did, it started back in fourth grade when I started playing piano. And I gotta be honest, I was really more focused on watching Sonic the Hedgehog than taking piano lessons. But, I’m glad my parents gave them to me because I learned how to play piano, we always had one. And then I took lessons for fourth and fifth grade. But then, in middle school, it was time for alto sax. And it was a lot of fun but, you know, I was thankful that we could afford it plain and simple. But there’s people who can’t and I had friends who you know, they couldn’t go on the band trips, and they couldn’t go on this and that. But, from a parent’s standpoint, you know, are you going to invest thousands of dollars for someone to not play it next year, you don’t know if they’re going to, you know, the attention span of someone who’s just coming up isn’t always there. So, what Charity Music does is you can reach out to them and, very simply, you can either rent the instrument or purchase it from them. They get donations from organizations, schools and a lot of different people around the country. They refurbish them, get them up to par and I will personally tell you that the alto sax I have now I got from them. And I enjoy it. And it works just like the one I had in middle school then and concert band and marching in high school. So, music is near and dear to me. I’m very thankful for Charity Music, check them out at charitymusic.org.

Mario Fachini  [26:43]  

Welcome back, Melanie. So, I’m going to have some water too and not let you have… I saw you take your break, so now it’s time for mine. And… shortest path to the cash. What’s what’s one thing that when someone contacts you? What can they what’s the shortest path to the cash? To contact you, they get you into the auction, but what’s the best way they can promote it to have the greatest ROI?

Melanie Johnson  [27:09]  

Well, you should tease people ahead of time just like any great marketing, when we do a book; when you’ve got a new product coming out. When they have a new video game coming out, what do they do? They tease you, they let you know that it’s coming. So, you want to send it out to your email list for the charity, you want to promote it at the school that we did. They had it on their video screen so every morning when people were walking into drop off their kids, they saw a picture of the villa. So you know, you want to promote it as much as possible. Some charities even let them do rebidding. So, they open it up like ‘hey, we’ve already had bids on this people are bidding’. So, you can even pre-bid before it happens. 

Mario Fachini  [27:47]  

That’s….that reminds me like when we’re launching books for clients

Melanie Johnson  [27:51]  

Yeah.

Mario Fachini  [27:52]  

That’s very akin to the presale, isn’t it?

Melanie Johnson  [27:55]  

Exactly, exactly.

Mario Fachini  [27:57]  

I would have never thought to use it that way.

Melanie Johnson  [27:59]  

So, pick your top five auction items that you’re going to get the most money for right that top 20{d1d47f886dfada3fbec120c845cf21cbf2de07a46032aee93c7c36510b4a5e81} and promote the heck out of them. But then also make sure that the people have a list of all the other auction items. Because that may make or break them even attending the event. They might not.’Oh, I’m not going to go I don’t think about it. Oh my gosh, look how fabulous this is. I think I want to do that. Let’s go because I want to bid on these things.’ So, it’s just another reason to get people to show up for your event, as well as want them to bid on that. And remember, it’s all subliminal, right? You want to keep feeding that in their brain that they want this. So and the other thing I would say…

Mario Fachini  [28:37]  

So, are you saying advertise the charity auction items prior to the event? 

Melanie Johnson  [28:43]  

Absolutely. 

Mario Fachini  [28:46]  

Oh, I just thought of literally like six seven people I need to send this to because I’m working with them on the charity auction. That’s a really good idea. 

Melanie Johnson  [28:56]  

Yeah. 

Mario Fachini  [28:57]  

Okay. What else do you have for us? I know you were about to say something about something else they should do.

Melanie Johnson  [29:02]  

Charities have issues with consignment items, I really recommend consignment items. You’re thinking, ‘Oh, well, not all the money goes to the charity because I have to have this consignment fee.’ First of all, there’s no risk. So, if nobody buys it, you don’t pay anything. Second of all, you may have an item that touches somebody that they want that they may not bid on anything. Right? They might have been there without that item. Nothing speaks to them. But you have this other thing. Like I said, it might be a Marilyn Monroe autographed sweater that she has or something, right? And some….

Mario Fachini  [29:34]  

She wore a lot of sweaters, Marilyn Monroe?

Melanie Johnson  [29:36]  

Yeah, you never know. I have a Marilyn Monroe, fur throw that I had at one time. Anyways, that’s another story. But, so you may, you know, you may have something that connects with you, whether it’s a sports person, a celebrity, so don’t be afraid to do that. I think it generates extra income that you might not have had. So, definitely do that. That would be my other suggestion. My other suggestion is some people I’ve seen auctioneers where they on the silent auction and the live auction that they set the minimum bid to high. Again, keep that bid, try and keep it lower, don’t be afraid you’re not going to make as much money. But just to start to generate and get to people get people to start to commit to wanting that auction item. That would be my other tip.

Mario Fachini  [30:18]  

Okay, number two, customer lifetime value. Now, what do you think the customer… I’m gonna have to rephrase that a little bit because it’s an auction item but for someone that’s doing an auction, what would you say the benefit of having a really strong auction is?

Melanie Johnson  [30:38]  

Well, first of all, people are going to have more fun, they’re going to be excited, because there’s things there that they like, second of all, you’re going to raise a lot more money, right? And third of all, people are going to want to come back next year.

Mario Fachini  [30:48]  

So, I think that speaks to the customer lifetime value because you’re absolutely right. When you can have 400 people there 40 people there, you can have 10 people there or 10,000. And everyone’s going to remember, or oh my gosh, let me tell you about it. So, you’re in…. in…. Would you agree? In essence, you’re kind of pre marketing next year’s event?

Melanie Johnson  [31:13]  

Mm hmm. Absolutely. Yep. And you know, another thing is, you want to make sure people have fun. So plan your event so it’s fun, you’re active. So think of activities and how you want in the feel and the culture of the event. Because you save is just ‘oh my gosh, this is so boring. auction items might be great, but this is boring.’ So make sure you’ve got that vibe and again, people will want to come back because it’s a it’s about the party. Make sure you throw a great party.

Mario Fachini  [31:41]  

I like that. I agree with that, 100{d1d47f886dfada3fbec120c845cf21cbf2de07a46032aee93c7c36510b4a5e81} Alright, so the last question before we get to do something that I actually enjoy. Rapid Fire 60 seconds. What’s the biggest problem you see people with charity auctions? What’s the biggest problem they’re doing to not make it as successful as it could be?

Melanie Johnson  [32:04]  

A lot of times they’re having a hard time getting the auction items. So, how do you get auction items? One: you can do consignment? Two: you need to ask your your board of directors the people involved. Everyone should be assigned to get so many auction items. So, make sure that you’ve done that. Go out to the community, get the outreach, I want you to be responsible for that. Those are some of the other things that I see most.

Mario Fachini  [32:26]  

Okay, well, I appreciate that. I definitely want to pass this information along. And… so now, I love promoting people. That’s why I got into marketing… started my company. So, where can people find you? What’s the website that can get more information on the charity auctions?

Melanie Johnson  [32:45]  

We know… I have a website, I don’t really use it. It’s called Charity Auction Consignments, but please reach out to me on Facebook. Find me: Melanie Tirello Johnson, and you can private message me. That’s the best way and I will send information on the villa. And then, all I need is your donation form from your charity, and so I can get you on the calendar. So we’re still taking… I’m still taking charities for this fall, and this winter. So, please contact me. Facebook’s probably the best way. Or you can find us at Elite Online Publishing and you can find me there Melanie@eliteonlinepublishing.com for my email.

Mario Fachini  [33:22]  

And perfect segway into your publishing and your book. So, I know we talked prior, and what would someone have to do to get a copy of your book?

Melanie Johnson  [33:33]  

Well, you can go to Amazon and look up Melanie… Melanie Johnson on there, ‘Leaving a Life Legacy. So, I have a bunch of books, that being one of them, and that book was from a TED talk that I did… a TEDx talk that I did, about leaving a legacy and how important that is to leave your information, whether it’s by video, whether it’s by book, whether it’s by telling your children, but pass that information along. And, I have to say Mario just wrote a new book about his dad, and it just has all these fabulous quotes. Gonna make me cry. But it’s just wonderful that he left his legacy.

Mario Fachini  [34:11]  

He did. Thank you. 

Melanie Johnson  [34:16]  

Pretty important to do that to make sure you pass that legacy on, especially as baby boomers are leaving, so don’t.

Mario Fachini  [34:22]  

And continue it. 

Melanie Johnson  [34:23]  

Yeah, even if it’s a living life legacy, you do it every day, as well as you know, pass that knowledge on every day.

Mario Fachini  [34:31]  

So I’m going to throw an audible here because I know you can handle it. And, a lot of people ask how do you how do you get into TED? How do you do a TEDx talk? How do you do this? How do you do that? If you could speak… we got about another minute or two. But, let’s throw in an audible here and give some behind the scenes. Tell us about your TEDx experience as a speaker, not just an attendee.

Melanie Johnson  [34:54]  

Oh my gosh, as a speaker, it was incredible. So, they usually provide a speech coach for you just to go through even though you may be a seasoned speaker, you can either have one or not have one, just to give you tidbits and go through it. And I used it, even though I speak a lot. It was great to have another person’s input and it was just a really great experience. I imagine it might be different in every venue. But, Joshua Evans puts the Sugarland TEDx conference on and tremendous speakers, great experience. And, I’ll tell you just having that, I use it all the time. I mean, it’s at the bottom of my email, and so many people have seen it. And, I just love being able to get that message out there as a speaker about leaving a legacy. It’s so important to me, I really believe in that. So, it was really a great experience.

Mario Fachini  [35:46]  

Well, I appreciate you for coming on the show. And, that’s it. So, thanks again, Melanie, and it was great having you.

Melanie Johnson  [35:55]  

Great always, Mario. Great to see you.

Mario Fachini  [35:58]  

All right. We’ll talk to you soon and thanks again.

Connect With Melanie

Resources to Profit Your Business!

1) FREE! Business Book Publishing Course:Learn How to Publish Your Lead and Profit-Generating Business Book in 8 Weeks

2) FREE! Video Podcast Course: The World’s Best Blueprint on How to Profitably Create A Hollywood Style Livestream Video Podcast from Your Home or Office

3) Marketing $upercharger: Learn the difference from the $1 bill to the $100 bill and how you can stop leaving the other $99 on the table today with all sales

Join the Expert Authority World™ Community

www.ExpertAuthorityWorld.com  

This is your fun, FREE and profitable interactive resource, to engage with other listeners, leaders, VIP Guests and myself to discuss the show and business 🙂

Leave a Rating & Review

www.SubscribeToMario.com

If you found value from me, todays VIP Guest, website, community, or really anything show related, it would mean the world to me if you could take a second and leave an honest rating & review on iTunes, I read them all personally, and would love to know the biggest benefit you got from the show, THANK YOU in advance 🙂

Support The Show

www.Patreon.com 

Subscribe to EAInterviews

App | Apple | Google | Youtube | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeartRadio

Ready for Increased Leads & Profit?

I help people just like you publish and promote lead & profit-generating business books.

Sign up to unlock your first step!

You have Successfully Subscribed!

“”