🕴️From São Paulo to designing hope

Most people wait for permission to dream big. Damaris Melo decided at seven years old, before she even knew what the word "architect" meant.

Damaris is an award-winning architect in Minnesota and author of Making My Way: A Story of Grit and Grace. She grew up in inner-city São Paulo, the first in her family to finish high school, and now designs community projects that turn desperation into hope. Her story lands different in a world that needs more of both.

3 Lessons Learned

Mentors don't have to know they're mentoring you. Damaris met an architect once, at age seven, for a single conversation. That one meeting set the course for her entire life.

The vehicle doesn't matter, the destination does. Whether it's the bus, the subway, or swapping cars along the way, Damaris says the path can change completely as long as you stay locked on the goal.

Feel your feelings, then get back up. Damaris admits to plenty of "pity parties" after setbacks. She says grieving the loss is healthy, as long as you return to your why afterward.

Pull Quote: "What matters is that you stay on it, and that you swap cars when you need to."

This Week's Action Step: Write down the one idea that keeps nagging at you, the one you've dismissed because of money, connections, or fear. That's likely your calling trying to get your attention.

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Connect with Damaris and grab her book, Making My Way, at damarismelo.com or designedbymelo.com. Mention this podcast when you reach out. Steve is giving away 5 free copies to the first listeners who do.

P.S. Damaris said something that stuck with me: the scariest ideas are usually the ones meant to impact the most lives. If something's been nagging at you for years, maybe stop ignoring it. And if you want more conversations like this, come join us inside The Business Network on Skool.

— Steve Ramona

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Quote of the week
"The greater the need, the greater the reward once you help deliver something that solves real problems." — Damaris Melo

Thank you for being part of the Doing Business With a Servant’s Heart community. Every story we share is for you — to help you connect, grow, and make your own impact.

Hit reply and let me know what moved you this week.

Keep serving with gratitude,

Steve

P.S. Every story we share is for you — to help you connect, grow, and create your own ripple of impact. Hit reply and let me know what moved you this week.

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