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Community Highlights: Meet Melissa Cooper of Good Community

Blog Originally posted on: VoyageATL on 3/10/22

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Cooper.

Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

Good Community is a calling and was birthed during my maternity leave in September 2019. When I was on maternity leave, the time with my son was golden and it was also a time where I started pondering more about my purpose. I read the book, Draw the Circle: The 40-Day Prayer Challenge to center myself on what God was calling me to do. I received clarity on Day 40 and everything started to fall into place thereafter. After praying, I identified that launching our family business alongside my husband (Jamal Cooper) could transform the lives of those who would become a part of Good Community. Our love for building community started with our participation in Life Groups at our local Atlanta church. I was gifted the opportunity to participate in the 2020 Teach for America Social Innovation Fellowship and programs through Plywood People where we were supported with the tools, resources, and coursework to start our entrepreneurship journey.

In June 2020, Good Community LLC became a registered company in Georgia where we started with our first mission and menu of services. Those services included community groups and socially conscious apparel. We served clients across multiple states and four countries. However, as we continued to learn more about our clients and their needs while also understanding the issues people are experiencing with the pandemic, it became clearer that we needed to shift.

We changed our mission and upgraded our services to expand our impact in the areas of personal and group coaching, executive coaching, and professional development. We still kept our original services of community groups and selling our merchandise. To accommodate this shift, I am in the middle of completing my 6-month coaching certification from the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute and getting certified through the International Coaching Federation. In December 2021, I pitched our new mission and services through Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Tech Tip Off Pitch Competition and won first place. People deeply resonated with our new services. We believe in Good Community and know that our organization will have a national and global impact.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?

My husband (Jamal Cooper) and I launched Good Community together and with this, our priority is to serve God, serve each other, be parents’, work full time, and be entrepreneurs. This does not always equate to a smooth road. While every role we play is rewarding, it can be a juggling act where we have to intentionally plan our time. Truthfully, as the pandemic continued to worsen, I didn’t know if I could manage a business at the same time. So, I began making the decision to close Good Community for a while. However, God had different plans. God sent clients my way inquiring about the next community groups or asking what Good Community was up to. Because my faith plays a big role in my life, I prayed and worshipped. It was in the middle of my worship experience at Victory World Church that God delivered next steps for Good Community.

Starting and running a business is not easy but it is rewarding and brings so much joy to me. I love living out my strengths, passion and bringing people together. To that end, we didn’t give up. We took a step back, reflected deeply, explored our passions, and affirmed our strengths. In November 2021, we made a decision to rebrand. We changed our mission and upgraded our services to expand our impact in the areas of personal and group coaching, executive coaching, and professional development. We still kept our original services of community groups and selling our merchandise. To accommodate this shift, I am in the middle of completing my 6-month coaching certification from the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute and through the International Coaching Federation. In December 2021, I pitched our new mission and services through Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative Tech Tip Off Pitch Competition and won first place. People deeply resonated with our new services. We believe in Good Community and know that our organization will have a national and global impact.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

At Good Community, we empower individuals and organizations in breaking unhealthy and oppressive barriers through transformative learning experiences and coaching. Our charge is to equip each person with the knowledge, tools, and resources to thrive relationally at home, work, and their community.

Our menu of services include:
1:1 Personal Development and Group Coaching for women, educators, and organizations
Community groups for men and women
Executive Coaching for leaders and entrepreneurs
Organizational Learning Design and Facilitation
Real-Estate Consultation
Socially Conscious Merchandise

We are proud and want our readers to know the following:

Coaching: I have been coaching since 2010 in the educational system and within non-profits. I have a joy and passion for not just helping people reach key performance indicators but truly helping them be their best selves. I have grown to understand that there is more to a person than their “work”. We are human beings and deserve to be uplifted, supported, and heard as we become a new and different person.

With my coaching, I lock arms with individuals by empowering them in breaking free from emotional, spiritual, cultural, and mental strongholds keeping them from being their best self. For example, I’m looking to serve individuals who: (1) Have issues with self-esteem and self-worth, (2) Are seeking balance in their lives with their career, family, and relationships, (3) Are nervous to walk in their purpose where imposter syndrome may take over, and (4) Are looking to shift their mindset from good to great.

I intentionally create transformative learning experiences where you take the ownership in forming your own solutions to combat your challenges. Working alongside me will give you the clarity, tools, and support you need to transform your life for the better.

Currently, I coach women, educators, and organizations for 1:1 personal development coaching and group coaching.

Community Groups: Our community groups provide intentional opportunities for relationship building, resource exploration, intimate storytelling, and healing that increase awareness and promote social change on a diverse range of topics. We provide the training, platform, and framework to build a Good Community wherever you are. We have designed and facilitated over 30 community groups in the areas of mothers against racism, Authentic Manhood, wealth-building principles, womanhood, faith, and operating in the workplace.

Organizational Learning Design and Facilitation: Our ultimate goal is to support institutions in designing professional learning sessions that are rooted in adult-learning principles and Culturally Relevant practices that will yield improvements in their overall organizational outcomes, increase staff morale and engagement, and provide a framework to sustain these practices over time. Our main services include: Organization/Department Analysis, Designing and Planning, and Professional Learning + Meeting Facilitation.

Socially Conscious Merchandise: We are believers in the Good News of Jesus Christ and work with designers to create apparel that uplifts and creates opportunities for people to have an encouraging conversations about our faith. Our merchandise can be found online at our website.

Good Community is a multi-faceted organization that truly seeks to serve and support others.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
I love that I have a heart for entrepreneurship but it isn’t something that just started in 2020. It started with my dad. My dad has been in business, as a mechanic, for 30+ years. My favorite memories growing up included me being at my dad’s shop since I was 4-years old helping him “fix” cars, write checks, open mail, clean, order parts, and help customers. He showed me how to authentically relate and support customers. He also showed me what it means to love what you do, to be clear about your passion, and to enjoy life. I’m thankful for what he has taught me in the areas of entrepreneurship and also keeping God first. He showed me how to take care of people at work, at church, and at home. I’m thankful for my relationship with him and the wisdom who continues to share. He is a great dad and grandfather to our son, JCIII.

Pricing:

  • 1:1 Coaching Sessions are $100.00 per hour with discounts provided for bundled services.
  • Group Coaching Sessions are $100.00 per session per person with discounts applied depending on the number of individuals who register.
  • Executive Coaching Sessions are $900.00 per hour with discounts included for bundled services.

Contact Info:

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