Meet Michelle Ora Melamed | Jewish-Iranian LA Native

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Ora Melamed and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle Ora, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Ever since graduating college, I knew I wanted to go on my own and start my own business. I wanted to have freedom and flexibility with my time and live life by design. Although at times I find myself working longer hours than when I was employed at a 9-5, having my own business affords me the luxury of being in control of my schedule, which I was otherwise not granted.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

See here for my bio and business origin story – www.oraconsulting.me/about

I’m very curious and experimental, and that sentiment has translated to my professional life. I’ve pivoted in my career several times, which has posed many challenges. With each new pivot, I’ve had to self-teach, which can be tedious and stressful, but ultimately, my diverse experience in advertising, marketing, operations, and sales paved the way for my consulting business.

The greatest lesson I’ve learned in life is the power of intention. Whether or not I have had or lacked the resources to accomplish something, I’ve learned that intention (read: dedication, passion, motivation) is all I need to get something done.

My mentality is there’s always an answer – if I don’t have the answer right away, I’ll find someone who does. I’m not afraid to ask for help – I’ve done close to 100 informational interviews throughout my life – and similarly, I’m always open to helping others as well.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I’m a big activity person; LA is so big, and has so many fun neighborhoods to explore. I’d probably dedicate each day to a new area.

K-town – Korean spa, Korean BBQ, then Karaoke.

Depending on the season, I would spend a day in Malibu or go to the snow to get a few runs in.

I grew up playing sports, so I would spend a day at the batting cages, maybe go-karting, rock climbing, or paintballing (I haven’t done that in years!).

I love yoga—I got my 200-hour teacher certificate—so I would go to a class at Artha in West Hollywood, spend an afternoon in the infrared sauna, do cryotherapy and/or contrast therapy, and then get a massage.

Downtown LA/Arts District is fun – I’d walk around the neighborhood, maybe do an escape room, go to Tea at Shiloh, and then grab Dinner at Bestia, Bavel, or Dama, a few of my favorite restaurants.

Probably spend a day in Silverlake, go to Sqirl, Bar Bandini – a natural wine bar – and end up at Bar Stella before checking out who’s playing at Echo Plex, The Palladium, Sound, or any venue in the area.

Get Thai food – it’s hard to go wrong in Thai town – then do a fun photoshoot at Tom’s One Hour Photo Studio & Lab.

I’m Iranian American – so we would have to make a stop at Javan in Westwood, then head over to Saffron & Rose for ice cream.

Top Golf? Comedy Store? Highland Park Bowl? Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery? 

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

Yes, I want to dedicate this story to Allison Bowen. Allison and I met in graduate school while pursuing our M.S. in Integrated Design, Business, and Technology at USC’s Iovine and Young Academy. In 2019, during the school’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, we connected over our passion to produce a children’s book series. We had a similar vision and mission alignment on what we wanted to work on, so our partnership felt like a natural progression. We worked on our idea in a few Lab classes during the program and continued after we graduated. Writing a children’s book series is a long process, especially if you want to go the traditional route (i.e., via traditional publisher vs. self-publishing), so this process takes patience and dedication. Allison and I have worked passionately for the last few years to bring our vision to life. Our partnership and my dream to eventually work on the series full time was a catalyst in starting my own business and leaving corporate.

By the way, my business is separate from the series. This is a passion project, for now.

Website: oraconsulting.me

Instagram: moosh52_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellemelamed/