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Do I have to be friends with my co workers to get ahead? Should I take the promotion even if I hate the job? Is my salary big enough or am I getting screwed? Do I have to choose between having a family and having a career? I've been laid off now what do I do? I'm Melissa Franks, and I've spent the last 25 years building my corporate career and a family to along the way, there have been bumps and bruises and some epic going down in flames of glory moments. My journey up the corporate ladder found me forging new ground without a safety net. Through my real life stories, experiences, and special guests on the show, I take the mystery out of how to succeed in the corporate world. I'm going to spill all the tea about how decisions are really made, how to tell who the hidden influencers are, and how to realize your full potential while enjoying the process at the same time. Each week, we will dive into a topic where I will share the good, the bad, and the ugly of my experiences and what we can all learn from them. You will walk away each week with a clear set of next steps to take action and improve your circumstances. We are going to speak frankly and freely about when it's time to opt in or to opt out. Opt In is a place where you can come to get practical, actionable advice to propel your career and your life in the direction you want. Work with me: www.melissafranks.com/offers

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What Are You Actually Working Toward? (It's Not Your "Why")

July 22, 2026 • Melissa Franks

0:00 | 28:19

Have you ever spent the quiet minutes of the morning, or the late hours of the night, asking yourself: why am I even doing this?

This episode isn't about finding your "why." It's not about your purpose, and it's not about your values. Melissa reframes the question entrepreneurs actually need to answer: not "why," but what your driver is — the specific, sometimes unflattering dream that pushed you to start in the first place.

Because here's the thing most founders get wrong: it's not burnout, and it's not hustle culture that makes you hate a profitable business. It's not even knowing your "why" that's missing. It's not identifying a value system — it's never having named the actual driver behind the leap, and having no way to tell whether you've already hit it.

Melissa shares the two very unglamorous goals that drove her to start On Call COO, a five-minute conversation that helped a founder realize she'd already achieved everything she set out for, and the decision she made this spring to pull back her own hours — on purpose, eyes wide open — to be present for her kids this summer.

In This Episode:

Kristen Cavallari's "I'd hate my life" comment on Emma Grede's Aspire podcast, and why it's the smartest thing a founder can say
Why "what's your why" is a question Melissa can't stand — and what to ask instead
Melissa's own driver behind starting On Call COO
What happens when you don't know your driver (and start chasing other people's results instead)
A live coaching moment: how one founder realized in five minutes that she'd already won
Why Melissa chose to pull back this summer, even while the business was growing
How to build a real plan before you chase your next big goal

Connect with Melissa:

Book a free consultation with Melissa → https://www.melissafranks.com

Learn more about On Call COO fractional services → https://www.melissafranks.com

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