From Tragedy to a Multi-Business Empire

Summary

Podcast Summary: Living The Red Life – “From Tragedy to a Multi-Business Empire”
Host: Rudy Mawer (with Ray Gutierrez as guest host)
Guest: Melody Rhodes
Date: June 1, 2026

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Overview

This episode features attorney and multi-business entrepreneur Melody Rhodes, who shares her story of resilience, reinvention, and building a legacy out of setbacks. The conversation explores Melody’s journey from humble beginnings in Brooklyn, through personal and professional challenges, to leading multiple mission-driven ventures—including her law firm and Smoothie King franchises. The discussion centers on rising from adversity, using setbacks as stepping stones, and creating pathways for others to succeed.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Motivation: From Brooklyn to Law and Beyond

• Background: Melody reflects on her upbringing with limited resources in Brooklyn and the inspiration her tenacious mother provided.
• Initially wanted to be a neurosurgeon, but setbacks redirected her to law, driven by her passion to help others.
  • “My desire, my passion to help people is what led me to law…It’s not about whether or not I succeeded. Right. It’s about whether I created pathways for others to succeed too.” (00:00 & 12:55)
• Moving to Miami for law school marked a major turn in her personal growth.
  • “So I went to law school here actually. Yes, I did. So I lived here for three years.” (02:07)

2. Resilience and the Underdog Mentality

• Self-Perception as an Underdog: Melody recurrently refers to herself as underestimated, highlighting how being counted out fueled her drive.
  • “I’ve always been the underdog...When I finally realized I was, like, standing in my purpose, I was doing the things I was supposed to be doing, there was no applause. There was not a single sound. It was just me feeling aligned and feeling positioned and feeling unstoppable.” (00:47, 10:23)
• Mother’s Influence: She credits her mother’s focus on her unique gifts and the imperative to actualize them.
  • “The worst thing you could do is to not utilize your gift...maybe no one else around me knows it, but they will know it, right?” (06:14)

3. Navigating Setbacks and Building Multiple Ventures

• Early Struggles and Motivation: Recounts setbacks and how the fear of failure, especially regarding her children and employees, keeps her moving forward.
  • “I just do not want to fail my children, the people depend on me, my employees, myself.” (04:55)
• Transition to Entrepreneurship: Law became the springboard to finance and launch new ventures:
  • “Being a lawyer gave me the income...I always loved logistics...franchising...and I own two Smoothie Kings in metro Atlanta.” (04:50)
  • Desire to impact spans many fields, underlining multifaceted ambitions.
• Power of Storytelling: Melody considers public speaking and sharing her journey as her ultimate contribution.
  • “The last thing I want to do...career wise? To share my story.” (05:30)

4. Mindset: Turning Pain into Power

• Philosophy of Growth: Views setbacks as necessary chapters, not obstacles.
  • “Everything that you’re going through is a stepping stone to something greater. Right. And so maybe you’re just eating a few breadcrumbs on the table...those breadcrumbs are building blocks.” (07:59)
• Divine/Thermodynamic Purpose: The idea that perseverance and faith lead to a sense of alignment and destiny.
  • “Your pain, it doesn’t disqualify you. Right? It prepares you for what’s next.” (10:23)
  • “There was no applaud...it was just me feeling aligned and feeling positioned and feeling unstoppable, right?” (10:23)

5. Legacy, Gratitude, and Creating Opportunities for Others

• Legacy: Melody’s true measure of success is opening doors for others.
  • “It’s not about whether or not I succeeded. Right. It’s about whether I created pathways for others to succeed, too.” (12:55)
• Gratitude and Perspective: Never calls a day ‘bad’, but rather has “bad moments”—emphasizing gratitude for being alive and the opportunity to keep moving forward.
  • “Any day is above the ground, I’m already doing better than someone who didn’t make it to today. So I have bad moments in my day because I’m human. But I try really hard not to say that I have a bad day.” (12:55)

6. Practical Advice for Underdogs

• Self-Belief and Patience: Encourages listeners to appreciate their current chapter, trust that setbacks are necessary scaffolding, and never lose sight of their vision.
  • “You cannot really take for granted the spaces that you’re in. So if right now all you’re eating is crumbs, it might just mean because you’re putting together your, you know, your big piece of bread for later.” (08:11)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Resilience:
  “After all you’ve been through, how do you get up? ...I don’t know. I think it’s just my fear of failure, really. I just do not want to fail my children, the people depend on me, my employees, myself.” – Melody Rhodes (05:32)

• On Rising from the Underdog Status:
  “My mentor says, ‘You know what, Melody? Everybody underestimates you. Everybody. They just do not see you coming.’...When I’m done, they’re gonna know it.” – Melody Rhodes (06:14)

• On Purpose:
  “When I finally realized I was like, standing in my purpose ...there was no applaud. There was not a single sound. It was just me feeling aligned and feeling positioned and feeling unstoppable.” – Melody Rhodes (10:23)

• On Creating Legacy:
  “It’s not about whether or not I succeeded. Right. It’s about whether I created pathways for others to succeed, too.” – Melody Rhodes (12:55)

• On Gratitude:
  “I try really hard not to say that I have a bad day because I’m just grateful that I’m here after everything that I’ve been through.” – Melody Rhodes (12:55)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–03:01: Melody’s early setbacks and pivot from neurosurgery to law
• 03:02–05:44: The role of helping others and the transition into entrepreneurship
• 06:09–07:18: Discussion on being underestimated and leveraging the underdog mindset
• 07:59–09:10: How setbacks are building blocks for future success
• 10:23–12:10: Embracing pain as preparation for purpose and wielding newfound strength
• 12:22–14:55: Melody discusses her roots, her inspiration, gratitude, and ways for listeners to connect (including business info)
• 15:14–15:43: First podcast experience and closing remarks

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How to Connect with Melody Rhodes

• Instagram: @lawyerbay
• Website: RhodesLawPractice.com
• Phone: 404-854-HURT (at the Rhodes Law Practice in Atlanta)
• Locations:
  • Smoothie King (8101 Tara Boulevard, Atlanta)
  • Smoothie King (900 Duluth Highway, Lawrenceville, GA)

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Final Takeaway

Melody Rhodes offers an authentic, motivating account of perseverance, belief in self, and community-minded entrepreneurship. Her journey from tragedy to triumph exemplifies that setbacks can become the launchpad for a legacy, provided one maintains purpose, self-awareness, and dedication to helping others ascend as well.

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Transcript

[Melody Rhodes]

I had fallen pretty low. Those setbacks, they. They kind of took me off the path, but not really off the path of success. And when I decided to pick myself up, I thought about what I really wanted to do. I realized that I wanted to help people. My desire, my passion to help people is what led me to law because it gives me the opportunity to help people who in. In places or spaces that they're not able to help themselves most of the time, because it's just. It's not about whether or not I succeeded. Right. It's about whether I created pathways for others to succeed too.

[Narrator/Host Introduction]

Melody Rhodes is a res. Purpose driven entrepreneur, attorney, and the founder of the Rhodes Law Practice and multiple mission led ventures. Drawing from her journey of reinvention across law, business and leadership, she empowers others to pursue growth with courage, create opportunities, and build a legacy rooted in impact and service.

[Melody Rhodes]

I've always been the underdog. Talking to my mentor just yesterday, and he says, you know what, Melody? Everybody underestimates you. Everybody. That's what he says. When I finally realized I was like, standing in my purpose, I was doing the things I was supposed to be doing, there was no applause. There was not a single sound. It was just me feeling aligned and feeling positioned and feeling unstoppable.

[Rudy Moore]

My name is Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, Take the red pill, join me in Wonderland and change your life.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Welcome back to another amazing episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast, the Red Life Edition. Moments before she films her Whoops. Woman in Power episode, is an amazing serial entrepreneur slash serial lawyer from Atlanta, Georgia, Melody Rhodes.

[Melody Rhodes]

All right, thank you.

[Ray Gutierrez]

How are you? I feel like I just made a WWE announcement.

[Melody Rhodes]

Right.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You're gonna walk out. Ding, ding, ding. So what is. What would you say is your finishing move? What would you call it? Melody Rhodes.

[Melody Rhodes]

It would probably be a finishing move in wwe. Probably. I would probably have to jump off the top of the ropes.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Melody Rhodes]

Right. And land on. On my opponent.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Done.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yes.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Objection.

[Melody Rhodes]

Make sure they do not get back up.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on. So what brings you down to Miami? Welcome to Miami.

[Melody Rhodes]

Oh, so it's really a welcome back for me. So I went to law school here actually. Yes, I did. So I lived here for three years.

[Ray Gutierrez]

What a place to practice law.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Or learn law.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yeah. I didn't really get to practice, but I definitely lived here for three Years. So I feel like a part of me will always be in Miami.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on. What years were those?

[Melody Rhodes]

So that was in 2000. Yeah, 2008 is when I. To 2011. Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Cool. Okay, great.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

So what inspired you to be on the path that you are on now? Were you completely different person, or were, you know, who were you before you became who you are today?

[Melody Rhodes]

I really wanted to be a neurosurgeon.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Nice.

[Melody Rhodes]

I did.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Straight for the brain.

[Melody Rhodes]

I wanted to operate on people's brains. I really did. And I just. I experienced some setbacks early in life, and those setbacks, they. They kind of took me off the path of, you know, neurosurgery, but not really off the path of success. Right.

[Ray Gutierrez]

For sure.

[Melody Rhodes]

So when I decided to pick myself back up, because I had fallen pretty low, and when I decided to pick myself up, I thought about what I really wanted to do. Right. And it was bigger than what I used to tell my mom growing up. Mom, I'm going to be rich. That's what I was telling her all the time. She's like, oh, Mellie. Okay. You know, because we come from very humble beginnings, and I said that, but it really wasn't that I was going to be rich. I just knew I was going to be successful.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Melody Rhodes]

Right. So I to that. When I started looking at what I wanted to do, I realized that I wanted to help people. I've always been just in my personal life, Right.

[Ray Gutierrez]

What? You want to help people, but people that dress this way don't help people. What are you talking about?

[Melody Rhodes]

I definitely help people. And my friends will tell you that, you know, we could be on the phone, and one of them could just immediately tell me they have a problem, and I'm already. As they're talking, they don't ask me to search it for them, but I'm searching it for them.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Or you're on the way there, right?

[Melody Rhodes]

I'm already on the way. So my desire, my passion to help people is what led me to law. Right. Because it gives me the opportunity. Opportunity to help people who. In. In places or spaces that they're not able to help themselves most of the time. So once I became a lawyer, that kind of gave me the platform to. To kind of move into other areas that I've been wanting to move into because I had the income now, right. To be able to support myself where I didn't before the Runway. Yeah. So I had the income, you know, to be able to support myself. So I started to think of, like, how to. How Did I want to make a difference in this world? And there were things that I loved. Like, I always say that I wish I had about three or four more lives to live, maybe like a cat, like maybe nine, because I could think of nine different things that I would do if I got to come back. But I always loved logistics, and so I. I got into that, and that kind of pushed me into my. The. The next area of my life, which was, like, franchising, and I own two smoothie kings down in. Or up, I guess you could say, in the metro Atlanta area in Georgia. And so. And then speaking, you know, some that's. I always say that what's the last thing I want to do when I'm on this earth, like, as far as career wise? And that's to share my story. So that's what brings me here. It's like life full circle. I really want to share my story because I think that it's one of a lot. A lot of failures, a lot of setbacks and a lot of losses. But I've arrived. You know, I've made it to this stage of my life, and I'm only going to grow and get better every day. But I think that once people hear my story and realize how. I mean, even my. One of my best friends asked me the other day, mellie, after all you've been through, how do you get up? She said, every day, how do you get up? I was. I don't. No. I think it's just my fear of failure, really. I just do not want to fail my children, the people depend on me, my employees, myself. And so I. You know, I truly believe all of that has brought me here.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Well, where does that. Do you think, that psychological higher power. Where does that drive come from? You think, is it something that happened to you early on or something? You feel like it's happened to you generationally, Like, I'm a Latino from Miami.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yes.

[Ray Gutierrez]

We're designed to fail. So when one of us succeeds, it's

[Melody Rhodes]

like, hey,

[Ray Gutierrez]

and then people will blacklist you and just not, like, you know, elevate you. So how do you compound that energy, that negative energy, and to turn into a positive.

[Melody Rhodes]

Let's see. I've always been the underdog, right? I was talking to my mentor just yesterday.

[Ray Gutierrez]

There you go.

[Melody Rhodes]

And he says, you know what, Melody? Everybody underestimates you. Everybody. That's what he says. You know, they just do not see you coming. You're. Because in my life, you know, I'm very nice. Right? I don't Seem like the shark and tiger that I am when it comes to my legal background. You know, I am very, like, I'm very close with all my employees. So a lot of people don't expect that I'm going to be the most type a overachiever person that there is. And, you know, I come from a background where I had a mother who was tenacious, Right. She was very nice. Oh, she's the sweetest person. Everybody who meets my mom says she's the sweetest person I ever met. But she did not play about my gifts. She always said that the biggest. I guess the biggest failure in anyone's life or the mo. The worst thing you could do is to not utilize your gift. And she told me mine was that I was smart. And so I've kept that in the back and the front of everything I do, knowing that, you know, that I am smart. So maybe no one else around me knows it, but they will know it, right? When I'm done, they're gonna know it.

[Ray Gutierrez]

For folks that are watching this and listening to this that are the underdogs. And when we hear underdogs, we always think about folks that are watching these movies that, you know. But being an underdog is being in rooms where you have the right voice but not the loudest, and you hear someone else say what you just said. Your lesson is to understand what just happened and go, oh, good, I'm not going to make a fuss about that. I just know that I'm right and that that energy that I proposed is being barfed somewhere else. I'm like, that was my opening meal. Onto, like, the main course.

[Melody Rhodes]

Yes.

[Ray Gutierrez]

How does one go from appetizer to main course in success? I think at 1:11,

[Melody Rhodes]

I think that you have to realize that everything that you're going through is a stepping stone to something greater. Right. And so maybe you're just eating a few breadcrumbs on the table.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You're seeing a lot of frogs, as Damon likes to say.

[Melody Rhodes]

But those breadcrumbs are building blocks. Right. And so you cannot really take for granted the spaces that you're in. So if right now all you're eating is crumbs, it might just mean because you're putting together your, you know, your big piece of bread for later. Right. So I think a person can go from being an appetizer to, like, you know, from appetizer to main course by really appreciating where they're at, but never losing sight of where they're going.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yep.

[Melody Rhodes]

Right. And know that even on the days where it feels like that you're working, because I've been there on days where I felt like I've poured so much into my life and why am I only here, right? But that was just because there was something working in the background preparing me for the next steps. And I truly believe that those moments prepared me for who I am right now. And so I just think you have to really just appreciate, truly appreciate where you are and never really get down on yourself too much and just keep going.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, yeah. What do you tell folks that are yet to learn? That they're in a certain saga, if you will, for all the T swifties out there, like, sometimes you're designed to fail. Like, you're going to hurt for the next couple five years, but it's not going to hurt you. Plenty of where God is going to let go of you, where everything is in front of you, you're able to handle, because it's part of God's plan. A lot of folks don't call him God, don't call it the Source, but when you start walking a divine path, like, when does one know that they have the glass slippers on or that they're walking and they're just like Michael Jackson, things are just lighting up. When to start? When do folks start understanding? Well, the yellow brick road is the path, huh? And we get to the end, and, gosh, the wizard of Oz happens to be a phony because it's always been in us. Wicked's been, right? So when you finally kind of understand what you're manifesting because you're fighting for the disingenuous, the disenfranchise, I would say, I'm sorry, Instead of marching through and holding this sign, you're holding this sign and weaponizing yourself with Excalibur. How does it feel holding Excalibur now and just noise. Like, how does it feel knowing that you were able to go, God, Tron's hammer, Troy's hammer. And, like, now you wield the strength

[Melody Rhodes]

well, your pain, it doesn't disqualify you, right? It prepares you for what's next. And so, you know, I believe that when I finally realized I was, like, standing in my purpose, right, and I was doing the things I was supposed to be doing, there was. There was no applaud. There was not a single sound. It was just me feeling aligned and feeling positioned and feeling unstoppable, right? And the next thing I know, people are following in my footsteps, right? People are wanting to ask me, oh, Melody, how Did you do that? How did you accomplish that? Oh, can you mentor me? Can you consult with me? You know, the things that I had been through in life and the path that I had taken, people were really interested in it, right. And they wanted to know how did I get there and when did I get there? Because again, they counted me out. Right. Or underestimated. Made of me. So it feels like I'm truly just living in my purpose now that I get to truly do the things that I love. Because I remember moments in my life when I had to do what I had to do what was necessary. Right. And I didn't get to do the things that I love. And now being able to kind of, you know, like wield that sword and just, you know, move things, I mean, it's just there's. I'm just amazed all the time because I remember times I would wake up in the middle of the night crying and I'm amazed all of the time. And sometimes I don't really appreciate. Right. The hard work I've put in and I have a lot of self doubts set in and I'm like, I don't deserve this. But then when I really think about it, I'm like, wow, you look at all of the fight, the struggles, everything you've been through to get to this point. So wield that sword.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah. You know, strike me down and I'll become more powerful than you ever imagined. Yeah, I've heard that one before. So what are we going to learn about you and your Woman in Power episode? We're literally moments away from you having an amazing session with Lauren.

[Melody Rhodes]

I'm very, I'm looking forward to it. I really am. And I think what you're going to learn about me is that like you, you all so graciously, since I walked in here, said, oh, Mel, you look amazing. You've given me so many compliments and I'm truly very, very grateful and humbled by that. But what you'll see is that I'm really this just little girl from Brooklyn, New York.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Melody Rhodes]

Came from nothing. And I had nothing given to me. And I mean nothing. I had nothing given to me but love for my mom. And that grit and determination is what brought me here. I've been through more traumatic experiences, I'm not going to say, than the next person. But then people who are looking at me, whatever, believe, right. I've accomplished a lot. Even though I was counted out multiple times, I've had some really horrible things happen in my life. Right. But I still to this day, I will not give any light to saying that I had a bad day. I feel like any day is above the above the ground. I'm already doing better than someone who didn't make it to today. So I have bad moments in my day because I'm human. But I try really hard not to say that I have a bad day because I'm just grateful that I'm here after everything that I've been through. So I think you'll see that I am truly right living my purpose as a woman in power, and I'm inspiring people along the way, and I'm opening doors for others because it's not about whether or not I succeeded. Right. It's about whether I created pathways for others to succeed, too.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Look at you go. How can folks learn more about you while they await your episode?

[Melody Rhodes]

Right. Please visit my Instagram page. Right. That's atlawyerbay. My firm is the Rhodes Law Practice out of Atlanta, Georgia. So my website is RhodesLawPractice.com so you can find me there. I also share my phone number from my Rose law practice is 404-854, hurt. I'm really proud of that number.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, gosh. Are you on billboards in atl?

[Melody Rhodes]

No.

[Narrator/Host Introduction]

You should be be.

[Melody Rhodes]

They're saturated. But I'm. I'm. I'm working on.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You need to be on a billboard.

[Melody Rhodes]

I need to be on a billboard.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Am I causing accidents? Oops. Call me.

[Melody Rhodes]

You just gave me a billboard.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You're welcome.

[Melody Rhodes]

Right, sorry. Gonna have to give him some credits, but for sure, yes, I'm working on that. So they can find me there. And I think that that's probably the best ways for you to contact me. I also own two Smoothie Kings.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Love it.

[Melody Rhodes]

One on Tar Boulevard. For those people In Atlanta, it's 8101 Tar Boulevard. And the other one is in Lawrencevill, and that is 900 Duluth Highway.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Nice.

[Melody Rhodes]

So you can find me there. And then I'm, you know, continuing to. You'll see me soon on some more cameras because I'm definitely scaling my speaking platform.

[Ray Gutierrez]

And this is your first podcast.

[Melody Rhodes]

This is my first. Well, you know what? I did a radio podcast, but she

[Ray Gutierrez]

just ruined the message. You were supposed to say yes. This is my first podcast.

[Melody Rhodes]

Okay. This is my first podcast.

[Ray Gutierrez]

There you go.

[Melody Rhodes]

Nice.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Welcome to your first podcast.

[Melody Rhodes]

This is my first podcast, and it's been an amazing experience. It is.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Dude, let's wrap it up. It's going to be such a joy to just be the opening act with you. You're in such a treat with to hang out with Lauren and. And cameras are going to be rolling. It so happens so. This is Melody Rhodes. I am Ray Gutierrez.

[Melody Rhodes]

My pleasure.

[Ray Gutierrez]

And we are inside. Success.