Oklahoma native Meredith Hamrick found herself at a crossroads when she turned 40.
After working in technology sales at various companies for 13 years and her family’s company for 10, she found that she might not be able to go as far as she wanted working for others. This birthday milestone had Meredith questioning where she would go from here.
Meredith has always enjoyed helping others and empowering them to reach their potential. From earning a degree in organizational communication to leading teams and managing stores to helping her family’s company grow, she has always prioritized putting people first in her work.
“I’m successful when I’m around people who want to be the best versions of themselves,” Meredith said.
She always dreamed of working for her family’s company, even as a kid. However, after putting in 10 years, she found herself wanting something else—to strike out on her own. Meredith wanted to be in charge and create something of her own.
The thought scared her, but as she grew older and watched her daughter grow up, Meredith realized she wanted to be a role model for her. She wanted to show her daughter how to be brave and true to herself, even when anxious and unsure.
So, in 2023, she started putting her business plan together for MH Financial.
Her business idea focused on helping small and medium-sized businesses with their finances. She especially wanted to focus on women business owners and creatives. Meredith’s goal has been to make it easier to talk about money.
“Money is intimidating because we don’t talk about it, but it shouldn’t be intimidating; let’s think about it as a tool.”
She has always excelled at making complex ideas easier to understand for others and knew this was something she would be good at.
As a freelance photographer with more than a decade of experience, Meredith also wanted to offer freelance and content creation services to clients so that she could help with multiple aspects of their business.
When drafting her business plan, she wasn’t sure where to start. REI Oklahoma’s Women’s Business Center popped up for her while searching for help for women business owners. Before she even connected with REI Oklahoma, she listed it as a resource in her business plan. She was that confident that the Women’s Business Center would be helpful.
Meredith attended her first Oklahoma City Women’s Business Breakfast in October and was impressed by the women she met and the positive atmosphere. Hearing other women talk about their businesses showed her she wasn’t alone on this journey. She was able to connect with other women business owners and network with them and walked away feeling encouraged.
Having worked in male-dominated industries, Meredith has valued having a supportive space for women and for women. “There’s plenty of room at the table because REI Oklahoma and its Women’s Business Center make room and pull up seats to make it bigger for everyone,” she said.
Going into her second breakfast, she felt she was in a slump but immediately felt energized afterward. Shortly after, she met with a Women’s Business Center program team member to discuss her business plan.
During the meeting, they discussed different packages of creative and financial services that MH Financial could offer, which gave her a clearer vision of what she wanted to provide clients. The meeting also helped her see that there was a demand for her creative services in addition to her financial services.
The meeting brought fresh eyes to Meredith’s vision and gave her specific guidance, support and encouragement that she needed.
She said, “It is so great to have someone who believes in you.”
Afterward, Meredith felt like she had been able to work through a mental block and could see a way forward.
She said that the people she has worked with at REI Oklahoma’s Women’s Business Center have felt genuine and serious about getting her the resources she needs. “Whether you’re new or not, there are resources here,” Meredith said.
As Meredith paves her new way forward, she feels grateful for the help and support she has received. She knows she won’t have to go this alone because she has a community to rely on.
When asked what she would like to say to those who support this mission of REI Oklahoma, Meredith said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart; REI Oklahoma is such a helpful place.” She continued, “To have these free or low-cost resources makes finding business help accessible.”
MH Financial
https://www.mhfinancialokc.com/
meredith@mhfinancialokc.com
Facebook | Instagram