We had the good fortune of connecting with CaLae Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CaLae, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This has been a very hard crossroad for me throughout my life. Any entrepreneur out there became successful based in large part on their grit and sheer determination to see their dream come to life. So, determining whether this is something you should stay the path and grind it out, or simply let the opportunity go has always been tough for me to determine. As I have gotten older, I have learned to trust my faith and my inner self. I listen to how I feel about a situation and that tells me what direction to go.

If I am going against what I should for the sake of either not wanting to disrupt the norm, or fear of what people might say, I can feel it. I get a pit in my stomach and feel an overall tense feeling when I think about the situation. On the opposite side, I feel a sense of freedom and exhale when I know that the best path forward is letting go.

The other telltale for me is my intent behind whatever I am struggling with. If I am doing something out of a pure sense of making money or ego versus bettering the industry, then I also know what direction I need to take. Intentions behind the choice typically tell you what you should do. It just takes years and a lot of self-awareness to get to a point where you can sit in stillness and be very honest about the “why” that led you this crossroad.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We’re not your average marketing and events agency. Our team sets us apart with over 50 years of combined experience in the industrial sector. We are ready to serve your needs with passion, insight, strategy, and experience. Our background in the industrial sector is what separates us from other marketing firms. We believe in respecting traditions while looking to the future to help build and grow your company. Our team knows how to differentiate your company from others through thoughtful campaigns highlighting your company’s
uniqueness. We know how to make a big impact in the industry because we are from this industry.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
CEM started as an event management company only. I stepped out in faith and one contract in February of 2020. Before CEM I spent my career in the conference management for technical associations. In particular, a large part of my career was spent with a corrosion society. I spent over a decade managing, creating and executing symposiums, conferences, tradeshows and receptions ranging from 200 to 7,000 people all over the world. I loved every minute of my time with this association and the members became family to me. When CEM opened in 2020 my corrosion family sent me contracts, referrals, how to create strong proposals, and even helped me navigate the paperwork for possible COVID funding. They went above and beyond to ensure that I was successful. To this day a lot of our events and marketing clients come from our strong ties in the corrosion and coatings industries. I am forever thankful. In addition, my very first hire, Rachel Hairston plays a huge role in CEM’s current success. She has always treated this company as if it is her own. She comes early and stays late. She is constantly jumping in and asking how to help. Above all of this she does such a wonderful job on representing CEM at every industry event she can.
Lastly, my husband, Mike Miller, plays a very large role in taking us from CEM, Event Mgt, to CEM Solutions – a full turnkey marketing and events solution. He led the efforts in us achieving our “Woman Owned Small Business” status. He will take the red eye home from his day job to ensure he is there to set up an event. He is constantly leading the sales for all our service lines. He is the reason we are in so many markets currently. He is always pushing and pulling us to be better and we all receive the benefits from his hard work.

Website: https://www.cemsolutionsco.com/

Instagram: @cemsolutionsco

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/75422040/admin/feed/posts/

Image Credits
Rachel Hairston

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.