We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Megrelishvili and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ana, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
THE BIRTH OF CHRISTIAN PROFESSIONALS OF ATLANTA
“Why is it so hard to meet other Christians?”
“I don’t know, but you’re right.”
A best friend and I were sitting at a restaurant table, aggravated at our lack of connection in the community we were part of – Metro Atlanta.
“We’ve been here for so long, but it feels like we don’t know anybody.”
A simple Google search right there at the table for ‘Christian meetups’ or ‘Christian professional organizations in Atlanta’ led to zero results.
“Why not do it ourselves?”
I could feel the fire in my spirit stoking up at the idea. It was time to go back to my roots whether I knew it consciously or not. I instantly started to think of the mission statement: Our mission is to bring together Christian professionals in Atlanta to develop meaningful relationships through common faith, values, and philanthropy.
Christian Professionals of Atlanta took off quickly. Today, Christian Professionals of Atlanta continues to grow, bringing business leaders within Atlanta together, and encouraging them to become stronger servant leaders. Each month a nonprofit is invited to share their mission with the group to drum up interest and have members participate in activities they hold close to their hearts. We participate in service projects to benefit the Atlanta area multiple times yearly.
An incredible thing happens when you play into a mission that serves your community. People want to become part of something bigger than themselves. They want to join a movement that brings positive change. You’ll find yourself surrounded by those who want to make a change.
Within a short period, Christian Professionals of Atlanta became a brand, with many prominent professionals joining as members. I envision having a map of the World hanging in my office with pins in every single state, noting the existence of the chapter of my organization. That’s what it is all about, having the bold vision to propel the needle forward.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In 2022, I quit my corporate career and took a year sabbatical to find my purpose in life. Again, it felt like I was pushing the brakes on my personal growth and downgrading myself from a successful career. However, putting on the brakes is where the change came. Within a year of my sabbatical, I found my authentic self and true passion, discovering that rare gem that was buried deep inside me the entire time.
Within twelve months, I traveled to twelve countries, wrote three books, and started two new businesses. In my personal life, I reconciled with my mother, surrounded myself with like-minded friends who love and support me, and found a loving, romantic relationship that brought me joy for the first time in my life.
Here is the story of how my business was born. The idea of Christian Professionals of Atlanta was born when a friend and I discussed how difficult it is for professionals to meet other Christians in the same walk of life. A simple Google search for keywords such as Christian meetups or Christian professional organizations in Atlanta led to zero results. So, we decided why not start our own organization? And that is how Christian Professionals of Atlanta was born. It now successfully operates to bring business leaders within the Atlanta community to encourage them to become stronger servant leaders within the organization and within the community. We also organize service projects with various non-profit organizations within the city of Atlanta.
My vision is to grow this organization to become Christian Professionals Network Worldwide with a chapter in every major city in the United States and abroad. My vision is to build an organization known for serving the community, building up people, and having a positive impact in our country. With a big vision that serves many people, an incredible thing happens. People want to become part of something bigger than themselves and join the movement that brings the positive change.
I had also written a book called Finding Courage to Change, which talks about how to overcome childhood trauma and not let it define who you are as an adult. I wrote this memoir in two days while I was on a silent retreat at monastery as part of my sabbatical. I decided to give 25% of book sales to an organization called Saprea, which exists to liberate our society from child sexual abuse. As a thriving adult of childhood abuse, I am making efforts to educate people about her healing journey and spread a message of hope to people I encounter who also went through similar experiences.
As more people approached me, asking questions, seeking guidance, and sharing personal details about their lives, I knew I had to figure out a way to help them beyond just sharing my book with them. I decided to pursue public speaking to help my audience figure out what they truly want in life and how to get there by breaking limiting beliefs that are holding them back from living the life of their dreams.
By breaking down the conventional lifestyle, I was able to embrace my creativity, passions, and purpose, leading to a life beyond my expectations. I learned to live in the moment and not conform to societal expectations. I treat my past experiences as a sacred gift to be shared with others. My purpose in this book is to pass on the message that change is good for evolution, healing, and growth. I come from a developing country with a poor socio-economic background. My life outlook growing up was to be a wife and a stay-at-home mom, but I dreamed of a big life. Looking back at where I came from, sometimes it still amazes me what I was able to achieve, and I am in awe of all the experiences I have been blessed to have. I am enjoying the kind of freedom I never dreamed of having when growing up.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For a fancy night out I would take them to eat dinner at Atlas and enjoy the exquisite food and drinks there and then I would take them to Garden Room for a night cap drink. On Friday night, we could go to Sanctuary to take their salsa and bachata class and then apply the new dance skills on the dance floor afterwards. For a great view of the city, we would go up to the rooftop of Ponce City market after we enjoyed a progressive dinner trying various restaurants within Ponce City Market. To try variety of international food, one of the dinners would be at the Consulate since their chef changes their menu every 3 months.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to say thank you to my host family who made me feel so welcome when I first moved to the US. Their love and prayers have been a light in my life and I am forever grateful.
Website: cpofatl.com
Instagram: cpofatl
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamegrelishvili/
Facebook: Christian Professionals of Atlanta
Image Credits
Shawn Shepard Brian Christian