Team Stories at ghSMART: Melissa McMahan on 20 Years of People and Growth

When you talk to Melissa McMahan about her 20 years at ghSMART, she doesn’t start with a milestone or a defining achievement. She starts with people.

“It always comes back to the people,” she says, without hesitation.

It’s a simple answer, but the more you talk to her, the more you realize it explains everything. Why she joined, why she stayed, and why, two decades later, she still talks about her work with the same energy and appreciation.

Growing Up Together

Melissa joined ghSMART when the firm looked nothing like it does today.

“There were only 18 people when I started. I was number 19,” she recalls. “It felt a lot more like a mom-and-pop shop back then.”

Over the years, she’s had a front-row seat to how much that’s changed. “It’s been really fun to watch the company grow up,” she says, laughing. “Now we’ve got our big kid pants on.”

But for her, it’s not just the firm that’s evolved. “I’ve grown with the company and with the people here,” she says. “And that’s been really special.”

If she had to sum it up, two words come to mind: growth and gratitude. “I’m always learning,” she says. “I’ve never felt like I’ve stopped learning. And that’s pretty amazing.”

You Can Tell When It’s Real

Even early on, something about ghSMART felt different.

After meeting Geoff Smart and Randy Street, Melissa knew she wanted to be part of the firm, but not for the usual reasons. “I’ve always looked at people through the lens of heart,” she explains. “Is it about making money, or is it about making a difference?”

Her answer came quickly. “It was about making a difference,” she says. “And that just really aligned with who I am.” That alignment only deepened over time.

“They genuinely care about people,” she says. “It’s always been family first.”

She experienced that firsthand during important moments in her own life, including when she adopted her two youngest children. “Everyone just surrounded me,” she recalls. “They supported us through that whole journey.”

More Than a Role

Of course, those early days came with a learning curve.

“When you walk into a room and you’re surrounded by incredibly smart, driven people, you think, ‘Can I measure up?’” she says.

That feeling didn’t last long. “Not once did anyone make me feel like I didn’t belong,” she says. “From the start, I felt like I had a seat at the table.” And not just in name.

“I never felt like I was ‘just’ an assistant,” she explains. “I felt like a partner.” People asked for her perspective. They listened. They trusted her judgment.

That sense of partnership still shapes how Melissa approaches her work today. As a Specialist on the Client Operations team, she supports complex client work behind the scenes, from staffing and scheduling to project coordination, final reports, invoicing, and the details that help teams deliver for clients.

“When people invest in you like that,” she says, “it makes you want to do your very best.”

From Logistics to Relationships

That sense of ownership eventually expanded beyond internal work and shaped how she approached relationships more broadly.

Several years in, she had the opportunity to travel to New York to meet with clients in person – something she had previously managed remotely. “I was really intentional about making those connections personal,” she says. “Taking people to coffee, small gestures, just taking the time to really get to know them.”

Being there in person changed how she saw her role. “You start to understand what their day-to-day really looks like,” she explains. “The pace, the pressure, everything they’re juggling.”

From that point on, her focus shifted. “I became more focused on building relationships, not just managing logistics,” she says.

Be a Sponge

That philosophy shows up in how she supports others internally, too.

“Every person I’ve worked with, I’ve learned something from,” she says. “Every part of my journey had learning attached to it.”

That learning has always been hands-on, driven by curiosity. “If I didn’t know how to do something, I was going to figure it out,” she says.

Early in her career, she was encouraged to stay open, ask questions, and “be a sponge.” “That’s exactly what I did,” she says. “And I still do.”

It’s also what inspired her to create space for others to learn and connect in the same way. At past ghSMART Summits, she led sessions for Executive Business Partners focused on something simple but powerful: how teams support and show up for one another.

“It was about recognizing each other’s contributions, being intentional about how we communicate, and creating small moments where people feel valued,” she says.

The goal wasn’t just better collaboration. It was building a culture where people actively lift each other up. “Strong team culture doesn’t just happen,” she adds. “It takes effort.”

Where It All Comes Together

For Melissa, ghSMART’s annual Summits reflect that idea more than anything else.

Each year, the firm brings its team together in person – something that doesn’t happen often in a largely remote environment. It’s a chance to learn, connect, and step back from the day-to-day.

Her first Summit, in Sonoma, stands out. Not because everything went perfectly, but because she was right in the middle of it, helping plan it from the ground up.

“I had never planned anything like that before,” she laughs. “And we were doing wine pairings, which is funny because I don’t even drink.”

But what stayed with her wasn’t the logistics. “It was such a special time,” she says. “You had colleagues, spouses, even kids there. It was about more than just work.”

Even as the firm has grown, that core feeling has stayed the same. “It’s the connectivity,” she says. “Everyone comes together fully present. You see people learning in real time. You see them as their best selves, but also their real selves.”

Being Fearless

That same mindset shows up in how she approaches new challenges.

When she recently transitioned to a faster-paced team, the adjustment was immediate. “It felt like drinking from a fire hose,” she says.

Her response? “Just jump in. Be fearless.”

The philosophy is simple: try, learn, and keep going.

“If you mess up, you learn,” she says. “But you have to be willing to try.”

Grateful for What’s Been, Excited for What’s Next

Even now, 20 years in, Melissa isn’t just reflecting – she’s still looking ahead.

“We’re at a really exciting point as a firm,” she says. “The growth, the innovation, everything that’s happening. It’s fun to watch.”

She’s also starting to think about what’s next for her personally. “I’m probably about seven years away from retirement,” she says.

It’s a milestone she talks about with both excitement and a bit of hesitation. “I can’t imagine not being here,” she admits. “I’ve built lifelong friendships.”

That’s what stands out most after two decades. “These aren’t just work relationships,” she says. “They’re real.”

And in the end, that’s how Melissa measures her time at ghSMART.

Not by title or tenure, but by the people she’s met, the relationships she’s built, and the growth that’s happened along the way. “I’m just incredibly grateful,” she says. “The people here have really shaped my life.”

Twenty years in, it still comes back to the same thing it always has: the people.

Learn more about Melissa here.