This is an interview about a story that many people think they know all the details of. Melony Paesch is the wife of former Aruba minister Paul Croes, who is now serving a prison sentence for corruption. While this case was a public one due to the position of the official, Melony also became a prominent figure at the time, as a suspect although later cleared of all charges. However, her story is more than just the case itself. Her story is about the change that began seven years ago, when the wife, mother of two young children, and businesswoman had to step up and become the breadwinner for her family, amidst constant pain and effort to protect her family emotionally and financially.
Today, seven years later, despite the dark days she faced, she has chosen to transform her pain into strength and, most importantly, to be there for her children through it all. From falling down to getting back up, one, two, three, or even ten times, Melony is now ready to share her vision and hopes, anchored in a new plan.
"This is something I inherited from my Oma Mama Oncha, my mother Lienchie, and other women known for their courage and strength in the community. Everyone who knows my story knows that I did not have an easy childhood. But, if it were not for everything I went through as a child, I do not think I would have survived all this trauma! Therefore, today, the Melony after the IBIS case is someone who does not panic about anything! If something does not work out, we move on to the next thing. The only things that matter to me now are GOD, my family, and my mental peace."
7 YEARS OF TURBULENCE: I HAD TO BE CREATIVE
"I would wake up every day thinking, 'I'll make it! We were living from day to day without knowing what the future held. But, I never doubted my potential. I am someone who can easily come up with an idea, believe in it, and make it happen no matter what. My survival mode kicked in every time. And, I always managed with the help of people who always bought from me. That is why I believe that helping others is essential in life. When you help someone, they will not forget it. When you need help, they will be there to support you. This is something that I learned from all my businesses. Each one had a purpose in my life, and each one taught me something."
THE TRUTH TO MY CHILDREN
"When we found ourselves in this situation, our two children were very young, six and four, too young to explain and talk openly with them, as I would have liked. Our home was a happy and loving place, filled with jokes and laughter. In one day, it turned into a place of pain. Mama and papa were quiet, and we could not talk about it in our own home. Clearly, despite their age, they knew that something was not right! They saw people coming into our home when they were asleep. They saw pieces and gun parts in large amounts, without the means to get up and leave the room. So, together with our home, we tried to make them happy, but it was not easy.
"We don't have a lot of money nor do we earn a lot. We've tried to cover up the reality for years to make things a little bigger for us. I used to cry in secret so they wouldn't see me, just so they wouldn't feel more pain. When we had 8 or 10, we had to sit them down and tell them everything that had happened in the last year. We gave them all the chance to ask questions and answered everything. For me, it was especially important to have no more secrets from my children. I wanted to be free again, in my own home. We came to that moment, a broken family and just the three of us, it was the biggest support for my home. The two of them gave my home extra love and attention. We also told them what could be 'next'. And when the moment came, we were all "ready" but at the same time, it was very painful for all of us. It was a horrible day for them. My home is a father who gives his 100% to them, and now I have a very big shoe to fill.
I promised myself and made a rule that I will never be the dupe again in this situation with my children. I made sure to give them extra love and to make sure they don't miss out on any sports or normal social life. I inject something positive into their minds every morning, which their father used to say before he sent them off to school: "If you fall on the way, get up and slap your cheek and keep going forward."
Thank God I have many mentors who want the best for me. Everyone believes I have a lot of potential and now that the case is behind me, it's time to open my wings and dare to do what I want to do, which is interior designing. And so, CASA DOLCE was born. CASA DOLCE is a concept that I've been carrying in my head for a long time. I have done several projects before, restaurants, and homes. Casa Dolce will be a company that will provide various services such as:
- We will provide interior/exterior design services, working with the budget and taste of each person. From a single room to a large project.
- We will also look for properties for our clients at a very good price and flip them creatively and economically. We will also help the client in the flipping process if they already have the property.
MELONY PAESCH
MELONY PAESCH
- For clients who need advice and want to go into the vacation home business (Airbnb), we will set up vacation homes for the client up to the key, and prepare everything for the client to host or to hand it over to a company that will host it for them.
- We will manage the project every day for the owner when they can't be there physically, or are not involved in the renovation/construction of their project. So, we will be the project manager for this.
- And the most popular and newest service is where we become the eye/wow factor/representative/controller of the property owner, the host/agent, and ensure that your home remains a 5-star home. For a very attractive fee, we will create a monthly report that informs the owner of the areas that need attention or investment to create more traffic and revenue, by keeping the property up to date.
You have identified quality control for Airbnb properties as a niche in which you believe you can excel. How do you differentiate yourself from other companies and what unique value do you bring to your clients?
In Aruba, there is currently no company offering this service to provide control to the owner, so there is an intermediary person between the owner and the hosting company. I will be the first to offer this service. I have hosted my own home for several years, so I know exactly where the problems are. By doing this, the host/agent's job will be easier to rent out the property at a higher price. For the owner, their property will always be at a high level, considering that these properties can become a kind of drive-thru where many people come in and out, causing wear and tear on the furniture and the property itself.
I will ensure that every month everything is in good condition without the owner having to experience any shock when they see their property after six months, which could require significant investment to remodel everything. With my monthly service, the investment will be gradual, and nothing will go backwards. I believe that my idea will transform into a big project, and the more people I talk to, the better I can polish the idea. My desire is for word of mouth to spread, and the news to go viral.
For my business, I will invest all my time in this new venture to grow and establish it. For my personal life, I will hold back on moving forward with my home because we have many plans and big dreams that have been put on hold for some time, and now we will realize them together and continue to grow together, hand in hand, as always. I have had my days of tears, but then I wash my face, accept that I feel sad because I am human, but I stand up and remember that the most beautiful gift that God has given me is my children.
The most valuable lesson is undoubtedly to treat everyone well. You never know what life has in store for you. The people you least expect may end up being a great support for you in your toughest moments. I am at peace with myself. I have done what a woman and a mother should do. Wear any hat and handle anything that comes your way. Nothing is forever! Neither good nor bad. It all comes to an end one day for all of us, so you just have to believe in yourself and push every day to move forward and become a better version of yourself. I have always believed that I will be ten times better in every aspect than when I found myself in this process seven years ago, and I still believe it! And I have already started to feel that vibe.
Built with Shorthand