60 seconds with melisa cull: “stay faithful in the small disciplines of everyday life.”

hot take: people – not computers – still say the coolest stuff. this series is dedicated to the soundbites, aha! moments & stories that are undeniably human.   

This time of year as the Easter season approaches always leads me to reflect on the idea of hope. Which naturally, leads me to think about faith. 

For so many years, I saw faith as this invisible thing, as an intangible idea to cling to in times of darkness or to credit in times of victory. But as I’ve grown on my own spiritual journey,  I’ve become convinced that faith can be clearly seen. Specifically, it can be seen in the people around us – people like Melisa Cull.

Melisa embodies faith in all walks of life.

One way she lives out her faith is as the Director of Sales and Brand Growth at a Chick-fil-A franchise in Overland Park, Kansas. In her work, Melisa has seen how small, faithful acts of service can ripple far beyond a dining room.

To round out Women’s History Month and prepare for the Easter holiday ahead, it’s a privilege to share the words of Melisa, whose faith is anything but invisible. 

– steph

toth shop (ts): In a world that’s driven by metrics and sales, how do you measure the impact of something as intangible as story? 

Melisa Cull (MC): Relationships are everything to our business at Chick-fil-A. Truett Cathy (Chick-fil-A founder) reminded us that we are in the people business, not the chicken business. 

We measure our impact by creating a community where we do our best to learn names, welcome our guests with excitement and add encouragement to their days. We are always looking for a way to bless them. Sometimes this is a surprise treat when they least expect it.  

ts: What’s a customer story that changed how you see your role?

MC: One of my favorite stories was when a guest came in and was having a hard time using a gift card. She mentioned never having been to our restaurant before sharing that she had just lost her husband and was struggling with no appetite. Her friends gave her a gift card and sent her to us. I was able to help her with her order, but I also blessed her with a large container of soup to take home and some other food for her pantry. 

Within five minutes of talking, we were both in tears, and she was hugging me and thanking us for kindness in her time of grief. 

ts: In honor of Women’s History Month, think about if you could speak to your younger self – what would you tell her?

MC: I would definitely tell her to slow down. I was always in a hurry. I would tell her to enjoy the hard things and stay in them with joy because they will pass. I would tell her that good things are ahead. 

ts: How does faith shape the way you define success? 

MC: It is core to everything I do. The truth of the Bible grounds me each day. A Proverb a day keeps wisdom in your ear. I love reading a chapter of Proverbs daily for wisdom and practical advice. It's a free resource and so valuable. 

ts: Every person we interview answers this same question last – mile 18 is generally considered to be one of the hardest miles in a marathon. You’re hitting a wall. You’re forced to dig deep. What’s mile 18 in your line of work or at a point in your career, what do you tell yourself when you find yourself in the middle of a mile 18? 

MC: It really is the little disciplines of life that will get you from mile 18 onto mile 19. Stay faithful in the small disciplines of everyday life. Eat breakfast. Read your meditation. Pray, exercise, and volunteer as much as possible. Keep making others a priority over yourself. 

One of my favorite quotes is from Zig Ziglar: “You can have everything in life you want, if you just help enough people get what they want.” The meaning here emphasizes that personal success is best attained by first focusing on helping others succeed. It creates a positive, service-oriented ripple effect.