Never Give Up: From My High School Prom to the G7

“Never give up” is easy to say. It’s harder to live—especially when things start to fall apart.

Trust me—I know. My career’s had ups, downs, and then a few more downs just for good measure. From getting hacked by Putin while working for Secretary Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, to taking anonymous hits while serving in government, I’ve seen how messy and unpredictable things can get.

But that’s the job. That’s the world. You don’t control the chaos—you control your response.

Ian Mellul and his team in Warsaw, Poland, at the Royal Castle Gardens following President Joe Biden’s February 2023 remarks after a surprise visit to Ukraine.

I’ve been lucky enough to work in some high-pressure environments—from the White House to major corporate product launches to G7 summits, and now through the events we lead at Resolute Productions. But honestly, some of the most important things I’ve learned about leadership started a lot earlier.

They started with my high school prom.

You can roll your eyes—it’s fine. The stakes were lower back then (and yeah, more focus on the steak dinner than the stakes of the production), but the dynamics were real. Tight timelines. Big personalities. Limited budgets and resources. And the evergreen challenge of bringing people from different backgrounds, work styles, and interests together to do something special—something that matters.

That part hasn’t changed.

If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s this: leadership starts with showing up. But great leadership requires one key thing: staying in the room.

It’s easy to be there when things are smooth. It’s a lot harder to stay in it when things break, when people disagree and tensions rise, or when the plan goes sideways. But that’s the difference. Leadership is not about taking credit for the wins—it’s about being in the room during adversity.

And trust is everything. Especially when you’re working under pressure.

It’s not about being the smartest or loudest person in the room. It’s about bringing the right people into the room. It’s about giving them the space to lead—and helping them do the thing they’re quietly great at. Everyone has a skill they don’t advertise. The real work is helping them find their secret weapon, developing and strengthening it, and amplifying it in the world.

That approach has carried me through every kind of challenge—from last-minute production pivots and planning presidential moments to building teams that thrive under pressure. And no matter the scale, the events that succeed are never the ones where everything goes perfectly. They’re the ones where people adapt, stay calm, trust one another, and operate as one team.

That’s the thing about this work—and about life. The scale changes. The stakes change. Your title, your setting, your role can shift on a dime. So can what’s happening at home. The world doesn’t stop spinning—and it rarely waits for the timing to be right. In fact, life has a way of hitting hardest when you’re already carrying the most.

But whether you work in production, live events, operate as a politico, or lead in any high-intensity environment, the fundamentals don’t change. Build your team. Show up. Stay in the room. Trust your team. Surround yourself with people who see things differently. Listen to them. Empower them. And execute—together.

Author: Ian Mellul is the Founding Partner of Resolute Productions. He served as the Director of Presidential Production at the White House producing, designing, and executing events around the world for President Joe Biden. His work spans everything from major corporate product launches and presidential travel to producing his sister’s wedding. Today, he works with world and philanthropic leaders to bring their visions to life and create beautiful, high-impact moments.