Lead with Heart.
Lead with Strategy.
At CEO of Your Life, we believe the most impactful leaders do not choose between results and humanity. They lead with both.
Based in Montreal and working globally in English and French, Melissa Dawn partners with executives, CEOs, founders, and leadership teams navigating growth, complexity, change, and high-stakes decisions.
Her work blends executive coaching, CEO advisory, leadership retreats, and speaking — helping leaders strengthen how they think, decide, communicate, and lead.
Because leadership is not only about what you build. It is about who you become while building it.
Why This Work Exists
CEO of Your Life was founded in 2014 on a simple belief: there is a more human way to lead.
Early in Melissa's career, she coached individuals who wanted to redesign careers and lives that no longer fit. Over time, one pattern became clear.
Many of the people struggling most were leaders — highly capable, high-performing individuals carrying pressure, responsibility, and expectations while quietly navigating burnout, self-doubt, difficult decisions, and isolation.
Melissa realized the greatest opportunity for change was not only helping individuals redesign their lives. It was helping leaders shape the cultures, organizations, and conversations around them.
Today, CEO of Your Life works primarily with executives, CEOs, founders, and leadership teams who want to lead with greater clarity, courage, authenticity, and impact.
Corporate leadership
Individual coaching
and executive teams
& CEO advisory
Leadership today requires more than performance. It requires presence.
The strongest leaders are not only strategic. They know how to integrate the human side of leadership with the work of building organizations.
Decide without losing self
Make difficult decisions without losing themselves in the process.
Trust + Accountability
Build trust while maintaining clear accountability across the team.
Steady in complexity
Navigate complexity without becoming reactive or short-sighted.
Connected through change
Lead through change without disconnecting from people.
Sustainable ambition
Balance ambition with the sustainability that protects long-term impact.
Clarity in uncertainty
Create clarity in moments of uncertainty — for themselves and others.
A strategic thinking partner. A trusted advisor.
Master Certified Coach (MCC)
The highest credential in the coaching profession, awarded by the International Coaching Federation and held by approximately 4% of coaches worldwide.
Melissa Dawn is the founder and CEO of CEO of Your Life. A former Vice President of Marketing with over two decades of corporate experience, Melissa now serves as an executive coach, CEO advisor, keynote speaker, and retreat facilitator.
She works with executives, founders, family-business leaders, and high-performing leadership teams across North America and internationally.
Her work sits at the intersection of leadership psychology, executive decision-making, emotional intelligence, organizational culture, and personal alignment.
Melissa is known for creating conversations that are real, direct, insightful, and deeply human. Clients often describe her as both a strategic thinking partner and a trusted advisor — someone who helps leaders see what is happening beneath the surface while staying grounded in practical action.
Credentials
| Credential | Awarding Body |
|---|---|
| MCC | Master Certified Coach — International Coaching Federation |
| CPCC | Certified Professional Co-Active Coach |
| CTPC | Certified Team Performance Coach |
| Conscious Business | Certified Conscious Business Coach |
Bestselling Author
Success on paper. A quieter question underneath.
For years, Melissa looked successful on paper. She held leadership roles, built a strong corporate career, and checked the boxes many people strive toward.
But underneath the accomplishments was a quiet feeling that something was missing. She had spent years succeeding according to expectations rather than alignment. Like many leaders, she learned how to perform — but not always how to listen to herself.
That period became a turning point. Melissa left corporate life after her final role as Vice President of Marketing and began building a different path — one focused on helping others lead from a place that felt more authentic, sustainable, and human.
What began as coaching individuals evolved into working with leaders responsible for companies, teams, culture, and high-level decisions.
Today, Melissa's work helps leaders reconnect to themselves while strengthening how they lead others. Because leadership is not only about performance. It is about learning how to trust yourself in the moments that matter most.
Partnering with leaders at the moments that matter.
Melissa partners with leaders navigating eight core challenges:
Her Services
Executive Coaching
Confidential one-on-one coaching for senior leaders seeking clarity, confidence, stronger leadership presence, and more aligned decision-making.
CEO Advisory
A strategic thinking partnership for founders, CEOs, and business owners navigating complex decisions, leadership growth, and long-term vision.
Leadership Retreats & Team Offsites
Experiential leadership conversations that deepen alignment, trust, communication, and accountability across teams.
Keynotes & Speaking
Leadership conversations designed to challenge traditional thinking while bringing humanity back into leadership.
Leaders who lead from heart and strategy build organizations that thrive.
CEO of Your Life has worked with leaders across Fortune 500 organizations, family enterprises, founder-led businesses, and growth-stage companies — and has been recognized by HubSpot as one of the top coaching companies internationally for multiple years.
Who Melissa works with
Across industries, geographies, and stages of growth.
Recognition
Independent industry recognition for excellence in coaching.
Recognized by HubSpot as one of the top coaching companies internationally — for multiple consecutive years.
When leaders lead from both heart and strategy, people perform better, cultures become stronger, and organizations thrive.
Leading through change? The best leaders lead with Heart + Strategy.
If you are navigating growth, change, complexity, or leadership transition — and looking for a thinking partner who brings both strategic insight and human depth — Melissa would be honored to support you.
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