MELISSA’S STORY
Like so many people, I spent years funneling energy into things that just weren’t me. Instead of honing my strengths, clarifying what I truly wanted, and developing confidence in my own leadership, I let people and circumstances outside myself drive my choices.
From the outside, things probably looked great. I had a successful career and all the accolades that went with it. But behind that, I was deeply unfulfilled. In following an education, career and even relationship path that the world told me was “right”, I had never stopped to truly get to know myself, what I might want, and what I might have to offer the world.
Essentially, I had never connected with my inner leader – my intuition, my core self, whatever we call it – that part of me just waiting to be unleashed, to guide me, fuel me, and energize me to truly thrive in all areas of my life. I felt disrespected because I wasn’t respecting myself, and once I understood that, everything changed.
What prompted that understanding? Unfortunately, it took a pretty big fall to open my eyes and heart. At what should have been (according to all the “shoulds” I believed) the height of my career and personal life, I found myself divorced, a single mother and in a work situation that required a change, ASAP.
It was like I’d fallen into a dark pit, and through sheer luck of meeting the right people at the right time, I started to see the way out. I realized I needed to make radical changes, but not just externally anymore. I needed to take a brave step and start from within; to learn to be my own guiding light.
It takes courage to look inside, but I did it. I allowed myself to be vulnerable and started to see where I was stuck, triggered and insecure. I saw where I needed to heal, so that I could become my best self. I took the time to get to know myself and found everything I needed to create my own version of success.
I left that VP job when I realized I wanted to create a greater impact in the world and really shake things up. I realized that what had been so draining about corporate life for me was how I had been approaching it. I could change that for myself and, better still, I could become an agent of change for others. I embarked on a journey where I now feel fueled from the inside out, and where I can guide others to create powerful shifts for themselves. How can it get any better than that?
On my journey, I trained with and was guided by top coaches and became certified by internationally acclaimed coaching programs including the International Coaches Federation (ICF) where I earned my MCC (master certified coach), the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) where I got my CPCC (certified professional co-active coach), as well as Team Coaching International where I achieved my CTPC (certified team performance coach).
I developed workshops, programs and keynotes that blend western ideology, eastern philosophy and proven coaching strategies to bring unconventional and actionable wisdom to my coaching.
Most of all, I learned how to show up as my true self, with courage and confidence. I learned how to bring out what I’d kept down, to drop the masks I’d been conditioned to wear and to ditch the boxes people tried to put me in. I learned the real value of my innate strengths and how to bring them forward to make my big picture vision my reality.
To people who don’t know me, my life today probably doesn’t look too different. I have a successful career and a happy family. But to me, my life could not be more different because I’ve chosen to take control of my experience of life. I’ve put myself in the driver’s seat so that my decisions are now made in alignment with my values and purpose. I have designed my big picture vision with intention and confidence, and taking the steps to make it reality fuels me in a way I never could have imagined.
Today, I know how to tap into my inner wisdom, and that doing so creates meaningful shifts for all of us. It steers us onto the path that is best for us, and keeps us strong and firm when challenges arise. I know that if we don’t tap into it and let it guide us, we will always feel an internal struggle, like Sisyphus, endlessly pushing that boulder up the hill. Finally, I know how to help others drop their masks and self-limiting beliefs, and tune into who they truly are and the path that is best for them.
One of the greatest lessons I learned along the way is that mastering leadership, inspiring others, building strong executive teams and creating amazing organizations all starts with mastering leadership of yourself. When we take full authorship of our own lives, we are empowered to lead from the heart, creating space and support for those around us to bring their best selves to everything that they do. That’s how we lead, and that’s how we change the world.
We can all do this. We have a responsibility to bring our best selves forward and to inspire others to do the same. This is how we shake up the world and create the shifts we need for better tomorrows.
Today, my life and work are in service to others. I work with people and organizations to cultivate meaningful change, inspire engagement, and take themselves to new heights. When we have the courage to show up as our most authentic selves, and the compassion to accept the authenticity in others, we create better people, better communities, better businesses and a better world.
