What's It Like To
Work With Melisa?

Nicola K.

Nicola describes how she re-launched her independent consulting business after she'd learned several hard lessons in her first independent consulting business.

When Nicola was ready to restart her IC business, she knew she wanted to set her business off "right from the beginning" to avoid the mistakes she had made the first time around. 

She describes why she decided to hire Melisa, what the experience was like, and how she was able to transform her business into one that's predictable and systematized.

You can hear more of Nicola's experience on Episode 065 of the Grow Your Independent Consulting Business podcast.

LeAnne L.

When LeAnne decided to transition out of a consulting partnership into an independent consulting practice, LeAnne decided to hire Melisa to help launch her solo business. 

LeAnne shares why she knew that hiring a private coach was important and what it was like to work with Melisa. She describes the individualized help from Melisa, who's "been there and done that as a consultant" and also how Melisa uses her intuition to recognize (and call out) the patterns that were getting LeAnne stuck.

You can hear more of LeAnne's story in episode 071 of the Grow Your Independent Consulting Business podcast. 

Jennifer L.

Jennifer shares why she chose to hire Melisa, and why she's grateful she didn't wait and try to figure out her business on her own. 

Jennifer describes her experience and how she now has the tools, both soft skills and tangible strategies, that have propelled her forward and strengthened her confidence as both a consultant and as a business owner.

You can hear more of Jennifer's story in Episode 076 of the Grow Your Independent Consulting Business podcast.

Jim C.

Jim shares how he hired Melisa when he decided to leverage his 25 years as an internal consultant into running his own consulting business.  

Jim describes how his coaching engagement with Melisa was far beyond the strategy and tactics of running a consulting business. He reveals what was most valuable for him, and the long-term benefits of Melisa's approach to coaching, that have set him up for long-term success.

Rodney S.

Rodney describes how his consulting business was "going okay" but that it wasn't growing at the pace he wanted to grow. He had tried reading all the well-known books and implementing their frameworks but that approach made him feel overwhelmed and stuck in analysis paralysis.

Rodney shares Melisa's combination of tough love, accountability, and expertise helped him create serious growth in his business and as a business owner.

Dr. Amy B.

Amy describes how she had reached a crossroads in her consulting business of 15 years. She was ready to make significant changes to her business model so that it's more profitable and sustainable. 

Amy shares how our work together led her to clarity about the business model, the action plan to transition her business, and guidance and a "thought partner" as she implemented the changes and experienced the resistance, second-guessing, and fear that comes with making this type of change to a business model.

Lisa M.

Lisa had been working as an independent consultant for 20 years when she realized she was missing out on a lot of opportunity for what she could do for her business, for herself personally, the fulfillment she could achieve, and the amount of revenue she could bring in.

She describes how she started working with Melisa to become more of a strategic consultant (as opposed to staff augmentation), and how it evolved into something so much greater than that.

Josh Z.

Josh describes how he wanted to kickstart his business, after doing the same thing for the past 4-5 years.

But, he'd always been reluctant to get help.

He realized that having a second set of eyes would be a great benefit and decided to find a coach who specializes in independent consulting.

Josh shares his coaching journey, including how the first few weeks helped him fill in the gap he had with business development - following up with potential clients.

He describes how "the floodgates opened" and how he learned to balance working on the business with client delivery.

Josh describes how he built a confident mindset, so much so that he feels control over the destiny of his business, and doesn't need to settle for "just okay."

Maria BT

Maria shares how working with Melisa helped her uncover the "world of possibilities" for her business, the potential she never realized was available to her.

She had been unknowningly replicating her past experiences into her business, and limiting her income and flexibility as a result.

Maria shares how her work with Melisa provided the systems, the mindset and the insight to make running her business easy and to break through the ceilings she'd hit in her business.

You can hear more of Maria's story in Episode 082 of the Grow Your Independent Consulting Business podcast.

Esperanza L.

Esperanza confidently left corporate, landed her 1st big client, and raised her prices.

Through coaching, Esperanza has shifted from "sloppy" to "certain and confident", she's charging 2x to 3x what she was less than a year ago.

She describes how she fully stepped away from corporate into her business and gained "priceless" mindset shifts that benefit her on both a personal and professional level.

Prema G.

Prema rebounded from a setback to land two corporate clients and restore her confidence and clarity of purpose.

She walks us through her decision to work with a coach and how the investment has paid off.

She also explains how every marketing professional needs help with marketing for themselves.

Richard K.

When Richard re-started his consulting practice after a brief return to corporate, he decided that getting support from a coach was key to his success.

Richard describes how he found Melisa's podcast and why he chose to work with her.

He describes how he and Melisa approached coaching together and how impactful (and surprising) the business owner mindset work was for him and his business.

Leslie P.

Leslie describes how she was having a difficult time talking about herself and her business, to the point that she was avoiding reaching out to people in her network to have a conversation.

She discusses the work she did with Melisa to build her confidence and clarity which enabled her conversations to be consistent, much more productive, and ultimately to turn into leads. 

Leslie shares how she's transitioned from low, loss-leader-type pricing to become unapologetic about her pricing and confident in articulating the value she delivers.

Diane D.

Diane describes how she worked with Melisa to evolve her consulting practice from contract work through 3rd parties (such as marketplaces and recruiters) into a consultancy focused on shorter-term strategic engagements she lands directly.

She shares how she and Melisa built out her end-to-end processes including marketing materials, lead generation strategy (primarily speaking), and sales process.

Diane also describes in detail what it's like to work with Melisa as a coach.

Colin S.

When Colin was ready to start his consulting practice, he decided to invest in a coach to help him get started.

It felt risky because he had no revenue. He shares why the investment in coaching was worth it even though he hadn't made any money in his business.

He shares how he saved so much time from all the tools Melisa provided him, ranging from lead generation to sales to proposals. He had everything he needed for his business.

He describes how he was able to negotiate his first client contracts and learn to balance working on his business with working in his business so his pipeline remains healthy.

And, how shifting his mindset has been a key to his success.

Angela R.

Angela shares how she struggled with directly building a pipeline for her consulting business. She no longer wanted to rely on acquiring her work through third parties.

She talks about how she knew it was important to build up her confidence in business development and describes how coaching with Melisa helped her quickly build her business owner skills.

Ben W.

Initially, the transition from a traditional job was challenging. I lacked processes, guidance, and found myself overwhelmed. Beyond the core consulting work, tasks like networking, admin work, and legalities felt daunting. I read books but made slow progress.

Discovering Melisa's podcast was a turning point. Her insights resonated, prompting me to explore further. Melisa's introductory call helped me prioritize tasks and identify areas of low business value. With her guidance, I gained confidence in client meetings, established a structured schedule, and learned to adapt to interruptions effectively.

Working with Melisa has been transformative. Her approach balances empathy and firmness, helping me overcome setbacks and develop a repeatable process. I'm more in control of my consulting business and wholeheartedly recommend Melisa to those seeking to elevate their consulting careers. Don't hesitate to connect with her for an introductory call; it's a game-changer!

Faye A.

I'm Faye, the owner of F.A. Consulting, specializing in fractional COO services for startups. When I started my consulting journey after a layoff, I had initial success but soon realized I lacked essential business skills. Melisa's resources and empathetic approach, different from other more aggressive coaching models, were a game-changer.

Working with Melisa uncovered my imposter syndrome, and her reflective questions helped me understand my self-imposed barriers.

Now, I work fewer hours but have a more qualified sales pipeline with larger clients and shorter sales cycles.

Melisa's unique coaching goes beyond traditional coaching, making her an invaluable resource.

Stephen F.

I'm Stephen, founder of Pioneer Energy Solutions, a dynamic consulting firm in the oil and gas industry. After two decades of corporate experience, I realized I could be more valuable as a consultant in this complex sector. My journey led me to Melisa.

Melisa's structured approach provided a clear roadmap, defining priorities and guiding us to set achievable goals.

Beyond the structure, her platform allowed for open discussions and idea bouncing, which was invaluable.

With her support, we've established a strong foundation, and six months in, we have a clear vision for the year-end and beyond. The waves are in front of us, not crashing around us.

Melisa's coaching goes beyond the technical aspects; she instills the right mental framework to maximize skills.

For anyone entering consulting or starting a business, an independent coach like Melisa is an invaluable asset.

Susan S.

When Susan was ready to launch a consulting firm in healthcare and life sciences, she realized coaching would help her sharpen her strategic focus. She shares how she found her perfect match in Melisa, whose podcasts and relatable consultation style immediately resonated. Together, they crafted a robust strategy that transformed Susan’s approach, boosting her confidence and elevating her professional game. Susan shares how the coaching helped her with both strategy (e.g. making value-based pricing more tangible) and also her mindset and confidence as a business owner.

Wes W.

Despite a successful first year relying on word-of-mouth referrals, Wes realized the sustainability of his business demanded a more strategic approach. After attending a webinar led by Melisa and exploring her extensive resources, he was convinced of her expertise in growing independent consulting businesses. In this video, he shares more about how he overcame his fear of sales, how he decided to invest in coaching, and his ROI.

Christof W.

Melisa's resources provided invaluable guidance as I transitioned from corporate to self-employment with Leapfrog Innovation. Her structured approach and emphasis on mindset and personal development helped me gain clarity and confidence as a business owner. I highly recommend her resources for anyone seeking transformative insights and tools for business growth.

Sarah W.

In 2017, Charity Williams and I co-founded Empire Growth Partners in upstate New York. Our team of six operates virtually across the country, focusing on the financial services industry. Collaborating with Melisa, we reorganized our schedules for new business development and strategic planning, resulting in a more proactive client and prospect approach. This shift has heightened our intentionality and mindfulness in our work.

Kate F.

Before working with Melisa, I was constantly striving but unsure if I was working toward the right goals.

Melisa helped me align my efforts with my values, bringing clarity and peace of mind.

In just three months, I became more confident and saw real changes in my business. Now, I’m progressing faster than expected and feel assured that my business is on the right path.

Abbie D.

After trying to solve my business challenges through self-guided courses and podcasts, I found myself overwhelmed by too many voices.

Then I discovered Melisa, and I immediately knew she was the person I needed.

Her clear framework and understanding of what independent consultants face made all the difference. It was a game changer—I secured my first direct client contract, filled my pipeline, and regained my confidence as a business owner.

Traci S.

At first, I wasn’t sure if a consultant needed a consultant, but after working with Melisa, I can confidently say it was the best decision I made.

Her vast experience, emotional intelligence, and sharp mind helped me build a strong foundation for my business.

With her guidance, I now see myself as the president of a business, not just a consultant. While her tools and insights were invaluable, it was Melisa’s ability to ask the right questions that truly made all the difference.

Stephen D.

Overcoming my fear of specialization changed everything for my consulting business. Melisa helped me get clear on my niche—trades-specific leadership challenges—which made me stand out and attract the right clients.

She also showed me how to reposition myself with people who knew me in a different role, turning my experience into credibility and giving me the confidence to own my expertise.

On top of that, she helped me break through mindset blocks I didn’t even realize I had, so I could build a business that fits my strengths and goals.

Rachel H.

I’d been running my consulting firm for 12 years — but it still felt like I was winging it. I had great clients and results, but no structure behind the scenes. I’d worked with other coaches before, but Melisa was different. She got the mindset and the mechanics.

Working with her gave me clarity, confidence, and systems I didn’t even realize I needed — like a CRM that now runs the back end of my business. I stopped overthinking and started owning the CEO role in my company.

Elizabeth F.

Melisa offers a rare combination of corporate leadership experience, entrepreneurial strategy, and mindset mastery — a blend that’s hard to find.

She became an essential thought partner, helping me focus and act with confidence.

The ROI was immediate: consistent leads, closed deals, and predictable growth. Partnering with Melisa gave me a true competitive edge.