Melissa Jenner, PhD.

I attribute my success to a deep curiosity about people and a commitment to understanding what truly drives motivation, growth, and fulfillment. Through my coaching work with high-performing individuals, I realized that even the highest achievers can minimize their own success while continuously pushing for more. That insight led me to reflect on my own patterns and recognize how easily we overlook our progress.

Over time, I became more intentional about aligning my work with what genuinely energizes me. I discovered that helping others move forward is where I am most effective and fulfilled. Coaching and leadership development give me energy, even when I am tired, because I find meaning in seeing people grow, build confidence, and create real change in their lives.

Ultimately, my success comes from a genuine passion for people and service. Whether I am supporting individual breakthroughs or strengthening teams, I am most fulfilled when others feel seen, supported, and capable of moving forward.

Create your own shoes!

I would definitely say, if you want to be a mom, prioritize that first, above your career. Because you have plenty of time to grow into your career, but you only have a finite amount of time to be a mom.

I actually waited too long. I got married, my husband had a young son, and then we were both working full-time. I was so focused on my career, so focused on "let me get to the next level, what's the next thing", and working on my PhD. When we finally woke up, I was still in my late 30s, and we were like, okay, you know what, we should have a baby. But by that time, it just wasn't coming to fruition. We put our savings into IVF, and it still didn't happen. We even tried acupuncture and still nothing happened. Once you get to 40, they're like, well, you know, it's kind of over after that.

Everybody tells you this advice (my parents, everyone around me): "focus on your education and career, work hard, and then you can have kids later." And I'm like, no, that's not it at all. I had this beautiful lady working for me who got pregnant in high school, she got married, she had her kids. Even though she was working for me, she was still making more money than me. Not that it matters, but the point is, she still got to the same place in life. Your career will come. You can still do all the things. You just don't have to do it before you turn 40.

One of the biggest challenges right now is that many high-performing professionals are doing great work, but they are still not being seen or recognized for it. There is still a strong belief that if you work hard and deliver, your work will speak for itself. In reality, visibility and clarity in how you communicate your value matter just as much as the work itself.

Introverted leadership is not a new concept, but because I’ve done it and it works in everyday life, there is no reason for capable professionals to hold themselves back from moving forward just because they don’t align with a more extroverted or charismatic leadership style. The truth is, when introverts are comfortable sharing openly and honestly, you can’t tell them apart from extroverts.

I have a personal responsibility to help others, share my insights, and support their progress. At the end of the day, my purpose is to help others step into their best selves and be "seen, heard, and appreciated." When people feel seen, heard, and appreciated, they thrive. And when people thrive, businesses and organizations do too.