Melissa Mena-Schneller

Success is not built in the high moments; it’s built in the quiet decisions to keep showing up when quitting feels easier. My success comes from the ability to face myself honestly, not with avoidance, but with courage. Being guided by my faith has made my perspective and sense of purpose steadfast. It has reminded me that perseverance is not just willpower; it is trust.

I also owe an enormous amount to my mother, an elementary school teacher who saw possibility in me when I struggled to see it in myself. I have ADHD, and she never treated it as a limitation. She gave me structure, tools, and unwavering belief. She helped me understand that what felt scattered could become creative, focused energy, and even brilliance.

Ultimately, my success comes from staying true to who I am, keeping my goals in sight, and choosing (again and again) not to abandon myself.

The best career advice came from my dad. He taught me to show up with integrity and honesty about what I’m good at and equally honest about what I’m not. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t overpromise. If you can do something well, stand confidently in that. If you can’t, say so. Credibility is built in truth, not in performance.

He also told me to work toward the best outcome for all parties involved. If the values, goals, and expectations aren’t aligned, no contract or compensation will fix that. But when alignment is right, trust follows and long-term success becomes sustainable.

My advice is simple: avoid rash decisions, but always trust your intuition.

There might be pressure to say yes quickly, to accept every opportunity, or to stay in environments that don’t feel quite right. Ambition is important, but so is discernment. Keep making those pros and cons lists, girls. If something consistently makes you uneasy, don’t ignore that intuition. Intuition is often experience speaking before we consciously recognize it. You don’t have to stay in spaces that diminish you to prove your strength. The right opportunities will challenge you without compromising your integrity.

One of the biggest challenges in science and health innovation right now is the widening gap between advancement and understanding. We are seeing extraordinary breakthroughs in AI-powered peptide optimization and personalized medicine. Yet, many people feel overwhelmed or excluded from the conversation about their own health. Too often, medical communication is overloaded with technical language, dense terminology, or fear-based framing.

In my experience, I have yet to meet someone who is incapable of understanding the science behind their food and medicine. It’s not about intelligence; it’s about transparency. People don’t need a science degree to understand how a treatment or food affects their body.

This intersection of expertise and empowerment is where I see the greatest opportunity. That is what led me to build MeLi MeThoDS, LLC. My mission is not just to present scientific truth, but to teach the science behind health options in a way that empowers people. Transparency means respecting the public enough to educate rather than intimidate. Innovation without understanding erodes trust. When we combine rigorous science with stewardship and clear communication, we create a future where people can participate confidently in their own care.

In my work, my core values are Science and Stewardship. My work experiences have shown me the already incredible rigor of scientific research, business strategy, and strong ethical standards in western medicine. Those structures matter. I also recognized that stewardship as the careful, human-centered guidance of scientific knowledge is often overlooked.

Living and working in America, where food and drug innovation is vast, patients are presented primarily with western pharmaceutical options. However, there are medical approaches that work with the body’s existing mechanisms, supporting repair, regulation, and restoration at the source, rather than introducing synthetic compounds designed to adjust or override specific functions. Many of these approaches are grounded in the same scientific principles that underpin western pharmaceutical science, even demonstrating preferred clinical outcomes. They should not be framed as “alternatives” when the underlying mechanisms are evidence-based and aligned with how the body already functions. Natural and synthetic medicine do not have to compete to be rooted in transparency, physiology, and informed choice.

In my personal life, I value connection to the earth, to movement, and to community. I use martial arts and personal spiritual doctrine to ground myself. Self-discovery and love for my community hold my beliefs steadfast. I believe true well-being is strengthened in community, where we support one another in growth, discipline, and care. Empowerment begins when the people of our communities understand how their own bodies work and are given access to care models that aim to restore function, not simply modify symptoms.