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Life and Work with Melissa Powell

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Powell.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Melissa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona as of January 2019. I grew up as a middle child in a broken home (violence, alcoholism/addiction, mental disorders, etc.). My parents did the best they could with what they had, but both young and weren’t exactly raised in the best circumstances either. I was always fed, has a roof over my head, and my parents loved us very much, which I am extremely grateful for, however, I was raised on survival and scarcity. In addition, remember never really feeling like I fit in. I always felt misunderstood and like I was the odd one out.

I became mindfullymel after I spent the majority of my youth/teenage/young adult years allowing depression, anxiety, a binge eating disorder, addiction, PTSD, and body dysmorphia to consume my life. I would address my concerns with my family doctor who would just prescribe me time and time again with birth control, antidepressants, uppers, downers… you name it. I would take the medications for a short period of time to find that they just covered up they way felt, they never addressed the source of my unhappiness. In most cases, they would make matters worse for me. I would drink until I blacked out, putting my own safety and the safety of others at risk due to my poor decisions. It’s not like I was out drinking and consuming drugs every night. The issue was that when I DID partake in these activities, once I started, I couldn’t stop. It was like something else was taking over me. I was constantly yo-yo dieting and killing myself in the gym. I found it difficult to get out of bed every day, difficult to find a reason to keep going. I was suicidal. Here’s the thing though, I was no stranger to adversity and hard times, so at this moment, I decided it was time that I pull myself out of this scarcity mindset, this “pity me”, victim mentality and start making life happen for me. The pivotal moment for me was when I decided to reach out for help with my mental health. I started to meditate, exercising and healthy eating became my hobbies, I began to see a therapist and eventually hired myself a health coach. It was here that mindfullymel was born. I became obsessed with getting to the bottom of the way that I was feeling. When I started to look within as opposed to trying to fill the void will everything outside of me, I began seeing things in a whole new light. I was finally feeling a sense of passion, a sense of belonging. Breaking the stigma of mental illness, limiting beliefs, the overwhelming information in the health and wellness space called to me as nothing has ever called to me before. For once in my life, I felt like I have a purpose and like I’ve found my voice.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road, to say the least. Some of the struggles along the way that I faced were depression, anxiety, a binge eating disorder, addiction, PTSD, body dysmorphia, sexual harassment, and a brain full of limiting beliefs about myself and what I was/was not capable of. I had two options; continue to identify with these and continue to repeat the same cycles, or evolve. The real struggle was that I was standing in my own way. I still have my struggles and obstacles, it’s the nature of the beast. The obstacles are inevitable, expect and accept them. Accepting that fact and deciding to make life happen for me as opposed to just going through the motions stuck on this hamster wheel that just never ends or gets me anywhere… this made a world of difference. Advice that I’d give other women or anyone really who are just starting their journey is to start reprogramming that supercomputer brain of yours, NOW! Replace limiting beliefs with thoughts of abundance and action. Learn to practice self-care and get clear on what you want for your own life, you’ve gotta start within. Learn mindfulness/meditation. Don’t let anything that doesn’t make you feel good define you, but also get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. The transformation isn’t easy, in fact… it can be quite the challenge/obstacle in itself. Define your values, live by those values, and always live with integrity. Focus on your big rocks, the things that bring you real joy, that really matter… to YOU! Also, don’t be so hard on yourself, you can’t be everything to everyone and that’s OKAY! You can do everything, just not all at once. Know that it’s necessary to ask for help where help is needed; seek mentors along the way. I think it’s important too, to be able to share your own unique gifts with the world. We all have some sort of value to add. Most importantly, ENJOY THE RIDE! Make time for play, curiosity, and to show up in the world as your best self- however, Embrace your weirdness, your uniqueness. You get to create your reality, so you might as well have fun with it. Whatever you do, take care of yourself first.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a certified Holistic Health and Wellness Coach (mindfullymel) through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. As mindfullymel, I specialize in mindfulness for reduced stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and more in exchange for increased joy, happiness/well-being, improved focus/concentration, etc. Teaching clients to shift from a scarcity, victim mindset and into a mindset full of abundance, curiosity, love, and play is what I’m all about. I teach and guide my clients on the importance of focusing not only on what’s on your plate but what’s off the plate too, finding balance in all areas of life; career, relationships, nutrition, fitness, just to name a few. What sets me apart from others is that I’m goofy, I love that I’m weird and embrace that fully. My main goal is to help my clients find balance in all of the chaos and help them to rediscover their inner child and to embrace their own weirdness and uniqueness. Play and curiosity are a huge part of my practice, so I encourage and invite my clients to make this apart of their day to day as well. What also sets me apart is, I’m also a Certified Personal Trainer through NASM, make my own natural beauty and cleaning products at home, and simple/nutritious/delicious recipe creations that anyone can recreate or make their own. These are just a few bonuses of hiring me as your Health and Wellness Coach. Long story short, no matter what your goals or needs, if you are ready and committed to taking action to create the life of your dreams, whatever that may look like for you… I’m your gal!

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
I women are positioned for many great opportunities. Woman have come a long way and we continue to see growth in our opportunities to be equal. By woman sticking together and refraining from putting each other down we will continue to see opportunities arise for equality and greatness. I’m going to take this a step further though and state. It’s not just women who need to stick together and support one another. This is a human initiative and together… woman, man, gay, straight, poor, rich, white, black, purple, green blue (you get the point) our opportunities are ENDLESS! Humankind has opportunities that we are well positioned to just be kinder and gentler to one another. Help each other grow, learn, and prosper. The more we can focus on ourselves as individuals and how we can each share our own unique gifts with the world, the better off we’ll be.

Pricing:

 

  • 6-month Health Coaching program (12 sessions) $195/month
  • Meal Prep (you won’t get sick of) Workshop (Individual) $75/hour, (2 or more people) $65/hour
  • DIY Natural Home/Body Products Workshop $75/Hour, (2 or more people) $65/hour
  • Personal Grocery Shopping/In-Home Cooking Services $195/hour

 

 

  • Personal Training $86/Session
  • 4oz Mermaid Kisses Toothpaste $16
  • 2oz Bee Dapper Hair Wax/Pomade $14
  • 1oz Cocomint Face/Beard Serum $16
  • 2oz Chocoholics Anonymous Raw Cocoa Face Mask/Scrub $15
  • 4oz Cocomint Whipped Body Butter $16
  • Milk Bath Tea Bag $10

 

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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