Rising Stars: Meet Melanie Shires of Phoenix (Ahwatukee)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Shires.

Melanie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey has never been a straight line. It’s been a series of seasons, each one shaping my understanding of joy, alignment, and what it truly means to live well.

I began my career in marketing more than three decades ago, working across corporate, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial spaces. On paper, it looked like success: leadership roles, strategy-driven work, and the opportunity to build brands and programs that created meaningful impact. And while I was good at what I did, over time I realized that achievement alone wasn’t enough. I wanted my work, my energy, and my life to feel as good on the inside as they looked on the outside.

That realization became a turning point.

I found myself returning to the practices that had always brought me back to myself—reflection, creativity, intentional living, and connection. I began asking different questions: What if success included joy? What if alignment didn’t require dimming my light? What if fulfillment could be expansive, expressive, and deeply personal?

Those questions led me to create Positively Melanie, not as a departure from my professional experience, but as a joyful evolution of it. Today, Positively Melanie is a soul-centered lifestyle brand and creative studio that empowers women, particularly in midlife, to unlearn urgency and relearn alignment without dimming their light through intentional living, soulful facilitation, and creative expression.

Through guided journals, workshops, curated experiences, and community-based programs like The Circle of Eight, I create spaces that invite clarity, confidence, and self-trust—where women can reconnect with their inner wisdom while fully embracing who they are and who they are becoming. My work blends strategy with intuition, structure with creativity, and intention with joy.

Where I am today is the result of choosing alignment over autopilot and joy over obligation. I’m still building, still learning, still becoming, but now I do it grounded, radiant, and rooted in what matters most. And that, to me, is the truest measure of success.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been a meaningful one.

One of my biggest challenges was redefining success after spending years in environments where productivity, pace, and performance were the primary measures of worth. Stepping away from that mindset required unlearning deeply ingrained habits, especially the belief that rest, joy, or intuition needed to be earned.

Another challenge was trusting my own voice as I transitioned from leading within established organizations to building something deeply personal. Positively Melanie isn’t just a brand; it’s an extension of how I live and what I value. Allowing myself to be visible, expressive, and joy-forward, especially in a world that often rewards conformity, took a lot of courage and self-trust.

There were also very practical challenges: starting something new later in life, building momentum without rushing, and choosing alignment over immediacy. Growth doesn’t always look loud or linear, and learning to honor progress that unfolds with intention rather than urgency is its own lesson.

What carried me through each challenge (and still does) was the realization that obstacles aren’t signs I’m off course, they’re often invitations to come into deeper alignment. Every struggle refined my clarity, strengthened my confidence, and reinforced the importance of creating a life and body of work that feels grounded, expansive, and joyful.

Looking back, I wouldn’t smooth out the road if I could. The challenges didn’t slow my light, they taught me how to let it shine with purpose.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At the heart of my work is helping women reconnect with themselves in ways that feel life-giving, expansive, and real.

Through Positively Melanie, I create soul-centered experiences that blend intentional living, creative expression, and thoughtful structure. My work includes guided journals, workshops, curated experiences, and community-based programs like The Circle of Eight, all designed to support women, especially those in midlife, as they redefine success, reconnect with joy, and live in alignment without dimming their light.

I specialize in creating spaces that feel both grounded and uplifting, where reflection meets forward movement. Women often come to my work when they are accomplished yet quietly questioning the pace or expectations of their lives. I’m known for helping them gain clarity, confidence, and self-trust while honoring who they already are and who they are becoming.

What I’m most proud of is the way my work invites transformation without pressure. There’s no fixing, forcing, or hustling, just intentional tools, soulful facilitation, and creative practices that help women feel more at home in themselves. Seeing women leave my workshops more energized, self-assured, and connected to their own inner wisdom is deeply meaningful to me.

What sets me apart is the way I bridge strategy and soul. With decades of experience in marketing and leadership, I bring clarity, structure, and vision, while also honoring intuition, joy, and individuality. I don’t believe fulfillment requires slowing down or shrinking; I believe it comes from living in alignment, embracing joy, and allowing our light to shine fully and authentically.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I don’t think of myself as a traditional risk-taker, but I do see myself as someone who is deeply willing to trust my inner knowing.

Many of the biggest risks I’ve taken didn’t look dramatic from the outside, they looked like choosing alignment over certainty. Stepping away from familiar roles, established titles, and clear paths to build something more personal and value-driven was a significant risk. It meant releasing external validation and trusting that clarity, consistency, and joy would carry me forward.

Another meaningful risk has been allowing my work, and myself, to be visible in a more expressive, authentic way. Positively Melanie reflects not just what I do, but how I live. Sharing that openly required vulnerability, especially in spaces where professionalism is often equated with polish rather than presence.

My approach to risk is intentional rather than impulsive. I take risks when they are aligned, when they expand me rather than deplete me, and when they move me closer to a life that feels whole. I don’t rush decisions, but once something feels rooted and clear, I trust myself to step forward.

What I’ve learned is that the greatest risk isn’t change—it’s staying where I’ve outgrown the space. Every risk I’ve taken in service of alignment has led to growth, confidence, and a deeper sense of joy. And that’s a return on investment I’ll choose every time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.positivelymelanie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justpositivelymelanie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melbshires/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieshires/
• Other: https://positivelymelanie.substack.com/