Melanie Fitzpatrick
Speaker | Author | Coach
Melanie Fitzpatrick and I met years ago when my cousin and I were writing our first book “Wise Irish Women.” That was the first time I had the privilege of telling Melanie’s story. As two red heads working in non-traditional roles in male dominated fields while raising our kids, it was refreshing to finally find a friend. Fast forward and we are once again on similar paths to liberate, inspire and challenge women to create their own authentic life on their own terms.
Melanie is an Empowerment Leader for Women & Transformation Life Coach. She guides Women to claim their personal power and brilliance at any age! She specializes in helping women in their 4th, 5th, 6th decade step out confidently in life and their business. Ultimately creating meaningful and aligned choices for their idea of success. She does this in her coaching, workshops and East End Entrepreneurs group- a membership based Women’s Success Group. She passionately uses her gifts and training in the areas of Personal Development, Feminine Leadership, Coaching, Facilitation and business acumen, to lead women to impactful futures. Melanie is the Founder of Live in YOUR Truth™, Wise Women Rising, Out of the BOX Living and Smokin@Sixty.
Melanie survived the “Babe to Bitch” transition in corporate America and is now bravely thriving as an inspirational entrepreneur. Here is Melanie’s story.
TK: You had a significant career in corporate America and decided to make a change. What was the catalyst for the change?
MF: I felt a calling in a different direction. I wanted something more, and the feeling would not leave me alone until I yielded to it. Initially, it wasn't easy to name what that something more was. Now I know it to be a soul call. When I lost my mojo, I recognized I was suffering from burnout from a hard-driving 20-year sales career. I felt like a wounded warrior! I wanted to shift to another role within my company, but they only saw me as an income generator.
I emphatically knew it was time for me to move on, even though I felt distinct inner resistance about the change. I had enjoyed a long and successful career in corporate sales despite the weekly travel, managing a family, a busy lifestyle, and the challenges of being a woman in the male-dominated field of transportation and logistics.
As I began to navigate my way out, I had many inner and outer obstacles to overcome. Outside of my successful role as a National Account Manager, I held limiting beliefs about what else I could do or who I could become. Fortunately, I found an influential Mentor who was instrumental in guiding how I could grow through and overcome these challenges.
However, a year later, it was a cancer diagnosis that served as my real wake-up call. Fortunately, we caught it early, and I recovered from surgery with a clean bill of health. Ironically, it was the death of a good friend who lost her battle with cancer that served as the catalyst for me to put my stake in the ground and get moving! My husband and I created a plan for my exit, and six months later, I left. Thus began my journey to uncover this something more that was calling me.
TK: You are now an entrepreneur working predominately with women as a mentor and a coach. What services do you provide?
I am such a fierce champion for Women and their potential at any age! I now guide women who desire to transform their mid-life uncertainty, fear, and hopelessness about what’s possible for them in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond. I offer private coaching, workshops, and retreats. I also lead a Membership based Women's Entrepreneur group in person and virtually.
TK: How does entrepreneurship differ from corporate America?
MF: There is an opportunity as a female entrepreneur to experience the freedom to be authentically herself. Not all women embrace this, but many entrepreneurial women experience the game-changing freedom of no longer being held in a box of rigid definitions of who they can be, how they must behave, and who they get to become.
There is no ceiling to a woman’s worth, intrinsically or financially.
But we have to claim it and lead ourselves to it. This is perhaps my biggest learning leap: owning my authentic power and being fully self-expressed in it. I have arrived at no longer needing outside approval to be who I am! Entrepreneurship allows you the room to grow in this way, without the dictates and restrictions of external structures.
Female entrepreneurs create the structure for their idea of personal and financial success by combining our vision, skills, gifts, and innate feminine power. A new feminine leadership style that encompasses a masterful blend of masculine and feminine energies allows women to get their work done while prioritizing renewal and wellness.
I encourage all women, whether in a J.O.B. or a corporate environment, to embrace their innate feminine power (intuition, compassion, prioritizing self, spiritual connection) and consciously choose to lead themselves in this balanced way.
“There is no ceiling to a woman’s worth, intrinsically or financially. ”
TK: What advice would you give someone who wants to pursue a similar journey but is afraid?
MF: Never give up on yourself! You matter so much! You may not be able to grasp your relevance yet, but you need to cultivate the trust that you are meant for more extraordinary things. If what you’re currently doing no longer light’s you up, It's the universes way of letting you know it's time to explore, pray, and seek a new path. There is another thriving chapter waiting.
Be willing to change. Don’t stay stuck! When you desire to have a significant change in your life – you have to do some soul searching and be willing to make changes on a personal level to take a big leap…like leaving your career for something else. Be willing to allow for the next level of your growth. Change is inevitable!
Dare to dream. What lights you? What have you always wanted to do? What do you fantasize or daydream about? Connect with your spirit and ask – what is meant for me? Make a list of big and small things you love and stay in the energy of how it makes you feel. Then allow this inspiration to propel you into action!! Start small. Schedule tasks. Take action each day until complete. Rinse and repeat! In no time, you’ll be making dreams a reality. For the bigger ones, get help if you need it. Just keep moving forward!
Seek support. You don’t have to 'go it' alone. That's an outdated paradigm women have been condition to believe. Invest in yourself by finding a really good counselor, coach, or mentor to help you identify and dismantle your inner blocks. This will help you find clarity and the inspiration to create a new beginning in your life or work. The investment will pay dividends by giving you the confidence to build a heartfelt future. And remember, what you long for…longs for you.
One thing I know for sure is that if you don't take any positive action for yourself, you will be in the same spot a year from now.
TK: Who is your role model?
MF: Right now, my biggest role model is Gina DeVee, a global author, coach, and influencer who is empowering women to take their rightful place in the world by owning their inner queen and be unapologetically themselves. I love this message; it’s quite timely!
TK: What is your favorite quote?
MF: I have two;
"When the personality comes to serve the energy of the soul, that is authentic power!" Gary Zukav
“We’ll never solve the feminization of power until we solve the masculinity of wealth.” Gloria Steinem
TK: What are your thoughts on diversity and inclusion?
MF: As a feminist, I have always been a women’s equality advocate. With the racial injustices that continue to persist, I realize there can be no equality for women specifically until there is racial equality. Systemic racism in America is so deep and pervasive. It is incredibly apparent that we need sweeping changes in just about every institution in America, including; healthcare, the judicial process, education, small and corporate business.
TK: What would need to happen for things to change?
MF: As individuals, we need to begin to dismantle our internalized racism in our thoughts, ideology, communication, belief systems, behavior, and actions. While challenging, the reckoning begins with an honest and thorough self-reflection acknowledging what we were taught to believe. This is personal.
Our next step is to cultivate the courage and integrity to step up and use our voices to change the inequities and injustices we witness within our own families, communities, work, places of worship, public spaces, and in the classroom. Everyone needs to care about this. All people deserve to be treated equally; this is our divinity.
TK: You recently started a new initiative called "Smokin’ at Sixty!" What is your philosophy on aging, and how can women embrace getting older?
MF: I believe women at any age, especially in their 50's, 60's and beyond, have an incredible amount to contribute to the world. Now is our season of life to be highly intentional, embrace our gifts, and share the wisdom garnered from our joys and hard-won battles. We are in the rebirth stage of our Heroin’s journey.
We are poised to bring a wealth of experience, compassion, insight, and vision to humanity's needs, including climate change, social and racial injustice, and other world inequities.
When women choose to view this chapter of their life as the opportunity to be sovereign to themselves, answer their soulful call, and create meaningful change, our world will look and feel very different. The outcome will be the feminine will rising, to be sure! This is my vision, and I plan to be a part of it.
However, while I am encouraged to see women in their 50’s & 60’s embracing empowered action during this stage of life, most women I encounter as a life coach are still feeling and behaving trapped by the paralyzing message of our social conditioning.
Be a good girl. Don’t rock the boat. Who do you think you are? Stay in your lane! And most specifically, women of a certain age are supposed to fade into the background of life.
As a fierce advocate for women’s potential, I can’t abide by that!
This next phase, like all phases, needs to be empowered by choice. To engage with life on their terms and make the contribution that lights them up! As one client shared with me, I want to be Smokin’ at Sixty too!
Ready to become the Woman you are truly meant to be? Connect with Melanie for a Free Discovery Call. Let’s explore the possibilities together. Your genius awaits!
Melanie resides in Pittsburgh, PA and can be reached at: msfitzpatrick54@gmail.com or 412.736.6067
