The Warrior Within

Sunday May 17th: Honoring Your Energetic Blueprint

This conversation is for the entrepreneurs and professionals who are tired of trying to force themselves into sales strategies that leave them depleted.

Melissa Coloton is a Private Advisor, Certified Life and Human Design Coach, and Sales Consultant who helps businesses, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs create what she calls aligned success, where purpose, profit, and a fulfilling life all work together.

With nearly 20 years of corporate commercial leadership experience spanning quota-carrying sales roles, strategy, and executive leadership, she has driven over $1 billion in new business and led high-performing teams to record-breaking growth, particularly in the life sciences sector. 

After facing burnout and health challenges at the height of her career, Melissa transitioned to a more sustainable model of success and now serves as a trusted strategic partner to people navigating growth, leadership pressure, and pivotal decisions. 

She is the creator of The Honor You Method, a framework that blends mindset, emotional capacity, and ex*****on strategy to support high-level performance without sacrificing well-being, and the host of The Honor You Podcast, where she explores building success that truly feels as good as it looks.

I’m excited for this conversation because so many people are successful on paper while quietly disconnected from themselves in the process. Join us in the Women’s Mastermind 🙌🏼🙌🏼

When a movie speaks to something deeper in your soul.

One of the reasons I’ve always loved film, and why I took classes in college, is because movies often say far more beneath the surface.

There is almost always a deeper message if we are willing to slow down enough to notice it.

Watching The Devil Wears Prada 2, one of the strongest themes I kept noticing was the grief around artistic expression..

How it’s being replaced by speed, pressure, and mass production….

Ironically, I had just been having a conversation over lunch about AI and creativity with Wendy Hickey founder of ArtPop…

About how art is more than output.

It is healing.
It is humanity.
It is connection.
It is hope.

It is the way people process life, emotion, beauty, pain, and inspiration.

Technology may try to change how we create, but it cannot replace the essence of what real art gives to us.

And maybe that’s the reminder.

To continue supporting the things that make us feel connected to one another.
The arts.
Writing.
Music.
Storytelling.
Creative expression.

Because these are the things that help people feel seen.

All of this from what started as a fun girls’ night out dressed up to see a movie with Janice DaCosta, Dr. Heather Kidwell (DSL) Dr. Andrena Phillips…

Interesting how life works sometimes.

What’s something that moved you recently that you wouldn’t have anticipated?

We’re honored to announce the first speakers for Warrior Defined... Welcoming in Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider ★!! 👏🏼 👏🏼 

Jon is a retired Navy SEAL Commander who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Panama. A Naval Academy graduate with a master’s in Operations Research, he now works with high-performing teams to strengthen focus, manage stress, and navigate pressure through mindfulness.

Will brings over 19 years of experience in mindfulness, breathwork, and human optimization. With a background in biology and recognition as a Stanford Ambassador of Compassion, his approach is simple and direct. Train your mind like you train your body. Build skills that hold.

Together, they co-host Men Talking Mindfulness Podcast, a top 1.5% global podcast recognized by iHeartRadio, focused on real conversations around mental health and leadership.

Excited to partner with Trevor Martin & Ian Dibb for this Men’s Mental Health event!

Thank you Scott MacGregor for brining together The Outlier Project! I wouldn’t have met any of these incredible people without you! This is how we create change!

To learn more or explore sponsorship opportunities, connect with us now
Full lineup coming soon.

Warrior Defined: a one-day experience focused on redefining the conversation around men’s mental health. Proceeds will be donated to organizations that support Men’s Mental Health 👏🏼 👏🏼 

📍 Charlotte, NC
🗓 September 26, 2026

One thing I have learned this past year… community finds us in the most beautiful, unexpected ways.

And genuine spaces aren’t something you can just replicate and expect the same outcome. 🤍

I remember going to my first Speakeasy event.

I signed up after hearing Brian Lafontaine speak at Charlotte Is Creative’s Creative Mornings.

In his talk, I felt like he truly saw me. It was as if he knew in that moment what I was going through.

I knew right then… I need to learn from him. Because that’s the kind of experience I want to create for others.

Over the last several weeks, we’ve been part of a cohort of speakers coming together to refine our craft and deliver our message in a way that truly resonates.

And in that time, something deeper has formed. Meaningful friendships that will continue to build over time.  It’s a level of support that shows up in every detail.

Last night, we heard three speakers, two from our cohort. Watching their growth, their presence, their shifts… it was incredible.

This is the kind of community I want to be part of again and again. Because it doesn’t just motivate you. It changes you. 🤍

I loved spending time with so many amazing humans last night!! Cara Truitt Natasha Witherspoon Peggy Knaack Wende Whitus Dayna Gowan Terrie Reeves Stanley Desbas Seth Baird

Join us Saturday May 9th✨

I’m coming in as a special guest teacher… to talk about Energy & Intuition

I’m the Y6 LakeRidge’s OG GM (in case you didn’t know)😎

Energy & Intuition: Reconnecting Within
“How do I trust my intuition?”
Most people don’t struggle with making decisions… they struggle with trusting themselves.

There’s often a disconnect between what the mind is saying and what the body is feeling. In a world that moves fast, we’re taught to override those signals, to think more, push through, and second-guess.

But your body is always communicating.
Intuition isn’t outside of you. It’s something you can learn to hear again.

In this experiential workshop, you’ll slow down, tune into your body, and reconnect with the wisdom already within you.

Through guided awareness practices, you’ll begin to recognize how your body processes information and how to interpret the signals it’s already giving you.

Together we’ll explore:
• What energy is and how it moves through the body
• What intuition is and how it speaks to you
• How to relearn the language of your intuition

We’ll close with a guided meditation and energy healing session to help you integrate and ground.

This is your space to slow down, reconnect, and begin trusting yourself again.

💫We’re celebrating the 3rd Year Anniversary…🙌🏼

I’ve had the honor of being a facilitator for Erin Hurley, MD Annual Women’s Retreat. A few words for anyone hesitating to attend a retreat.

Retreats are so much more than time away.
It’s the time within that begins the healing.

As a facilitator, listening to what brings these women here, I’m reminded again and again that we are all seeking a point of connection.

Within ourselves, within community, and in the space to simply be.

In these moments of stillness and connection we begin to rise with a renewal of spirit. This carries into every area of our lives.

It’s been a beautiful start and so great to spend time with women I know and adore!

Thank you, Erin for inviting me into your space where so much healing is beginning.

Tiffany Chan Sherry Richert Belul Brooke Erickson, MS, CN

Supporting those who support others.
I had the opportunity to present at an event hosted by NAMI Charlotte.

This event practitioners came together to pour back into the people who hold so much for our communities every day.

I guided two practices designed to help the body reset in a short period of time.

Because sometimes, we just need space to breathe.
The evening was filled with meaningful connection and shared experience. Thank you Andrea Towner, Audra Murray, Iliana Pech Cruz for bringing this together!

If you are navigating anything related to mental health, I highly recommend connecting with their team to better understand the resources available.

Having walked my own journey for years, being able to now give back from a healed place carries a depth that is hard to put into words. It shifts everything.

Mental health deserves open conversation. When we reduce the stigma, we create more space for support, for honesty, and for healing.

Thank you for having me. I look forward to continuing to support your work!

It was great to spend time with new friends and not new friends 🤗🤗
Mandi Murrow Maude Moreno, Kathleen Long

We talk a lot about fear of failure.
Almost no one talks about fear of success.

Yet it is one of the most common patterns I see in high-performing women.

At SheLeadsDC this year, I’ll be speaking on the hidden dynamics that surface as women expand into higher levels of leadership and visibility.

This is not about confidence.
It is about capacity.

When success requires a new level of decision-making, communication, and presence, the nervous system often defaults to what feels known and controlled.

That is where growth stalls.

In this session, we will break down the patterns that quietly limit expansion and explore what it takes to lead from a place that can actually sustain success.

Honored to be invited back for year two. 🙌🏼👏🏼
See you next Friday, in Tyson’s Corner!

May inside the Women’s Mastermind is designed to bring you back into alignment with yourself.

Your decisions, your energy, your rhythm.
Three conversations. Three ways to reconnect.

May 3 Candice Van Dertholen
Learning to trust your decisions by reconnecting with your energy and intuition.
We’ll explore how to recognize internal blocks and begin working with them instead of pushing past them.

May 17 | Melissa Coloton
Honoring Your Energetic Blueprint
Melissa is a Private Advisor, Certified Life and Human Design Coach, and Sales Consultant who helps leaders and entrepreneurs create aligned success where purpose, profit, and life actually work together. Learning how your Human Design impacts your business.

With nearly 20 years in corporate leadership and over $1B in driven revenue, she brings a grounded approach to aligning how you operate with how you’re built.

May 31 | Mandi Murrow
Hustle to Harmony: Intro to Hypno-Breathwork
Mandi is an Integrative Health Coach, yoga instructor, and hypno-breathwork facilitator focused on nervous system regulation and mind-body healing. How to work with your body not against it.

This guided experience uses intentional breathing and visualization to help you step out of the constant thinking mind and into a more calm, grounded state.

This month is about learning how to listen again.
To your body.
To your intuition.
To what is actually aligned for you.

If you’ve been moving fast… this is your space to recalibrate.

“Who am I to do this?”
Words every client, colleague, and friend has said to me.

It would’ve been easier for me to overthink it.
To wait or question it.

Instead, I chose to take the leap and put it out there.

In my mind, what’s the worst thing that could happen?

So I created the invite.

Because sometimes we just need space to breathe.

Entrepreneurship can feel isolating.
Until you’re in a room that reminds you you’re not doing it alone.

That’s where things start to move. This brunch brings joy, connection and collaborations.

Here’s to all that is ahead together.

Ladies, See you in June.

Shout outs to:
💐 Emily Cowan these floral arrangements were beautifully made 
💵 Donations were made to Elizabeth House Foundation with Brandy Sims, CCHW 
🎞️📸 Thank you for capturing the moments Stanley Desbas and Aidan Gomez

So many amazing women!!

Breanne Byrne Nicole Milone, RICP® Tiffany VanDeMark Kristi Straw, MBA - Executive Strategist Carla Miller, ChSNC® Dana Robinson Dr. Heather Kidwell (DSL) Dr. Andrena Phillips Sally Awad Dr. Angel (Andrea) Taylor, BSN, RNTara McAlister , SHRM-CP, RCC Amy Dougherty, BCHMC Jennifer Adelhardt Mandi Murrow Staci Braun, M.D. Lianne Hofer Michele Melville Peggy Knaack Kate Ricciardi DPT, RDN, CLT, CFNC, CWHS Lori Saitz Dr. Lexi Lain Kathryn Regganie Kellie Grutko, ACCKristina Paider Jennifer Creegan Jodi Vose Sara Kenyon

This week, as I flew home from my last speaking engagement, I received word about my first international opportunity. 🇬🇧

I hesitated to share it. Then I asked myself why.

Why wouldn’t I share about this?
I have done the work to be here in this very moment.

In sharing, yes it’s to celebrate and honor this incredible opportunity. And what’s equally important is to share the power of doing the inner work.

It’s why we do this work first.
Strategizing will get you only so far.
When you believe in yourself, your life changes.

I spent all of 2024 diving internally.
2025 is when all the foundational work began to take off.

I know what works and it isn’t another sales funnel.

It’s you embodied within the work you are here to do.

It’s time we do entrepreneurship differently.
If you are struggling… might message me.

I’m here to help others get there too.

Also… I’m excited beyond words to be traveling to the UK for this engagement.

The universe even sent me a sign after purchasing that flight.😉🇬🇧

now I have some work to do!!