Spark with Merilee

Our Mental Health is REAL.

Owning our energy is not easy when our emotions take over. We are dealing with so much. And yet, we've become Jedi Masters at burying our feelings just to keep our s**t together and function.

But when we keep doing this, the BIG emotional wave can hit us all at once. It's easy to spiral into overwhelm, feeling less than, like we're failing at life.

If this wave has hit you, if you're struggling, please give yourself compassion and grace. Easier said than done, I know.
This was 100% me this morning.

I was spiraling, so here's what I did to help me:

I tried to journal because this often helps me get clarity. But then the BIG wave hit. Emotions are meant to be felt and seen. So I let myself have a big ass cry.

After my nose was stuffy and my tears were crusty, I reminded myself that I'm human. Life is messy and stressful. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, and it's impossible to take it all on.

When my husband came downstairs, I let down my walls and talked it out with him. Admitting I need help is tough for me. But when I do, it always helps me get out of my own head.

Now that I've felt my emotions and had a good release, I'm feeling a little better. So, now what?

I'm choosing to be consciously kind to myself today. I'll focus on what I can control, one small step and one task at a time.

And if needed, I will adjust my schedule to make sure I am taking care of ME today.

As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, remember....

You are allowed to not be okay.

Taking care of your mental and emotional health is not selfish. It is not a weakness. It is a strength and a superpower. It is owning your energy and leading your life.

And it's reminding the people around you that doing the same is not only okay — it's vitally important.

If this resonated, please share it with someone who needs the reminder. We all do sometimes.💛

Sending you tons of love and compassion today.

Cheers to being bold, beautiful, and kind to ourselves!

SparkWithMerilee.com

I’ve learned that growth often happens differently when we don’t do it alone.

Maybe there’s a colleague you’ve had meaningful conversations with. A mentee you want to encourage. A friend who has been carrying a lot lately and could use a chance to pause and reconnect with herself.

That’s one reason I included a Bundle Ticket for my Petite Retreat.

As we explore your Inner Board Members™, those inner voices that either energize and inspire you or influence the way you think, react, and show up every day, there’s real value in experiencing it alongside someone else.

Sometimes the people around us can help us recognize patterns, strengths, and perspectives we don't always see in ourselves.

Together, we’ll identify the thought patterns that support or sabotage your goals, challenge autopilot thinking with curiosity instead of judgment, and strengthen your Inner Leader, the most grounded and confident version of you.

Bring a mentee, colleague, or friend and spend an afternoon learning, reflecting, and investing in yourselves together.

Bundle Ticket: $197 for two

Reserve your spot today and join me on June 26th from 12 - 4 PM!

✨ https://loom.ly/Wju0ZVc

Yesterday I was in a room full of smart business owners. Women who have built something real, care deeply about what they do, and are committed to growing their impact.

The one theme that kept coming up? The struggle to let go.

Working in the business vs. on it. Knowing you need to delegate, but not pulling the trigger because no one will do it the way you would.

Those aren't time management thoughts.

That's perfectionism. And Brené Brown nailed it when she called it a "twenty-ton shield." We pick it up thinking it protects us. But it's the very thing weighing us down.

Letting go is not a delegation problem. It's a perfectionism problem.

And during Mental Health Awareness Month, it's critical to call this out. The relentless pursuit of perfection is one of the biggest contributors to anxiety, burnout, and exhaustion. Your mental well-being deserves better. Period.

So this week, try this one question the next time you catch yourself trying to do it all:

What would I actually gain if I stopped being the person who does everything? ✨

Just notice without judgment. Awareness is always the first spark.

Because when you put your Inner Leader back in charge, you choose differently. You put down the shield. And what's waiting on the other side is a version of you that is lighter, clearer, and free to build the life and work you actually want.

If this is landing, my keynote Freeing Yourself from the Perfectionist Hustle was built for exactly this. Drop a comment or DM me. Let’s talk!

sparkwithmerilee.com

Exciting news! Registration opens today for my next Spark Petite Retreat, right here in Pittsburgh! 🎉

So many women I talk to are holding a lot right now — at work, in their personal life, and everywhere in between. They rarely take time to stop and ask: What do I actually need?

This half-day Petite Retreat is your opportunity to do just that!

It's an immersive learning experience where women come to slow down, get real, and reconnect with themselves and each other. No pressure to perform. No people-pleasing. Just you, showing up for YOU.

Together, we'll explore your 7 Inner Board Members™ — the inner voices running the constant meeting in your head. Some energize your confidence and momentum, and others drain them. You’ll learn how to put your Inner Leader back in charge!

You'll leave this experience:
✨ Wiser, more intentional, and choosing happiness and freedom on your own terms

✨ Ready to own your energy, say yes to what matters, and live authentically

✨ Equipped with a practical mindset tool to move through challenges and keep growing

✨ Grounded in a deeper perspective that changes how you feel and see everything

📅 Friday, June 26, 2026 🕛 12–4 PM 📍 Cardello Building | Pittsburgh, PA | Light appetizers and snacks provided.
Space is intentionally limited to 16 women for real connection and growth.

Come as you are — or bring a mentee, colleague, or friend you'd love to grow with!

👉Early Spark Savings: First 10 spots or through June 6th: $107 with code FIRST2SPARK

👉Bundle Ticket: Bring someone along: $197

👉Individual Ticket: $125 after June 6th

Ready to lead yourself differently? I'd love for you to join us! 💛

Register and grab your spot here: https://bit.ly/petiteretreatspark!

Here's to owning your spark! 🔥

I’m excited to share that the next Spark with Merilee Petite Retreat is happening in Pittsburgh on June 26th. ✨

These retreats are something I get energized about because they create space for women to come together, slow down, and have real conversations about life, leadership, stress, energy, and what’s really going on beneath the surface.

So many women are carrying a lot right now, personally and professionally, and rarely give themselves permission to pause long enough to ask what they actually need.

We’ll spend time exploring the voices of our Inner Board Members, the thoughts, patterns, and reactions that shape the way we lead ourselves, show up for others, and move through stress and uncertainty every day.

This won’t be another event where you leave feeling overwhelmed or like you need to be “fixed.” My hope is that you leave feeling more grounded, more self-aware, and more connected to the women around you.

No pressure. No pretending. Just honest connection, meaningful conversation, reflection, and practical tools you can actually take back into your everyday life.

More details are coming soon, but for now, save the date. I would love to have you there!

A post-Mother's Day reminder. Your mental wellness is wildly contagious.

There were moments in my life when I felt completely overwhelmed and consumed with self-doubt.

As a young mom trying to figure out my career, I told myself I was fine. My struggles felt too small to matter. Too embarrassing to talk about.

So I kept pretending and pushing. Until I finally didn't. I asked for help. And it changed everything.

And I'm not alone in this.

As women, we put on our armor and go after our goals. We show up, give everything, and say "I'm fine. It's fine." And we keep pushing.

Men struggle too. Just more inward and silent.

Struggling with mental wellness doesn't discriminate. It just looks different on everyone.

When we don't talk about it, we don't normalize it. Those outdated beliefs and stress patterns get passed right down to the next generation. That belief that asking for help is weakness? It's costing us and the people we love and lead.

When you're not okay, the people around you know it, even when you think you're hiding it well.

Making your mental wellness a priority is one of the most powerful choices you can make, not someday, but now. Asking for help to get there isn't weakness. It's strength.

The people around you are watching and learning from you. That's not selfish. That's leadership.

If something in this spoke to you, I'd love to support you. Book your Spark Clarity Session, a focused, one-on-one conversation to help you reset and reconnect with yourself at https://loom.ly/X1s6pRA!

And mark your calendar! My next Spark Your Mindset Petite Retreat is coming to Pittsburgh on June 26th.

🌸 Details coming soon ...

Do you know this woman?

She listens to all the podcasts. Brené, Mel Robbins, Oprah, etc. She logically knows "No." is a complete sentence. She's well aware of the importance of boundaries and giving herself grace. And still ends up right back in the pressure of it all.

Because those driving voices won't quit.

"I have to have it all figured out. I have to do it all, do it perfectly, and make sure everyone's okay in the process. Dropping the ball is failure. Needing help is weak and I don't have time."

And when things don't go as planned, the frustration and defeat spiral kicks in.

Then the self-judgment for being frustrated and defeated. Then she judges herself for judging herself because she knows better. A quick flash of "maybe I should give myself some compassion"… immediately followed by compassion is for people who deserve it, and right now, I don't.

So she does what she always does.

"Forget it. I'm fine. Keep pushing onward."

And then…the cycle repeats.

If you just felt called out, hi. I see you. I've been you.

This is exactly why I created the Spark Clarity Session. So you can learn to consistently own your mindset and energy instead of them owning you.

It's 90 minutes, just for you and no one else. Using the Energy Leadership Index Assessment, we'll look at exactly how your energy and mindset are showing up. Through the good, the hard, and everything in between.

You'll understand which thoughts and beliefs are keeping you in this repeating, pressure cycle. And the ones that will stop it so you feel lighter, grounded, energized, and focused.

You'll leave with real clarity, your personal energetic profile, and a practical mindset tool you will use daily to stay connected with yourself and what matters most.

It equips you to take the advice you already know and put it into action. Shifts you'll feel. Shifts you'll keep.

The most powerful thing you can do right now is get honest about the cycle you're in… and consciously choose to do something different for yourself.

Ready to break the cycle? Book your Spark Clarity Session. I'd love to support you! https://sparkwithmerilee.com/spark-coaching/ -session

Did you love it?

Did you love being told to “suck it up”?
Did you love working for leaders whose only message was “get it done”?
Did you love feeling like stress had to be hidden to be seen as strong?

Most of us didn’t. And yet, we learned to lead that way anyway.

I remember being 23 in my first leadership role at Walt Disney World, completely unsure how to handle a difficult conversation—and being told, “Go get him girl!” That was the support. And it showed.

“Suck it up” was never a leadership strategy. It was survival.

For many of us, that’s how we were taught to lead—push through stress, suppress emotion, and get it done. But today’s workforce is asking for something different. And honestly, something better.

92% of recent graduates want to talk about mental health at work, yet only 56% feel safe doing it. That gap isn’t about programs. It’s about leadership and culture.

Your team’s energy shapes your culture, whether you’re intentional about it or not.

What people actually need isn’t another wellness perk.
They need the skills to navigate stress, communicate effectively, and lead themselves and others with clarity.

That’s the work we focus on through keynotes, workshops, and coaching—helping leaders and teams build the mindset and emotional agility to handle what work (and life) actually brings.

If you’re leading a team, supporting employees, or shaping workplace culture, this is a conversation worth having.

✨Read more in this week's blog at sparkwithmerilee.com/suck-it-up-is-not-a-leadership-strategy/!

This month, I’ve been writing about stress, and one truth keeps coming up that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s not just impacting women today. Our daughters and the women coming up behind us are carrying it, too.

Peak stress hitting women around 25 isn’t a coincidence. So many young women are stepping into their careers already carrying the weight of comparison, financial pressure, and the belief that they should have it all figured out by now.
But what if we intervened earlier?

I think about the tools I've discovered in my own journey. I wish someone had handed them to me at 22. Not as a strategy, but as a way to live. To lead myself before I ever had to lead anyone else.

What if we taught self-leadership alongside career readiness, emotional intelligence, resilience, confidence, and the ability to challenge the inner critic before it becomes a lifelong pattern?

These aren't just professional skills. They're life skills. And they work whether you're just starting out or decades into your leadership journey.

In this month's blog, I explore why helping women lead through stress has to include investing in the next generation t too.

✨ Read it here: https://loom.ly/F-6q_f0

And if you're ready to bring these tools to the women in your organization or university — through a keynote, workshop, or coaching experience, I'd love to connect. Let's talk.