My dream, when I was young, was to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.  Why?  By the time I was eighteen, I had five knee surgeries and spent many hours bonding in an ortho office (ok… the waiting room, but still).    I head off to college as an exercise physiology major with a pre-med focus.  In Southern California.   Where the sun shines 363 days a year with a beach driving distance from campus.  And did I mention the land where a pretty cool mouse lives? With a discount for California residents – crazy!   So basically, not a fan of the lab but wanted to be in the medical field so switched to medical social work. My plan was to work in an emergency room with families of trauma patients and save the world.

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Then reality set in as it does for all of us.  That is when my quest to figure out what I want to be when I grow up was born.  I had the degrees.  I had the skills. I just did not have the life I imagined when I was little.  Now I needed to dream again.   Which I did for many years with many tears, many times of “winning last” as a close friend would say – all of which lead me to who and what I am today.

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So I get it.  Been there done that.

 recently burned the t-shirt.   

Ready to dream again?

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But for official bio....

Melissa Russiano is a firecracker who wakes up stuck and stagnant people through coaching, training, speaker and all-around motivation.   She provides a unique approach with clients that pulls in her clinical expertise, directed coaching skills as well as life experience to reach individuals on a deep and transformative level.    Her passion is inspiring fierce curiosity and empowering high achievers to slow down, breathe and enjoy their perfectly imperfect adventure of a life.  She openly shares how she loves to drink water from a wine glass, dreams of living in Fiji but resides in blizzard country and considered applying to be on Survivor until she learned she would have to give up caffeine.  Melissa will challenge you to think differently, encourage you to embrace the fact that life is not perfect but if you are ready - it can be perfect for you.