Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Shirley.
Hi Melanie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my career in digital marketing more than twenty years ago and eventually grew into sales leadership and marketing executive roles. Along the way, I was lucky to have incredible mentors and coaches who shaped me as a manager and helped me grow into the kind of leader I wanted to become. Those early experiences showed me how much I love helping people develop, stretch, and succeed.
I went on to earn my master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University, where I studied strategic management, leadership, and ethics. My master’s thesis focused on female entrepreneurship and the success factors that drive financial growth. I had the chance to present my research at two international conferences, which deepened my curiosity about what makes founders tick and what helps businesses thrive.
Since then, I’ve worked closely with entrepreneurs and founder-led companies—helping them grow, scale, and, in some cases, sell their business for a successful exit. That work has been some of the most rewarding of my career. There’s nothing quite like being a strategic thought partner to someone who’s betting on themselves.
This belief—that entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful vehicles for designing the life you want—is what inspired me to go out on my own. Today, I run a consulting practice focused on helping founders and entrepreneurs grow with clarity, confidence, and intention. Building something from scratch is never easy. The road can be long, gritty, and full of doubt. But it can also be freeing, joyful, and deeply meaningful. I love walking that road with people.
As a leader, I’ve built and coached high-performing teams, and helping people develop is still one of my favorite parts of the job. There’s nothing better than watching a light bulb turn on for someone—and then seeing them run farther and faster than they ever thought they could.
Outside of work, being a mom to two teenagers is one of the greatest joys of my life. They challenge me, teach me, and enrich my world every single day. My family is incredibly important to me, and I’m grateful for the close relationships I have with my brother, my mom, my dad, and my step-parents. They’re a huge part of who I am and why I show up the way I do.
I also believe in giving back to the community that shaped me. I’ve served on several boards and currently sit on the board of End in Mind, a nonprofit focused on helping people live and plan with intention, especially toward the end of life. I also serve on the advisory board for the entrepreneurship center at Minneapolis College and Metro State University, where I mentor and coach the next generation of leaders.
Small business is my passion. Helping people achieve their dreams is my why. And I’m incredibly grateful that I get to do work that matters—with founders building the future, one brave step at a time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve definitely experienced challenges along the way, but I think people learn the most from failure and life’s unexpected twists and turns. I also believe that mindset is critical to finding peace. And sometimes we can’t think ourselves to happiness so we need to rely on our resources, our community and our loved ones to help us find our way. Asking for help is a huge skill that I’ve developed and I think adversity requires that we realize there are people and energies in the world that are here to help if we just take the time to ask. The pandemic was a challenging time for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve taken writing classes throughout my life and have always relied on my ability to communicate as part of my job. During the pandemic, I was able to study with Jeannine Oullette in her Writing in the Dark classes. These classes absolutely saved me and changed my life. I was able to attend a few writing retreats and intensives with her and found my voice, my people and my ability to create as a way to find peace, joy and an outlet for creativity. I have a big writing project that I recently set down so I can focus on building my business. Sometimes you need to set down something you love to be able to build up the energy and creative spark to come to it again. I’ve learned so much from Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act and I listen to it regularly to remind me of why art is important and why being an artist can be a daily practice and a way to live.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Yes, I just took a big risk going out on my own to start my own business. I left a job that I loved with a company that I loved because I wanted to be able to help more founders and entrepreneurs with business growth. My analytical mind thought this was a risky idea, but I took my time to plan things out, to identify and clarify what I wanted to do and who I wanted to serve, so I could launch in a thoughtful way. I found that fear would creep in sometimes, but if I just focused on my original vision and the “why” of the work, it made it easier to take the leap. I also am a tarot card reader and kept finding that the energy of the cards kept reminding me that “The Fool” (which is a card about taking a leap of faith) is both exciting and scary — and generally, worth the risk.
Pricing:
- Tarot readings – $150/hour
- Advisory services – on a case by case basis
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.snapshottarot.com
- Instagram: @melshirley
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieshirley
