Where are my readers? Or what about aspiring readers? If you are a reader, this show is for you! When I was introduced to Melanie Bell and her work with Leaders Who Fiction, I knew she had to be on Brave Women at Work.

I am a non-fiction reader and often struggle with getting into a fiction book. When I heard Melanie talk about the benefits of fiction, I knew I had to give it another try. 

In addition, according to an article in Inc, “How Reading Fiction Can Make You a Better Leader,” “There’s a growing body of research that suggests that getting lost in well-written stories actually can actually make you better leader. Fiction works as an empathy workout, these studies find, helping bosses better understand diverse viewpoints and boosting their EQ.”

During my conversation with Melanie, we chatted about:

1. Why Melanie started Leaders Who Fiction?
2. What is the research about exercising different parts of our brain while reading fiction and leadership?
3. What are the benefits of reading fiction on our work performance?
4. What are some of Melanie’s favorite fiction reads?
5. How you can join Leaders Who Fiction, a free online book club!

Here is more about Melanie:

After completing a degree in International Development from McGill University in Montreal, Melanie’s earlier career included marketing positions at Waste Management and Ecom Access, a marketing software startup.​

Returning to Houston to earn her MBA from Rice University, she then became Director of Marketing for the SURGE Accelerator​/SURGE Ventures).​

In 2014, she decided to pursue her own entrepreneurial vision, founding Marketing Interface to help growth-stage companies achieve their business goals by reaching their target market, converting potential customers into paying customers, maintaining these relationships, and measuring the results of their marketing initiatives using technology.​

In 2019, she merged Marketing Interface with her husband Matt’s consulting practice to create Strategic Piece. She is an active reader and writer, and founded Leaders Who Fiction, an online book club that helps leaders exercise a different part of their brain, learning relevant skills by reading and discussing works of fiction.​

She is also an active mentor at Rice University’s entrepreneurship programs.

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