Do you have an idea you want to bring to life, a problem to solve, or something important to share?

Tanya Hayles joins the podcast to share her journey building Black Moms Connection (BMC), an online global village and non-profit providing culturally relevant programs and resources.

Melissa and Tanya talk about:

(02:52) How sunscreen started a community building movement

(06:32) Finding your next opportunity with serendipity

(07:30) Building community and setting the tone

(12:30) What's changed with the pandemic and prioritizing virtual

(15:23) How to help moms (and parents) show up starting with on site childcare

(21:10) Self-awareness, superpowers and growing as a leader

(28:34) Being in alignment and in service of your community

You can find Tanya on her website at tanyahayles.com, on Instagram @thetanyahayles, on Twitter @tanyahayles.

Share your thoughts about the episode below, email [email protected], or reach out on Instagram @themelissakelly. If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe and remember to leave a rating. Thanks for being here :)

Welcome, Masako!

On this episode, Melissa speaks with Masako about her recent trip to her home country of Japan and her experience seeing things from a different perspective.

Masako Kozawa is a Japanese native and longtime resident of the USA. She holds a Bachelors and Masters and, from a young age, enjoyed visual art that has included drawing, photography and painting. During her career in the legal industry, she started practicing mindfulness meditation to manage her stress and then became a certified meditation teacher. You can find her on Insight Timer, listen to her podcast "Why Not Meditate?" and find her journal "Whispers from your soul" here. Connect with her on Instagram @masakozawa_coaching

Melissa and Masako invite you to listen in to hear about:

Melissa and Masako agree: there is no better time to do the things or feel the feelings on your bucket list - they're there for a reason! You might be surprised where you end up, too.

Let us know where you do end up and what you enjoyed about this episode! Find us on IG @themelissakelly @masakozawa_coaching

Please share this episode with others if you think they might enjoy it and subscribe to the podcast if you haven't already. Thanks for being here!

Welcome, Melissa!

On this episode, Melissa speaks with Melissa about motherhood, both in the biological sense of birthing a child and spiritually as you bring creations to life.

Melissa Colleret is a lifestyle designer, coach, yogi, speaker and writer. With over a decade of lifestyle design and entrepreneurial development, she bridges the gap between current and dream reality. She believes you have everything you need inside of you to create an extraordinary life. You can find details about her coaching, group program called Matriarch, and latest book 'Aspiring Mama' at www.melissacolleret.com

"What are your desires and how are you aligning your life with them?" are the type of deep, meaningful, and thought-provoking questions you'll hear on this episode.

Melissa and Melissa cover:

On a personal note, it was an honour to have Melissa on the podcast who propped open the door many years ago to what's possible when you're curious about learning more about yourself. Reach out to her on Instagram @melissacolleret to share what you're taking away from this episode.

Sources referenced:

Wilson, S. D. (2022). Maiden to Mother: Unlocking Our Archetypal Journey into the Mature Feminine. Sounds True.

Welcome back, Ahmer!

Ahmer returns to the podcast to check in on this first episode back from the break as we explore some definitions and ideas about community, and discuss lived experiences as part of different communities. From in person community building to digital community curation, we consider how communities have shaped our lives and the potential for evolution as individuals and a collective.

The theme of community is also what you can expect to hear woven into each episode this season.

Over to you for personal reflection:

·      What communities are you a part of?

·      How do you feel/know/imagine you’re a part of

·      What hopes do you have while being in community?

Deep gratitude for Ahmer’s presence and encouragement, following up on his first appearance on the podcast (episode 14) and sharing about what he’s learned so far (episode 2 and forest bathing).

Find us on Instagram @ahmercankhan and @themelissakelly

More info to come about connecting in community – thanks for being here!

Welcome, Briana!

On this episode, Melissa speaks with Briana on a topic they’ve been thinking about speaking publicly on since they first met earlier this year: dating.

Briana Cullen is a productivity coach helping people show up for themselves and do the thing that matters most to them. She shares her latest insights and tips on Instagram, so reach out to her @brianacullen. Be sure to check out her podcast “Feels Like Flow” that launched the same week that “Intentionally Out of Office” episodes started airing.

So, on to today’s topic: If you are lucky, you will spend a lot of time with the person you choose to spend your life with. The process of getting to meet that person, figuring out if they are the right person for you, and making a life together is something that Briana and Melissa explore through snippets of their own stories so far. Tune in to hear about:

· How Briana looked at dating like a goal she would set for herself in any other area of life and the importance of owning what you really want

· The discernment process when going on dates, having conversations, and noticing how people respond to moments of rejection

· Growing in your resiliency as you take in the lessons you’re learning about yourself and others

· Why a support network of people makes a positive difference and what that can look like

· Opening to the mystery, magic and uncertainty of the dating journey and what might be possible

Melissa and Briana joke about hosting a dating podcast – what do you think?? Let us know – as well as any takeaways you had from this episode by sharing them with us on Instagram @brianacullen and @themelissakelly. We hope that this episode inspires you to show up and get curious about what’s possible for your life, whether romantically or in another area of life that’s important to you.

Sharing, subscribing and rating is caring! If you liked this episode, share it, and remember to subscribe and provide a rating for the podcast, too.

Thank you for being here. Here’s to 20 episodes… see you in 2023!

Sources referenced:

Gilbert, E. (2016). Big magic. Random House USA.

Ortiz-Ospina, E. (2020, December 11). Who do we spend time with across our lifetime? Our World in Data. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://ourworldindata.org/time-with-others-lifetime

Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No bad parts: Healing trauma and restoring wholeness with the internal family systems model. Sounds True.

Welcome, Ildiko!

Ildiko is a marketer by day, photographer, yoga teacher, and content creator who lives in Toronto and loves travel and adventure. She has been to over 50 countries and looks forward to seeing even more of the world. On this episode, Melissa and Ildiko explore travel, possibility, and how making travel more of a priority can lead to developing and integrating new perspectives into life. Tune in to hear about:

Travel is just one way to make sure that you are fueled by what you’re making time for in life. Listening to this episode, take it as a personal invitation from Ildiko and Melissa to look at the puzzle pieces of life, lay them out, and create something beautiful that brings them together in a way that feels most fulfilling and meaningful to you.

You can connect with Ildiko on Instagram @ildiko.siklodi

Welcome, Munira!

On this episode, Melissa speaks with Munira Ravji who is a co-founder of Olea Real Estate Group and a realtor. She has always wanted to make people’s lives better and channels much of her passion, commitment and enthusiasm for doing so through real estate in the Toronto area.

From her entrepreneurial roots to the origins of Olea Real Estate and how Munira and her husband Elias are taking a different approach to business as they also build a legacy in Tunisia, tune in to hear more about:

As Munira shares, you never know who you’ll meet, impact and connect with! Munira’s desire to make people’s lives better through the cultivation of a gratitude and growth mindset is an inspiration. Let this episode be an invitation to get involved with others in your community to make a positive difference in whatever ways you can.

You can connect with Munira on Instagram @muniraravji, Facebook and LinkedIn.

How is reflection a part of your life?

As we approach the end of the calendar year, Melissa welcomes Joanna on the podcast who is currently co-leading virtual mindful morning practices in November. Whether starting the day with stretching, meditation, and journaling or any combination, being intentional with those first moments when you wake up can be a time to check in with yourself and set yourself up for the day.

From her beginnings in outdoor education and yoga to having uninterrupted conversations while away with family, Joanna brings a warm and welcoming spirit to the conversation as she shares insights that span navigating the demands everyday life, reflection and journaling with the time you have, exploring the outdoors near and far, and connecting with our self and others. She invites you to consider: what’s possible by reflecting on what’s happening? And, she includes a really practical way to figure out if something feels ‘right’ for you.

Consider this your invitation to let go of judgment, see what shows up for you, and get curious about how journaling, reflection and practices in presence might add to your days.

You can connect with Joanna on Instagram @josadowski

What can coffee and cafes teach us?

On this episode, Melissa reflects on how her love story with lattes has grown over the years. Much more than the espresso itself, you’ll find her in cafes around the world that are a reflection of the place or space, offer novelty, or are simply a wonderful place to relax alone or with others. This applies to moments of pause in the workplace, too.

Melissa also speaks with Salim, a local entrepreneur in Toronto with a background in architecture and who originally hails from Saudi Arabia. He came to mind as someone to talk to about specialty coffee and the cafes he has built because of his warm spirit and committed approach to building community around coffee with the creation of Hailed Coffee.

Although the conversation focuses on coffee and cafes, there are many lessons that can be transferred to other parts of life – listening, observation, presence, empathy, and commitment – both in and out of the office.

You can connect with Salim on LinkedIn and check out Hailed Coffee here or on Instagram @hailedcoffee

When was the last time you challenged yourself?

On this episode, we hear from three people who challenged themselves to take their physical activity routines to new heights and new spaces participating in a six-week program. As part of the Sweat Nation community, Stefania, Mel and Atel were inspired to first sign up for different reasons but kept going for many of the same.

Listen in to hear about how a busy intensive care nurse uses fitness to refuel, making the decision to change your behaviour and move your body, and integrating physical movement into your value system… and much more!

A special thanks as well to Beverley Cheng and the Sweat Nation community for their words of support and encouragement.

To reach out to this episode’s contributors on Instagram:

Stefania @fets117

Mel @trash_rs

Atel @atelvibar

Beverley @beverleycheng @sweatnationfitness