FROM FIRST PAGE TO LAUNCH DAY

Your book is closer than you think.

I'm Melinda — book coach, brand strategist, bestselling author. I help women write the book they've been carrying, one-on-one or in a community. Part coach, part strategist: we finish the draft, build your platform, and start selling copies before launch day.

How Does Your
Next Chapter Begin?

Start wherever feels right.

Your Story

One-on-one, or with a cohort of women working toward the same goal: a book that builds your business or leaves a legacy. Show up and do the work, and I'll handle the rest.

Elle's Story

Elle Mayer just sold her tech startup, finalized a divorce, and turned fifty, all in the same season. Then she throws caution to the wind and heads out West. A story for every woman who's ever started over.

Inspiration

True stories about the people, places, and plot twists that have shaped my life. New every week on Substack.

Ready for a change?

You need a plan. And a guide.

When I left Corporate America, I had no plan. No clients, no roadmap, not one sensible reason. I sold my beloved condo, taught college classes, joined a running group that mainly drank wine, and built a marketing agency that ran for the next two decades, with clients that included Microsoft, HP, and University of Idaho. It wasn't always smooth. But it was mine.

The women I work with have accomplished a lot — they don't need convincing, and they're not short on courage. What they need is a guide: someone who's made the leap and knows the terrain. Someone who knows how to publish and sell a book, not just write one. I take you all the way — draft to published book, to a platform that fuels your next chapter.

Brands I've worked with

Nice to Meet you

Hi, I'm Melinda

I have spent years building brands, for corporate giants like Starbucks and Welch’s and fast-moving startups, before leading my own brand marketing agency. Then I served as an executive at Forbes Books and now work with authors at Brand Builders Group. Somewhere during that journey, I biked from Seattle to Portland in a single day and, more recently, across Tuscany, which was a much better decision.

Coming Soon!

Fifty Yard Line of Life

"To transitions, new beginnings, and whatever (or whoever) comes next."

Elle Mayer just sold her tech startup, finalized a divorce, and turned fifty. At a time when Elle expected to relish all the treasures life was supposed to offer, she suddenly lacks clarity on how to find a man, money, and meaning to move forward. She spent so many years tirelessly chasing the big dream, she lacks the stamina to get back in the game. Feeling undesired in the bedroom and the boardroom, she throws caution to the wind and heads out West for a life-changing culinary adventure. With the support of her two best friends, Samantha and Karen, she recharges her batteries, relocates, and starts a new business venture. Despite hot flashes, an old beau, and blond bimbo standing in her way, Elle charts a new and fulfilling course.

From my shelf

Discover my books.

A novel about a woman figuring out her next chapter, and nonfiction about good food, long runs, and living with intention.

Heart & Sole

How 26 people ran a marathon · 2018

Eat In Not Out

Health & wellness · 2018

Finding Life's Secret Sauce

Good food, fitness & fun · 2010

Fifty Yard Line of Life

The debut novel · coming 2027

Short Stories

Write to Reinvent

Sep 22, 2026Bat Shit CrazyI called myself 'bat shit crazy' during the first year post-divorce.Read more →

Sep 15, 2026The Other WomanShe asked for a ride down a mountain.Read more →

Sep 8, 2026All ClearGroup rides go the same way all the time: I catch everyone on the uphills and get passed going down.Read more →

Read & subscribe on Substack

In their words

What Clients Are Saying

Exciting, purposeful, and possible

“She has a way of taking what can feel like a thousand ideas swirling around in my head and helping me turn them into a clear, cohesive, and actionable path forward. Having her as a strategic partner has made the process feel exciting, purposeful, and most importantly possible.”

—Beth Amason

Co-Founder, Live in Love Club

VP, Fabric Innovation, 37.5 Technology

A well-connected friend in your corner

“Melinda is one of those rare people who combines deep expertise with a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. Working with her feels like having a very smart, very well-connected friend in your corner who genuinely cares about your success.”

—Laureen Knutsen

Founder and CEO, The Essential Professional

Former Chief Transformation Officer, Broadcom, Inc.

Expertise I trusted completely

“Melinda played a pivotal role in my book launch. As both a writer and brand strategist, she brought a level of expertise and perspective that I trusted completely. Her recommendations were thoughtful, strategic, and consistently on target.”

—Jennifer Marcou

Founder & CEO, Marcou Coaching

Former General Manager, Microsoft

She thinks well beyond the writing

“Melinda provides strategic guidance for both my book and my business launch — she thinks well beyond the writing. She's easy to work with, and I can be completely transparent with her. We have real conversations, not just check-ins.”

—Michelle Dray

Founder, The Authentic Revolution

Global Workday Alliance Leader, PwC

Out-of-the-box and grounded

“From my very first strategy session with Melinda, I knew I had the right partner to move my book and my speaking career forward. Her coaching style is a rare blend of out-of-the-box and grounded.”

—Renée Aly

Author, Speaker, and Coach

She doesn't waste a moment

“Melinda gathers data the way the rest of us chat over coffee. When it's time to act, she doesn't waste a moment. She's a stellar wordsmith, making sense of countless touchpoints and turning them into succinct goals and strategies. The net of this is business results.”

—Sara Chase

Former Account Director

Drake Cooper

Digestible and doable

“Melinda has a gift for honing in on the message that will make you most successful — using your book to boost your business right where you are today. She brings a wealth of experience to a book launch and breaks the whole process down into something digestible and doable.”

—Terri Stanton

Public Relations and Communications Leader

Authority Coach & Strategist

My story shaped my business

“I never realized how deeply the story of my life could shape the business I was building. Melinda changed that. Her expertise was invaluable.”

—Michele Keeffe

CEO, Belle Vie Investments

Belle Vie Investments

Analytical and creative

“A rare balance of analytical and creative skills — ideal for a marketing leader. She was invaluable to us.”

—Dana McLeod

CFO

Evoca TV

A secure foundation

“Melinda's evident thorough preparation provided a secure foundation for our branding process… we are now in a great position to articulate our positioning.”

—Douglas Haines

Marketing Professor & Department Head

University of Idaho