Meet Mel!
Your big sister and life skills coach!
It's time to step into independent life with confidence. Whether you're looking for private life skills coaching, online courses, or school workshops that champion personal development, I’m here to help. I’ll be your guide, your cheerleader, and- first and always- your big sister. Welcome home!
Hi! I’m Mel, your big sister.
I’m on a mission to…
Replace self-improvement with personal development
Help you fill your life-skills toolbox
Create safe and inclusive spaces for shared learning and growth
Dismantle the patriarchy one period joke at a time
If you’re looking for a judgement-free community that learns and grows together, and a big sister who will cheer you on the whole way… you’re home!
What is life skills coaching?
A Life Skills Coach is someone that looks to empower others in two ways:
Helping them make, meet and exceed goals in both their personal lives and professional lives.
Helping them develop a powerful skillset so they can navigate through life successfully at every turn.
While a friend or family member can offer invaluable support, a life skills coach is there to motivate and guide you. In life skills coaching, you will set your own goals, and your coach will help you develop the technical and emotional skills you need to (finally) follow through on them.
Why I don’t like self-improvement:
Let me be really clear. I’m passionate about personal development, not self-improvement. To me, it’s a really important distinction because self-improvement suggests:
That you need to be improved.
That you are something less than the phenomenal human that I know you to be.
That you need to improve upon yourself to meet some mysterious standard of perfection.
That’s simply not true! You are enough. Personal development is a lifestyle, not a goal.
I love hearing from you!
Are you wondering whether a life skills coach is right for you?
But what’s a Renaissance Woman anyway?
My favourite definition of “renaissance woman” is from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: “a woman who is interested in and knows a lot about many things”.
That’s cool, but you can get nerdy about it… I know you want to.
The word renaissance is of Latin and French origins and literally means re-birth. It’s most commonly associated with the Renaissance period of European history (14th to 17th century). During that time, there was a political and economic ‘rebirth’ following the Middle Ages. This era promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature, and art within European spaces that launched the age of exploration, colonization and global cultural upheaval within the dominance of cisgendered men.
In Renaissance Italy the idea of a “renaissance man” or “universal man” emerged. The idea being that man was “the centre of the universe, limitless in his capacities for development”. Over the years, the term ‘renaissance woman’ was added and the two came to mean that a person possessed many talents or areas of knowledge.
Okay, but that seems pretty outdated...
Today, I feel that it’s time for another rebirth: a new Renaissance Womxnhood. One that includes all womxn, both within and outside the gender binary, and champions their multi-passionate and multi-knowledgeable natures. In my opinion, being a modern Renaissance Womxn is about developing not only our knowledge and skills, but also our character and life experiences. It’s about taking on personal development as a lifestyle all while advocating for feminism and putting kindness first.
We are womxn-identified and non-binary people who are interested in and know a lot about many things. We are Renaissance Womxn.
This is a safe space!
One of the core values of Renaissance Womanhood is kindness: to be kind, compassionate, considerate, nurturing and caring towards oneself and others. This value drives my commitment to the pursuit of respectful spaces both on and offline.
With that in mind, Renaissance Womanhood recognizes the infinite spectrum of womxnhood including all members within and beyond the 2SLGBTQI+ communities. I welcome any person who connects with the umbrella of womxnhood, and am dedicated to learning and unlearning my ongoing cultural biases. One of my foremost questions is how do we hold safe spaces, so if you have feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
To uphold these core values, conduct that is meant to undermine the dignity or self-esteem of an individual, or which creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment will not be tolerated. Please, be kind.
You make Renaissance Womanhood possible!
When you buy through links on this site, I may earn a small commission. I promise to only recommend products I would use myself and that all opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks!
Collaborators
Alana Simpson (She/Her)
Alana was one of the co-founders of Renaissance Womanhood in its original incarnation and its first Marketing Director.
Coming from a Public Relations and Communications background, she’s well versed in sharing ideas and communicating “how-to’s” in a friendly and accessible way. And, thanks to her experience these past four years working in the influencer marketing and consumer PR space, she helped get Renaissance Womanhood off the ground.
You can find her at AlanaSimpson.com where she teaches environmentally-conscious influencers and product-based business owners how to get high-impact brand collaborations and media coverage so they can build buzz for their brand (without breaking the bank).
Kamini MK (They/Them)
Kamini MK is an artist educator and administrator who has trained and worked with leading organizations such as the Institute for Change Leaders, Harmony Movement, Supporting Our Youth and Canadian Stage. They hold a BFA in Performance Production from Ryerson where they are currently pursuing a certificate in Human Resources Management. Kamini works with the Ryerson School of Performance as the Apprentice Director for the school's Shakespeare project and sits on the Board of Directors for the AMY Project.