About Mel
Hello, I’m Mel.
Author, speaker, business consultant and entrepreneur — and someone who believes that change is in our hands.
I’ve spent more than five decades working with people, businesses and organisations, and I’m still fascinated by people: by what makes us tick, by what holds us back and, most importantly, by what can happen when we decide to do something differently.
But a list of jobs, titles and achievements doesn’t really tell you who someone is. So let me tell you what I believe.
The Me Factor
One idea has stayed with me all my life: change is in your hands.
We all experience things we’d like to change — a career, a business, finances, relationships, health, confidence, or simply the feeling that life should be heading somewhere different.
Sometimes circumstances genuinely are outside our control. But there’s almost always something within it: how we respond, what we learn, the decisions we make and what we choose to do next.
That’s the Me Factor. Taking personal responsibility isn’t about blaming yourself for everything that happens. It’s about recognising the influence you have over your own choices — and being prepared to use it. Stepping outside the comfort zone occasionally. Challenging assumptions. Learning from mistakes. And sometimes having the courage to admit that the thing standing in our way might be… ourselves.
The past has happened. We can’t rewrite it. But we can decide what we do next.
Dressed for the occasion. Any occasion.
A life of learning
More than 50 years alongside people at every stage of their personal and professional lives.
My business experience had me building companies, developing opportunities and helping organisations make meaningful change — from small businesses to large international organisations, including work at senior management and director level.
- Human Resources
- Technology
- Communications
- Project Management
- Business Operations
- Business Development
- Leadership & organisational change
I’ve worked and done business across Europe, the USA, Canada and China — which has meant experiencing many different organisations, cultures and working environments and, most importantly, people. I’ve also had the privilege of lecturing at universities and institutes in the UK and Ireland, sharing practical experience with people at the start of their own professional journeys.
2000
The year I jumped.
Taking the leap
I left the safety of a big organisation and started my own business.
It was a significant decision. I wanted to work more directly with people and organisations — to help them manage change, develop opportunities and turn ideas into action.
Since then my work has taken me in many directions: individuals, teams and organisations; business development, leadership, consulting, coaching, personal development and large-scale projects. No two have ever been exactly the same — and that’s one of the things I enjoy most.
Business has never simply been about processes, systems or spreadsheets. It’s about people.
What I do
Three ways I share what I’ve learned.
I write
Poetry, fiction and business books. Three very different worlds, all connected by one thing: people and their stories. Poetry lets me capture the moments that are hard to put into ordinary words; business writing draws on decades of practical experience.
I speak
I’m not interested in standing on a stage telling people what to do. I’d rather challenge an idea, share an experience, make people laugh — and leave them with something useful. Make people think. Make it practical. Make it enjoyable.
I consult
I’ve been on the other side of the table. Today I help people and organisations understand where they are, where they want to go and what needs to happen to get there. Sometimes that’s a major project; sometimes it’s one person who needs an independent view.
Still learning. Still curious.
Life isn’t perfect. Neither am I.
I’ve never believed that experience means you’ve finished learning. Quite the opposite. I listen. I ask questions. I make mistakes. I change my mind. I laugh — often. And I try not to take myself too seriously.
I’m grateful for the people who’ve crossed my path — some taught me through their wisdom, others through their mistakes, and occasionally I’ve managed to do the teaching myself.
Snapshots
A few moments along the way.
Enjoy the journey, appreciate what you have, and stay curious about what comes next.
What’s next?
Whatever brought you here, thank you for visiting.
Perhaps you’ll find a book that interests you. Perhaps something I’ve written will make you think. Perhaps we might work together. Or perhaps you’ll simply find something here that makes you smile.
Mel’s weekly note
Stay in the conversation.
One thoughtful email from Mel each week — a new Journal entry, a story, an observation, now and then a poem.