Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mel Cunningham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mel , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

There was absolutely a defining moment, and it wasn’t a highlight reel kind of moment. It was when everything came crashing down.
I was deep in the corporate grind, doing all the things I thought I was supposed to do. Chasing the next promotion, the next win, the next validation. From the outside, I looked like I had the best life. On paper, I looked successful. My identity was built around achieving, doing, and proving. Then one day, the whole thing collapsed. I lost the job I had tied my worth to, my relationship suffered because I wasn’t present, and my health started to fail.
It felt like my world was turned upside down, but looking back, it was the exact moment everything began. Losing everything forced me to get real with myself. to finally ask, what actually matters to me?
That breakdown became my breakthrough. It woke me up to the truth that I could still be wildly successful in a completely different way. One that didn’t cost me my health, my joy, or my identity. It led me to the work I do now: helping high-achievers build success that’s sustainable and deeply fulfilling.
It’s not about chasing more. It’s about optimizing how you operate and live. Identifying and upgrading your habits, beliefs, and patterns, so you can perform at a high level without losing your edge. That moment taught me that real success starts from the inside out.

Mel , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an Energetics Empowerment Leadership Practitioner & Coach. I work with high-achieving corporate professionals and entrepreneurs create sustainable success, so they can get more done in less time, be fully present whether at work or at home, and refine what’s working to experience success in all areas of life.

After spending nearly 20 years in the corporate world leading sales teams, driving performance, and chasing every benchmark of success , I hit all the markers for “success.” But I didn’t realize what was possible for me. That experience changed everything and ultimately led me into the work I do today.

I bridge the worlds of performance and wellbeing. My work blends neuroscience, energetics, and practical self-leadership strategies to help individuals and organizations operate at their highest potential, not by pushing harder, but by aligning energy, mindset, and purpose.

Through workshops, corporate trainings, and private coaching, I help clients uncover the internal drivers behind their performance, the habits, beliefs, and patterns that shape how operate and live. The result: better productivity, more profitability, and happier, more grounded, resilient people who thrive personally and professionally.

What sets me apart is my real-world understanding of high-performance culture paired with a holistic, human approach. I’ve lived the hustle cycle and I’ve built my way out of it. I’m most proud of watching clients rediscover who they are, optimize success on their own terms, and realize they can have both: achievement and fulfillment.

At the end of the day, my work is about helping people feel alive in their success because true self-leadership starts from the inside out.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Real-world experience.

Training and education absolutely matter. They give you tools and frameworks. The experience is what gives those tools depth. Having lived through the same challenges I now help clients navigate gives me perspective and credibility you can’t learn in a classroom.

When you’ve been under the pressure, worked the long hours, and carried the weight of high expectations and found a better way through it, you understand what actually works in real life, not just on paper.

This is what makes my approach unique. It’s grounded in real-world experience and a proven methodology. It’s a blend of optimizing strategy, rewiring how your mind works, and energetics that goes beyond surface-level results. Many have tried quick-fixes but there’s nothing like a method that creates immediate results and lasting change.

That combination of lived experience and continued learning allows me to meet clients where they are and create transformation that sticks.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was “shoulding.” Doing what I thought I should be doing based on other people’s expectations.

When I reflect back, this started early – what my parents wanted, the pressure to excel in school, always being at the top because that was what was expected of me. For most of my career, I followed the path that looked good on the outside. I hit every goal, checked every box, and did everything I thought I should to be successful, to climb the corporate ladder and to be seen as accomplished. Looking back, I was disconnected and exhausted. I was operating on autopilot, chasing external validation instead of asking myself what actually mattered to me.

Once I got clear on what I truly wanted and stopped building my life around “shoulds” everything shifted. I became more focused, more productive, and more present. I started doing work that aligned with my goals and energy. The impact showed up everywhere: better results, stronger relationships, and more ease, and actual joy in what I was doing.

Letting go of “should” opened the door to real freedom, creating success in all areas of my life, not just in my career, success that’s authentic and fully mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://melcunningham.com
• Instagram: @nowandzenergy
• Facebook: @nowandzenergy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/108454544/admin/dashboard/

Image Credits

@michellechaitphotography
@irismackphotos
@sierrarose.creative