Hello there! My name is Mel, and I am founder of Fish Climb Trees, a company I set up back in 2015…
I took the brave (although some might say foolish) step to leave ‘paid’ employment to set up my own business because it was something I had always wanted to do ever since I left University.
Unfortunately, I made the mistake of finding a permanent job as soon as I graduated, which meant the security of giving up a monthly salary was hard to give up, especially when I bought a house, got married and started a family. I love my two daughters more than anything, but they are a constant money pit!
My journey
Since my teens I always wanted to work with people. My career started in sales and marketing. At that point I needed to understand how people ticked so I could sell to them. Later as I moved into more senior general management roles, I needed that same understanding to be able to motivate people and create high performing and happy teams.
This transition was underpinned by my own personal development journey. My biggest learning was that, in order to understand others, I first needed to understand myself. That journey began over 20 years ago, and I don’t believe it will ever stop. To do the very best for the people I work with I need to keep working on myself. By doing that, I can be fully present and ensure that my ‘crap’ isn’t getting in the way of what my clients need from me, in order to deal with what is going on for them.
An holistic approach
I have a BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management, an MA in Marketing and am Prince II qualified. However, since embarking on my own personal journey of discovery my learning hasn’t been as mainstream. I am a NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner, Business Coach and Sound Therapist. I have also trained in Creative Kinesiology and am currently in the throws of becoming a Reiki practitioner. So why have I chosen to do this?
Early on, I began to realise that whilst our ‘conscious’ mind is a fabulous tool it is not where the magic happens. Initially I would have said that those light bulb moments take place in our ‘unconscious’ mind. And they do. Now however, my learning has developed further, and I believe the beauty takes place when we bring our mind (both conscious and unconscious), body and spirit together.
Why I do what I do
Whoever I am working with, whether it is participants on my Leadership Programme, my 1-2-1 coaching clients, teams, or entire businesses, I meet them where they are. I mix and match my tools to their needs so that we can work together for a successful outcome.
My reason for doing what I do is because I want to make a difference in the world. By helping people, whether that be an individual, team or entire business, I know that when they grow and develop, this will create a ripple effect that will impact those around them.
Fish Climb Trees is built on five fundamental values (highlighted below) which are core to me as a human being. They also provide the foundation for all the work I do and are encapsulated by one final driving force and that is fun!
The five key values that I live by:
I love having fun
I believe that we learn best and are our best selves when we have fun. Why else would I have named my business Fish Climb Trees?
Even now, eight years on, saying my company name brings a smile to my face. However, don’t be fooled, if you choose to work with me, we will definitely dive deep and that is not usually a comfortable experience because in order to climb high and become the best version of ourselves, we need to have a rummage around those dark and murky waters that we keep hidden.
Companies I’ve worked with
I choose to work with businesses and organisations that share my values and have a purpose.
