49. Building Life Through Heartache and the Power of Perseverance With Melissa Saleh
What do you do when the unimaginable happens? In this conversation, Melissa Saleh shares her profound journey through grief, motherhood, and the challenges of navigating loss. From her experiences as a corporate lawyer to her transition into tech and startups, she discusses the impact of her personal tragedies, including the loss of her first child, and how these experiences have shaped her identity and purpose. Melissa emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a means of healing and the need for a supportive environment for those experiencing loss. She also addresses the challenges faced by women in the workplace, particularly regarding maternity leave and the need for systemic change. Through her narrative, she aims to create a lighthouse for others who are navigating similar journeys, offering hope and understanding.About Melissa:Melissa Saleh is a serial entrepreneur who has spent her career at the intersection of technology and human behavior. Since 2004 she has combined storytelling and bleeding-edge technology to build successful products, companies and brands. In 2020 she cofounded FairPlay AI, the world's first Fairness-as-a-Service company. Prior to that she created and executed narrative strategies for companies including Facebook, Google, Citibank and GE. After founding the content strategy firm Brick Wall Media in 2013, she built up a roster of Fortune 500 clients and worked extensively with early-stage cos to develop their mission, voice and brand narrative, then communicate them powerfully to the world.As a journalist and editor, she launched and ran digital properties for The New York Times, Newsweek, Discover Magazine and others. She began her career as a labor and employment lawyer in New York City, then transitioned to media by founding the internationally-acclaimed blog Opinionistas, which revealed life inside the world's toniest law firms. She has written for The New York Times, The New York Observer, Wired, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast and others, and has appeared on-air for CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and NPR. She received her JD from UVA School of Law and her BA from Dartmouth.Connect with Melissa:https://www.threads.net/@melissa.l.salehhttps://www.instagram.com/melissa.l.saleh/Connect with Ashley:Website: https://dovetaildesigns.coSupport AND/BOTH: Help us offset production costs while we're growingMother Founder RetreatDovetail® AppSocial:Instagram: @dovetailappTikTok: @dovetaildesigns.coFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/dovetaildesigns.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyblackington/