What do clients have to say about Melissa Walker and Heyday Coaching?

If you have been struggling with making decisions, as you approach or during big transitions in your life, I encourage you to reach out to Dr. Melissa Walker for coaching. She won't give you the answers, but she will be the guide on your journey to discovering you had the power all along.—DB

My work with Melissa has been a huge asset for me and my family. Over the course of our collaboration, her holistic approach to coaching enabled me to explore career options, assess and revise application materials, identify prospective positions, navigate multiple interviews, and ultimately, shift my career path to accommodate personal needs and professional goals. During negotiations her active listening and counsel not only helped me recognize my monetary value as an employee, but also instilled a priceless confidence in me at a crossroads. Lastly, I'd like to share that her coaching continues to inspire me as I seek to contribute to and cultivate an ethical culture both at the workplace and in the broader community. Meet with her and continue to draw on her expertise and experience -- it's worth it, worth it, WORTH IT!—AK

Melissa is the quintessential professional: she listens wonderfully; she provides a structure for the client to formulate thoughts and plans; she is kind and supportive throughout the process. She helped me transition from career to a retirement, navigating numerous life changes, and she helped me feel good about the choices and excited about the future. I have recommended her to several friends as an invaluable resource.—SH

I learned about Heyday Coaching from a college roommate who was also contemplating retirement from her career and had a positive experience with Melissa's wise counsel.  When I connected with Melissa, I was poised in a place of needing en(courage)ment to imagine life beyond the striving in higher education.  Through her listening ear and heart, reflection exercises, great dialogue, and poetry, Melissa truly was the catalyst for my moving forward in planning life beyond the career that I had worked non-stop for 40 years to build.  I think the most valuable insight I gained from Melissa's counseling was that I am far more than what the "box" of my career could ever offer me.  Her experience in higher education also lent her credibility and greater understanding of my struggles, and she started me on a path of creating a graceful exit strategy.  Today, I am close to finishing this strategy with full retirement only months away.  I will be forever grateful for Melissa's kindness and guidance.—AL

I am in a positive and productive place in my work these days, more so than any time in the past. Working with Melissa has been a critical step for me in reaching this place. I first worked with Melissa about four years ago, when I was in my early 50s and setting a new course for my work as a writer and historian. She helped me a lot to envision that course more clearly, and to see ways of thinking and working that were holding me back. I worked hard on addressing these obstacles and made good progress, and I reconnected with Melissa this year for coaching on several projects, including writing a book and developing a second one. We work on things like setting schedules and deadlines, making professional connections, building positive habits, and (trying to) have fun in writing. Melissa is also great about following up between sessions and helping with accountability. She is always encouraging and on-target with her advice; she taps into her deep experience in advising, teaching, research, planning, writing, and creating networks. I respect and appreciate Melissa; she’s the real deal! —RS

My first experience with Melissa was through a series of group sessions for higher education leaders. It was a time of professional transition for me, and I found the open and generous spirit of those meetings, along with the insights and experiences of others, to be instrumental in thinking through how I wanted to approach a new stage in my career. Having this small network of others from different institutions and disciplinary backgrounds helped me realize the similarities in the challenges that all of us are facing and having a non-competitive space to talk through strategies for thinking through them was invaluable. I continued working with Melissa in a series of one-on-one sessions that helped me to identify my professional priorities, strengths, and areas where I needed to give more attention. Through the group sessions and individualized attention, I saw Melissa's deep experience in her patience, her capacity to listen and to follow that listening with gentle but directed questions that were insightful ways to re-frame or reconsider the issues I had been talking through. These were conversations that I had wished I'd been having years earlier in my career, though I'm grateful to have found her and the resources she supplied when I did. They helped me identify and articulate my priorities in a clearer and more meaningful way than I had previously done. I'd especially recommend this for academic professionals who are moving through career trajectories that might take them beyond what they'd anticipated in their graduate school training.—JB

Melissa provided a space to process my professional goals, what personal fears kept me from reaching those goals, and gently challenged me to face those fears. Her supportive accountability pushed me to transform my professional career into one that feels fulfilling on a personal and professional level.—KK

Melissa is a great coach. She has a range of work experiences and gives good advice. Melissa helped me determine my career goals, evaluate my current position, and vetted my job materials. She helped me prep for interviews and even sent kind emails wishing me luck and following up on them. She is the professional mentor that everyone needs! In addition to my job search, Melissa helped me prioritize my work tasks and develop better work patterns. Perhaps just as important, she's on time and follows up on things. She's very pleasant to work with in video meetings and by email. Talking with her always makes me feel motivated!—AL

I have been working with Heyday since at least 2017 I was overcommitted and overwhelmed.  I was juggling several projects and knew I just needed to organize my thoughts and focus, but I was having difficulty getting there.  I remembered that Melissa, who I knew from conferences, had launched Heyday Coaching and just went to her website and made an appointment. We talked through all my commitments, and she helped me set up a schedule.  We took the big project first and she read drafts of the proposal I needed to write and soon everything else fell into place.  Since then, I’ve met with her on other assignments, and it has transformed what might have been chores into a delight.  She is a miracle worker! JW

Melissa Walker and Heyday Coaching have helped me clarify my vision, purpose, and learn how to thrive not just survive.—ND

I reached out to Melissa for career coaching when I learned that a leadership position was becoming available within my organization. Opportunities for advancement in my company are few and far between and I knew I had to make an investment in myself if I were going to stand out among the applicants. Melissa offered a fresh perspective on what she felt I had to offer my organization as a leader. She helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses and taught me how to leverage my strengths to accomplish my goal. She assisted me in fine tuning my resume and interview skills, but most importantly Melissa helped me build the confidence I needed to believe in myself. I am happy to say that I got the job and I know I was only able to do this with Melissa's help. I am still working with Melissa as I transition into my new role and I find her coaching, guidance, and support to be an invaluable resource.—ST

I worked with Melissa as I was in the midst of a career transition. I was looking to go from a career in project management to pursuing my passion of storytelling. Melissa helped me by offering guidance on how to network, setting up my business, crafting an elevator pitch, and branding. She also helped me to set measurable goals and prepare for life without a bi-weekly paycheck and employer subsidized health insurance. I enjoyed working with her and am grateful for her expertise.—KS

Working with Melissa on my academic administration job application letter and resume was one of the most humane but critical evaluations I have experienced. Remember, critical does not mean criticize. Melissa worked diligently to get to know me better so that she could assist the development of a great application package.  No matter the outcome, I am confident my materials present my best and most authentic self.  Thanks so much for your guidance and support.—SH

I have been working with Melissa for close to 6 months, and it has been such a relief to listen to her feedback and direction. When I found her, I was feeling tremendous pressure in my professional life to make future plans and take some big chances. Melissa has used many different tools and strategies to help me through this process. I enjoyed some of the skill/talent inventory tools, but I have also grown with the use of visualization and journaling. I don't think I could have gotten where I am now without her patient guidance and support. At first I thought I was crazy to hire someone for this kind of advice. I have many talented friends and family, but having an impartial 3rd party was a crucial benefit for my growth. I encourage anyone looking for direction to hire Melissa for guidance. It has sometimes been difficult and slightly terrifying, but the result has been wonderful.--AP

I was fortunate to work with Melissa and Heyday Coaching at a critical time in my career when I was juggling the demands of managing one business and launching another. Melissa is smart, and she is warm. She is a great listener and a thoughtful guide. I am grateful for the practices and suggestions she offered to help me better manage my work commitments, mom duties, and personal time.--RW

Melissa is amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect from a life coach, but she made the process comfortable while still pushing me. I highly recommend Melissa and her coaching style! --CR

I have been working with Melissa for several months now and it's been amazing! I've made many positive changes in both my habits and my outlook and actually been able to stick to them. I wanted coaching because I've been through many life changes recently and was feeling a bit adrift. In the past I've made resolutions but always fallen off the wagon. Melissa keeps me accountable, helps me revise my plans to deal with setbacks, and celebrates my successes with me. Her intelligence, compassion, and humor make every conversation fun, but she also challenges me when I need to be challenged. I'll always be a work in progress, but I feel happy about the direction my life is going now. Melissa has really helped me focus on what I wanted and figure out how to get it.   --EH

Melissa is compassionate, creative, and highly professional in her approach to coaching. She listens carefully, drawing from a broad knowledge of experiences to ask just the right questions. Melissa has helped me identify critical professional and personal goals, and provides the tools I need to accomplish them.  --JD