Adventurer calls on women to embrace themselves

Q. How long have you lived on the Sunshine Coast?

A. 23-years.

Q. What are you best known for?

A. My previous business, MAB Personal Training and Adventures, which I became young businesswoman of the year for back in 2014. Ultimately, inspiring women to live a healthy/fit lifestyle and being an adventurer of the biggest mountains worldwide.

Q. What has been your proudest moment so far?

A. Becoming a mother of my three free-spirited children, Breath, Oak and Ocean. 

Q. What’s your top tip on how to succeed in business?

A. Be RAW (a real, authentic, woman). Embrace all of who you are. You are your brand and business. You rip yourself off and others if you don't.

Q. What’s the biggest challenge you have overcome?

A.  Days before my 30th birthday, weeks after a toxic breakup, I found out I was pregnant (which I didn't go through with). It was one of my biggest pivotal moments in life, it gave me the opportunity to choose myself fully and rise in love with myself, which I did. Also having three kids in three years from the age of 35 was a huge adjustment from being such a driven independent, adventurer and unstoppable in business. It was another biggest challenge, of that identity death and choosing to embrace the rebirth of me, Melinda.  

Q. What’s something about you that would surprise people?

A.  As a woman that has a reputation to go big and do anything, motherhood has actually softened me, which has activated a superpower that I never knew existed. It has expanded my heart to have a deeper connection to my womb space, I have an acceptance and trust of surrender like never before.

Q. Why is it important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

A. Because women are the creators of life force, if we heal the womb, we heal the world. I believe yes, as women, we can be/do/have whatever we desire. Personally, I want to empower women to be their best authentic self and in turn complementing men to be their best authentic self. I have been that miss independent woman without a man. I want women to feel enough within their self, when they add a man into that equation is to add value/joy, not complete it.

Q. Anything else you’d like to add?

A. I feel there is a divide of women, due to the pressure in society to be and have it all, boss mumma/stay at home mum. I feel women need to celebrate and include women no matter what 'era' they are in. A woman in her 'essence' no matter what she is doing in her ‘career' is a force to be reckoned with and her job title doesn't define that. Women’s heart (intuition) needs to be heard and seen. 

International Women’s Day 2024

When: Friday, March 8, 2024
Time: 6 – 9pm  
Location: Altitude Nine, Level 9, Sunshine Coast City Hall, Corner First Avenue and South Sea Islander Way, Maroochydore
Cost: $39.95 per person plus booking fee    

Melinda is one of three special guest speakers at Altitude Nine’s International Women’s Day celebration on Friday, March 8 2024.