TESTIMONIALS

Melissa provided an engaging continuing education program for the members of the Piedmont Dietetic Association in South Carolina entitled From Science to Soundbites: Communicating Nutrition Effectively.  She brought a vast knowledge of communications and media to her presentation and the Q&A section at the end of the presentation.  Professionalism and experience were evident in all parts of the planning and execution process including our introductory call and brainstorming, email communications and preparing for any possible technology glitches.  In preparation, she asked a lot of questions about our dietitians and members in order to create a presentation that was the perfect fit for our group. Melissa is a fantastic speaker and resource for anyone in nutrition or healthcare that is interested in growing in media or communication skills.

Jennifer Hunt, RDN, LD

Jennifer Hunt, RDN, LD, Education Chair for Piedmont Dietetic Association

Our organization has worked with Melissa several times for media training. We keep asking her back because the experience and results are so good. She makes the planning, communication with participants, and overall experience seamless. Everyone goes into the training with some nerves, but Melissa quickly puts people at ease with her approachable manner and focus on preparation. In our most recent staff media training, she was able to adjust to everyone’s particular needs and provide realistic tips and advice for each of their situations. She fostered conversation and feedback with the entire group. It was honestly one of the most fun media trainings we’ve done!

Sarah Woodside, MS, RDN, Director of Communications at United Dairy Industry of Michigan

Melissa has conducted nutrition communication workshops for clinical nutrition graduate students at the University of Iowa.  Her presentation and hands-on practical experience give students the confidence and skills to become effective nutrition communicators.  Students always give Melissa excellent ratings and value the opportunity to enhance their communication skills as future dietitian nutritionists.  

Rochelle Gilman, RDN LD Director of Nutrition & Health, Iowa Beef Industry Council

I was fortunate enough to work with Melissa who played an integral role in our nutrition communications trainings. The comprehensive and interactive trainings focused on translating nutrition research into personable, relatable messages that the future health professionals could use to communicate across a variety of platforms including counseling, public speaking. and traditional or social media. Melissa used her extensive media and spokesperson experience to guide participants through strategies that built their confidence and skills to create effective messages that would resonate with the intended client or audience. As participants practiced delivering their messages through hands-on cooking demonstrations, her feedback provided each attendee with personal advice to improve their skills. It was a pleasure to work with Melissa, and I look forward to doing so again!

Abby Heidari, RDN, LD, Director of Nutrition, Kansas Beef Council

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Melissa for both in-person and virtual FNCE events, where she has served both as the moderator and a panelist. She is always the consummate professional—active in pre-event calls, purposeful about shaping an agenda, thoughtful and fact-based in her responses and all of this with a positive attitude. As a subject matter expert, she presents content in an approachable manner and is engaged with the other participants. An experienced media trainer, she is calm and thorough in responding to even the most controversial questions. As a moderator, she works hard to build rapport with the panelists during preparation, evolves her discussion guide as the conversation ebbs and flows and ensures everyone has their voice heard. Melissa is exactly what we look for on behalf of our clients:  smart, balanced and gracious.

Kristie Sigler Global Lead and Senior Partner, Food, Agribusiness and Beverage – FleishmanHillard

“Melissa gave a two-part virtual media training workshop for the West Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics via Zoom. The first part of the training included tips, tricks and tools for becoming a better communicator. She brought her examples to life and was engaging with our Zoom participants! The information was timely and relevant to our participants.

The second part of the training was more in-depth. Participants put their skills to the test in mock media interviews, and Melissa gave constructive feedback. The interaction among the group was excellent, and evaluation responses gave Melissa high marks.

As a coordinator of these trainings, I was impressed by the amount of time Melissa gave in preparing to ensure a successful event. She was quick to respond and made herself available for planning calls when needed. I would highly recommend Melissa!”

Sharon Maynard, RD, LD, FAND American Dairy Association Mideast

Melissa did a fantastic job of presenting a session called From Science to Soundbites: Connecting the Dots and Communicating Facts to Canadian Dietitians at the Royal Winter Fair Food and Nutrition Forum. Not only did she tackle and debunk several food myths related to agriculture; she also shared examples that dietitians could use to communicate these sometimes-complex issues with their clients. Melissa also empowered her audience giving them specific techniques and resources to help them source credible information and then distill it to useful information that ultimately would help people make confident food choices. We loved her ‘facts not fear’ approach and that she customized her presentation with Canadian statistics and resources.

Dorothy Long

Dorothy Long, Director of Communications, Farm Food Care SK | Canadian Food Focus

Melissa provided a wonderful presentation on agriculture and communications for one of my clients for a state dietetic conference. As she was planning and preparing her presentation, her communication with me and the client was excellent. Melissa wanted to make sure we felt comfortable with her presentation and that it would be beneficial for the audience. The research and examples from her ag and media experiences added to the presentation. I would highly recommend Melissa as she is very professional, knowledgeable and dependable.

Janine Faber

Janine Faber, MEd, RDN, LD, Nutrition Communications Consultant

I had the pleasure of participating in one of Melissa’s communications workshop and left the training with the confidence and tools needed to share my messages effectively. After this particular experience, I brought her in to create a custom workshop for health professionals. Melissa could not have been more easy, flexible and fun to work with throughout the entire process! She delivered a high-quality workshop that my team kept raving about – I highly recommend her workshops. You can be confident she will go above and beyond to meet your expectations.

Caitlin Mondelli, MS, RD

Caitlin Mondelli, MS, RD, Caitlin Mondelli, MS, RD Director, Food and Health Communication, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Melissa has a ton of experience in the Retail Dietitian and Media space! It was refreshing to know she knew exactly what challenges I was facing, especially around media. Dietitians are communicators and using mass media to communicate accurate health messages is key to bettering our profession!

Kerry Clifford, MS, RD, LDN

Kerry Clifford, MS, RD, LDN Registered Dietitian for Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

I loved the customized experience Melissa provided throughout the media training. She was able to answer my questions and provide real-life examples and situations so that I could really grasp the key concepts she was teaching and have true takeaways. It was a fun day filled with learning and laughter!

Meghan Sedivy RD, LDN

Meghan Sedivy RD, LDN Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Dietitian

Melissa did an amazing job with our media training – it was honestly the best training I’ve ever attended! She made it applicable to the brand new RDNs as well as those of us who were already experienced. She was so positive and made everyone feel comfortable – she really encouraged us to “start where we are”. I’ve had a regular TV segment for years, and the first time I went on after the training I felt much more organized in my thoughts and was able to get my messages across more succinctly. Whether you are a seasoned media professional or new to the field, Melissa will improve and refine your communication skills beyond your expectations!

Lee Murphy, MS-MPH, RDN, LDN, district and regional media rep for Knoxville AND and Tennessee AND, and lecturer at the University of Tennessee 

Melissa’s workshops have been super helpful in my professional development! I had the opportunity to speak at a conference recently so I “channeled” all that I learned from Melissa’s speaker training about storytelling and audience takeaways. That helped me so much in preparing and I received excellent feedback from conference attendees and organizers.

Amy Bragagnini MS, RD, CSO, CDN, Clinical Dietitian Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale New Haven Health

I have known Melissa for about ten years and was aware of her vast skillset. So I contacted her for a custom presentation, and she delivered with flying colors! She graciously took my suggested content and then went above and beyond by researching/utilizing her network to create and deliver a stellar presentation! I had two guest speakers on the agenda for the day (Melissa and one other), and she not only impressed the audience, but especially my other guest speaker. He commented several times on both her ability to nail the topic, and said, “She’s a GREAT speaker!” Melissa’s background as a media coach, spokesperson, and early social media adopter are truly beneficial skills that she brings to every situation!

Susan Allen, M.Ed. DairyMAX

Melissa has created some awesome training programs and materials to prepare RDs for media interviews. I recently conducted an interview that could have gone very bad very quickly if I had not used Melissa’s Sound Bites messaging strategies to prepare.  The host surprised me with some tough questions, but I was able to bridge back to my key points, use a compelling statistic and wasn’t thrown off because I had prepared for those “what if” questions. I would recommend Melissa’s media training to any dietitian who wants to improve thier comfort level, skills and performance.

Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT New Jersey Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Media Representative and creator of Nutrition Nuptials

Melissa helped me to streamline my scientific expertise into catchy soundbites that consumers resonated with on the Dr. Oz Show.  Thanks to her individual coaching and helpful skill building activities ABC has reached out to me as an expert on several occasions.  She really offers a 360 degree media training experience.

Taylor Wallace, PhD Regular Guest on Dr. Oz, Affiliate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University and CEO of the Think Healthy Group

Melissa helped me articulate my goals and break them down into small, achievable pieces. From the first meeting, I felt like she was 100% in my corner, rooting for me to succeed. The combination of support and education boosted my confidence, and helped me take those next steps.

Anonymous client

Melissa functioned as my media escort in Chicago while I was doing media appearances. You can count on Melissa to be on time, arrive with whatever you need, and assist at TV stations so you can focus on your interview. She is very knowledgeable about the different stations and locations. And she is easy to work with.

Michelle Dudash, RDN, Chef and Author

Melissa is dedicated to enhancing nutrition education, whether it be in her profession or within her volunteer positions. She goes above and beyond to make sure everyone gets what they need, when they need it. Working with Melissa is a joy.

Jennifer E. Seyler, MS, RD Vice President, Health & Wellness, FleishmanHillard

Melissa is one of the finest nutrition communicators I know. She is enchanting during television interviews and knows how to translate nutrition science into the practical advice viewers need. On occasion, I’ve interviewed her for Chicago Parent and she provided just what I needed – when I needed it.

Christine Palumbo, MBA, RDN, FAND, Speaker, Writer, Consultant

I’ve known and worked with Melissa for 10 years. She has always been recognized for her exemplary communication skills. As a media communicator, she has a distinctive and unique ability to deliver her messages in an easy-to-understand and personable way. She has successfully taken her skills and translated the best techniques into effective trainings and practical presentations customized to the audience on the receiving end.

Lana Frantzen, PhD Vice President, Health & Wellness Dairy MAX

Melissa’s 1-on-1 podcasting coaching encouraged me to take the plunge into my journey as a Podcaster. She allowed me to gain confidence and provided me with inspiration for my upcoming Podcast, The Food Sommelier (launch date Fall 2015). Melissa’s down to earth style makes her super easy to talk to – – she is extremely approachable, warm, and supportive. She also pointed me in the direction of many other fabulous podcast related resources that I probably would not have discovered on my own. In addition, she went above and beyond by leveraging her connections to open a few additional doors for me. I highly recommend Melissa’s Podcasters Package to anyone looking to get into podcasting, or to current podcasters looking to take their show to the next level. As an added bonus, it’s a tremendous value (I’ve looked into quite a few other resources so I can say this with great confidence).

Annette Hottenstein, MS, RD, LDN The Food Sommelier Podcast

Melissa did an excellent job coaching our team on crafting messages and working with the media. The interactive hands-on approach enhanced the learning experience, and six months later, the Educators are still talking about it!

Jennifer McCaffrey, PhD, MPH, RD Assistant Dean-Family and Consumer Sciences University of Illinois Extension

Working full-time in a corporate setting, I have my fair share of stressors and urgent deliverables. Melissa has a pragmatic and compassionate way of talking out problems and tackling them. During this time, I doubt I would have been able to be as poised or effective on a personal level, let alone professional. Additionally, I benefited greatly from Melissa’s talent in helping me articulate take-home messages for important communications. Melissa is a true gem in the industry, and as a human being.

Marissa Beck, MS, RD, Former Director of Corporate Wellness, Next Jump, Inc. 20/20 Lifestyles Program

Working with Melissa to prepare for a TV segment was a smart investment in my career. Not only did she help me improve my pre-shoot prep and on-camera skills within a short amount of time, Melissa also taught me how to approach any broad topic and distill it down to the essentials for a consumer audience. I still use “Melissa’s Messaging Worksheet” every time I prepare for a segment and ask myself “What Would Melissa Do?” when creating a visually interesting food/props display. Her strategies are simple, proven, and effective. She’s warm, kind, generous with sharing her own experiences, and fun to work with! I would recommend getting in touch with Melissa to any nutrition professional who wants better communication skills.

Jessica Lehmann, MS, RDN Food & Nutrition Writer and Consultant

When I met Melissa at FNCE in 2013, I knew that she would be the key to helping me with media appearances.  Melissa and I worked together via phone conferences and email to perfect my media message, successfully display my visuals for TV, and strategizing my pitch to various media stations.  She was wonderful to work with and has an immense knowledge base in the area of media and marketing.  I am truly a great case of before and after of working with her and there is a remarkable difference!

Christie Hunter, MS, RD, LDN Owner of Christie, RD

Working with Melissa was a fantastic experience that helped launch a turning point in my career. She’s an ideal career counselor, both exceptionally encouraging and professional, and she was filled with good ideas tailored to my interests. It’s one thing to talk to friends or family about career plans, but working with Melissa takes it to an entirely new level. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

Torey Armul, MS, RD, CSSD Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

As my media mentor, Melissa equipped me with the skills necessary to take my media work to the next level.  She was always available, paid attention to every detail of my interviews, and balanced constructive feedback with positivity.  I feel more polished, prepared, and confident in my media communications. Our time together was not only focused and valuable, it was fun!

Jennifer McDaniel, MS, RDN, CSSD Speaker, Consultant Owner - McDaniel Nutrition Therapy

Hiring Melissa as my media and communications coach is one of the best investments I have ever made for my business. Melissa gave me the tools and coaching I needed to increase my skills, but also provided the encouragement I needed to be more confident in working with the media.

Amber Pankonin, MS, RD, CSP, LMNT, Registered Dietitian Nutrition Communicator and CEO of Stirlist

When I was creating my speaker’s demo reel and wanted help from a pro who knows how to hone a key message and share it clearly and authentically, I turned to Melissa, and she came through big time. A message is more than words, and Melissa knows how to help shape communications to share both information and feeling. I look forward to working with her again.

Karen Collins, MS, RDN, CDN, Speaker, Writer, Consultant and Nutrition Advisor American Institute for Cancer Research

Melissa was an invaluable asset and right there with me every step of the way as I prepared for a national 10-minute television segment on the Hallmark Channel. I began working with Melissa when I published my first book and started stepping into the media limelight. She truly understands the specific set of media skills dietitians need to possess. She made me feel comfortable with all aspects of media, including creating my messages, feeling comfortable during interviews, and preparing for television appearances.

Sharon Palmer, RD, The Plant Powered Dietitian

Sharon Palmer, RD, The Plant Powered Dietitian Author of The Plant-Powered Diet

Melissa did an excellent media training workshop for our team of retail dietitians.  She truly understands the role of retail RDs and provided us with invaluable resources to help us streamline our planning process.  She helped our team understand what we needed to do to plan, prepare, and deliver an excellent TV segment.  We use what we learned for all of our monthly TV segments.  She helped us take our media outreach to the next level.  Everyone on my team gained so much confidence and learned how to make sure we are communicating a great nutrition story.  She is so easy and fun to work with and we all highly recommend her and her training workshops.

Robin Hawkins, MS, RD, LD, Director of Health and Wellness United Supermarkets

Melissa listened to the needs of our nutrition team and crafted a program that helped take us to the next level as food and nutrition communicators.

Jane Andrews, RD Wegmans Food Markets

Melissa is a consummate professional in her role as registered dietitian spokesperson and extremely adept at translating nutrition science into practical information for media and consumers alike. She also practices what she preaches in terms of her own lifestyle and that of her growing family, and is dedicated to making a positive difference in the nutritional health of others. Melissa is also a pleasure to work with and to represent, consistently receiving high marks and repeat invitations from the media for her concise messaging and skillful delivery.

Lisa Doherty, President Doherty Marketing Communications