We launched our brand ambassador program a month ago and one of the applications we received were from Melanie Ewan – a powerhouse of a woman that works to bring impact in entrepreneurs lives especially that of women’s. So, it was a complete honour for our brand to have her on board right away!
Melanie is currently in Spain – so dreamy. She is passionate about building strong communities for women and we can’t wait to see where Locelle can go with her passion, personality and connections! ✨
Here is our interview with Melanie so you can learn more about the woman who inspires us and is positively impacting the world with her authenticity and passion.
Welcome Melanie! 🙏🏽
Tell us a bit about yourself (your role at Volition and/or WiTWorld) and why you chose to become a brand ambassador for Locelle
Hi all! I’m Melanie, Co-Founder and Advisor at Volition, an award-winning startup advisory firm based out of Vancouver, B.C., and COO at Women in Tech World, a Canadian nonprofit dedicated to advancing research and programming for women in tech. My goal as an advisor is to help entrepreneurial people thrive on purpose. Fueled by my own nonlinear path to entrepreneurship, I’m a huge proponent of defining and owning what you want. As such, I work with my clients to navigate the ‘now what’ moments in their career and company growth, so that they can get to a place of clarity and intentional action.
I first met Humaira through a mutual connection in the entrepreneurship space, however it was our shared passion for building community and safe spaces for women and girls to thrive in that really brought us together. I immediately knew that I wanted to support Humaira in her work, and help her to kickstart Locelle in the communities that I was in.
I took the leap to becoming a full-fledged ambassador when I moved to Madrid. It had been on my Thrive on Purpose Plan for five years to become location independent, and when burnout bore its ugly head once more back in spring 2018, my husband and I decided that it was time for drastic measures. Only a few months later we made the move to Madrid, where I began building a whole new community from the ground up. Locelle seemed like a perfect conversation starter and entry point into the community, which right now doesn’t have a presence like this.
You are a community builder and are passionate about entrepreneurship and supporting women entrepreneurs. What motivates you to champion women so much?
Simply put, it’s the lived experience. I have worked on various advocacy projects for the past decade, spanning everything from sustainability and poverty reduction, to MS and music therapy. I have always been passionate about supporting and providing a platform for the unheard and the underheard and am particularly drawn to topics that may not be super sexy but are currently treated in a way that makes absolutely no sense from an economic or ethical standpoint.
This, and the drive to build community and give back my skills, is the reason that I started working with Women in Tech World in January 2017. But the reason that I have stayed and continue to pursue the advancement of women in girls in entrepreneurship and tech, is that this time the topic hit home. While I have led a privileged career, in that I have had a lot of amazing women role models and sponsorship, I have learned over the past two years how much I adjust my behaviour based on social constructs and norms, and also how much I was allowing this to happen to those around me. Not ok.
One of the other items on my Thrive on Purpose Plan is to ‘inspire others by inspiring myself’, and I quickly realized that if I were to inspire myself (let alone others!) in this pursuit of supporting women and challenging gender barriers, I would have to up my game. This has been a constant motivator to me. I want to help women find and own their voice, know they are supported, and inspire them to pay it forward, so that the next generation of women can expend their incredible time, strength and energy on other worthy challenges that our world faces on a consistent basis.
What is the one advice you would give to women who want to pursue leadership positions but feel that they lack the confidence?
Can I give two?
- Connect with likeminded women, particularly those in roles you aspire to. Ask them about their journey and ask them for help. There’s no reason to go it alone – it’s not glamourous or smart or original. Be specific in your ask and always reciprocate the gesture – ask them how you can support them in their journey.
- Create a plan to thrive on purpose and let that lead your decisions. Ask yourself – does this career move (or whatever it is that you’re deciding on) nourish my plan? Or does it take me off course? Doing this has helped me to feel purposeful in my pursuits, no matter how small or large the action, and has helped me to find a different quality of confidence that comes with knowing what you want and how to voice it.
I just heard a quote that I’d love to share, “It’s ok to live a life that others don’t understand.” As a prospective leader, I think this is an important one to remember.
Thanks for giving me the space and time to collect and share my thoughts!
Melanie
Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn and/or Instagram
