“I had a huge awakening in the hospital bed… I was responsible for getting myself into that position and that meant I was responsible for getting myself out.”
In October 2010, Melissa Ambrosini hit rock bottom. She’d burned the candle at both ends doing work she didn’t love, neglecting self-care, surrounded by toxic relationships, eating junk food and prioritising partying over sleep.
Her body completely shut down.
“I had a whole host of physical health issues… adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue, hormonal issues, thyroid issues. I was dealing with mental health issues as well; anxiety, depression and panic attacks,” she says.
From that moment, Melissa made it her mission to get happy and healthy. She vowed to never reach that place of burnout again and to live life on her terms – authentically.
“The first thing I did was I got clear on what is important to me,” she says. “I stopped comparing myself to everybody else and I got really in tune with my higher self.
“I think a lot of people want the life of their dreams, but they don’t take the time to really get clear on their core values, their priorities. I sat down and I said, ‘What’s important to me? How do I want to live my life? What does that look like – the work I’m doing, the friendships, how am I nourishing my body? Where am I spending my time? Where am I living?’ I asked myself all of those questions and then I set out to create it.”
And create it she did. Melissa is now a multiple best-selling author of five books, number one podcast host of The Melissa Ambrosini Show, TEDx speaker and co-founder of SheLaunch, business and mindset training for female entrepreneurs.
“One of the biggest things is consistency. I have shown up consistently since 2011, which is when I started my business,” she says of the key to her success. “I’ve never quit. I’ve just kept on showing up wholeheartedly to serve my audience.
“I’ve also been very open, real and authentic, and shared my journey along the way. And I think that’s another factor of why people want to work with me and devour my podcasts, books and work.”
Melissa has also carved out a beautiful slice of life on the Sunshine Coast with her musician and entrepreneur husband, Nick Broadhurst and their daughter. She’s also due to have another baby in December.
How does she do it all?
“Firstly, I don’t strive for perfect balance between anything,” she tells salt. “What I do choose is to be fully present with whatever’s in front of me. So, when I’m working, I’m fully working. When I’m mothering, I’m fully mothering.
“Let go of striving for perfect balance because it doesn’t exist. There are going to be times where your work requires more of you. There are going to be times where your children require more of you.”
For all the busy working mothers struggling to find time, she has three keywords for us to practise: “No, thank you”.
“Say, ‘no, thank you’ to things that aren’t aligned with your core priorities and your core values,” Melissa says. “Also, get really good at asking for and receiving support. This whole notion of having to do it all yourself is absolutely crazy. We don’t have to do this thing called life or business on our own.”
Melissa’s days reflect her commitment to intentional living. She wakes up early, without an alarm, and meditates in bed for 20 minutes.
“This is my time to ground, to centre, to connect and to ultimately fill myself up. I also do some visualisation and I pray,” she says. “Then I will go and brush my teeth and do tongue scraping, which is an Ayurvedic detox ritual.
“Then I’ll have a litre of clean filtered water with a pinch of salt in it to rehydrate my temple.”
If her daughter is still asleep, Melissa takes a walk or engages in some movement. By 7am, her daughter is awake and they have breakfast together. “That time is very sacred and beautiful. We sit and I’m totally present with her; we love it. Then I get her ready for the day,” she says.
“We have a beautiful nanny who comes to our house, so I will work for three to four hours when she is with the nanny playing happily. And then I will usually finish at around 11am or 11.30am. Then my work day is done.”
Melissa then enjoys lunch with her family, “usually in the sunshine”, and spends the rest of the day with her daughter, often letting her lead the way.
“We have dinner at around 5pm and then the bathtime routine, books, singing, stories, prayer – all of those beautiful things happen, and she’s usually asleep by 7pm.
“Then I will sometimes wrap up any work stuff, spend time with my husband and then I’m in bed asleep by 8pm or 8.30pm. So that is a typical day in life right now, but that is going to completely change because I’ll have a newborn baby!”
As Melissa enters another new season of life, her journey reminds us that success isn’t solely about what we accomplish; it’s about how fully we embrace and nurture every part of our lives while staying true to what matters most to us.