The Mid-Career GPS Podcast

288: Client Success Story: How Melissa Mwai Took the "Ick" Out of Networking

• John Neral

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In this insightful episode, Melissa Mawai shares her inspiring journey from corporate project management to becoming a published children's author and illustrator. After the passing of her father and the global pandemic, Melissa found herself at a crossroads—one that led her to pursue her true passion for storytelling. Now, with five published books under her belt with major publishers like National Geographic Kids and DK, Melissa reflects on the challenges, lessons, and triumphs of her creative career pivot.


One of the biggest hurdles she faced? Self-promotion. If you've ever struggled with marketing yourself, you'll appreciate Melissa’s honest take on overcoming the “ick” factor and finding an authentic way to share your work. As a neurodiverse professional, she has also dedicated her work to helping neurodiverse children navigate the world through engaging stories.


From navigating the entrepreneurial path to embracing creativity in every professional interaction, Melissa offers invaluable wisdom for anyone looking to align their career with their passions. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming podcast, Kid Lit Deconstruction Zone!


What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

  • How Melissa used the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point in her career
  • The impact of personal loss on career clarity and purpose
  • Overcoming the discomfort of self-promotion and marketing yourself authentically
  • The importance of creating stories that support neurodiverse children
  • How coaching helped her refine her career path and build confidence
  • The journey to launching her new podcast, Kid Lit Deconstruction Zone
  • How to infuse creativity into networking and professional relationships
  • Melissa’s future goals, including more school visits and speaking engagements


Resources & Links: Connect with Melissa and explore her work:


If you’re looking for inspiration to bring more creativity and authenticity into your career and learn how coaching can help you, like it helped Melissa, tune in now.


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John Neral:

Hey there, I hope you had lots of good luck for St Patrick's Day and are ready to tackle the week. So let me ask you do you believe there is luck in your job search? Do you believe there is something about being in the right place at the right time, or do you believe it is all about how you show up and put yourself out there to make and create those opportunities that elevate your career out there to make and create those opportunities that elevate your career. Remember how we show up matters, and today's guest is a wonderful example of that. In a few moments, you will meet one of my clients, melissa Mawai. She'll share her success story about how she gained the career clarity she needed to make a bold move in her career, how she got the ick out of networking and how she found a way to do it more authentically that aligned with exactly what she needed. She's got a great story, so let's get started.

John Neral:

Hello, my friends, this is the Mid-Career GPS Podcast and I'm your host, John Neral. I help mid-career professionals like you find a job they love, or love the job they have, using my proven four-step formula. Having a client come on and share their wins with you is very special to me. Not all of my clients want to share their stories and I completely respect that. Melissa and I have known each other for years. We worked together at a previous organization and, while we didn't work directly with each other, we certainly traveled in similar circles at work certainly traveled in similar circles at work, so you can imagine how honored I was when she reached out to me and wanted to learn more about how I could help her as her coach.

John Neral:

Melissa H Mwai is a children's author, illustrator and story coach. She is the author of five nonfiction books, including I Can Make a Friend, published by Pawprints in 2025, a Puerto Rican Childhood, published by DK in 2024, and Stacey Abrams, published by National Geo Kids in 2022. As a neurodiverse Afro-Latina, melissa is thrilled that her books help ethnically and neurodiverse kids learn more deeply about the world around them, and for fun, she rewatches movies like the Princess Bride and Hamilton with her family. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Melissa Mwai. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Hey there, melissa. Welcome to the podcast. It's great to have you here today.

Melissa Mwai:

Thanks for having me, John. I'm excited to be here.

John Neral:

Well, you and I have had an opportunity to do some work together. We're going to talk about everything that you've been accomplishing and your story, but, just to get us started, something happened for you at mid-career that was very impactful and absolutely shifted your career trajectory. Would you please share that with us?

Melissa Mwai:

Sure thing. So, like a lot of us, I feel like COVID was a turning point. So before that I was doing a project management work and education, and when my kids started homeschooling, I used that opportunity to shift my career to focus more on the writing and illustration work that I do for kids, and it worked out really, really well. I'm excited to have made that change.

John Neral:

When we were going through the pandemic and trying to figure out how to live and work in the midst of COVID. Looking back on it all say we're about five years. We're five years, basically, after the pandemic started. What would you say is the biggest lesson you've learned from that whole time in your life? What would you say is the biggest lesson you've learned?

Melissa Mwai:

from that whole time in your life. It might sound a little cliche, but it really is. We really don't know how much time we have. My first book project happened in 2021, and it was right after my dad had passed away and I knew that if he was still around he would have wanted me to jump on that opportunity and I did, and I'm so glad I did.

John Neral:

Yeah Well, books change lives, right, and books are those things that we get to have that quiet space with. I'm somebody who reads books on a device, because to me it's a little easier in that regard. I just kind of gravitate toward that. When you read books, are you holding that book in your hand or are you? On a device or both.

Melissa Mwai:

I do a little bit of both. I really, really love audiobooks. I think that helps a lot. It's being told a story and even as an adult, to have that moment is really powerful. Yeah.

John Neral:

The number of books that you've had a chance to author and work on is undoubtedly impressive, but there's one book I want to talk to you about. So, back in 2022, you published a book or worked on a book with National Geo Kids about Stacey Abrams. What was it about that book project that fascinated you so much?

Melissa Mwai:

Well, stacey is a public figure and, as I learned more about her story, she really honestly believes in the power of change and using your voice, so that was important to me as an emerging author. I didn't realize how how that helped me get through some of my own personal grief, how that helped me get through some of my own personal grief, and I truly do believe that that's an ongoing issue, like we do need to continue to encourage people to vote and use their voices.

John Neral:

And that's part of my you get to do now, specifically as an author, illustrator and story coach. Can you break down for us what's that? One skill, or maybe two skills, not to put you too much on the spot, right, but like those one or two skills that you feel have just served you well throughout your entire career.

Melissa Mwai:

Sure, I think for me it's being authentic in what you say. So as a writer and illustrator, you do have to put yourself out there and it's maybe small, subtle ways, but readers pick up on that. And when I'm communicating with other storytellers, I also have to be honest about you know where they are in the process. I also have to be honest about you know where they are in the process, but encourage them, and that's just who I am and I think that helps other people grow in their storytelling.

John Neral:

We talk so much on this podcast about being able to tell your own story, and to tell your story from a place of value and service that gets people interested in who you are and what you do, as opposed to finding you interesting. Let's face it we're all interesting people, but when you're interested in somebody, there's a different level of relationship. If you could offer any advice to people who are listening today, especially who are struggling to find their voice or tell their story in a way to get people interested, what would you offer them today?

Melissa Mwai:

I would say you need to do some reflection, find your passion and figure out how to take that passion and put it into the work you do. You know it may not be a one to one correlation. So when I was doing a day job, I had the privilege of working on storyboards and visual media storyboards and visual media and that part I really, really loved and you could see that. So if you don't have the opportunity to do everything you need or everything you want, find those aspects in the work that you are doing and pull that passion in.

John Neral:

So I shared a little bit about this in the introduction, but you and I've known each other for a while. We had an opportunity to work together at an organization, and then one day I get this message and you want to talk and you want to learn a little bit more about coaching and specifically how I could help you as your coach. And specifically how I could help you as your coach, can you take us back to that moment in terms of where you were at in your career and entrepreneurial journey and why seeking a coach was important for you at that moment?

Melissa Mwai:

Totally so. At that point I had a couple of books coming out and I didn't really know what to do next. You know I'm in the freelance world and hadn't really gone back into that, being in a job for a decade. The world changes, right. How do you apply for jobs? So that's where you know, knowing you and knowing the way you connect with people made the difference for me to want to reach out and just find out how you could help me grow in my own career, my business.

John Neral:

Well, thank you for that. I appreciate that and that warms my heart to hear that because, as you know, through our working relationship, that connection's really important, right? I mean, coaching is one of those things where it can be very intense and it can be a lot of hard work. In that regard, had you worked with a coach before we started working together, or had you been exploring that?

Melissa Mwai:

I did like a life coach, but I felt like it wasn't really going anywhere to be honest, but I needed something with a more specific plan, or I should say someone with a more specific plan.

John Neral:

Okay, so having that structure in terms of the clarity in terms of where you wanted to go in your career, specifically with your business let's talk about that for a minute. So what would you say were some of the benefits you got from our coaching in terms of having that career clarity that made you move forward?

Melissa Mwai:

Sure. So one thing we talked about a lot was how you present yourself to the people you want to help, and for me that really resonated because I always felt like a little bit ick when he, when the thought of marketing. You know like no. So you gave me the language to figure out how I could present myself in a way that align with my values. Like I didn't even really understand that that was a thing that was blocking me from connecting with potential people that I could work with.

John Neral:

So this is why I adore you, because you're so genuine in that regard, because describing that as ick is perfect, because so many people struggle with that notion of how can I authentically present myself in a way that I feel comfortable doing and not feel like I'm going to turn people off, because it can feel very salesy sometimes and that's one of the things we worked on trying to avoid. So, for everybody who's listening and I'm sure they're curious in terms of what would that and we call it a unique professional value statement. But when you think about who you help and what you help people do, what would you tell them today?

Melissa Mwai:

I would say I'm an author, illustrator, who helps neurodiverse kids learn more about the world around them.

John Neral:

Hey, there is your LinkedIn profile working for you 24-7?. Who helps neurodiverse kids learn more about the world around them? Hey, there is your LinkedIn profile working for you 24-7?. For many mid-career professionals, optimizing their LinkedIn presence isn't a priority until they start job hunting or networking and realize it's important. If you're feeling the pressure to make your LinkedIn profile stand out to recruiters and hiring managers, I'm here to help. Would you like me to review your LinkedIn profile? This is your opportunity to receive my expert feedback. I'll show you exactly what changes can attract more recruiters and hiring managers, identify areas for improvement and guide you in optimizing your profile. This will boost your professional brand and increase your chances of landing more job interviews, expanding your network and elevating your professional presence. For a limited time, spots are available for a personalized LinkedIn profile review for just $50. For more details, check the show notes or visit my website at johnnerrellcom.

John Neral:

Forward slash courses. Now let's dive back into the episode. So let's dig a little more deeply into that. So, for people who may not fully know who a neurodiverse kid is, who, are they?

Melissa Mwai:

So? Neurodiversity is basically how your brain works and there are brains that work the way you would expect them to and there are brains that work a little differently. So you might have sensory issues, you might get hyperfixated on something, issues you might get hyper fixated on something, or, you know, you might know someone who is autistic or ADHD, like myself. So it just presents a little bit of a challenge in excuse me, presents a challenge in how you might move around, move about in the world or complete deadlines or just even communicate with others and feel like you're doing that in an authentic way.

John Neral:

Nice. Thank you for sharing that. Yeah, absolutely, and there's a need for that. We know that. So, in our work, as we were coaching around what was going to be next for you and pursuing this freelance avenue, Talk to us a little bit about where your career and your work in business are today.

Melissa Mwai:

Yeah, so some of the new projects I've taken on was I, like, rebranded my website and and it went from the ground up in the language. Um, I've put myself out there more actively for visiting schools. Um, another big change you encouraged me was, you know, just to connect with people on, you know, video or podcasts, and that's part of what I'm doing now, which I would have not ever have done. So I'm really really excited to share that, because it's a way to share my voice and my story in a, I feel like, more active and proactive role.

John Neral:

Yeah, Pursuing the freelance or entrepreneurial route is never easy. We know it, we're living it and we're navigating through it and all those kind of things. But it can certainly be very rewarding and fulfilling, especially when you've worked in that traditional nine to five type Monday through Friday job. In the course of our coaching and your journey, what was the deciding factor for you to pursue the entrepreneurial route, as opposed to that quote-unquote traditional Monday to Friday, nine to five job and maybe have this on the side?

Melissa Mwai:

I think it was part of just a series of conversations we've worked through, when we did the professional value statement and kind of worked through the organizations that might be a good fit for me. That was really helpful. So I still keep that in mind when I reach out to potential clients and I'm open to doing freelance work with a more traditional company, but maybe not like full-time, maybe contract, and it was just things I hadn't really considered so that I can have more of a balance between my personal business plus maybe some more steady income from you know, a nine to five for a short amount of time.

John Neral:

Yeah, and you brought me back for a moment because I remember those coaching conversations, specifically around my 4F framework, where we talked about the fit, the function, the finance, the forward, and that really helped you with that clarity to be like, okay, this is the path I want to pursue, this is where I want to invest my time, my effort, my energy. So let's play this little game here for a moment, okay, okay, I'm laughing Monerous.

Melissa Mwai:

Unscripted 88. Okay.

John Neral:

So full disclosure for everybody. So I have all my guests fill out a form and there's some questions to get them to kind of think. But if you've been listening for a while, you know that sometimes the conversations take a different path, because it's an interesting part to all this and I record on video but I don't repurpose it. And Melissa, your face was kind of like oh come on, john, don't do this to me. I promise I got you. I got you on this, okay, all right, all right. So for any mid-career professional, when we talk about forward, we talk about those next two steps, right? So there's the job you're going into, then there's the next two steps after it. If we were to look into the future, and we were to look five to seven years down the road, where do you see your career at specifically, from defining your impact or reach to help the people you do every day.

Melissa Mwai:

So I'll take that at two angles. For the kids that I write for, I would love to offer more free school visits and just connect with them, because that's been a really, really rewarding part of being an author, illustrator. I had a teacher that was like hey, you know, it was so great that you read your book A Puerto Rican Childhood to my kids, because you know, I have a kid who's also Puerto Rican and they really connected with it. And when I was a kid I didn't have that, you know, and when I was a kid I didn't have that, you know. So to be that person wow, that like blew me away. So I would love to continue to do that and travel around you know the US and do that. That'd be a big goal. Speak at conferences for emerging writers and illustrators more regularly I mean there are opportunities now but that's a whole different, that's a down the road, like a different investment. But I would love to do that and engage more with people who just want to be more creative and go into the children's literature space.

John Neral:

Yeah, Dream big Absolutely. You got to dream big Absolutely. Is there anything? Is there anything else you see yourself doing?

Melissa Mwai:

Um, not sure. I mean I would like to you know actually. No, I'll take that back. So I'm doing this new podcast that I'm launching in March and I would love for that to blow up. I'm doing it with two other co-hosts and we're digging into the craft of writing children's literature, and I have a heart for teaching, so I would love to do that too. I mean, the thing with being an entrepreneur is you have to wear a lot of hats and figure out where your skills fit, and, john, you definitely helped me map that out. So I appreciate that, because I can tell you, when I started, I didn't quite view myself the way I view myself now.

John Neral:

So yeah, yeah. No, that was such a powerful part of our work together to kind of see your evolution in that regard to really step in this space. The name of your podcast again is Kid Lit.

Melissa Mwai:

Deconstruction Zone Podcast and it's launching in March 31st, nice All right.

John Neral:

So this is going to come out just before your podcast launches. I'm excited for you and your co-hosts to get this out there because, as we talked and looked at it and everything, it's got a definite niche that's going to serve a lot of people. So good luck with all that.

Melissa Mwai:

Well, thank you.

John Neral:

Yeah. So, melissa, we've talked a lot about your journey today and what that all has meant and everything. The idea behind building a mid-career GPS is to help you prepare position and promote who you are and what you do so you can show up to find a job you love or love the job you have. What advice would you give someone to help them build their mid-career GPS today?

Melissa Mwai:

I would say be as creative as possible about your career, whether you're just starting or you've been in the business for a long time. By bringing that creativity whether it's in your communication with people or whether you're presenting that helps you stand out and also helps you figure out what you love to do.

John Neral:

Stay with me for this for a moment, because I love how you phrase that. And when we think about being creative in this job market for people who are looking for that job with an employer, or even if they're considering going out on their own, offering people to be as creative as possible is such a wonderful tip. How did you unlock that creative part of you even more to really step into where you are now?

Melissa Mwai:

So I'll just say, before I moved into this more creative space, I kind of you know there's a place for doing what you're told, especially as you're getting to know a company and organization. But you know, offering solutions, connecting with coworkers in ways that might surprise them, Like, hey, you know, I remember dropping into your office and just saying how you're doing, you want some food. Just saying how you're doing, you want some food, Like those little things. They may not seem like much but you're stepping out from behind the computer and the text messaging and whatever, and really connecting with the people around you. So you move that to a personal business space and I take that same approach now. So I'm launching like this newsletter that does invite people to be more creative, because that's something we can do, brings you joy, and you take that joy and you add it to how can you help people in whatever space you're working in.

John Neral:

I really appreciate you sharing that because, especially as more people are returning to the work site and they're back in the office, people have to break some habits that they've they've created in their routines because of working remotely or because of COVID and that whole thing that you just offered everybody. To simply get up from your desk, go connect with somebody, say hi, see how they're doing, that's such a gift and it's such an amazing talent, because it doesn't have to be anything magnanimous, it's just an opportunity for people to get to know you, and that's where things can evolve.

Melissa Mwai:

Yep, yep. I remember many years ago I had friends that we used to color during work because our job was stressful. We worked in a call center and we would have coloring breaks. And guess what? I am still friends with those people that I colored with, you know. So, bring, bring out some crayons, do whatever it is you know, find ways to de-stress if you need to. But yeah, I always say that, like people feel like they can't do a creative thing, you don't have to be a creative person. You like to organize. Organize your dress drawer. Yeah, offer to organize someone else's bookcase, you know, dude. So I think it's just that mindset of how can you use the gift you have to help someone else.

John Neral:

Yeah, yeah, and to simply connect. You talked about this earlier in the episode, but that opportunity to just show up and stand out and connect with somebody on whatever level you need to be, whether it be professional or it's personal in some way, or it's just hey, do you just wanna go grab a walk, or it's that talk by the coffee machine? Whatever that might be, there's an opportunity to connect and I think if there's one thing people are going to be a little more challenged with this year is being able to open up and connect in those ways that are authentic and genuine, as you talked about earlier. So, my friend, I am so proud of you. I am honored, I am honored to have served as your coach. I thank you for coming on this episode to share part of your story, and I wanna turn the mic over to you right now so you can share all the great things and places where people can find you, connect with you, learn more about your books. The mic's yours.

Melissa Mwai:

Oh, thanks so much, john, this has been fabulous. So again you can find me on the web melissamoycom. I'm also on Substack doing this creative newsletter for anyone who wants to write or draw, and all my social media Blue Sky. Everything is there, but I hope to see you. You know, drop in, say hello wherever I am on social media.

John Neral:

And I promise I'll say hi back. You will Absolutely. I will make sure all of that is in the show notes and when you connect with Melissa, let her know you heard her on the Mid-Career GPS podcast and enjoy the conversation and she's absolutely a great person to connect with Melissa. Thank you so very much for being just a fabulous client and a wonderful guest today on the Mid-Career GPS podcast.

Melissa Mwai:

Thank you, john, you rock, I love it. Right back at you, my friend.

John Neral:

All right. If there is one takeaway I want to offer everyone who's listening today, it's this Clarity is your best friend, whatever it is you want to do in your career, whether you're pursuing that nine to five, you're moving up the corporate ladder, you're moving into that executive role or you're going out on your own. Having the clarity to know the direction you want to head and the steps you want to take is all about building that mid-career GPS to get you there, and I'm so grateful that Melissa shared some of the things that we coached on during our working relationship together so she could share with you the clarity she has about where she's at along her mid-career journey. So until next time, my friends, remember this you will build your mid-career GPS one mile or one step at a time, and how you show up matters. Make it a great rest of your day.

John Neral:

Thank you for listening to the Mid-Career GPS Podcast. Make sure to follow on your favorite listening platform and, if you have a moment, I'd love to hear your comments on Apple Podcasts. Visit johnnerrellcom for more information about how I can help you build your mid-career GPS or how I can help you and your organization with your next workshop or public speaking event. Don't forget to connect with me on LinkedIn and follow me on social at John Darrell Coaching. I look forward to being back with you next week. Until then, take care and remember how we show up matters. Thank you.