by Melissa Thornley | Jul 14, 2023
When Barbara Roche asked me to be a part of Reel Chicago’s Reel Women series, I was over the moon. Although it feels like a lifetime ago, the majority of my career took place in film and advertising. It’s where I learned and practiced leadership skills...
by Melissa Thornley | Dec 16, 2021
Our theme for December is Acknowledgment. Acknowledgment is simply: acceptance of the truth or existence of something. No judgment necessary. Some things may not be cause for celebration, but by acknowledging them, we can honor their existence and move on. With all of...
by Melissa Thornley | Sep 12, 2021
Balance beams still cause a wave of anxiety in me. One of my worst gym class memories was somersaulting off of a balance beam. It wasn’t a high beam and I landed on a mat, but I still got a big nasty bruise down my back. Why was somersaulting on a balance beam even a...
by Melissa Thornley | Aug 9, 2021
I’m playing with a new habit these days: The JUST SAY NO habit. It’s an experiment to build up my “No” muscle which has atrophied over the past 18 months. Like the rest of the world, I didn’t have much to say no to (aside from Netflix and...
by Melissa Thornley | Jul 13, 2021
When’s the last time you craved approval? I’m not referring to an official type of approval, like from a bank for your mortgage, or from a client for your project to move forward. I’m talking about someone else seeing you and giving you that ‘ya done good, kid’ pat on...
