Melinda Fouts, Ph. D., International Executive Coach, Psychotherapist is a select Columnist & Featured Contributor for
BIZCATALYST 360° and a Member of the Forbes Coaches Council (comprised of Top coaches offering insights on leadership development & careers), and founder of Success Starts with You. She was recently chosen to receive the Empowered Woman of the Year Award for 2021 given by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). She also received the honor as the top international coach of the year in 2020 by the IAOTP. She provides visionary leadership in her field and her many credentials prove she has the ability to empower women worldwide. Her exemplary role as a female professional in a male-dominated industry displays her influence, capability, and proficiency. Inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an honor in itself, only a few women are chosen for this distinction based on their years of experience, professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, and contributions to their communities. With innovation and compassion, these women empower others to reach their goals, while creating change for future generations. With over 2 decades of professional experience as a business coach and psychotherapist, Dr. Fouts has proven herself as an accomplished professional and expert in the field. As a dynamic, results-driven leader, Dr. Fouts has demonstrated success not only as an Executive Business Coach, but in every role she has held. Prior to executive coaching and leadership development, Melinda has been in private practice as a psychotherapist for over 20 years. She leverages her strengths and insights from her psychology background to help leaders and managers in transition through increased self-awareness. Owner and founder of Success Starts with You, is based upon the premise that you are already successful. Increasing self-awareness to increase emotional intelligence and unlocking blind spots are paramount to continued success. Dr. Fouts leverages her strengths and insights from her psychology background to help leaders and managers in transition through increased self-awareness and discovering their blind spots. It can be lonely at the top and as a thought partner, she makes sure you are not alone. Dr. Fouts’ unique approach from other business coaches is that she helps get rid of thinking and behavioral patterns that tend to keep executives stuck. Her key areas of expertise include but are not limited to: small business consulting, enhancing emotional intelligence, self-awareness, unlocking fullest potential, brainstorming, identifying limitations, challenges, obstacles and optimizing performance. In addition, her successful career as a Psychotherapist and International Executive Business Coach, Dr. Fouts is a sought-after speaker whose key-note address to Women’s Leadership Conferences is
Channeling Feminine Power in the Face of Adversity. Her newly released book,
Cognitive Enlightenment, was to be presented at the London Book Fair, March 2020, the NY Book Fair, May 2020, and the Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2020 until COVID hit. Melinda received her Ph.D. in Jungian Psychology from Saybrook University and her Masters in Psychology from Pacifica University. Melinda has worked as a consultant with executives and businesses for over 20 years. As a result of her experience and studies, she has developed a unique craft to fine-tune leadership development for peak performance. She lives in Colorado with her big, beautiful dog, Stryder.
For more information on Dr. Fouts please visit: www.successstartswithyou.net 
One of the challenges several of my clients face in their organization is the resistant to changes from their employees combined with a disgruntlement about how decisions are made. Through our work together, we explore specific techniques to address change along with the concerns of those they lead to help smooth the delivery and bring about a faster acceptance.
Change in our lives as well as in the work place or home is part of life. It is the inevitable evolution of our creative mind to enhance our surroundings & lives. However, this is an area where we as humans find it difficult & confusing. We question often why do we need change?
Well, we need change to grow mentally & spiritually sometimes. The problem we all have is we have gotten use to the ‘Comfort Zone’ & we ask why fix it if it isn’t broken. Change is a necessary component in our lives & it has been since the beginning of time. Change is about growing intellectually it is about ‘Critical Thinking’ in our lives & putting those thoughts & concepts into practice. This act will enable growth & enhance your lives & business models what ever they may be. So, don’t be afraid to accept & embrace change in the end you will be happy.
Bernardo, thank you for furthering the discussion on this topic. Your insights are right on.
It is my pleasure.
True people by nature resist change. Even those that profess to want it and embrace it do so with a certain hesitation and trepidation. Change drags us out of our comfort zone and into an unknown arena.
One mistake I see many leaders make is to try to change that. It is ingrained in us and the best leadership can hope for is to guide through the change (self and others) and not to change human nature.
Thank you, Ken for your comments. The more we can become comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity, the less we will resist change. As you point out, being sensitive to those who struggle with change can improve leadership.
Whereas most of us understand that the need to change is ongoing, it can be difficult and gutsy to do. For most people, to enable growth, it is necessary throughout one’s career to move out of their comfort zone from which to think differently, take calculated risks, and reignite the motivation. Constantly going through the motions and not changing reminds me of the hamster wheel. Who among us is searching for that passion, that positive, can-do energy to get back on track and fulfill new career aspirations?
Here comes my plug for Dr. Fouts. It takes a well-trained and experienced coach like Melinda to help individuals recognize the need for change, and how to act on this need.
Nice video, love the banjo music and dog.
Bob, thank you for your support and insightful comments. One area that is difficult for all those I coach is to catch themselves in their blind spot and try something different, as both you Ken mention, getting out of one’s comfort zone. Time and again, I will point out how the blind spot showed up once again, and I hear, “Why can’t I see that?!” Hence the blind spot. 😉