Want to explore some wild ideas together?
I’d love to help you create a memorable experience for your audience and leave them with some deep-thinky goodness, empathy-led ideas and a solid dose unashamedly quirky humanness.
Melissa is a genuine thought leader in brand strategy and marketing. I engaged her to deliver a masterclass to my customers, and it was the most mind-expansive presentation that was expertly delivered.
Mia Fileman
Marketing Educator and Founder, Campaign Del Mar
What’s the general vibe of these wild ideas?
What if we built brands that had purposes aligned with what the world really needs, not what we make believe it does? What if we marketed in a way that prioritised empathy and service, instead of shame and extraction? If ‘business as usual’ is dead (come on, you know it’s true), what comes beyond it?
My wild ideas have resonated with lots of clever folks
Presentations and workshops and podcasts – oh my! These lovely words express the magic that can happen when we work together.
I engaged Melissa Packham to come and speak to my community of 500+ entrepreneurs from around SE Asia and Australia on “Why you must scare some customers away: Walking the talk as an ethical, conscious business” – it was not an easy topic to attack, but Melissa created a very engaging, thoughtful presentation – and everyone felt very inspired afterwards.
I recommend Melissa to anyone who is looking for a brand strategist or speaker in this space, you won’t be disappointed.
Chris Edwards
ENTREPRENEUR, FOUNDER, MENTOR & PODCAST HOST @ LAUNCHPAD
Melissa helped us reframe marketing to seem less overwhelming and more approachable. Throughout the talk, Melissa gave us tools and techniques to take action and apply the theory in our businesses. Melissa is friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about marketing- we’ve already had lots of positive feedback and know that our members will continue to benefit from watching the replay on their own time. And, even though I’ve been running my business for 8+ years, I still learned a great deal from her refreshing, ethical approach myself.
We’d highly recommend working with Melissa and hope to invite her back for follow-up events in the future.
Dr Sonia Jaeger
PSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHOTHERAPIST, CO-FOUNDER @ THE LOCATION INDEPENDENT THERAPISTS
I’ve engaged Melissa several times on key strategy work for my business however recently worked with her for an educational masterclass exploring how startups can be more values-led and take a stand on social issues. Melissa came to the digital workshop highly prepared, carefully considering our stakeholders, their needs, and their level of understanding on the topic and presented a thoughtful, engaging and interesting session that had the chat box full of questions, conversation and ideas.
I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Melissa for speaking roles or workshop facilitation (and will no doubt work with her again!)
Odette Barry
PUBLICIST AND PR MENTOR @ ODETTE & CO
I was challenged tasked with providing a compelling topic for a gathering of 150 of the nations top professional Business Brokers.
Having known Mel for some years and understanding her passion for assisting businesses with strategic branding, was delighted when she agreed to be a key speaker on this topic. And she didn’t let us down.
Many in the room were solo operators, or small office principles and Mel delivered a talk that was relevant and engaging to the audience. The 90 minutes seemed too short. Mel made a lasting positive impression with the audience and made me look good in the process!!
Jim Roddy
MANAGING PARTNER & BUSINESS SALES SPECIALIST
We had the absolute pleasure of speaking with Mel Packham on the Smart Business Growth Podcast, and I can’t recommend her highly enough as a guest or speaker. Mel has a unique ability to help business leaders – and their audiences – reframe what ‘sustainability’ really means in a modern business context.
In our episode, she was both thought-provoking and insightful, pushing the conversation beyond carbon footprints to include human health, wellbeing, and purpose-driven growth. More than just big ideas, Mel also offered practical, purpose-aligned tips that left our listeners inspired and ready to act.
If you’re looking for someone who brings clarity, challenge, and depth to conversations about ethical and sustainable business, Mel is the real deal.
Nicky Miklos
AUTHOR HEALTHY HUSTLE, PODCASTER, SALES LEADERSHIP COACH
Melissa’s valuable insights and expertise have truly made a significant impact on our business broking community and our association. The sessions during the conference were nothing short of inspiring and informative. The depth of knowledge she shared, coupled with her engaging presentation, captivated our attendees and sparked thought-provoking discussions.
The feedback we have received from our conference participants has been overwhelmingly positive. We are genuinely appreciative of Melissa’s dedication and the time spent on preparing and delivering her presentation.
Zoe McLaren
SECRETARIAT, THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS BROKERS
Melissa really knows her stuff. I had the pleasure of interviewing Melissa for World Values Day about building a brand-led business. Melissa is super knowledgeable about branding, values, and sustainability, and her explanations of values washing and greenwashing were spot on.
She was professional, articulate and a delight to work with on this occasion. If you are looking for a speaker or facilitator in the area of marketing for sustainability, I would highly recommend working with her.
Anna McAfee
MARKETING FOR SUSTAINABILITY ADVOCATE & LINKEDIN LOCAL CREATOR
I was looking for a Brand Strategist to have as a guest on my podcast LinkedIn for B2B Growth. There are many around, but none as passionate as Melissa. Especially when it comes to the topic we discussed, “Brand Values”.
Listening to someone with passion calling out the BS and clearly articulating her point was so refreshing. You can’t do this unless you know your stuff and she is the real deal. Highly recommend Melissa as a great podcast guest and, most importantly, brand strategist.
Michelle J Raymond
INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER & B2B MARKETING EXPERT
Melissa is a genuine thought leader in brand strategy and marketing. I engaged her to deliver a masterclass to my customers, and it was the most mind-expansive presentation that was expertly delivered.
Melissa has been a guest on my top-performing marketing podcast three times, and her episodes are among the most listened to.
I recommend Melissa to anyone looking for a charismatic and incredibly intelligent speaker.
Mia Fileman
MARKETING EDUCATOR & FOUNDER @
CAMPAIGN DEL MAR
Wanna brainstorm some wild ideas for your next event or podcast?
I’m totally up for that. Find a time that works for you using my scheduler. You’ll tell me about your audience and I’ll ask insightful questions and together we’ll come up with something cool.
Here Are Some Wild Ideas I Prepared Earlier…
Presentation-style or hands-on workshops, here are some of the proven sessions I could deliver – or put a little spin on just for you and your audience, depending on your needs.
Business as Usual is Dead: Why Brands Will Need to Get Wild To Build a Sustainable Future
This presentation is an urgent call to action for brand and business leaders to confront the brutal reality of our predicament, accept that it’s our very existence at stake – and to get out there and make the urgent change that needs to happen, happen fast.
Think: challenging status quos, feeling a little bit uncomfortable before being gently nudged to action that’s within our grasp, dynamic and thought-provoking goodness, delivered with empathy and heart.
Duration: 45 minutes
Format: Presentation
Location: In person
Audience: Business leaders, business communities
Attendees: From 20 to 50+
Beyond the Logo: Increasing Business Value with a Strategic Approach to Brand
If a brand is more than a logo, what is it exactly and how can it drive value in a business? In this workshop, we’ll cover off what a “brand strategy” is, the tangible and intangible benefits of getting brand strategy right before rolling up our sleeves to work through the practical next steps for business owners.
Peppered with real-world examples and using frameworks that big global brands use, attendees will walk away with a clearer idea of how to leverage their brand throughout their business, guided by a brand and marketing expert.
Duration: 90 minutes – 2 hours
Format: Presentation and interactive workshop hybrid
Location: In person
Audience: Suitable for individual small business owners & startups
Attendees: 20+
Why You Must Scare Some Customers Away: Walking the Talk as an Ethical, Conscious Brand
We’ve never experienced such a heated time in history, and with citizens placing more trust in brands than in governments, the stakes – and responsibility – have never been higher for brands.
In this workshop we explore: how and when it’s appropriate for a brand to take a stand on a social issue. We dive into how to get employees, stakeholders and customers together on social issues in a meaningful way. We ponder how to get comfortable in the uncomfortable and what role you can play as a business leader on social issues, as well as the costs and benefits of taking a stance.
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Presentation or interactive workshop
Location: In person or online
Audience: Suitable for purpose-led small business owners & startups
Attendees: 20+
Ethical Marketing: Why it’s Essential We Change the Way We Market & Sell
There’s a disconnect between what we say we do and what we actually do. In this presentation we dive into the nuances of ethical marketing, exploring prevalent yet potentially harmful tactics with real-world examples.
Attendees will leave empowered with a fresh perspective for crafting marketing and sales strategies that are more kind, inclusive, and human.
Duration: 60 minutes – 90 minutes
Format: Presentation or interactive workshop format
Location: In person or online
Audience: Suitable for individual business owners, startups or teams
Attendees: 10+
Take a sneaky listen to podcasts I’ve guested on
Book a time and let’s chat
Tailoring content to specific audiences comes with the territory for me (you know, as a marketer), so ‘yes!’ I’m open to exploring threads of ideas with you to create something unique.
