ABOUT ME
Welcome!
I am Melissa Arthur, National Board Certified Health & Wellness and Executive Leadership Coach, and Founder of Illuminate Guidance, LLC. I help purpose-driven leaders to experience more joy and balance in their lives and health while developing their capacity to lead and succeed as executives and entrepreneurs. I believe each of us has the power to create a healthy, joyful, purpose-driven life. For most of us, there’s a gap between our current experience of life and our highest aspirations. When we are supported and open to exploring this gap, new resources and possibilities emerge.
As an entrepreneur, I owned a successful yoga studio for 10 years and now lead 2 coaching and consulting firms. In my professional career, I have served as a director in a non-profit organization and as a health coach in a primary care clinic. In addition to being a coach, I am an ICF Coach Mentor and coach trainer, and have 20 years experience in organizational development, community engagement, and education program management.
My approach is empathetic and action-oriented. Friends and clients alike are drawn to my ability to lovingly listen to and accept them for exactly who they are, while challenging them to become more of who they are meant to be. My clients often say that my zest for life, joyful presence, and infectious laughter help them feel at ease, with a sense that something wonderful is about to happen.
I am Melissa Arthur, National Board Certified Health & Wellness and Executive Leadership Coach, and Founder of Illuminate Guidance, LLC. I help purpose-driven leaders to experience more joy and balance in their lives and health while developing their capacity to lead and succeed as executives and entrepreneurs. I believe each of us has the power to create a healthy, joyful, purpose-driven life. For most of us, there’s a gap between our current experience of life and our highest aspirations. When we are supported and open to exploring this gap, new resources and possibilities emerge.
As an entrepreneur, I owned a successful yoga studio for 10 years and now lead 2 coaching and consulting firms. In my professional career, I have served as a director in a non-profit organization and as a health coach in a primary care clinic. In addition to being a coach, I am an ICF Coach Mentor and coach trainer, and have 20 years experience in organizational development, community engagement, and education program management.
My approach is empathetic and action-oriented. Friends and clients alike are drawn to my ability to lovingly listen to and accept them for exactly who they are, while challenging them to become more of who they are meant to be. My clients often say that my zest for life, joyful presence, and infectious laughter help them feel at ease, with a sense that something wonderful is about to happen.
My Coaching Journey
Coaching professionally was a mid-life career shift for me, but the truth is, I’ve always been a coach at heart. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone others naturally turn to for support, insight, and encouragement. Before stepping into coaching full-time, I spent 16 years as a director at a nonprofit that connects kids with nature, and I owned a yoga studio for 10 years. Both roles were deeply aligned with my values of connection, wellbeing, and transformation.
It was during a Dharma (life purpose) workshop I taught at my yoga studio that my own path began to shift. As I guided students in exploring their deepest callings, three words emerged again and again for me: nourish, connect, transform. I realized that helping others actualize their potential, access vibrant wellness, and experience joy wasn’t just something I was good at, it was the most meaningful work I could do. I had been quietly supporting friends, students, and peers for years, but I began to feel a strong pull to offer that support more intentionally and professionally.
That calling led me to the Kansas Leadership Center, where I was participating in leadership development programs centered around Harvard Kennedy School's adaptive leadership framework. When they launched an ICF-accredited coach training program, I was ready to dive in. I completed my leadership coaching certification and International Coaching Federation ACC credential and officially launched Illuminate Guidance, LLC in 2017, offering leadership and wellness coaching to private clients and yoga students.
In an unexpected and formative chapter, I was recruited by Vera Whole Health to serve as a health coach in an integrated primary care clinic. Over the next three years, I helped open two new advanced primary care clinics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There, I coached patients from all walks of life, contributed to staff-wide coach training, and supported Vera’s health equity initiatives. During this time, I earned my National Board Certification for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBC-HWC)—an experience that deepened my understanding of behavior change and healing in complex systems.
After leading through the challenges of pandemic-era healthcare, I felt called to return to my roots in leadership coaching. Around this time, I joined Annie Ricci’s team of executive coaches, serving global science and technology companies by supporting women leaders seeking greater impact, influence, and fulfillment. I also completed Tara Mohr’s Playing Big Facilitator Training and Dr. Claire Zammit’s Woman Centered Coaching Certification, which further equipped me to serve high-achieving, self-actualizing women leaders.
With gratitude for what coaching had brought into my life and career, I began to mentor new and established coaches working toward or renewing their ICF credentials. I was also honored to join the teaching and mentoring faculty for the Upbuild Coach Training Program, an ICF-aligned certification program, where I continue to support the development of emerging coaches.
One of the most meaningful chapters in my journey has been partnering with my sister, Amy, a long-time collaborator and source of inspiration. In 2023, we co-founded Arthur Leadership Group, drawing on thousands of hours spent coaching and training leaders in global science and technology organizations. Our boutique firm specializes in customized, evidence-based coaching and leadership development solutions that accelerate capacity, strengthen teams, and align enterprise strategy with human potential.
Today, I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing work that lights me up and contributes to a more compassionate, connected, and creative world. I’m inspired every day by the clients I serve—leaders who are building inclusive cultures, advancing bold visions, and embodying the kind of change I want to see in the world.
What to expect from coaching
Please visit my Coaching Page to read about my programs in more detail.
How to get the most out of coaching
My coaching program, workshops, and group experiences were created for people who are ready to explore new possibilities. This means not just wishing things were different, but committed to honoring your needs and embracing your potential to experience life on your own terms. My programs were created for clients who are committed, decisive and resourceful. They were created for you to design and activate strategies within a few months (sometimes weeks!), which will eventually lead you to love and trust yourself, live your life's purpose and shine from the inside out.
How to find out more about me
My clients are getting great results and have taken time to write about how working with me has impacted their lives. On my Client Testimonials page, you will likely find someone who is in a similar situation to your own and is enjoying the results you would like to achieve with the support of a coach. You may also check out my LinkedIn page to learn more about my professional training and credentials.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly via email and/or book a free session with me. It is my intention for you to have a complete understanding of exactly who I am and what I offer so that when you sign up to work with me you can do so with clarity and confidence that I am the right coach for you. I’ll be happy to walk you through my coaching programs to see which one will be the very best for you. I can’t wait to see you succeed and am honored to be the one to help you. Let’s get going!
Coaching professionally was a mid-life career shift for me, but the truth is, I’ve always been a coach at heart. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone others naturally turn to for support, insight, and encouragement. Before stepping into coaching full-time, I spent 16 years as a director at a nonprofit that connects kids with nature, and I owned a yoga studio for 10 years. Both roles were deeply aligned with my values of connection, wellbeing, and transformation.
It was during a Dharma (life purpose) workshop I taught at my yoga studio that my own path began to shift. As I guided students in exploring their deepest callings, three words emerged again and again for me: nourish, connect, transform. I realized that helping others actualize their potential, access vibrant wellness, and experience joy wasn’t just something I was good at, it was the most meaningful work I could do. I had been quietly supporting friends, students, and peers for years, but I began to feel a strong pull to offer that support more intentionally and professionally.
That calling led me to the Kansas Leadership Center, where I was participating in leadership development programs centered around Harvard Kennedy School's adaptive leadership framework. When they launched an ICF-accredited coach training program, I was ready to dive in. I completed my leadership coaching certification and International Coaching Federation ACC credential and officially launched Illuminate Guidance, LLC in 2017, offering leadership and wellness coaching to private clients and yoga students.
In an unexpected and formative chapter, I was recruited by Vera Whole Health to serve as a health coach in an integrated primary care clinic. Over the next three years, I helped open two new advanced primary care clinics during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. There, I coached patients from all walks of life, contributed to staff-wide coach training, and supported Vera’s health equity initiatives. During this time, I earned my National Board Certification for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBC-HWC)—an experience that deepened my understanding of behavior change and healing in complex systems.
After leading through the challenges of pandemic-era healthcare, I felt called to return to my roots in leadership coaching. Around this time, I joined Annie Ricci’s team of executive coaches, serving global science and technology companies by supporting women leaders seeking greater impact, influence, and fulfillment. I also completed Tara Mohr’s Playing Big Facilitator Training and Dr. Claire Zammit’s Woman Centered Coaching Certification, which further equipped me to serve high-achieving, self-actualizing women leaders.
With gratitude for what coaching had brought into my life and career, I began to mentor new and established coaches working toward or renewing their ICF credentials. I was also honored to join the teaching and mentoring faculty for the Upbuild Coach Training Program, an ICF-aligned certification program, where I continue to support the development of emerging coaches.
One of the most meaningful chapters in my journey has been partnering with my sister, Amy, a long-time collaborator and source of inspiration. In 2023, we co-founded Arthur Leadership Group, drawing on thousands of hours spent coaching and training leaders in global science and technology organizations. Our boutique firm specializes in customized, evidence-based coaching and leadership development solutions that accelerate capacity, strengthen teams, and align enterprise strategy with human potential.
Today, I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing work that lights me up and contributes to a more compassionate, connected, and creative world. I’m inspired every day by the clients I serve—leaders who are building inclusive cultures, advancing bold visions, and embodying the kind of change I want to see in the world.
What to expect from coaching
Please visit my Coaching Page to read about my programs in more detail.
How to get the most out of coaching
My coaching program, workshops, and group experiences were created for people who are ready to explore new possibilities. This means not just wishing things were different, but committed to honoring your needs and embracing your potential to experience life on your own terms. My programs were created for clients who are committed, decisive and resourceful. They were created for you to design and activate strategies within a few months (sometimes weeks!), which will eventually lead you to love and trust yourself, live your life's purpose and shine from the inside out.
How to find out more about me
My clients are getting great results and have taken time to write about how working with me has impacted their lives. On my Client Testimonials page, you will likely find someone who is in a similar situation to your own and is enjoying the results you would like to achieve with the support of a coach. You may also check out my LinkedIn page to learn more about my professional training and credentials.
If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly via email and/or book a free session with me. It is my intention for you to have a complete understanding of exactly who I am and what I offer so that when you sign up to work with me you can do so with clarity and confidence that I am the right coach for you. I’ll be happy to walk you through my coaching programs to see which one will be the very best for you. I can’t wait to see you succeed and am honored to be the one to help you. Let’s get going!
