MELISSA WILKES

Nominee for what Award/s

Empowered Online Award

Confidence Reclaimed Award

Empowered Online Award

Empowered Online Award


What inspired you to step into the online space?
After years of working 1:1 with women struggling with emotional eating and mindset blocks, I realised I needed to reach more people. There were so many women suffering in silence thinking they were broken because they couldn’t stick to a diet or “just eat better.” I knew my story, tools and experience could help beyond my local area, so stepping online was my way to make that impact. I wanted to create a space where women could feel seen, supported and safe no matter where they lived. Also Covid happened so by 2020 all my coaching needed to go online too.

 

What were your biggest fears or challenges going digital?
My biggest fear? Being visible. Sharing my truth online felt incredibly vulnerable. What if people judged me? What if no one listened? I had to figure it all out from scratch social platforms, course platforms... I made a lot of mistakes. I second guessed everything. But I kept going, because I knew the mission was bigger than my fear. Oh if you saw my old Youtube videos and Facebook lives they were sooo cringe!! But I laugh when I watch them because I was utterly scared and did it anyway.

 

How has your online presence created impact or change?
My Facebook group I originally created was very small, unlike YTG! I showed up each week to go live and share a few tips. Eventually more women joined and I started sharing on my personal page. I’ve supported hundreds of women to break free from emotional and over eating, helped women rebuild their confidence, and learn how to nourish themselves without shame. The community I’ve built online is something I’m incredibly proud of. I’ve had women from all over Australia and the last few years into other countries and I get messages all the time.. women tell me they finally feel like they’re not alone. That’s everything. It’s not just about weight loss or food it’s about emotional healing  and self-trust.

What platforms, tools, or strategies helped you own your digital voice?
Facebook has been huge my personal page is where I share real, raw stories and connect deeply. Instagram helps me show up consistently with quick tips and encouragement. Email is where I deepen the relationship and offer support. Kajabi is where I host my program and run my coaching business. But honestly? The biggest strategy was being real. I stopped trying to sound perfect and just started showing up as myself messy bits and all. That’s what builds trust. If I watch my Facebook lives you will see me quite hyped up because I am so passionate about what I do.

 

What lessons would you share with women hesitant to embrace technology?
You don’t have to be a tech whiz to make a difference online. You just need to care deeply, speak from the heart and be willing to learn. I find that because I am honest, I swear sometimes and I just say it how it is – most women can see im not a faker.

It’s okay to not have it all figured out. You’ll grow confidence the more you take action. And remember it doesn’t matter what you look like, your age or whether you have done your hair right - your story, your voice, your message matters. There’s someone out there who needs to hear it from you.

Confidence Reclaimed Award

Confidence Reclaimed Award

Describe a moment when you had to rebuild your confidence from rock bottom.


There was a time in my life where, from the outside, things probably looked pretty good. But inside I was crumbling.

I was emotionally eating, bingeing in secret, and constantly burning myself out trying to be everything for everyone. I was doing CrossFit, bootcamp, personal training, pretty much exercising 7 days a week. I was counting every calorie, obsessing over what I ate... and still feeling like a complete failure. I’d binge lollies in the pantry while hiding, then punish myself with restriction. The worst part? No one knew. I even lied about my relationship with food. I felt like a fraud. My confidence was gone. I was ashamed, exhausted, and disconnected from myself and my body.

I had little self worth, avoided the mirror and secretly hated on myself almost daily.

 

What internal beliefs did you have to change to reclaim your self-worth?


I had to let go of the belief that I needed to be “perfect” to be worthy. That my value came from my weight, how in control I was with food, or how much I could achieve.

For most of my life, I thought being healthy meant having willpower, being strict and constantly striving but I realised it was actually about compassion, understanding and connection.

Through deep mindset and nervous system work, I started exploring the root causes of my eating behaviours and shifting the inner dialogue from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What do I need right now?” I stopped chasing the number on the scales and started building a relationship with myself.

A huge piece of the puzzle was forgiving the shameful parts I kept buried..the parts I hid from everyone. I had to face the little girl who was told she was “too much,” a “huge handful,” and sent away every weekend to her grandparents. The girl who learnt to seek approval from others because she never felt accepted at home.

I carried deep shame that my own mother didn’t love me, ridiculed me and constantly put me down. That pain shaped a belief that if my own mum couldn’t love me, why would anyone else? The work to face this, forgive myself and rewrite the story I had lived by for so long… that was the true transformation. That’s where I reclaimed my worth.

Who or what supported you during your comeback?


I invested in personal development coaches, lots of certifications and seminars. I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I worked with mindset mentors, learnt trauma informed therapy and found a coach in 2019 who could hold space for me for 12 months, challenged me and reflected back what I couldn’t yet see. I also leaned into the community around me. I built relationships with women who were on the same path of healing and growth. And honestly, I found strength in my clients. Supporting them and watching their breakthroughs reminded me of my own.

How do you now walk in your truth and inspire others?


I turned my healing into a mission. I got qualified and became a nutrition and mindset coach 10 years ago. I wanted to help women through what I had been through. Then last year I created Life Upgrade my signature program that helps women just like me break the cycle of emotional eating, overwhelm and burnout. I show up for myself, my family and my clients every day with honesty, vulnerability and a deep fire in my belly. I don’t hide my story. I don’t pretend I know it all (I used to thogh) I share the messy middle, the emotional lows and the tools that helped me rise. I walk alongside my clients, not above them. I teach them how to nourish their bodies, rewire their minds and regulate their emotions and I do that for myself daily. I remind them that they are not broken and that food is not the enemy.

 

What advice would you give to a woman currently doubting herself?


You’re not weak. You’re not broken. You’re stuck in survival mode. And I see you. You are worthy of love and of putting yourself first. You’ve likely spent years trying to control your body, your food, your emotions thinking that if you just tried harder, it would finally “click.” But the truth is, you don’t need more control. You need more support, more self-compassion and more connection to yourself. You can do it. It’s okay to start small. It’s okay to ask for help. You deserve to feel good in your body and in your life not someday but right now.