let's build your meaningful career
This is the science-backed career and leadership experience for women in Pharma and Biotech
This is the science-backed career and leadership experience for women in Pharma and Biotech
From career clarity and direction to a new role, promotion, and leadership growth. Support at every stage of your career.
The Right Move Protocol™ is a 6-month career and leadership program for women in pharma and biotech who are ready to see what they are capable of.
You know something needs to change.
You know something needs to change.
new job, promotion, leadership recognition
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What is consistent across all of it is this: at some point, this stopped being just a career problem. It started costing you peace, fulfillment, and knowing your working to your potential
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The strategy that got you here isn't the strategy that gets you there.
Pharma and biotech do not run like other industries. The advancement decisions, the informal networks, the way visibility works — it's nuanced. at your level, your personal and professional skills matter just as much as your technical acumen.
The Visible Path (what your education taught you):
- Submit applications to posted roles
- Wait for performance reviews to advocate for you
- Hope leadership notices your contributions
- Watch peers with less experience advance faster
- Overwork and always deliver
The Hidden Path (what actually drives advancement):
- Design roles around your expertise—before they're posted
- Build strategic visibility so decision-makers know your value
- Create opportunities through relationships, not applications
- Understand how advancement decisions actually get made
- Build an authentic leadership brand
The technical expertise got you in the door. But no one taught you the strategic positioning that moves you up.
That's not your fault. It's a gap in professional education.
Your education and training taught you how to do the science. It didn't teach you how promotion decisions get made in talent review meetings. How to translate technical expertise into business impact. How to build the kind of visibility that creates opportunities.
This is the 10% they never taught you—but it's the 10% edge that determines the next ten years.
This is what you get working with someone who's been in the rooms where those decisions get made.
What your organization has no incentive to tell you.
In most pharma and biotech companies, promotion decisions are largely settled before the formal process opens. Hiring managers identify candidates before a req is posted. The calibration meeting confirms what leadership already decided.
The people advancing are not always the highest performers. They are the most visible to the right people, in the right conversations, before anyone else knows there's an opportunity.
There's a difference between being overlooked and being underplaced. Overlooked means you're not seen.
Underplaced means you're operating in a lane that doesn't reflect what you're already capable of — and the industry has no particular motivation to correct that on its own.
Most high-performing women in this industry are not overlooked. They are underplaced.
This is a solvable problem. It requires a different kind of strategy than working harder and waiting.
Hi, I’m
Former BioPharma Talent Leader. Organizational Psychology expert. Career strategist for women in industry. Best-Selling Author of Your Worthy Career: A Science-Backed Method to Build a Meaningful Career in Pharma and Biotech.
Six years ago I left a 12-year career in Pharma and Biotech to build something that didn't exist: a coaching practice designed specifically for the women I used to work alongside.
I spent over a decade in Talent and Organizational Development inside global companies — AstraZeneca, Human Genome Sciences, and Emergent BioSolutions — watching how decisions about people were actually made inside real organizations, across real teams, inside real Pharma and Biotech culture. That's where her Master's in Organizational Psychology stopped being theory and started being a diagnostic tool.
I heard the war stories nobody puts on paper. The patterns nobody names out loud. The reasons promotions happen, and the reasons they don't.
And I was also one of the women being talked about. I exceeded expectations and watched the path stall anyway. I did everything I was supposed to do — the degrees, the programs, the work — and still sat with the question of whether it was ever going to add up to what I actually wanted.
I know what's said when the room closes — because I was in the room. And I know what it feels like to be the woman they're talking about — because I was her.
The difference between career coaching and insider knowledge.
featured by:
The Right Move Protocol™
introducing...
A 6-month career and leadership program for women in pharma and biotech.
A method. Built from 18 years working in and for this industry. Applied directly to your career — wherever it is right now. Whether you're building toward a promotion, considering a transition, growing your leadership presence, or still working out what exactly you're building toward — The Right Move Protocol™ is the industry specific strategy built on organizational psychology and professional development so you get the inner and outer transformation.
Women who complete this program don't just get the next thing. They become the exception.
The one the organization can't afford to overlook. The one who moves with intention because she has a strategy, not because she's lucky. The one who built a career approach as rigorous as her scientific work.
what we work on together
I have a method. Here's what we work on inside it.
Most women in this industry navigate reactively. They take what seems reasonable, say yes to what's available, and hope the next move turns out to be right. When you have precisely defined direction, you stop operating that way. You stop agonizing over whether something is right for you. You already know. The second-guessing disappears because you know the right path for you and are confident in the value you provide.
The promotion you didn't get likely went to someone who had a sponsor who could communicate why it was a business case for her to get it. Whether you are building toward a promotion, a new role, or stronger influence across your organization, the right relationships and what you say change what is possible. They open doors that are never posted or announced. They put your name in rooms you are not in. You stop waiting for opportunity and start having the right people create it for you.
You can do exceptional work and still be invisible to the people deciding who advances. We build a strategy that changes that. You become known inside your organization and beyond it. Your ideas travel. Your name comes up in rooms you are not in. You are recognized for your thinking and your impact, not just what you deliver.
In pharma and biotech, influence does not follow org chart lines. You need the cross-functional team to move, the senior stakeholder to champion your work, the hiring manager to see your potential before the talent or re-org conversation.
Here is what most programs miss: every skill you build only produces results if you can communicate it. Clarity without delivery stays in your head. Strategy without presence gets ignored. Relationships without credibility go nowhere. You learn to say the thing that lands, in the rooms that count, with the people who decide. This is not one skill among many. It is the one that activates all the others.
The most promotable people are not the best individual contributors. They are the ones others trust to lead. You get clear on your leadership identity: what you stand for, how you make decisions, how you develop people, and how you earn trust across the organization. Whether you have direct reports or not, you become the person others want in the room when it counts.
Clear Direction — So Every Career Decision Becomes Obvious
Strategic Relationships That Open Hidden doors
Visibility That Makes You the Obvious Choice
Confidence as a Leader so Your Recognized and Sought After
Communication and Influence so You Are Heard, Understood, and Hired
what's included in your 6 month enrollment
How You're Supported Inside The Right Move Protocol™
Weekly Group Coaching
Real-time strategic guidance on the specific decisions and conversations you're navigating—interview preparation, positioning conversations, negotiation strategy, difficult conversations with stakeholders.
You have the opportunity to get coached by Melissa weekly, which means you're never stuck.
The group format means you learn from others' challenges while getting expert input on yours. a cohort of pharma and biotech women at your level. The peer dynamic is part of the methodology.
Coaching Concierge
Between sessions, submit any strategic question and receive expert guidance within 48 hours.
Most clients use this a minimum of 6-10 times over the program—for resume positioning reviews, LinkedIn optimization, pre-interview strategy, or navigating unexpected situations.
You get your questions answered on your schedule. You can choose your submissions to be private to you or shared with the group to learn from.
Private and Personalized Career Strategy
You'll be empowered to make meaningful change with group coaching, private written coaching, and a 1-1 strategy session once you identify your direction with the Right Move Protocol.
Whether it's on a call, in the community, or through a private portal, you have personalized support when you need it most.
Proprietary Frameworks and Organizational Psychology Backed Tools
The Right Move Protocol is the proprietary framework that becomes your decision-making tool for every career crossroads: promotions, company moves, role pivots, negotiations. Yours will be complete in as fast as 30 days.
Get tools, frameworks, and exercises developed from 12+ years inside this industry. Applied to your situation and this industry, not a general audience.
Nervous System Regulation with Somatic Practices
Career change and growth takes more than strategy. It requires an identity shift. You become a better version of who you are today and with that change, comes uncertainty and sometimes even, fear.
This is why you have access to the stress relief lounge and I bring in a certified breathwork facilitator to provide custom sessions exclusively for my clients. This integrates your body and mind for faster results and many health benefits.
Angie cut her career growth timeline in half and went from Manager to Site Leadership in 3.5 years.
"I cannot overstate the impact that career coaching has had on my growth. After working with Melissa as a career coach, I have been able to navigate the complexities of the BioPharma industry with confidence and clarity. Her guidance has not only helped me secure multiple promotions since coaching but has also equipped me with the skills and personal mindset required to excel in each new role I have obtained. I am truly grateful for Melissa, her support, and her insights; I highly recommend her services to anyone ready to take accountability and advance their own career."
Brena got a new role and became a recognized leader within her organization.
"By week two or three of the program, I was already getting an offer. Melissa is amazing. I love the fact that the program really creates a structured environment with very unique input. It's a mind blowing revelation of self-improvement. I'm confident in my decision making. I'm carrying myself differently as I talk to my own core leadership in the company. Both my CEO and my direct manager have seen the idea of leadership potential in me."
-Brena
Stacy uncovered her dream job and had her director level promotion created for her
Melissa's coaching has been a game changer for my career. In just 8 weeks, I identified the role that aligns perfectly with my values and gained the actionable strategies to move forward with confidence. Her structured support and personalized advice provided the clarity I needed to take decisive steps. Melissa was by my side every step of the way, cheering me on. I’m incredibly grateful for her expertise and excited for the growth and opportunities ahead!
-Stacy
Swathi upgraded her communication skills and moved out of the lab and into Alliance Management
"After coaching with Melissa, my heart is filled with gratitude and deep gratification that I took the leap of faith with the career coaching process. Working with Melissa, I now understand my work style, and equipped with the tools to be effective with other work styles; know my anchor points for success in the chosen career path; successfully transitioned into business and management space with great excitement for what is to come. Best ROI for investment on self!"
-Swathi
-Angie
Tugba Got Promoted into People Management—After Years of Being Told She 'Wasn't Ready'"
Working with Melissa changed my life! Her authentic coaching style impressed me at first sight. When I met her, I was feeling ready for my next leadeship role in Industry. However did not exactly know where to start. As soon as she assisted me to alígn my goals with my values and passion, all the synchronicities worked together and that dream job found me like a magic. Through her empowering sessions, I was able to onboard in my new role succesfully, lead my team with confidence and start delivering results in record time.
-Tugba
Principal Scientist, Process Development
Sr. Director, Manufacturing
Director, BioSample Operations
Sr. Manager, Alliance Management
Supervisor, Quality Assurance
What's Possible With This Type of Support
Promotions secured | New roles in 4-6 months | Salary increases up to 40% | Leadership recognition | Roles created that didn't previously exist | Transitions made without direct experience | Internal advancement without leaving | 400% increases in career clarity
This for you if:
is
You are technically strong, consistently recognized by the people who work with you — and still hitting a ceiling you cannot seem to break through.
You just want a resume rewrite or a job board. This is a strategy and skill set you carry for the rest of your career — not a transaction.
You have gotten the feedback to "keep doing what you are doing" and you know that is not a career plan.
You are not ready to fully participate. This program works because it is built entirely around your specific situation. Passive observation will not get you results.
You are navigating something specific — a reorg, an internal move, a promotion that keeps not materializing, a role you want to reshape — and you are done trying to figure out the strategy alone.
It's probably for you if...
not
You are in acute crisis and need a job in the next 30 days. This is meaningful, sustainable career development — not a quick fix.
It's probably for you if...
You want to be seen the way you actually perform. And you want to know exactly how to make that happen. You want to grow personally and professionally.
You are not a woman working in the pharma or biotech industry. This program is built entirely around how these organizations work — the matrix structures, the talent review processes, the unwritten rules of advancement specific to this industry. If that is not your world, this is not your program.
THE GAP ISN'T YOUR PERFORMANCE. IT'S WHAT LEADERSHIP CAN'T SEE YET.
Maybe you are navigating a reorg and want to define your role before someone else does. Maybe you have been passed over and finally have specific feedback to act on. Maybe you are eyeing a lateral move into a new function and need to position yourself as ready. Maybe leadership keeps telling you to keep doing what you are doing — and you know that is not a career plan.
The people making decisions about your future are not watching your output. They are making fast judgments based on how you show up in a thirty-minute meeting, how you communicate under pressure, and how clearly you can connect your work to what they actually care about.
That is a different skill set than the one that got you here. And no one taught it to you.
The women who invest in The Right Move Protocol are not in crisis. They are decisive. They have done everything right and made one clear-eyed decision: continuing without a strategy is not the best use of what they have built.
The question is not whether this work has value. It is what another year without a strategy is costing you.
This is the 10% they never taught you—but it's the 10% that determines the next ten years.
This Is What Changes When You Stop Guessing and Start Growing Strategically. Here's everything included in The Right Move Protocol™.
6 Months of Personalized Coaching, Industry Course, and Strategic Development
Breathwork Sessions for Nervous System Regulation (Because confidence is physiological, not just mindset)
A Curated Community of Women in Pharma and Biotech
Private Podcast: Coaching Conversations, Q&A, and Call Replays — On Demand
AND THREE Bonuses THAT ACCELERATE EVERYTHING:
- The Make Confident Decisions Workshop — so you stop second-guessing and start leading with clarity.
- The Time Boosting Method for Pharma Professionals — because the program only works if you can actually show up for it.
- The DiSC Communication Workshop + Access to Virtual Retreats — for the kind of development that compounds.
YOUR investment: $12,000
The Right Move Workbook and Materials, Mailed to Your Door
Value: $24,000
Total value is $30,000+
or 4 monthly payments of $3,300.
SAVE $1,200 WHEN YOU PAY IN FULL.
Rolling enrollment. spots are limited.
Real Questions from Women Like You
It was built for a general professional audience — which means the advice on positioning, communication, and advancement was designed for industries that don't operate the way pharma and biotech do.
Four things make this different.
- Industry specificity. Every framework, every strategy, and every piece of guidance is built around how pharma and biotech organizations actually work. The positioning strategies that get you seen in a matrix structure are fundamentally different from what works elsewhere. Generic advice doesn't translate, and you've probably already felt that.
- A framework you keep. This isn't a session-based program where you show up weekly and ask questions. You build a strategic protocol in month one and spend the remaining months applying it with expert guidance. You leave with a repeatable system — not a collection of conversations.
- Practitioner background. A Master's in Organizational Psychology combined with 18 years of pharma and biotech talent development is not a common combination. It means the career strategy and the human behavior science behind it are integrated — not two separate things happening in parallel. You're not getting career advice layered on top of generic coaching.
- Development from the inside out. The internal work — understanding how you lead, communicate, and show up under pressure — is built on behavioral science. The external work — how organizations make decisions, how leaders perceive and evaluate talent, and how to position yourself for what you want — is grounded in direct experience inside these companies. Most coaching addresses one or the other. This addresses both, which is why the results tend to stick.
The question worth asking isn't whether this is better than other coaching. It's whether that combination is what your situation actually calls for.
I can't control your company's hiring timeline, a market slowdown, or a leadership restructure. What I can tell you is that external circumstances have stopped far fewer of my clients than you might expect — because strategy changes how you navigate all of it.
The women I work with don't just get a plan for one role. They build the clarity, positioning, and communication skills that work in any environment — with a difficult manager, during a freeze, or after a rejection that felt final.
What this program gives you is a framework and expert support you'll use for the rest of your career. That has value whether your next move happens in month three or month nine.
If you want to understand what's realistic for your specific situation, that's exactly what the consultation is for.
The assumption that career coaching is only for people who want to leave is one of the most common reasons women wait too long to get support. Internal growth requires just as much strategy — sometimes more. You're navigating relationships, managing perception, and trying to get leadership to see you differently, all without the leverage of a competing offer or an obvious transition moment.
That's harder, not easier.
The Right Move Protocol is built around strategic career design — which means it works whether you're pursuing a promotion, repositioning yourself for a different function, growing as a leader, or simply making sure the next two years of your career aren't more of the same.
Many clients aren't leaving. They're getting clear, getting seen, and getting the trajectory they've been working toward — inside the company they're already in.
When it comes to investing in their own growth, something stops them — even when they can clearly see the cost of staying where they are.
Here's what I've noticed: the hesitation is rarely actually about the money. It's about whether you believe you're worth the investment.
That belief — the one that keeps you giving everything to everyone but yourself — is often the same thing showing up at work and keeping you from the role, recognition, or trajectory you've earned.
The first time you invest in yourself can be the hardest but it can also be the thing between where you are now and where you want to be.
If you want to talk through whether this is the right fit for where you are right now, apply for a consultation. That conversation will give you clarity either way.
Here's what I'd ask you to consider: how much time are you currently spending on unfocused job applications, decision paralysis, or trying to figure out your next move alone? For most women I work with, the program doesn't add to their load. It replaces the mental overhead that's already there with a clear strategy and real support.
The program is built around your schedule. If you can't make a live call, the Coaching Concierge gives you access to coaching on demand so you don't fall behind.
The question isn't really whether you have the time. It's whether staying stuck is worth the time it's already costing you.
You don't have to have it figured out before you book.
Click below to pick a time that works for you. Before you confirm, you will answer a few short questions so we can make the most of our 45 minutes together.
On the call we will get clear on where you are, what is actually in the way, and whether this program is the right next step for you. You will leave with more clarity than you came with — regardless of what you decide.
I work with a small cohort at a time. If it is not the right fit, I will always tell you that.
This is your next step.
