Meet Melissa Brisbane | Author, Astrologer, Psychotherapist & Life Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Brisbane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit that I pursued through my hobbies and personal interests. Once I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue in 2017, after landing my dream professional position, I realized that I probably needed to make a change in the way I worked.

My body had been telling me in a million ways that I needed to create a schedule and work flow that supported feelings of wellness inside and out. But my programming around working and my investment in moving up the ladder to success would seduce me to ignore my pain as the cost of winning. So, unfortunately for me, it took being in significant health crisis over multiple years to finally take the hint.

Yet when I did, I knew that I had to be strategic as not to throw myself into another kind of crisis. This when I decided that I would use the Art and Science of Astrology and my “Stellar Planning” process to architect an 18 month transition out of a 20 year career in to full-time entrepreneurship as an Astrologer and Life Coach in a virtual practice.

Once completed, I realized that what I had just done would become the basis of the work that I do with so many women who are looking to experience more ease and grace in their lives. So many women are fleeing stress, emptiness, illness and burnout from their professional lives.

And my timing couldn’t have been more perfect! Especially as the pandemic hit and we all switched to virtual work. Now we are dealing with the “Great Resignation”, “Quiet Quitting” and black women seeking out “The Soft Life” it reminds me that my work will continue to have relevance in days to come.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the founder of Eighth House Wisdom, a boutique international personal development practice. I am a trained integrative psychotherapist and health and wellness practitioner in addition to being an author, astrologer, EFT practitioner, feminine energy and Stellar Planning expert.

I serve working & professional women along with female entrepreneurs who have followed the “modern success blueprint” yet feel like “this can’t be it”. Through my process called “Stellar Planning” I take women through a discovery and alignment process using their unique birth chart to find their authentic self, what really matters and how to find and ride the waves of their personal success cycles.

I believe that my integration of clinical and esoteric methods to work with clients really sets me apart from other coaches and speaks to my success. The process that I use with my clients is the same that I used to architect a transition from a 20 year career in mental health and educational leadership to full-time soulful entrepreneurship.

As a woman of color, who has led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work, I am also well versed in how being a double minority can impact your professional outcomes and mental health. I really work to lean into these issues as a clinician and coach, because of my own experiences when it didn’t feel safe to do so. Not being able to discuss these things can really throw off our energy and overall outcomes.

My transition into my practice was not without its challenges, but I am so happy that using personalized & targeted tools based on energy medicine, moon phases, stellar timing and my own natal astrology allowed me to push past them.

Now it’s my deepest desire to help other women uncover their own natural success cycles, instructions & signs hidden in their birth charts so that they can enjoy outer success alongside inner peace & happiness. We all want to feel confident that we’re balancing work, family, friends and love demands and still have time & energy for YOU! This is getting harder and harder in this modern age of non-stop work and instant communication.

But it doesn’t have to be this way, because your birth chart & Stellar Planning have the ability to give you specifics on how to live your most authentic and best life across every aspect of living. This is not “horoscope astrology” it’s using the unique map of the sky when you were born to access what I call our “Personalized Life Instruction Manual”.

Because it is my deepest belief that “Life does come with an instruction manual, it’s written in the stars”!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Being a graduate of Spelman College #trueblue, I would say that no trip to ATL is complete without stopping by the Atlanta University Center to see these all of the historic institutions that have produced so much of America’s greatness. It’s a history lesson and hallowed ground all rolled into one. And while you are on that side of town, make sure to go get your soul fed at The Beautiful Restaurant on Cascade, for some of the best soul food EVER!

Whenever I come back to town, my trip isn’t complete without visiting Cafe Intermezzo! I love the vibe and they’re open late.

I currently live in then Nation’s Capital and there’s nothing like DC for culture, food and views. A side from making sure you visit as many Smithsonian museums that you can get into – for FREE, I would recommend visiting the H Street Corridor and The Wharf for great food and nightlife. The Wharf offers great water and monument views and scenic views while H Street is a modernized view of the heart of the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would definitely credit my extremely supportive parents in their relaxed attitude as they watched me transition from a well defined and established career to a more esoteric one. It helped me to maintain confidence in myself as I made my way towards my own “True North”.

I would also have to thank my amazing sisters in business and partners across multiple projects, Rhonita LaShae of J’Adore Coiffure Salon/Sacred Lox Hair and Shara Prophet, C.Ht of Open Door Hypnosis, LLC. These women have provided counsel, encouragement and resources to me along the way to help me stay the course. I appreciate being able to engage other black women entrepreneurs who lift each other up and share resources, so that we all win.

Finally, I’d love to give a shoutout to my amazing Image Consultant, Sharonda Irving & Kathryn Hocking of Pisces Creative Co. for helping me to visually curate a virtual presence that I love to attract the dynamic women clients that I work with today!

Website: https://www.eighthhousewisdom.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reigningqueenofcups

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-brisbane-8th-house-wisdom/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/8thhousewisdom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eighthhousewisdom

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFBaXvKu0bmdQ1jMekOlnGQ

Other: https://www.thewisdombeacon.com https://www.wisdomintegrativewellness.com

Image Credits
Kreative71