Coherent Thoughts

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The Side Door: How Emily Sauer Built The Pelvic People from Pain, Connection, and Pure Audacity

Emily Sauer never imagined she'd become the founder of a company dedicated to making sex less painful — literally. But when painful sex collided with a toxic relationship, a declining career path, and years of unacknowledged ADHD, she did what only an artist-slash-photo-tech-slash-accidental-CEO might do: she made a donut.

That "donut" — now known as Onut, a soft, stretchy buffer that allows for shallower penetration — launched a movement. One that’s now grown into The Pelvic People, a full-fledged pelvic health brand with tools for both deep and entry pain during sex. What makes Emily’s story extraordinary isn’t just the innovation — it’s how much of herself she poured into building it.

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coherence podcast Melissa Wong coherence podcast Melissa Wong

What’s the Job Your Job Is Doing for You? with Simone Stolzoff

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice about how to share your work online? I have. There were times when the pressure to show up on every platform made me freeze and not show up on any of them.

The fear of inconsistency kept me from starting, worried that I'd post enthusiastically for a week, only to have life happen and my sharing rhythm fizzle out. This pattern felt especially painful because it reinforced an unkind narrative I had about myself—that I couldn't stick with things. (Which has proven less and less true as I crossed into my mid-30s and found my calling in coaching and had a family of my own).

But recently, I've discovered how to create a sustainable content rhythm that feels authentic rather than draining. It's not about following generic rules or copying someone else's strategy—it's about finding your authentic sharing style. And I want to share how I did it in case it helps you.

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Form Follows Function: How Myisha Battle Built a Sex Coaching Business on Her Own Terms

Myisha’s business has evolved a lot since we first met in 2017 when she hosted an event at my first business, New Women Space. Back then, she was just a year into launching her sex coaching practice, describing that time as "throwing a bunch of things against the wall to see what sticks." Today, she's a certified clinical sexologist, sought-after coach, Time Magazine columnist, and author of This is Supposed to Be Fun: How to Find Joy in Hooking Up, Settling Down, and Everything in Between.

What makes Myisha's story so compelling isn't just her career success, but how she built a thriving business around topics many consider taboo while staying true to her values and what business practices actually made her feel good.

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coherence podcast Melissa Wong coherence podcast Melissa Wong

Pivoting to a Creative Path with Janet Wong

When I invited my cousin Janet Wong to join me on the podcast, I was excited to finally sit down and hear her story firsthand. Janet has been a keeper of our family's stories for years, but I realized I'd never really gotten to hear her own journey from her perspective.

Janet's bio gives you a glimpse of who she is today: a Yale Law School graduate turned children's author who has written more than 40 books and won prestigious awards like the 2021 NCTE Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. But what her bio doesn't capture is the delayed start to finding her calling and the courage it took to make her dramatic career change.

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coherence podcast Melissa Wong coherence podcast Melissa Wong

Are You (Really) Ready to Do Your Own Thing?

Ever catch yourself daydreaming about breaking free from the 9-to-5 grind, but wonder if you're actually ready to take that leap? You're not alone in this, and today's episode walks you through an exploration of what's really possible.

I'm diving deep into what it truly means to be ready for self-employment—beyond business plans and savings accounts. I'll share my own journey of questioning, planning, and finally making the switch, along with the inner work that made all the difference.

We're getting real about the emotional rollercoaster of creating your own path and I'm breaking down both the mindset shifts and practical steps that will help you move from "someday" to "day one." Whether you're feeling that gentle nudge or a full-on push toward self-employment, this episode will help you understand if you're ready to write your own rules.

If you've ever looked at your career and thought "there has to be more than this," consider this episode your guide to figuring out if going solo is your next right move. I truly believe that creating a career that truly fits you is possible when you know what to look for and how to prepare.

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coherence podcast Melissa Wong coherence podcast Melissa Wong

A Relationship First Approach to Business Building with Adam ‘Smiley’ Poswolsky

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Smiley Poswolsky on my podcast where he shared his journey from government employee to successful keynote speaker and author. He shares five hard earned lessons in creative entrepreneurship which offer wise words for anyone considering a major career pivot or building a creative business.

At age 30, Smiley made a decision that would transform his life: he left his stable government job to pursue more meaningful, creative work. With no concrete plan except a desire for change, he packed his bags for San Francisco. What started as a simple blog documenting his career transition eventually led to his first self-published book, which opened unexpected doors into the world of professional speaking.

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creative careers, business building Melissa Wong creative careers, business building Melissa Wong

The Top Five Things to do when Pricing Your Services

The tough and infuriating (but also liberating?) thing about pricing is that it's all made up. You could be offering the same service to two different clients and be paid 10x less or more simply based on the budget of the client. Get clear on who your ideal client is and how much they will realistically pay for your kind of service. 

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Finding My Sweet Spot

When you think about all the things you've done in the past, what did you really enjoy and also really excel at? How can your wealth (and breadth) of experiences be an asset?

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Top 5 Takeaways from My Coaching Group for Job Seekers

When they did open up their search criteria it would usually result in more interviews but also more confusion. “What they were even looking for in the first place!?”. Usually when this confusion arrived we would try to find some middle ground — how can you know your ‘dream job’ but also be curious about jobs that exist a ring or two outside of the bulls eye?

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Strengthen Your Connection Muscle

We need to get back into the habit of being in relationship with one another again. We need to stumble through the clumsy interactions that sort of made us cringe and want to hide, but were actually okay and not that bad, and to do more and more of that until we feel like we’re not aliens but normal-ish human beings with plenty of light and life to give.

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