We recently had the chance to connect with Melissa Schwartz and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Melissa, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
All the time!! I remember reading a passage by Oprah in the back of O Magazine years ago where she talked about making your default answer to questions (especially the ones that require something of you) simply: “Maybe.”
That’s stuck with me, and as a highly sensitive person, I’m so glad it’s become my norm. HSPs are deep processors, which means we need time to sit with something, mull it over, and imagine how it might play out (in advance and in retrospect!). Slowing down to respond, rather than react, has been one of my biggest life lessons and one of my proudest habits. I truly believe it’s what helps me make the best choices for myself, my family, my clients, and the world I’m shaping.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Melissa Schwartz, I’m a parent coach, author, and speaker who helps families understand and support their Highly Sensitive (and often strong-willed!) children. I co-founded Leading Edge Parenting and have spent nearly two decades translating the latest research on sensitivity, temperament, and emotional regulation into practical, compassionate strategies parents can actually use at home.
What makes my work unique is that I’m not just teaching theory… I live it. I’m a Highly Sensitive Person and empath myself, and I bring both professional training and personal experience to help families move from overwhelm and conflict to calm and connection. My mission is to change the way the world sees sensitivity— instead of being “too sensitive,” as if it’s a flaw, I like to think of it as being abundantly sensitive, and having an innate ability to feel more deeply and care more profoundly. I truly believe sensitive people are here to change the world… to make it a more empathic, compassionate place where all beings can thrive.
Right now, I’m especially excited about my newest coaching programs for parents of sensitive, headstrong, intense, tenacious kids (what I lovingly call “SHIT kids”) and for sensitive women who are ready to stop people-pleasing so they can become the empowered, confident forces this world so badly needs.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I was “too sensitive,” like it was a bad thing. I was given messages that I was making a big deal over nothing and needed to just not let things bother me. On top of that, I was an empath and didn’t have words (or the understanding) for what I was experiencing: I could feel the emotions of the people around me so vividly that I thought they were mine. It was confusing and overwhelming.
As an adult, I’ve learned to see these traits as my greatest gifts! My sensitivity and empathic abilities are exactly what make me good at my work today. There’s no college or graduate program on Highly Sensitive People or empaths, so parents turn to me because I understand, from the inside out, what their children are experiencing. The very things I once thought were “too much” are now my greatest strengths.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I do this often. In fact, I keep a photo of myself as a little girl on my desk and talk to her all the time. I remind her how strong she is. She didn’t know then what she didn’t know… she was doing the best she could.
Now, as an adult, I can see the bigger picture of what was really going on for her. I love that I get to work with sensitive and empathic children and give them the wisdom I wish my younger self had back then. I teach them how to identify their emotions, sit with them, process them and slow down their intense reactions to life.
My little girl had exactly the right experiences, because they led me here. They shaped me into the woman, the coach and the teacher I am today.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely! In fact, I recently had a call with a woman who’d been following me on social media for years. She said, “You’re exactly the way I thought you’d be based on your videos!” I thought that was the nicest compliment, because I aim to be as authentic as possible in everything I post and share publicly.
It is a fine line to walk… being transparent and authentic while also being a sensitive soul. Criticism can sting! But showing up every day as myself is a practice, and it’s one of the ways I stay true to the work I teach.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m absolutely doing what I was born to do. I have a deep spiritual belief that we’re born into the right families for our soul’s purpose and growth and I know I came into this lifetime to do *exactly* what I’m doing now.
I help parents recognize their children as the perfect catalysts for their own growth, and I do my best to help these kids start their journeys with as much confidence and clarity as possible… so they don’t have to “recover” from their childhoods later.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.melissaschwartz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaschwartz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meschwa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissaschwartz
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/melissaschwartz1111
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaschwartz1111
https://www.threads.com/@melissaschwartz
Image Credits
Second photo: Jasmine Fitzwilliam (@letsfrolictogether)
