Over her 20-year career, Melissa Worrel-Johnson has focused her efforts in leadership, talent development, and business strategy. Her diverse background includes entrepreneurial business start-ups as well as significant leadership roles in large corporations.
Melissa started her career in franchising with two Curves for Women locations in Seattle, WA. She grew her membership to over 700 active members in her first location prior to purchasing her second location. While operating her franchise locations Melissa ventured into insurance. She began her scratch agency with Farmers Insurance in 2004, for three and half years she grew the operation, earned her FINRA 6, 63, and eventually 26, prior to selling her agency. Being asked to move into a corporate role, she helped develop and mentor new agency owners in low market share states within the operating territory.
This experience to recruit, train and develop new business owners where the brand was not widely known was incredible learning to share with business owners buying into new franchises and/or building their brand in any marketplace.
After six years of working with new agents; Melissa transitioned to established agencies to assist them in growing their current market share, revamping their marketing systems, increasing profits, lowering expenses, and improving client retention.
Her final corporate role as Senior Vice President of Agencies for a midsized Midwest insurance company, running their field operations and working with the regional vice presidents in charge of each state to achieve all growth and budget metrics. This role expanded Melissa’s knowledge of team culture, the success of thriving teams, and how people, passion, and purpose do impact the bottom line.
Melissa believes we grow our businesses through teamwork and people. People + Passion + Purpose = Winning Teams. Our biggest challenge for success is how we lead our teams, develop our people and roll up our sleeves with people leadership.
Melissa lives in Iowa with her husband Alan and two dogs – Olive and Charley; they enjoy paddle boarding, biking, travel, and family.
Education, Certifications, and Boards:
B.S. in Broad Field Science
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
MBA
Capella University – Minneapolis, MN
PCC
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Professional Coach Training Program (PCTP) Graduate
Coach U
Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC)
Professional Business Coaches Alliance
DiSC®
DiSC Certified Facilitator
Women in Leadership Certificate
Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF®)
The American College of Financial Services
Junior League of Des Moines – Sustaining Member
360 Benchmarks Assessment Certified – Center for Creative Leadership®
Areas of Expertise:
Leadership, Business Development, Business Ownership, Career Change, Strategy, Elevating Leaders, Franchising
Phone: 515-314-0525
