Popcorn Coaching

10/10/2025

Ever had someone believe in you so much that you started believing in yourself too? 💫

This week I’m talking about the power of borrowing belief, how the people you surround yourself with can completely change your mindset, your career, and even your confidence.

A weekend hike with a 72-year-old dynamo (yes, she absolutely smashed it up the Pinnacle in the Grampians!) reminded me just how powerful community and encouragement really are, whether you’re climbing mountains or chasing your next big goal.

If you’re ready to stretch yourself, find your people, and start building a life that actually lights you up, this one’s for you 👇

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/borrowing-belief-why-right-room-changes-everything-melissa-westgate-ny57c

02/10/2025

October Long Weekend vibes 🍿

This weekend is a big one…
👉 My eldest son is turning 20 (I swear I blinked and those years disappeared 😅).
👉 It’s also time for our annual camping + hiking trip. This year we’re off to the Grampians. Last year it was the Flinders Ranges.

These weekends have become our intentional pause, four days of walking, talking, cooking by the campfire, and simply being together outdoors. Every time I step into nature, I’m reminded how powerful it is to stop, breathe, and recharge. It’s where clarity, creativity, and connection always seem to show up. 🌿

I wrote more about this in my latest article; you can read it here 👇
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/taking-pause-nature-melissa-westgate-ljgec

Tell me… how do you like to pause and reset?

27/09/2025

🎉 Birthday flowers, champagne, and one big reminder…

It’s the little surprises, the thoughtful gestures, and the “I see you” moments that make life POP. 🌸🍾

This week I was reminded that support doesn’t have to be grand or costly, sometimes it’s as simple as showing up, hitting like, or leaving a kind word. And yet, those small acts can change everything for the person on the other side.

👇 Click below for this week's article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/power-small-gestures-why-support-costs-nothing-means-melissa-westgate-dnihc

18/09/2025

I’ve lived in 3 different countries.
I’ve stood on mountain summits.
I’ve chosen divorce after 15 years of marriage.
I’ve walked away from a safe corporate job at 50 to start my own business.

Each of those choices was a leap. A full-body dive into the unknown.

Here’s the truth: 🌊

Dipping your toe feels safe.
Diving in? That’s where transformation happens. 🔥

When you show up fully, learning, applying, staying consistent...that’s when life starts to shift in ways you never imagined.

I’m living proof. And I want to help you take that leap too.

If you’re ready to create something extraordinary, it’s time to stop playing small. Immerse yourself, dive in, and Walk Your Talk with Confidence. 🚀

07/09/2025

Midlife isn’t a crisis; it’s the perfect plot twist. 🍿

The kids are growing up, the career ladder feels more like a hamster wheel, and deep down you know… this isn’t the movie you want to star in for the rest of your life.

Once you taste even the smallest bit of freedom, living by your values, chasing your dreams, you can’t go back. You start craving a new script, one where you’re the director and the hero.

This week, I’ve written about what freedom really means (and nope, it’s not just palm trees and Porsches), and why midlife is the best time to take that leap.

👉 Read the full article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freedom-sweetest-addiction-youll-ever-taste-melissa-westgate-yj14c

Here’s the thing about freedom: once you get a taste, you’ll never be able to go back to the cage you came from. It’s like popcorn…one bite and suddenly the whole bucket’s gone.

14/08/2025

Midlife isn’t the end of your best years… unless you let it be. 💛

Brain fog in the middle of a meeting?
Fatigue before your day’s even started?
Confidence quietly slipping away?

You’re not alone. So many women feel it, but no one’s really talking about it.

I’ve been there. And so has Wholesome by KK Krisztina Kozary, Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist & Perimenopause Coach. That’s why we’re teaming up for a FREE live online session to share the tools, insights, and “wish we knew this sooner” wisdom that can change everything.

🗓 Wednesday 20 August | 6:00 PM AEST
📍 Zoom – link sent on registration
🎤 30 mins of practical insights + live Q&A

We’ll cover:
🍿Building Unshakable Confidence in Midlife (my bit!)
✨ 3 Steps to Shift Perimenopause Weight Gain, Brain Fog & Fatigue (Krisztina’s proven framework)

You’ll walk away with:
✔ Tools you can use straight away
✔ Clarity on what’s happening with your body
✔ Strategies to protect your career and your energy
✔ A free symptom cheat sheet + mindset tracker

💡 This isn’t about “just thinking positive.” It’s about having the right tools, the right support, and the right plan.

🔗 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3uzGOZbdSNGI5VRianzLyA #/registration

Midlife can be your most empowered chapter yet, let’s make sure you’re ready for it.

24/07/2025

🌽 Ever feel like you need your own Cone of Shame to stop self-sabotaging?
(Same. Bacon gets it.) 🐶

Meet Bacon, my loyal sidekick and emotional support snack thief. Recently, he had to rock a cone on his head because he couldn’t stop scratching an eye that needed time to heal. Cute, right? But also kind of deep.

Because don’t we all do the same thing?

🌀 Overthink the decision we already know the answer to.
🌀 Keep doing the habit that’s not helping.
🌀 Push through instead of reaching out.

Sometimes, we need our own version of the cone, a boundary, a reset, a walk with someone who gets it.

That’s where Walk & Talk Coaching comes in.

🚶‍♀️ 1 hour.
🧠 Real-time mindset support.
💬 A coach who knows midlife reinventions, menopausal mayhem, and everything in between.
🎯 One clear hour to sense-check, reframe, and move forward, minus the fluff, filters, or fake pep talks.

It’s not therapy. It’s not small talk. It’s real, grounded coaching while we move our bodies and calm the chaos in your mind.

So, if you’ve been circling the same decision like a tired pigeon, holding it all in, or just feeling flat and unfocused…

👉 Let’s walk it out. Book here: https://calendly.com/popcorncoachingadelaide/solo-walk-your-talk-session send me a message or comment WALK below and I’ll be in touch with session times.

Your timeline is yours. Let’s make it a good one.

18/07/2025

🎬 Let’s Talk: Beige Energy at Work. 🍿

You know the feeling...
You’re good at your job. You show up. You tick the boxes.
But deep down, it feels like you’re living in neutral, no excitement, no spark, just rinse and repeat.

That, my friend, is beige energy. And spoiler alert: it’s not where your potential lives.

At Popcorn Potential, we work with people (especially in midlife) who are ready to shake things up and start something of their own online.
🍿 They want careers with meaning, momentum, and mojo.
🍿 They’re done playing small or waiting for “one day.”
🍿 They’re ready to rewrite the script, and star in a role that actually fits.

The next 12 months could look wildly different if you stop blending in and start backing yourself. You don’t need a full reinvention, just the courage to take one bold, intentional step at a time.

📩 Ready to ditch the beige and make your next move count?
Let’s chat. Your potential deserves the spotlight. 🍿

17/07/2025

🍿 “Do you smell popcorn?” If you’ve ever worked with a hypnotherapist, you might’ve heard this quirky little phrase when coming out of a trance.

Why? Because the smell of popcorn is so familiar and grounding, it instantly brings people back into the room. It reawakens the senses, cuts through the fog, and says: "Hey, you’re back. You’re safe. You’re here."

And THAT… is exactly why I chose Popcorn for my Coaching business name.

Because personal growth can feel a little like coming out of a trance, too.
We’ve all had moments in life where we’re just going through the motions... stuck in old patterns, on autopilot, half-asleep to our own potential.

Then something shifts.
We wake up.
We get clear.
We smell the damn popcorn. 🍿

Popcorn Coaching is about helping you reconnect with your senses, your power, and your purpose.
Popcorn Potential is about rewriting the script and designing a life that feels as good as a fresh, hot bag of buttery possibility.

So next time you catch a whiff of popcorn, ask yourself:
“Am I really showing up for my life… or am I just going through the motions?”

11/07/2025

Join the Walk & Talk Crew – Memberships Now Open for 2025!

Love a good walk, great conversation, and getting your mindset in check, all while soaking up the fresh air?

Over the last 18 months, the Walk & Talk Crew has grown into something pretty special. We meet:
🗓 Monday nights | 6–7pm | Glenelg North
🗓 Thursday mornings | Mt Lofty hikes for those craving a midweek reset
+ Monthly hikes and a group camping and hiking trip over the October Long weekend.

I’ve poured my heart (and plenty of steps!) into building this community, and now that Popcorn Coaching is officially in business, it’s time to take the next step.

Introducing the 2025 Walk & Talk Membership – just $50/year 💥

Your membership helps support this growing crew and keeps the good vibes rolling into next year and beyond.

✔️ Still welcome to join for free if that suits, no pressure.
✔️ Want to support the movement? Become a member and enjoy being part of something meaningful.
✔️ Book a FREE 15-min Zoom chat to share what you’ve loved about the Crew! Refer a friend to join the crew.

👉 Sign up or book your chat now at:
🔗 https://popcorncoaching.com.au/walk-and-talk-crew/

Let’s keep walking, talking, laughing, and growing together. Bring a friend, spread the word, and thank you for being part of the Popcorn Coaching journey.

Your Coach on the Move, with HEART
Melissa 🍿👟

10/07/2025

👋 Heads up, Popcorn Crew!
This week’s post isn’t my usual popcorn-flavoured motivation for navigating career change or midlife magic…
But if you’re a parent, especially of teens, or someone who cares about raising grounded, resilient humans in an unpredictable world, you might want to give this one a read.

It’s a reflection on bushwalks, parenting fails (and wins) and why letting our kids lead the way, literally - might be the most powerful thing we can do. There’s even a wild travel story from Peru involving my 3-year-old and a tank. (Yes, really.)

👉 Head over to LinkedIn to read the full article and give me a follow while you’re there:
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/raising-resilient-kids-world-feels-anything-melissa-westgate-5zpyc

Let me know what you think or tag a parent who needs this today. 💛

03/07/2025

Yesterday, I took a detour from the hustle and drove to Victor Harbor with my teenage son for a memorial service. It wasn’t a business move. It wasn’t on the schedule. But it was important.

I didn’t go because I had to, I went because my gut told me to.
I went to honour a friend who lived 90+ full years.
I went to remember. To reflect.
To reconnect with what really matters.

We even grabbed a donut from our favourite bakery in Port Elliot. (Because life’s about balance... and chocolate glaze.)

I’m constantly reminded—through my work, my travels, conversations with wise donors, and my 97-year-old grandma in Canada—that regret shows up when we stop paying attention to the small things that truly matter.

So, I wrote about it.

This week’s article is one of my most personal yet. It’s called “Pop While You’ve Still Got Heat” 🔥🍿
It's about deathbed regrets, midlife pivots, and why we need to stop waiting to live the life we actually want.

If you’ve ever felt like you were running out of time or needed a nudge to go after that dream, this one’s for you.

👉 Read it here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pop-while-youve-still-got-heat-melissa-westgate-extkc