CONVERSATION ANGLES
Topics & Interview Questions
Children’s Book Author & Rare Visibility
Writing I Am Rare — a picture book that gives children with rare genetic conditions the visibility they deserve, and what it means to tell that story.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ What inspired you to write a children’s book, and why now?
→ What do you want a child to feel when they read I Am Rare?
→ How do you write for children in a way that’s honest without being heavy?
→ What’s been the most unexpected part of the publishing journey?
Rare Disease Parenting & Advocacy
What no one tells you about navigating a rare diagnosis — the emotional weight, the advocacy required, and how to find community when the road has no map.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ What was it like to receive a rare diagnosis for your son?
→ What do you wish someone had told you at the beginning?
→ How has the rare disease community shaped your perspective on advocacy?
→ What does the Rare Genes Movement do that wasn’t available to you at first?
Mompreneur & Building While Caregiving
What no one tells you about navigating a rare diagnosis — the emotional weight, the advocacy required, and how to find community when the road has no map.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ How do you balance running a business with being a caregiver?
→ What’s the biggest myth about “doing it all” that you’d like to bust?
→ What systems or mindset shifts made the biggest difference?
→ What advice do you have for moms who feel like they’re failing at everything?
Special Needs Parenting & Resilience
The emotional reality of raising a child who needs more — more advocacy, more appointments, more explanation — and how that shapes a parent’s sense of identity and strength.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ How has parenting a medically complex child changed you?
→ What does “resilience” actually look like on a hard day?
→ How do you talk to your other children about their sibling’s needs?
→ Where do you find hope when the path forward isn’t clear?
Nonprofit Leadership & Purpose-Driven Work
Co-founding the Rare Genes Movement and what it takes to build a mission-driven organization from personal experience — including the grit required to sustain it.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ What made you decide to turn your personal journey into a nonprofit?
→ What does the Rare Genes Movement offer that families can’t find elsewhere?
→ How do you lead an organization when the mission is deeply personal?
→ What’s one thing every leader of a purpose-driven org needs to know?
Leadership, Grit & Life’s Messy Middle
Drawing on years of sales leadership, consulting, and navigating the unpredictable — Melissa speaks to what it really means to lead yourself through adversity.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
→ What did a career in sales teach you about resilience?
→ What does “Made From Grit” mean to you personally?
→ How do you lead when you’re the one who needs support?
→ What’s the most important lesson life’s hard chapters have taught you?
