Meet the Founder
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Melissa Chwalinski-Gordon’s life journey is both a testament to resilience and a blueprint for transformative service. Born in 1978 and raised in a deeply unstable environment, Melissa experienced a childhood marked by instability, neglect, and trauma—reflected in her Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) score of 10. Passed between grandparents, great-grandparents, cousins, and stand-in caregivers, Melissa was working and functionally independent by the age of 15. By 20, she had already endured teen pregnancy, domestic violence, poverty, and the trauma of family separation.
Despite these overwhelming odds, Melissa’s lived experiences forged an unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life for others, especially the marginalized and underserved. From these personal hardships emerged a distinct ability to meet individuals where they are and walk alongside them toward personal, social, and community healing.
Over the past two decades, Melissa has worked with over one hundred individuals across various areas of need including domestic management, life skills development, executive function training, budgeting, emotional regulation, and community interdependence. Her work is holistic and rooted in dignity, and her programs are designed to empower whole-person transformation—spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, relationally, financially, and vocationally.
Out of this legacy of hardship, healing, and hope, Melissa founded Counter Culture Collective in 2024 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing root causes of dysfunction and disconnection in individuals and communities.
Hi there! Melissa here. Nice to meet you!
I am a social justice and community advocate, educator, speaker, author, program developer, mentor and coach.
I created this organization, the tools in our resource store, in -person and digital classes, and coaching plans to help my family and I with our own challenging neurodiverse adulting journey. I am excited about the opportunity to share all that wisdom with you and am committed to walking with you and your family to help you more easily overcome and maybe even avoid many of life's obstacles.
I am dedicated to coming alongside marginalized communities by educating, cultivating and illuminating their undiscovered abilities.
Building a legacy by beginning a revolution
As I began to ponder stepping out and attempting to undertake some bold new ventures, part of me shuddered in fear and overwhelm. Afterall, who was I? Could little ole me take on such a massive and far reaching problem in society today? Then I remembered three things. First, more than twenty years ago I was digging in a bargain book bin at a mall. This was odd because I was not a reader back then. Far from it. However, I opened this book and on a page I saw a statement modeled after a quote by Howard Thurman. The book read "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what you are passionate about. Because the world needs people that are passionate about something." I did not know it at that moment, but that was a divine nod at where my life would end up. It took a long time but I finally realized that what we are called to do is what sets us ablaze inside. Doing the work that doesn't feel like work that we couldn't keep from doing even if we tried is what we are purposed for. The quicker we can align ourselves with that passion as a vocation, the better off we and everyone around us will be.
The second thing I remembered was something I heard or read many years later, probably in some self help book or testimony. We should be the change we want to see in this world. That sounds ridiculous if the change you want to see is as a result of being harmed or depleted by a lack of something being present in your life. I would have thought it impossible to overcome and actively practice the very thing that was deficient in my life and that I thought others should have stepped in and helped me with. Whether we like to admit it or not we all need help at one time or another. Nevertheless, I chose to give it a try about fifteen years ago. It took a solid year and a half for the benefits to manifest inside me but when it did it was a life and mindset altering experience.
The third thing that came to mind was 2 Timothy 1:7. I'm going to share the verse from the Amplified Bible so you understand the power behind what is written. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgement and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control]". On that note, I really have no excuses.
I have come to a place where literally all my life experiences have positioned and equipped me to step out in faith and serve passionately as I feel purposed to.
The gist of it is, I know many of us don't live to the level and quality of life that we have availible to us. There are many reasons for this, however few of them really matter. What actually matters is what WE will do about it. My passion is helping anyone willing to do the work to get from where they are to where they dream of going. I do this through teaching them to intentionally execute their lives in seven foundational areas: Spiritually, Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Relationally, Financially and Vocationally. It doesn't matter what age group, background, or circumstance, the whole person has to be educated, healed and elevated or we will not reach our true capacity. Cars will go with a flat tire, but not nearly as well. Because no two people are alike it is nearly impossible to truly serve someone through a broad smattering of content thrown at them. Unfortunately I see a lot of influencers promising that if you buy their cookie cutter system, your life will be perfect and you will be thin and rich. That really only works if you are the type of person that responds to their method.and also has the same resources they do. Side note, most influencers are not transparent about the amount of wealth and helping hands they had on deck for them to achieve this "perfect life".
Time and time again money is wasted attempting to cover a bullet hole with a Band-Aid. To really learn in a way that allows us to become an evolved person we need to be mentored and trained. Hand over hand training through person specific trials and failures teaches how to handle life's tasks and challenges. Every single one of the programs we offer does exactly that. We work in smaller groups to enable a more intimate and personalized experience. We do our best to create a healthy, functional, interdependent community among our learners to empower them to lead others in how to be the same.
I can't wait to share with you how to reduce stress and overwhelm while adding fulfillment and a sense of success in your life by living intentionally!
Whether it be through group coaching, online or in person training, life management tools such as planners and journals, a la carte support services or self-led courses and workbooks, the sky is the limit on your success. Everything I create or teach is Neurotypical and Neurodiverse friendly.
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