Quick Responder

Melissa Theiss

Head of People Operations @ Kit
5.0
(3 reviews)
I help People leaders land and succeed in their first executive position.
United States of America Active yesterday Usually responds in half a day

Services

$400 / month

For aspiring or first-time Heads of People in tech startups with 20 to 1,000 team members.

4 calls per month (30min/call)

Unlimited Q&A via chat

Expect responses in 2 days

Hands-on support

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About

<4% of HR professionals ever make it to VP. I help People people land and succeed in their first executive position—using my personal experience to expedite your journey.

Over the past decade, I’ve led people and revenue functions at bootstrapped, VC-backed, and post-IPO SaaS companies as they scaled from 20 to 1,000+ people.

But, my road to get there started with two rejections.

In college, I studied what I loved — psychology and education. My plan was to do a Fulbright, then go to Harvard Business School (HBS).

And, it would've worked except... I didn't get a Fulbright and I got rejected from HBS.

So, I had to pivot. I joined a public tech company in a rotational program where I learned product management, human resources, and sales operations.

From there, I joined a startup as employee #22 and was a one woman show leading people and finance. Not too long after, I took over the customer success team as well.

The next few years were some of the most formative of my career. I had been given a job I had no idea how to do, but was really committed to figuring it out. So, I did.

I used my background studying psychology and education to teach myself how to be a leader and to really excel at this little thing called "business."

I worked long hours and made a lot of mistakes. I learned a lot the hard way.

But I also learned a ton from those ahead of me—through books, newsletters, podcasts, and following top tech leaders. That knowledge was a game-changer.

Now, I want to be that resource for others.

If you’re a People person learning to navigate the business world and don’t want to figure it all out the hard way—I can help.

I help People leaders land and succeed in their first executive position.

What mentees say

5 out of 5 stars

Highly recommend Melissa as a mentor. My goals were around increasing my executive presence and being able to explain the "why" to non-industry people. While I am still working on those goals, Melissa really helped my understand how crucial my confidence was to accomplish what I want. We often chatted through real problems I was facing which allowed for me to use the strategies in real time and understand their impact. Melissa provide actionable feedback, practical resources and incredible strategies that I will be using for the rest of my career. If you are looking for a mentor that meets you where you're at while still being able to challenge you and teach you new ways of approaching topics, Melissa is the one for you!

King

King

Standard Plan • 3 months

5 out of 5 stars

Stacie

Stacie

Standard Plan • 4 months

5 out of 5 stars

Alexandra

Alexandra

Standard Plan • 1 month