Hi, I’m Melissa Carson,

People Strategist and Leadership Endurance Coach

I help experienced leaders and teams move from reactive growth to sustainable endurance—by designing how they lead, how they scale, and how they sustain.

Canopy Strategies helps growth-minded leaders build the people, clarity, and capacity they need to lead well—without burning out. It’s strategy and support for the long game.

Founded by Melissa Carson, a former HR executive and now a trusted people strategist and leadership coach, Canopy Strategies partners with founders, executive directors, and people-first organizations to build high-impact teams and leadership rhythms that last.

Whether you're navigating rapid growth, role complexity, or culture drift, Canopy Strategies delivers customized coaching and people strategy support that bridges the gap between vision and execution.

Melissa brings 25+ years of experience building leadership capacity, strengthening team alignment, and designing talent systems that sustain performance—not just for this quarter, but for the long game.

At the heart of her work is the Endurance Canopy framework—a model that equips leaders to lead with clarity, structure, and energy in environments where the pace is fast and the finish line keeps moving.

Because leading well isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters most, with the right people and a strategy that sustains you.

My Work Is For Leaders Who:

  • Are high-achievers but stretched too thin

  • Want clarity on how to grow without breaking what matters

  • Are navigating transitions, growth, or quiet recalibration

  • Want to build not just success—but success that lasts

How I Help:

Strategic People Planning
Designing the right roles, rhythms, and structures to support growth—so your team scales with your vision.

Leadership Clarity + Endurance
Helping you lead with focus, energy, and long-term sustainability—even when the pressure’s high and the pace doesn’t slow.

Fractional People Strategy Advisory
Partnering with founders and executive teams to align people systems with business goals—and ensure leadership isn’t the bottleneck.

My Frameworks

The Canopy
A leadership ecosystem that supports the full scope of people strategy—from culture and capacity to clarity and sustainability. It’s the space where we step back to ask not just “What’s next?” but “What needs to shift in how we lead and structure our team to get there?”


The FIRE Framework
Focus. Intentionality. Resilience. Energy.
This is the foundation for people-first leadership. It helps leaders not only manage their own energy and clarity—but also shape the focus and resilience of their teams. It’s how we design leadership roles and rhythms that scale with the business.

The I-CAN Coaching Model
Intention. Create the Plan. Act. Navigate.
A practical decision-making and accountability model that helps leaders and teams move from strategy to execution. It’s the backbone of how I support people planning, team alignment, and leadership development—especially when navigating growth or change.

Together, these tools allow me to integrate coaching and strategy—supporting leaders to grow their businesses and their people with intentional, sustainable systems.