STARS STANDING UP!

MELISSA's BACKGROUND:

 Here is a little info about me so you can better understand my passion for creating this Organization. Since I began pursuing my interests I've been   part of some really great things. After Graduating with a dual degree in Business and Communications, I worked my way up from the mail room, to become Director of a full-service model and talent agency where I  had the unique opportunity to scout for, acquire top accounts, create stars, cast, and place talent to agencies all over the World. I often worked with the New York, L.A., Milan,, Paris, and Tokyo markets, executing contracts and growing the careers of the Talent Internationally.  I worked endless hours and pretty much did every job within the industry. The priceless experience of working with top agencies like Ford, Wilhelmina and Elite  enabled me to move on and become an Independent Agent, Manager and Scout for them and other well-known Talent agencies as well.  I worked with actors on TV and Film who have landed starring roles on the popular  Dawson's Creek, Gilmore Girls and Charmed and Feature films like Great Expectations, 12 Monkeys, and Up Close and Personal. Through all the projects I was working on I  became a pretty creative event planner, picked up culinary, restaurant and interior design skills and put together parties for clients like the NBA and  produced fashion shows for Hugo Boss. During that time, I began to rediscover my extreme passion for music and decided to adapt my skills to the music industry.  It seemed like a winning combination  as I helped and supported some amazing artists who went on to receive major label deals. I suddenly received an unexpected phonecall and after years of making things happen behind the scenes, I accepted a position with  the CBS/Infinity Broadcasting  radio network. They wanted to see what would happen if they put someone with other skills than just radio experience on the air.  I was up for the new "music-related" challenge and I am proud to say it worked like somewhat of a phenomenon. I utilized all the skills I had crafted in all my other work and put it to work for myself. I ended up being being triple booked at times for personal appearances and syndicated to other markets as well. I also became a Spokesmodel respresenting several different products and companies.  I was told that I "brought the TV to radio", and for the next 6 years, I was not only a radio/tv personality in Philadelphia and New York and even in D.C.,  but I was often asked to co-host with the network news anchors on current events and live news stories. I became a field  journalist during that time working stories, interviewing  , and then airing live on the news. It was a great synergy to be the liason between such a big radio station and news stations. One minute I was covering the 76'ers play-off games and the next I was Nationally covering  the Survivor season finale as a correspondent for Bryant Gumble. It became so I  was hardly ever just in the  studio, but went out into the community every day and hosted  live events, concerts, sporting events and charity missions. Through all the fun experiences I had I always considered the charity to be my most important work and said yes every time I was asked to host one of those events. A few of the events I was honored to be asked to cover were; when I spoke in between The Mayor and Senator Arlen Spector at Philadelphia Cares Day, when I hosted The Annual News Anchors Career Wardrobe Fashion show for women who were trying to get into the workforce and better themselves and  when I spoke  at the Philadelphia Art Museum to thousands of breast cancer survivors on Mother's Day. In New York I worked  just as much, in fact, for everyone from MTV(on TRL with Kid Rock) to the FBI( hosting their event for families of fallen agents) and with everyone from interviewing Ozzy Osbourne to rededicating the first damaged fire truck back to NYC after 9/11 with, now  Presidential candidate, Rudy Juliani. Since then, I have been professionally business Consulting for different companies as a way  to convey all of the things I have learned in my incredible career journey. I have Nationally Hosted different music and entertainment shows, created an empowering women's show called ,The Well-Advised Woman, am the Official Spokesmodel for the Independent Music Conference, am an active Board Member for the Fashion Group International and also work with Jon Bon Jovi (above)  as the Arena  Host, helping him further his Humanitarian missions through his Philadelphia  Soul Arena Football Team. Through everything I have done, I was able to work with most of the major charitable organizations by volunteering and  hosting events for them. It was all wonderfully challenging,  fulfilling and  exciting.work and each and every experience has brought me to where I am today.

I not only  had the unique opportunity to be around some very big celebrities, and get a birds eye view of their ability to make a difference while they were doing what they love, but  I was able to be in touch with the very core of the community as well.  I really began to look at this as a gift and truly appreciated the platform I was given to be able to be so lucky to meet  and connect with so many fascinating Stars and people from all walks of life.

Since then ,I have had more than a few life altering experiences, a terrible car accident, a loss of many things dear to me,  a serious hospital stay, a beautiful wedding, a precious daughter and so far 10  months supporting and care-taking my sweet Father who had brain surgery and was left with the extreme journey of having to learn how to walk, talk, eat, see and sing again. Through this time, I've had painful let downs, bittersweet blessings and beautiful surprises and had to learn to accept each one with an inner strength and grace I never even knew I had. I have lived a charmed life and  also seen a side of life, that the only thing that enabled me to get through it, was remembering that someone else had it worse and I should be grateful for the blessings I have.  It is with this heavy and caring  heart  and upon hours of reflecting that I have created something that  hopes to bring together my unique skill set ,my love for connecting with people, and my ability to figure out how to gather people  from every road, in  the most beneficial ways to make a difference. Stars Standing Up! is a product of the Agony and the Ecstasy which we all live and are unified by everyday. Together we can make a difference!

**CLICK LINK TO SEE A PHOTOSHOW OF MELISSA AT WORK
:     http://www.smilebox.com/playBlog/4d5445314d6a59354f413d3d0d0a