Melissa Fors Shackelford
Person by Melissa Fors Shackelford
Marketing with Purpose: Building Brands that Connect and Inspire
About
Melissa Fors Shackelford is a healthcare marketing strategist, author of Harnessing Purpose, keynote speaker and advisor to leaders who want to align mission with message; she brings practical insights on brand authenticity, inclusive communication,...
Melissa Fors Shackelford is a healthcare marketing strategist, author of Harnessing Purpose, keynote speaker and advisor to leaders who want to align mission with message; she brings practical insights on brand authenticity, inclusive communication, and how purpose can drive both growth and genuine human connection. As the founder of Shackelford Strategies, she partners with executives, startups, and established healthcare brands to refine messaging, strengthen market positioning, and launch new offerings. With more than 20 years of leadership experience at organizations including Optum, Hazelden Betty Ford, and Cigna’s Evernorth, Melissa has built deep expertise in go-to-market strategy, brand development, and growth marketing. She helps businesses accelerate market entry, scale sustainably, and build lasting connections with the people they serve. A recognized thought leader in healthcare and brand strategy, Melissa is a frequent speaker, podcast guest, and contributor to leading publications. Her insights focus on purpose-driven marketing, inclusive communication, and the role of authenticity in shaping modern healthcare brands. She has received multiple honors, including Nonprofit Marketer of the Year (American Marketing Association, 2019), the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST Award (2020), and recognition as one of the Top 50 Women in Healthcare (2025). Melissa’s Amazon #1 best-selling book, Harnessing Purpose: A Marketer’s Guide to Inspiring Connection, has solidified her reputation as a leading voice in purpose-driven marketing. The book offers actionable strategies for marketers and mission-driven leaders, blending real-world insights with practical tools to help organizations foster authentic connections, spark creativity, and lead with clarity of purpose.
What Matters
Melissa says Branding "always matters" for individuals and organizations alike, urging everyone to consider "what do you stand for, what do you want to be known for" — including their own personal brand.
Melissa says Reality television matters as "an escape" for many people, noting that "mental health is a challenge" and anything that helps people "decompress and relax" is "super important."
Melissa says Artificial intelligence "absolutely matters," especially in marketing and healthcare, noting marketers were "some of the first people to leverage AI" for graphics, editing, and analytics.
Though not a player herself, Melissa says Video games matter as "a release" and "stress reducer" for many, even recalling executives using them to "build camaraderie" across the country.
Melissa says Corporate social responsibility "matters more and more every day," urging all organizations to "understand what they stand for" across hiring, culture, and communication.
Melissa says Vacations absolutely matter, advocating for "change of scenery" as a stress reducer, noting you'll be "a better leader" and "a better coworker" when you take time to decompress.
Melissa says Health care matters deeply, asserting "there's nothing more precious" than it, and focusing her work on breaking down barriers so people "feel welcome and accepted" in the system.
Melissa says Leadership "absolutely matters," emphasizing that "everybody is a leader in one way, shape, or form" because "people are watching you" regardless of your role or title.
AI Audits, Apple's Gemini Swap, and Birth Control in the Crosshairs
ViewWhys (8)
Melissa says Health care matters deeply, asserting "there's nothing more precious" than it, and focusing her work on breaking down barriers so people "feel welcome and accepted" in the system.
Does HEALTH CARE matter to you?
Melissa says Vacations absolutely matter, advocating for "change of scenery" as a stress reducer, noting you'll be "a better leader" and "a better coworker" when you take time to decompress.
Does VACATION matter to you?
Melissa says Corporate social responsibility "matters more and more every day," urging all organizations to "understand what they stand for" across hiring, culture, and communication.
Does CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBIL... matter to you?
Though not a player herself, Melissa says Video games matter as "a release" and "stress reducer" for many, even recalling executives using them to "build camaraderie" across the country.
Does VIDEO GAME matter to you?
Melissa says Artificial intelligence "absolutely matters," especially in marketing and healthcare, noting marketers were "some of the first people to leverage AI" for graphics, editing, and analytics.
Does ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE matter to you?
Melissa says Branding "always matters" for individuals and organizations alike, urging everyone to consider "what do you stand for, what do you want to be known for" — including their own personal brand.
Does BRAND matter to you?
Melissa says Reality television matters as "an escape" for many people, noting that "mental health is a challenge" and anything that helps people "decompress and relax" is "super important."
Does REALITY TELEVISION matter to you?
Melissa says Leadership "absolutely matters," emphasizing that "everybody is a leader in one way, shape, or form" because "people are watching you" regardless of your role or title.
Does LEADERSHIP matter to you?
Takeaways (3)
Marketers jumped on AI early because it actually made repetitive tasks much faster.
Everyone is a leader whether they know it or not, because people are always watching.
Marketers grabbed onto AI faster than almost anyone else, and honestly it makes sense.
Quotes (6)
“Absolutely matters more and more every day. And this goes to a lot of my work around purpose and for organizations to really understand what they stand for and what's important to them and and really thinking about it everywhere from your h...” “Absolutely matters more and more every day. And this goes to a lot of my work around purpose and for organizations to really understand what they stand for and what's important to them and and really thinking about it everywhere from your hiring to your corporate culture to how do you communicate with your board. Everything that you do, you really need to really truly understand what's your mission, what's your vision, what are your values, and stay true to that purpose.”
“everyone knows that there's nothing more precious than your healthcare or your loved one's healthcare. And so what's really important for me around health care is that everyone understands that they're welcome and accepted because we have s...” “everyone knows that there's nothing more precious than your healthcare or your loved one's healthcare. And so what's really important for me around health care is that everyone understands that they're welcome and accepted because we have such amazing health care available, but a lot of people don't feel welcomed by the healthcare system or they're afraid or they feel stigmatized.”
“I wanna go back to reality TV. I'm not a video game person, but I know it's an outlet for a lot of people. So I would say it matters because it I know it matters to so many people. I used to work in an organization where, like, all the exec...” “I wanna go back to reality TV. I'm not a video game person, but I know it's an outlet for a lot of people. So I would say it matters because it I know it matters to so many people. I used to work in an organization where, like, all the executive men were on they played a video game together across the country. And for them, it was really a release. It was a stress reducer, and it was something that they could build camaraderie.”
“I suppose everyone you mentioned that to says matters. I would say myself from the healthcare perspective, from the technology perspective, and particularly from the marketing perspective, it absolutely matters. Marketers were some of the f...” “I suppose everyone you mentioned that to says matters. I would say myself from the healthcare perspective, from the technology perspective, and particularly from the marketing perspective, it absolutely matters. Marketers were some of the first people to be able to leverage AI more so than some other professions, and that's because it can help with graphics. It can help with editing. It can help with proofreading. It can help with social media analytics, all these different things that were really, really simple.”
“Leadership absolutely matters. And I think this is one where sometimes people shy away from that as a term, but it's something that everybody is a leader in one way, shape, or form. Doesn't mean you need to have direct reports because peopl...” “Leadership absolutely matters. And I think this is one where sometimes people shy away from that as a term, but it's something that everybody is a leader in one way, shape, or form. Doesn't mean you need to have direct reports because people are watching you.”
“definitely it matters because for so many people, it's an escape. And we have a lot of stress in our world, and we know mental health is a challenge for a lot of people. And if you can find something, whether for me it's a good book or it's...” “definitely it matters because for so many people, it's an escape. And we have a lot of stress in our world, and we know mental health is a challenge for a lot of people. And if you can find something, whether for me it's a good book or it's a good reality TV or it's just a great movie, whatever you can do, if you need something to help you decompress and help you relax, I think it's super important.”