Morra Aarons-Mele

Morra Aarons-Mele Morra Aarons-Mele is an influencer

Mental wellbeing for high performance | Public speaker, coach, and leadership trainer | Host/Author of The Anxious Achiever | Researcher | Expert in shifting narratives, hearts, and minds

Greater Boston
38K followers 500+ connections

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The Anxious Achiever

About

I champion workforce mental health and help leaders and teams discover high performance through mental wellbeing. As the host of The Anxious Achiever (LinkedIn Presents), a top 50 business podcast and Webby Award honoree, I help professionals turn hard things into leadership excellence. My book, The Anxious Achiever (Harvard Business Review Press), was named a Top 10 Management Book of 2024 by Thinkers50 and won the Axiom Award for Best Leadership Book. I help organizations like Google, Southwest Airlines, and Harvard integrate mental health into leadership and workplace culture. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top 10 Voice in Mental Health and shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement in Leadership Award, I’m passionate about reshaping how we define success. Leadership services include:

- Executive, Leadership, and Manager Coaching/Training: Equip leaders with a strategic, practical, actionable approach to create a mentally healthy workplace culture that maintains healthy boundaries with teams + employees. Train tools and strategies to manage stress more effectively.
- Strategic Communications: Create storytelling and internal/external messaging that moves hearts and minds, decreases stigma, creates brand equity, and promotes mentally healthy workplace practice.
- Storytelling Coaching/Executive Positioning

I conduct original research to understand how leaders manage mental health and brain differences. My upcoming HBR book is Neurostrong: How to Lead and Thrive When Your Brain is Wired Differently.

As a marketing executive, author, and thought leader, I specialize in turning storytelling into strategy, using data-driven marketing, audience engagement, and omnichannel content to grow purpose-driven brands. I founded and scaled Women Online/The Mission List, a seven-figure influencer marketing and advocacy agency, delivering 150+ high-impact campaigns for organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC, P&G, and the United Nations. I was also on the founding team of #GivingTuesday, a movement that redefined philanthropy and mobilized millions worldwide. My work has won the Halo Award, Webby Award, Iris Award, and PR’s highest honor, the Silver Anvil.

📈 Expertise: Marketing Strategy | Growth & Brand Positioning | Digital Transformation | Omnichannel Content & Influencer Marketing | Thought Leadership | Mental Health Advocacy | Change Management

🎤 Featured Speaker: TED | SXSW | World Economic Forum

🏆 Recognized By: LinkedIn’s Top 10 Voices in Mental Health | Thinkers50 Leadership Shortlist | Mental Health America Media Award

Services

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Activity

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Experience

  • Author/host/public speaker/advisor

    The Anxious Achiever

    - Present 7 years 4 months

    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

    Marketing Consultant, Public Speaker & Leadership Coach
    The Anxious Achiever | Lexington, MA | 2021 – Present
    Create and publish weekly podcasts, newsletter, and online community to support better mental health at work.
    Harvard Business Review author and contributor.
    Designed enterprise-wide leadership training, keynotes, and workshops for clients such as Google, Southwest Airlines, Harvard, MIT, and World Bank.
    Delivered leadership training and keynotes on building…

    Marketing Consultant, Public Speaker & Leadership Coach
    The Anxious Achiever | Lexington, MA | 2021 – Present
    Create and publish weekly podcasts, newsletter, and online community to support better mental health at work.
    Harvard Business Review author and contributor.
    Designed enterprise-wide leadership training, keynotes, and workshops for clients such as Google, Southwest Airlines, Harvard, MIT, and World Bank.
    Delivered leadership training and keynotes on building psychologically safe, high-performing teams.
    Supported large national non-profit in doubling sales-qualified leads through innovative marketing strategies.

  • Harvard Business Review Graphic

    Author

    Harvard Business Review

    - Present 4 years 5 months

    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

    The Anxious Achiever: How to Turn Your Greatest Fears Into Your Leadership Superpower, published April 2023. Winner, Thinkers50 Top Ten management book. Winner Bronze Axiom award for best leadership book.

  • Upstream USA Graphic

    Marketing Consultant

    Upstream USA

    - 2 years 11 months

    Boston, Massachusetts, United States

    Assist Marcomms team with:
    Building a lead generation marketing program, optimizing marketing/sales funnel
    Rebuilding email marketing program
    Content strategy
    Conferences and events
    Messaging, narrative, and thought leadership writing and strategy.

  • Mind Share Partners Graphic

    Advisor

    Mind Share Partners

    - 2 years

    San Francisco Bay Area

    Design messaging, public narrative and movement building strategy for leading workplace mental health non profit.

  • Founder

    Women Online/The Mission List

    - 11 years 4 months

    Boston, MA

    Founder & CEO
    Built and scaled a seven-figure digital agency specializing in content marketing and issue advocacy; successfully sold the business in 2021.
    Directed 150+ campaigns for clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC, and P&G, managing annual budgets of $500K–$10M.
    Created the first women-focused digital influencer strategy for a U.S. Presidential campaign, driving record engagement.
    Reached 13.7 million parents (37% above target) for a top ranked children’s…

    Founder & CEO
    Built and scaled a seven-figure digital agency specializing in content marketing and issue advocacy; successfully sold the business in 2021.
    Directed 150+ campaigns for clients such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CDC, and P&G, managing annual budgets of $500K–$10M.
    Created the first women-focused digital influencer strategy for a U.S. Presidential campaign, driving record engagement.
    Reached 13.7 million parents (37% above target) for a top ranked children’s research hospital through influencer partnerships and media placements.
    Generated 2.5K sales-qualified leads (150%/goal) for healthcare nonprofit via webinars, video testimonials, & events.
    Increased website traffic for a client’s partner site by 50% over two years, sustaining 10–20% annual growth thereafter.
    Consistent 6% engagement rate through influencer partnerships & bilingual events for a national advocacy campaign.
    Engaged 1 million teachers in a professional development initiative, achieving a 65% email read rate and activating 150 monthly influencer collaborations.
    Designed campaigns that improved parent-teen relationships, with 75% of parents reporting positive impact.
    Created data-driven frameworks to measure impact, inform strategy, and foster behavior change.
    Fostered a flexible, inclusive remote culture with mentorship programs and leadership development initiatives that supported team growth and retention.

  • HarperCollins Publishers Graphic

    Author

    HarperCollins Publishers

    - 4 years 1 month

    Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get Out There When You'd Rather Stay Home is an essential success guide for ambitious introverts and people with social anxiety. It's available in paperback from Dey St/HarperCollins.

  • Edelman Graphic

    Vice President

    Edelman

    - 1 year 3 months

    Vice President, Interactive Strategy
    Edelman | Washington, D.C. | 2005 – 2006
    Established the digital public affairs division from scratch, achieving millions in annual revenue in first 15 months.
    Launched innovative digital campaigns, including Walmart’s first corporate blog post-Katrina.

  • Online Marketing Director

    DNC/Kerry-Edwards '04

    - 1 year 7 months

    Responsibilities included online fundraising email strategy and execution, online advertising for fundraising, persuasion, acquisition, digital communications strategy-- and BlogAds! Internet Marketing Director
    Kerry-Edwards 2004 Campaign/DNC | Washington, D.C. | 2003 - 2005
    Leadership team for pioneering online fundraising program for a U.S. Presidential campaign, raising over $80M.
    Managed a national online ad campaign, with innovative formats, driving voter engagement and donations.

  • Democratic National Committee Graphic

    Internet Marketing Director

    Democratic National Committee

    - 1 year

    Responsible for online advertising, online fundraising, marketing promotions

  • Ebookers.com Ltd Graphic

    Head Of Marketing

    Ebookers.com Ltd

    - 2 years 1 month

    London, England, United Kingdom

    I ran marketing for eBookers.com, which was the no. 2 European travel booking site. I supervised digital marketing, growth marketing, PR, brand advertising, and brand alignment across countries.

  • Senior Marketing Manager

    iVillage.com/iVillage UK

    - 1 year 10 months

    I was responsible for public relations, in store marketing with our partner Tesco, print advertising, special projects and public affairs.

Education

  • Harvard University Graphic

    Harvard University

    MPA Organizational Leadership

    -

    Activities and Societies: Co-Creator, "Effective Strategies for Powerful Women" workshop and speakers series for students of Harvard Kennedy and Harvard Business Schools

    Co-founder, Effective Strategies for Powerful Women, a joint seminar program with Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School to help women build negotiation, management and communications skills.

  • Brown University Graphic

    Brown University

    BA Political Science

    -

    Activities and Societies: NCAA Volleyball team, student government.

Licenses & Certifications

  • London School of Economics, General Course in Government

    -

Volunteer Experience

Skills

Publications

  • Navigating Perfectionism As A Manager

    LinkedIn Learning

    See publication

  • The Anxious Achiever

    Harvard Business Review

    See publication

  • LinkedIn Learning Course: Leading Through Anxiety

    LinkedIn Learning

    These are anxious times, especially for leaders who need to support their teams while also driving business results. In this course, self-described anxious overachiever and host of the popular LinkedIn Presents podcast The Anxious Achiever Morra Aarons-Mele shares proven techniques for managing anxiety as a leader and leveraging it as a force for good that will help you and your team thrive. Morra explains that anxiety is normal and can be a leadership strength. She guides you through…

    These are anxious times, especially for leaders who need to support their teams while also driving business results. In this course, self-described anxious overachiever and host of the popular LinkedIn Presents podcast The Anxious Achiever Morra Aarons-Mele shares proven techniques for managing anxiety as a leader and leveraging it as a force for good that will help you and your team thrive. Morra explains that anxiety is normal and can be a leadership strength. She guides you through understanding your anxiety and ways that anxiety may manifest itself at work, both in the office and remote. Morra shows you how to surf the waves of anxiety, create boundaries and limits, and pace your workday. She introduces you to some quick and powerful hacks to calm anxiety in the moment, no matter where you are. Morra presents a new lens for viewing your anxiety as a superpower that you can harness for good, to help yourself and your teams thrive.

    See publication

  • Leading Through Anxiety

    Harvard Business Review

    The HBR Big Idea: Inspiring others when you’re struggling yourself. How can you lead with authority and strength when you feel anxious? How can you inspire and motivate others when your mind and heart are racing? And if you hide the fear in an attempt to be leaderlike, where does it go?

    See publication

  • Hiding in the Bathroom: How to Get Out There (When You'd Rather Stay Home)

    HarperCollins

    See publication

  • Bloggers: Citizen Journalists or Entrepreneurs?

    Harvard University Project Zero

    See publication

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