The Person Behind the Practice

A woman with short, blonde hair wearing large, tortoiseshell glasses, a pink blazer, and a floral scarf tied around her neck, smiling at the camera.

Hi —

I'm Melissa Meike, founder of Bloom & Belong HR Consulting.

I spent 13 years as the HR Manager for a fully remote K-12 virtual school—managing 400 staff members, building HR infrastructure from the ground up, and fighting every day for employees who needed someone in their corner.

That experience taught me something I can't unlearn: when people feel genuinely supported at work — seen, heard, and valued — everything changes. They show up differently. They stay. They grow.

That belief is what Bloom & Belong was born from.

  • Small business owners are out here doing everything — and HR keeps falling through the cracks. Not because they don't care, but because no one ever taught them and they can't afford to bring someone on full time.

    I want to be that person for them. The one who shows up, gets their people operations in order, and makes sure their employees feel like they belong there.

  • ✓     Master of Business Administration (MBA) — Western Governors University

    ✓     Master's Certificate in Human Resources — Cornell University

    ✓     Bachelor of Arts in Communication — Oakland University

  • ✓     Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor — National Council for Mental Wellbeing

    ✓     HRCI (in progress)

  • I believe HR should feel less like a compliance obligation and more like a competitive advantage. Too many small business owners see HR as a box to check — a necessary evil that exists to keep them out of legal trouble. I see it differently.

    When HR is done right it is the foundation that lets people do their best work. It is the reason employees stay. It is the difference between a team that shows up and a team that shows up and gives everything they have.

    My approach is practical, people-first, and always grounded in what is actually happening inside your organization—not what a textbook says should be happening. I ask a lot of questions. I listen more than I talk. And I never recommend something I would not stand behind completely.

    I also believe that mental health is not a perk — it is a retention strategy. As a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor I bring a perspective to HR consulting that most practitioners do not — one that recognizes the whole person behind every employee file.

A woman with short blonde hair and a black dress standing inside an office near large windows, with the United States Capitol building visible in the background.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME

Outside of work I am a proud Michigan native based in Clinton Township, part of the Metro Detroit community I have called home my whole life. I am passionate about mental health advocacy, building strong local businesses, and finding the best coffee in Macomb County.

I started Bloom & Belong because I believe every employee deserves to feel like they bloom in their role and belong in their workplace—and every business owner deserves someone in their corner who genuinely knows how to make that happen.

I would love to be that person for your organization.