Dr Melissa Harrison has worked hard

Successful business owner, wife, mother and passionate clinical psychologist Dr Melissa Harrison knew it would take hard work and dedication to become the success she is today.

Dr Harrison came from humble beginnings, growing up in a small, tight-knit community in Victoria.

From being unsure on her career path, and travelling the world at the tender age of 19, Dr Harrison knew she wanted to be something in life.

“I grew up in a small country town in Victoria called Kilmore – you knew everyone, you grow up with the same kids who you all went to school with and they’re all doing similar things and I wanted to do something a little different in terms of stretching myself,” she said.

“I needed to move in some way, shape or form to really find out what I wanted to do in life.”

Now Dr Harrison is a successful director and principal clinical psychologist of an award-winning psychology business alongside husband Justin.

In 2018, Dr Harrison and her husband’s business Nudge Psychology came home with the top award at the South West Small Business Awards.

However, this did not come easily for Dr Harrison, initially dropping out of uni and deciding to travel, which many parents know can be a frighting but exciting stage of their daughter’s life.

“I decided I just wanted to do something really different, so I picked myself up and took myself to England, and I said ‘if I can last one year, I’ll do five’, and I ended up staying for six years,” she said.

“I lined up a nannying job when I was 19, which is very young but I thought I was 30.” Dr Harrison worked her way around the UK after her nannying gig, working in hospitality, human resources and managing a small bar/hotel.

The many experiences Dr Harrison encountered sparked in her the desire to run her own business using aspects of each workplace to create the perfect business.

“One of the things I realised was how organisations all do things differently which has really helped to build the business I have today and the person I am today,” she said.

Returning home to Victoria, she studied behavioural science at Latrobe University before completing her doctorate in psychology last year.

“In 2011, I moved over to WA because we had been holidaying over there the year before and fell in love with the place, and thought this would be a great place to raise the kids, and have been here ever since,” she said.

“When my husband and I stepped up the business, we both had similar experiences and we both loved how one business did this, but hated how they did this.

“There was so many experiences between us, we thought we would capture the bits we liked and build it into the model of what we want.

“I really enjoy working with my clients and I hope I make the experience enjoyable for them.”