Story & Lesson Highlights with Melody Pittman of Mesquite

Melody Pittman shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Melody, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Mornings as a content creator kick off quickly with social posts and content curation—usually across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and often some behind-the-scenes on IG Stories. That alone takes about an hour.

We’ve got a sweet puppy who loves his morning snuggles, so I tend to linger in bed a little longer than planned (worth it!). Once he’s out and gets his “Dexter Good Boy” treat, we move on to breakfast—my husband’s favorite meal of the day. I usually whip up a homemade three-course breakfast, but living near some fantastic casinos with surprisingly affordable (and delicious) breakfast buffets means we treat ourselves at least once a week.

After that, it’s time to get dressed, brush teeth, and tidy up the kitchen—which easily adds up to 90 to 120 minutes gone before I even sit down to work. I love having a routine though—it keeps me grounded and sets the tone for a productive day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Melody Pittman is a Nevada-based writer, influencer, and author who founded Wherever I May Roam Blog, a travel and lifestyle site syndicated on MSN. She also co-owns Southern Travelers Explore (#STE), a respected travel conference that connects CVBs and content creators across the U.S., garnering over 4 million impressions annually.

With a social following of 144K and a reach of 3.4 million, Melody is known for her vibrant storytelling and authentic travel insights. Her work is regularly featured on USA TODAY 10Best, Travel Awaits *where she’s an Expert Contributor), and has been featured in The Local Palate, Business Insider, Matador Network, She Buys Travel, and others.

Melody specializes in cruising, casinos, road trips, and RV travel—often with a multi-generational twist—and has a passion for spotlighting America’s small towns and hidden gems.

It’s so much easier just sharing my shortened bio version rather than trying to explain it myself. LOL

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Leadership has always come naturally to me. As an only child, I learned early on to tap into my creativity and seek out adventure. Whether it was leading Honor Society meetings, serving as head majorette, teaching baton twirling, juggling two part-time jobs in high school, or organizing large-scale events at a young age, I’ve always gravitated toward taking initiative. Looking back, I’ve had a taste of leadership throughout my life—I just hadn’t framed it that way until now. So when the opportunity to become an influencer presented itself more than a decade ago, it felt like a natural next step.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Growing up with a single mom who worked hard but never seemed to make quite “enough” was a real eye-opener. I lost my favorite adult role model—my grandfather—in seventh grade, and from that moment on, I felt a deep sense of responsibility. Even though my mom was fully capable, I naturally stepped into the “head of the household” role. She never asked me to—I just took it on. In many ways, it forced me to grow up much sooner than I should have.

When she suffered major heart attacks during my high school years, I found myself handling adult tasks most teens couldn’t imagine: securing and moving us into a new home with the help of friends, cleaning out the old one, juggling high school, a part-time job, and daily visits to the hospital. It was a heavy load—but those moments built strength and resilience that carried me forward in life.

Maybe I never fully healed—who’s to say? But I didn’t let it break me. I rose to the occasion and turned that strength into one of my greatest assets.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Oh, without a doubt—family. Family is everything to me. My tight-knit circle includes my husband, granddaughter, two kids, son-in-law, and my dad. Beyond them, I’m lucky to have a few incredibly close friends who mean the world to me. I’d walk through fire for any of them.

Lately, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of compound living—just imagine having all my favorite people living nearby. That kind of setup would be a dream come true. And coming from someone who’s on the road more than 300 days a year, that’s saying something! 😂

Anyone who knows me would tell you: I’d do anything for the people I care about. I genuinely choose happiness, and nothing brings me more joy than seeing others smile.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I don’t think so. While storytelling and influencing come naturally to me, I’ve always believed my true calling is in caregiving—perhaps even nursing. I genuinely love people and have an innate ability to help them feel at ease, comforted, and safe. Several psychics have even told me I’m a natural healer, which only reinforced what I already felt in my heart.

I was accepted into nursing school in my late 20s, but with two young children, a full-time job in insurance, and an already packed family schedule, the timing just wasn’t right. My husband wasn’t exactly on board with me juggling school, work, and everything else, so I pivoted and chose real estate as a second career instead.

Though I know the red tape and endless paperwork in hospitals wouldn’t be my favorite, the idea of being there for someone in their most vulnerable moments still pulls at me. I think there’s no greater gift than being a source of peace and strength during difficult times.

My son-in-law is a pediatric nurse practitioner, and I often tell him he’s doing the Lord’s work—because he is. I have so much admiration for people who show up with care and compassion every single day.

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