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Melanie Underwood

Founder

"The most important skill I teach isn't cooking—it's trusting yourself."

Meet Melanie

For 29 years, Melanie Underwood has been teaching people to build unshakeable confidence through hands-on experiences that feel supportive, fun, and empowering. These are cooking classes and sound meditations—AND they're also confidence training, helping people learn to trust their instincts in ways that transform every area of their lives.

Two years ago, a doctor told Melanie she had asthma. The diagnosis didn't resonate with her body or her instincts, but she agreed to try the medication. After two months of telling him she didn't believe she had asthma, Melanie fired her doctor and sought a second opinion, discovering she had a neuroendocrine lung tumor. She then respectfully emailed the original doctor about the importance of listening to patients more and talking less. Her intuition literally saved her life. This is what she helps people access—that same life-saving ability to trust yourself when it matters most.

The Problem She Solves

Most people have lost touch with trusting their own instincts. They second-guess themselves, seek permission for decisions they're capable of making, and doubt their own judgment. Melanie grew up on a family farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she was given something rare: unconditional support that built unshakeable self-trust. Her grandparents and parents supported her completely while giving her room to grow, make mistakes, and fall forward. She sees that most people didn't get this foundation—and that's what she provides.

How She Teaches Confidence

Through mindful cooking classes, people learn to trust their senses—tasting, adjusting, and following their instincts while working with recipes that provide structure and confidence. Through sound meditations, people experience what they describe as both expansive and grounding—sessions that calm the nervous system and create space for clarity.

But it's not just about the cooking or the sound healing. It's about the experience of being completely supported while having permission to mess up, play, and learn from mistakes. People leave feeling capable, confident, and knowing they can handle whatever comes next.

Teaching the Next Generation

Melanie works extensively with children through after-school programs and summer camps, teaching them culinary skills while building the confidence to trust themselves. Her mission: help kids maintain their confidence and curiosity before the world teaches them to doubt it. These kids learn to follow their instincts in the kitchen while building skills that serve them everywhere else.

Background & Credentials

With over 50,000 students taught throughout her career, including 24 years as an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, Melanie brings serious teaching experience to everything she does. She's worked in renowned establishments like The Four Seasons and The Plaza Hotel, and is the author of Making Artisan Cheesecake (an Amazon Editor's Pick). Her work has been featured on Food Network, ABC, NBC, and CNN.

As a certified culinary educator and certified mindfulness instructor with extensive training from programs including Mindful Leader, Oxford Mindfulness Institute, and others, plus sound meditation training with respected practitioners, she brings a unique approach that combines culinary expertise with mindfulness and sound meditation practices.

Beyond the Kitchen

Melanie is also the creator of TART AF—Always Fun. Always Fabulous.  A bold brand and upcoming podcast focused on confident communication and getting what you want with grace. She's developed Conversation Napkins designed to bring back meaningful dialogue at the table, and hosts retreats where people can dive deeper into building lasting confidence.

The Bottom Line

Whether you're an adult looking to rebuild confidence or a parent wanting your child to maintain theirs, Melanie's company Nourish and Gather creates experiences where people nourish themselves and gather together to build community. She's not just teaching you to cook or leading sound meditations—she's teaching you to nourish yourself and trust your instincts while creating the connections we all crave.

Ready to stop second-guessing yourself? Join Melanie for a class where you'll leave feeling more confident than when you arrived.

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