Morra Aarons-Mele

Morra Aarons-Mele is a (mostly) happy, successful person. She also identifies as an extremely anxious overachiever. Morra knows that taking your mental health seriously is a leadership strength. She launched and hosts The Anxious Achiever podcast for LinkedIn Presents, which was a 2020 Webby Awards Honoree, and is a top 10 management podcast and top 50 business podcast. She’s passionate about helping people rethink the relationship between their mental health and their success.

Her upcoming book, The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower, will be published by Harvard Business Review Press in April 2023 and she speaks to and consults frequently with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and U.S Government agencies. She is a 2022 LinkedIn “Top 10 Voice” in mental health.

Morra Aarons-Mele is an entrepreneur and communications executive. In addition to her work in workplace mental health, Aarons-Mele founded the award-winning social impact agency Women Online and created its database of female influencers, the Mission List, which she sold in 2021.

Morra was named 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year at the Iris Awards, created to recognize excellence among digital content creators. Before starting her own business, Morra worked in digital marketing and politics, helping Hillary Clinton log on for her first online chat and founding the digital public affairs team at Edelman, where she worked with Fortune 50 clients.

Aarons-Mele is also a prolific writer. Since 2004 she has covered the campaign trail, the White House, the lactation room, and the office cubicle. Her book, Hiding in the Bathroom: How To Get Out There (When You’d Rather Stay Home), was published by Dey Street Books in 2017. She has written for the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Slate, InStyle, O, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the Guardian.

Aarons-Mele has degrees from the Harvard Kennedy School and Brown University. She and Nicco Mele live in Boston with their three children.