RENAISSANCE: Redefining Success for Modern Mavericks
by Melissa Aarskaug and Michèle Kline
What if success didn’t require sacrificing yourself to achieve it?
You’ve followed the rules, hit the milestones, and checked the boxes yet something still feels off. You’re accomplished on paper, but disconnected from your purpose. You’re not alone.
Renaissance is your invitation to rise.
This book is for those who are ready to break the mold, trust their intuition, and design a life that actually fits. It’s for the bold, the curious, the courageous, the Modern Mavericks.
At the core of Renaissance lies a radical idea: You can have it all without losing yourself.
Melissa and Michèle, friends, and collaborators for over 16+ years, bring together two very different paths to success: one built through bold leaps, the other through resilience and community. What unites them? A shared belief in redefining success, rewriting the rules, and building lives rooted in truth.
Together, they created Renaissance to help others reset their narrative and rise on their own terms.
Renaissance is more than a word.
It’s a rebirth. A rising. A return to the truth of who you are.
To be a Modern Maverick is to question the script, challenge the status quo, and create success on your own terms. This book is for those who lead with heart, live with fire, and are done playing small. Here’s what the Renaissance stands for:
Michèle Kline is a powerhouse of transformation where neuroscience meets operations and leadership becomes a way of life. With over two decades of experience across the U.S. and South America in the hospitality and service industries, Michèle has built, rebuilt, and elevated teams for some of the world’s most iconic brands.
As the founder of Kline Hospitality Consulting and a certified Life, Executive, and Neuroscience-Based Coach, she helps high-performing leaders rewire how they think, connect, and lead. Michèle blends proven continuous improvement methodologies (Kaizen, Six Sigma) with high-impact coaching strategies to deliver practical tools that shift habits, reset patterns, and drive lasting change.
She’s a member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, creator of the Champion Mindset youth program, and a trusted voice in executive coaching, DEIB conversations, and leadership development.
An 8-time bestselling author, Michèle’s most recent book, 360° IMPACT: A Guide to Live, Lead, and Serve in a More Colorful World, offers a powerful blueprint for personal and professional growth. Whether she’s leading retreats, shaping culture, or sparking bold conversations, Michèle’s mission is clear: to help people grow forward with intention, integrity, and impact.
Melissa Aarskaug is a powerhouse of transformation where engineering precision meets entrepreneurial vision. With a career that bridges civil engineering, sales leadership, and executive strategy, she has built companies from the ground up, created tools that change how people work, and led teams that turn bold ideas into meaningful results.
As founder of The Executive Connect Experience and co-author of Renaissance: Redefining Success for Modern Mavericks, Melissa challenges leaders to redefine success on their own terms. Her work spans industries and continents, guiding organizations through digital transformation, cultural reinvention, and leadership evolution. She has shared stages and conversations with executives, innovators, and change makers who are shaping the future of business and society.
Melissa’s philosophy is simple, success should expand your life, not shrink it. She blends strategic insight with human connection, creating experiences that inspire courage, clarity, and action.
A proud mom and relentless adventurer, Melissa credits her first leadership role to babysitting three children under five at the age of eight, an experience that taught her resilience, resourcefulness, and the art of keeping calm under pressure. Whether exploring mountain trails or navigating boardrooms, she brings curiosity, grit, and a commitment to helping others rise.
Michèle Kline is a powerhouse of transformation where neuroscience meets operations and leadership becomes a way of life. With over two decades of experience across the U.S. and South America in the hospitality and service industries, Michèle has built, rebuilt, and elevated teams for some of the world’s most iconic brands.
As the founder of Kline Hospitality Consulting and a certified Life, Executive, and Neuroscience-Based Coach, she helps high-performing leaders rewire how they think, connect, and lead. Michèle blends proven continuous improvement methodologies (Kaizen, Six Sigma) with high-impact coaching strategies to deliver practical tools that shift habits, reset patterns, and drive lasting change.
She’s a member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, creator of the Champion Mindset youth program, and a trusted voice in executive coaching, DEIB conversations, and leadership development.
An 8-time bestselling author, Michèle’s most recent book, 360° IMPACT: A Guide to Live, Lead, and Serve in a More Colorful World, offers a powerful blueprint for personal and professional growth. Whether she’s leading retreats, shaping culture, or sparking bold conversations, Michèle’s mission is clear: to help people grow forward with intention, integrity, and impact.
Michèle Kline is a powerhouse of transformation—where neuroscience meets operations, and leadership becomes a lifestyle.
With over two decades leading operations and human resources in the Hospitality and Service Industry, Michèle has built, rebuilt, and elevated teams for some of the world’s most recognized brands across the U.S. and South America. But she’s not just about processes and KPIs—she’s about rewiring the way leaders think, connect, and show up.
As the founder of Kline Hospitality and a certified Life, Executive, and Neuroscience-Based Coach, Michèle blends the rigor of continuous improvement (Kaizen, TQM, Six Sigma) with the science of high performance. Her clients don’t just lead better—they think better. With every session, she helps leaders reprogram habits, reset default patterns, and create sustainable change that sticks—at work and in life.
A proud member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, Michèle distills timeless leadership truths through a modern lens, ensuring every workshop, coaching call, and keynote is grounded in relevance, impact, and action. She constantly updates Kline Hospitality’s learning catalog to reflect the bold conversations teams should be having but often avoid.
Her purpose? To provoke growth. To spark clarity. To help leaders stop settling and start stretching. Michèle is the international bestselling author of “360° IMPACT: A Guide to Live, Lead, and Serve in a More Colorful World”—a book that dares readers to redefine success, deepen human connection, and step fully into the lives they’re meant to lead. She also contributed to the Becoming an Unstoppable Woman anthology series—a six-book collaboration with industry experts sharing powerful tools, stories, and mindset shifts to help women break through barriers and lead boldly.
She’s also the co-creator of WTF! Walk The Floors, a top-ranked podcast and leadership movement encouraging managers to get out from behind the desk and back into the heartbeat of service. Through candid insights and hands-on programs, she helps companies turn culture into competitive advantage.
Her work doesn’t stop at the boardroom. Michèle is fiercely committed to shaping the next generation of leaders. Through her Champion Mindset coaching for high-potential youth (ages 11 to 17), she helps young people build emotional resilience, communicate with confidence, and lead with purpose—arming them early with the mindset tools many adults wish they’d had.
As a fierce advocate for inclusion and emotional intelligence in leadership, Michèle launched the 360° IMPACT Connection Labs—a series of masterminds and retreats designed to cultivate belonging, elevate conversation, and drive transformational change across diverse industries and identities.
Whether she’s coaching high-level executives, mentoring ambitious teens, or guiding DEIB conversations, Michèle brings the same philosophy to every room: Growth is uncomfortable—but staying stuck costs more.
A respected industry voice, 8x bestselling author, and devoted community builder, Michèle serves on multiple boards and philanthropic initiatives focused on developing people and changing culture—one bold conversation at a time.
Unlearn the outdated playbook of success and reconnect with what really matters.
📜 Shed the old success script
💖 Explore what fulfillment looks like
🌱 Build resilience in the messy middle of growth
🤝 Redefine leadership through authenticity
🎯 Choose alignment over hustle
🌐 Tap into the power of meaningful connection
🚀 Say YES to the life that’s calling you
🧭 Discover the 7 Maverick Archetypes
Bridge: Discover the 7 Maverick Archetypes, your framework for transformation.
Go deeper into the seven power types that define the Renaissance spirit. Each archetype offers unique strengths, challenges, and tools for living fully.
This is not just a book. It’s a mirror, a compass, and a call to action.
Discover which Maverick you are, it’s free and takes 5 minutes.
Unlearn the outdated playbook of success and reconnect with what really matters.
📜 Shed the old success script
💖 Explore what fulfillment looks like
🌱 Build resilience in the messy middle of growth
🤝 Redefine leadership through authenticity
🎯 Choose alignment over hustle
🌐 Tap into the power of meaningful connection
🚀 Say YES to the life that’s calling you
🧭 Discover the 7 Maverick Archetypes
Bridge: Discover the 7 Maverick Archetypes, your framework for transformation.
Go deeper into the seven power types that define the Renaissance spirit. Each archetype offers unique strengths, challenges, and tools for living fully.
This is not just a book. It’s a mirror, a compass, and a call to action.
Discover which Maverick you are, it’s free and takes 5 minutes.
This is your moment to rise.
To rewrite your story.
To lead, love, and live without apology.
Your new chapter starts today! Let’s write it together.
Break Free. Design Your Legacy. Discover your unique Maverick mindset.
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Integrity Development
Bryan Hancock has been managing real estate investments—and overseeing development and construction projects—for nearly two decades. He has deep roots in Austin, Texas, and comprehensive knowledge of the opportunities and challenges in this fast-growing market.
Through his development and syndication companies, which he built from the ground up, Bryan has developed 50+ urban infill projects and managed $25M in real estate sales with approximately 35% return on investment at the project level. He also co-founded two private equity funds.
Bryan brings in-depth industry awareness, sharp business acumen, and extensive in-the-trenches experience to his work as co-founder and principal of Integrity Development. He partners with a team of professionals and industry experts (many have been involved in Austin real estate for 40+ years) to identify value-added and opportunistic investments that protect capital and reduce risk for lenders—while delivering outsized returns for investors.
Earlier, Bryan founded and directed Inner 10 Development, a residential development firm focused on Austin’s top zip codes and surrounding communities, and H2i, LLC, a real estate syndication company. He steered these organizations for 17+ years, overseeing the acquisition, buildout, and sale of single-family and multifamily properties, including a 350-unit urban infill joint-venture project.
Bryan was successful in delivering strong returns while minimizing risk for bankers and investors by taking a targeted, data-driven approach to opportunity analysis, due diligence, and strategic decision-making. He zeroed in on potential risks and developed proactive mitigation strategies to protect and grow investments.
Concurrent with his work at Inner 10 Development and H2i, Bryan established Gentry Lending Group, a private-equity debt fund. He also served on the board of Bullseye Capital Real Property Opportunity Fund. These experiences provided Bryan with a grasp of both investor and banker viewpoints, including an understanding of risk and liability on the lending side. This aspect of his background continues to shape his real estate decisions to this day.
There is another unique aspect to Bryan’s career—a corporate history that differentiates him from other investors and developers in this field. Bryan has built organizations, controlled multimillion-dollar projects, and supported billion-dollar programs for some of the world’s largest companies: Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Dell, CACI, and Charles Schwab. He managed teams and vendors in the US, China, France, and India, and often balanced up to 10 projects at a time. He was trusted with a Top Secret Security Clearance from the United States government.
A business-savvy leader and lifelong learner, Bryan holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Texas Christian University and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bryan founded the Wealth Investment Network, co-founded RealStarter (a crowdfunding platform for real estate investors), and was a member of the Urban Land Institute and Central Texas Angel Network. He has been a guest speaker at 20+ national events, including conferences and meetups through the Information Management Network (IMN), SXSW, Rice University, Bay Area Real Estate Summit, Soho Loft Conference, Texas Entrepreneur Network, and many others.
Vice President of Business Development
Bulletproof, a GLI company
Melissa Aarskaug is a global executive and business leader at the forefront of the technology/cybersecurity industry. She shapes strategy, leads teams, and partners with Fortune 500 companies and other enterprise clients to protect their organizations from risk and noncompliance—while improving operations and accelerating growth.
For 15+ years, Melissa has taken the reins to propel organizations to the next level of performance. By combining business acumen and revenue optimization with the sharp mind of an engineer, she uncovers and seizes opportunities for profitable growth in the US and around the world.
Melissa has established a distinguished career with Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), where she is a key member of the senior executive team. Throughout her tenure, she has assembled teams, developed new markets, and influenced P&L impact, ultimately positioning GLI as the #1 provider of testing, certification, and cybersecurity services to the global gaming and lottery space.
After achieving this feat—a big win for GLI and game-changer for clients worldwide—Melissa steered both GLI and Bulletproof (acquired by GLI in 2016) into untapped verticals: finance, government, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, and retail. An enthusiastic, knowledgeable growth driver who cultivates partnerships and rallies teams, she led GLI/Bulletproof to dominate these markets as well.
Before joining GLI, Melissa shaped and executed strategy as Vice President of Business Operations for LV Investments, where she built and optimized a portfolio of commercial and industrial properties. Earlier, in a very different role as Project Engineering Manager for Fisher Industries, she directed and mobilized a team of 550 employees and contractors to develop the world’s largest concrete bridge. Previously, she headed a major engineering project for Pacific Mechanical Corporation.
A curious, lifelong learner, Melissa holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering with minors including Business and Mathematics. She is a Karrass Master Negotiator and C4 Executive Coach who actively pursues ongoing education and inspiration as a member of Chief, Austin Technology Council, Austin Women in Technology, and Toastmasters International. In addition to her own personal and professional development, Melissa is committed to helping other people thrive both inside and outside of the workplace. She actively mentors and empowers team members at GLI/Bulletproof, and is an executive leader and coach for Global Gaming Women. She founded Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Austin and is a current or past board member of many organizations, including Emerging Leaders in Gaming, Ballet Austin, Texas School for the Blind & Visually Impaired, the Society of Women Engineers, and the American Society of Civil Engineers. She has been a Junior League volunteer in Austin, Las Vegas, and Reno for 15+ years.
Throughout her career, Melissa has inspired individuals, teams, and entire organizations to think differently about innovation, cybersecurity, leadership, and business development. She was honored as one of the “Emerging Leaders in Gaming: 40 Under 40” and she continues to share her ideas and expertise through publications, podcasts, webinars, and presentations.
A show for the new generation of leaders. Join us as we discover unconventional leadership strategies not traditionally associated with executive roles. Our guests include upper-level C-Suite executives charting new ways to grow their organizations, successful entrepreneurs changing the way the world does business, and experts and thought leaders from fields outside of Corporate America that can bring new insights into leadership, prosperity, and personal growth – all while connecting on a human level. No one has all the answers – but by building a community of open-minded and engaged leaders we hope to give you the tools you need to help you find your own path to success.
