Mélanie Berliet

Media Executive. Writer.Producer. Human.

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about-me

About Mélanie

melanie berliet

Mélanie is a lifestyle expert and senior media executive with over 20 years of experience creating content across platforms. She is also the author of two children’s books.

Currently, Mélanie is SVP and Group General Manager of the Home & Design group at Dotdash Meredith, overseeing Better Homes & Gardens, Real Simple, Southern Living, the Spruce, MyDomaine, Martha Stewart, and DailyPaws. She is the host of BHG’s the Better Buy podcast and makes regular appearances on national television (Good Morning America, TODAY, Live with Kelly and Ryan, 20/20, etc).

Previously, Mélanie was the Chief Editorial & Strategy Director of Thought Catalog. She has worked as a producer and writer for brands including MTV, Vanity Fair, Elle, New York Magazine, The Atlantic, Cosmopolitan, Salon, Esquire, Maxim, and iHeartRadio.

Mélanie started her career as an Analyst on the Fixed Income Trading Desk at Credit Suisse. She earned a B.A. in Political Economy from Georgetown University.

our-philosophy-is

Mélanie’s writing is honest and thought provoking, but also entertaining. Without a doubt, she keeps it interesting.

JARED COHEN, Director of Google Ideas, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Author of The New Digital Age

writing

My Work

Melanies favorites
spruce
vanity fair
The Atlantic
cosmopolitan
new york observer
pacific standard
New York
Maxim
Ellen
Thought catalog
Womens Health
Esquire
salson
Daily Beast
playboy
date report
The Fix
Metro
The Awl
mcsweeneys
Self
Yahoo
Daily news
womens day
mama
she
The huffington post
Scary Mommy
She Knows
blackbook-magazine

Berliet went on to triumph as a journalist…

New York Magazine

book

the book that makes no sense

About the book

This book was inspired by one of the greatest joys of parenting a toddler: The fact that they make NO sense. It is a celebration of “toddler brain”—that magical, nonsensical, stream-of-consciousness way they seem to process the world around them. In The Book That Makes No Sense, you will find a psychedelic toddler dreamscape in which we escort an imaginative young child on a journey of learning and discovery…in their words.

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Melanie book top

About the book

Watch as a little girl kicks a crown in the dust behind her to embark on her latest adventure. Our little girl is so many things, but she is most certainly NOT a princess. She’s an explorer, a climber, a lover of blueberries, and an expert at make-believe. This book is an ode to spirited little girls who lead beautifully messy existences. Who say “no” to princess costumes and “yes” to daydreaming. Who understand that their worth resides within, and not in some damsel-in-distress fairytale ending.

Why I wrote the book

The moment I learned I was pregnant, I grew excited to read to my unborn child. Books mean a lot to me, and I was eager to share my favorite narratives with my kid. To re-experience the joys of a story through the eyes and ears of a fresh human specimen—what a delight!

But something deeply disturbing happened as I sorted through old copies of the children’s books my parents had tucked away for so many years, hoping for grandkids. I realized quite quickly that a lot of books for kids are riddled with not-so-subtly sexist messages.

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Melanie book top

In Surviving In Spirit, Mélanie Berliet explores how witnessing her older sister’s prolonged struggle with alcoholism and eventual death informed her own unprecedented choices in life and love.

What prompts a young woman to abandon the safe bounds of convention for the unknown? At first, all Mélanie understood was that she’d lost her sense of what ‘supposed to’ meant. And that her older sister Céline was sick.

While it’s tough to understand what leads a person into addiction–to witness someone you love kind of kill herself–the truth is that you can learn from it. By the time Céline died at age 30, she was Kermit The Frog green and she vomited blood more frequently than she was able to eat. In less than a decade, she had gone from summa cum laude Columbia graduate to NYU PhD student to unemployed, rambling, stumbling drunk saddled with a cirrhotic liver beyond repair. By the time Céline died, Mélanie was no longer a Miss Goody Two Shoes from a waspy Connecticut suburb trotting down the sensible path. She was an adult who had abandoned a secure job on Wall Street to establish a career as a writer committed to exploring fascinating subcultures.

As Céline’s illness escalated, you see, a basic lesson crept up on Mélanie: Life is beautifully short, and fragile as hell. Life happens. Gradually, Mélanie stopped agonizing over what she was supposed to do/think/know/read/listen to/watch/feel, or who she was supposed to be/befriend/love/like/learn from. So she pitched projects that sounded crazy and/or dangerous to most, but which gave her a thrill and helped her establish a career as an immersive journalist. She grew some balls, so to speak, after freeing herself from caring about what others might think.

The devastating beauty of what happened to Céline forced Mélanie to question who she is. However unwittingly, in dying, Céline empowered her younger sister to take risks–to live. This is their story.

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third-review

Whichever way you look at it, Berliet and her perspective have been a hot topic in Internet-land today.

What to Expect

press

Press

Mélanie has appeared as a lifestyle expert on 20/20, The Insider, ABC News, CBS News, Yahoo News, TakePart Live, and Raising McCain.
She is frequently tapped as a source on topics as varied as home decor, style, relationships, and parenting.

  • Wikipedia: Mélanie Berliet
  • Good Morning America: Easy Spring Cleaning Tips
  • Good Morning America: Must-Know Tips For Creating An Indoor Herb Garden
  • The TODAY Show: Summer Safety And Savings
  • Live with Kelly and Ryan: Spring Has Sprung — Spring Gardeneing
  • Cheddar TV: Tips for Last-Minute Holiday Decorating
  • Washington Post: How COVID Changed The Holidays
  • Good Morning America: Best Gifts for Home 2021
  • KTLA: Last-Minute Halloween Costumes
  • Business of Home: Highlights from Day 1 of the Future of Home Conference
  • Cheddar: Tips on Redesigning Your Space on a Budget
  • Fox : More People Exploring Maximalist Design
  • Washington Post: How to Find Green Cleaning Products That Get The Job Done
  • 9&10 News:3 Easy Ways to Redesign Your Summer Space
  • ABC7: Fold in a Flash! Check Out These Helpful Laundry Hacks
  • Good Day Sacramento: Spring Hacks for Small Spaces
  • The Seattle Times: Comfy Carpet, Once Dismissed as Out-of-Date, Is Back in Vogue
  • LA Unscripted: Spring Cleaning Tips & Hacks With The Spruce General Manager, Melanie Berliet
  • Style Matters: Who We Are In Our Homes During And Post Pandemic
  • Lonny: How Vinegar, Lemon Juice, and Baking Soda Can Clean Everything in Your Home
  • Washington Post: How to Give Your Rental a New Look—Without Angering Your Landlord
  • Philadelphia Inquirer: Try An Earth-Friendly Spring Cleaning. Start By Ditching The Paper Towels
  • Don’t Make These Cleaning Mistakes: Don’t Make These Cleaning Mistakes
  • NBC News: Balloon Business Blows Up
  • The Balance: Survey — Food Is The No. 1 Pandemic Comfort Splurge
  • NBC News: Rethinking Your Work From Home Wardrobe
  • NBC News: Vision Boards Help People Focus on Their Values
  • NBC News: Decluttering In The New Year — How To Get Started
  • Parents: 7 Ways to Be More Organized As A Family In The New Year
  • InStyle: 13 Ideas For How To Color Coordinate Your Closet And Keep Your Clothes Organized
  • NBC News: Holiday Cards — The Do’s & Don’ts
  • Axios: Dotdash Brand The Spruce Strikes Commerce Deal With Lowe’s
  • Forbes: Greenery In Your Home Reduces Stress, Improves Health
  • Publisher’s Daily: The Spruce Launches Home Organization Product Line With Lowe’s
  • Home World Business: The Spruce Rolls Out Organization Line At Lowe’s
  • With Whit: Mélanie Berliet on Creating a Cozy Home
  • Washington Post: When To Replace Smoke Detectors, Sponges, Pillows And More
  • Real Estate Boston: Design Expert Mélanie Berliet Of The Spruce on Making The Most Of Small Spaces
  • Real Estate Boston: Design Expert Mélanie Berliet On Making The Most Of Small Spaces
  • NBC News: College & Coronavirus — Packing During The Pandemic
  • NBC News: Bringing The Big Screen To Your Backyard
  • Richmond Times-Dispatch: Building a Home Office
  • Money: The Absolute Best Vacuum Cleaners For Your Money
  • License Global: The Spruce Releases Pet Care collection
  • Dog O Day: Dry Shampoo For Dogs Is The Latest Trend With The Help Of The Spruce
  • Business Insider: IAC’s Dotdash Has Built a Profitable Business Out of Evergreen Service Content. Now It’s Setting Its Sights On Selling Products.
  • Kiplinger: 52 Super Deals and Discounts for 2020
  • Petoskey News-Review: Important Life Skills for Kids to Know by Age 10
  • Romper: 10 Neighborhoods in the US That Are Making the Most Out of Quarantine
  • Yahoo: How To Create Your Own Face Mask Without Sewing Anything
  • Cosmopolitan: 6 DIY No-Sew Face Masks You (Yes You!) Can Totally Make RN
  • The Oklahoman: Tips For Being An In-The-Know Thrift Store Shopper
  • NBC New: The Do’s And Don’ts Of Working At Home
  • Lonny: Easy DIY Projects With Things You Already Have At Home
  • Parents: Wine Cork Crafts for Kids, Because We Know You Have Them On Hand
  • Seattle Times: Finally Accepting That You Need A Home Office? Here’s How To Do It Cheaply
  • The Washington Post: Everything You Need To Know To Set Up A Home Office Fast
  • Cheapism: Do Diluted Detergents, Soaps, And Shampoos Still Work?
  • NBC News: Cleaning for Coronavirus
  • Realtor Magazine: How to Best Navigate New Color Trends
  • Fox 5: Millennials Embracing “Plant Parenthood”
  • Fox 5: The High Costs of Dog Ownership Shock Some Owners
  • Cheddar TV: Tips To Marie Kondo Your Home And Life In 2020
  • NBC News: The Rules Of Regifting
  • Cheddar TV: Christmas Gifts You Can Make Yourself
  • NBC News: How To Save Time & Money On Thanksgiving Prep, According To Martha Stewart & Other Pros
  • The Zoe Report: Fall Home Decor Trends For Those Who Are Obsessed With Neutrals
  • Digiday: Contextual Shopping: Publishers Are Using Model Homes For Retail Experiences
  • Coatings World: Dotdash Brand Helping Painters ‘Spruce Up’ Their Homes with First-Ever Paint Collection
  • Collective World: Melanie Berliet, Digital Media Super-Exec
  • Yahoo: 6 Women On Why They Don’t Want To Marry Their Longtime Partners
  • What To Expect: This Woman’s Essay Will Make You Rethink Your Identity as a Mom
  • HuffPost Parent Voices: You Can Call Me Mummy
  • Cafemom: Pregnant Woman’s Solution to Mom Shaming? Stop Admitting You’re a Mom
  • Digiday: Publishers See Promise With Instagram Live
  • Live All of You: How Mélanie Berliet Lives All of Her
  • Huffington Post: 19 Truths Successful Women Wish They’d Known 10 Years Ago
  • BlackBook Magazine: A Review Of Mélanie Berliet’s Surviving In Spirit
last-review

Mélanie Berliet has had an awesome and interesting career.

Collective World

contact

Connect with the Author

Dear readers and anyone else who’s stumbled across this website. Don’t be bashful. I would absolutely love to hear from you—whether you’re an Internet troll intent on disparaging my work from the confines of a cubby in your high school library, a toothless fugitive in California, or an admiring fan with a knack for flattery. So select your digital channel of choice and reach out to me already! I’m waiting for you. Seriously. Still waiting…