Special Guest Feature: Missy Chicre | Purpose Fueled Eden Prairie
Missy Chicre leads Menttium, where mentoring isn’t a program on the side. It’s the whole point.
She told us becoming a mom was the turning point that made her rethink what success actually looks like. Not a straight ladder. A life built around what she actually values.
Today she’s CEO of Menttium. Here’s Missy, in her own words.
What do you actually do (in plain language), the way you’d explain it to a friend over coffee?
I am a working mom and I get to lead Menttium, where we help leaders grow through mentoring and authentic human connection. We create opportunities for people to learn from experienced leaders, gain perspective, build confidence, accelerate their leadership capacity, and navigate both their careers and the broader realities of life. At the heart of what we do is a belief that when people thrive, organizations become stronger too.
What’s the moment or decision that changed the direction of your life or career?
Becoming a mom was one of the biggest turning points in my life and career. At the time, my career was taking off, and I was getting many of the opportunities I had aspired to in my career. But I also started questioning the definition of success I had carried with me for years. I had to ask myself: What is my version of success now? How can I live my purpose? How can I best contribute? What truly fulfills me?
That period pushed me to rethink the idea that success had to look like climbing a straight career ladder. With the help of an incredible mentor, I realized that making different choices wasn’t a sign of failure, it was a sign of growth, agency, and being willing to design the life I want.
What do you believe about people that most others in your field don’t?
I believe that authentic human connection is not a “soft” part of leadership, it is fundamental to great leadership and a fulfilled life. As technology and AI continue to reshape all aspects of our lives, the qualities that make us uniquely human become even more important: empathy, curiosity, judgment, care, and the ability to truly understand another person. There is no replacement!
What are you most proud of, in life, not just in work?
I’m most proud of the relationships and community I’ve built around me. My family, friends, colleagues, mentors, and the people I’ve met throughout different chapters of my life are incredibly important to me.
I’ve always loved bringing people together, nurturing relationships, and creating connections between people who may never otherwise have met. Those relationships are also what sustain me and allow me to lean into joy.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Lots of things! I wanted to be a teacher, a lawyer, and at different points thought about public relations and advertising. I even did a law internship in college. For a while, I was on a path to become a professor of Hispanic literature. I taught at a boarding school and later taught at the college level while pursuing my master’s degree.
Eventually, I realized I wanted to bring those interests in people, culture, learning, and connection into the business world instead.
How do your closest friends or family describe you? Who do they say you are?
A connector, a learner, filled with passion and purpose, hardworking and determined. I’ve always been the person bringing people together. Even when I was younger, friends would call me to ask what everyone was doing, and I’d organize the plan and connect people who didn’t know one another.
I think they’d also say I care deeply about relationships, I’m direct, I’m energetic, and I’m always curious about someone’s story and what makes them tick.
What don’t people know about you that they should?
My career path was anything but linear. Before working in business, I studied Spanish, lived in South America, taught at a boarding school, earned a master’s degree in Hispanic literature, and taught at the college level.
Looking back, though, those experiences weren’t detours. My curiosity about different cultures, people, and experiences became a thread that has run throughout my entire career. Fun fact, I also love Zumba and reggaeton music.
What does “purpose” mean to you personally?
Purpose is living and making decisions in alignment with your values. I believe we all have a “value chain,” the things that matter most to us, and that chain can change during different stages of life.
When you understand what those values are and use them as your North Star, you can make choices about your work, relationships, family, and life that feel genuinely meaningful and aligned. Work is one way we live out our purpose, and when what you do professionally aligns with your personal values, that’s the sweet spot.
What’s the title of your next chapter, in life or in business?
“The World of Possibility.”
I’ve learned to be much more open to what’s possible instead of needing everything to follow a predetermined path. Life and business are full of ambiguity, change, and things we never could have planned for. I want this next chapter to be about staying curious, staying agile, my personal wellbeing, and an openness to possibilities that I may not even be able to see yet.
What don’t people know about you that they should?
The mental load is real, and it carries a lot of weight. I have been on my own journey to navigate through life’s ups, downs, and everything in between. I think we need to talk more about it authentically, vulnerably, and transparently.
For me today, success is about building a life that reflects all the things I care deeply about: meaningful work, family, motherhood, friendships, community, ongoing growth and learning, health and wellness, and making a positive impact.
What’s one thing you’re hoping people leave your conversation thinking about?
I hope people leave thinking about the relationships they’re investing in and designing the life they want with intention.
We talk a lot about networking, but I believe deeply in nurturing relationships long before you need something from someone. Those relationships become your village, the people who offer perspective, challenge you, support you through transitions, celebrate you, and sometimes open a door you never could have predicted.
You never know where one conversation or one cup of coffee might lead. And I want people to feel empowered to be on purpose in designing the life they want.
What’s a question you wish more people would ask you?
“What’s possible?”
We spend a lot of time measuring ourselves against what we thought our careers or lives were supposed to look like. I wish more people would give themselves permission to ask what else might be possible, and to be open to an answer they didn’t expect.
Missy Chicre is a Special Guest at Purpose Fueled Eden Prairie on September 11th.
Conversations like this one happen every month at Purpose Fueled events across the Twin Cities. If you want to be in the room for the next one, reserve your spot here.