Strong leadership isn't inherited.
It's earned.
I know what to do.
And still second-guess yourself in the moments that actually matter.
I can't say this at work.
No one safe enough to be fully honest with about what's really happening.
I'm performing confidence.
And still second-guess yourself in the moments that actually matter.
That's not a you problem. That's a gap problem. Built, Not Born exists to close it.
The Book
Real talk on power, purpose, and leading out loud. Stories you'll recognize. Tools you'll actually use.
Support Squad
Small group. Real conversation. September cohort now enrolling. 3 months, max 10 women.
Speaking
Keynotes and leadership sessions for conferences, corporate events, and hospitality industry stages.
"Raw, real, and relentlessly empowering. Michelle invites us behind the mask and hands us the mirror. Every woman who's ever questioned her worth needs to read this book — and remember who the hell she is."
The woman behind the book.
Michelle Marquis spent over three decades leading in hospitality and hospitality tech building teams, navigating politics, making hard calls, and earning her authority the only way it actually sticks: by doing the work.
She's not a theorist. She's a practitioner. The Bossy Girl's Guide to Leadership is built from real experience — including the parts that were hard, expensive, and humbling.
What People are Saying...
"I was hooked from the first childhood excerpt and locked in through the last chapter. Michelle Marquis shares hard won lessons through grit, resilience, and the strength that shows up when you're fighting for your family.
Her writing is raw and real, and the truths she tells are universal for anyone ready to let go of old stories and step into joy."
Rachel Alda
Author of Please Disturb
"Michelle Marquis is a down-to-earth, successful mentor for women coming up the ranks of career and life. She's written an excellent guide for getting past that negative inner dialogue that we all know and don't love.
Readers will relate to Marquis' real-life stories of dealing with life challenges and self-doubts. They will relish her empowering tips and takeaways.
Intuition and serendipity are not coincidences. You just have to pay attention. Read it straight through the first time, and then keep it close to open at random for inspiration."
Carol Adrienne
Author of The Purpose of Your Life
"Raw, real, and relentlessly empowering. Michelle invites us behind the mask and hands us the mirror. Every woman who's ever questioned her worth needs to read this book and remember who the hell she is."
Valerie Gangas
Author of In Deep Shift and Enlightenment Is Sexy
By Amber Hurdle, author and speaker
When I think about Michelle Marquis, I think strength and presence - the kind that’s earned the hard way. Her leadership story is raw, real, and exactly what so many women in business have lived but rarely say out loud.
Michelle doesn’t shy away from discomfort. She leans in with integrity, grit, and courage—again and again. In The Bossy Girl’s Guide to Leadership, she tells the truth about what it’s like to lead, grow, stumble, and still show up with power and purpose.
If you’ve ever questioned whether you belong in the room, this book will remind you: you’ve always had a seat at the table—you just need to pull all the way up.
