“It’s about looking at life through a different perspective, so you can be the most confident person you can be.”
That is the life philosophy of alumna Melissa Van Oss.
A Jamestown, Ohio, native, Van Oss is a seduction visionary, three-time bestselling author, speaker and couples mindset coach. She received her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising from Kent State in 2000.
In her own words, Van Oss describes a seduction visionary’s job.
“It’s breaking open what your perceived idea of seduction is to start looking at it in a new light,” Van Oss said. “Then you can actually apply those principles to your daily life.”
Today, Van Oss works with individuals and couples to help them understand the art of seduction and gain more confidence. She also focuses on how this confidence can be translated from the bedroom to the boardroom.
“If we don’t have confidence, it doesn’t matter what our education is, right?” Van Oss said.
Van Oss says the biggest lesson she hopes her clients learn after their time with her is to be confident in themselves as a person and as a professional.
“Believing in themselves that what they have is valuable and can be successful is one of the first things,” she said. “You can start to see a shift in how they sit, how they start to dress, how they put themselves together.”
Van Oss recalled her time at Kent State fondly, and reflected on her favorite project as a student.
“I really enjoyed the whole product development process that we did,” she said. “We had a multi-semester project where we worked with design students to research and develop an entire fashion line and concept. We were then able to present those ideas to the executives at Sears and JCPenney.”
She also wanted to thank the late Fred Stein, an instructor in the school.
“Mr. Stein was a great professor because he came from a high-end retail background,” Van Oss said. “He was a very tough professor, but I think that is what prepares you for the real world when you get out of school.”
Van Oss also credits Kent State for her success in securing her first job after she graduated.
“Kent State teaches you how the real world will work post-graduation, whether it be through internships or intense group projects,” she said. “ I mean, if that doesn’t teach you how to work in a business world, I don’t know what does. You learn how to think as more of a whole individual ready to take the next steps with confidence.”
Van Oss still uses what she learned from earning her fashion merchandising degree in her career. Learning how a business functions and understanding why consumers behave the way they do, all helped her to build the career she has today.
To learn more about Melissa Van Oss, visit .
Learn more about a degree in fashion at www.kent.edu/fashion.