Building an authentic brand as a woman founder isn’t about beige websites and copy-paste marketing formulas; it’s about unlearning the bro-marketing playbook and showing up fully as yourself. In this episode, Melinda sits down with brand strategist Hunter Myers to talk about what it actually takes to build a business that feels aligned, profitable, and real.

Hunter shares her journey from corporate design to launching her own branding agency, the pressure women face in the “girl boss” era, and why so many female entrepreneurs feel stuck trying to follow someone else’s blueprint. They get into imposter syndrome, MLM culture, overpriced masterminds, personal branding, dating-as-marketing analogies, and why relational marketing will outlast every hype trend in 2026 and beyond.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 13 Links:

Connect with Hunter & Verdure Design Co.:

— https://verduredesignco.com/

— https://www.instagram.com/verduredesignco/

— https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-myers-verduredesignco/

— https://www.linkedin.com/company/verdure-design-co/

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade (Podcast Production): www.airwavearcade.com

#WomenInBusiness #FemaleFounders #WomenEntrepreneurs #PersonalBranding #AuthenticMarketing #FemaleCEO #EntrepreneurLife

Building a company isn’t glamorous; it’s chaotic, exhausting, and completely consuming. In this episode, Melinda sits down with agency founder Kristen O’Neall to talk about the real, unfiltered reality of entrepreneurship, scaling a business, and what it actually takes to grow something from nothing.

Kristen shares how she went from intern to CEO, built Mirage Media into a global agency, and why she believes founders need obsession, grit, and a strong “why” to survive. They get into burnout, sleepless nights, client horror stories, scaling teams, and the truth behind the “girl boss” internet narrative.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 12 Links:

Connect with Kristen & Mirage Media:

— hhttps://miragemediaco.com/

— https://www.instagram.com/_miragemedia/

—https://www.linkedin.com/company/mirage-media-co/

— https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-o-neall-36a139172/

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade (Podcast Production): www.airwavearcade.com

What’s it really like writing TV in Hollywood... behind the scenes, on the lot, under pressure, with rewrites happening in real time?

In this episode of Unhinged Founder, Melinda sits down with TV writer Will Griffin to talk about his career in film and television, his path into the Warner Bros Writers Program, and what it was like working on Fuller House (yes… that Full House universe).

They get into the chaos of Hollywood assistant life, what writing rooms are actually like, surviving the entertainment grind, celebrity stories, and why the industry hasn’t felt the same since the writer strikes + streaming disruption.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 11 Links:

— Will’s Website: https://will-griffin.com

— Will’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-griffin-3aa801221/

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade (Podcast Production): www.airwavearcade.com

#UnhingedFounder #HollywoodWriter #TVWriting #EntertainmentIndustry #WritersRoom #CreativeCareers #fullerhouse

If you run a client-based business, the scariest part of taking time off isn’t the vacation… it’s wondering if your clients will still be there when you come back.

In this episode, Melinda sits down with Leisha Thompson, founder of The Traveling Hairstylists, a company that helps appointment-based professionals step away for maternity leave, medical leave, surgery, or unexpected life events… without losing the clients they worked years to build.

Leisha shares how she built a travel-based coverage team, why client retention is the real asset, and how she’s creating a whole new model of support for service-business owners across the country.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 10 Links:

— The Traveling Hairstylists Website: https://www.thetravelinghairstylists.com/

— The Traveling Hairstylists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetraveling.hairstylists

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade (Podcast Production): www.airwavearcade.com

#TheTravelingHairstylist #HairstylistLife #BeautyBusiness #WomenInBusiness#FemaleEntrepreneurship #Entrepreneurship #SalonOwner #MaternityLeave

Lynda Leonce, founder of Live From Your Truth, shares how she walked away from a high-paying IT career and a life that looked perfect on paper to build a business rooted in authenticity, intuition, and alignment. In this episode, Melinda and Lynda unpack what it really means to live from your truth, why so many women feel disconnected even when they “have it all,” and how small mindset shifts can completely change your life.

They talk about intuition, inner alignment, manifestation, boundaries, healing old patterns, and how to stop running on autopilot. Lynda also shares tools for staying present, breaking out of old programming, and reconnecting with who you really are especially during stressful seasons like the holidays.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 9 Links:

— Lynda’s Website: https://www.livefromyourtruth.com

— Lynda’s Book: https://amzn.to/3NGOv1Q

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade (Podcast Production): www.airwavearcade.com

#LiveFromYourTruth #AuthenticityCoach #WomensGrowth #PersonalDevelopment #SelfAlignment #Intuition #Mindset

Stephanie Hall (Occupational Therapist) and Tisha Shah (Speech-Language Pathologist), co-founders of TheraFriends Community Partnership, share why they launched a nonprofit to fix the gaps in pediatric therapy access. They break down what occupational therapy and speech therapy really are, how insurance creates massive barriers for families, and why early intervention is critical for child development.

In this episode, Melinda Jackson talks with Stephanie and Tisha about building a nonprofit healthcare organization from scratch, the realities of insurance vs. private pay, neurodiversity-affirming care, and why schools alone often can’t meet kids’ therapy needs. They also discuss virtual therapy in North Carolina, sliding-scale goals, fundraising challenges, and how communities and businesses can support families who need care the most.

Unhinged Founder Ep. 7 Links:

— TheraFriends Community Partnership: https://therafriendscommunity.org

— TheraFriends on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therafriendscommunity

— TheraFriends on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therafriendscommunity

— TheraFriends on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/therafriends-community-partnership

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade: www.airwavearcade.com

#OccupationalTherapy #SpeechTherapy #PediatricTherapy #EarlyIntervention #NeurodiversityAffirming #NonprofitHealthcare #TherapyAccess #ChildDevelopment #DisabilityAdvocacy #InclusiveHealthcare #HealthcareReform #TheraFriends #WomenFounders #CommunityCare

Lauren Courtney, an energy healer, medium, and author, shares the moment everything shifted: from losing her first love to discovering her spiritual gifts, healing deep-rooted trauma, and learning how the body holds decades of fight-or-flight. Lauren explains her journey from corporate life to Holy Fire Reiki, mediumship, sobriety, and the medical revelation that unlocked her intuition after 41 years.

Melinda and Lauren dive into religious trauma, spiritual deconstruction, and how Christianity, Judaism, intuition, and “woo woo” culture overlap more than people think. They talk about boundaries with the spirit world, healing through food, emotional regulation, and the hidden cost of ignoring your body’s signals. Lauren also reveals how she built a six-figure healing business, why she self-published her book Glow Up Your Chakras, and the spiritual guidance that told her: “God handles my algorithm.”

Unhinged Founder Ep. 7 Links:

— Lauren’s Website: https://laurencourtneyheals.com

— Lauren’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamlaurencourtney

— Lauren’s Book: Glow Up Your Chakras: https://amzn.to/3Mk3Sg7

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade: www.airwavearcade.com

#SpiritualAwakening #ReikiHealing #IntuitionDevelopment #MediumshipJourney #TraumaHealing #HolyFireReiki #EnergyHealing #ReligiousTrauma #MindBodyConnection #MelindaJackson #LaurenCourtney

Lisa Huff, founder of Stylist Soul Tribe, shares her wild journey: from making only $8,000 a year at a Walmart salon to becoming a successful Mastermind CEO and business coach. Hear how Lisa, a hairstylist by trade, built her online mastermind membership for beauty professionals over seven years. Melinda and Lisa discuss the mindset blocks around money, the power of "fast, messy action", and the transition from trading time for money to building an empire. Lisa details her vision for scaling Stylist Soul Tribe using a “Board of Support” and why she believes visibility is currency.

Lisa started her business journey doing $17 haircuts at a Smart Style in Lincoln, Illinois, and quickly grew a steady clientele by getting serious and networking in the online world. Now, she coaches and jams with beauty professionals, focusing heavily on mindset work.

Links to Today’s Show Notes:

— Lisa’s Instagram: / lisahuffhair

— Stylist Soul Tribe: / stylistsoultribe

— Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com

— Melinda’s Instagram: / melindajacksonpr

— Melinda’s LinkedIn: / melindajacksonpr

— Airwave Arcade: www.airwavearcade.com

#StylistSoulTribe #LisaHuff #HairstylistCoach #BeautyBusiness #MastermindCEO #ScalingSuccess #Entrepreneurship #MindsetWork #SalonBusiness #FastMessyAction #MelindaJackson #BeautyProfessional