Unhinged Founder

Unhinged Founder

di Melinda Jackson

Stagione 1

How to Take Time Off Without Losing Your Clients

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

How to Live From Your Truth With Authenticity

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

How Two Female Founders Are Rethinking Pediatric Therapy Access

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

Holy Fire Reiki, Intuition, and the Body One Womans Path

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

What No One Tells You About Money and Masterminds

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

How Women in Business Turn Betrayal Into Boundaries

She trusted the wrong person, and it cost her 10 months and thousands of dollars. But this founder didn’t quit. In this episode, we uncover what it really takes to rebuild after a business betrayal, how to protect yourself as a woman in business, and why every successful entrepreneur needs stronger boundaries. Melinda and Jamie also talk: The high cost of misplaced trust in business Learning to vet freelancers and partners How women founders navigate male-dominated industries Rebuilding confidence after failure Real talk on business boundaries, burnout, and growth About Jamie Keane:Jamie is the founder of Julip, a website-in-bio platform built for creators and solopreneurs who’ve outgrown fragmented tools like Linktree, Canva, or Wix. Julip helps you launch a professional site in minutes and show clients exactly how you deliver results, all in one cohesive space. When she’s not building the future of creator websites, Jamie’s probably working to her early-2000s playlist (think Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and *NSYNC) or hanging out with her husband, Pat, and their rescue dog, Lucy. She’s passionate about helping founders create authentic content for their brands, because visibility isn’t optional anymore. Links to Today’s Show Notes: — https://myjulip.com/ — Socials: @myjulip — Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com — Melinda’s Instagram: / melindajacksonpr — Melinda’s LinkedIn: / melindajacksonpr — Airwave Arcade: www.airwavearcade.com #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #FemaleFounder #BusinessLessons #StartupStories #FreelancerTips #BusinessPodcast #MarketingTips #Resilience

She Built a Business After a Medical Nightmare

After her husband’s medical crisis and a broken hospital system, Kim Feth turned pain into purpose—founding Healthcare Survival Kit, a company helping patients navigate billing errors and unsafe discharges. Her story shows what true advocacy looks like. Links to Today’s Show Notes: — Healthcare Survival Kit: https://healthcaresurvivalkit.com — Kim’s LinkedIn: / kimfeth — Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com — Melinda’s Instagram: / melindajacksonpr — Melinda’s LinkedIn / melindajacksonpr Chapters: 00:00 Unhinged Founder | Navigating the Healthcare Maze 00:57 Episode Teaser – A Broken System and a Founder’s Mission 02:03 Guest Introduction – Meet Kim Feth, Founder of Healthcare Survival Kit 02:23 Why Medical Billing Advocacy Matters 04:58 Founder Fail: The “Safe Discharge” SEO Disaster 06:55 How a Personal Crisis Sparked a Healthcare Advocacy Business 08:31 From Social Work to Startup Founder 09:52 When a Medical Crisis Changes Everything 11:35 Becoming a Patient Advocate in a Broken Healthcare System 18:27 The Hardest Part of Recovery No One Talks About 19:57 How Poor Discharge Planning Hurts Patients 21:57 Finding the Right Care Facility After Surgery 23:25 Fixing the System: Lessons from Bad Discharge Planning 25:38 Inside the ‘Subacute Rehab from Hell’ 28:03 Why the Right Medical Equipment Changes Everything 29:28 Finding Specialized Care That Actually Helps 32:59 The Long Road to Recovery and Hope 37:43 The Financial Reality of Surviving Healthcare in America 37:55 Navigating Insurance and Medical Billing Challenges 39:18 Resilience, Recovery, and Redefining Strength 43:27 Turning Adversity into Advocacy – Founding Healthcare Survival Kit 49:30 Empowering Others with Knowledge and Patient Resources [Unhinged Founder is an Airwave Arcade production—www.airwavearcade.com] #femaleentrepreneur #founderstory #healthcareadvocate #womeninbusiness #medicalbilling #startupstory #unhingedfounder #leadership #patientadvocacy #founderjourney

From $20 and a Couch to Her Own Creative Agency

She moved to Chicago with $20 in her pocket, crashed on her cousin’s couch surrounded by five cats, and worked an unpaid internship while stocking shelves at Victoria’s Secret. Today, Megan Gopp is the Founder and Creative Director of The Adventure Agency, a full-service creative marketing studio helping brands tell better stories. In this episode, Megan sits down with host Melinda Jackson to talk about the messy middle of building a business: from burnout in the boys’ club of agency life to finding confidence, community, and balance as a woman entrepreneur. Chapters: 00:00 Episode Preview 01:22 Unhinged Founder Welcome 03:02 Moved to Chicago with $20 and a Dream 04:24 Surviving Agency Life: Broke, Burnt Out & Undervalued 05:27 The Moment She Realized She Could Do It Herself 06:53 Starting The Adventure Agency and Working with Her Old Bosses 07:49 Fear, Freelance Clients & Finding Her Confidence 17:10 From “Scaredy Cat” to CEO: Learning to Lead Without Losing Herself 36:51 Building Lumiere House and Redefining Success for Women Links to Today’s Show Notes: — Megan’s Agency: https://theadventureagency.com — Megan’s Instagram: / theadventureagency.co — Megan’s LinkedIn: / megangopp — Melinda’s Website: https://melindajacksonpr.com — Melinda’s Instagram: / melindajacksonpr — Melinda’s LinkedIn / melindajacksonpr #womeninbusiness #femaleentrepreneur #creativeagency #founderstory #unhingedfounder

The Worst Business Advice Women Ever Got (And Ignored)

Everyone has heard bad business advice, but women founders listen to it on repeat. In this episode of Unhinged Founder, we asked women in business to share the worst advice they’ve ever received… and the answers are brutally honest. From “play it safe” to “don’t charge too much,” these stories reveal the clichés, biases, and flat-out wrong guidance that can derail entrepreneurs if they listen. Instead, these women turned terrible advice into fuel to grow their careers, companies, and confidence. Chapters: 00:00 Intro – Why bad advice matters 01:15 “Don’t be too ambitious” 04:30 “Lower your prices to get customers” 08:50 “You should wait for permission” 12:10 Turning bad advice into growth 15:45 Closing Links to Today’s Show Notes: — https://melindajacksonpr.com — / melindajacksonpr — / melindajacksonpr #unhingedfounder, #founderstories, #startupstories, #entrepreneurship, #startuplife, #founderlife, #entrepreneurmindset, #businessadvice, #rawentrepreneurship, #learnfromfailure

Why You Don’t Need Funnels or 7 Figures to Succeed

Messy action, burnout, and building a PR empire from scratch. Melinda Jackson reveals how she turned chaos into a thriving business. In this episode of Unhinged Founder, Melinda shares her story of moving to LA with $500, sleeping on a stranger’s floor, battling mental health struggles, and surviving nightmare agency jobs. She opens up about quitting, starting over, and eventually launching her own PR company in Raleigh, NC. From red carpets and Grammy campaigns to creating Raleigh Female Founder Happy Hour, Melinda proves you don’t need funnels, unsolicited advice, or seven figures to succeed... you need community, courage, and messy action. Chapters 00:00 Episode Preview 00:48 Unhinged Founder Podcast Welcome 02:40 PR Career Beginnings in LA 07:00 How She Built a PR Business 10:52 Scaling a PR Agency: Hard Truths 13:31 Redefining Success as a Female Founder 21:59 Raleigh Female Founder Happy Hour 26:48 Busy vs. Productive: Fix Your Schedule Links to Today’s Show Notes: — https://melindajacksonpr.com — / melindajacksonpr — / melindajacksonpr #unhingedfounder #entrepreneurship #founderstory #publicrelations #prlife #startupstories #mentalhealth #femalefounders #businessadvice #messyaction

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