Wings of Inspired Business

Melinda Wittstock
  • 4.9 (147)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Women entrepreneurs are changing the game of business, stepping into our authentic feminine power and growing consciousness to start and scale great companies. Listen to Wings to learn from women who've "been there, built that" with 7, 8 and 9-figure businesses, even billion dollar Unicorns. You'll learn how to manifest the mindset, mojo and money to create, grow and scale a business aligned with what makes your heart sing. Wings is hosted by Melinda Wittstock, a 4-time serial entrepreneur, tech visionary and award-winning journalist. Melinda focuses where personal and business growth meet, her insightful interviews with inspiring female founders and businesswomen providing actionable tips to help listeners to real and tangible results. These innovators, influencers, and investors all share their success secrets, epiphanies, and practical advice on how to get the confidence, connections and capital so you too manifest the success of your dreams in life and in business.

  1. 6d ago

    Mastering Your Signature Talk: Entrepreneur Ashley Stahl on TEDx, Paid Gigs and Stage Presence

    Ashley Stahl is the founder of Wise Whisper, a boutique speaking agency that's helped hundreds of clients craft their signature speeches and get placed as speakers on hundreds of BIG stages around the world, including the TEDx stage. Ashley is also the international bestselling author of YOU TURN: Get Unstuck, Discover Your Direction, Design Your Dream Career, host of the You Turn Podcast (ranked on Apple in the top 100 mental health shows in the US) and a keynote speaker with a top 100 most viewed TEDx talk on YouTube. With a master's degree from King's College London's Department of War Studies, as well as a master's in psychology from University of Santa Monica, Ashley started her career in counterterrorism and learned speech writing while working for the government. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🎙️🔄 The Structure of an Impactful Keynote: How the "bones" (the outline and core points), the "soul" (the message and emotional impact), and the "heartbeat" (personal stories and authenticity) come together. You need a compelling, SEO-optimized title that speaks directly to your audience's late-night Google searches, an emotionally charged opening that hooks listeners from the start, and memorable stage presence, rooted in deep preparation and authentic connection. 🚀 🤝 Why Speaking Elevates Authority: Credibility is one thing, but even better is the type of authority that brings visibility and trust to your brand in a noisy world of "infobesity" and helping you become the first name people think of in your field. Get it right and that means more revenue, leads, or paid speaking gigs. 🧠✨Don't Wait for the "Perfect Time" to Share Your Story: Procrastination and perfectionism are often disguises for imposter syndrome. It comes down to mindset and the willingness to overcome blocks as you develop stage presence, and the journey of finding your voice is transformative—for both your business and your audience. 🦄❤️Your Unique Perspective Matters: In an age of AI and content overload, it's your human story and original thinking that truly resonate and differentiate you.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings992 More about Ashley at Wise Whisper Agency wisewhisperagency.com

  2. Jul 21

    Accelerate Your Business: Entrepreneur Jane Veron on Kickstarting Wealth Creation for Women Founders

    Jane Veron is co-founder and CEO of The Acceleration Project (TAP), a nonprofit that empowers small business owners and accelerates their growth through bespoke advisory services, generating a ripple effect that unlocks pathways to wealth creation and economic mobility. Jane has held strategy and marketing positions at Bain & Company and American Express. She is a dedicated public servant, having previously served on the Scarsdale Village Board and as Mayor of Scarsdale, New York. She was appointed to the Investment Capital Advisory Committee (ICAC) of the U.S. Small Business Administration and now chairs the Congressional Task Force on Jobs & the Economy. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🚀 Scaling Beyond Survival: Most small businesses (especially those led by women and underserved entrepreneurs) find it challenging to break the million-dollar revenue mark. Learn what it takes to get to 7 figures. Hint: Don't be afraid to dream bigger, hire for results and build systems. 📈 Master Your Numbers: 75% of business owners lack a firm grasp of their financials, often due to intimidating jargon. Learn how TAP demystifies these concepts—think cash flow, margins, pricing—so you can make decisions with confidence. 🦄 Fight Perfectionism: Imperfect action and seeking feedback will carry you further than waiting for perfection. 🤝 Relationships Matter: Networks and community open doors, provide support, and are crucial in both smooth and uncertain times. ✨You're Not Alone: Assemble your "board of directors" and rely on expert support, like TAP's blend of short-burst learning, deep-dive engagement, group coaching, and ongoing community. TAP's volunteer model is a force-multiplier; its teams have delivered over 66,000 pro-bono consulting hours—valued at $15 million—enabling small business owners across the country with free, high-caliber advice.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings991 More about Jane at The Acceleration Project

  3. Jul 14

    Community as a Platform: Entrepreneur Revekka Palaiologou on Redefining Social Media to Solve the Loneliness Epidemic

    Revekka Palaiologou, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, is the CEO and founder of Dion, a next-generation social platform where people initiate connections by sending each other real drinks, coffees, and experiences that can be redeemed in the real world. By turning one of the oldest social gestures, buying someone a drink, into a digital interaction, Dion converts social intent into real-world transactions, creating a new way for people and brands to connect through real-world spending. The platform has already attracted thousands of members across cities such as New York and Miami, with tens of thousands of drinks sent globally and a growing waitlist of people eager to join the network. Category-defining brands, including LVMH (Moët Hennessy), Pernod Ricard, Cîroc, Revolve, and Groot Hospitality, have already activated through Dion, drawn by its ability to reach high-spending, curated communities that no ad or influencer can access. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🤝 Tackling the Loneliness Epidemic: Why all that "social snacking" is contributing to loneliness rather than bringing us together, and how social platforms can be used to foster IRL connection and belonging. ❤️Building Human-Centered Social Tech: How Dion bridges digital interactions with in-person experiences. Instead of endless swiping or likes, users can invite each other for coffees, drinks, or experiences — redeemable in the real world. Plus, how AI-powered vetting assures IRL safety. 📈 Redefining Metrics for Social Success: Forget vanity metrics; learn how Dion tracks real engagement, and how brands can become participants rather than advertisers, building direct relationships with consumers through "last mile" digital-to-real experiences. 🚀 Scaling Carefully, Empowering Brands: With a waitlist of 45,000 and 15,000 active users after less than a year, growth is intentional and focused on quality.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings990 More about Revekka at DionApp www.dionapp.com

  4. Jul 7

    Building Workplace Safety: Entrepreneur Anna Redmond on Where Physical Security & Digital Recognition Intersect

    Anna Redmond is the Founder and CEO of Braav, where she deploys experienced Chief Security Officers into organizations that need to get serious about safety and risks. Her path into security was unconventional; she started in venture capital and studied at Harvard before shifting into the security world after recognizing how unprepared most companies are for real-world threats. She is now focused on modernizing challenge coins for military and first responders by building the first platform that gives these legacy symbols a digital twin—preserving not just the coin itself, but the story behind it. Her goal is to transform challenge coins from private artifacts into tools for identity, community, recognition, and eventually access and fundraising. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🚨 Security Isn't Just About Crisis—It's About Culture: Workplace violence often comes not from external threats, but from domestic situations that spill into the office, so it's vital to focus on compliance and employee wellbeing. Think of a workplace safety plan not just as risk mitigation: it's about retention and morale boosting. 🪙 Challenge Coins: A Tradition Reimagined: How Anna has innovated to create a digital platform to preserve and celebrate challenge coins, cherished tokens of recognition among veterans and first responders. She's dedicated to protecting the stories behind these coins for 30 million holders, creating "a space where valor and courage and kindness are celebrated and preserved". 💡 Not Your Average NFT: Why the platform is intentionally avoiding a spammy marketplace, by creating a space for authentic story-sharing and community connection. 🎯 Transparency in Security: Balancing surveillance tech with employee buy in by ensuring employees are included in decision-making about security practices with a visible plan so they know how and why cameras are used in workplaces. 🛡️ Is Your Business Protected? Why Anna recommends every business get an annual security assessment—even if it's just to understand vulnerabilities.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings989 More about Anna at Braav.co More about the challenge coins at allcoin.braav.co

  5. Jun 30

    Intuitive Business Strategies: Serin Silva on Empathy, Innovation and New Rules for Women Entrepreneurs

    Serin Silva is an intuitive strategic advisor and executive coach who helps powerhouse women move from stuck to strategic growth. After two decades leading transformation as a VP at Fortune 500 companies, including taking Williams-Sonoma to half a billion in sales and launching Hearst Corporation's first digital division, Serin now guides CEOs and executives to make clear, confident, and energetically aligned decisions in the moments that matter most. Her work blends sharp business strategy with intuitive insight, a rare combination that's helped clients scale from $10M to $25M, land CEO roles, and transform from self-doubt to self-belief. Serin helps high-achieving women recalibrate how they lead, turning overwhelm into clarity and performance into purpose. Her clients include leaders from Apple, Patreon, Airbnb, Genentech, UCLA, and Microsoft.   🔑Key Takeaways🔑 ❤️📈 Balance Empathy and Effectiveness: Why empathy and compassion and tough decision-making and accountability is not contradictory because real growth happens when leadership finds this balance. 👩‍🔬 🚀 People & Purpose Over Pure Efficiency: Why workplace innovation and engagement truly flourish when companies operationalize values, foster psychological safety, and make room for creativity at every level. 👩‍💻💡 What Makes Women Leaders Unique: How women's traditionally "softer" approach—more collaborative, holistic, and calm—is a superpower, though "sometimes you've got to be the tough voice in the room." ✨💪Alignment Over Exhaustion: How to beat the burnout that comes with trying to "do it all". Serin says take more breaks, build a real support system, be honest about your true priorities and regulate your nervous system to stay calm and clear. 🌱🙏 The Power of Intuition: Trusting your gut isn't just a woo-woo cliché. Serin says it's vital to be mindful of your energy, leading with both your heart and your head, and create space for creativity not just busyness.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings988

  6. Jun 23

    Raising Futurepreneurs: Krystal Popov on Empowering Kids to Launch Businesses

    Krystal Popov is a serial entrepreneur, the founder of Futurepreneur, and a passionate advocate for empowering kids and teens to become entrepreneurs. A mother of three, she believes young people have immense potential to start businesses but often lack the guidance to do so. After climbing the corporate ladder in engineering, Krystal left the traditional workforce to build four businesses. Today, she runs a seven-figure coworking and flex retail space in Tucson, AZ, and has launched Futurepreneur to help kids turn their creativity and tech skills into successful ventures. Through Business Startup Challenges, Krystal teaches kids essential entrepreneurship skills, including creativity, financial planning, team leadership, marketing, and sales. She's committed to filling the gap in education and inspiring the next generation of business owners. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🚀💡 Why Kids Need Entrepreneurship Now More Than Ever: It's not just about creating the next tech unicorn; kids need the confidence, resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills entrepreneurship demands, and these superpowers are not taught by the school system. 💼 ✨Business in a Box:  How Futurepreneur gives kids hands-on experience—everything from opening a bakery and learning about pre-orders and packaging, to launching dog walking or T-shirt design businesses using Canva and AI. The biggest surprise? Parents are discovering their kids' hidden talents and unique strengths along the way. 📝🛠️ Real Skills for Real Life: Entrepreneurship isn't just about money skills, tactics and strategies: It's about mindset. With Futurepreneur, kids build the confidence to iterate, innovate, and pursue their true purpose. They also learn to pitch, market, budget, take feedback, and—most importantly—develop grit and confidence to pivot and persevere so they can stand out in a future job market dominated by AI and automation. 💪🤔Start Young and Foster Curiosity: Why Futurepreneur focuses on kids between ages 8 and 12, while their creativity and curiosity are still high. Krystal says it's vital to give them hands-on experience to develop grit, communication skills, and the confidence to try and even fail, plus it combats depression among so many youth.  🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings985   More about Krystal at Futurepreneur https://futurepreneur.com/

  7. Jun 16

    How to Momfluence: Entrepreneur Chelsea Clark on Authentic Influencer Campaigns Turning Parenthood to Profit

    Chelsea Clark is the founder and CEO of Momfluence, a leading influencer marketing agency specializing in Mom creator-led campaigns for family, lifestyle, and consumer brands. With a deep understanding of the modern mom consumer, Chelsea helps brands build trust, relevance, and measurable growth through authentic partnerships with top mom creators across North America. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 👩‍👧‍👦👩‍🍼 Purposed-Designed Business: How to balance motherhood and entrepreneurship, why boundaries are everything, and how to optimize for freedom not just hustle. Listen for Chelsea's tips on building her business around school hours and delegating with intention.  🎯🤝 How to Work with Influencers: Start small and iterate. Whether launching a product or testing influencer collaborations, you don't need perfection to begin. Gift product, work with micro influencers, and learn as you go—progress matters more than perfection. ✨💡 Authenticity is everything in marketing: Partner with creators whose values align with your brand, and focus on real relationships over one-off paid posts. Consumers can spot authentic endorsements—and those drive true engagement. 👩‍💼💡 Business is Personal: Why the best entrepreneurial ideas often come from personal experience solving our own problems. 🌱🚀 Building Momfluence: How the agency and platform connects women creators and micro-influencers who have small but relevant audiences to brands that want more authentic, relatable and targeted marketing. Plus, why micro-influencers drive real results, and how AI is shaping the next wave of influencer analytics. 🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings986 More about Chelsea at Momfluence.co www.momfluence.co

  8. Jun 9

    Dare to Rise: Navy Captain Jenn Donahue on Leadership Insights from the Battlefield to the Boardroom

    Jenn Donahue PhD is an entrepreneur, civil engineer, author, and retired US Navy Captain whose company JL Donahue Engineering works on large scale, high profile geotechnical projects for clients ranging from PG&E and Duke Energy to the Tennessee Valley Authority and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Over her military career, Jenn has built a bridge across the Euphrates River in the midst of the Iraq war, commanded an 800-personnel Battalion in Afghanistan, and constructed combat outposts in the middle of deserts filled with insurgents. Jenn has designed the seismic plans for a bridge over the Panama Canal and built roads by drilling and blasting in Ketchikan. She's the author of The Warrior Framework and the founder of Dare to Rise. 🔑Key Takeaways🔑 🎖📈 From Battalions to Boardrooms: What military leadership can teach us about entrepreneurship, and why entrepreneurship is a lonelier, more uncertain journey. Plus, how Jenn uses her experience as a commanding officer to shape multiple contingency plans in her successful business: "You need plans B through L", she says. 💡🤝 Finding Your Mentor: Why mentorship is vital to success, and how to muster the courage to simply ask for help from those at the top of their game makes all the difference. Hint: The most successful are often the most generous.   🚀💪 From Combat Zones to Fault Zones: How to handle uncertainty and make decisions when the data is unclear or contradictory, and what the military and assessing seismic engineering risk taught Jenn about the necessity to gather all perspectives, rely on your own experience and never let fear paralyze you.   🎙️Subscribe to Wings and get the full Show Notes at https://bit.ly/Wings985 More about Jenn at Jenn Donahue www.jenndonahue.com Read her new book, The Warrior Framework

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4.9
out of 5
147 Ratings

About

Women entrepreneurs are changing the game of business, stepping into our authentic feminine power and growing consciousness to start and scale great companies. Listen to Wings to learn from women who've "been there, built that" with 7, 8 and 9-figure businesses, even billion dollar Unicorns. You'll learn how to manifest the mindset, mojo and money to create, grow and scale a business aligned with what makes your heart sing. Wings is hosted by Melinda Wittstock, a 4-time serial entrepreneur, tech visionary and award-winning journalist. Melinda focuses where personal and business growth meet, her insightful interviews with inspiring female founders and businesswomen providing actionable tips to help listeners to real and tangible results. These innovators, influencers, and investors all share their success secrets, epiphanies, and practical advice on how to get the confidence, connections and capital so you too manifest the success of your dreams in life and in business.

Information

  • Creator
    Melinda Wittstock
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    996
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Wings Media LLC 2019
  • Show Website
    Wings of Inspired Business