Hard Wig, Soft Life Podcast

Melissa L Atkinson
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Hard Wig, Soft Life is a space for the women who know what it’s like to carry a little too much but still show up anyway. It’s for the ones who’ve had to make life work—even when their hair wasn’t done, the money wasn’t right, and life felt like it was happening to them instead of for them. I’m Melissa, and this podcast is a lot like a late-night phone call with your best friend—honest, unfiltered, and full of those “girl, same” moments. I’ll share the stories I’ve carried—navigating my 30s, surviving hard seasons, leaving toxic relationships, and learning (the messy way) how to build a life I love. This isn’t about being perfect or pretending we’ve got it all figured out. It’s about creating space for softness—because if we’ve learned anything, it’s that life isn’t always easy, but we’re in this together. Come hang out with me every other week as we laugh, cry, and figure out what it means to live life on our own terms—one episode, one wig, one moment of growth at a time.

  1. Aug 5

    Country Boy in the Big City: A Conversation with DJaysoFunnyy

    Meet DJaysoFunnyy — content creator, comedian, actor, former D1 athlete, and the guy who amassed 100,000 subscribers on one app in two months by taking six videos viral. He's a country boy from a town of 500 people in Mississippi who moved to Tampa, Florida, and is quietly becoming one of the funniest creators on the internet — and he's just getting started. In this episode, we dive deep into: Growing up in Mississippi with a population of 500 — and being the first person from his city to build something like thisPlaying baseball and basketball at the D1 level and walking away when content creation started buzzingHow a toxic relationship skit filmed at midnight went viral on TikTok and changed the entire trajectory of his lifeWhy Facebook is the platform every creator is sleeping on — and how he gained 60,000 followers in under two monthsCreating 100% original content and why he refuses to copy what's trendingThe stand-up comedy sets written in his notes app that he's too scared to perform — yetThe day he threw his work shirt in the garbage and walked out of his job to go all in on content creationWhy he does everything himself and what it costs him mentallyThe guilt of leveling up while the people back home stay behind — and the moment he finally let that goBuilding Top of the Line Films and the dream of producing and starring in his own feature filmWhy Desi Banks is his dream collaborator — and how Brandy and Ray J are actually his cousinsWhat a zero dollar month looks like and how faith keeps him goingConnect with DJaysoFunnyy: 📱 TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube: @djaysofunnyy (two Y's at the end) DJ keeps it completely real about the grind, the algorithm, the doubt, the guilt, and what it actually takes to bet on yourself when nobody from your city has ever done it before. This is what happens when a country boy goes all in on the big city dream. #HardWigSoftLife #DJaysoFunnyy #ContentCreator #BlackPodcast #Podcast #ContentCreation #TampaBay #SocialMediaGrowth #BlackCreators #ComedyContent #FaithAndGrind #AllIn #BlackEntrepreneur #ViralContent #FacebookMonetization #TikTokCreator #YouTubeCreator #SmallTownBigDreams #MississippiToFlorida #CountryBoy Keywords: DJaysoFunnyy, Black content creator, viral content creator Tampa Florida, Facebook monetization 2026, social media growth strategy, comedy content creator, D1 athlete turned content creator, Top of the Line Films, going viral on TikTok, going viral on Facebook, Hard Wig Soft Life podcast, Black podcast Florida, bet on yourself, content creation tips, faith and entrepreneurship, small town success story, Mississippi creator, Tampa Bay content creator, how to grow on Facebook, how to go viral Support the show

    Country Boy in the Big City: A Conversation with DJaysoFunnyy

  2. Jul 8

    When They Go Low, Get Loud: A Conversation with Representative Angie Nixon

    Meet Representative Angie Nixon — Florida State Representative, mother of five, union organizer, small business owner, domestic violence advocate, and US Senate candidate. She's the woman who brought a pink megaphone onto the House floor, got arrested the next day for a sit-in outside the Governor's office, and showed up the day after that ready to fight again. She's not performing. This is just who she is. In this episode, we dive deep into: Growing up in Jacksonville as a fifth generation native in a household filled with domestic violence — and how that shaped everythingBeing a single mom for 12 years and what it really takes to build a villageWhy she changed her major from pre-med to political science — and never looked backInterning for Mia Jones at 24 while pushing Natalie in a stroller and running for City CouncilOpening Cafe Resistance Bookstore in a predominantly Black community — free food pantry, free African American history classes, free tutoring and allWhy she brought a pink megaphone to the House floor and how she matched it to her outfit on purposeRedistricting, gerrymandering, and why your vote is being engineered — explained simplyThe Republican leader who told her she talked too much and had to choose between advocacy and bringing money home — and what she saidRunning for US Senate against an appointed incumbent who won't debate herWhy "vote blue no matter who" isn't enough and what she actually wants from votersWhat government programs did for her as a single mom — and why those programs are being cut right nowHow to register as a Democrat by July 20th to vote in the August 18th primaryConnect with Representative Angie Nixon: 📱 Instagram, X, Facebook: @angie4fl 🌐 angienixon.com 🗳️ Register as a Democrat by July 20th | Early voting starts August 3rd | Election Day August 18th This conversation will make you feel something. Melissa walked in not knowing much about politics and walked out a few inches taller. That's what happens when you put the right person in the room. #HardWigSoftLife #AngieNixon #FloridaPolitics #USSenateFlorida #BlackWomenLead #Podcast #BlackPodcast #FloridaSenate #VoteFloridia #Angie4FL #CafeResistance #WhenTheyGoLowGetLoud #GrassrootsPolitics #FloridaElection2026 #BlackWomenInPolitics #HumanityFirst #PeopleOverPolitics #TampaBay #Jacksonville Support the show

    When They Go Low, Get Loud: A Conversation with Representative Angie Nixon

  3. Jun 10

    Built in Tampa, Heard Everywhere: A Conversation with GittFai

    Meet GittFai — Tampa-born producer, rapper, and the man behind one of the biggest records in the country right now. From making beats at 11 years old to landing a song on 200,000 TikToks and charting at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100 with BossMan Dlow's Motion Party, GittFai has been quietly putting Tampa on the map — and the city is finally getting its flowers. In this episode, we dive deep into: Starting to make beats at age 7 and getting a regional radio hit in high schoolThe obsession with figuring out how to replicate a hit — and how that obsession became his superpowerStaying a student of the craft and why staying current kept him from becoming obsoleteThe Tampa sound, the cowbell, and why skroll music is the cultureHow Motion Party went viral on TikTok before it even officially droppedWhat actually moved him during the Billboard moment — and it wasn't the chartBeing homeless and starting over — and why his story is proof that it can happenHis unexpected new love for country music and why it makes total senseFavorite producers: Kanye West, Pharrell, No I.D. and what he learned from eachStreet Kanye — his upcoming trilogy of EPs dropping soonSkroll or Die — his compilation project and the vision behind itMaking a beat live in the studio — and giving Melissa her own Hard Wig Soft Life introConnect with GittFai: 🎵 Stream Motion Party feat. BossMan Dlow wherever you listen to music 📱 Instagram: @gittfai GittFai keeps it real about the grind, the come up, the city, and what it means to build something from nothing in Tampa, Florida. This is what happens when talent meets time. #HardWigSoftLife #GittFai #MotionParty #BossManDlow #BillboardHot100 #TampaBay #TampaMusic #SkrollMusic #BlackPodcast #HipHop #MusicProducer #TampaProducer #IndependentArtist #StreetKanye #FloridaMusic #PodcastInterview #MusicBusiness #BeatMaking #FLStudio #TampaBorn Keywords: GittFai, Motion Party, BossMan Dlow, Billboard Hot 100, Tampa music producer, skroll music, Tampa Bay hip hop, beat making, FL Studio, Street Kanye, Skroll or Die, Tampa sound, independent music, Black podcast, Hard Wig Soft Life Support the show

    Built in Tampa, Heard Everywhere: A Conversation with GittFai

  4. May 20

    Work Like It's Gonna Work (A Conversation With Jodi Campbell)

    Meet Jodi Campbell — Pilates instructor, founder of PRSNC Fitness, and the woman building Tampa's first Black-owned Pilates studio experience one pop-up at a time. From saying yes to a phone call that changed everything to surrendering her vision to God and watching it come back bigger, Jodi proves that unorthodox paths still lead to the destination. In this episode, we dive deep into: How a single phone call from a friend sparked the idea for PRSNC FitnessWhy her word of the year — surrender — completely changed how she moves in businessBuilding a brand while still teaching classes and paying your billsThe doubt that shows up before every single one of her 90+ events and how she handles itHow Corner Haus became her home base and why it was a God thing, not a plan BRemoving the vowels from PRSNC and what it actually meansCelebrating other people's wins even when you're still in your building seasonHer mantra: work like it's gonna work — because it isConnect with Jodi: 📱 Instagram:  @jcampbell35 🧘🏾‍♀️ PRSNC Fitness: @prsncfitness 📍 Corner Haus — Seminole Heights, Tampa FL Jodi keeps it real about faith, doubt, community, and what it looks like to build something from nothing in a city that's watching. This is what happens when purpose meets presence. #HardWigSoftLife #JodiCampbell #PRSNCFitness #TampaBay #BlackWomenWellness #Pilates #BlackOwnedBusiness #FaithAndBusiness #EntrepreneurMindset #WorkLikeItsGonnaWork #SoftLife Keywords: Jodi Campbell, PRSNC Fitness, Black owned Pilates, Tampa wellness, faith and entrepreneurship, building a brand, Black women in business, Pilates instructor, community wellness, Tampa Bay fitness Support the show

    Work Like It's Gonna Work (A Conversation With Jodi Campbell)

  5. Apr 22

    Do It Dirty, Clean It Up Later | Hard Wig, Soft Life S3 E2

    We're back on the couch and this time I brought someone with me. June Archer — media executive, author, entrepreneur, and what I can only describe as a dot connector — is sitting with me today and I need you to clear your schedule because this conversation is not one you're gonna want to rush through. We met backstage at the Power Networking Conference in Atlanta and I knew immediately that this was someone I needed to get on this couch. June has built a career across music, media, entertainment, and now publishing — not by pivoting, but by evolving. And there is a difference. In this episode we get into what it really means to push the button on your dreams instead of just talking about them, why trying is not the same as doing, how June went from working in the executive suite at Cigna as a college freshman to becoming one of the most connected people in the room, the lost art of human connection in a world that hides behind devices, and why your word for the year means nothing without execution behind it. Oh — and we talked about Jay-Z for a solid minute. You already know. June also brought his brand new book, The Definitive Art of Networking, and broke down why networking is actually the wrong word for what we're all trying to do. This one is going to shift how you move in every room you walk into. New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming. 🎙️ Hard Wig, Soft Life is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Produced by BUSSALENZ Media Support the show

    Do It Dirty, Clean It Up Later | Hard Wig, Soft Life S3 E2

  6. Apr 8

    Delusional & Decorated

    We're back, baby. Give yourself your flowers. Season 3 is HERE and we are back on the couch where we belong. I'll be honest with you — I filmed this episode way more times than I'd like to admit. Between planning and executing The Intersection (a 100-person culture event that I threw entirely by myself), doing 75 Hard, co-hosting Shake the Room, and moderating at the Power Networking Conference in Atlanta where I shared a stage with Les Brown — I was not mentally available to show up for this podcast the way it deserved. But we're here now. In this episode, we're catching up on everything that went down between Season 2 and Season 3: what it really took to pull off a first event solo and actually land sponsors, why I'm moving to Atlanta in September, how I'm redefining my relationship with time and the baby conversation, what it feels like to be almost 35 and still feel like you're racing the clock, and why this season I'm done being polished. And more than anything — we're talking about giving yourself your flowers. Before someone else does. Before you're ready. Right now. If you've been rocking with HWSL since Episode 0, this one is for you. And if you're new here — welcome. Get comfortable. New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss what's coming. 🎙️ Hard Wig, Soft Life is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music. Support the show

    Delusional & Decorated

  7. 10/22/2025

    Season 2 Outro: New Growth (In More Ways Than One)

    This is it - the Season 2 finale of Hard Wig, Soft Life. 11 months ago, I started this podcast not knowing if I had anything valuable to say. I just knew I wanted to share my story - from being a felon who faced jail, eviction, and homelessness to building a life I'm proud of. Season 2 became so much more than that. I trademarked the name (by myself, no lawyer). I got invited to speak at events. I moderated a panel at Nike Wellness Collective. I'm heading to Atlanta for a speaking engagement. This little idea kept growing. But the real growth happened behind the scenes. Watching myself back on camera forced me to confront things about myself I didn't even realize - how I respond to trauma, how I've spent my life trying to be palatable, how I hide behind my guests instead of showing up fully as myself. Therapy every two weeks alongside releasing episodes every two weeks? That combination exposed everything. I'm unlearning the need to assimilate. I'm learning to show up unapologetically. I'm embracing my accent, my directness, my authenticity - not as a buzzword, but as who I actually am. This season taught me: Empty the clip on your ideas, even when it feels cringeyGrowth isn't linear and that's okayYou don't have to be perfect to startFinishing something you're proud of is its own rewardSome personal news: My husband Ryan and I are actively trying for a baby. For the first time in my life, I feel ready to be a mom without resentment or feeling like I'm giving up on myself. I've accomplished things I'm proud of, and I'm ready for the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who made Season 2 possible - Justin Story for Creators Escape, Sabrina and Imani from Blackstock Footage for producing, and every single guest who trusted me with their story: Tracey Baker-Simmons, Esso, Pastor Tekoa Pouerie, Jada Urban, Monique, and more. Most importantly, thank you to my community. Without you listening, there's nothing for me to create. Season 3? We'll see what happens. But I promise more episodes of just me talking. No more hiding behind interviews. It's been real. See you soon. Support the show

    Season 2 Outro: New Growth (In More Ways Than One)

  8. 09/17/2025

    Yo, You Like Jay-Z Too? [A Conversation W/ Jada Urban]

    Sometimes the best conversations start with discovering you have the same favorite rapper! When I reconnected with Jada Urban in NYC after three years, we ended up bonding over everything from Jay-Z to growing up Afro-Latina in spaces where we were often the only ones who looked like us. Jada's been behind the scenes on some of your favorite productions - from "Owning Manhattan" (where she watched people casually drop $7.7 million on apartments) to the Tony Awards. But what I love about her is that she shows up authentically in every space, no code-switching required. In this candid girl talk, we dive into: - What it's really like being the production assistant who speaks up about diversity on set - The reality of working 12-hour days while being a mom to a three-year-old - Our shared experiences growing up Afro-Latina and the identity confusion (like teachers asking me "how are you black AND Hispanic?") - Why she prefers controlling the vision from behind the camera - Her dream to work with Henry Louis Gates Jr. on PBS projects - The art of advocating for yourself without burning bridges - Music memories that shaped us (shoutout to Watch the Throne tour!) - Secret talents that involve toes (yes, we went there) This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like the only one in the room, anyone trying to balance career ambitions with motherhood, or anyone who refuses to dim their light to make others comfortable. Plus, we settle the age-old debate about whether KIX cereal still exists. Two women just catching up and keeping it 100 about representation, motherhood, and making it in entertainment. #HardWigSoftLife #ProductionLife #DiversityInMedia #WorkingMoms #AfroLatina #EntertainmentIndustry #BehindTheScenes #Authenticity #NoCodeSwitching #RepresentationMatters #SingleMom #ProductionAssistant #RealTalk #JayZ Support the show

    Yo, You Like Jay-Z Too? [A Conversation W/ Jada Urban]
See All (20)

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Hard Wig, Soft Life is a space for the women who know what it’s like to carry a little too much but still show up anyway. It’s for the ones who’ve had to make life work—even when their hair wasn’t done, the money wasn’t right, and life felt like it was happening to them instead of for them. I’m Melissa, and this podcast is a lot like a late-night phone call with your best friend—honest, unfiltered, and full of those “girl, same” moments. I’ll share the stories I’ve carried—navigating my 30s, surviving hard seasons, leaving toxic relationships, and learning (the messy way) how to build a life I love. This isn’t about being perfect or pretending we’ve got it all figured out. It’s about creating space for softness—because if we’ve learned anything, it’s that life isn’t always easy, but we’re in this together. Come hang out with me every other week as we laugh, cry, and figure out what it means to live life on our own terms—one episode, one wig, one moment of growth at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Melissa L Atkinson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hard Wig, Soft Life Podcast
  • Show Website
    Hard Wig, Soft Life Podcast