“Your fear of speaking is not a flaw. It’s a message. And when you finally listen to what it’s trying to tell you, you stop white-knuckling your way through visibility—and start showing up with real joy.”

In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Linda Ugelow reminds us that confidence isn’t something you fake. It’s something you build from the inside out by untangling the beliefs that told you it wasn’t safe to be seen. If you’ve ever cringed watching yourself on video, avoided the mic, or held back your voice in a room—you’re not alone. And you don’t have to stay stuck.

Lakeisha is the founder of Chief of Minds, an organizational development and HR consulting firm now in its 11th year. But her story started much earlier. She has been building businesses since childhood, when she was handing out leaf-raking contracts to neighbors using carbon paper and grit.

Her path hasn’t been linear, but it has been deeply intentional. Here are a few of the takeaways that stood out from her episode.

In our latest Badass Women in Business episode, we had the absolute joy of sitting down with Alejandra Rojas, founder of Brown Way to Money, financial coach, writer, and host of The Brown Way to Money podcast. Her story? Equal parts hustle, healing, and high-impact transformation.

Alexandria Hammond, founder of BrandNEWS PR Consulting Firm, knows this better than anyone. With 20 years of experience in PR, media relations, and branding, she has worked behind the scenes to craft compelling stories for brands of all sizes. From playing a key role in the PR campaign that turned The Elf on the Shelf into a household name to leading external communications for one of the largest orthopedic practices in the U.S., Alexandria has mastered the art of staying ahead of the media curve.

Melissa Armstrong is on a mission to help business owners take control of their finances and create systems that support, rather than drain, their growth. Whether it’s cash flow management, internal controls, or financial strategy, her expertise helps businesses operate with more clarity, confidence, and efficiency.

Some leaders sugarcoat. Some avoid conflict. Some hold back from using strong, confident language that commands respect.

Not Julie Holunga.

Julie is a leadership trainer, executive coach, and speaker who helps professionals communicate clearly, own their authority, and lead with confidence. She’s on a mission to rid the world of lazy leadership—the kind that dodges hard conversations, weakens trust, and holds organizations back. In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Julie shares her expertise in leadership development, trust-building, and communication strategies that help professionals—especially women—step into their power.

Coco Sellman isn't new to entrepreneurship. With over 25 years of experience, five successful startups, and advising over 500 businesses, Coco embodies resilience, purpose-driven leadership, and innovative growth. Her last venture, Allumé Home Care, quickly scaled to eight-figure revenues and over 150 employees in under four years, eventually merging and successfully exiting in 2024. But her journey hasn't been without challenges—it's those lessons Coco now shares openly to help other women-led businesses navigate exponential growth.

Madeline Reeves, Founder & CEO of Fearless Foundry, a powerhouse entrepreneur rewriting the rules of business—on her terms. In this episode of Badass Women in Business, Madeline gets real about the untold truths of scaling, the emotional toll of entrepreneurship, and why women must shift their mindset around money if they want to build sustainable, thriving businesses.

For generations, menstrual blood has been dismissed as waste—an inconvenience at best, a taboo at worst. But what if it was actually one of the most valuable health indicators available to women? Dr. Sara Naseri had that exact thought, and she’s spent the last decade proving it to the world.