Unhinged Founder is an entrepreneurship podcast that goes beyond highlight reels and motivational soundbites. Hosted by Melinda Jackson (founder of Melinda Jackson Public Relations and a GRAMMY and EMMY award winning storyteller) this show brings you the raw, unfiltered reality of building a business.
Expect vulnerable conversations with founders, women entrepreneurs, small business owners, clients, and leaders who inspire unfiltered storytelling. This is not your typical “girl boss” podcast. Unhinged Founder is funny, emotional, messy, and brutally honest—because that’s what building something from scratch really feels like.
Whether you’re launching a startup, growing a small business, navigating PR and branding, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes stories of entrepreneurs, this podcast will give you the truth behind the chaos.
Subscribe to Unhinged Founder for weekly episodes that pull back the curtain on what it really takes to be a founder.
Self-Published, Went Viral, and Got Her Master's Abroad — She Is Not Playing It Safe
You may have already seen the video. Amanda Wilson, author and content creator from North Carolina, posted what she thought would be a simple family moment: announcing at her birthday lunch that she'd been accepted to a master's program in creative writing in Glasgow, Scotland. Her aunt kept eating. The internet had feelings about it.
But there's a lot more to Amanda's story than one viral moment.
She and Melinda talk about her self-published debut novel Mixed Tapes and Mixed Emotions — a mid-2000s coming-of-age story about a homeschooled girl navigating a public university, religious deconstruction, emo boys, and everything she was never taught growing up in a conservative bubble. Amanda wrote most of it during one of the hardest years of her life: battling depression, going through a divorce, and holding onto writing as the one thing that got her out of bed.
She designed the cover in Canva. Published it on Amazon with no editor, no budget, and no industry connections. Queried agents, got polite rejections, and kept going. Sold one copy last year — to someone she knew. And then went viral, and sold 150 more to complete strangers.
They also get into the millennial experience of graduating into a recession, the housing market that was never built for them, and what it means to finally bet on yourself when the people around you don't quite get why you have to leave.
Mixed Tapes and Mixed Emotions is available now on Amazon.
TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@so.im.amanda) & Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/so.im.amanda/): @so.im.amanda
Book: Mixed Tapes and Mixed Emotions is available now on Amazon. - https://amzn.to/4znqpwA (https://amzn.to/4znqpwA)
Donate to her GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/bridge-the-gap-to-my-masters-at-glasgow (https://www.gofundme.com/f/bridge-the-gap-to-my-masters-at-glasgow)
21 Jul 2026
Summer Check-In: The Business Slowdown Is Normal and You're Going to Be Fine
Melinda from Unhinged Founder is back with a podcast update. Hear why the show went on hiatus and what comes next for the brand. After a long break from the mic, Melinda returns to discuss the reality of managing a growing business alongside content creation. This update offers a transparent look at the chaotic nature of the entrepreneur journey and the practical reasons why life sometimes forces a pause in podcasting. Whether you are a long-time listener or new to the Unhinged Founder community, this episode provides clarity on the current state of the show. Melinda explains the challenges of balancing a busy schedule with consistency and sets expectations for future episodes moving forward. Subscribe for weekly founder life breakdowns, and comment below what topics you want to hear Melinda cover next.
9 Apr 2026
When You're Done: How to Pivot Your Career, Ditch People-Pleasing, and Trust Your Gut in Business
LauraAura built a branding agency for 16 years… then sold it and started completely over as a keynote speaker and coach. In this conversation, she and Melinda Jackson go deep on people-pleasing, identity shifts, trusting yourself when it doesn't make sense on paper, and why the pay-to-speak model is garbage. Also: beef in a sports bra went LinkedIn-viral, and it actually says something important about personal branding. Come for the business talk, stay for the chaos.
Unhinged Founder Ep. 18 Links
Connect with LauraAura
—lauraaura.com (http://lauraaura.com)
— https://www.instagram.com/thatlauraaura/ (https://www.instagram.com/thatlauraaura/)
— The Gutsy Podcast (https://lauraaura.com/the-gutsy-podcast/)
Connect with Melinda Jackson: — https://melindajacksonpr.com (https://melindajacksonpr.com) — https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr (https://instagram.com/melindajacksonpr) — https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr (https://linkedin.com/in/melindajacksonpr)
Podcast Production: — https://airwavearcade.com (https://airwavearcade.com)
#WomenInBusiness #CareerPivot #PeoplePleasing #FemaleFounder #TrustYourGut #EntrepreneurMindset
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