Podcast
She Built It® Podcast
Hosted by Melanie Barr · EN
Welcome to the She Built It® podcast. Join me as I talk to women who have successfully built it - a life and business that they love. We dive into the topic of “how” they built it and talk about everything from having the courage to make career leaps to the details of how to lead effectively, build teams, implement growth strategies, and infuse tech innovation. Magic happens when we focus on the part of ourselves and our business that brings us joy so let’s dive in.
41episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Smart Way to Use Live Sessions in Your 2026 Strategy
Jan 600:05:24Tap to summarizeLive sessions are one of the most powerful and overlooked tools in a modern media toolkit. In this first episode of 2026, Melanie Barr breaks down why a single, focused live teaching session can become the foundation of your entire content and owned media strategy. Not a polished summit or a viral event. Just one clear hour where you teach what you know deeply. You will learn how to design a strong teaching arc, why clarity matters more than polish, and how one live workshop can turn into podcasts, articles, clips, emails, and resources that serve your audience all year. If time is your biggest constraint, this episode shows you how to work smarter with the expertise you already have.Connect with Melanie:Work with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →Wellness-Fueled Founder Journey with Samia Gore
Aug 12, 202500:19:25Tap to summarizeWhat if the solution you're looking for doesn’t exist—so you build it yourself?That’s exactly what Samia Gore has done again and again. After a personal wellness transformation, Samia launched Body Complete Rx—now a nationwide, plant-based supplement brand. From there, she built FoundnWell, offering mental health support for minority entrepreneurs, and is now developing Cre8torMate, a tech platform for content creation and connection.In this inspiring episode, Samia shares the real story behind building multimillion-dollar brands, navigating motherhood and divorce, staying grounded in joy, and leading with cultural insight and community impact. Whether you're a wellness lover, founder, or dreamer, this one’s for you.🎧 Join me and subscribe for more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-built-it-podcast/id1542095376Samia Gore is a visionary entrepreneur, founder, and cultural architect building scalable platforms at the intersection of wellness, tech, and impact. As one of the few Black women leading ventures across multiple industries, she has launched and grown multimillion-dollar brands that center innovation, inclusion, and real-world results.She is the founder of Body Complete Rx, a top-performing wellness company redefining plant-based health solutions; FoundnWell, a mental health platform supporting minority founders; and Cre8torMate — an AI-powered platform that connects creators to paid opportunities through tech-enabled matchmaking and community.Samia’s work is rooted in cultural insight, business strategy, and a commitment to building what’s next. Whether working with investors, partners, or communities, she focuses on platforms that drive value, disrupt outdated systems, and create room for new narratives to rise.Connect with us:Samia Gore WebsiteSamia Gore InstagramSamia Gore LinkedInBody Complete Rx® WebsiteFoundnWell WebsiteCre8torMate WebsiteWork with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →From Blank Page to TEDx Stage: Sara Connell on Becoming a Thought Leader
Aug 5, 202500:22:25Tap to summarizeSara Connell didn’t just write her way to success, but she turned her story into a movement. In today’s episode of She Built It® Podcast, Sara shares how she helps coaches, entrepreneurs, and changemakers become bestselling authors and TEDx speakers by owning their story and stepping into their brilliance.We talk about the mindset behind visibility, why writing a book is still a powerful tool, and how to pitch yourself with purpose and impact. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your expertise into influence, Sara’s story will light the path.🎧 Join me and subscribe for more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-built-it-podcast/id1542095376Sara Connell is a 5x Bestselling author and the founder of Thought Leader Academy where she helps coaches, experts and entrepreneurs scale impact + create 6-7 figures by becoming bestselling authors and in demand/TEDx speakers. She has been featured on/in Oprah, The New York Times, Good Morning America, TODAY, Forbes, Entrepreneur and TEDx. Her books have been nominated for a National Book Award and Elle Magazine book of the year.Connect with us:Sara Connell WebsiteSara Connell InstagramSara Connell’s BooksThought Leader Media With Sara ConnellFREE Gift: 7 Steps to Write a Revenue Generating Bestselling Book (plus bonus templates and worksheets)Work with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →Building Candier with Krysten Kauder
Jul 29, 202500:14:54Tap to summarizeWhat happens when you follow your creativity, DM boldly, and let your anxiety fuel your innovation? Meet Krysten Kauder, founder of Candier—the empowering candle brand now sold at Ulta, Urban Outfitters, Barnes & Noble, and Target.com. In her first-ever podcast interview, Krysten shares how panic attacks led her home, alphabet bead bracelets opened unexpected doors, and how one wildly popular candle turned her business into a brand with national reach. From quiet leadership to joyful hustle, Krysten’s journey proves that success doesn’t need to be loud, it just needs to be real.🎧 Join me and subscribe for more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-built-it-podcast/id1542095376After graduating from OSU in 2008, I knew I wanted to do something in fashion, but unsure in what area. Then interned at Teen Vogue, Vogue, Marc Jacobs, IMG, and more. Fell into jewelry (showroom manager at Carolee, worked a Dannijo, etc). Panic attacks sent me back home to Ohio - met my now fiancé - started making alphabet bead bracelets - 17 Mag posted them on social - I started reaching out to editors, stylists, celebs, via Instagram - got the product on GMA and Today multiple times. Our photog's boyfriend made candles and they pitched making some for us - the rest is history - the candles were so popular we decided to focus on them and drop the jewelry. We are now carried in Ulta Beauty, Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble, Target.com and have collaborated with Disney, Amazon Prime, Sonic, and more.Connect with us:Krysten Kauder InstagramCandier WebsiteCandier InstagramWork with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →Breathe Easy: How Sharon Samjitsingh Is Revolutionizing Respiratory Care
Jul 22, 202500:23:34Tap to summarizeIn this inspiring episode of the She Built It® Podcast, host Melanie Barr speaks with inventor and tech entrepreneur Sharon Samjitsingh, co-founder and CEO of Health Care Originals. Driven by her lifelong struggle with asthma, Sharon shares how her personal story and professional expertise in innovation led her to build life-changing wearable tech that helps people with chronic respiratory diseases. She opens up about the emotional toll of asthma, the importance of first-principles thinking, and her journey as a woman innovating in deep tech. Sharon's story is one of resilience, passion, and purpose—and a reminder that when you can't breathe, nothing else matters.🎧 Join me and subscribe for more: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-built-it-podcast/id1542095376When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. The first time I almost died from an asthma attack, I was five. It was Mother’s Day. We were expecting a great day at church and a family lunch, but I couldn’t wake up. At the hospital, I remember my mom crying as I lay there on oxygen. My sister, who was nine, remembers my dad—normally a tough individual—pulling the car to the curb and breaking down sobbing, overwhelmed by fear he was about to lose his child.That moment has stayed with me. It shaped everything.Chronic respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD are silent thieves. They rob families of peace of mind, joy and futures. 690 million people live with these diseases but billions are affected, longing to be free of fear.That's why I co-founded Health Care Originals— to bring peace of mind to billions. We’re an AI healthcare company on a mission to transform how chronic disease is managed, starting with the lungs.Connect with us:Sharon Samjitsingh WebsiteSharon Samjitsingh LinkedInHealth Care Originals LinkedInHealth Care Originals InstagramInvest in Health Care Originals: AI-powered wearable & virtual care preventing asthma and COPD attacksWork with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →The Secret to a Career That Feels Like Freedom with SBI Media CEO, Melanie Barr
Jul 15, 202500:04:47Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, Melanie Barr shares the real truth behind building a career or business that genuinely lights you up. From her early days performing on stage to working with top companies like Marriott, AT&T, and the LA Dodgers, to now running She Built It® Media—Melanie walks through how embracing your natural talents, staying curious, and saying yes to aligned opportunities can lead to a career that feels like freedom. Whether you're starting over or scaling up, this episode is your reminder that doing what you love isn't cliché—it’s strategic, sustainable, and life-giving.Connect with Melanie:Work with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →The Plant-Based Skincare Revolution Behind KLEOS+KLEA with Tammy Demos
Jul 8, 202500:15:12Tap to summarizeWhat if the solution your skin needs isn’t in a bottle—but in a plant?This week on the She Built It® Podcast, I’m joined by Tammy Demos, founder of KLEOS+KLEA, whose journey to heal her own skin led her to challenge the entire skincare industry. From co-founding two beauty brands to starting over with nothing but aloe vera and a vision, Tammy shares how nature, resilience, and a bathroom apothecary became the foundation of a brand built on truth.We talk about what’s really missing in “clean” skincare, how nutrient-stacking works, and why going fully natural was the boldest (and smartest) move she’s ever made. Her story is one of radical simplicity, scientific curiosity, and a mission to reconnect us with the power of plants.Whether you’re passionate about skincare, love hearing stories of reinvention, or just need a reminder to trust your instincts—this one’s for you.🎙️ Listen in.Tammy Demos still remembers the first time she realized the power of plants to create beauty products. As a nine-year-old visiting family in Greece, she has a core memory of walking through a cypress grove with her maternal grandmother. Her Yiayia picked cones off the trees, brought them home, and made soap and candles. Tammy remembers thinking: "Nature is amazing. Plants have so much to offer." It was this philosophy she would return to years later, harnessing the power of plants to create the cleanest skincare line she could create. Many years later, in 2019, Tammy found herself in Colorado, stressed, divorced, raising four kids, and with skin that was a total wreck. "My skin was aging rapidly, discolored, inflamed and suffering from melasma," Tammy recalls. Her self-esteem plummeted. She'd been thinking about opening a greenhouse to supply plant ingredients to beauty companies, but the timing wasn't right. After co-founding two beauty companies (CosMedix and Osmosis), Tammy wasn't looking to do it again. She changed her lifestyle, diet and how she took care of herself but then realized that it was her skincare that was hurting her. Her skin had become progressively stressed and had stopped healing. “I became disenchanted with skincare products—I’d been using the best non‑toxic formulas for years, and I had no desire to switch to harsher ingredients just to chase temporary results at the cost of my health.” It was this desperation that led her to reach for plants from nature. She returned to her roots and went all-natural. She snipped a leaf off an aloe vera plant, applied the gel to her skin, and hasn't turned back since. It's now been 6 years.Once her skin was on the mend, she researched every potential natural ingredient she could find. For the next few years, she traveled the world, learning from beauty experts and aestheticians. "Through research and conversations with experts, I learned what really worked,” she says. Her new line, KLEOS+KLEA is the most luxurious and genuinely clean skincare system she could create. Every formula is built from whole, organically grown plants, not synthetic look‑alikes or chemically stripped “natural” imitations. She hand‑selected botanicals with the precise nutrient profiles the skin craves, because nutrients are the language of our cells - stabilizers, texturizers, fragrances, and preservatives are not. By abandoning the ingredients and methods she’d used at previous companies, she crafted something entirely new: holistic, fully natural, and more effective than anything she’s ever tried.Kleos+Klea’s method works with nature to rejuvenate skin with natural nourishment. The products are designed to work in tandem with your skin’s natural rhythms, from night to day. “The ancient belief that ‘We are all one’ has never been more clear to me,” Tammy says.”Nature reflects the beauty we can all have.” Connect with us:KLEOS+KLEA Website
Transcribe →Talk to Me Nice: Trust, Leadership & Real Conversations with Minda Harts
Jul 1, 202500:22:46Tap to summarizeHow do we build trust in a world where everyone is overwhelmed, distracted, or afraid of saying the wrong thing?In this week’s episode, Melanie sits down with Minda Harts—author, workplace advocate, and trusted advisor to global brands like Nike and JPMorgan Chase. Minda shares her journey from corporate life to bestselling author and speaker, and why trust (not talent or titles) is the true foundation of leadership.They discuss how small moments shape trust, the hidden impact of silence, and what Minda calls the “trust languages” that every team should understand. If you’ve ever felt unseen or uncertain about how to speak up at work, this conversation will leave you inspired and equipped with the tools to start.🎙️ Listen in.Minda Harts is a bestselling author, workplace consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker, helping organizations turn trust into their most significant competitive advantage. Through her groundbreaking Seven Trust Languages® framework, she equips leaders, teams, and professionals with actionable strategies to build high-trust, high-impact workplaces.Minda has shaped conversations on workplace equity, self-advocacy, and leadership as the author of The Memo, Right Within, and You Are More Than Magic. Her impact spans boardrooms and conference stages worldwide, with companies like Nike, Google, Best Buy, and JPMorgan Chase calling on her to redefine leadership and workplace culture. LinkedIn has recognized her as the #1 Top Voice in the Workplace and by Business Insider as one of the top 100 People Transforming Business.Minda’s next book, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace (July 22, 2025), is set to revolutionize how leaders and teams harness trust as their most valuable asset.In addition to her work as a speaker and consultant, Minda is an assistant professor at NYU and the founder of The Memo LLC, where she is shaping the next generation of leaders.Connect with us:Minda Harts WebsiteMinda Harts BooksMinda Harts LinkedInMinda Harts InstagramSecure The Seat PodcastWork with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →Building Trust: The Heart of Every Great Team with with SBI Media CEO, Melanie Barr
Jun 24, 202500:05:20Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, Melanie Barr is diving into one of the most important—yet often overlooked—pillars of business: trust. Whether you're managing a remote team or leading a thriving company, trust is the foundation that holds it all together. Melanie shares why trust matters, how to intentionally cultivate it, and the personal story that taught her how a team without trust falls apart—and how one built on trust can soar. From one-on-one to open communication and consistent leadership, we’ll explore actionable ways to build trust that fuels collaboration, innovation, and long-term success. If you're growing a team, hiring, or scaling, this one’s for you.Connect with Melanie:Work with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
Transcribe →Building Urban Remedy from the Ground Up with Neka Pasquale
Jun 16, 202500:24:09Tap to summarizeWhat if healing your body started with what you put on your plate?In this episode, I speak with Neka Pasquale, founder of Urban Remedy, whose background in Traditional Chinese Medicine inspired a revolutionary way to think about food. Neka shares how she went from private practice to building a national organic food brand rooted in healing, anti-inflammatory, and low-glycemic meals.We talk about the “food as medicine” philosophy, the reality of scaling a fresh-food company to over 370 locations, and the everyday rituals that keep her grounded while growing a purpose-driven brand. If you're a founder, a health seeker, or simply love hearing how someone builds from their passion—this one’s for you.🎙️ Listen in.Neka Pasquale L.Ac M.S. is a California state-licensed Acupuncturist, herbalist, author and founder of Urban Remedy a company specializing in certified organic, non-GMO, gluten free, vegan offerings. Urban Remedy embodies the belief that "food is healing." Every product made blends cutting-edge nutrition with Traditional Chinese Medicine to offer the cleanest juices, teas, foods and snacks with natural functional benefits. Urban Remedy is certified organic, non-GMO and kosher. In her practice she combines acupuncture and Chinese medicine with cutting-edge nutrition and lifestyle modification, to heal, balance and create optimal health. She holds a Master's degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco. She also holds a certificate in nutrition from Yo San University and is a certified First Line® therapy practitioner. In addition to her extensive university training, Neka has studied with specialty experts in the fields of nutrition, metabolic syndrome, Hep C, gynecological disorders including infertility, NAET Allergy Elimination, addiction, pain management, digestive disorders, and HIV/AIDS treatment.Neka’s book Urban Remedy was released Jan 2015. Modeled after the retreats the author led at her home in Northern California, this book is designed to help individuals break out of bad habits, reset routines and intentions, and improve their health and nutrition through powerful foods, herbs, spices, and energetic techniques. This book offers more than 75 delicious, healthy, whole food recipes as well as guidelines for how to prepare for, enjoy, and come back from a cleanse through a holistic mind-and-body approach.Connect with us:Neka Pasquale InstagramUrban Remedy WebsiteUrban Remedy LinkedInUrban Remedy InstagramUrban Remedy: The 4-Day Home Cleanse Retreat to Detox, Treat Ailments, and Reset Your Health by Neka PasqualeWork with She Built It® Media She Built It® Instagram She Built It® CEO, Melanie Barr InstagramMelanie Barr LinkedInShe Built It® LinkedIn
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