Hard Wig, Soft Life Podcast
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.
Episodes
17 episodes
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 visi...
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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...
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 I...
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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 homele...
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 ...
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Finding Your Voice Through Art and Healing (feat. Zebrina Lee)
This episode is so special! 🎬✨ For the first time, I'm bringing someone from behind the camera to the front - meet Zebrina Lee, co-founder of Blackstock Footage and the creative genius who's been helping bring Hard Wig, Soft Life to life visual...
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Making Business Sexy: When Authenticity Meets Entrepreneurship (featuring ESSO)
Meet ESSO - entrepreneur, podcast host of Bag Fuel, and the man who's literally making business sexy for the culture. From surviving an attempt on his life at 22 to building a six-figure empire while navigating personal struggles, ESSO proves t...
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Divine Positioning-The Accidental Reality TV Blueprint (feat. Tracey Baker Simmons)
Y'all, this episode is EVERYTHING! 🎬✨ Meet Tracey Baker Simmons - the Emmy-nominated executive producer and reality TV pioneer who literally created "Being Bobby Brown" and changed television forever.Twenty years ago, Tracey revolutioniz...
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From Eviction Notice to Empire" (feat. Monique S. Carrillo)
Y'all know Deshae Frost, Brooklyn Frost, and Amari Frost - but do you know the powerhouse woman who helped build their empire? 💪🏾Meet Monique S. Carrillo - the ultimate momager who went from working with Nicki Minaj and Gucci Mane to managi...
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The Goldfish Tank Principle (feat. Tekoa Pouerie)
Y'all, this episode is about to SHIFT your whole perspective on what's possible for your life. 🐠✨Meet Tekoa Pouerie - CEO, pastor, author, and the woman who made me ugly cry at Creator's Escape with her raw truth about turning trauma into t...
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She Said No One Knew She Was Married-A Chat W/ Giovonnie Samuels
Hard Wig, Soft Life | Season 2, Episode 3: "She Said No One Knew She Was Married" - A Chat w/ Giovonnie Samuels"All That" icon Giovonnie Samuels kept her 16-year relationship and 11-year marriage completely private—until now. In t...
Walking in Your Purpose (feat. Justin Storey)
Hard Wig, Soft Life | Season 2, Episode 2: "Walking in Your Purpose" - A Chat w/ Justin StoreyDigital marketing mogul Justin Storey shares his journey from teen actor to successful entrepreneur, revealing how faith, vulnerability,...
Do It Differently: Letting Go, Starting Therapy, and Trusting Myself, For Once
Hard Wig, Soft Life | Season 2, Episode 1: "Do It Differently: Letting Go, Starting Therapy, and Trusting Myself, For Once"After months of silence, podcast host Melissa L. Atkinson returns with raw vulnerability, sharing why she a...
Episode 3: Renegotiating the Price; The Real Cost of Growth
"Renegotiating the Price: The Real Cost of Growth"Growth isn’t cheap—it’ll cost you your time, energy, and even relationships. In this episode, I’m unpacking what it means to set your price, protect your peace, and align with th...
Episode 2: Surviving The System, A Conversation With Ricky Lane
In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Hard Wig, Soft Life, I sit down with Ricky Lane, who courageously shares his story of navigating life during and after incarceration. From missing out on his 20s to being released in 2020 dur...
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Episode 1: Arrested, Not Defined
What do you do when one moment changes your whole life? For me, it all started with a car accident that flipped my world upside down—literally.In this episode, I’m taking you through everything: the crash, waking up in the hospital, tryi...
Episode 0: The Story Behind Hard Wig, Soft Life
In this first episode of Hard Wig, Soft Life, I’m getting real with you about where this journey starts and why I’m here. Growing up as a first-gen Afro-Latina in a single-parent home, I learned early that life wasn’t going to be simpl...
