Badass Women in Business

Send us Fan Mail

What does it mean to lead with authenticity in a system built to overlook you? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Elizabeth “Liz” Frederick, the Executive Director of Avenues for Justice: a nonprofit that's been disrupting the incarceration pipeline in New York City for nearly five decades. Liz shares her deeply personal journey from being a mentee at AFJ nearly 20 years ago to becoming its Executive Director in 2024. With honesty, heart, and fierce clarity, Liz reflects on the challenges of leadership as a Black woman in the criminal justice space, the life-changing impact of second chances, and why her mission is rooted in community, mental health, and real opportunity.

She doesn't just talk about justice reform, she lives it. Whether you're an entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, or advocate for change, this conversation will challenge the way you think about power, purpose, and what it means to fill your own shoes.

Show Notes

• How a two-hour conversation with AFJ’s founder changed her life
• Her journey from operations to COO to Executive Director
• The story behind the “big shoes” moment and choosing her own path
• Why AFJ never puts a time limit on a young person’s progress
• How the HIRE Up program provides access to education, employment, and mental health support
• Her experience navigating leadership as a Black woman in a white, male-dominated system
• Why consistent relationships are the foundation of AFJ’s impact
• How AFJ keeps recidivism under 6 percent across all five boroughs
• Her approach to caring for staff who carry the emotional weight of this work
• Why listening to young people is the most important leadership skill she’s learned

Quotable Moments

• I don’t have to fill anybody’s shoes but my own
• Young people need jobs, not jails
• These aren’t bad kids. They’re brilliant and navigating broken systems
• Second chances only work when you stick with people long enough to matter

Guest Contact Info

Name: Elizabeth “Liz” Frederick
Title: Executive Director, Avenues for Justice
Website: www.avenuesforjustice.org
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @avenuesforjustice
YouTube: Avenues for Justice

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Thayer Lavielle is the Managing Director of The Collective at Wasserman, where she leads a global practice dedicated to driving investment in women in sports, entertainment, and music. In this episode, Thayer walks us through her nonlinear path—starting in journalism, moving into brand marketing and motorsports, and ultimately building a multimillion-dollar consultancy and research engine. We talk about how she discovered her creative gift, what it means to build within structure, and why women in business and sport deserve more than a seat at the table. From creating platforms for change to raising the next generation of leaders, Thayer is a builder at heart—and a force behind one of the most strategic, data-backed movements for women in business today.

Show Notes

• Thayer’s early career in journalism, PR, and brand marketing
• How Outback Steakhouse taught her more than life insurance ever could
• Leading with ideas and learning the business behind the creativity
• Her time working with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and launching new ventures
• The moment she realized her creative gift is building within structure
• Building The Collective and launching The Collective Think Tank
• What it looks like to scale advocacy into a global business
• Why women’s sports are watchable, sponsorable, and investable
• The next wave of investment and innovation in women’s sports
• Passing the torch—her daughter’s journey founding a flag football league
• Why collaboration wins over competition
• What it really means to give yourself permission

Quotable Moments

 "The faster you can learn what your particular gift is, the faster you can run to wherever you should be"
 "Permission granted—to say no, to change your mind, to want more or less"
 "Women's sports are not a cause. They are a business"
 "You don't need to wait for a seat at the table. You can build your own"

Guest Contact Info

Name: Thayer Lavielle
Title: Managing Director, The Collective at Wasserman
Website: www.wearethecollective.com/5years
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thayer-lavielle
Instagram: @thayerlavielle
The Collective Instagram: @wearethecollective
Email: [email protected]

Additional Media
Women Business Collaborative
Instagram: @womenbusinesscollaborative
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wbcollaborative

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Corporate life gave Marissa Rodriguez a title but not the freedom she craved. After a sudden layoff in 2015, she chose a different path that led her to build a powerful eCommerce consulting business, generate over $100 million in client revenue, and eventually relocate to Greece. In this episode, Marissa shares her journey from fashion retail to direct to consumer strategy, offering practical insights for founders navigating the noisy world of online business. She breaks down why paid traffic and email marketing still outperform trends, why founders must treat eCommerce as its own business model, and how personal agency is the ultimate success metric. You’ll also hear how a solo trip sparked deep transformation, how to build scalable systems without full time staff, and why betting on yourself is always worth it. This conversation is part strategy, part mindset, and a full masterclass in designing a life and business that actually work.

Key Notes:

• The real math behind eCommerce success: traffic, conversion, and retention
• Why social virality is not a business strategy—and what to do instead
• How Greece became Marissa’s home and expanded her vision of success
• The power of solitude, surrender, and betting on yourself
• Reframing eCommerce as a trade and a path to peace, not just profit
• What founders get wrong when shifting from retail to online sales
• Why talent strategy in eCommerce is everything—and how solopreneurs can scale
• The future Marissa is building: peace, purpose, and a global entrepreneur community

Connect with Marissa Rodriguez:

Website:
https://throughexperience.com

About Page:
https://throughexperience.com/about

Instagram:
@throughexperienceofficial

Facebook:
Through Experience

LinkedIn (Marissa Rodriguez):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissa-rodriguez-6192b327

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Summary

Min Ju Kim, founder of Zasin, joins the podcast to share her inspiring journey from D1 golfer to multi-venture entrepreneur. Born in South Korea and raised across three countries, Kim brings global perspective, grit, and creative vision to her mission of empowering women through sportswear, self-expression, and storytelling.

She discusses launching Zasin, a pre-seed women’s golf athluxury brand challenging the male-dominated sportswear industry; Juju on the Gem, a luxury tooth gem and creative styling business; and her work in digital marketing. Kim dives into cultural identity, mentorship, and entrepreneurship, revealing the personal battles she faced—from breaking parental expectations to bootstrapping her ventures while working as a restaurant server in NYC.

Listeners are left with a core message: what you don’t change, you’re choosing—a reminder that daily habits and courageous choices shape our futures.

Notes

The Guest

• Min Ju Kim (goes by “Kim” or “Juju”)
• Former D1 collegiate golfer
• Founder of three ventures:
  • Zasin: women’s golfwear brand merging fashion, culture, and functionality
  • Juju on the Gem: creative styling and tooth gem adornment brand
  • The Kim Standard: freelance and UGC digital marketing consulting

Key Topics

• Entrepreneurial Motivation: Finding purpose beyond the golf course; balancing cultural expectations with personal ambition
• Zasin’s Mission: Solving the lack of fit, functionality, and female-focused design in golfwear
• Cultural Identity: Integrating Korean heritage with Western creativity and New York hustle
• Creative Networking: How a party conversation led to a feature in a South Korean golf documentary
• Bootstrapping and Grit: Serving at a Manhattan restaurant to fund a dream
• Mentorship Matters: The impact of women role models like Natalie on Kim’s journey
• Mindset and Habits: Lessons from Atomic Habits and half-marathon training—how discipline builds identity

Wisdom from Kim

• "What you’re not changing, you’re choosing."
• "I prioritize progression over perfection."
• "Your story is your strength."

Contact & Resources

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/miinjjkim
Instagram: @miinjjkim
Brands:

• Zasin (Women’s Golfwear, in pre-seed)
• Juju on the Gem
• UGC & Marketing: The Kim Standard
• Lookbook 1
• Lookbook 2
• Zasin Product Deck

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Holly Oldham built a luxury cleaning business out of grit, grief, and one life-changing poem. After leaving a toxic marriage with just $100 in her wallet, Holly didn’t just survive, she created PRMF Cleaning (Pause Reflect Move Forward) and redefined what success looks like on her own terms. Today, she’s a sought-after house manager, janitorial sales coach, comedic poet, and advocate for safe, thriving spaces inside and out.

In this episode, Holly brings fire, humor, and hard-won wisdom. She shares how being authentic, charging her worth, and turning pain into purpose helped her build a business that funds her freedom. Whether she’s cleaning million-dollar homes, writing dirty poetry, or teaching other cleaners to scale, Holly’s message is crystal clear: your mess can be your movement.

Show Notes

Inside this episode:

• The origin of PRMF: from poem to tattoo to business philosophy
• How Holly turned housework into high-ticket house management
• Her $10K tip story and why value always wins over volume
• Creating clean, non-toxic environments that heal more than just dust
• The truth about divorce, parental alienation, and financial independence
• Her program Solo Cleaner to Essential House Manager and why most cleaners are leaving money on the table
• Cannabis, comedy, and the confidence to take up space; even in gold heels at 7:30am networking events

Favorite Holly-isms:

• “I left with $100 and came back better, never bitter.”
• “You’re not paying me to clean your house. You’re paying me for the feeling when your house is clean.”
• “The more you charge, the less bullshit text messages you get.”
• “I'm not smoking to get high. I'm smoking to get by.”
• “Being myself pays more than being agreeable ever did.”

Resources & Mentions:

• Holly’s Coaching Program: Solo Cleaner to Essential House Manager
• PRMF Cleaning: prmfluxurycleaning.com
• Good Men Project article: The More Gratitude You Speak, The Better You’ll Feel

Connect with Holly

Website: prmfluxurycleaning.com
LinkedIn: Holly Oldham
Instagram: @pausereflectmoveforward
TikTok: @pausereflectmoveforward
YouTube: Pause Reflect Move Forward
Facebook:

• Official Page
• Community
• PRMF Cleaning

__________

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

 What happens when a biotech executive follows a spiritual calling and decides to build a new kind of wellness app? You get SoulPod. In this conversation, Crystal Cassidy shares how her decades-long career in pharmaceutical science, combined with a lifelong meditation practice and a near-death experience, led her to create a platform at the intersection of neuroscience, spirituality, and technology. We talk about what it means to build a purpose-driven business, how she navigated the early product journey without a technical background, and why she believes the future of human development lives inside the space she calls SoulTech.

Show Notes:

 In this episode, we cover:

 • Crystal’s transition from genomic diagnostics and IPO-level biotech teams to building her own consumer platform
 • Why SoulPod is not a traditional mindfulness app and how it’s creating space for deeper mystical and energetic experiences
 • What it really took to bootstrap development, find a technical cofounder, and grow a values-aligned team
 • The role of experimentation, A/B testing, and structured user interviews in refining product-market fit
 • How personalization, AI, and energetic mapping are influencing SoulPod’s next wave of features
 • Why staying connected to your mission matters more than following conventional startup paths
 • The hard truths about fundraising as a female founder in wellness and deeper tech spaces
 • Crystal’s long-term vision as a leader, content creator, and future sci-fi author

Connect with Crystal:

 Website: https://www.soulpodapp.com
LinkedIn: Crystal Cassidy | SoulPod
Instagram: @soulpod_app

Contact:

 Crystal is currently growing her team and exploring strategic partnerships. If you’re a mission-aligned growth strategist or just someone who believes in the future of conscious technology, reach out through SoulPod’s website.

Like what you heard?

 Please rate, review, and follow Badass Women in Business on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for listening and stay badass.

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Brittany Smith and Janki Patel are the powerhouse duo behind Jump Ahead Pediatrics. What started as a shared dream between two burned-out therapists became a multi-state staffing agency serving schools with over 100 employees. In this episode, they walk us through how they bootstrapped their way from a $250 rental space to building a mission-driven business that puts people first. They talk openly about leadership challenges, lessons learned, and how they continue to grow while staying rooted in values and trust. This episode is a blueprint for anyone building something real with someone they trust.

Episode Notes

Meet Brittany and Janki
Co-founders of Jump Ahead Pediatrics, Brittany and Janki built a multi-state therapy staffing agency from scratch. Their business places OT, PT, speech, and support professionals in schools that need them most.

Bootstrapped with Purpose
With no outside funding, they launched using personal savings, donated equipment, and community support. Every early win was reinvested back into the business.

Partnership and Leadership
Their 50/50 partnership is built on trust and balance. They lead with intention, grow through coaching, and prioritize people and culture in every aspect of the business.

What’s Next
They’re expanding into adult staffing and new states, with a goal of hitting 500 employees while mentoring others on how to scale the right way.

Connect with the Founders and Jump Ahead Pediatrics

Website: jumpaheadpediatrics.com
Meet the Founders: jumpaheadpediatrics.com/about/#founders
Facebook: facebook.com/jumpaheadpediatrics
Instagram: instagram.com/explore/locations/259440741061213/jump-ahead-pediatric-therapy
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/81905361

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Christiana Marouchos and Becky Tasker are VPs at StackAdapt. Christiana leads brand and communications. Becky leads growth marketing. Together, they’ve helped shape the company’s marketing strategy, scale its team, and build a culture rooted in clarity, accountability, and equity.

In this episode, they talk about what it means to lead inside a fast-moving tech company. Christiana shares how storytelling has become the core of her approach to marketing. Becky breaks down how data and systems thinking helped her step into leadership. They both talk about imposter syndrome, learning to trust your voice, and what they’ve learned about building and managing teams that deliver.

This is a conversation about doing the work, leading with intention, and staying grounded when things move fast.

Show Notes

Guests

• Christiana Marouchos, VP of Marketing at StackAdapt
• Becky Tasker, VP of Growth Marketing at StackAdapt

Topics covered

• How Christiana and Becky moved from individual contributors into VP roles
• What it looks like to lead large teams through change
• Why storytelling matters in marketing, even in tech
• The difference between management and leadership
• How to navigate misalignment and hold people accountable
• Personal lessons on imposter syndrome, reflection, and coaching
• Creating equity on your team through simple, clear systems

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is about being clear, listening carefully, and showing people how their work fits into the bigger picture
• You do not need to have every answer to raise your hand for a new opportunity
• Feedback, context, and support go further than assumptions and control
• If you want to be seen as a leader, stop doing the invisible work and start owning the outcomes

Contact

Christiana Marouchos
LinkedIn

Becky Tasker
LinkedIn

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

What if the key to healing, happiness, and confidence was already inside you—and all it needed was a song? In this powerful conversation, Julia Williamson and her daughter Maddy Monacelli of Sing to Thrive share how singing and sound can rewire the brain, release trauma, and reconnect us to our most authentic selves.

Julia opens up about overcoming childhood trauma, addiction, and corporate burnout to create a life filled with purpose and music. Maddy reveals how even growing up in a musical and healing household didn't stop her from battling limiting beliefs of her own. Together, they’ve created a method that blends science and soul to help others reclaim their voices and thrive.

Whether you're curious about sound healing, looking for a joyful approach to personal growth, or simply craving more authenticity in your life, this episode delivers the tools and inspiration to start.

Show Notes:

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Sing to Thrive began and where it's going next
• The link between your voice, your nervous system, and your emotional well-being
• How singing activates positive neuroplasticity and influences gene expression
• Why freeing your voice helps you speak your truth and live in alignment
• The science and spirituality of sound as a healing modality
• How Past Age Clearing and Healing helps release generational trauma
• What it looks like to run a heart-centered business as a mother-daughter team
• Simple practices to start using your voice as a daily healing tool

Powerful Quotes from Julia and Maddy:

Resources and Mentions:

• Sing to Thrive Website
• Sing to Thrive on Spotify
• YouTube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Connect with Julia and Maddy:

• Website: singtothrive.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Follow on Social Media: @singtothrive on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube

Your voice is not just a sound. It is a powerful tool for healing, connection, and transformation. This conversation is your invitation to start using it.

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com

Send us Fan Mail

Brilliant scientist, neuro‑psychiatrist, amputee, and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Ishnella “Ish” Azad has never met an obstacle she wouldn’t charge. Growing up in a family of Sikh real‑estate investors, Ish juggled three science degrees at the University of Houston while co‑founding 5Rivers Commercial Real Estate with her father. After residency at UCLA and Cedars‑Sinai she walked away from medicine to scale the firm to 4.2 million sq ft and $550 million in assets, raising $70 million from 120 everyday investors along the way.

A life‑threatening infection and leg amputation could have ended the story. Instead, Ish doubled down, buying the largest shopping center in Georgia and pivoting into data centers through her technology platform, Data Journey. Today she is closing on $200 million in digital infrastructure, championing Chillirack’s energy‑cutting innovation, and blazing a path for women, minorities, and the middle class to build generational wealth.

Key Takeaways

• How a side hustle in college became 5Rivers CRE, now approaching a one‑billion‑dollar portfolio
• Lessons from raising $40 million in cash in three and a half months, investor by investor
• The power of resilience: 11 surgeries, an amputation, and the mantra that kept her moving
• Why Ish invites teachers, nurses, truck drivers, and architects to the cap‑table rather than whales
• Data centers as the “new shopping malls” and why infrastructure investing matters post‑COVID
• Investing in Chillirack to slash data‑center energy use by 50 percent and double rentable space
• Faith, service, and Sikh principles that fuel her mission to lift the middle class
• Career No. 5 on the horizon: politics, publishing, and a louder megaphone for equity

Mic‑Drop Quote
“Life will knock you down, but if you aren’t dead, just get up.”

Resources & Links

• Data Journey: https://www.datajourney.com
• 5Rivers Commercial Real Estate: https://www.5riverscre.com
• Chillirack technology: https://chillirack.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ishnella-kaur-azad-0524a38/

Connect with Dr. Ishnella Azad

• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ishnella-kaur-azad-0524a38/

For speaking invitations, investment inquiries, or mentorship requests, reach out directly and tell Ish you heard her on the Badass Women in Business podcast.

---

Subscribe and Review
If you loved this episode, drop us a review, share it with a badass woman in your life, and subscribe to Badass Women in Business wherever you get your podcasts.

Stay badass. Stay bold. Build it your way.

Keep up with more content from Aggie and Cristy here:

• Facebook: Empowered Women Leaders  
• Instagram: @badass_women_in_business
• LinkedIn: ProveHer - Badass Women in Business
• Website: Badasswomeninbusinesspodcast.com
• Athena: athenaac.com