Gritty is the New Pretty

In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, host Krystle Edwards sits down with Brigitte O’Michaels, author of Gurl Fix Your Crown, founder of Queenmakers International, executive coach, AI consultant, and 2025 South Sound Woman to Watch, for a powerful conversation about grief, identity, self-worth, reinvention, and building again after life changes everything.

After surviving an abusive marriage and carrying unresolved grief for more than two decades, Brigitte made the decision to stop allowing pain, titles, culture, or other people’s expectations to define who she was. She shares how that transformation became the foundation for her work helping women recognize their value, advocate for themselves, build income, and get “booked, busy, and paid.”

Join us as we discuss:

• Who Are You Without the Titles?: Why rebuilding after major change often starts with separating your identity from your job, relationships, accomplishments, and the labels other people have placed on you.

• Stop Undervaluing Yourself : From asking for a raise to pricing your business, Brigitte challenges women to recognize the value they bring instead of deciding what someone else can afford before they even ask.

• AI as a Tool for Opportunity: How women can use AI to save time, create new services, increase productivity, and turn skills they already have into new streams of income.

Because sometimes grit isn’t about holding everything together. Sometimes it’s giving yourself permission to rebuild differently.

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel: follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who needs the reminder that one broken dream is never the end of dreaming.

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In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, host Krystle Edwards sits down with LaEisha Howard, former C-suite executive, author, and founder of 12/14 Collective, to talk about leadership, identity, self-advocacy, and the courage it takes to walk away from environments that demand too much and give too little in return. LaEisha shares how, corporate intimidation, motherhood, grief, and major life transitions reshaped the way she leads and why real leadership has far less to do with a title than how you show up for people.

Join us as we discuss:

• When Advocacy Has a Cost: What it means to speak up when you know something is wrong even when your career, reputation, and sense of security feel like they’re on the line.

• A Title Doesn’t Make You a Leader: Why executive status means very little without emotional intelligence, people skills, accountability, and the ability to actually lead.

• Knowing When It’s Time to Change: How motherhood, grief, boundaries, health, and identity shifts can force you to redefine success and why sometimes grit means knowing when to stop taking the hit.

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel, follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who needs the reminder that advocating for herself is leadership too.

Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build no longer has room for you to grow?

In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, host Krystle Edwards sits down with Elaine McKnight, founder of The McKnight Element, to talk about leaving the perceived safety of corporate life, grieving the identity attached to a dream job, and building a business rooted in strategy, storytelling, and cultural connection. Elaine shares how she turned years of marketing experience into a purpose-driven business that helps small businesses and nonprofits better understand their customers, reach overlooked audiences, and create marketing that feels human—not performative.

Join us as we discuss:

• When the Dream Changes: Why leaving a prestigious career can feel like losing part of your identity—and how grief can be part of professional growth.

• Marketing Is Bigger Than Social Media: How storytelling, customer experience, referrals, accessibility, and trust work together to grow a sustainable brand.

• Stop Overlooking Entire Markets: Why authentic, year-round cultural inclusion helps businesses reach customers who are ready to engage, buy, and belong.

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel—follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who’s ready to be heard.

Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com

In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, host Krystle Edwards sits down with Jen Dugard, founder of MumSafe, to talk about changing the way mothers are supported in fitness, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and beyond. Jen shares how she built an international platform by identifying an overlooked need, educating an industry, and staying committed to safe, effective exercise for mums at every stage of motherhood.

Join us as we discuss:

• Seeing the Gap — How Jen identified the overlooked need for safe postpartum fitness support.

• Educating the Market — Why building MumSafe meant helping women, trainers, and gyms understand what they didn’t know yet.

• Scaling with Purpose — How Jen grew internationally while staying rooted in trust, safety, and long-term impact.

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel—follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who’s ready to be heard.

Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com

What happens when you stop shrinking yourself and start building from exactly who you are? In this episode, Krystle sits down with Laura—better known as La Jefa Laura G—a first-gen Chicana entrepreneur, insurance broker, and advocate for immigrant and first-gen business owners. Laura opens up about navigating the in-between of culture and identity, creating a business without a roadmap, and why protecting your business is just as important as growing it. This conversation is honest, empowering, and packed with real talk for women building something bigger than themselves.

Join us as we discuss:

• The power of owning who you are — How Laura embraced her first-gen Chicana identity and turned it into the foundation of her brand, voice, and mission.
• Building a business without a blueprint — The reality of figuring out entrepreneurship in real time, leaning on mentorship, and finding community as a first-gen business owner.
• Protecting what you’re building — Why so many small business owners are underinsured, where risk gets overlooked, and how education can save entrepreneurs from costly mistakes.

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel—follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who’s ready to be heard.

Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com

In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, Krystle Edwards sits down with Jen Mueller—legendary Seattle Seahawks sideline reporter, founder of Talk Sporty to Me, and author of The Influential Conversationalist to break down real-world leadership communication skills that help women speak up at work, build confidence, and get noticed (without turning into someone they’re not).

Jen pulls back the curtain on what she’s learned from 25 years in high-pressure broadcasting, including the moment someone tried to reduce her to “just a pretty face” and how she used it as fuel instead of a full stop. You’ll walk away with practical tools for building credibility in micro-moments and using simple conversation strategies to connect faster, advocate for yourself, and be remembered whether you’re walking into a meeting, a networking event, or rubbing elbows with a potential investor.

Join us as we discuss:

• Confidence is a skill you can build: How “small wins” stack into real momentum, especially in rooms where validation is scarce.
• Presence is part of your message: Why you’re being read before you speak, and how to show up engaged, grounded, and memorable.
• Conversation strategy = career strategy: Better openers, “success statements,” and quick connection tools that help you communicate in 15 seconds flat (and keep the door open).

If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel—follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who’s ready to be heard.

Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com

In this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, Krystle sits down with business and money coach Jillian Minter to unpack why “being good with numbers” isn’t the same thing as having a healthy relationship with money. Jillian shares her journey from owning (and selling) a struggling brick-and-mortar studio through the chaos of COVID, burnout, and tough financial decisions to becoming a coach who helps women scale to high six and seven figures by shifting the thoughts that quietly run their financial life.

Together, they break down common money stories like “I’m broke,” “I can’t afford it,” and “rich people are greedy,” and show how those beliefs shape pricing, investing, visibility, hiring, and risk-taking. The episode lands on a clear takeaway: you don’t need a new personality to make more money—you need new thoughts, better language, and the courage to invest in growth. Join us as we discuss:

• Money mindset vs. money mechanics: Knowing the numbers isn’t enough
• Language that changes behavior (and outcomes): Reframing shifts you from powerless to intentional
• Scaling requires identity-level growth: The big 3 blocks Jillian sees with her clients

What does it really take to build a business when you’re young, ambitious, and done waiting for permission?

In this episode of Gritty Is the New Pretty, Krystle sits down with Dominique Dizon, founder of Belly Smoothie Co., to talk about grit, leadership, and the unfiltered reality of opening a brick-and-mortar business before 25.

From trusting the idea placed in your head to hearing “no” and finding a better room, Dominique shares how she built a brand rooted in energy, culture, and community . It not just smoothies. She opens up about burnout, balance, and the emotional crash that can come after a big launch, and why collaboration — not competition — is the real power move for women in business.

If you’re building something, dreaming bigger, or questioning whether you’re “ready” this episode is your sign.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Acting on ideas before you feel “ready” : why clarity comes after action, not before
• Leadership through culture, not control :creating a human-first work environment rooted in trust and mutual support
• The emotional reality of building from scratch: normalizing burnout, imbalance, and the post-launch crash ambitious women rarely talk about

This is a conversation about betting on yourself, building without permission, and redefining what leadership looks like when grit meets heart.

A nonprofit built from nothing.
$150K raised with hometown grit.
A company born from clarity.
Multi-million-dollar change driven from the inside out.
Amplifying women's voices across borders

I learned that Grit isn’t just endurance. Grit is frequency. It’s the signal you hold when life shifts. If you’ve ever stood at a turning point and felt the ground shift beneath you, this one is for you.

Join the movement:

• Follow on IG: @gritcitywomen + @grittyisthenewpretty + @lizrocksfoundation

• Learn more: LizRocks.com | gritcitywomen.com

If this hit home, tap ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and share with a friend who’s ready for their next big move

💫 This episode of Gritty is the New Pretty  we're talking with Sarita Valdes, visionary entrepreneur, artist, advocate, and the powerhouse behind Herbology Skincare. 🌿 From handcrafting skin-nourishing formulas using ancestral wisdom to building a thriving business with zero outside funding, Sarita’s journey is all about resilience, creativity, and trusting your vision.

As Miss Washington for America Strong, she champions radical self-trust and empowerment, showing us how transformation truly begins within. A dancer, poet, and influencer, Sarita embodies authenticity and the courage to rise even when the odds are stacked against you.

In this empowering conversation, we dive into:

• Scaling on Your Terms: How to grow your business and life without compromising your values or well-being.
•  Celebrating Wins with Grace: The importance of honoring every victory, big or small, along your journey.
• Owning Your Vision & Grit: Using creativity, resilience, and radical self-trust to turn challenges into breakthroughs.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or creative making moves, this episode is packed with insights to help you pause, celebrate, and grow on your own terms. Tune in and get ready to redefine success while witnessing how grit, purpose, and heart are the ultimate formula for thriving. ✨