Welcome to the very first edition of Leading Ladies Magazine! In our debut issue, “Startup Queens: Women Turning Ideas into Empires,” we celebrate the inspiring stories of 11 extraordinary women who turned their bold ideas into thriving businesses.
These visionary entrepreneurs are more than business leaders—they are role models breaking barriers and redefining success. Through their candid interviews, they share lessons, triumphs, and dreams that show the power of resilience and determination.
Special thanks to our founders, Jessica Cristobal and Dennis Postema, whose vision brought this magazine to life. Together, we aim to uplift women leaders and inspire others to dream big and take action.
Here’s to celebrating these amazing “Startup Queens” and the empires they’re building!
Warmly,
Dennis M. Postema
Founding Editor & CEO
Jessica Cristobal
Table of Contents
Jessica Cristobal - Page 3
Marylin Dans - Page 10
Forbes Riley - Page 15
Stormy Wellington - Page 20
Bronwyn Miller - Page 25
Radmila Lolly - Page 32
Sandi Glandt - Page 38
Shamina Taylor - Page 44
Melitsa Waage - Page 51
Amanda Ferreira - Page 56
Dr. Shyrlena Bogard - Page 61
Christina Flach - Page 67
Jessica Cristobal—
The Architect of Modern Female Empowerment
There are women who break glass ceilings—and then there are women like Jessica Cristobal, who build the high-rise after the shards have settled. Visionary, entrepreneur, publisher, philanthropist, pageant queen, and First Lady of University of Miami Football, Jessica Cristobal is not just wearing many hats—she’s custom designing them and passing them out to other women along the way. As the founder of the Leading Ladies League and author of The Leading Ladies Guidebook, Cristobal isn’t simply leading a movement—she is the movement. Behind the radiance of her perfectly styled photo ops and elegant poise on global stages lies a woman whose impact is rooted not in vanity, but in vision. Jessica Cristobal’s mission goes far deeper than aesthetics or accolades. She is the architect of community, a curator of connection, and a woman whose life work is creating space for others to rise. Her signature is found in an unmistakable throughline of purpose, authenticity, and unapologetic boldness. Jessica Cristobal has made a career out of elevating women. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, to talk about failure, to question norms, or to pray through uncertainty. What makes Cristobal stand out in a sea of female empowerment figures is the authenticity behind her ambition. She is the epitome of empowerment; she’s living it, breathing it, and sowing it into communities that often get left behind.
A Movement Born From a Dinner Table
The origin story of the Leading Ladies League doesn’t begin in a conference room or a board retreat. It starts around a tiny dining table in a small Florida condo, lit by candles and filled with ambitious women from all walks of life. A yacht broker. A hotelier. A lawyer. A marketing executive. What they shared wasn’t a business plan—it was
energy. Potential. Purpose waiting to be activated.
Jessica saw the spark. And more importantly, she acted on it.
That night in 2008 was a small social circle that became the catalyst to an entire movement. One built on shared vision, meaningful connection, and collective power. Jessica took her love for hosting, her flair for production, her background
in media, and fused it with a deeper calling: to elevate women with style, soul, and significance, while giving back to the community.
“I created what I wished existed when I was finding my way,” Cristobal wrote in The Leading Ladies Guidebook. And indeed, the League became exactly that—a hybrid between mentorship circle, personal development incubator, and sacred sisterhood.
Businesswoman with a Megaphone for Meaning
Before the League, Jessica Cristobal was already a force in media and advertising. As president of two luxury lifestyle magazines and a publisher of a megayachting publication, she was shaping narratives for the elite. She mastered high-end branding, sales strategy, and executive leadership in a world where appearance was everything. But rather than getting lost
in it, she learned how to use that world as a platform— and then pivoted toward purpose.
“I loved the power, the deals, the opulence,” she reflects, “but I knew there was more. I wanted my work to transform lives in a healing, tangible way, not just promote ultra wealthy lifestyles.”
That mindset became the DNA of the Leading Ladies League—and now, the pages of Leading Ladies Magazine. Where others saw networking events, Jessica
saw an opportunity to build community.
Where others saw women competing for visibility, she saw an opportunity for collaboration, compassion, and legacy-building.
She understood early what few dare admit: success without service is hollow. Her career is evidence that one woman’s vision, backed by values and spiritual alignment, can ripple across industries and generations.
The Spiritual Spine of Leadership
Jessica Cristobal’s leadership is rooted in her joy of elevating women, and more importantly, faith.
That’s perhaps the most unexpected and refreshing aspect of her journey. In a culture where ambition is often secularized and spirituality hidden behind closed doors, Jessica walks boldly with both. Her days begin with prayers of gratitude, her decisions are filtered through divine timing, and her strategy
meetings are often preceded with worship music.
“I don’t move unless I feel it spiritually first,” she says. “Faith isn’t just a Sunday thing. It’s my all day, everyday compass to every aspect of my life.”
She teaches women that spiritual alignment is the very foundation of success. Through her guidebook, her events, and her private coaching, she outlines a
radical, faith-forward approach to growth:
visualize it, speak it, believe it, pray about it, act on it, and trust God with the outcome.
That faith hasn’t made her path easy—but it’s made it clear.
Whether she’s dealing with high-stakes negotiations or managing the unpredictable rhythm of life in a major college football program, Jessica returns to what grounds her: Holy Spirit alignment, stillness, and service to others.
Redefining Influence— One Role at a Time
Wife. Mother. Mentor. Philanthropist. Media CEO. Mrs. Florida International. These roles are often treated like separate identities in the public sphere. But for Jessica Cristobal, they are harmonized into one cohesive mission: to model what is possible for women who want it all—and on their terms.
She speaks candidly about the challenges of transition—leaving a media career to focus on motherhood, managing intense travel while raising two boys, adjusting to the volatility of a football lifestyle that’s public, unpredictable, and high-pressure.
But in those challenges, she’s uncovered profound truths.
“I tell women all the time— you don’t have to be one thing,” she says. “You don’t have to shrink to fit one box. God didn’t give you all these gifts to keep them compartmentalized.”
Her own life is a masterclass in multidimensional womanhood.
She’s on stage one day in designer heels representing Florida on an international pageant platform, and the next day, she’s at home preparing for a colossal football season, driving her teenage sons to school, sports or social events, and organizing an elegant mentorship brunch at her home for at-risk girls. Her schedule is wildly intense, but it is intentional and curated.
The Legacy is the League
Ask Jessica about her proudest accomplishments, and she doesn’t mention awards or titles. She talks about the women. The thousands of women who have walked into her events tired, discouraged, playing small, and walked out lit up, recharged, connected to a calling they had nearly forgotten.
“I live for the moments when a woman finds her
voice again,” she says. “That’s what legacy looks like to me.”
Leading Ladies League is now more than a movement. It’s an ecosystem. It connects corporate executives with aspiring entrepreneurs. It pairs high-profile mentors with women navigating life transitions. It hosts galas, roundtables, and brunches with substance.
The League raises money for youth-focused charities. It sponsors scholarships. It invests in the emotional, professional, and spiritual wellbeing of its members. And its ripple effect is growing.
One woman finds her spark. She brings three more. They ignite ten. That’s Jessica’s math. That’s how she’s scaling transformation.
Power With a Pulse
What separates Jessica Cristobal from many empowerment leaders is her pulse on the human condition. She speaks in relatable soundbites— from experience, from wins, from hard-earned wisdom. She is polished but unfiltered. Refined but real. Confident but disarmingly vulnerable.
In her book, she shares stories of fear, financial hardship, impostor syndrome, heartbreak, reinvention, and how each moment became part of the blueprint. Her voice resonates because it is not sanitized. It is spiritual, strategic, and soul-baring.
She talks about “vibrating higher” not as a social media slogan, but as a philosophy for energy, environment,
and execution. She teaches women that spiritual living is about speaking abundance and healing over your life, how to honor your body, how to edify those around you, and how important it is to choose gratitude.
“Your vibe is your brand,” she says. “Protect it.”
The Next Chapter Is You
Jessica Cristobal’s rise is an open invitation to a limitless world of growth and opportunity for women who seek MORE.
Her magazine, her book, her platform—none of it is about her. It’s about you.
The woman reading this article. The woman who has shelved her dreams. The woman who has
accepted mediocrity as a compromise. The woman who knows deep down she’s meant for greatness, but just needed someone to say, “It’s time.”
Well, Jessica is saying it. Your time is now.
Whether you’re a CEO or a stay-at-home mom, a twenty-something entrepreneur or a fifty-something reinvention story, Jessica Cristobal is here to tell you that you are not behind, you are not too much, and you are not alone.
You are a leading lady. And your light, your dreams and your story—is exceptional and is necessary to this world.
Marylin Dans — The Woman Who Chose Purpose Over Property and Sparked a Global Health Revolution
Every once in a while, a woman makes a decision so bold, so irrevocably purposeful, that it re-frames what leadership looks like. Marylin Dans is one of those women.
Wischhover, Cheryl. “Do We Need an At-Home ‘Breast Health Familiarity Assistance Tool’?” Racked, Racked, 1 June 2018, www. racked.com/2018/6/1/17417214/pink-luminous-breast-screening-tool-breast-cancer-transillumination.
She Sold the Shoreline and Bought a Future
Before launching what is now one of the world’s most impactful health tech companies, Dans held a portfolio of multi-million-dollar waterfront properties. By all accounts, she had it made. But where most saw security, she saw a glass ceiling. And where others might hesitate, she acted.
“I sold everything,” she recalls. “I invested in what I truly believed in—before anyone else saw the vision.”
That vision was a handheld light-based device that would give women across the globe access to early breast abnormality detection, from the privacy of their own homes. It was radical. It was personal. It was necessary.
“I knew that if I wanted others to take it seriously, I had to go first,” she says. “It wasn’t just a financial risk—it was a statement of purpose.”
That conviction was forged years earlier, when a 17-year-old Marylin found a lump in her breast. The moment marked a before-and-after in her life. Not just because of the fear, but because of the realization that too many women wouldn’t know what to look for, where to go, or how to access care.
That experience didn’t just plant a seed. It lit a fire.
Today, Marylin is the Founder and CEO of Luminous Global, a Miami-based company delivering patented, peer-reviewed breast health technology into the hands
of women. Her device—the first of its kind—has been registered in the U.S., U.K., EU, and Canada. And the mission? It’s gone international.
From keynote addresses in Vienna and Prague to community-led medical missions in Haiti and El Salvador, Marylin has turned her private pain into global purpose.
That success started with intuition.
“When you’re aligned with something bigger than yourself, it’s not just a thought,” she says. “It’s a full-body knowing. I could feel it in my spirit, see it in my mind, and envision the lives it would impact.”
And that inner conviction? It got louder than the doubt.
Power, Stillness, and the Art of Protecting Vision
Marylin Dans doesn’t lead with volume. but rather with frequency.
“I want my presence to be felt before I speak,” she says. “Power isn’t loud. It’s purposeful. Sincere.”
Her leadership style is rare—grounded, intentional, almost spiritual in its refinement. She doesn’t flood rooms with ego. She pulls them into calm resonance. That approach isn’t just preference—it’s strategic.
“When the world gets loud, Imeditate,” she says. “I recalibrate. I protect the Slaughter, Carece. “Empowering Awareness: Marilyn Dans on Living Proactively with the Pink Luminous Advocacy Project.” Resident Magazine, resident.com/business-leader/2024/10/29/empowering-awareness-marilyn-dans-on-living-proactively-with-the-pink-luminous-advocacy-project. Accessed 3 July 2025.
“I’ve learned to pause before sharing an idea,” she explains. “Not everyone deserves to hear your vision.”
She distinguishes between curiosity and commitment —a nuance that’s become a sacred boundary in her leadership.
“When I ignore that instinct, I waste energy. I’ve learned to treat my work as sacred. And that means being discerning about who’s ready to receive it.”
This principle—of treating purpose as precious— extends to every layer of her business.
At Luminous, intention is everything. Whether speaking with hospitals in Spain or supporting a rural village in Honduras, Marylin moves with reverence. She asks questions before offering solutions. She listens—not just to
people, but to energy, timing, and the rhythm of understanding.
“Not everyone will feel your excitement right away,” she says. “They haven’t lived with the vision the way you have.” That lesson taught her the art of leadership: how to slow down and lead people into a new frequency—one moment, one conversation at a time.
And when the weight of the mission feels overwhelming —as it inevitably does for a woman leading global health innovation—she doesn’t push harder. She retreats. Inward.
frequency that allows me to operate at my highest level.”
This stillness isn’t a break from leadership. It is leadership.
That’s how she sustains momentum without burnout, clarity without chaos. In a space where the stakes couldn’t be higher—women’s lives —she understands that purpose, when fueled by stillness, becomes precision.
Building a Movement, Not Just a Company
Marylin Dans not only launched a product. She built a movement. And every aspect of Luminous Global reflects her refusal to separate profit from purpose.
The Luminous device is only one part of her impact.
In 2019, she launched the Breast Awareness App—the first unisex, multilingual self-exam guide, supported by the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation. It’s now used internationally to guide people through breast health with compassion and clarity.
She also leads the Luminous Society, which funds screenings and diagnostics for women in need, and the Luminous
Advocacy Project, a nonprofit delivering education and care to underserved populations across Central America and the Caribbean.
In 2025, Marylin was named a Woman of Impact by the American Cancer Society and recognized globally for her visionary leadership.
Her work has been featured on Fox, Univision, Telemundo, and in publications like Haute Living, Selecta Magazine, and Oncology Fellow. But for Marylin, the awards are not the goal.
“Being of service changes you on a cellular level,” she says. “It doesn’t just impact others—it transforms you.”
That’s her favorite mantra. And it’s visible in every layer of her work.
So how does she describe herself?
Passionate. Resilient. Love.
Not “loving.” Love—in its most essential, radiant form.
That’s who she is. That’s how she leads. And that’s why women across the world are safer, stronger, and more informed—because one woman chose to walk away from certainty and into a mission that demanded everything.
She didn’t wait for permission.
She became the vessel. And now, she’s rewriting the narrative of women’s health, one luminous conversation at a time.
Redirect Notice, www.google.com/url?sa=i&=&url=https://m.famousfix.com/post/big-mommas-house-14494431&=&psig=AOvVaw3zYz35f8SruPsxE9swyY8j&=&ust=163 5700480267000&=&=&cd=vfe&=&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCKDJmqLR8vMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAQ. Accessed 3 July 2025.
Forbes Riley — The Queen of Pitch, Power, and Purpose
There’s a reason the world knows Forbes Riley as the Queen of Pitch. She has sold everything from fitness gear to transformational dreams, generating over $2.5 billion in sales through 197 infomercials and decades of television. But that’s just the headline. The real story? It’s not about sales at all. It’s about belief.
From Selling Products to Building a Digital Dynasty
After a career spent dominating live shopping networks, Riley made a seismic shift — one that stunned the industry but felt inevitable to her. She moved into online coaching. But not alone. She did it with her daughter, Makenna — merging two generations of intuition, grit, and vision into something more powerful than either could build alone.
“People thought I was crazy to leave my lane,” Riley says, smiling. “But I knew. The
world was changing. And my daughter? She wasn’t just smart — she was ready.”
That move — from product pitching to people empowerment — didn’t just evolve Riley’s business. It ignited a legacy.
Together, she and Makenna co-founded a digital coaching empire, fusing Forbes’ decades of mastery with her daughter’s cutting-edge insight. And in doing so, they redefined the coaching space. It’s not about rah-rah motivation. It’s about radical transformation — the kind that happens when someone teaches you how to own your voice, flip
the script on fear, and start selling yourself on the life you deserve.
“I used to pitch products,” Forbes says. “Now I pitch people — on their greatness, their gifts, their future.”
That pivot not only redefined her brand. It reconnected her to her deeper why — the one that started decades earlier, sitting beside her father in a hospital bed, making a promise that she would make something of herself not just for her own sake, but for every underdog out there.
Direct, Midvale. “TV Celebrities Forbes Riley and Kevin Harrington Unlock the Million Dollar Secret for Entrepreneurs!”
TV Celebrities Forbes Riley and Kevin Harrington Unlock the Million Dollar Secret for Entrepreneurs!, 14
“New Retails $65+ Spingym: The Best at-Home Resistance Trainer to Burn Fat Fast! Pink.” The Warehouse Liquidation, thewarehouseliquidation.com/products/new-retails-65-spingym-thebest-at-home-resistance-trainer-to-burn-fat-fast-pink. Accessed 3 July 2025.
The Rituals of a Relentless Woman
For someone known for her fire, it’s not surprising that ritual plays a central role in Riley’s day. But hers isn’t a passive practice — it’s a full-body declaration.
“I start every day by pitching to myself,” she says. “Yes, out loud. Before I speak to anyone else, I speak to me.”
Each morning, she affirms her vision. She declares the woman she is becoming. Then she grabs her SpinGym — an invention of her own — and moves her body with purpose. It’s more then just about staying fit, but also about igniting her focus.
“Without my morning ritual,” she says, “there’s chaos. With it? I’m unstoppable.”
Forbes’ approach to leadership is visceral and stand out. She doesn’t talk confidence — she walks it, speaks it, lives it. And the intention behind every movement, every sentence, every pitch, is crystal clear: transformation starts within.
That presence extends into every space she enters — whether a stage, a boardroom, or a Zoom call.
“I want the room to shift when I enter,” she says. “Not from ego — from presence. I want women to sit up straighter, men to lean in, and everyone to feel like something extraordinary is about to happen.”
But that magnetic power isn’t about performance. It’s about purpose. She dresses like she respects the moment. She speaks like
she owns her worth. She connects from the heart, not the script.
“I show up as the highest version of me,” she says. “Because anything less wouldn’t honor the mission.” And that mission? It’s not to save everyone. It’s to awaken the ones ready to rise.
“I had to learn the hard way that you can’t want it more for someone than they want it for themselves,” she reflects. “I used to pour everything into people hoping they’d step up. But leadership isn’t about dragging people. It’s about empowering the willing.”
That lesson changed everything. Now, she offers the path, the tools, the fire — but she no longer carries those unwilling to walk.
A Legacy Built on Permission and Possibility
The deeper you go into Forbes Riley’s story, the more you realize: this isn’t about entrepreneurship. It’s about liberation. Every coaching program, every pitch training, every live video she films at midnight for the woman watching with tears in her eyes — it’s all an invitation.
An invitation to stop waiting for permission and start giving it to yourself.
“My favorite mantra?” she says. “Don’t wait for permission. Give it to yourself.”
It’s more than just a slogan. It’s a spiritual imperative. And it’s the core of everything she teaches inside Forbes Factor, her transformational brand, where thousands have learned how to speak with clarity, lead with confidence, and finally make the money they know they’re capable of. But for all her accolades —
from being a 2x TEDx speaker to her induction into the National Fitness Hall of Fame, to receiving the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award — Forbes is clearest about the moments that don’t get posted.
The late-night brainstorms with Makenna.
The raw livestreams where she cries alongside her audience.
The message from a single mom who found her voice again after one of Forbes’ coaching calls.
That’s the real legacy. That’s the real Forbes.
When the pressure rises and stakes feel crushing, she doesn’t retreat.
“I go back to my roots,” she says. “To that promise I made to my dad. To that single mom watching my livestream, desperate for hope. To my daughter, who’s building this dream with me.”
Because in Riley’s world, the pitch isn’t about selling a product.
It’s about selling people on the truth that they are already powerful enough — they just need to remember. She describes herself in three words:
Unstoppable. Magnetic. Visionary.
We’d add: Disruptive. Grounded. Fireproof.
In a world where women are told to be smaller, quieter, less intimidating, Forbes Riley walks into every room and reminds us what happens when a woman owns her power loudly.
Not for attention. But for impact.
She didn’t wait for a green light. She became it.
And now? She’s passing that torch to every woman ready to rise.
Stormy Wellington — Feel-Good Power, Spiritual Wealth, and the No-Filter Truth of a ModernDay Harriet Tubman
Stormy Wellington is no stranger to transformation, but the most pivotal shift in her career wasn’t about strategy or scale. It was about stripping everything away and leading from her truest self.
“The boldest decision I ever made?” she says. “Being my authentic self. Every time I stay organic and authentic, I win. Every time I try to be what others expect me to be, I lose.”
And when Stormy says “authentic,” she means the real thing. Not the Instagram-filtered version. Not the curated story. She’s been through it — foster care, stripping, survival hustles. She speaks about it openly because that is the foundation of her leadership: truth without shame.
Bronner, Christina, et al. “Stormy Wellington: The Unstoppable Force of Empowerment -.” Upscale Magazine - The Successful Experience, 6 Sept. 2024, upscalemagazine.com/stormy-wellington-the-unstoppable-force-of-empowerment/.
Authenticity Over Everything: The Moment She Took Off the Mask
When she made the decision to build from her own voice — not the market’s — everything shifted. Her brand exploded. Her community deepened. Her message landed.
And how did she know it was right?
“It felt good to me,” she says. “It worked before — too many times to count. When
I lead from what’s real for me, everyone around me wins.”
Stormy doesn’t lead with formulas. She leads with frequency. And that frequency is feeling good.
It’s not simply a catchphrase, it’s her strategy.
“Feeling good is a strategy,” she repeats. “Everything I want — clarity, results, connection — it comes when I feel good. So I make that my priority.”
That means she runs her life
like a business. She wakes up with a system. She ends her day with structure.
Boundaries are in place. Energy is protected.
“My life is a system,” she says. “I don’t go outside of it for anyone.”
When she honors that rhythm? She’s unstoppable. When she doesn’t? “I feel powerless. Confused. Sad. Discouraged. My self-esteem drops. I have to honor my life system.”
Self-Awareness, Principles, and the Power of Saying “Not Yet”
Stormy Wellington is fierce — but she’s not impulsive. One of her greatest leadership lessons came not from failure, but from giving too much, too fast.
“I had to learn: don’t give people things too quick, too fast, too soon,” she says. “It’s like giving a baby a chicken leg. They can’t chew it. It’s not that the gift is bad — they’re just not ready.”
This principle reshaped her entire approach to mentorship and empowerment. She used to jump in, save, give, build
people up before they’d built the capacity. But she realized: there is wisdom in the waiting.
“People need the process. They need the experience,” she says. “I had to stop getting in the way of their growth.”
Now, she observes more than she acts. She listens more than she instructs. She lets the journey do its work. And perhaps most impressively, she applies the same level of observation inward.
“I pay attention to myself more than I pay attention to anyone else,” she says. “There was a time I watched others. Now I ask myself: What am I doing? Why? What’s the desired
outcome?”
Her goals are rarely about money anymore. They’re about alignment. Her inner compass? Principles.
“I live by principles,” she explains. “When I’m not sure about something, I ask: What principle am I tapping into?”
And that clarity trumps everything—even her own desires.
“Principles beat me every time,” she says. “When I want to do something out of impulse or ego, I go back to the principle — and it always wins.”
“Stormy Wellington: Inspiring Change through Adversity.” New York Weekly, 29 Jan. 2025, nyweekly.com/entrepreneur/stormy-wellington-inspiring-change-through-adversity/.
Light Leader, Empire Builder, Global Catalyst
Stormy Wellington isn’t just a businesswoman. She’s a movement.
With over two decades in wellness and direct sales, she’s become one of the highest-paid individuals in network marketing globally.
But she’s not just chasing figures — she’s multiplying freedom.
Her goal? To help 1,000 families become millionaires. So far, she’s guided 38 across the
finish line — and she’s just getting started.
Under her umbrella, she leads multiple ventures: from Wells CBD to her Perfect Storm skincare line to Girl Hold My Hand (GHMH) — her transformative community built on sisterhood, spiritual growth, and self-mastery.
GHMH’s flagship event, The Awakening, is one of the world’s most anticipated personal growth conferences — a space where women learn tactics, and reconnect to their soul.
She still leads meditations. She still runs her life on systems. She still starts her day asking one question: What do I want to feel today?
Because for Stormy, wealth isn’t about having more. It’s about being more.
She describes herself in three words: Powerful. Bold. Spontaneous.
Bronner, Christina, et al. “Stormy Wellington: The Unstoppable Force of Empowerment -.” Upscale Magazine - The Successful Experience, 6 Sept. 2024, upscalemagazine.com/stormy-wellington-the-unstoppable-force-of-empowerment/.
And if you’ve been in a room with her — or even scrolled through one of her unapologetically real live streams — you know it’s true. She radiates from the inside out. She lifts while she climbs. And she never — not once — waters herself down for comfort.
“I want people to feel love. I want them to feel confident. I want them to feel seen.” Stormy Wellington is what happens when a woman turns her life into a lesson, her voice into a vessel, and her principles into power.
She didn’t ask for permission to rise. She remembered she was built for it. And she’s taking thousands with her.
Mora, Michael A. “Litigant Wants Miami Judge Thrown off Case over Attorney-Husband’s Ties to Opposing Counsel.” Law.Com, Daily Business Review, 23 Apr. 2020, www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2020/04/23/042220judgemiller3rddcarecusal/.
Bronwyn Miller — The Quiet Power of a Woman Who Stood for Justice and Changed the Game
There are women whose leadership comes with microphones, podiums, and media buzz. And then there are women like Bronwyn Miller, whose power is exercised in the solemn silence of a courtroom — where every word matters, and every decision echoes in real lives.
A Gavel, A Gut Instinct, and the First Bold Step
Her journey didn’t begin with a desire for prestige. It began with a bold, almost audacious instinct: a young woman believing, against every unspoken rule and invisible ceiling, that she could serve justice. And not only as a lawyer, but also as a judge.
“I made the decision to apply to be a county court judge,” she reflects. “It was life-changing — it set the trajectory of my entire career.”
To understand the
magnitude of that move, you must consider the context. She was young. She was ambitious. And that often tells women to wait their turn, she decided to create her own table.
“Even though I was very young at the time, I believed that if I could acclimate the decision-makers to the idea that I was a suitable candidate, I could obtain an appointment,” she says — a line that encapsulates her strategic patience and courageous foresight.
That move would go on to reshape her life. More importantly, it would
establish her as a force within the legal system because she played by the rules, and she understood which ones needed to be rewritten. As a judge, Miller isn’t just upholding justice.
She is embodying it — in its most human, nuanced, and deeply compassionate form.
Her courtroom is not a battleground. It is a space for truth, healing, and accountability. And the way she leads inside that space is informed not just by legal acumen, but by profound personal experience.
The Anatomy of Resilience
It’s easy to admire public figures from a distance, to imagine that their strength is inherited or preordained. But Bronwyn Miller’s strength is not theoretical. It has been earned — carved into her character by grief, endurance, and the relentless choice to keep showing up.
“My professional journey has taught me that personal triumphs and tragedies define us,” she says candidly. “They break us down and then build us up.”
That rebuilding process has been anything but abstract. Bronwyn lost her mother unexpectedly — an emotional blow that could floor even the most resilient among us. Then, in a tragic and unthinkable twist, she endured the horrific murder
of her mother-in-law.
These experiences didn’t break her. They didn’t harden her either. They made her radically empathetic.
“Those events have informed the lens through which I view the world today,” she shares. “I have the highest level of empathy for others and perspective on what is truly important in life.”
Where detachment can often be mistaken for professionalism, Bronwyn’s approach is revolutionary. Her empathy doesn’t cloud her judgment, it clarifies it. It allows her to understand the human beings behind every case file and courtroom argument. She sees the pain beneath the posture, the story behind the offense.
Leadership, for her, is not about detachment. It’s about showing up as a
whole human being — and creating space for others to do the same.
So, how does she maintain that wholeness under pressure?
“My spirituality guides me,” she says. “And I draw strength from my family and my network of wise and dependable friends.”
Her support system is a foundation. It’s what keeps her grounded when the stakes are sky-high and the emotional toll of her work begins to mount.
But Bronwyn also relies on something simpler, more primal: running.
“Strength and perseverance are essential to survival,” she says. “I cultivate those qualities by running. It transforms your body and your mind. It requires mental fortitude and gives
When she doesn’t run, she feels it — in her clarity, her energy, her ability to lead. Movement, for her, isn’t just about fitness. Rather it’s a form of meditation. An important ritual of resilience.
And it’s in those runs, those early morning strides against pavement and gravity, that Bronwyn reconnects with herself. With her inner clarity. With the version of herself that is always moving forward — no matter the terrain.
The Presence of Purpose
Walk into a courtroom where Bronwyn Miller presides, and you won’t see theatrics. You won’t see ego or performance. You’ll see something much rarer: a woman entirely at ease in her authority, not because she needs to prove it, but because she knows who she is.
“I want people to know that I am authentic, genuine, and approachable,” she says. “We are all in this together, and I want to connect with people on an organic level.”
To some, this might sound idealistic. But in practice, it’s disarming and radical. In a field often cloaked in intimidation, Bronwyn’s warmth is her quiet power.
“I smile. I am open. I try to put people at ease,” she says — and it’s not
strategy. It’s soul.
Her presence matches her purpose because there is no dissonance between them. She doesn’t compartmentalize her leadership — she integrates it. She leads with intellect and heart. With clarity and compassion.
That duality — strength and softness, discipline and empathy — is what makes her a true Leading Lady.
Her personal mantra is a perfect distillation of her journey and philosophy:
“Keep learning, keep evolving, keep loving, and keep moving.”
This statement, for her, is a life philosophy. One that’s been tested by loss and forged in service.
Ask her to describe herself in three words,
and she offers: Collaborative. Energetic. Adaptable.
But spend any time speaking with her, and you’d likely add a few more:
Unshakable. Gracious. Visionary.
Bronwyn Miller may not occupy the stages of stadiums or the covers of beauty campaigns. But make no mistake — she is shaping lives, systems, and futures in real, tangible, and often unseen ways. Her decisions don’t make headlines. They make history.
And in a world still catching up to the idea that compassion and authority can live in the same room, she stands quietly, firmly, as living proof.
Not just a judge. Not just a survivor. Not just a leader.
But a woman who looked the system in the face, said I belong here, and then proceeded to redefine what leadership looks like from the bench.
That’s the kind of bold we need more of.
That’s the kind of woman Leading Ladies was made to celebrate.
Radmila Lolly — Couture, Courage, and the Power of Following Her Own Frequency
If Radmila Lolly were merely a classically trained opera singer with sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall, her story would already be impressive. If she were just a couture designer whose dramatic, architectural fashion pieces have graced red carpets and top fashion editorials, we’d still have plenty to celebrate. But Lolly defies the concept of “just” anything. Her life and work stretch across disciplines, identities, and genres — a living symphony of creative ambition and unapologetic individuality.
A Woman Who Refuses to Be Defined
From the stage to the runway to sports arenas, Lolly brings a disruptive and visionary presence to every room she enters. And what do people feel when she walks in?
“Open. Courageous. Powerful,” she says, with a confidence that doesn’t just sit on her shoulders — it radiates from the inside out. That presence isn’t manufactured, it’s cultivated from a lifelong
devotion to one truth: follow your heart.
“That’s the boldest decision I ever made,” she says simply. “And it’s the one that changed everything.”
For Lolly, heart-led decisions aren’t vague or romantic. They’re strategic. In fact, they’re the only way she knows how to move through the world. When asked how she knew her choices — many of which defied convention — were the right ones, she doesn’t hesitate: “When you follow
your heart, you will never have regret.”
It’s this fierce intuition, coupled with an ironclad work ethic, that sets Lolly apart in every industry she touches. And she touches many, not as a dilettante, but as a pioneer.
She’s not here to follow trends. She’s here to create new categories.
And in doing so, she’s redefining what it means to be a woman in power.
Settembre, Jeanette. “How an Opera Singer Became the NBA’s Hot Fashion Fixture with Basketball Jersey Ball Gowns.” New York Post, New York Post, 8 Apr. 2024, nypost.com/2024/04/07/lifestyle/opera-singer-radmila-lolly-scores-with-nba-ballgowns/.
Couture as Language, Music as Armor, Sport as Art
There’s something operatic about everything Radmila Lolly does — not just in the musical sense, but in the scale, the drama, the emotional intensity. Her performances aren’t recitals. They are productions — fusions of cinematic composition, avant-garde fashion, and deeply emotional storytelling.
Her original music compositions are layered and transportive, often accompanied by customdesigned couture pieces that elevate each performance into a multi-sensory event. And she doesn’t just wear fashion — she constructs
it. Lolly is the founder and creative director of Eltara Casata, a couture label that brings her musical and visual worlds together in one visceral package.
Her pieces are bold, architectural, and unmistakably hers. They have graced the pages of international fashion publications and made waves at high-profile red carpet events. Yet Lolly doesn’t design for applause. She designs to express.
“Fashion, like music, is a language,” she says. “Each piece tells a story. Each stitch is part of a larger score.”
But in classic Lolly fashion, she didn’t stop at the opera house or the catwalk. She turned her eyes to the world
of sports — not to spectate, but to transform.
Through groundbreaking collaborations with the Miami Heat and the University of Miami, Lolly began designing performance-forward fan apparel that blends couture sensibility with athletic culture. And somehow, it works. Her pieces offer a fresh visual language for the modern fan — one where loyalty, luxury, and bold design coexist.
“I wanted to bring elegance and artistic expression to the sports world,” she explains. “Why shouldn’t fashionforward fans have gear that reflects both their team spirit and their personal style?”
This kind of cross-industry experimentation is rare and risky. But for Lolly, it’s simply her nature.
“I trust the process,” she says, referring to one of her hardest-earned leadership lessons. “That’s not always easy. But it’s necessary.”
Her commitment to process is matched by her commitment to regimen. That, she says, is her greatest secret to success.
“It’s all about regimen for me,” Lolly shares. “That’s how I protect my creativity. That’s how I stay consistent.”
When asked what happens if she ever skips it, she answers with a smile: “I don’t. I always do it.”
There’s no bravado in her voice — only discipline. That discipline is what enables her to channel inspiration across mediums, continents, and industries. Where others dilute their power by dabbling, Lolly focuses and refines.
She is, in every sense of the word, a composer of sound, of fabric, of identity, and of culture.
Skope. “Radmila Lolly’s Amazing Performance at the FTX Arena.” Skope Entertainment Inc, 28 Mar. 2022, skopemag. com/2022/03/28/radmila-lollys-amazing-performance-at-the-ftx-arena.
HEAT, Miami. “The Most Fashionable Courtside Seat Holder in the NBA: Miami Heat.” The Official Site of the NBA for the Latest NBA Scores, Stats & News., NBA, 11 May 2023, www.nba.com/heat/ news/bth-the-most-fashionable-courtside-seat-holder-in-the-nba.
Faith, Frequency, and Feminine Power
While her couture dazzles and her performances leave audiences breathless, the true magic of Radmila Lolly lies beneath the surface — in her mindset, her values, and the frequency she holds herself to.
When pressure mounts and expectations rise, she grounds herself in one powerful word: faith.
“Faith is how I stay connected to my bigger why,” she says. “It reminds me that everything is unfolding for a reason.”
Indeed, her favorite mantra is deceptively simple: Everything happens for a reason. But when spoken by a woman
who has forged an entirely new career path from pure conviction, those words carry weight.
“People can feel what’s in your heart,” Lolly adds. “When I have confidence in my heart, they feel it — without me needing to say anything.”
This is how she ensures her presence always matches her purpose. There’s no costume, no performance — just congruence. Her outer world reflects her inner one. And that integrity, rare in any space, is her greatest superpower.
She describes herself in three words: Kind. Strong. Intelligent.
But there’s more to her than that. Lolly is the embodiment of contradiction in harmony — she is strength wrapped in silk, softness laced with steel, elegance paired with rebellion. She doesn’t conform to archetypes. She carves out entirely new ones.
Her brand is a frequency — one that calls to the woman who is tired of asking for permission, who is ready to blend logic with creativity, precision with poetry.
Lolly is not here to be liked. She is here to create. To influence. To move people. And she does by being and embodying what it means to lead with integrity, creativity, and conviction. Her world is one where
opera and basketball coexist. Where a red carpet is as much a stage as Carnegie Hall. Where femininity is both softness and strength.
In a cultural moment desperate for authentic icons, Radmila Lolly arrives as a woman rewriting the rules entirely.
She is not just an artist. Not just a designer. Not just a mogul.
She is a force.
A leader by example.
A woman who followed her heart — and in doing so, gave the rest of us permission to do the same.
“Florida
Grand Opera Gala.” Florida Grand Opera, givebutter.com/c/FGOGala2024/auction/items/335423. Accessed 3 July 2025.
Sandi Glandt — The Architect of Empowered Productivity
When Sandi Glandt walks into a room, you feel it. Not just her presence, but her clarity. Her confidence doesn’t demand space — it expands it. She’s the woman other women look at and think, “If she can do that, maybe I can too.” And that’s exactly what she wants.
A high-performance productivity coach, bestselling author, international pageant winner, TV host, and mother of two, Glandt has crafted a career built on clarity, systems, and a fierce devotion to helping women stop surviving and start soaring. But her journey began with a single, terrifying decision: to stop hiding and start sharing her voice — through a book, a podcast, and a national TV platform.
The Power of a Bold Move
“Writing my book and launching my show wasn’t just a business move,” she explains. “It was a declaration — that I was ready to be seen, to lead, and to help other women do the same.”
That book, Slay Your Day: How to Get More Done, Become Ultra-Productive, and Unlock Your Full
Potential, became more than a bestseller. It became a permission slip for countless women juggling business, motherhood, ambition, and burnout. Glandt wasn’t just offering productivity tips — she was redefining what it means to manage time as a modern woman.
But the boldness didn’t come easy. “I’ve always believed fear is a signpost, not a stop sign,” she says.
“If something feels scary, it probably means you need to do it.”
For Glandt, fear was the door she had to walk through to find her purpose. And once she did, her message resonated: productivity doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing what matters most with intention, discipline, and heart.
Systems, Sanity, and Slaying the Day
Sandi Glandt built her success on structure — but not the rigid kind. Her now-celebrated S3 Framework — Systems, Strategy, and Support — is a lifeline for highachieving women who are tired of spinning in chaos. It was born out of necessity.
“In the beginning, I thought I had to do it all myself,” she says. “That mindset led straight to burnout. I was overworked, overwhelmed, and nowhere near my zone of genius.”
It was a painful realization. But it became the foundation for a whole new kind of leadership — one rooted not in control, but in delegation and trust.
“True leadership is about building systems that allow other people to succeed,” she explains. “It’s not about doing everything yourself.
It’s about focusing on the work only you can do — and empowering others to do the rest.”
This shift not only changed her business — it transformed her life. And at the center of it all? A morning routine so sacred, it’s non-negotiable.
“Every day starts with movement, mindset, and fuel,” Glandt says. “I work out, review my priorities, and nourish my body. If I skip that, I feel off all day. My energy is scattered. My focus suffers.”
But when she protects that space? “I lead with clarity, not reactivity. I’m not just productive — I’m present.”
For Sandi, productivity isn’t about hustle. It’s about alignment. And she teaches women how to build lives that reflect their values — not just their obligations.
That alignment shows up in how she walks into a room — not to dominate, but to
uplift.
“When I enter a space, I want people to feel possibility,” she says. “I want to activate something in them. That’s real power.”
She’s not chasing perfection — she’s chasing purpose. Every choice, from her calendar to her clothing, is made with intention. “I often ask myself, ‘Does how I’m showing up reflect the woman I’m becoming?’ If the answer is yes, I’m on the right path.”
And when pressure hits — as it often does — she doesn’t break. She returns to her why.
“When things get hard, I remember who I’m doing this for,” she says. “My family. The women I serve. The legacy I’m building. The pressure is temporary. But the impact? That’s forever.”
Leading by Example, Living on Purpose
Sandi Glandt doesn’t simply just coach women — she champions them. Her clients don’t walk away with prettier planners. They leave with power. With structure. With space to finally breathe.
She’s a woman who wears many hats — wife, mother, business owner, speaker, TV host — and she refuses to sacrifice one identity for another. “I don’t want to be the woman who’s killing it in business but missing out at home,” she says. “I believe we can have both. We just need the right support.”
That’s where the S3 Framework comes in. It’s
not a time hack. It’s a life design system. And it’s changing lives — because it’s built on real experience.
“I’ve lived the burnout,” Glandt admits. “I know what it’s like to feel like you’re giving everything to everyone and still falling short. That’s why I’m so passionate about helping women take back control of their time — and their energy.”
It’s a message that’s resonated from Florida to international stages. As Mrs. International 2022–2023, Glandt used her platform not for pageantry, but for impact — bringing her systems and mindset tools to women around the globe.
Whether she’s coaching clients, speaking on stage, or recording another episode of the Slay Your Day podcast, one thing is clear: Sandi Glandt is walking her talk. Her life is proof that success and sustainability can coexist — if you’re willing to lead with intention.
And her favorite mantra? Fittingly, it’s the one her clients now repeat with confidence: Slay Your Day. Three words. One mission. Countless lives transformed.
So, how does she describe herself in three words?
“Determined. Supportive. Resourceful.”
But spend time in her presence, and more come to mind:
Grounded. Strategic. Visionary. Human.
Because at the heart of all the titles, platforms, and programs is a woman who knows her worth — and has made it her mission to help others know theirs too.
In a world that tells women to do more, be more, and sacrifice everything in the process, Sandi Glandt is rewriting the script:
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do what matters — on purpose, with power, and in full alignment with who you’re becoming.
That’s not just productivity. That’s leadership. That’s legacy.
Shamina Taylor — The
Wealth Mentor Who Teaches Women to Lead, Live, and Rise
Unapologetically
If you speak to Shamina Taylor for even a few minutes, one thing becomes undeniable: this woman does not play small. And she doesn’t let other women do it either. A former attorney turned Wealth Consciousness Mentor, Shamina has built an empire not just by helping women make money, but by helping them become the version of themselves who can receive it. Her work is deeply transformational, fiercely feminine, and rooted in a philosophy that blends energetic mastery with unapologetic ambition.
From Certainty to Scaling: The MillionDollar Leap of Faith
Her journey to seven figures didn’t begin with certainty. It began with a decision.
“One bold decision that completely changed the game for me,” Shamina shares, “was when I went from one-on-one coaching to a one-to-many business model.”
That meant letting go of consistent, private client income — the kind most entrepreneurs cling to as their financial lifeline — and embracing the unknown. The next month, her business boomed.
And she’s never looked back.
“I realized I was saying the same things to every client,” she says. “So I thought, why not scale this and impact more people?”
That moment of clarity sparked a transformation that catapulted her past the six-figure ceiling. She leaned into masterminds, created premium offers, and — in her own words — stopped exchanging time for money. Today, she’s helped over 51 women become millionaires, and thousands more unlock their biggest cash months.
But scaling wasn’t just about business. It was about identity.
“To grow, I had to let go of what felt secure. I had to become the version of me who could hold more, lead more, and receive more,” she says. And the key to becoming that version of herself? Embodiment.
“You have to BE what you teach,” she declares. “People say to me, ‘You’re the same in real life as you are online.’ And that’s not an accident. That’s because I live it.”
This is the through line of Shamina’s brand — integrity between words, presence, and action. When women meet her, they don’t just hear what’s possible. They feel it.
The Frequency of Wealth: How Energy Became Her Strategy
Shamina Taylor isn’t only a coach on business models — she teaches frequency alignment. Her methods are grounded in daily practices that shape her internal state before a single strategy is executed.
“My day begins with gratitude,” she explains. “Then I write my intentions. Even if it feels repetitive. That repetition builds clarity — and keeps my vision front and center.”
She also does something she calls a “daily money move.” Whether that’s checking in on her
accounts, journaling wealth affirmations, or consuming content that expands her mindset, she carves out time to tend to her wealth consciousness like it’s a muscle.
“It’s like going to the gym,” she explains. “You can’t expect results from showing up once a month. This is daily identity work.”
When she doesn’t honor this ritual?
“You get knocked off your center,” she says. “You’re more vulnerable to the energy around you. But when you’ve already activated your inner state, the outside world can’t shake you.”
It’s a bold approach, one that flies in the face of the grind-hard-or-die culture women are often fed. Shamina teaches something different: Receiving. Trusting. Embodying.
She wants women to stop waiting for permission. To stop making themselves small. And to stop apologizing for desiring more.
“When I walk into a room, I want other women to feel powerful too,” she says. “I want them to think, If she can do it, so can I. That’s how abundance grows — when one woman’s embodiment gives another
ShaminaTaylor. Shamina Taylor, 7 May 2025, www.shaminataylor.com/.
woman permission to rise.”
This philosophy is captured perfectly in one of her favorite mantras: If she can, I can. Instead of seeing successful women as competition, Shamina sees them as evidence. And she teaches her clients to do the same.
“That’s the essence of wealth consciousness,” she says. “If someone else has it, it means it’s available for you too.”
It’s not all love and light, though. Shamina has also had to navigate the tough terrain of leadership — learning to say no, to course-correct early, and to have the hard conversations when necessary.
“I used to avoid confrontation,” she admits. “But I realized that true leadership means saying the things no one else is willing to say.”
Whether it’s drawing boundaries or letting go of misaligned team members, she no longer dodges discomfort.
“Growth lives in those moments,” she says. “That’s where your next level is born.”
A Mission to Make Wealth the New Normal for Women
Today, Shamina Taylor stands at the helm of a powerful movement — one that is normalizing big money for women, not just as a possibility, but as a standard.
Her work reaches women across the globe through high-ticket masterminds, digital programs, live events, and her podcast, The Unapologetically Rich Show.
Her message? Wealth is your birthright. And it starts with who you believe you are.
“I stay connected to my why
because I’m living it every day,” she says. “I’m coaching. I’m mentoring. I’m recording. I’m sharing.”
She’s not only a mentor, she’s a vessel. A woman moved by a deep soul calling to awaken other women to their power.
“I would do this work even if I wasn’t paid,” she says. “That’s how I know I’ll never burn out. Because I lead with service. And when you lead with service, you’re fueled by something bigger than you.”
When the pressure rises, she doesn’t crack. She recommits. She reminds herself of the women who are watching. The women waiting for someone to
show them it’s safe to rise. And she shows up — again and again — as proof.
Shamina’s mantras speak for themselves:
“More is coming.” A reminder to live from abundance.
“It’s happening.” A declaration that your dreams are already in motion.
“If she can, I can.” A bridge from inspiration to embodiment.
“Messy makes me millions.” A permission slip to take action before it’s perfect.
ShaminaTaylor. Shamina Taylor, 7 May 2025, www.shaminataylor.com/.
She lives these truths. And she teaches women how to anchor into them, every single day.
So how does she describe herself?
Unapologetic. Authentic. Powerful.
And if she could sneak in a fourth?
Loving.
Because at the core of her business, her coaching, her platform, and her purpose — is love. Fierce, unwavering, radical love for women and their potential.
“I want the best for everyone in my world,” she says. “Whether they’re a client, a friend, or just someone reading my words, I want them to experience their version of abundance.”
Because for Shamina Taylor, this isn’t about money. It’s about becoming. It’s about women finally stepping into a life that feels free, aligned, and wildly rich — in every sense of the word.
Melitsa Waage — The Unstoppable Force Behind Epic Talks and Epic Faith
There’s a kind of woman who walks into a room and changes its temperature— not with bravado, but with clarity. Melitsa Waage is that kind of woman.
Betting on Herself and Building a Movement
As the founder of Epic Talks, Melitsa didn’t build her platform from a place of perfection. She built it from purpose. She didn’t wait for credentials, consensus, or a convenient time. She decided — and then she moved.
“One bold decision that changed everything for me?” she says. “Believing in myself—without hesitation or needing anyone’s permission.”
That belief, rooted in unshakable self-trust, led her to create Epic Talks, a now-renowned platform and event series that connects entrepreneurs,
visionaries, and creatives in powerful, heart-centered spaces. But it didn’t start with hype — it started with a quiet whisper of divine clarity.
“I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t wait for the perfect time. I trusted the vision and took massive action.”
Melitsa didn’t need outside validation. She had the ultimate source of permission: God. And a mission that lit her soul on fire.
“Building Epic Talks aligned with everything I love— meeting people, creating meaningful connections, helping others grow, speaking, traveling, making an impact.”
That passion gave her a compass. The clarity gave her speed.
Today, Epic Talks isn’t just an event; it’s an energy field. A gathering space where people don’t just learn business strategy — they reconnect to vision, soul, and community.
And Melitsa? She’s not at the front of the room to impress. She’s there to ignite.
“I’m just a woman with a clear vision, who knew what she wanted and had the courage to go for it,” she says. “And now I invite others to rise with me.”
Protecting Energy, Leading with Love
Behind the brand is a discipline — one that’s been meticulously designed and fiercely protected.
“I protect my energy like my life depends on it,” Melitsa says. “Because it does.”
She doesn’t say that for effect. She lives it. Her circle is curated. Her calendar is intentional. Her conversations are purpose-driven.
“I only surround myself with people who uplift, inspire, and challenge me to grow,” she says. “I don’t entertain drama. I don’t attend misaligned events. I don’t
say yes to noise.”
For Melitsa, peace is a power source, not a l uxury. And protecting it is non-negotiable.
“I wouldn’t know what happens when I don’t honor it—because I always do,” she says unapologetically. “The moment you start compromising your standards, you start shrinking your vision.”
This fierce clarity allows her to lead from a place of overflow, not depletion. She’s not hustling blindly — she’s moving in alignment.
And when she shows up — whether to a stage, a meeting, or a stranger’s first Epic Talk event — her
presence hits differently.
“I want people to feel heard. Seen. Respected. Inspired,” she says. “I’m not here to impress—I’m here to impact.” That impact doesn’t come from ego. It comes from service.
“I lead with love. Always,” she shares. “Every event, every room, every word —it all comes from a heart-centered mission to uplift and connect.”
In a world that tells women to polish and perfect, Melitsa shows up with purity. Her intention is her magnetism. She’s living proof that when you lead from love, your presence becomes unforgettable.
A Leader of Her Word and a Woman of Her Faith
Like many trailblazers, Melitsa’s growth came with hard-learned lessons. The one that hit hardest?
“If you say you’re going to do something—do it.”
In her early days, she learned that even small broken promises can erode the foundation of trust. And for Melitsa, trust is everything.
“Integrity isn’t optional,” she says. “It’s foundational.”
Now, she moves with intention. No empty hype. No overpromising. Just consistent, aligned action.
Her word is her leadership.
But perhaps the most powerful force behind her success isn’t her execution. It’s her faith.
“God is my strength. My guide. My foundation,” she says without hesitation. “When the pressure rises, I don’t rely on my own understanding—I lean into Him.”
That faith isn’t part of her brand. It’s the root of it.
“I believe God doesn’t give you a vision you can’t execute,” she explains. “If He placed it in my heart, it’s because He knew I had what it takes to bring it to life.”
That belief is the backbone
of everything she builds. It’s how she navigates uncertainty. It’s how she continues to rise, even when others can’t see what she sees yet.
And it’s how she inspires others to believe in themselves — even if all they have is a whisper of a dream and the courage to say yes.
Her favorite mantra captures the journey perfectly:
“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.”
She lives it. Breathes it. Teaches it.
So how does Melitsa describe herself?
Loving. Passionate. Relentless.
But if we could add a few more?
Fire-starter. Soul-mover. God-led.
Melitsa Waage didn’t just build Epic Talks. She built a lighthouse.
A place where leaders gather to remember who they are. Where women walk in uncertain and walk out unstoppable. Where impact isn’t just a mission — it’s a ripple.
She’s not just simply hosting events. No, rather she’s changing frequencies. And she’s doing it with love, on purpose, and in full alignment with the vision God gave her.
Amanda Ferreira — Strength Coach, Soul
Leader,
and Architect of Her Own Life
Some women rise through the system. Others walk away from it entirely to build something that reflects who they really are. Amanda Ferreira did the latter — and she did it cold turkey.
She Left the Spotlight to Build Her Own Stage
She was a successful trainer at a high-profile gym, surrounded by status, security, and prestige. But something didn’t sit right.
“I quit,” she says bluntly. “I walked away from it all — no safety net, just private clients and a vision.”
It wasn’t just a business pivot. It was an act of self-liberation.
“I knew in my gut I couldn’t have anybody else manage my days and my schedule,” Amanda recalls. “The only option was becoming my
full-time own boss.”
That decision, though bold, wasn’t impulsive. It was deeply intuitive. Amanda didn’t want to be boxed in. She didn’t want to play by someone else’s hours, someone else’s rules, someone else’s idea of impact.
So she stepped off the gym floor and into her own lane — one rooted in freedom, flexibility, and fierce alignment.
Today, as a certified health coach and professional athlete based in Miami, Amanda helps women transform physically,
mentally, and emotionally. Her method? Strength training. Mindset mastery. And non-negotiable self-respect.
“When you do what you love and work with people you believe in,” she says, “it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like purpose.”
And purpose, for Amanda, isn’t an abstract concept. It’s the barbell. The coaching call. The woman who cries after her first pull-up. The life-changing transformation that goes beyond the mirror and into identity.
Integrity, Intention, and Inner Fire
Amanda Ferreira’s leadership style isn’t built on hype. It’s built on heart. On honesty. On holding herself to a standard that never wavers.
“If I say I’m going to do something,” she says, “I do it.”
She learned the weight of her words early. As a trainer and coach, she saw just how closely people watched her — how deeply they believed her advice, her energy, her example.
“That’s when I realized,” she says, “that leadership isn’t just what you say. It’s how you live.”
Now, Amanda leads with full accountability. She
moves with intention. She doesn’t overpromise. And most of all, she protects her alignment like it’s sacred.
“I constantly ask myself: ‘Why am I doing this?’” she explains. “If the rooms I’m in and the people I’m with aren’t contributing to that bigger purpose, then I don’t stay.”
For Amanda, purpose isn’t a destination — it’s a daily filter. It’s what decides her schedule, her clients, her partnerships, even her conversations.
And that self-awareness is her superpower.
Her optimism is infectious. Her belief in others is real. And that’s what makes her so effective as a coach.
“I genuinely want to see my clients succeed,” she says. “That makes my job easy.” But when she doesn’t honor that sense of connection?
“There’s no real impact,” she admits. “No real transformation. It becomes a transaction. And I’m left unfulfilled.”
This is the difference between a trainer and a transformer. Amanda doesn’t chase metrics. She chases meaning.
She’s not just helping women get strong. She’s helping them see themselves as powerful. And she starts with one rule: protect your soul.
Purpose Over Pressure, Soul Over Success
Amanda Ferreira may be in the business of fitness, but her philosophy runs deeper than sets and reps.
When asked how she stays grounded during high-pressure seasons, her answer is stark, spiritual, and real:
“I remind myself that there’s no point in conquering the world but losing my soul.” Her work is rooted in something that transcends strategy — a knowing that her mission extends far beyond this life.
“My bigger purpose goes beyond this life itself,” she says. “That’s what keeps me aligned, no matter how high the stakes get.”
She doesn’t chase trends. She doesn’t perform for the
algorithm. She builds slow, steady, soulful momentum — and invites others to do the same.
And when she walks into a room? She wants people to feel one thing: inspired.
Not impressed. Not intimidated. Just deeply inspired.
“I’m just here to remind people that they can change everything—if they want to,” Amanda says. Her favorite quote reflects this philosophy perfectly: “If you don’t like where you are, change it. You’re not a tree.”
Simple. Clear. Empowering. Just like Amanda.
So how does she describe herself? Passionate. Confident. Strong.
And to that, we’d add: Grounded. Intentional. Real.
Amanda Ferreira is building stronger bodies and building stronger lives. She’s helping women reclaim agency, protect their alignment, and remember who they were before the world told them to shrink.
She’s not here for the spotlight.
She’s here for the impact.
And in a world full of noise, she’s the quiet, confident strength that reminds us: your best life starts with one bold move — and a belief that you don’t need permission to change it.
Dr. Shyrlena Bogard — The Architect of Feminine Longevity and the Courage to Start Over
There’s a kind of brilliance that shines brightest when it refuses to follow the rules. Dr. Shyrlena Bogard, MD, FAOG, didn’t just walk away from a successful medical career—she walked into the unknown to build something revolutionary. And she did it while the world whispered, “Are you sure?”
The “Crazy” Leap That Redefined Her Legacy
For years, she followed the traditional path. Medical school. Residency. Board certification in obstetrics and gynecology. She had the respect, the salary, the stability. But something was missing.
“I was treating symptoms, not transforming lives,” she explains. “Women were coming to me disconnected from their vitality—and traditional medicine had no real answers.”
So she made the boldest decision of her life. She left.
“I walked away from traditional OB/GYN to pioneer regenerative health and sexual wellness,” she says. “A field that barely existed when I made the leap.”
To outsiders, it looked like professional suicide. But to Shyrlena, it felt like coming home.
What pushed her over the edge wasn’t certainty. It was discomfort.
“I was more afraid of living an unfulfilled life than I was of starting over,” she admits. “The fear of staying the same became greater than the fear of change.”
That was her tipping point. And while she still wrestles with financial uncertainty and the occasional pang of doubt, one thing is clear: she is finally aligned. Her work now goes far beyond lab results and prescriptions. It touches the core of female identity — legacy, intimacy, vitality, and self-trust.
She’s offering treatment and transformation.
And she’s doing it with the precision of a clinician and the boldness of a woman who refused to be boxed in by the very system she once excelled in.
Brown, Rachel. “A Day in the Life of a Locum OB-GYN.” CompHealth, 30 June 2025, comphealth.com/resources/locum-tenens-ob-gyns.
Structure, Alignment, and the Discipline of Self-Leadership
Dr. Bogard’s new practice isn’t built on chaos. It’s built on structure. And not just business structure — internal structure.
Her mornings are sacred.
“I start every day with mental and physical nourishment,” she says. “A workout. A podcast. Positive words. That’s how I operate at my highest level.”
For Shyrlena, success didn’t come from doing more. It came from being more aligned.
But when she skips her routine? Everything suffers.
“I get reactive. My decisions come from fatigue instead of purpose. My relationships
suffer. My creativity dims. Even my confidence takes a hit.”
She’s learned that self-care isn’t vanity. It’s vitality. And more than that — it’s leadership.
“If I don’t lead myself well, I can’t lead anything else well either.”
Her core philosophy is deceptively simple: I move in alignment, not approval. It’s that clarity that helps her stay rooted — even when she doubts herself.
“There’s a delicate balance between showing up as the brand, the expert, the visionary—and staying rooted in the woman I am when the cameras are off,” she says.
Some days, she feels fully aligned. Other days, she battles imposter
syndrome like the rest of us.
But her guiding question never changes: Does this feel true?
Presence, for Shyrlena, isn’t performance. It’s energy.
“It’s about whether the energy I bring into a room reflects the mission I’ve committed my life to,” she says. “When those things match—that’s when the real impact happens.”
And perhaps the hardest leadership lesson she’s had to learn?
“Saying no to good things so I can say yes to the right things,” she says. “I used to say yes to every collaboration and speaking gig because they all seemed valuable.”
But eventually, she realized she was scattered, drained,
Brown, Rachel. “A Day in the Life of a Locum OB-GYN.” CompHealth, 30 June 2025, comphealth.com/resources/locum-tenens-ob-gyns.
and slowly drifting from her vision.
Now, she uses one simple filter: Does this move me closer to my purpose—or just keep me busy?
If it’s the latter, it’s a no. Even if it’s flattering. Even if it pays.
Because Dr. Bogard isn’t here to be visible.
She’s here to be valuable.
“6. Shyrlena Bogard: Hustle, Muscle, Sex and Medicine.” The Top Cosmetic Gynecologists, www.topcosmeticgyn.com/podcast/6-hustle-muscle-sex-and-medicine. Accessed 3 July 2025.
A New Era of Womanhood — and the Legacy
She’s Creating
Dr. Shyrlena Bogard isn’t just practicing medicine. She’s shaping the future of feminine longevity.
Her protocols blend cutting-edge regenerative therapies, hormone optimization, and lifestyle redesigns tailored to the female experience. She works with the woman who refuses to accept society’s narrative that aging means decline.
Her clients? Accomplished, powerful women who are done settling for fatigue, fog, or fizzling desire.
Her results? Lives reignited, marriages reinvigorated, and legacies redefined.
But when things get hard, Shyrlena doesn’t look
inward. She looks outward.
“I think about the women I serve,” she says. “The ones who’ve been dismissed.
Misdiagnosed. Told to just ‘deal with it.’ That’s who I show up for.”
And one more thing: her daughter.
“She’s watching,” Shyrlena says. “And I want her to know that power can look like softness. That purpose is worth the risk.”
That’s what keeps her grounded when the stakes are high. That’s what transforms pressure into clarity.
Her favorite mantra?
“This too shall pass.”
It’s the reminder that the tough seasons are temporary — but the mission is forever.
So how does Dr. Bogard describe herself?
Visionary. Resilient. Devoted.
She sees what’s possible before it exists. She rises, no matter how many times she’s tested. And she stays loyal to the women she serves—and the woman she’s still becoming.
Dr. Shyrlena Bogard is participating in the longevity conversation, but she’s also rewriting the blueprint.
Not for a select few. For every woman who has ever wondered if it’s too late to feel alive again.
She’s here to say: it’s not. Your best decade can still be ahead of you.
And she’s just the woman to walk you into it.
Christina Flach — Beauty Mogul, Wellness Pioneer, and the Business of Being Real
To most of the world, Christina Flach is the woman behind the faces that dazzle on red carpets and in fashion week front rows. But to those who know her story, Christina is much more than a celebrity makeup artist. She is a force — one who saw her vision before anyone else did, and had the courage to chase it.
Her boldest move?
“I created and owned my own brand,” she says. That decision would transform her life — and thousands of others.
From Brushstrokes to Breakthroughs: The Vision That Changed Everything
She launched Pretty Girl Makeup, became a go-to beauty expert on NBC, and from there, parlayed her presence into an entire ecosystem: her own show, I’m Too Busy; a wellness brand, ITB! Wellness; and her latest innovation, REBOOT, a supplement formulated to support gut
health and whole-body balance.
“Every step was a bold move toward claiming my vision,” Christina says. “And it’s transformed how I live, lead, and love what I do.”
This is the thread that runs through all of Christina’s work: alignment. She didn’t wait for the world to validate her ideas. She moved with clarity.
“I’ve always trusted my gut
— as a makeup artist, entrepreneur, and mom,” she says. “The outside world may take time to catch up, but that inner knowing? It’s always been my compass.” For Christina, fear isn’t a red light — it’s a signal.
“Once I learned to reframe fear as opportunity, everything changed,” she says. “Now, I welcome the discomfort. That’s where growth lives.”
Editor. “We Are All Pretty Girls Says Makeup Creator Christina Flach.” North Bay Woman, 6 Jan. 2017,
Grounded Glamour:
The Rituals That Fuel Her Radiance
Christina Flach may live in the spotlight, but her power comes from the moments no one sees — her early mornings, her spiritual rituals, her disciplined devotion to self-care.
“My mindset is rooted in gratitude and intention,” she says. “Every day, I start with stillness — prayer, journaling, meditation. That’s how I anchor before the world can pull me in any direction.”
It’s not only a mindset, It’s physiology. Christina treats wellness as a full-body practice.
“I hydrate. I move. I nourish myself. I’m careful with the
energy and conversations I allow in,” she explains.
That holistic philosophy is what inspired her to create ITB! Wellness and the REBOOT supplement — solutions that reflect her belief that beauty starts from the inside out.
“I want people to feel radiant, balanced, and energized,” she says. “And that means healing gut health, not just covering up fatigue with makeup.”
But what happens when she skips her own rituals?
“I get reactive. My clarity dims. My energy scatters. And I’m not the best version of myself for anyone — not my team, not my clients, not my family.”
She’s learned, through experience and hard lessons, that burnout doesn’t serve anyone.
“Skipping self-care in the name of productivity costs me more in the long run,” she says. “Now, I’ve made a promise to myself: protect my peace, honor my rhythms, and lead from a place of wholeness.”
That’s not just business advice — it’s leadership wisdom.
And Christina leads from presence. Not pretense.
“I check in with myself daily,” she says. “Am I aligned? Am I walking in what I believe? Because true presence isn’t about performance — it’s about energy.”
Insights, ByStories &, et al. “Life & Work with Christina Flach.” CanvasRebel Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024, canvasrebel.com/life-work-with-christina-flach/.
The Legacy of Light: Lifting Others While Living Her Truth
When Christina Flach walks into a room, she brings more than presence. She brings permission.
“I want people to feel seen. Inspired. Uplifted,” she says. “Not intimidated. Elevated.”
Her leadership philosophy is built on heart. She doesn’t just want to be the only one to shine — she wants everyone around her to shine too.
“Real power, to me, is grounded, generous, and full of light,” she says. “I want people to feel like they were wrapped in joy and love.”
But her journey hasn’t been without hard truths.
“One leadership lesson I had to learn the hard way?” she says. “Not everyone has the same heart, drive, or integrity as you.”
In the early stages of her business, she gave too
much — time, trust, effort — to people who didn’t reciprocate.
“It led to burnout. To disappointment. To having to rebuild,” she says. “But it taught me boundaries. It sharpened my instincts. And it gave me grace.”
Today, she leads from empathy, but never at the expense of her clarity.
“I hire people I trust. I give them room to create and soar. Micromanaging is a waste of everyone’s energy,” she says. “Leadership is about empowering your team — not controlling them.”
And when the stakes rise? She slows down.
“I don’t rush. I breathe. I pray. I center in gratitude,” she says. “Because my why isn’t ego or results. It’s about legacy. It’s about my kids. It’s about helping people feel confident, seen, and whole.”
She adds: “When you’re rooted in something bigger than you, you don’t break
under pressure — you rise.”
Her mantra captures it best:
“I didn’t come this far to play small. I’m here to shine, serve, and soar — with love, laughter, and unstoppable success.”
So how does Christina describe herself?
Focused. Resilient. Real.
And if you’ve ever seen her speak, read her words, or even glanced at her work, you know it’s true.
She’s built a beauty empire. But more than that, she’s built a movement.
Not just to help people look better. To help them feel alive again.
She is the living, luminous proof that when you lead with intention, you don’t just change your life.
