5 • 854 Ratings
🗓️ 16 September 2025
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
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From Starbucks tables to Taylor Swift’s spotlight to Nordstrom shelves, Melinda Maria Spigel has built a jewelry empire on vision, grit, and fearless self-advocacy. Joining Lindsay Pinchuk in this episode, Melinda shares how she turned handmade pieces into a multimillion-dollar brand by trusting her instincts, funding growth in unconventional ways, and pushing past rejection until doors opened. Melinda reflects on the viral moment Taylor Swift wore her “Julian Loves Diamonds” necklace during the Eras Tour, why persistence mattered more than luck when Nordstrom finally took a chance on her, and how a relentless belief in her product carried her through every stage of growth. Her story leaves entrepreneurs with three powerful reminders: keep betting on yourself even when no one else does, treat rejection as a doorway instead of a wall, and understand your numbers as deeply as you understand your craft.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Believing in Yourself and Your Business
05:07 Early Passion for Jewelry
08:07 Selling Jewelry at Starbucks
10:09 Winning Game Shows for Seed Money
16:37 Self-Advocating and Building Connections
27:08 Persistence Pays Off with Nordstrom
39:32 Melinda’s Actionable Advice for Entrepreneurs
Connect with Melinda Maria Spigel:
Follow Melinda Maria on Instagram
Register for our FREE Sweep Workshop: The No Fluff Marketing Framework for Small Business Owners.
Get on the waitlist for Marketing Made Simple for Small Business.
Check out today’s female founded brands
Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to another episode of Dear Founder. I'm your host, Lindsay Pinchuk, and in just a minute, |
| 0:06.5 | you're going to hear me talk to today's guest, Melinda Spiegel, founder of Melinda Maria, |
| 0:10.9 | and her energy is simply electric. One of the things that we talk about is the importance of believing |
| 0:16.9 | in yourself and your business, because if you don't believe in yourself, no one will. |
| 0:22.0 | A big part of the dear founder ethos is giving you the confidence, the support, the knowledge, |
| 0:27.0 | and the information to find that belief in yourself, in your business, and to sell whatever it is |
| 0:31.7 | you are offering your community. Talking about yourself, marketing your brand, it's hard, |
| 0:37.3 | but it doesn't have to be. Two years ago, |
| 0:40.0 | after working with dozens of clients one-on-one, I created a group mentorship for women business owners |
| 0:44.9 | over the age of 40. This was a place to meet me once a week to learn simple strategies that you |
| 0:50.3 | could apply immediately and grow your business. It's also a place where you can get |
| 0:54.6 | ongoing support in between our meetings. Marketing made simple for small business is an exclusive |
| 1:00.1 | high-touch mentorship for women entrepreneurs over 40 who are ready to grow their businesses |
| 1:04.7 | with clarity, confidence, and strategy that actually works. This isn't for everyone, and that's |
| 1:10.4 | the point. I built a seven-figure |
| 1:12.4 | business from a $500 investment, and then I sold it. Through marketing made simple, I'll teach you |
| 1:17.4 | the exact strategies and skills that I use to find this kind of success so that you can too. |
| 1:23.6 | MMS promises to simplify your marketing, amplify your sales, and help you build a business |
| 1:28.3 | that stands the test of time. If you want a taste of what marketing made simple is all about, |
| 1:33.9 | sign up for my free workshop on Thursday, September 18th at 11 a.m. Central Time. It's called |
| 1:39.2 | sweep the no-fluff marketing framework for small business owners, and you can get started today. |
| 1:45.6 | Register to join us to the link in the show notes, and if you can't join us live, |
... |
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