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.

Episode 32 : Building Without Permission with Dominique Dizon, owner of Belly Smoothie Co,

In this episode we celebrate 30 episodes, 5,000+ downloads., heard in 29+ countries.
And since we’re celebrating all that Gritty Is the New Pretty has become…I’m taking you back to where it actually started.  My leadership journey wasn't linear or wrapped in achievement. It showed up in the wreckage. This episode is the part of my story I’ve never told start to finish — the actual origin of Liz Rocks, Grit City Women, and why “gritty is the new pretty” became more than a phrase. It became my trajectory. After  losing my best friend Liz in an avalanche, I had to choose who I would become next. That choice changed my life and built everything that came after.

What followed?

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

31. Gritty Is the New Pretty: How Tragedy Changed My Trajectory, Host Krystle Edwards

💫 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. ✨

30. Own Your Journey: Lessons in Resilience and Scaling with Sarita Valdes, founder of Herbology Skincare

If you’ve been craving a brand conversation that doesn’t sound like a warmed-over marketing course you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. Bex LaFranchi is rewriting that future with her bare hands and a whole lot of brainpower.

From her roots in the Pacific Northwest to leading design strategy for IKEA US, Bex has built, broken, and reimagined brands across the spectrum  not to impress the industry, but to disrupt what the industry thinks it knows. She’s not just a creative director. She’s a pattern breaker.
A strategist with soul, a high vibration AI rebel who isn’t afraid to call out the fluff and build tools that actually work. Now she’s the founder of Hey Bex Creative Intelligence™, where she helps entrepreneurs supercharge their brands with AI that feels like it gets you because it was designed to.

On this episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, Bex doesn’t hold back.
She shares the unfiltered version of her journey (spoiler: it wasn’t cute or linear), her take on the evolution of branding, and why creativity always  always comes before the algorithm.

 * The development of Creative Intelligence™  and how Bex turned an AI “aha” into a methodology that centers human tone, not robotic output
 * Why brand differentiation isn’t just strategy it’s survival
 * What it really takes to lead creatively in a space obsessed with trends and templates
 * And the future of branding that doesn’t just look good it feels true

So pull up a chair because Bex isnt here to play it safe.
She’s here to show you how to lead with resonance and design a brand that moves people before it ever markets to them.



29. The Future Isn’t Branded It’s Designed: Building Brands with Creative Intelligence™ That Lead — Not Chase with Bex LaFranchi

You might know Vicci Martinez as the fierce and unforgettable “Daddy” from Orange Is the New Black (Seasons 6 & 7) or from her soul-shaking performances on The Voice and role as  Frida Kahlo on HBOmax’s Clone High. But behind the spotlight is a story few have heard — and in this episode, she tells it all.

A Grit City Local, Vicci gets real about her journey from national stages to personal healing with host and friend, Krystle Edwards. Through it all, she’s kept her core intact and she’s not here to play the game by someone else’s rules.

We dive deep into what it costs to stay authentic in industries designed to shape, market, and sell your story before you’ve lived it. This isn’t just a celebrity interview for being famous.
It’s about being whole. Join us a we discuss: 

 * Turning Rejection into Resilience: Navigating the path to success while staying authentic
 * Sobriety Over Sales: The decision to choose healing, even when the industry glamorizes chaos.
 * A Producers Ultimatum : A behind-the-scenes ultimatum on OITNB- a gift or a curse?
 * Sisterhood, Not Rivalry: Choosing connection in a world that pits women against each other.

28. Beyond the Spotlight: Vicci Martinez on Sobriety, Sisterhood, and Staying True

It's not just one to listen to. It’s one to feel in your bones.

Dallisa Hocking — 5th-generation psychic medium, world-event predictor, energy visionary — join us as we discuss:

 * Building a business around your gift, not the grind.
 * Using intuition as strategy — not backup.
 * Unraveling the illusion of control in leadership.
 * And yes... she read my tarot cards live on air. 

This woman saw a global health crisis before 2020 hit, predicted the Cybertruck explosion on Jan 1, 2025, and called the U.S. election outcome before the results dropped. She is not out here guessing — she’s anchored in the unseen and guiding people through it with precision.

She’s trained with Tony Robbins. Studied under John Holland and Lee Harris. Has a resume that could floor a room. But what makes her rare? She uses that power to heal, empower, and reconnect you to your own knowing.

If you’ve ever second-guessed your gut, played small to play safe, or wanted proof that your inner voice is legit — this episode is the mirror you didn’t know you needed.

Tune in.
Trust yourself.
Then pass it to the one still waiting for permission.

27. Lead Like You Know: Intuition, Power & the Unseen with Dallisa Hocking

If podcasting has been tugging at your sleeve—but the tech, tools, and tactics have felt like a second job—this episode is your permission slip to move anyway.

In this conversation, I sit down with Hayleigh Hayhurst, founder of Espresso Podcast Production, the full-service agency helping experts stay in their lane while scaling their voice. From concept to editing, audience growth to monetization—Hayleigh’s team handles it all so you can focus on what matters: your message.

We go deep into:

 * A real-time audit of Gritty is the New Pretty (yes, she gave me notes 👀)
 * Ways to monetize beyond the “get sponsors” default
 * What separates a podcast that builds trust from one that just adds noise

Hayleigh also shares lessons from hosting Employee to Boss and Podcast Café, two shows she built from the ground up—and the mindset shift required to lead the mic and the backend.

Spoiler: podcasting is simpler than you think. When you build from clarity, not chaos.

Learn more about Hayleigh at espressopodcastproduction.com [https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/] or email her at hello@espressopodcastproduction.com. Seattle-based, dog-loving, and caffeine-fueled—she’s the real deal.

26. Start the Show, Skip the Spiral: Featuring Hayleigh Hayhurst, Founder of Espresso Podcast Production

Founder and CEO Jamie Taylor started Confetë with a single balloon garland for her niece in 2015. That one creation quickly ballooned (pun totally intended) into a thriving business, earning features on King 5’s Evening Magazine, New Day Northwest, and even The New York Times. But Jamie didn’t stop there. With a background in interior design and a knack for making people feel special, she launched Confetë Party Box, bringing high-end curated gift boxes and virtual party experiences to businesses of all sizes—including big names like Facebook and Microsoft. Join us as we discuss:

 * Burnout & lessons you can get out of going through tough times.
 * How anxiety led me to retrain my brain
 * Going from almost bankrupt to generating over $300K in revenue



25. Almost bankrupt to generating over $300K: Jamie Taylor, Founder and CEO of Confetë

Kelsey is the founder of the Get Shit Done Rebelution, a business coach and host of the Get Shit Done Podcast where ambitious women learn to grow profitable, streamlined businesses without sacrificing their sanity. As today's guest on Gritty is the New Pretty, she’s bringing her expertise in profit strategy, leadership optimization, and team delegation to help you think bigger and take bold action.

With her no-BS coaching style, Kelsey transforms overwhelmed entrepreneurs into confident CEOs, ready to create serious results. Join us as we discuss:

 * Tips and tricks for getting shit done
 * Get shit done while "expecting" 
 * Difference between sales and marketing
 * Insights on delegation for small business owners

24. Importance of Getting Shit Done: Featuring Kelsey Knutson

As co-owner of Promo Originals, LLC, Lauren spent the past six years helping creatives and small businesses elevate their brands through high-quality custom apparel. With  a background in fashion, marketing, management, and  design/merchandising, she honed the expertise to guide individuals and  companies seamlessly through the product development process—from  initial concept to the finished product. Her journey as an  entrepreneur has been a continuous source of personal and professional  growth. As a creative designer with a strong sense of business acumen,  her proudest accomplishment has been launching her clothing  brand, The Common Theory, which embodies her passion for design and bringing attention to important social issues. 

Join us as we discuss: 

 * Running a business with a spouse
 *  Impact of a meaningful brand
 * Making space in to lead in your business

23. Lauren Sandland, Co-owner of Promo Originals

Listen up! The Gritty is the New Pretty Podcast is your go-to spot for unapologetic inspiration and real talk powered by Grit City Women, a badass community founded by Krystle Edwards, a leader, change maker, and all-around force who’s on a mission to empower female entrepreneurs, small business owners, and leaders. 

Hosted by Krystle herself, this podcast brings you the gritty, unfiltered stories of women who are crushing it, turning obstacles into opportunities, and leading with heart. From powerhouse business owners who’ve scaled from the ground up to community leaders reshaping their industries, to creatives breaking the mold and innovators changing the game, you'll hear from women who are doing it all. 

If you're ready to ditch perfection and own your power, creativity, and resilience, this is for you. In Grit City, Gritty is the New Pretty —Hit subscribe and let's get gritty with it!

Instagram :@GritCityWomen @Grittyisthenewpretty

Www.gritcitywomen.com

Krystle Edwards

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