#438 – Chicken-Fried Wisdom & the Women Who Raised Us (Right-ish) with Melissa Radke
You are in for an absolute treat this week! My guest is the one and only Melissa Radke- bestselling author, speaker, TV personality, comedian, and the self-proclaimed HGIC (Head Girlfriend in Charge). With over 1.1 million followers, Melissa has been lifting women up since 2016, dishing out everything from hair tips to life advice with her signature humor and heart.
Her brand-new book, Chicken Fried Women, just hit the shelves, which is a love letter to the strong, faith-filled, flawed, and unforgettable women who shaped her life. She reflects on generational legacies, healing family dynamics, motherhood, and the complex beauty of womanhood.
Trust me, even if you’re a man, you’re going to take away SO much from this episode. This conversation is honest, funny, and full of heart- everything Can I Laugh on Your Shoulder is all about. I’m really excited to share it with you!
8:12 – Melissa 101
• Melissa and Molly’s mutual connection
• Melissa’s viral Facebook post
• Becoming a comedian, author and public speaker
10:53 – Chicken Fried Women
• Rapid fire southern culture questions
• The genesis of this book
• The women that inspired this story
27:54 – The Women That Made Us This Way
• The lessons Melissa’s learned from the women in her life
• Creating a supportive network
• Someone is waiting for you as much as you are waiting for someone
41:28 – How Strong Women Do It
• Mom vigilantes
• Melissa’s relationship with her daughter
• Passing on stories to future generations
• Getting your copy of Chicken Fried Women
FEATURED QUOTES
“These chicken fried women of mine were always topics of conversation that everybody wanted to know and that I love to tell.”
“This book was so easy to write because it was just me telling one story after the other. And when a book can come to you that beautifully and that naturally, that was the one you were supposed to write.”
“Who could grieve with me like the woman who’d walked in that fire before me?”
“Someone is waiting for you as much as you are waiting for someone. Someone needs you. They need your friendship, they need your humor, they need your style. They need the way you’re such a great listener. Someone is waiting to forge a relationship with you as much as you are waiting for them.”
Learn more about Melissa:
Get your copy of Chicken Fried Women
Check out the Chicken Fried Women Podcast
https://www.melissaradke.com/podcast
Melissa on Social Media
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaRadke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaRadkeStretchMarks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmelissaradke/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaradke