There are artists… and then there are American treasures. And today in The Stiletto Room, I sit down with one of the women who shaped my entire life: Melissa Etheridge.

When I tell you her first album catapulted me into my identity, my career, my purpose — baby, that is not an exaggeration. Melissa talks about writing every song herself, getting discovered in a Long Beach women’s bar, breaking through a male-dominated industry, and the moment she realized her authenticity was her superpower long before the world was ready for it.

We talk Grammys, Oscars, touring overseas, her iconic Janis Joplin performance at the Grammys while she was still in cancer treatment, and the spiritual awakening that reshaped her entire life. Melissa opens up about manifesting her dreams — including her new album Rise, her duet with Chris Stapleton, and the foundation she created in honor of her son to revolutionize addiction treatment.

This conversation is about music, resilience, motherhood, activism, joy, and the wild courage it takes to stay authentic for four decades.

Melissa Etheridge doesn’t just inspire — she changes lives. Mine included.

ABOUT MELISSA ETHERIDGE:

Melissa Etheridge is a Grammy- and Oscar-winning rock icon celebrated for her unmistakable vocals, confessional songwriting, and decades of fearless authenticity. She broke through in 1988 with her self-titled debut and became a defining voice of American rock with hits like “Bring Me Some Water,” “Ain’t It Heavy,” “I’m the Only One,” and the Grammy-winning “Come to My Window.”

Her landmark albums Yes I Am and Your Little Secret cemented her place in music history, earning her ASCAP’s Songwriter of the Year. In 2007, she won an Academy Award for “I Need to Wake Up,” written for An Inconvenient Truth. Etheridge has long been a pioneer in LGBTQ+ visibility and cultural impact, famously performing bald at the 2005 Grammys during cancer treatment — a moment that inspired millions.

She’s continued to evolve with acclaimed projects like Memphis Rock & Soul, The Medicine Show, and One Way Out. Her powerful solo show My Window debuted Off-Broadway before opening on Broadway in 2023 to critical praise.

In 2020, she founded The Etheridge Foundation to advance research and compassionate solutions for opioid use disorder. Her 2024 docuseries and live album I’m Not Broken, recorded inside the Topeka Correctional Facility, showcases the profound healing power of music, storytelling, and

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
https://a.co/d/6sGKcer

Follow The Stiletto Room:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStilettoRoom
The Podcast: https://dinalapolt.komi.io
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stilettoroom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stilettor00m
X: https://x.com/stilettoroom

Follow Street Smart:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsmartlapolt

Follow Dina LaPolt:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinalapolt/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dinalapolt
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinalapolt/

Welcome to a very special Thanksgiving edition of The Stiletto Room, and by special, I mean my children hijacked my show. Yes, baby, this week I’m joined by Buddy, Wilson, and their brilliant (and brutally honest) friend Tallulah Sykes… and let me just say: the turkey is not the only thing getting roasted.

In true holiday spirit, we talk about everything, school trends (including the unholy nightmare known as “pepper yucky”), Shark Tank projects, hummingbird sanctuaries, bullying, politics, superpowers, and why Gen Alpha apparently speaks its own language. I try to keep control, but listen… These kids have more opinions than a Thanksgiving dinner table after dessert.

We get into phones, friendships, football, Broadway dreams, and gratitude, real gratitude. The kind you feel when you look at your kids, their giant hearts, and their growing sense of justice, and realize: yeah, the next generation might actually save us.

This episode is hilarious, chaotic, tender, and full of Thanksgiving heart. A perfect reminder that family, chosen or biological, is messy, loud, loving, and worth every second.

About Wilson, Buddy, and Tallulah

Wilson Ray and Buddy Lee LaPolt are Dina LaPolt’s 12-year-old twin boys. Wilson loves street art, making slime, and going to Sephora. Tallulah is his best friend. Buddy loves playing football and basketball and is a model represented by LA Models Jr. They love animals and all together have three dogs; Elsa, Doodles, and Gatsby.

Tallulah Sykes 11 years old. Born in New York and raised in Los Angeles. Tallulah loves performing, traveling, making slime, and walking her dog, Baxter.

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
https://a.co/d/6sGKcer

Follow The Stiletto Room:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStilettoRoom
The Podcast: https://dinalapolt.komi.io
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stilettoroom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stilettor00m
X: https://x.com/stilettoroom

Follow Street Smart:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsmartlapolt

Follow Dina LaPolt:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinalapolt/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dinalapolt
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinalapolt/

In this episode of The Stiletto Room, I sit down with one of my favorite people on the planet - Allison Statter, CEO & Founder of Blended Strategy Group and XOa Fragrance, and devoted boy mom. She is the daughter of my dear friends, legendary music executive Irving Azoff and powerhouse matriarch Shelli Azoff, and she is a true baller in her own right.

We get real about what it actually feels like to be stretched in a million directions as working mothers, entrepreneurs, and connectors in an industry that still doesn’t put nearly enough women in the top jobs. Allison talks about what it was like for her growing up Azoff, going on the road in the summers with the Eagles, and how listening in on her dad’s calls and watching her parents build community made the business feel like it was “in her DNA.”

Allison breaks down why authentic partnerships beat clout-chasing every time, how her intuition drives fast, decisive choices for brands, and the unglamorous truth about launching and sustaining a business — from Blended Strategy Group to her signature fragrance line, XOa. I share the wild story of my clair-sentient astrologer’s predictions, and we dive into energy, karma, and the power of trusting your gut.

This episode is a front-row seat to a conversation between two women who love hard, work hard, and refuse to apologize for being both: mothers, bosses, and believers in our own magic.

About Allison Statter

Allison Statter launched entertainment marketing agency Blended Strategy Group in 2015 with her business partner Sherry Jhawar. Allison is a forward-thinker with deep experience in talent management. She spent 10+ years at Azoff Music Management where she managed A-list talent such as Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Hudson, Adam Levine, Jewel and Mariah Carey to name a few. She also led the brand division negotiating major deals with top brands from American Express to L’Oréal, and Weight Watchers among many others. Allison created Blended Strategy to help brands develop integrated 360 marketing initiatives that focus on the unique intersection of brands & talent within pop culture. What started as a celebrity procurement and influencer marketing business now includes Marketing Communications, Social Media and Paid Growth services. BSG’s client roster includes top household names like Shake Shack, Schwarzkopf, OLLY Wellness, and the Radio City Rockettes to talent and founder-led brands like GXVE Beauty by Gwen Stefani, Rael Holistic Cycle Care and Jennifer Meyer Fine Jewelry. Allison currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and 3 boys.

If you love the topics we unpack in the podcast, then you'll love Dina LaPolt's new motivational book, Street Smart: Succeeding in a Man's World. Order Now!
https://a.co/d/6sGKcer

Follow The Stiletto Room:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStilettoRoom
The Podcast: https://dinalapolt.komi.io
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stilettoroom
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stilettor00m
X: https://x.com/stilettoroom

Follow Street Smart:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/streetsmartlapolt

Follow Dina LaPolt:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dinalapolt/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dinalapolt
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinalapolt/