Be the Hero of Your Own Money Story, with Melissa Ripp

What happens when a child learns they are 'worth' $80 every two weeks? Today on Money Tales, our guest is Melissa Ripp, an entrepreneur who reflects on how her childhood experiences—like learning the amount her dad paid in child support—deeply shaped her relationship with money. We’ll explore how those early lessons influenced her entrepreneurial journey and her drive for financial independence. This conversation goes deep into the emotional side of money and the lasting impact of those early money moments. Melissa “Mel” Ripp is an engaging keynote speaker, proud entrepreneur, and passionate Wisconsinite who believes that everyone—no matter where they’re from, what they do, or who they do it for—has something incredible to offer the world. With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit and corporate marketing and communications, Mel has guided several organizations in a variety of niches and industries—performing arts and music, historic preservation, tourism, K-12 education and education technology, manufacturing, insurance and finance, healthcare, and social services in telling their stories and communicating their “whys” to their audiences. Jumping into full-time entrepreneurship six years ago, Mel is the founder and CEO of Peapod Marketing & PR Consulting, a marketing and thought leadership consultancy that works to elevate the ideas and perspectives of women executives and entrepreneurs by helping them develop an authentic platform for their expertise through messaging development, social media and content creation, and public relations strategies. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a Creative Writing emphasis and a Communication Arts degree with an emphasis in Radio, Film, and Television production. When she’s not working with clients or dreaming up her next big idea, Mel is probably hanging out with her two biggest fans—husband Zack and cat Poseidon, driving with the music cranked down a country road in her home of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, or buying yet another houseplant for her office. Houseplant count: 43.