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If you're a mompreneur juggling products and purpose, this one's for you.

Mykel Davis was a journalism major who invented the J35 wearable breast pump from scratch, lost $100K on 1,000 activewear sets (sold 3), got hit with 125% tariffs, then heard God say "you're the horse, not the merch."

In this conversation with Danielle J. Martin, she breaks down quitting the products to become the brand, getting credentialed for Essence Fest & WNBA All-Star in 6 days after shutting down her site, and the new boundary: anyone who mishandles her in this season is gone.

This season wraps up with Mykel Davis, founder and CEO of Muscle Up Mommy and creator of the J35 wearable breast pump, about what it takes to scale a self-funded tech company while navigating motherhood, fitness, and media hosting.

Mykel shares how she started Muscle Up Mommy in 2016 after having twins, built products like activewear and waist trainers, and later created the J35 after realizing the market lacked a mobile pump that allowed breastfeeding and pumping simultaneously.

She describes risky investments (including $100,000 into activewear), rapid growth for the pump, using systems and family help, and lessons on confidence, asking for support, and knowing your numbers.

She also recounts spiritual guidance that shifted her from product focus to media opportunities, leading to credentialed coverage at Essence Fest and WNBA All-Star Weekend through partnerships and community support.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Risky Investment Lessons
02:05 Rapid Fire Warmup
08:03 Muscle Up Mommy Origin Story
11:20 Inventing The J35 Pump
15:24 Betting Big On Launch
19:11 Letting Go To Level Up
22:24 Self-Funded And Asking For Help
24:19 Daddy Shark Tank Pitch
32:22 Scaling Inventory Fast
33:02 Selling Out Pitfalls
33:32 Family Help and Systems
34:33 Automating Support with AI
35:57 Bigger Asks as You Grow
37:53 Be the Face of Brand
41:01 Essence Fest Partnerships
45:51 Value Beyond Followers
47:35 Multi-Passion Brand Story
52:05 Essence Turning Point
54:28 Products Holding You Back
59:07 Taraji Dream and Testimony
01:10:02 Brother Joins The Crew
01:12:34 Visibility And Connections
01:13:06 WNBA Weekend Provision
01:17:08 Podcast Divine Alignment
01:20:24 Stripping And Obedience
01:26:38 Rebuilding Heart Posture
01:32:11 Masterclass To All Star
01:36:35 Kissed By God Moment

Connect with Mykel Davis: @mykelbdavis

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CONNECT WITH DANIELLE:
Instagram: @daniellejmartintv
Website: https://stan.store/daniellejmartintv

ABOUT THE AUTHENTIC MEDIA PODCAST:
The Authentic Media Podcast helps women entrepreneurs and business owners build a visible, profitable brand — on camera, on social media, and on YouTube. You'll learn how to show up confidently on camera, build a personal brand that attracts the right clients, create content that actually grows your business, and go from invisible to in-demand — whether you're starting from scratch or ready to scale.

New episodes every Monday. Subscribe and Build your Brand with Purpose.