What do you do when everyone tells you you’re crazy for leaving a cushy executive job to run a haunted hayride? If you’re Melissa Carbone, you go all in—and end up creating what becomes the largest Halloween-themed entertainment company in the world.
From building LA’s iconic Haunted Hayride out of her own front yard to securing the biggest Shark Tank deal in history with Mark Cuban, Melissa has redefined immersive entertainment. She now co-owns Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, runs attractions across 19 markets, and continues to innovate in live experiences.
In this episode of The Stiletto Room, Melissa opens up about her early days in Connecticut, the power of believing in yourself, being a gay woman breaking into a male-dominated industry, and how failure became her superpower. She also teases her next project—an unprecedented event coming to Los Angeles that will be the biggest of its kind.
This is a masterclass in risk-taking, resilience, and creativity.
Melissa Carbone Bio:
Melissa Carbone is an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and owner/producer at Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (TFEG), the largest themed entertainment company in the world. After a decade leading major markets for Clear Channel Media + Entertainment (now iHeart), Melissa founded Ten Thirty One Productions (TTO), the first company to create and produce live horror attractions. She made history on ABC’s Shark Tank with the show’s largest deal, partnering with Mark Cuban and later Live Nation. After selling TTO, she launched Tailgate Fest and Dirt Road Entertainment, while publishing her best-selling book “Ready, Fire, Aim: How I Turned a Hobby into an Empire.” TTO’s LA Haunted Hayride became one of the country’s top independent haunted attractions before Melissa sold the company to TFEG in 2018. Today, TFEG operates in 16 markets with more than 20 attractions, drawing millions of visitors annually to its immersive entertainment experiences. Her Tailgate Fest redefined the country music festival scene, featuring Toby Keith, Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldredge, Nelly, and Hardy. During the pandemic, she partnered with LA County Parks to produce the first Drive-In Movie Series and launched Boat Cinema, a sellout hit that earned the 2022 “Best Experience” Award. Featured in Forbes, Fortune, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Bloomberg, Melissa is recognized as a pioneer in immersive entertainment. She lives in Los Angeles with her dogs Macy, Gwen, and Gayle, and loves horror films, country music, and fitness.
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!
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