Social Currency with Sammi Cohen https://moneynewsnetwork.com/ en Social Currency On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/d9c43e56-19b2-11f0-b861-8f4837b1a013/image/1435ee197c238146776ecba922478ba4.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress Social Currency with Sammi Cohen https://moneynewsnetwork.com/ episodic Social Currency On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks. On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead.

New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know.

Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.

]]> Social Currency morgan@moneynewsnetwork.com Todd Kahn (Coach) on Winning Gen Z, Shrinking to Grow, and the Brand Turnaround That Changed Everything Todd Kahn took over the commercial responsibility for Coach in March of 2020. Two weeks later, he closed all North America stores.  Today, Coach CEO Todd Kahn sits down with Sammi to break down the strategy behind one of fashion’s biggest brand turnarounds, and why Coach had to do the exact opposite of conventional growth advice to pull it off. He explains why trying to be “for everyone” almost destroyed the brand, how flash sales quietly trained customers to wait for discounts, and why the company stopped greeting shoppers with coupons entirely during the pandemic. Todd also shares how Coach rebuilt itself for Gen Z through “expressive luxury,” viral bags like the Tabby and Brooklyn, immersive retail experiences, and unexpected ideas like coffee shops, book charms, and co-creation stations inside stores. Plus: the real reason Gen Z shops in person more than people think, why virality can’t be engineered, and the internal operating system Todd uses to run a nearly $7 billion business. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow the Coach branding masterclass Here’s What Sammi Covers with Todd: 00:00 Todd Kahn’s Social Currency 02:30 From Corporate Lawyer to Coach CEO 07:52 Joining Coach During the Financial Crisis 10:00 What Actually Went Wrong at Coach 14:00 Flash Sales, Discounting, and Brand Dilution 15:00 Hiring Stuart Vevers and Resetting Creativity 19:00 Rediscovering Coach’s Brand Codes 20:44 Why Coach Focused on Gen Z 23:00 Closing 250 Stores to Save the Brand 24:00 Why “Stores Are Commercial Activities” 26:00 Cutting 40% of the Assortment 27:10 The “Timeless Gen Z” Strategy 28:40 Taking Over Coach Right Before COVID 29:50 Why Coach Stopped Leading with Discounts 30:20 Building a Billion-Dollar Digital Business 31:00 Why People Bought Handbags During Lockdown 32:00 From Performance Marketing to Brand Building 33:00 Bringing 2.9 Million New Customers Into Coach 34:00 Why Coach Wants to Be Your First Luxury Bag 35:30 The Real Story Behind Bag Charm Mania 38:00 What Actually Creates Virality 39:45 Why Coach Only Does Two Big Campaigns a Year 40:00 What “Expressive Luxury” Really Means 42:00 Why Gen Z Loves Shopping In Person 43:00 Coach Play Stores and Experiential Retail 44:00 The Business Strategy Behind Coach Coffee Shops 47:30 Todd’s Operating System for Leadership 50:22 The Story Behind Coach’s Viral Book Charms 52:00 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Books and Community Thanks to Mercury for sponsoring this episode! mercury.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 12 May 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Todd Kahn took over the commercial responsibility for Coach in March of 2020. Two weeks later, he closed all North America stores.  Today, Coach CEO Todd Kahn sits down with Sammi to break down the strategy behind one of fashion’s biggest brand turnarounds, and why Coach had to do the exact opposite of conventional growth advice to pull it off. He explains why trying to be “for everyone” almost destroyed the brand, how flash sales quietly trained customers to wait for discounts, and why the company stopped greeting shoppers with coupons entirely during the pandemic. Todd also shares how Coach rebuilt itself for Gen Z through “expressive luxury,” viral bags like the Tabby and Brooklyn, immersive retail experiences, and unexpected ideas like coffee shops, book charms, and co-creation stations inside stores. Plus: the real reason Gen Z shops in person more than people think, why virality can’t be engineered, and the internal operating system Todd uses to run a nearly $7 billion business. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow the Coach branding masterclass Here’s What Sammi Covers with Todd: 00:00 Todd Kahn’s Social Currency 02:30 From Corporate Lawyer to Coach CEO 07:52 Joining Coach During the Financial Crisis 10:00 What Actually Went Wrong at Coach 14:00 Flash Sales, Discounting, and Brand Dilution 15:00 Hiring Stuart Vevers and Resetting Creativity 19:00 Rediscovering Coach’s Brand Codes 20:44 Why Coach Focused on Gen Z 23:00 Closing 250 Stores to Save the Brand 24:00 Why “Stores Are Commercial Activities” 26:00 Cutting 40% of the Assortment 27:10 The “Timeless Gen Z” Strategy 28:40 Taking Over Coach Right Before COVID 29:50 Why Coach Stopped Leading with Discounts 30:20 Building a Billion-Dollar Digital Business 31:00 Why People Bought Handbags During Lockdown 32:00 From Performance Marketing to Brand Building 33:00 Bringing 2.9 Million New Customers Into Coach 34:00 Why Coach Wants to Be Your First Luxury Bag 35:30 The Real Story Behind Bag Charm Mania 38:00 What Actually Creates Virality 39:45 Why Coach Only Does Two Big Campaigns a Year 40:00 What “Expressive Luxury” Really Means 42:00 Why Gen Z Loves Shopping In Person 43:00 Coach Play Stores and Experiential Retail 44:00 The Business Strategy Behind Coach Coffee Shops 47:30 Todd’s Operating System for Leadership 50:22 The Story Behind Coach’s Viral Book Charms 52:00 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Books and Community Thanks to Mercury for sponsoring this episode! mercury.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Todd Kahn took over the commercial responsibility for Coach in March of 2020. Two weeks later, he closed all North America stores. 

Today, Coach CEO Todd Kahn sits down with Sammi to break down the strategy behind one of fashion’s biggest brand turnarounds, and why Coach had to do the exact opposite of conventional growth advice to pull it off. He explains why trying to be “for everyone” almost destroyed the brand, how flash sales quietly trained customers to wait for discounts, and why the company stopped greeting shoppers with coupons entirely during the pandemic.

Todd also shares how Coach rebuilt itself for Gen Z through “expressive luxury,” viral bags like the Tabby and Brooklyn, immersive retail experiences, and unexpected ideas like coffee shops, book charms, and co-creation stations inside stores. Plus: the real reason Gen Z shops in person more than people think, why virality can’t be engineered, and the internal operating system Todd uses to run a nearly $7 billion business.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow the Coach branding masterclass

Here’s What Sammi Covers with Todd:

00:00 Todd Kahn’s Social Currency

02:30 From Corporate Lawyer to Coach CEO

07:52 Joining Coach During the Financial Crisis

10:00 What Actually Went Wrong at Coach

14:00 Flash Sales, Discounting, and Brand Dilution

15:00 Hiring Stuart Vevers and Resetting Creativity

19:00 Rediscovering Coach’s Brand Codes

20:44 Why Coach Focused on Gen Z

23:00 Closing 250 Stores to Save the Brand

24:00 Why “Stores Are Commercial Activities”

26:00 Cutting 40% of the Assortment

27:10 The “Timeless Gen Z” Strategy

28:40 Taking Over Coach Right Before COVID

29:50 Why Coach Stopped Leading with Discounts

30:20 Building a Billion-Dollar Digital Business

31:00 Why People Bought Handbags During Lockdown

32:00 From Performance Marketing to Brand Building

33:00 Bringing 2.9 Million New Customers Into Coach

34:00 Why Coach Wants to Be Your First Luxury Bag

35:30 The Real Story Behind Bag Charm Mania

38:00 What Actually Creates Virality

39:45 Why Coach Only Does Two Big Campaigns a Year

40:00 What “Expressive Luxury” Really Means

42:00 Why Gen Z Loves Shopping In Person

43:00 Coach Play Stores and Experiential Retail

44:00 The Business Strategy Behind Coach Coffee Shops

47:30 Todd’s Operating System for Leadership

50:22 The Story Behind Coach’s Viral Book Charms

52:00 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Books and Community

Thanks to Mercury for sponsoring this episode! mercury.com 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3528 no Rebecca Hessel Cohen (LoveShackFancy) on Building a Multi-Generational Fashion Brand, D2C Versus Retail, and Collaborations That Actually Work Rebecca Hessel Cohen didn’t set out to build a company, she just wanted better bridesmaid dresses. But that small idea turned into LoveShackFancy, a multi-generational, cult-favorite brand with dozens of stores, hundreds of retail partners, and a fiercely loyal community. Today, Rebecca joins Sammi to break down the unfiltered reality of building a fashion business from scratch. From leaving her dream job at Cosmopolitan, to launching her first collection the same week she had her first child, to schlepping dresses in her car to early customers— this the unfiltered look at what it means to start a business. They also get into Rebecca’s viral social media moments (including the most epic bat mitzvah), building a brand that resonates from “babies to eighties,” how she evaluates collaborations from Stanley to Victoria's Secret, and what actually makes a retail store feel magical instead of transactional.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rebecca and LoveShackFancy Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rebecca: 00:00 The Gwyneth Paltrow Moment That Changed Everything 02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking 03:00 Growing Up in Fashion Closets 06:00 Life as a Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan 10:30 The Bridesmaid Dress That Started It All 14:00 Turning a Side Hustle Into a Business 18:30 Launching a Brand While Having a Baby 20:53 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking 22:07 Partner Message: Mosh Bars 23:42 Why LoveShackFancy Wasn’t an Overnight Success 26:00 Building a Team and Scaling the Business 29:00 Opening Retail Stores During COVID 33:00 Dividing Roles With Her Husband 36:00 Building the Beauty Business and Sephora Strategy 38:30 Where Inspiration Actually Comes From 41:00 Designing for “Babies to Eighties” 43:30 How LoveShackFancy Approaches Collaborations 47:00 What Makes a Partnership Actually Work 49:30 Building a Brand Through Community and Retail 52:00 The Power of Experiential Shopping 55:00 Supporting Female Founders Through Trunk Shows 58:00 The Viral Home Tour and Social Media Strategy 01:02:00 Instagram vs. TikTok: How Rebecca Thinks About Both 01:05:00 What She Shares Online (And What She Doesn’t) Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com Mosh Bars:  moshlife.com/socialcurrency  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 05 May 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Rebecca Hessel Cohen didn’t set out to build a company, she just wanted better bridesmaid dresses. But that small idea turned into LoveShackFancy, a multi-generational, cult-favorite brand with dozens of stores, hundreds of retail partners, and a fiercely loyal community. Today, Rebecca joins Sammi to break down the unfiltered reality of building a fashion business from scratch. From leaving her dream job at Cosmopolitan, to launching her first collection the same week she had her first child, to schlepping dresses in her car to early customers— this the unfiltered look at what it means to start a business. They also get into Rebecca’s viral social media moments (including the most epic bat mitzvah), building a brand that resonates from “babies to eighties,” how she evaluates collaborations from Stanley to Victoria's Secret, and what actually makes a retail store feel magical instead of transactional.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rebecca and LoveShackFancy Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rebecca: 00:00 The Gwyneth Paltrow Moment That Changed Everything 02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking 03:00 Growing Up in Fashion Closets 06:00 Life as a Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan 10:30 The Bridesmaid Dress That Started It All 14:00 Turning a Side Hustle Into a Business 18:30 Launching a Brand While Having a Baby 20:53 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking 22:07 Partner Message: Mosh Bars 23:42 Why LoveShackFancy Wasn’t an Overnight Success 26:00 Building a Team and Scaling the Business 29:00 Opening Retail Stores During COVID 33:00 Dividing Roles With Her Husband 36:00 Building the Beauty Business and Sephora Strategy 38:30 Where Inspiration Actually Comes From 41:00 Designing for “Babies to Eighties” 43:30 How LoveShackFancy Approaches Collaborations 47:00 What Makes a Partnership Actually Work 49:30 Building a Brand Through Community and Retail 52:00 The Power of Experiential Shopping 55:00 Supporting Female Founders Through Trunk Shows 58:00 The Viral Home Tour and Social Media Strategy 01:02:00 Instagram vs. TikTok: How Rebecca Thinks About Both 01:05:00 What She Shares Online (And What She Doesn’t) Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com Mosh Bars:  moshlife.com/socialcurrency  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Rebecca Hessel Cohen didn’t set out to build a company, she just wanted better bridesmaid dresses. But that small idea turned into LoveShackFancy, a multi-generational, cult-favorite brand with dozens of stores, hundreds of retail partners, and a fiercely loyal community.

Today, Rebecca joins Sammi to break down the unfiltered reality of building a fashion business from scratch. From leaving her dream job at Cosmopolitan, to launching her first collection the same week she had her first child, to schlepping dresses in her car to early customers— this the unfiltered look at what it means to start a business.

They also get into Rebecca’s viral social media moments (including the most epic bat mitzvah), building a brand that resonates from “babies to eighties,” how she evaluates collaborations from Stanley to Victoria's Secret, and what actually makes a retail store feel magical instead of transactional. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Rebecca and LoveShackFancy

Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rebecca:

00:00 The Gwyneth Paltrow Moment That Changed Everything

02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking

03:00 Growing Up in Fashion Closets

06:00 Life as a Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan

10:30 The Bridesmaid Dress That Started It All

14:00 Turning a Side Hustle Into a Business

18:30 Launching a Brand While Having a Baby

20:53 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking

22:07 Partner Message: Mosh Bars

23:42 Why LoveShackFancy Wasn’t an Overnight Success

26:00 Building a Team and Scaling the Business

29:00 Opening Retail Stores During COVID

33:00 Dividing Roles With Her Husband

36:00 Building the Beauty Business and Sephora Strategy

38:30 Where Inspiration Actually Comes From

41:00 Designing for “Babies to Eighties”

43:30 How LoveShackFancy Approaches Collaborations

47:00 What Makes a Partnership Actually Work

49:30 Building a Brand Through Community and Retail

52:00 The Power of Experiential Shopping

55:00 Supporting Female Founders Through Trunk Shows

58:00 The Viral Home Tour and Social Media Strategy

01:02:00 Instagram vs. TikTok: How Rebecca Thinks About Both

01:05:00 What She Shares Online (And What She Doesn’t)


Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Mercury: mercury.com

Mosh Bars:  moshlife.com/socialcurrency 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4189 Steven Schwartz (Whop) on Building a Unicorn, Creating Millionaires, and the Future of Work What if the future of work doesn’t look anything like the office jobs we were told to chase? Steven Schwartz started building businesses as a teenager and eventually turned that obsession into Whop, one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for internet businesses. Today, the company is valued at $1.6 billion and helps thousands of people earn income online. In this episode, Steven joins Sammi to break down how he met his co-founder on Facebook at 13, why they almost quit Whop after just three months, and how they scaled it into a unicorn backed by names like Peter Thiel and Kevin Hart. They also unpack the creator economy, why everyone is a creator now, why traditional 9-to-5 career paths are being disrupted, and what “agentic income” could mean in the next era of work. Plus: why Steven thinks the biggest mistake aspiring entrepreneurs make is waiting to feel ready. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Whop Here’s what Sammi covers with Steven: 00:00 How Steven Met His Co-Founder at 13 on Facebook 03:15 Building Sneaker Bots as a Teenager 06:00 20+ Side Hustles Before Whop 10:30 Almost Quitting Whop After 3 Months 14:00 What Whop Actually Is 19:00 50,000+ New Users Per Day 22:00 The $1.6 Billion Valuation Explained 25:00 Why Stablecoins Matter for Global Business 29:45 Whop Has Created Hundreds of Millionaires 32:30 Advice for New Entrepreneurs 36:00 AI and the End of the Creator Economy 39:30 What “Agentic Income” Means 41:30 The Company That Tried to Buy Whop 43:00 Why Steven Wants to Redefine Work 46:00 Whop Finance and the Future of Money 50:00 Why Creators Shouldn’t Rely on One Platform Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 28 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What if the future of work doesn’t look anything like the office jobs we were told to chase? Steven Schwartz started building businesses as a teenager and eventually turned that obsession into Whop, one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for internet businesses. Today, the company is valued at $1.6 billion and helps thousands of people earn income online. In this episode, Steven joins Sammi to break down how he met his co-founder on Facebook at 13, why they almost quit Whop after just three months, and how they scaled it into a unicorn backed by names like Peter Thiel and Kevin Hart. They also unpack the creator economy, why everyone is a creator now, why traditional 9-to-5 career paths are being disrupted, and what “agentic income” could mean in the next era of work. Plus: why Steven thinks the biggest mistake aspiring entrepreneurs make is waiting to feel ready. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Whop Here’s what Sammi covers with Steven: 00:00 How Steven Met His Co-Founder at 13 on Facebook 03:15 Building Sneaker Bots as a Teenager 06:00 20+ Side Hustles Before Whop 10:30 Almost Quitting Whop After 3 Months 14:00 What Whop Actually Is 19:00 50,000+ New Users Per Day 22:00 The $1.6 Billion Valuation Explained 25:00 Why Stablecoins Matter for Global Business 29:45 Whop Has Created Hundreds of Millionaires 32:30 Advice for New Entrepreneurs 36:00 AI and the End of the Creator Economy 39:30 What “Agentic Income” Means 41:30 The Company That Tried to Buy Whop 43:00 Why Steven Wants to Redefine Work 46:00 Whop Finance and the Future of Money 50:00 Why Creators Shouldn’t Rely on One Platform Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What if the future of work doesn’t look anything like the office jobs we were told to chase?

Steven Schwartz started building businesses as a teenager and eventually turned that obsession into Whop, one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for internet businesses. Today, the company is valued at $1.6 billion and helps thousands of people earn income online.

In this episode, Steven joins Sammi to break down how he met his co-founder on Facebook at 13, why they almost quit Whop after just three months, and how they scaled it into a unicorn backed by names like Peter Thiel and Kevin Hart.

They also unpack the creator economy, why everyone is a creator now, why traditional 9-to-5 career paths are being disrupted, and what “agentic income” could mean in the next era of work. Plus: why Steven thinks the biggest mistake aspiring entrepreneurs make is waiting to feel ready.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Check out Whop

Here’s what Sammi covers with Steven:

00:00 How Steven Met His Co-Founder at 13 on Facebook

03:15 Building Sneaker Bots as a Teenager

06:00 20+ Side Hustles Before Whop

10:30 Almost Quitting Whop After 3 Months

14:00 What Whop Actually Is

19:00 50,000+ New Users Per Day

22:00 The $1.6 Billion Valuation Explained

25:00 Why Stablecoins Matter for Global Business

29:45 Whop Has Created Hundreds of Millionaires

32:30 Advice for New Entrepreneurs

36:00 AI and the End of the Creator Economy

39:30 What “Agentic Income” Means

41:30 The Company That Tried to Buy Whop

43:00 Why Steven Wants to Redefine Work

46:00 Whop Finance and the Future of Money

50:00 Why Creators Shouldn’t Rely on One Platform

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3380 Suzy Welch (NYU) on the Joy of Getting Fired, Decoding the 10/10/10 Method, and Why Most People Settle for a B+ Life Suzy Welch has built a career helping people answer one deceptively simple question: What should I do with my life? She’s a bestselling author, professor at New York University Stern School of Business, former editor at Harvard Business Review, and creator of the “Becoming You” methodology. Today Sammi sits down with Suzy to unpack why getting fired can actually benefit your career, why so many people get trapped in what she calls a “B+ life,” and how fear, expectations, and convenience quietly pull people away from who they really are. She also shares the framework that made her famous: the 10/10/10 method, how to make better decisions by thinking about consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. Plus: why only a small percentage of people truly know their values, how AI is changing career anxiety, and what to do when the life you built no longer fits you. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Claim 15% off the Values Bridge with the code SOCIALCURRENCY Here’s what Sammi covers with Suzy: 00:00 Suzy Welch’s Social Currency02:15 Starting as a Crime Reporter in Miami06:30 What Covering Crime Taught Her About Human Nature09:00 Falling in Love with Business Journalism13:25 Why Everyone Should Get Fired Once17:30 The Workplace Dynamic of “Toxic Handlers”19:45 Rebuilding After Loss and Choosing Life Again23:00 The Origin of “Becoming You”25:15 Why AI Is Changing Career Anxiety28:50 Why Only 7% of People Know Their Values32:40 Can Your Values Change Over Time?34:10 Why Family Isn’t Everyone’s Top Value38:05 The Trap of a B+ Life40:50 The Four Horsemen of Values Destruction48:30 How the 10/10/10 Framework Works 51:43 Social Currency Corner 55:51 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Suzy Welch has built a career helping people answer one deceptively simple question: What should I do with my life? She’s a bestselling author, professor at New York University Stern School of Business, former editor at Harvard Business Review, and creator of the “Becoming You” methodology. Today Sammi sits down with Suzy to unpack why getting fired can actually benefit your career, why so many people get trapped in what she calls a “B+ life,” and how fear, expectations, and convenience quietly pull people away from who they really are. She also shares the framework that made her famous: the 10/10/10 method, how to make better decisions by thinking about consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. Plus: why only a small percentage of people truly know their values, how AI is changing career anxiety, and what to do when the life you built no longer fits you. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Claim 15% off the Values Bridge with the code SOCIALCURRENCY Here’s what Sammi covers with Suzy: 00:00 Suzy Welch’s Social Currency02:15 Starting as a Crime Reporter in Miami06:30 What Covering Crime Taught Her About Human Nature09:00 Falling in Love with Business Journalism13:25 Why Everyone Should Get Fired Once17:30 The Workplace Dynamic of “Toxic Handlers”19:45 Rebuilding After Loss and Choosing Life Again23:00 The Origin of “Becoming You”25:15 Why AI Is Changing Career Anxiety28:50 Why Only 7% of People Know Their Values32:40 Can Your Values Change Over Time?34:10 Why Family Isn’t Everyone’s Top Value38:05 The Trap of a B+ Life40:50 The Four Horsemen of Values Destruction48:30 How the 10/10/10 Framework Works 51:43 Social Currency Corner 55:51 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Suzy Welch has built a career helping people answer one deceptively simple question: What should I do with my life? She’s a bestselling author, professor at New York University Stern School of Business, former editor at Harvard Business Review, and creator of the “Becoming You” methodology.

Today Sammi sits down with Suzy to unpack why getting fired can actually benefit your career, why so many people get trapped in what she calls a “B+ life,” and how fear, expectations, and convenience quietly pull people away from who they really are.

She also shares the framework that made her famous: the 10/10/10 method, how to make better decisions by thinking about consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. Plus: why only a small percentage of people truly know their values, how AI is changing career anxiety, and what to do when the life you built no longer fits you.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Claim 15% off the Values Bridge with the code SOCIALCURRENCY

Here’s what Sammi covers with Suzy:

00:00 Suzy Welch’s Social Currency02:15 Starting as a Crime Reporter in Miami06:30 What Covering Crime Taught Her About Human Nature09:00 Falling in Love with Business Journalism13:25 Why Everyone Should Get Fired Once17:30 The Workplace Dynamic of “Toxic Handlers”19:45 Rebuilding After Loss and Choosing Life Again23:00 The Origin of “Becoming You”25:15 Why AI Is Changing Career Anxiety28:50 Why Only 7% of People Know Their Values32:40 Can Your Values Change Over Time?34:10 Why Family Isn’t Everyone’s Top Value38:05 The Trap of a B+ Life40:50 The Four Horsemen of Values Destruction48:30 How the 10/10/10 Framework Works

51:43 Social Currency Corner

55:51 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3632 Jay Luchs (Newmark) on Building a Real Estate Empire, Strategy for Brick and Mortar, and Newbie Lease Mistakes If you’ve driven through Los Angeles, you’ve already met today’s guest. Jay Luchs is one of the most influential retail real estate brokers in LA; his “For Lease” signs are plastered across the city’s most valuable streets, from Rodeo Drive to Melrose. But behind those signs is a business built on relationships, taste, and a deep understanding of what actually makes a retail concept work. In this episode, Jay sits down with Sammi to break down how the business really works: how he wins listings in one of the most competitive markets in the country, what founders consistently misunderstand about signing their first lease, and why picking the wrong landlord can quietly kill a business. They also go deep on the future of retail in LA—from why food and coffee are now the backbone of any successful retail strip, to how brands like Erewhon can completely transform a street overnight, to why there’s actually less available space than people think.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Jay Luchs on Instagram Learn more about Mercury for Personal and Business Here’s what Sammi covers with Jay: 00:00 Jay Luchs’ Social Currency 02:22 Real Estate Origin Story 06:40 Why Real Estate Is a Creative Business 09:27 How the “For Lease” Empire Works 12:05 Winning Listings in a Competitive Market 14:19 What Founders Get Wrong About Leases 15:25 How to Spot a Bad Landlord 17:00 Choosing the Right Retail Location 18:46 Why LA Has Less Retail Space Than You Think 21:15 What Makes a Retail Area Thrive 22:24 How Social Media Changed Real Estate 29:03 Inside a Decade-Long Development Project 32:00 Turning Retail Into a Destination 37:23 Building Relationships That Last 40:01 Jay’s Daily System for Clarity 41:21 Can Retail Rebuild Communities? 45:12 What Makes a Brick-and-Mortar Store Succeed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency If you’ve driven through Los Angeles, you’ve already met today’s guest. Jay Luchs is one of the most influential retail real estate brokers in LA; his “For Lease” signs are plastered across the city’s most valuable streets, from Rodeo Drive to Melrose. But behind those signs is a business built on relationships, taste, and a deep understanding of what actually makes a retail concept work. In this episode, Jay sits down with Sammi to break down how the business really works: how he wins listings in one of the most competitive markets in the country, what founders consistently misunderstand about signing their first lease, and why picking the wrong landlord can quietly kill a business. They also go deep on the future of retail in LA—from why food and coffee are now the backbone of any successful retail strip, to how brands like Erewhon can completely transform a street overnight, to why there’s actually less available space than people think.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Jay Luchs on Instagram Learn more about Mercury for Personal and Business Here’s what Sammi covers with Jay: 00:00 Jay Luchs’ Social Currency 02:22 Real Estate Origin Story 06:40 Why Real Estate Is a Creative Business 09:27 How the “For Lease” Empire Works 12:05 Winning Listings in a Competitive Market 14:19 What Founders Get Wrong About Leases 15:25 How to Spot a Bad Landlord 17:00 Choosing the Right Retail Location 18:46 Why LA Has Less Retail Space Than You Think 21:15 What Makes a Retail Area Thrive 22:24 How Social Media Changed Real Estate 29:03 Inside a Decade-Long Development Project 32:00 Turning Retail Into a Destination 37:23 Building Relationships That Last 40:01 Jay’s Daily System for Clarity 41:21 Can Retail Rebuild Communities? 45:12 What Makes a Brick-and-Mortar Store Succeed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices If you’ve driven through Los Angeles, you’ve already met today’s guest. Jay Luchs is one of the most influential retail real estate brokers in LA; his “For Lease” signs are plastered across the city’s most valuable streets, from Rodeo Drive to Melrose. But behind those signs is a business built on relationships, taste, and a deep understanding of what actually makes a retail concept work.

In this episode, Jay sits down with Sammi to break down how the business really works: how he wins listings in one of the most competitive markets in the country, what founders consistently misunderstand about signing their first lease, and why picking the wrong landlord can quietly kill a business.

They also go deep on the future of retail in LA—from why food and coffee are now the backbone of any successful retail strip, to how brands like Erewhon can completely transform a street overnight, to why there’s actually less available space than people think. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Jay Luchs on Instagram

Learn more about Mercury for Personal and Business

Here’s what Sammi covers with Jay:

00:00 Jay Luchs’ Social Currency

02:22 Real Estate Origin Story

06:40 Why Real Estate Is a Creative Business

09:27 How the “For Lease” Empire Works

12:05 Winning Listings in a Competitive Market

14:19 What Founders Get Wrong About Leases

15:25 How to Spot a Bad Landlord

17:00 Choosing the Right Retail Location

18:46 Why LA Has Less Retail Space Than You Think

21:15 What Makes a Retail Area Thrive

22:24 How Social Media Changed Real Estate

29:03 Inside a Decade-Long Development Project

32:00 Turning Retail Into a Destination

37:23 Building Relationships That Last

40:01 Jay’s Daily System for Clarity

41:21 Can Retail Rebuild Communities?

45:12 What Makes a Brick-and-Mortar Store Succeed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3062 Shreya Murthy (Partiful) on Winning Over Gen Z, Beating Copycats and Engineering Fun Shreya Murthy built one of the rare social apps people want to open—and then immediately close. It’s all going according to plan. Her company, Partiful, has quietly become the go-to way Gen Z and millennials plan parties, birthdays, dinners—and even weddings. But what’s more interesting is how it won: by rejecting everything Big Tech historically has optimized for. In this episode, Shreya sits down with Sammi to break down why she turned down the metaverse narrative, refused to pivot to virtual events during the pandemic, and built a product designed to get people off their phones… not glued to them. They also get into what happened when Apple launched a nearly identical invite app, why Partiful draws a hard line on user privacy, and how tiny features like “boops” and “crushes” are actually the secret to product-market fit. Plus: the real monetization plan, why Gen Z hates “cringe” design, and how one party invite helped spark a viral cultural moment. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Partiful and find your next party Here’s what Sammi covers with Shreya: 00:00 Shreya Murthy’s Social Currency 00:50 The Problem With Social Media 02:22 From Palantir to Consumer Tech 08:22 The Idea That Sparked Partiful 10:04 Turning Parties Into a Product 11:05 Launching During the Pandemic 13:56 Resisting the Metaverse Pivot 15:40 Building for IRL Connection 16:00 Why Gen Z Loves Partiful 18:27 The “Least Cringe” Product Strategy 20:20 Consumer vs Corporate Use Cases 22:05 Why Partiful Protects User Data 24:57 Monetization Without Selling Data 29:27 How Partiful Makes Money Today 31:23 The Philosophy: Get Off Your Phone 32:00 Discovering Events IRL 33:17 Brick and Mortar? 34:38 Features Like Boops and Crushes 38:00 Apple’s Copycat Moment 41:00 Growth Despite Competition 42:00 The Viral Timothée Chalamet Event 47:00 What Winning Looks Like 50:16 Social Currency Corner and Touching Grass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Shreya Murthy built one of the rare social apps people want to open—and then immediately close. It’s all going according to plan. Her company, Partiful, has quietly become the go-to way Gen Z and millennials plan parties, birthdays, dinners—and even weddings. But what’s more interesting is how it won: by rejecting everything Big Tech historically has optimized for. In this episode, Shreya sits down with Sammi to break down why she turned down the metaverse narrative, refused to pivot to virtual events during the pandemic, and built a product designed to get people off their phones… not glued to them. They also get into what happened when Apple launched a nearly identical invite app, why Partiful draws a hard line on user privacy, and how tiny features like “boops” and “crushes” are actually the secret to product-market fit. Plus: the real monetization plan, why Gen Z hates “cringe” design, and how one party invite helped spark a viral cultural moment. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Partiful and find your next party Here’s what Sammi covers with Shreya: 00:00 Shreya Murthy’s Social Currency 00:50 The Problem With Social Media 02:22 From Palantir to Consumer Tech 08:22 The Idea That Sparked Partiful 10:04 Turning Parties Into a Product 11:05 Launching During the Pandemic 13:56 Resisting the Metaverse Pivot 15:40 Building for IRL Connection 16:00 Why Gen Z Loves Partiful 18:27 The “Least Cringe” Product Strategy 20:20 Consumer vs Corporate Use Cases 22:05 Why Partiful Protects User Data 24:57 Monetization Without Selling Data 29:27 How Partiful Makes Money Today 31:23 The Philosophy: Get Off Your Phone 32:00 Discovering Events IRL 33:17 Brick and Mortar? 34:38 Features Like Boops and Crushes 38:00 Apple’s Copycat Moment 41:00 Growth Despite Competition 42:00 The Viral Timothée Chalamet Event 47:00 What Winning Looks Like 50:16 Social Currency Corner and Touching Grass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Shreya Murthy built one of the rare social apps people want to open—and then immediately close. It’s all going according to plan.

Her company, Partiful, has quietly become the go-to way Gen Z and millennials plan parties, birthdays, dinners—and even weddings. But what’s more interesting is how it won: by rejecting everything Big Tech historically has optimized for.

In this episode, Shreya sits down with Sammi to break down why she turned down the metaverse narrative, refused to pivot to virtual events during the pandemic, and built a product designed to get people off their phones… not glued to them.

They also get into what happened when Apple launched a nearly identical invite app, why Partiful draws a hard line on user privacy, and how tiny features like “boops” and “crushes” are actually the secret to product-market fit. Plus: the real monetization plan, why Gen Z hates “cringe” design, and how one party invite helped spark a viral cultural moment.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Partiful and find your next party

Here’s what Sammi covers with Shreya:

00:00 Shreya Murthy’s Social Currency

00:50 The Problem With Social Media

02:22 From Palantir to Consumer Tech

08:22 The Idea That Sparked Partiful

10:04 Turning Parties Into a Product

11:05 Launching During the Pandemic

13:56 Resisting the Metaverse Pivot

15:40 Building for IRL Connection

16:00 Why Gen Z Loves Partiful

18:27 The “Least Cringe” Product Strategy

20:20 Consumer vs Corporate Use Cases

22:05 Why Partiful Protects User Data

24:57 Monetization Without Selling Data

29:27 How Partiful Makes Money Today

31:23 The Philosophy: Get Off Your Phone

32:00 Discovering Events IRL

33:17 Brick and Mortar?

34:38 Features Like Boops and Crushes

38:00 Apple’s Copycat Moment

41:00 Growth Despite Competition

42:00 The Viral Timothée Chalamet Event

47:00 What Winning Looks Like

50:16 Social Currency Corner and Touching Grass

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3766 Seth Goldman (Just Ice Tea) on Selling Honest Tea to Coca-Cola, Starting Again, and the Future of Food Seth Goldman built one of the most iconic beverage brands of the last two decades… only to watch it get discontinued by Coca-Cola. In this episode, Seth tells Sammi the full story: bootstrapping Honest Tea in the late ’90s when the category didn’t exist, educating consumers one sample at a time, and eventually partnering with Coca-Cola to scale what he believed could become a billion-dollar brand. Then came the gut punch: years after the acquisition, Coca-Cola made the decision to shut Honest Tea down. Instead of walking away, Seth did something few founders would do— he started over. He shares how he launched Just Ice Tea, rebuilt his supply chain using decades-old relationships, and scaled faster the second time around. Sammi and Seth also get into what it really takes to build a sustainable CPG brand, why most beverage startups fail, and the one mistake founders make before they even launch: focusing on branding before validating taste. Plus, Seth shares his long-term perspective from his work with Beyond Meat—and why he still believes the biggest consumer shifts take decades, not years. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Just Ice Tea Here’s what Sammi covers with Seth:00:00 Seth Goldman’s Social Currency 00:50 Building Honest Tea Before The Market Existed 03:03 Creating Demand Through Sampling 05:00 Bootstrapping And Staying Scrappy 06:06 The Coca-Cola Investment Story 09:26 Inside The Coca-Cola Acquisition 10:48 Culture Clash With A Corporate Giant 11:00 The Day Honest Tea Was Discontinued 12:10 Why Seth Decided To Start Again 15:26 Why Beverage Is The Hardest Category 19:29 Launching Just Ice Tea Differently 20:53 The Mission Behind “Just Ice Tea” 23:17 What Makes The Product Different 25:00 From Eat The Change To Just Ice Tea 26:46 Betting Early On Beyond Meat 28:05 The Rise, Fall, And Rebuild Of Alt Meat 35:05 What It Takes To Build A CPG Brand 36:45 The Power Of Relationships And Karma 37:00 Would Seth Sell Again? 39:11 Seth’s Daily System For Clarity 40:03 The Future Of Food 41:18 The #1 Thing Founders Must Validate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Seth Goldman built one of the most iconic beverage brands of the last two decades… only to watch it get discontinued by Coca-Cola. In this episode, Seth tells Sammi the full story: bootstrapping Honest Tea in the late ’90s when the category didn’t exist, educating consumers one sample at a time, and eventually partnering with Coca-Cola to scale what he believed could become a billion-dollar brand. Then came the gut punch: years after the acquisition, Coca-Cola made the decision to shut Honest Tea down. Instead of walking away, Seth did something few founders would do— he started over. He shares how he launched Just Ice Tea, rebuilt his supply chain using decades-old relationships, and scaled faster the second time around. Sammi and Seth also get into what it really takes to build a sustainable CPG brand, why most beverage startups fail, and the one mistake founders make before they even launch: focusing on branding before validating taste. Plus, Seth shares his long-term perspective from his work with Beyond Meat—and why he still believes the biggest consumer shifts take decades, not years. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Just Ice Tea Here’s what Sammi covers with Seth:00:00 Seth Goldman’s Social Currency 00:50 Building Honest Tea Before The Market Existed 03:03 Creating Demand Through Sampling 05:00 Bootstrapping And Staying Scrappy 06:06 The Coca-Cola Investment Story 09:26 Inside The Coca-Cola Acquisition 10:48 Culture Clash With A Corporate Giant 11:00 The Day Honest Tea Was Discontinued 12:10 Why Seth Decided To Start Again 15:26 Why Beverage Is The Hardest Category 19:29 Launching Just Ice Tea Differently 20:53 The Mission Behind “Just Ice Tea” 23:17 What Makes The Product Different 25:00 From Eat The Change To Just Ice Tea 26:46 Betting Early On Beyond Meat 28:05 The Rise, Fall, And Rebuild Of Alt Meat 35:05 What It Takes To Build A CPG Brand 36:45 The Power Of Relationships And Karma 37:00 Would Seth Sell Again? 39:11 Seth’s Daily System For Clarity 40:03 The Future Of Food 41:18 The #1 Thing Founders Must Validate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Seth Goldman built one of the most iconic beverage brands of the last two decades… only to watch it get discontinued by Coca-Cola.

In this episode, Seth tells Sammi the full story: bootstrapping Honest Tea in the late ’90s when the category didn’t exist, educating consumers one sample at a time, and eventually partnering with Coca-Cola to scale what he believed could become a billion-dollar brand. Then came the gut punch: years after the acquisition, Coca-Cola made the decision to shut Honest Tea down.

Instead of walking away, Seth did something few founders would do— he started over. He shares how he launched Just Ice Tea, rebuilt his supply chain using decades-old relationships, and scaled faster the second time around.

Sammi and Seth also get into what it really takes to build a sustainable CPG brand, why most beverage startups fail, and the one mistake founders make before they even launch: focusing on branding before validating taste. Plus, Seth shares his long-term perspective from his work with Beyond Meat—and why he still believes the biggest consumer shifts take decades, not years.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Check out Just Ice Tea

Here’s what Sammi covers with Seth:
00:00 Seth Goldman’s Social Currency

00:50 Building Honest Tea Before The Market Existed

03:03 Creating Demand Through Sampling

05:00 Bootstrapping And Staying Scrappy

06:06 The Coca-Cola Investment Story

09:26 Inside The Coca-Cola Acquisition

10:48 Culture Clash With A Corporate Giant

11:00 The Day Honest Tea Was Discontinued

12:10 Why Seth Decided To Start Again

15:26 Why Beverage Is The Hardest Category

19:29 Launching Just Ice Tea Differently

20:53 The Mission Behind “Just Ice Tea”

23:17 What Makes The Product Different

25:00 From Eat The Change To Just Ice Tea

26:46 Betting Early On Beyond Meat

28:05 The Rise, Fall, And Rebuild Of Alt Meat

35:05 What It Takes To Build A CPG Brand

36:45 The Power Of Relationships And Karma

37:00 Would Seth Sell Again?

39:11 Seth’s Daily System For Clarity

40:03 The Future Of Food

41:18 The #1 Thing Founders Must Validate

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2703 Nayeema Raza (Smart Girl Dumb Questions) on the Manosphere, How to Launch a Podcast (and Whether You Should)  Everyone has a podcast. So, where is the whitespace and what does it really take to break through?  Sammi sits down with Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions and former The New York Times journalist, for a conversation on the modern media landscape, the podcast boom, and what they tell people who are thinking about starting a podcast. Sammi and Nayeema break down what it really takes to launch a podcast—and share exactly how much they’re making from theirs. Sammi and Nayeema also get into the bigger shift happening across media: why podcasting is becoming the new “TV” and why creators today need to think more like founders than talent. Plus, they unpack the rise of controversial content ecosystems like the “manosphere,” what it teaches about audience-building (even if you hate it), and where the line between journalism and creators is headed. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Nayeema and listen to Smart Girl Dumb Questions Here’s What Sammi Covers with Nayeema: 00:00 Have We “Made It” In Podcasting? 03:45 Social Vs. Podcast Growth 06:52 Why Everyone Has A Podcast 07:09 The Intimacy And Power Of Podcasting 08:00 The Rise Of The Manosphere 12:41 What Controversial Creators Get Right 17:12 “Is It A Scam?” Rapid-Fire 21:20 The Real Work Behind Podcasting 26:09 Is Podcasting Saturated? 28:38 Why Most Podcasts Fail 31:53 Is Podcasting Overhyped? 33:00 How Much Money Podcasts Actually Make 35:00 Building A Studio And Betting On Yourself 36:08 The Hidden ROI Of Podcasting 41:00 Journalism Vs. Creators 47:00 The Scariest Part Of Starting A Podcast 54:00 How To Break Through Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:19:00 -0000 full Social Currency  Everyone has a podcast. So, where is the whitespace and what does it really take to break through?  Sammi sits down with Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions and former The New York Times journalist, for a conversation on the modern media landscape, the podcast boom, and what they tell people who are thinking about starting a podcast. Sammi and Nayeema break down what it really takes to launch a podcast—and share exactly how much they’re making from theirs. Sammi and Nayeema also get into the bigger shift happening across media: why podcasting is becoming the new “TV” and why creators today need to think more like founders than talent. Plus, they unpack the rise of controversial content ecosystems like the “manosphere,” what it teaches about audience-building (even if you hate it), and where the line between journalism and creators is headed. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Nayeema and listen to Smart Girl Dumb Questions Here’s What Sammi Covers with Nayeema: 00:00 Have We “Made It” In Podcasting? 03:45 Social Vs. Podcast Growth 06:52 Why Everyone Has A Podcast 07:09 The Intimacy And Power Of Podcasting 08:00 The Rise Of The Manosphere 12:41 What Controversial Creators Get Right 17:12 “Is It A Scam?” Rapid-Fire 21:20 The Real Work Behind Podcasting 26:09 Is Podcasting Saturated? 28:38 Why Most Podcasts Fail 31:53 Is Podcasting Overhyped? 33:00 How Much Money Podcasts Actually Make 35:00 Building A Studio And Betting On Yourself 36:08 The Hidden ROI Of Podcasting 41:00 Journalism Vs. Creators 47:00 The Scariest Part Of Starting A Podcast 54:00 How To Break Through Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Everyone has a podcast. So, where is the whitespace and what does it really take to break through? 

Sammi sits down with Nayeema Raza, host of Smart Girl Dumb Questions and former The New York Times journalist, for a conversation on the modern media landscape, the podcast boom, and what they tell people who are thinking about starting a podcast. Sammi and Nayeema break down what it really takes to launch a podcast—and share exactly how much they’re making from theirs.

Sammi and Nayeema also get into the bigger shift happening across media: why podcasting is becoming the new “TV” and why creators today need to think more like founders than talent. Plus, they unpack the rise of controversial content ecosystems like the “manosphere,” what it teaches about audience-building (even if you hate it), and where the line between journalism and creators is headed.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Nayeema and listen to Smart Girl Dumb Questions


Here’s What Sammi Covers with Nayeema:

00:00 Have We “Made It” In Podcasting?

03:45 Social Vs. Podcast Growth

06:52 Why Everyone Has A Podcast

07:09 The Intimacy And Power Of Podcasting

08:00 The Rise Of The Manosphere

12:41 What Controversial Creators Get Right

17:12 “Is It A Scam?” Rapid-Fire

21:20 The Real Work Behind Podcasting

26:09 Is Podcasting Saturated?

28:38 Why Most Podcasts Fail

31:53 Is Podcasting Overhyped?

33:00 How Much Money Podcasts Actually Make

35:00 Building A Studio And Betting On Yourself

36:08 The Hidden ROI Of Podcasting

41:00 Journalism Vs. Creators

47:00 The Scariest Part Of Starting A Podcast

54:00 How To Break Through

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4513 Listener Grab Bag: Career Risks, Leaving Corporate, and Building in Public This episode is a little different. Instead of a deep dive, Sammi turns the mic around and answers your questions—from career risks and leaving corporate to building a business, growing an audience, and figuring out what to keep private in a “build in public” world. She shares the unconventional bet that changed her career (starting on TikTok when people thought it was a “teen dancing app”), why she believes the best way to escape the corporate rat race is to test ideas on the side, and the fears that held her back longer than she wishes. Sammi also breaks down how to actually grow on social media (without burning out), what people don’t tell you about running a podcast, and the surprising lesson she learned after interviewing the founder of Juicero—and why every business story has more than one side. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 A Different Kind of Episode 01:29 How to Escape Corporate 04:39 The Fear that Kept Sammi in Corporate Too Long 05:29 How to Grow on Instagram 07:23 What Nobody Tells You About Podcasting 09:23 A Found Story That Changed Sammi’s Perspective 10:49 What to Keep Private When Building In Public 12:00 The Question Sammi Can’t Answer Yet 12:36 Sammi’s Plan B 13:11 Is USC Worth It? 14:07 Dream Podcast Guests Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency This episode is a little different. Instead of a deep dive, Sammi turns the mic around and answers your questions—from career risks and leaving corporate to building a business, growing an audience, and figuring out what to keep private in a “build in public” world. She shares the unconventional bet that changed her career (starting on TikTok when people thought it was a “teen dancing app”), why she believes the best way to escape the corporate rat race is to test ideas on the side, and the fears that held her back longer than she wishes. Sammi also breaks down how to actually grow on social media (without burning out), what people don’t tell you about running a podcast, and the surprising lesson she learned after interviewing the founder of Juicero—and why every business story has more than one side. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 A Different Kind of Episode 01:29 How to Escape Corporate 04:39 The Fear that Kept Sammi in Corporate Too Long 05:29 How to Grow on Instagram 07:23 What Nobody Tells You About Podcasting 09:23 A Found Story That Changed Sammi’s Perspective 10:49 What to Keep Private When Building In Public 12:00 The Question Sammi Can’t Answer Yet 12:36 Sammi’s Plan B 13:11 Is USC Worth It? 14:07 Dream Podcast Guests Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode is a little different.

Instead of a deep dive, Sammi turns the mic around and answers your questions—from career risks and leaving corporate to building a business, growing an audience, and figuring out what to keep private in a “build in public” world.

She shares the unconventional bet that changed her career (starting on TikTok when people thought it was a “teen dancing app”), why she believes the best way to escape the corporate rat race is to test ideas on the side, and the fears that held her back longer than she wishes.

Sammi also breaks down how to actually grow on social media (without burning out), what people don’t tell you about running a podcast, and the surprising lesson she learned after interviewing the founder of Juicero—and why every business story has more than one side.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 A Different Kind of Episode

01:29 How to Escape Corporate

04:39 The Fear that Kept Sammi in Corporate Too Long

05:29 How to Grow on Instagram

07:23 What Nobody Tells You About Podcasting

09:23 A Found Story That Changed Sammi’s Perspective

10:49 What to Keep Private When Building In Public

12:00 The Question Sammi Can’t Answer Yet

12:36 Sammi’s Plan B

13:11 Is USC Worth It?

14:07 Dream Podcast Guests

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1011 Reid Hoffman (Manas AI, LinkedIn) on Why AI Is a “Humanity Elevator,” Digital Twins, and the Skills You Need Now Reid Hoffman has spent decades shaping how we work, from building LinkedIn to investing in some of the most important tech companies of the last generation. Now, he’s focused on what might be the biggest shift yet: artificial intelligence. In this episode, Reid breaks down why most people are thinking about AI wrong. Instead of replacing humans, he argues that AI is a “humanity elevator”—a tool that expands agency, unlocks new opportunities, and fundamentally reshapes how we work, learn, and make decisions. Sammi and Reid also get into the real fears: job displacement, misinformation, and biosecurity risks—and what people can actually do about it. Reid shares practical advice for anyone worried about falling behind, including the three AI skills that matter most right now, how to use AI to pivot your career, and why “just start using it” is the most important step. Plus: Reid’s take on digital twins, why creators won’t be replaced anytime soon and the reason he believes AI is not an existential risk. This episode was recorded on 2/12/2026. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Check out Reid’s book SuperagencyHere’s what Sammi covers with Reid: 00:00 Reid Hoffman’s Social Currency 01:35 Why AI Expands Human Agency 05:08 The Real Risks of AI 08:11 What To Do If AI Threatens Your Job 11:21 Reid’s Daily AI Workflow 18:25 AI in Healthcare and Drug Discovery 21:05 Digital Twins and the Future of Creators 24:56 Reid’s Hottest AI Take 26:00 The Rise of AI Agents and Moltbot 27:00 Skills You Need to Stay Ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 24 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Reid Hoffman has spent decades shaping how we work, from building LinkedIn to investing in some of the most important tech companies of the last generation. Now, he’s focused on what might be the biggest shift yet: artificial intelligence. In this episode, Reid breaks down why most people are thinking about AI wrong. Instead of replacing humans, he argues that AI is a “humanity elevator”—a tool that expands agency, unlocks new opportunities, and fundamentally reshapes how we work, learn, and make decisions. Sammi and Reid also get into the real fears: job displacement, misinformation, and biosecurity risks—and what people can actually do about it. Reid shares practical advice for anyone worried about falling behind, including the three AI skills that matter most right now, how to use AI to pivot your career, and why “just start using it” is the most important step. Plus: Reid’s take on digital twins, why creators won’t be replaced anytime soon and the reason he believes AI is not an existential risk. This episode was recorded on 2/12/2026. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Check out Reid’s book SuperagencyHere’s what Sammi covers with Reid: 00:00 Reid Hoffman’s Social Currency 01:35 Why AI Expands Human Agency 05:08 The Real Risks of AI 08:11 What To Do If AI Threatens Your Job 11:21 Reid’s Daily AI Workflow 18:25 AI in Healthcare and Drug Discovery 21:05 Digital Twins and the Future of Creators 24:56 Reid’s Hottest AI Take 26:00 The Rise of AI Agents and Moltbot 27:00 Skills You Need to Stay Ahead Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Reid Hoffman has spent decades shaping how we work, from building LinkedIn to investing in some of the most important tech companies of the last generation. Now, he’s focused on what might be the biggest shift yet: artificial intelligence.

In this episode, Reid breaks down why most people are thinking about AI wrong. Instead of replacing humans, he argues that AI is a “humanity elevator”—a tool that expands agency, unlocks new opportunities, and fundamentally reshapes how we work, learn, and make decisions. Sammi and Reid also get into the real fears: job displacement, misinformation, and biosecurity risks—and what people can actually do about it. Reid shares practical advice for anyone worried about falling behind, including the three AI skills that matter most right now, how to use AI to pivot your career, and why “just start using it” is the most important step.

Plus: Reid’s take on digital twins, why creators won’t be replaced anytime soon and the reason he believes AI is not an existential risk. This episode was recorded on 2/12/2026.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Check out Reid’s book Superagency
Here’s what Sammi covers with Reid:

00:00 Reid Hoffman’s Social Currency

01:35 Why AI Expands Human Agency

05:08 The Real Risks of AI

08:11 What To Do If AI Threatens Your Job

11:21 Reid’s Daily AI Workflow

18:25 AI in Healthcare and Drug Discovery

21:05 Digital Twins and the Future of Creators

24:56 Reid’s Hottest AI Take

26:00 The Rise of AI Agents and Moltbot

27:00 Skills You Need to Stay Ahead

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1885 How e.l.f. Beauty Turned $1 Makeup Into a $4.8B Cultural Machine e.l.f. Beauty started as the makeup brand retailers thought was too cheap to trust: one-dollar products, white-label formulas, and no major retail partner willing to take the bet. Today, it’s one of the most culturally agile companies in consumer products, and one of the few beauty brands that consistently moves at internet speed. Today, Sammi unpacks how e.l.f. built that machine: from landing early credibility through magazine editors before influencer marketing even existed, to using TikTok before legacy beauty brands understood what the platform could do. She breaks down how CEO Tarang Amin helped transform the company by improving product quality while keeping prices low, aligning every employee around stock ownership, and building a culture that rewards speed. Then she gets into the campaigns that made e.l.f. impossible to ignore: the three-week Super Bowl ad starring Jennifer Coolidge, the provocative “So Many Dicks” Wall Street takeover, the backlash from a partnership misstep, and why the brand’s newest Melissa McCarthy campaign shows how precisely they read culture before they spend against it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 0:00 - Intro: How e.l.f. Became a Cultural Powerhouse 1:00 - The Origin Story: $1 Makeup Nobody Wanted to Carry 2:40 - Tarang Amin's CEO Playbook & Giving Equity to Everyone 4:00 - Marketing Move #1: Early Adoption of TikTok 4:40 - Marketing Move #2: The Jennifer Coolidge Super Bowl Ad 6:20 - Marketing Move #3: "So Many Dicks" Wall Street Takeover 7:20 - Marketing Move #4: The Matt Rife Misstep & What It Revealed 8:40 - Marketing Move #5: Melisa – The Telenovela Super Bowl Campaign 9:20 - The Takeaway: Moving at the Speed of Culture 10:40 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency e.l.f. Beauty started as the makeup brand retailers thought was too cheap to trust: one-dollar products, white-label formulas, and no major retail partner willing to take the bet. Today, it’s one of the most culturally agile companies in consumer products, and one of the few beauty brands that consistently moves at internet speed. Today, Sammi unpacks how e.l.f. built that machine: from landing early credibility through magazine editors before influencer marketing even existed, to using TikTok before legacy beauty brands understood what the platform could do. She breaks down how CEO Tarang Amin helped transform the company by improving product quality while keeping prices low, aligning every employee around stock ownership, and building a culture that rewards speed. Then she gets into the campaigns that made e.l.f. impossible to ignore: the three-week Super Bowl ad starring Jennifer Coolidge, the provocative “So Many Dicks” Wall Street takeover, the backlash from a partnership misstep, and why the brand’s newest Melissa McCarthy campaign shows how precisely they read culture before they spend against it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 0:00 - Intro: How e.l.f. Became a Cultural Powerhouse 1:00 - The Origin Story: $1 Makeup Nobody Wanted to Carry 2:40 - Tarang Amin's CEO Playbook & Giving Equity to Everyone 4:00 - Marketing Move #1: Early Adoption of TikTok 4:40 - Marketing Move #2: The Jennifer Coolidge Super Bowl Ad 6:20 - Marketing Move #3: "So Many Dicks" Wall Street Takeover 7:20 - Marketing Move #4: The Matt Rife Misstep & What It Revealed 8:40 - Marketing Move #5: Melisa – The Telenovela Super Bowl Campaign 9:20 - The Takeaway: Moving at the Speed of Culture 10:40 - Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices e.l.f. Beauty started as the makeup brand retailers thought was too cheap to trust: one-dollar products, white-label formulas, and no major retail partner willing to take the bet. Today, it’s one of the most culturally agile companies in consumer products, and one of the few beauty brands that consistently moves at internet speed.

Today, Sammi unpacks how e.l.f. built that machine: from landing early credibility through magazine editors before influencer marketing even existed, to using TikTok before legacy beauty brands understood what the platform could do. She breaks down how CEO Tarang Amin helped transform the company by improving product quality while keeping prices low, aligning every employee around stock ownership, and building a culture that rewards speed.

Then she gets into the campaigns that made e.l.f. impossible to ignore: the three-week Super Bowl ad starring Jennifer Coolidge, the provocative “So Many Dicks” Wall Street takeover, the backlash from a partnership misstep, and why the brand’s newest Melissa McCarthy campaign shows how precisely they read culture before they spend against it.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 


Here’s what Sammi covers today:

0:00 - Intro: How e.l.f. Became a Cultural Powerhouse 1:00 - The Origin Story: $1 Makeup Nobody Wanted to Carry 2:40 - Tarang Amin's CEO Playbook & Giving Equity to Everyone 4:00 - Marketing Move #1: Early Adoption of TikTok 4:40 - Marketing Move #2: The Jennifer Coolidge Super Bowl Ad 6:20 - Marketing Move #3: "So Many Dicks" Wall Street Takeover 7:20 - Marketing Move #4: The Matt Rife Misstep & What It Revealed 8:40 - Marketing Move #5: Melisa – The Telenovela Super Bowl Campaign 9:20 - The Takeaway: Moving at the Speed of Culture 10:40 - Outro


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 756 no Julie Smolyansky (Lifeway) on Power Struggles, Creating a Category, and How GLP-1s Are Changing Food Companies When her father died of a heart attack, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company. Then, she helped turn kefir from a niche probiotic drink into a mainstream wellness product found in major retailers across the country. Today, Julie tells Sammi how she scaled an unfamiliar category by teaching consumers what kefir even was before they were ready to buy it, why family businesses can become some of the hardest companies to lead, and how a public company changes when legacy, control, and outside pressure collide. She also opens up about the recent takeover fight involving Danone, what she believes was at stake for Lifeway, and why category leadership matters more than ever as GLP-1 trends reshape how food companies position protein, digestion, and health. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Julie’s story here Here’s what Sammi covers with Julie: :00:00 - Cold Open 01:00 - Introduction 02:20 - From Soviet Refugees to American Entrepreneurs 05:00 - The Lightbulb Moment: Discovering Kefir in Germany 08:20 - Building the Brand from the Basement Up 10:40 - Taking Lifeway Public in 1988 14:00 - Kefir vs. Yogurt: Understanding the Category 19:40 - Joining the Family Business 24:00 - Becoming CEO at 27 After Her Father's Death 29:20 - The Early Years of Leadership 32:00 - Marketing on a Zero Budget: Social Media as a Secret Weapon 37:00 - Scaling from Niche to Mainstream 40:40 - Entering the Cultural Zeitgeist (Wordle, Jeopardy) 43:40 - The Danone Takeover Attempt 48:00 - The Future: GLP-1s, Protein, and Food as Medicine 51:40 - Social Currency Corner: Would Lifeway Ever Do a Super Bowl Ad? 53:20 - Listener Question: Advice for Educating Consumers on New Categories 55:40 - ClosingHere's what Sammi covers with Julie: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency When her father died of a heart attack, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company. Then, she helped turn kefir from a niche probiotic drink into a mainstream wellness product found in major retailers across the country. Today, Julie tells Sammi how she scaled an unfamiliar category by teaching consumers what kefir even was before they were ready to buy it, why family businesses can become some of the hardest companies to lead, and how a public company changes when legacy, control, and outside pressure collide. She also opens up about the recent takeover fight involving Danone, what she believes was at stake for Lifeway, and why category leadership matters more than ever as GLP-1 trends reshape how food companies position protein, digestion, and health. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Julie’s story here Here’s what Sammi covers with Julie: :00:00 - Cold Open 01:00 - Introduction 02:20 - From Soviet Refugees to American Entrepreneurs 05:00 - The Lightbulb Moment: Discovering Kefir in Germany 08:20 - Building the Brand from the Basement Up 10:40 - Taking Lifeway Public in 1988 14:00 - Kefir vs. Yogurt: Understanding the Category 19:40 - Joining the Family Business 24:00 - Becoming CEO at 27 After Her Father's Death 29:20 - The Early Years of Leadership 32:00 - Marketing on a Zero Budget: Social Media as a Secret Weapon 37:00 - Scaling from Niche to Mainstream 40:40 - Entering the Cultural Zeitgeist (Wordle, Jeopardy) 43:40 - The Danone Takeover Attempt 48:00 - The Future: GLP-1s, Protein, and Food as Medicine 51:40 - Social Currency Corner: Would Lifeway Ever Do a Super Bowl Ad? 53:20 - Listener Question: Advice for Educating Consumers on New Categories 55:40 - ClosingHere's what Sammi covers with Julie: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices When her father died of a heart attack, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company. Then, she helped turn kefir from a niche probiotic drink into a mainstream wellness product found in major retailers across the country.

Today, Julie tells Sammi how she scaled an unfamiliar category by teaching consumers what kefir even was before they were ready to buy it, why family businesses can become some of the hardest companies to lead, and how a public company changes when legacy, control, and outside pressure collide.

She also opens up about the recent takeover fight involving Danone, what she believes was at stake for Lifeway, and why category leadership matters more than ever as GLP-1 trends reshape how food companies position protein, digestion, and health.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

Follow Julie’s story here

Here’s what Sammi covers with Julie:


:00:00 - Cold Open

01:00 - Introduction

02:20 - From Soviet Refugees to American Entrepreneurs

05:00 - The Lightbulb Moment: Discovering Kefir in Germany

08:20 - Building the Brand from the Basement Up

10:40 - Taking Lifeway Public in 1988

14:00 - Kefir vs. Yogurt: Understanding the Category

19:40 - Joining the Family Business

24:00 - Becoming CEO at 27 After Her Father's Death

29:20 - The Early Years of Leadership

32:00 - Marketing on a Zero Budget: Social Media as a Secret Weapon

37:00 - Scaling from Niche to Mainstream

40:40 - Entering the Cultural Zeitgeist (Wordle, Jeopardy)

43:40 - The Danone Takeover Attempt

48:00 - The Future: GLP-1s, Protein, and Food as Medicine

51:40 - Social Currency Corner: Would Lifeway Ever Do a Super Bowl Ad?

53:20 - Listener Question: Advice for Educating Consumers on New Categories

55:40 - ClosingHere's what Sammi covers with Julie:

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3589 no 6 Habits of the Most Successful Female Founders Months into interviewing founders for this podcast, Sammi noticed something surprising: the most successful women were often practicing the same habits, but almost none of them were the things people usually talk about in founder profiles. Today, Sammi breaks down six patterns she has seen repeatedly across standout founders. The examples come directly from conversations with founders like Amy Liu (Tower 28), Maria Davidson (Kojo), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Babba Rivera (Ceremonia), Dianna Cohen (nm) Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway), and others who built category-defining companies under very different circumstances—but often with strikingly similar instincts. Sammi also shares where she is still actively learning these lessons herself: leaving Amazon, building her own media business, overcommitting early, tying performance too closely to outcomes, and learning in real time what sustainable ambition actually looks like.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here are the full episodes Sammi mentions today: Amy Liu, CEO of Tower 28  Maria Davidson, Founder of Kojo Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite  Babba Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia  Dianna Cohen, CEO of Crown Affair  Jenn Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Founder Strategies Nobody Says Out Loud 01:19 Why Great Founders Build Networks Early 03:22 Launching Before You Feel Ready 05:00 Your Calendar Like a Financial Document 06:38 Self-Advocacy and Defending Your Vision 08:20 Hiring For Your Weaknesses 09:20 Separating Identity from Outcomes 11:15 One Habit to Start this Month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Months into interviewing founders for this podcast, Sammi noticed something surprising: the most successful women were often practicing the same habits, but almost none of them were the things people usually talk about in founder profiles. Today, Sammi breaks down six patterns she has seen repeatedly across standout founders. The examples come directly from conversations with founders like Amy Liu (Tower 28), Maria Davidson (Kojo), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Babba Rivera (Ceremonia), Dianna Cohen (nm) Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway), and others who built category-defining companies under very different circumstances—but often with strikingly similar instincts. Sammi also shares where she is still actively learning these lessons herself: leaving Amazon, building her own media business, overcommitting early, tying performance too closely to outcomes, and learning in real time what sustainable ambition actually looks like.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here are the full episodes Sammi mentions today: Amy Liu, CEO of Tower 28  Maria Davidson, Founder of Kojo Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite  Babba Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia  Dianna Cohen, CEO of Crown Affair  Jenn Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Founder Strategies Nobody Says Out Loud 01:19 Why Great Founders Build Networks Early 03:22 Launching Before You Feel Ready 05:00 Your Calendar Like a Financial Document 06:38 Self-Advocacy and Defending Your Vision 08:20 Hiring For Your Weaknesses 09:20 Separating Identity from Outcomes 11:15 One Habit to Start this Month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Months into interviewing founders for this podcast, Sammi noticed something surprising: the most successful women were often practicing the same habits, but almost none of them were the things people usually talk about in founder profiles.

Today, Sammi breaks down six patterns she has seen repeatedly across standout founders. The examples come directly from conversations with founders like Amy Liu (Tower 28), Maria Davidson (Kojo), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Babba Rivera (Ceremonia), Dianna Cohen (nm) Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway), and others who built category-defining companies under very different circumstances—but often with strikingly similar instincts.

Sammi also shares where she is still actively learning these lessons herself: leaving Amazon, building her own media business, overcommitting early, tying performance too closely to outcomes, and learning in real time what sustainable ambition actually looks like. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

Here are the full episodes Sammi mentions today:

Amy Liu, CEO of Tower 28

 Maria Davidson, Founder of Kojo

Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite

 Babba Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia

 Dianna Cohen, CEO of Crown Affair

 Jenn Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Founder Strategies Nobody Says Out Loud

01:19 Why Great Founders Build Networks Early

03:22 Launching Before You Feel Ready

05:00 Your Calendar Like a Financial Document

06:38 Self-Advocacy and Defending Your Vision

08:20 Hiring For Your Weaknesses

09:20 Separating Identity from Outcomes

11:15 One Habit to Start this Month

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 875 no Laura Meyer (Envision Horizons) on AI’s Shopping Disruption, How to Show Up in ChatGPT Searches and the New Cost of Attention Laura Meyer has spent nearly a decade helping brands navigate Amazon, TikTok Shop, retail media, and now the next major shift in commerce: AI-driven shopping. Today, Sammi is partnering with Laura’s strategic commerce agency Envision Horizons to help brands get— and keep— attention in the changing world of online shopping. Laura explains why consumers are facing what she calls an “invisible tax on attention,” where prices rise because brands have to spend more on advertising just to stay visible in increasingly crowded digital platforms. She breaks down how rising customer acquisition costs are reshaping pricing, product quality, and platform strategy, and why even legacy brands are being forced to rethink where they spend every marketing dollar. Then the conversation turns to what may be the biggest shift ahead: consumers using AI before they buy. Laura shares new survey data showing that half of consumers switch brands after seeing recommendations from ChatGPT, why legacy brands are suddenly more vulnerable than they realize, and how platforms like Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify could each be affected differently as AI becomes the new shopping gatekeeper. She also explains why TikTok Shop remains a winners-and-losers platform, why she’s bearish on live shopping despite industry hype, and why logistics may still determine who wins the next era of commerce. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Download the free report Laura references in this episode — "The New Blind Spot: Why AI Is Sending Your Customers to Competitors" — including the full consumer survey results and AI Readiness Checklist Want to know how your brand shows up when consumers ask ChatGPT? Book a free AI Readiness Audit Follow Laura Meyer on LinkedIn and learn more about Envision HorizonsHere’s what Sammi covers with Laura: 00:00 Laura Meyer’s Social Currency 02:31 Laura’s Background and Launching Envision Horizons 09:07 The Changing Online Landscape 11:28 Retail Media Explained 12:36 How AI is Changing Brand Discovery 16:00 What Happens when AI Ads Arrive 23:50 TikTok Shop vs Amazon Economics 29:44 Why Amazon Still Wins Fulfillment 35:00 New AI Consumer Survey Findings 40:23 Why UX May Matter Less in Agentic Commerce 46:37 What Brands Should Ask Agencies 52:00 Laura’s POV on Live Shopping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 12 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Laura Meyer has spent nearly a decade helping brands navigate Amazon, TikTok Shop, retail media, and now the next major shift in commerce: AI-driven shopping. Today, Sammi is partnering with Laura’s strategic commerce agency Envision Horizons to help brands get— and keep— attention in the changing world of online shopping. Laura explains why consumers are facing what she calls an “invisible tax on attention,” where prices rise because brands have to spend more on advertising just to stay visible in increasingly crowded digital platforms. She breaks down how rising customer acquisition costs are reshaping pricing, product quality, and platform strategy, and why even legacy brands are being forced to rethink where they spend every marketing dollar. Then the conversation turns to what may be the biggest shift ahead: consumers using AI before they buy. Laura shares new survey data showing that half of consumers switch brands after seeing recommendations from ChatGPT, why legacy brands are suddenly more vulnerable than they realize, and how platforms like Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify could each be affected differently as AI becomes the new shopping gatekeeper. She also explains why TikTok Shop remains a winners-and-losers platform, why she’s bearish on live shopping despite industry hype, and why logistics may still determine who wins the next era of commerce. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Download the free report Laura references in this episode — "The New Blind Spot: Why AI Is Sending Your Customers to Competitors" — including the full consumer survey results and AI Readiness Checklist Want to know how your brand shows up when consumers ask ChatGPT? Book a free AI Readiness Audit Follow Laura Meyer on LinkedIn and learn more about Envision HorizonsHere’s what Sammi covers with Laura: 00:00 Laura Meyer’s Social Currency 02:31 Laura’s Background and Launching Envision Horizons 09:07 The Changing Online Landscape 11:28 Retail Media Explained 12:36 How AI is Changing Brand Discovery 16:00 What Happens when AI Ads Arrive 23:50 TikTok Shop vs Amazon Economics 29:44 Why Amazon Still Wins Fulfillment 35:00 New AI Consumer Survey Findings 40:23 Why UX May Matter Less in Agentic Commerce 46:37 What Brands Should Ask Agencies 52:00 Laura’s POV on Live Shopping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Laura Meyer has spent nearly a decade helping brands navigate Amazon, TikTok Shop, retail media, and now the next major shift in commerce: AI-driven shopping. Today, Sammi is partnering with Laura’s strategic commerce agency Envision Horizons to help brands get— and keep— attention in the changing world of online shopping.

Laura explains why consumers are facing what she calls an “invisible tax on attention,” where prices rise because brands have to spend more on advertising just to stay visible in increasingly crowded digital platforms. She breaks down how rising customer acquisition costs are reshaping pricing, product quality, and platform strategy, and why even legacy brands are being forced to rethink where they spend every marketing dollar.

Then the conversation turns to what may be the biggest shift ahead: consumers using AI before they buy. Laura shares new survey data showing that half of consumers switch brands after seeing recommendations from ChatGPT, why legacy brands are suddenly more vulnerable than they realize, and how platforms like Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify could each be affected differently as AI becomes the new shopping gatekeeper. She also explains why TikTok Shop remains a winners-and-losers platform, why she’s bearish on live shopping despite industry hype, and why logistics may still determine who wins the next era of commerce.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

Download the free report Laura references in this episode — "The New Blind Spot: Why AI Is Sending Your Customers to Competitors" — including the full consumer survey results and AI Readiness Checklist

Want to know how your brand shows up when consumers ask ChatGPT? Book a free AI Readiness Audit

Follow Laura Meyer on LinkedIn and learn more about Envision Horizons
Here’s what Sammi covers with Laura:

00:00 Laura Meyer’s Social Currency

02:31 Laura’s Background and Launching Envision Horizons

09:07 The Changing Online Landscape

11:28 Retail Media Explained

12:36 How AI is Changing Brand Discovery

16:00 What Happens when AI Ads Arrive

23:50 TikTok Shop vs Amazon Economics

29:44 Why Amazon Still Wins Fulfillment

35:00 New AI Consumer Survey Findings

40:23 Why UX May Matter Less in Agentic Commerce

46:37 What Brands Should Ask Agencies

52:00 Laura’s POV on Live Shopping

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3463 no Julian Reis (SuperOrdinary) on Creator IPOs, Monetizing on TikTok Shop and Where China is Beating American Entrepreneurialism Julian Reis has built businesses across hedge funds, beauty clinics, China e-commerce, creator monetization, and now TikTok Shop infrastructure, but the throughline is the same: spotting where consumer behavior is headed before most people do. In this episode, Julian tells Sammi how he went from trading at JPMorgan Chase to founding Skin Laundry, pricing mistakes that almost hurt the business, and the lessons that came from building a beauty concept globally. Then he explains why moving to Shanghai in 2018 changed everything: watching creators sell inside China’s super-app ecosystem convinced him that American retail was years behind and that social commerce would eventually reshape how Americans shop. Julian breaks down how his company SuperOrdinary scaled from zero to 350 employees in China, helped brands like Drunk Elephant and Olaplex grow in Asia, and why TikTok Shop is creating a new kind of retail where creators function more like digital storefronts than influencers. He also shares why affiliate data matters more than follower counts, what kinds of products actually work on TikTok, why he believes creators may eventually IPO themselves, and how micro dramas could become the next major content-to-commerce engine. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Learn More about SuperOrdinary Here’s what Sammi covers with Julian:00:00 Julian Reis’ Social Currency04:07 The Finance Chapter11:18 Why Skin Laundry Almost Failed19:37 Moving to Shanghai23:19 Building Brands in China31:00 Why China’s KOL Economy Changed Everything34:49 TikTok Shop’s Massive U.S. Opportunity39:00 What Brands Need To Win TikTok45:14 Fanfix, Micro Dramas, and Creator Monetization51:43 Could Creators Become Public Companies? 53:03 Social Currency Corner54:31 The Future of AI Twins and Creator IP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Julian Reis has built businesses across hedge funds, beauty clinics, China e-commerce, creator monetization, and now TikTok Shop infrastructure, but the throughline is the same: spotting where consumer behavior is headed before most people do. In this episode, Julian tells Sammi how he went from trading at JPMorgan Chase to founding Skin Laundry, pricing mistakes that almost hurt the business, and the lessons that came from building a beauty concept globally. Then he explains why moving to Shanghai in 2018 changed everything: watching creators sell inside China’s super-app ecosystem convinced him that American retail was years behind and that social commerce would eventually reshape how Americans shop. Julian breaks down how his company SuperOrdinary scaled from zero to 350 employees in China, helped brands like Drunk Elephant and Olaplex grow in Asia, and why TikTok Shop is creating a new kind of retail where creators function more like digital storefronts than influencers. He also shares why affiliate data matters more than follower counts, what kinds of products actually work on TikTok, why he believes creators may eventually IPO themselves, and how micro dramas could become the next major content-to-commerce engine. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Learn More about SuperOrdinary Here’s what Sammi covers with Julian:00:00 Julian Reis’ Social Currency04:07 The Finance Chapter11:18 Why Skin Laundry Almost Failed19:37 Moving to Shanghai23:19 Building Brands in China31:00 Why China’s KOL Economy Changed Everything34:49 TikTok Shop’s Massive U.S. Opportunity39:00 What Brands Need To Win TikTok45:14 Fanfix, Micro Dramas, and Creator Monetization51:43 Could Creators Become Public Companies? 53:03 Social Currency Corner54:31 The Future of AI Twins and Creator IP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Julian Reis has built businesses across hedge funds, beauty clinics, China e-commerce, creator monetization, and now TikTok Shop infrastructure, but the throughline is the same: spotting where consumer behavior is headed before most people do.

In this episode, Julian tells Sammi how he went from trading at JPMorgan Chase to founding Skin Laundry, pricing mistakes that almost hurt the business, and the lessons that came from building a beauty concept globally. Then he explains why moving to Shanghai in 2018 changed everything: watching creators sell inside China’s super-app ecosystem convinced him that American retail was years behind and that social commerce would eventually reshape how Americans shop.

Julian breaks down how his company SuperOrdinary scaled from zero to 350 employees in China, helped brands like Drunk Elephant and Olaplex grow in Asia, and why TikTok Shop is creating a new kind of retail where creators function more like digital storefronts than influencers. He also shares why affiliate data matters more than follower counts, what kinds of products actually work on TikTok, why he believes creators may eventually IPO themselves, and how micro dramas could become the next major content-to-commerce engine.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Learn More about SuperOrdinary

Here’s what Sammi covers with Julian:00:00 Julian Reis’ Social Currency04:07 The Finance Chapter11:18 Why Skin Laundry Almost Failed19:37 Moving to Shanghai23:19 Building Brands in China31:00 Why China’s KOL Economy Changed Everything34:49 TikTok Shop’s Massive U.S. Opportunity39:00 What Brands Need To Win TikTok45:14 Fanfix, Micro Dramas, and Creator Monetization51:43 Could Creators Become Public Companies?

53:03 Social Currency Corner54:31 The Future of AI Twins and Creator IP


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3572 QVC Built the Blueprint for Live Shopping—Then Lost the Market Before TikTok Shop, before influencers sold products through livestreams, QVC had already perfected the live shopping formula: charismatic hosts, product storytelling, and frictionless buying through a screen. Today, Sammi unpacks how the company that built the category became trapped protecting the wrong business. QVC saw digital change coming, but instead of building for where consumer attention was moving, it spent billions doubling down on legacy retail through acquisitions like Zulily and HSN just as cable television was collapsing. Now, with $6.6 billion in debt, restructuring talks underway, and TikTok becoming one of its last major growth bets, QVC has become a case study in what happens when a company masters a format but loses control of the platform that made it powerful. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 How QVC Became a Cash Flow Machine 03:15 The First Big Wrong Turn 03:33 Why Zulily Failed04:33 The HSN Bet 05:17 Doubling Down on a Shrinking Market 06:37 Rebrands, Layoffs, and Decline 08:06 Why QVC Turned to TikTok 09:18 The Debt Problem 10:19 The Capital Allocation Lesson 11:05 The Big Lesson From the Billion-Dollar Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Before TikTok Shop, before influencers sold products through livestreams, QVC had already perfected the live shopping formula: charismatic hosts, product storytelling, and frictionless buying through a screen. Today, Sammi unpacks how the company that built the category became trapped protecting the wrong business. QVC saw digital change coming, but instead of building for where consumer attention was moving, it spent billions doubling down on legacy retail through acquisitions like Zulily and HSN just as cable television was collapsing. Now, with $6.6 billion in debt, restructuring talks underway, and TikTok becoming one of its last major growth bets, QVC has become a case study in what happens when a company masters a format but loses control of the platform that made it powerful. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 How QVC Became a Cash Flow Machine 03:15 The First Big Wrong Turn 03:33 Why Zulily Failed04:33 The HSN Bet 05:17 Doubling Down on a Shrinking Market 06:37 Rebrands, Layoffs, and Decline 08:06 Why QVC Turned to TikTok 09:18 The Debt Problem 10:19 The Capital Allocation Lesson 11:05 The Big Lesson From the Billion-Dollar Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Before TikTok Shop, before influencers sold products through livestreams, QVC had already perfected the live shopping formula: charismatic hosts, product storytelling, and frictionless buying through a screen.

Today, Sammi unpacks how the company that built the category became trapped protecting the wrong business. QVC saw digital change coming, but instead of building for where consumer attention was moving, it spent billions doubling down on legacy retail through acquisitions like Zulily and HSN just as cable television was collapsing.

Now, with $6.6 billion in debt, restructuring talks underway, and TikTok becoming one of its last major growth bets, QVC has become a case study in what happens when a company masters a format but loses control of the platform that made it powerful.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 How QVC Became a Cash Flow Machine

03:15 The First Big Wrong Turn

03:33 Why Zulily Failed04:33 The HSN Bet

05:17 Doubling Down on a Shrinking Market

06:37 Rebrands, Layoffs, and Decline

08:06 Why QVC Turned to TikTok

09:18 The Debt Problem

10:19 The Capital Allocation Lesson

11:05 The Big Lesson From the Billion-Dollar Crisis

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 819 no Doug Evans (Juicero) on the Viral Takedown, Blessings in Disguise and Reinvention With The Sprouting Company Doug Evans didn’t just build a juicer… he built one of Silicon Valley’s most debated startups. As the founder of Juicero, Doug raised more than $100 million to bring cold-pressed juice into people’s homes, only to watch the company crumble after a viral Bloomberg article questioned whether the machine was even necessary. In this episode, Doug tells Sammi his side of the story.  He shares what Juicero was actually trying to solve, the power of a takedown piece, and the surprising role geography played in the company’s fate. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, the shock of watching the company shut down with capital still in the bank, and the fallout that followed. Doug sets the record straight and shares what never made it into the takedown pieces.  Then comes the reinvention. Doug shares how he retreated to the Mojave Desert, wrote a national bestselling book on sprouting, and launched a new direct-to-consumer company built around countertop food production.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Doug and The Sprouting Company Here’s what Sammi covers today with Doug: 00:00 Doug Evans’ Social Currency 02:55 The “Genetically Cursed” Mindset Shift 04:23 Building Organic Avenue Before Juice Was Cool 09:37 Why Juicero Had to Exist 14:52 The Bloomberg Squeeze Story 17:53 The Media Pile-On and Fallout 25:34 Lessons on Leadership and Investor Alignment 27:38 Going Reclusive After Juicero 33:51 Mojave Desert Reinvention 37:37 The Science Behind Sprouts 41:15 Writing The Sprout Book 46:23 Pitching Sprouts on Shark Tank 51:45 From Trauma to Confidence 56:39 Making Sprouting Mainstream 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 03 Mar 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Doug Evans didn’t just build a juicer… he built one of Silicon Valley’s most debated startups. As the founder of Juicero, Doug raised more than $100 million to bring cold-pressed juice into people’s homes, only to watch the company crumble after a viral Bloomberg article questioned whether the machine was even necessary. In this episode, Doug tells Sammi his side of the story.  He shares what Juicero was actually trying to solve, the power of a takedown piece, and the surprising role geography played in the company’s fate. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, the shock of watching the company shut down with capital still in the bank, and the fallout that followed. Doug sets the record straight and shares what never made it into the takedown pieces.  Then comes the reinvention. Doug shares how he retreated to the Mojave Desert, wrote a national bestselling book on sprouting, and launched a new direct-to-consumer company built around countertop food production.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Doug and The Sprouting Company Here’s what Sammi covers today with Doug: 00:00 Doug Evans’ Social Currency 02:55 The “Genetically Cursed” Mindset Shift 04:23 Building Organic Avenue Before Juice Was Cool 09:37 Why Juicero Had to Exist 14:52 The Bloomberg Squeeze Story 17:53 The Media Pile-On and Fallout 25:34 Lessons on Leadership and Investor Alignment 27:38 Going Reclusive After Juicero 33:51 Mojave Desert Reinvention 37:37 The Science Behind Sprouts 41:15 Writing The Sprout Book 46:23 Pitching Sprouts on Shark Tank 51:45 From Trauma to Confidence 56:39 Making Sprouting Mainstream 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Doug Evans didn’t just build a juicer… he built one of Silicon Valley’s most debated startups. As the founder of Juicero, Doug raised more than $100 million to bring cold-pressed juice into people’s homes, only to watch the company crumble after a viral Bloomberg article questioned whether the machine was even necessary.

In this episode, Doug tells Sammi his side of the story.  He shares what Juicero was actually trying to solve, the power of a takedown piece, and the surprising role geography played in the company’s fate. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, the shock of watching the company shut down with capital still in the bank, and the fallout that followed. Doug sets the record straight and shares what never made it into the takedown pieces. 

Then comes the reinvention. Doug shares how he retreated to the Mojave Desert, wrote a national bestselling book on sprouting, and launched a new direct-to-consumer company built around countertop food production. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Doug and The Sprouting Company

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Doug:

00:00 Doug Evans’ Social Currency

02:55 The “Genetically Cursed” Mindset Shift

04:23 Building Organic Avenue Before Juice Was Cool

09:37 Why Juicero Had to Exist

14:52 The Bloomberg Squeeze Story

17:53 The Media Pile-On and Fallout

25:34 Lessons on Leadership and Investor Alignment

27:38 Going Reclusive After Juicero

33:51 Mojave Desert Reinvention

37:37 The Science Behind Sprouts

41:15 Writing The Sprout Book

46:23 Pitching Sprouts on Shark Tank

51:45 From Trauma to Confidence

56:39 Making Sprouting Mainstream

01:12:12 Social Currency Corner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4323 no Grocery Store Botox? The $17B Med Spa Boom Meets the Private Equity Playbook  You can now get a discount on your Botox or Brow lift at… Erewhon? The latest partnership between Erewhon and med spa startup Ject isn’t just a publicity stunt. It’s a bigger signal: medical aesthetics has gone fully mainstream. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how Botox went from cosmetic approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just 14 years ago to a $17B industry with more than 10,000 med spas across the U.S. She breaks down the forces behind the boom like loosened regulations, cash-pay margins, social media normalization, and why private equity is racing to roll up the space. But when the product is commoditized, what’s the real moat? Sammi’s takeaway: the brand is not the competitive advantage, it’s something else hiding in plain sight.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Grocery Store Botox  01:15 How Med Spas Took Off  02:04 Insane Growth By The Numbers  02:55 Regulatory Changes  03:36 Social Media’s Impact on the Landscape 04:28 Private Equity Moves In  05:43 The Rollup Playbook  06:48 HIV Outbreaks, Safety And Oversight Risks  08:24 The Real Differentiator  10:55 Who Wins Next Decade  11:11 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency  You can now get a discount on your Botox or Brow lift at… Erewhon? The latest partnership between Erewhon and med spa startup Ject isn’t just a publicity stunt. It’s a bigger signal: medical aesthetics has gone fully mainstream. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how Botox went from cosmetic approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just 14 years ago to a $17B industry with more than 10,000 med spas across the U.S. She breaks down the forces behind the boom like loosened regulations, cash-pay margins, social media normalization, and why private equity is racing to roll up the space. But when the product is commoditized, what’s the real moat? Sammi’s takeaway: the brand is not the competitive advantage, it’s something else hiding in plain sight.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Grocery Store Botox  01:15 How Med Spas Took Off  02:04 Insane Growth By The Numbers  02:55 Regulatory Changes  03:36 Social Media’s Impact on the Landscape 04:28 Private Equity Moves In  05:43 The Rollup Playbook  06:48 HIV Outbreaks, Safety And Oversight Risks  08:24 The Real Differentiator  10:55 Who Wins Next Decade  11:11 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  You can now get a discount on your Botox or Brow lift at… Erewhon? The latest partnership between Erewhon and med spa startup Ject isn’t just a publicity stunt. It’s a bigger signal: medical aesthetics has gone fully mainstream.

In this episode, Sammi unpacks how Botox went from cosmetic approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just 14 years ago to a $17B industry with more than 10,000 med spas across the U.S. She breaks down the forces behind the boom like loosened regulations, cash-pay margins, social media normalization, and why private equity is racing to roll up the space. But when the product is commoditized, what’s the real moat?

Sammi’s takeaway: the brand is not the competitive advantage, it’s something else hiding in plain sight. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Grocery Store Botox 

01:15 How Med Spas Took Off 

02:04 Insane Growth By The Numbers 

02:55 Regulatory Changes 

03:36 Social Media’s Impact on the Landscape

04:28 Private Equity Moves In 

05:43 The Rollup Playbook 

06:48 HIV Outbreaks, Safety And Oversight Risks 

08:24 The Real Differentiator 

10:55 Who Wins Next Decade 

11:11 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 783 no Jesse Draper (Halogen Ventures) on Betting on Companies Early, Founder Red Flags, and Why Investing in Women Is NOT a Charity Jesse Draper has heard it all: “nepo baby,” “charity fund,” “too niche”—and she turned every jab into fuel. After getting laughed out of rooms while raising her first fund, Jesse built Halogen Ventures into one of the earliest venture capital funds explicitly focused on backing female founders, now with 85+ portfolio companies and multiple unicorns. In this episode, Jesse breaks down how she actually evaluates startups when they’re early (and sometimes barely making their first dollar), the metrics she thinks founders overhype, and the green flags that make her lean in, like radical transparency and founders who are obsessed enough to “check QuickBooks” mid-question. She also tells the wild story of why she’ll never invest off Zoom again, how social media has changed consumer investing, and what the DEI rollback is starting to look like inside venture. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Jesse’s epic interview with Elon MuskFollow Jesse’s work at Halogen Ventures Here’s what Sammi covers with Jesse 00:00 Jesse Draper’s Social Currency 00:50 Meet Jesse Draper 03:00 The Reality of Being Fourth Generation VC 06:13 The Valley Girl Show and the Elon Musk Interview 16:36 From Entertainment to Entrepreneurship 18:25 Getting Laughed Out of Pitches and Championing Female Founders 25:36 Crazy Pitch Stories 27:25 The Wild Con Artist Story 30:29 Never Invest Based on Zoom Meetings 34:03 The Viral “Investing In Women Is Not a F*cking Charity” Essay 37:16 Data That Investing in Women Works 38:09 What Founders Should Know About Conversations with VCs  41:43 Red Flags and Green Flags 46:44 How Social Media Has Changed VCs 53:00 Future of Equity in VC 59:12 Investing in Alabama 01:07:56 Social Currency Corner 01:09:57 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Jesse Draper has heard it all: “nepo baby,” “charity fund,” “too niche”—and she turned every jab into fuel. After getting laughed out of rooms while raising her first fund, Jesse built Halogen Ventures into one of the earliest venture capital funds explicitly focused on backing female founders, now with 85+ portfolio companies and multiple unicorns. In this episode, Jesse breaks down how she actually evaluates startups when they’re early (and sometimes barely making their first dollar), the metrics she thinks founders overhype, and the green flags that make her lean in, like radical transparency and founders who are obsessed enough to “check QuickBooks” mid-question. She also tells the wild story of why she’ll never invest off Zoom again, how social media has changed consumer investing, and what the DEI rollback is starting to look like inside venture. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Jesse’s epic interview with Elon MuskFollow Jesse’s work at Halogen Ventures Here’s what Sammi covers with Jesse 00:00 Jesse Draper’s Social Currency 00:50 Meet Jesse Draper 03:00 The Reality of Being Fourth Generation VC 06:13 The Valley Girl Show and the Elon Musk Interview 16:36 From Entertainment to Entrepreneurship 18:25 Getting Laughed Out of Pitches and Championing Female Founders 25:36 Crazy Pitch Stories 27:25 The Wild Con Artist Story 30:29 Never Invest Based on Zoom Meetings 34:03 The Viral “Investing In Women Is Not a F*cking Charity” Essay 37:16 Data That Investing in Women Works 38:09 What Founders Should Know About Conversations with VCs  41:43 Red Flags and Green Flags 46:44 How Social Media Has Changed VCs 53:00 Future of Equity in VC 59:12 Investing in Alabama 01:07:56 Social Currency Corner 01:09:57 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Jesse Draper has heard it all: “nepo baby,” “charity fund,” “too niche”—and she turned every jab into fuel. After getting laughed out of rooms while raising her first fund, Jesse built Halogen Ventures into one of the earliest venture capital funds explicitly focused on backing female founders, now with 85+ portfolio companies and multiple unicorns.

In this episode, Jesse breaks down how she actually evaluates startups when they’re early (and sometimes barely making their first dollar), the metrics she thinks founders overhype, and the green flags that make her lean in, like radical transparency and founders who are obsessed enough to “check QuickBooks” mid-question. She also tells the wild story of why she’ll never invest off Zoom again, how social media has changed consumer investing, and what the DEI rollback is starting to look like inside venture.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Jesse’s epic interview with Elon MuskFollow Jesse’s work at Halogen Ventures

Here’s what Sammi covers with Jesse

00:00 Jesse Draper’s Social Currency

00:50 Meet Jesse Draper

03:00 The Reality of Being Fourth Generation VC

06:13 The Valley Girl Show and the Elon Musk Interview

16:36 From Entertainment to Entrepreneurship

18:25 Getting Laughed Out of Pitches and Championing Female Founders

25:36 Crazy Pitch Stories

27:25 The Wild Con Artist Story

30:29 Never Invest Based on Zoom Meetings

34:03 The Viral “Investing In Women Is Not a F*cking Charity” Essay

37:16 Data That Investing in Women Works

38:09 What Founders Should Know About Conversations with VCs 

41:43 Red Flags and Green Flags

46:44 How Social Media Has Changed VCs

53:00 Future of Equity in VC

59:12 Investing in Alabama

01:07:56 Social Currency Corner

01:09:57 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4520 Is This the Starbucks Comeback? Starbucks didn’t lose to a cooler coffee chain. It lost to itself. Today, Sammi unpacks how one of the most dominant brands in modern retail engineered its own slide and what new CEO Brian Niccol is doing to fix it. From nixing pickup-only stores and cutting a quarter of the menu to investing $150K per location and betting on traffic before margins, Starbucks is attempting something rare: looking backwards to move forward. Sammi breaks down the latest numbers showing U.S. traffic rising for the first time in nearly two years, the massive menu and bakery overhaul, the revamped Rewards program, and the viral Bearista cups that reveal a deeper cultural strategy. Then, she shares what entrepreneurs can take away from the Starbucks turnaround — and why this comeback proves that even iconic brands don’t need reinvention, they need ruthless clarity about who they are and the discipline to execute on it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The “Third Place” Promise — and the Self-Sabotage 01:30 From 17 Stores to a $78B Empire 02:33 When the App Took Over 03:28 Strikes, Boycotts & Inflation 04:42 The Cooler, Cheaper Competition 05:27 The Chipotle Fixer Enters 06:36 Traffic Is Finally Up 07:39 Cut the Menu, Then Rebuild It 08:58 Viral Merch and the Gen Z Play 09:54 The Founder Rule: Subtract First 11:12 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Starbucks didn’t lose to a cooler coffee chain. It lost to itself. Today, Sammi unpacks how one of the most dominant brands in modern retail engineered its own slide and what new CEO Brian Niccol is doing to fix it. From nixing pickup-only stores and cutting a quarter of the menu to investing $150K per location and betting on traffic before margins, Starbucks is attempting something rare: looking backwards to move forward. Sammi breaks down the latest numbers showing U.S. traffic rising for the first time in nearly two years, the massive menu and bakery overhaul, the revamped Rewards program, and the viral Bearista cups that reveal a deeper cultural strategy. Then, she shares what entrepreneurs can take away from the Starbucks turnaround — and why this comeback proves that even iconic brands don’t need reinvention, they need ruthless clarity about who they are and the discipline to execute on it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The “Third Place” Promise — and the Self-Sabotage 01:30 From 17 Stores to a $78B Empire 02:33 When the App Took Over 03:28 Strikes, Boycotts & Inflation 04:42 The Cooler, Cheaper Competition 05:27 The Chipotle Fixer Enters 06:36 Traffic Is Finally Up 07:39 Cut the Menu, Then Rebuild It 08:58 Viral Merch and the Gen Z Play 09:54 The Founder Rule: Subtract First 11:12 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Starbucks didn’t lose to a cooler coffee chain. It lost to itself.

Today, Sammi unpacks how one of the most dominant brands in modern retail engineered its own slide and what new CEO Brian Niccol is doing to fix it. From nixing pickup-only stores and cutting a quarter of the menu to investing $150K per location and betting on traffic before margins, Starbucks is attempting something rare: looking backwards to move forward.

Sammi breaks down the latest numbers showing U.S. traffic rising for the first time in nearly two years, the massive menu and bakery overhaul, the revamped Rewards program, and the viral Bearista cups that reveal a deeper cultural strategy. Then, she shares what entrepreneurs can take away from the Starbucks turnaround — and why this comeback proves that even iconic brands don’t need reinvention, they need ruthless clarity about who they are and the discipline to execute on it.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The “Third Place” Promise — and the Self-Sabotage

01:30 From 17 Stores to a $78B Empire

02:33 When the App Took Over

03:28 Strikes, Boycotts & Inflation

04:42 The Cooler, Cheaper Competition

05:27 The Chipotle Fixer Enters

06:36 Traffic Is Finally Up

07:39 Cut the Menu, Then Rebuild It

08:58 Viral Merch and the Gen Z Play

09:54 The Founder Rule: Subtract First

11:12 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 785 Gregg Renfrew (Counter) on the $1B Beautycounter Acquisition, Getting Pushed Out of Her Company, and Starting New Gregg Renfrew didn’t just build a beauty brand; she helped create an entire category. Long before “clean beauty” became a marketing buzzword, Gregg was lobbying Congress, reformulating products, and turning a mission-driven idea into Beautycounter, a billion-dollar company acquired by private equity. But the story didn’t end with the sale. Months after the $1B deal closed, Gregg was pushed out of the company she founded. What followed was a cascade of leadership changes, falling sales, and one of the most dramatic founder reversals in modern consumer business. In this episode, Gregg tells Sammi the full story—what founders misunderstand about selling, how investor dynamics really work behind the scenes, and what it feels like to watch your life’s work unravel from the outside. Then she shares the unexpected next chapter: the 48-hour scramble to buy the company out of foreclosure, the painful shutdown year that followed, and the decision to rebuild under a new name, Counter. Plus, Gregg opens up about walking away from private equity (for now), what she’s learned about resilience and second chances, and why starting over after a very public fall can become the most powerful chapter of all. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Counter 00:00 Gregg Renfrew’s Social Currency 00:57 The Beautycounter Origin Story 02:32 Early Entrepreneurial Lessons 04:19 Inside Martha Stewart Living 08:22 Getting Fired and Starting Again 11:04 Why Clean Beauty Mattered 14:58 Building the First Products 18:56 Lobbying for Industry Reform 21:02 The Problem With “Clean” 27:24 The Sales Model Explained 35:25 Community, Women, and Work 38:35 The $1B Deal 39:31 Why Founders Sell 41:04 Investor Power Dynamics 44:15 Private Equity Reality Check 46:04 Post-Sale Fallout 47:32 Getting Pushed Out 48:52 Watching the Decline 50:28 The Brief Return 53:09 Buying It Back 55:55 The Shutdown Year 58:18 Rebuilding as Counter 01:00:51 Advice for Starting Over 01:04:42 No More Private Equity 01:10:08 Industry Shakeups 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Gregg Renfrew didn’t just build a beauty brand; she helped create an entire category. Long before “clean beauty” became a marketing buzzword, Gregg was lobbying Congress, reformulating products, and turning a mission-driven idea into Beautycounter, a billion-dollar company acquired by private equity. But the story didn’t end with the sale. Months after the $1B deal closed, Gregg was pushed out of the company she founded. What followed was a cascade of leadership changes, falling sales, and one of the most dramatic founder reversals in modern consumer business. In this episode, Gregg tells Sammi the full story—what founders misunderstand about selling, how investor dynamics really work behind the scenes, and what it feels like to watch your life’s work unravel from the outside. Then she shares the unexpected next chapter: the 48-hour scramble to buy the company out of foreclosure, the painful shutdown year that followed, and the decision to rebuild under a new name, Counter. Plus, Gregg opens up about walking away from private equity (for now), what she’s learned about resilience and second chances, and why starting over after a very public fall can become the most powerful chapter of all. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Counter 00:00 Gregg Renfrew’s Social Currency 00:57 The Beautycounter Origin Story 02:32 Early Entrepreneurial Lessons 04:19 Inside Martha Stewart Living 08:22 Getting Fired and Starting Again 11:04 Why Clean Beauty Mattered 14:58 Building the First Products 18:56 Lobbying for Industry Reform 21:02 The Problem With “Clean” 27:24 The Sales Model Explained 35:25 Community, Women, and Work 38:35 The $1B Deal 39:31 Why Founders Sell 41:04 Investor Power Dynamics 44:15 Private Equity Reality Check 46:04 Post-Sale Fallout 47:32 Getting Pushed Out 48:52 Watching the Decline 50:28 The Brief Return 53:09 Buying It Back 55:55 The Shutdown Year 58:18 Rebuilding as Counter 01:00:51 Advice for Starting Over 01:04:42 No More Private Equity 01:10:08 Industry Shakeups 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Gregg Renfrew didn’t just build a beauty brand; she helped create an entire category. Long before “clean beauty” became a marketing buzzword, Gregg was lobbying Congress, reformulating products, and turning a mission-driven idea into Beautycounter, a billion-dollar company acquired by private equity.

But the story didn’t end with the sale. Months after the $1B deal closed, Gregg was pushed out of the company she founded. What followed was a cascade of leadership changes, falling sales, and one of the most dramatic founder reversals in modern consumer business.

In this episode, Gregg tells Sammi the full story—what founders misunderstand about selling, how investor dynamics really work behind the scenes, and what it feels like to watch your life’s work unravel from the outside. Then she shares the unexpected next chapter: the 48-hour scramble to buy the company out of foreclosure, the painful shutdown year that followed, and the decision to rebuild under a new name, Counter.

Plus, Gregg opens up about walking away from private equity (for now), what she’s learned about resilience and second chances, and why starting over after a very public fall can become the most powerful chapter of all.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Counter

00:00 Gregg Renfrew’s Social Currency

00:57 The Beautycounter Origin Story

02:32 Early Entrepreneurial Lessons

04:19 Inside Martha Stewart Living

08:22 Getting Fired and Starting Again

11:04 Why Clean Beauty Mattered

14:58 Building the First Products

18:56 Lobbying for Industry Reform

21:02 The Problem With “Clean”

27:24 The Sales Model Explained

35:25 Community, Women, and Work

38:35 The $1B Deal

39:31 Why Founders Sell

41:04 Investor Power Dynamics

44:15 Private Equity Reality Check

46:04 Post-Sale Fallout

47:32 Getting Pushed Out

48:52 Watching the Decline

50:28 The Brief Return

53:09 Buying It Back

55:55 The Shutdown Year

58:18 Rebuilding as Counter

01:00:51 Advice for Starting Over

01:04:42 No More Private Equity

01:10:08 Industry Shakeups

01:12:12 Social Currency Corner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4787 How Pat McGrath’s $1B Beauty Empire Ended in Bankruptcy When the most legendary makeup artist in the world, Pat McGrath, finally launched her own beauty brand, her hero product sold out in minutes.  Within three years, Pat McGrath Labs was valued at $1 billion. Today, it’s in bankruptcy court. Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and unraveling of Pat McGrath Labs. Valued at roughly 25 times revenue, the brand was suddenly operating under hypergrowth expectations that clashed with its luxury positioning and deliberately controlled expansion. As sales slowed, distribution widened, and investor pressure intensified, what began as a cash flow squeeze spiraled into something much bigger. Sammi breaks down the aggressive private equity deal that set the tone, the strategic tension between artistry and scale, and the $17.5 million bridge loan that ballooned into a $43 million claim—ultimately triggering a last-minute Chapter 11 filing to stop a forced auction. It’s a case study in valuation psychology, capital structure, and what happens when the wrong money meets the right founder at exactly the wrong time. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Rise of Pat McGrath Labs  02:51 The Billion Dollar Valuation Problem  04:17 The Sales Strategy Challenges 08:00 The Predatory Loan  08:59 The Bankruptcy Filing  10:26 Lessons and Cautionary Tale 13:10 Pat McGrath’s Personal Liability 15:29 Takeaways From Pat McGrath Labs  16:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency When the most legendary makeup artist in the world, Pat McGrath, finally launched her own beauty brand, her hero product sold out in minutes.  Within three years, Pat McGrath Labs was valued at $1 billion. Today, it’s in bankruptcy court. Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and unraveling of Pat McGrath Labs. Valued at roughly 25 times revenue, the brand was suddenly operating under hypergrowth expectations that clashed with its luxury positioning and deliberately controlled expansion. As sales slowed, distribution widened, and investor pressure intensified, what began as a cash flow squeeze spiraled into something much bigger. Sammi breaks down the aggressive private equity deal that set the tone, the strategic tension between artistry and scale, and the $17.5 million bridge loan that ballooned into a $43 million claim—ultimately triggering a last-minute Chapter 11 filing to stop a forced auction. It’s a case study in valuation psychology, capital structure, and what happens when the wrong money meets the right founder at exactly the wrong time. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Rise of Pat McGrath Labs  02:51 The Billion Dollar Valuation Problem  04:17 The Sales Strategy Challenges 08:00 The Predatory Loan  08:59 The Bankruptcy Filing  10:26 Lessons and Cautionary Tale 13:10 Pat McGrath’s Personal Liability 15:29 Takeaways From Pat McGrath Labs  16:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices When the most legendary makeup artist in the world, Pat McGrath, finally launched her own beauty brand, her hero product sold out in minutes.  Within three years, Pat McGrath Labs was valued at $1 billion. Today, it’s in bankruptcy court.

Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and unraveling of Pat McGrath Labs. Valued at roughly 25 times revenue, the brand was suddenly operating under hypergrowth expectations that clashed with its luxury positioning and deliberately controlled expansion. As sales slowed, distribution widened, and investor pressure intensified, what began as a cash flow squeeze spiraled into something much bigger.

Sammi breaks down the aggressive private equity deal that set the tone, the strategic tension between artistry and scale, and the $17.5 million bridge loan that ballooned into a $43 million claim—ultimately triggering a last-minute Chapter 11 filing to stop a forced auction. It’s a case study in valuation psychology, capital structure, and what happens when the wrong money meets the right founder at exactly the wrong time.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

00:00 The Rise of Pat McGrath Labs 

02:51 The Billion Dollar Valuation Problem 

04:17 The Sales Strategy Challenges

08:00 The Predatory Loan 

08:59 The Bankruptcy Filing 

10:26 Lessons and Cautionary Tale

13:10 Pat McGrath’s Personal Liability

15:29 Takeaways From Pat McGrath Labs 

16:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1103 Aparna Chennapragada (Microsoft) on AI’s Next Two Years, Category Collapse, and Using AI To Ace a Meeting AI is no longer a future trend—it’s already reshaping how countless people work. And few people are closer to that shift than Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer for AI experiences at Microsoft. In this conversation, Aparna pulls back the curtain on how AI is actually being built into everyday work. She shares her bold two-year prediction for how work will change, tips for using AI to ace your next big meeting, and what Gen Z expects from the tools they use every day. They also get honest about the bets that didn’t work, how to prioritize when everything feels urgent, and the leadership lessons Aparna has learned scaling innovation inside one of the world’s largest companies. Plus: why prompting may be the most important new career skill—and what that means for managers, creators, and anyone trying to stay relevant in the AI era. 00:00 Aparna Chennapragada’s Social Currency  02:23 Bold Predictions for AI in the Next Two Years  03:48 How Microsoft's AI Strategy Has Evolved 06:39 AI Hacks For Your Next Meeting 11:39 Empathy in AI Design  13:50 How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent  17:27 The Right Way to Think About Customer Feedback  19:39 Gen Z's Influence on Design  22:47 Workshopping Cohesiveness and Interoperability  25:46 Staying Focused in a Noisy AI World  29:28 Mastering the Skill of Prompting  34:11 AI in Education and Parenting  35:24 Leadership Principles in AI Development  38:33 How to Have Difficult Conversations With Your Team 40:24 Innovating at the Speed of Tryst  42:35 The Future of AI in Media  45:37 Hot Takes on AI 47:10 Social Currency Corner  50:09 Advice for New Product Managers  51:37 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 10 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency AI is no longer a future trend—it’s already reshaping how countless people work. And few people are closer to that shift than Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer for AI experiences at Microsoft. In this conversation, Aparna pulls back the curtain on how AI is actually being built into everyday work. She shares her bold two-year prediction for how work will change, tips for using AI to ace your next big meeting, and what Gen Z expects from the tools they use every day. They also get honest about the bets that didn’t work, how to prioritize when everything feels urgent, and the leadership lessons Aparna has learned scaling innovation inside one of the world’s largest companies. Plus: why prompting may be the most important new career skill—and what that means for managers, creators, and anyone trying to stay relevant in the AI era. 00:00 Aparna Chennapragada’s Social Currency  02:23 Bold Predictions for AI in the Next Two Years  03:48 How Microsoft's AI Strategy Has Evolved 06:39 AI Hacks For Your Next Meeting 11:39 Empathy in AI Design  13:50 How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent  17:27 The Right Way to Think About Customer Feedback  19:39 Gen Z's Influence on Design  22:47 Workshopping Cohesiveness and Interoperability  25:46 Staying Focused in a Noisy AI World  29:28 Mastering the Skill of Prompting  34:11 AI in Education and Parenting  35:24 Leadership Principles in AI Development  38:33 How to Have Difficult Conversations With Your Team 40:24 Innovating at the Speed of Tryst  42:35 The Future of AI in Media  45:37 Hot Takes on AI 47:10 Social Currency Corner  50:09 Advice for New Product Managers  51:37 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices AI is no longer a future trend—it’s already reshaping how countless people work. And few people are closer to that shift than Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer for AI experiences at Microsoft.

In this conversation, Aparna pulls back the curtain on how AI is actually being built into everyday work. She shares her bold two-year prediction for how work will change, tips for using AI to ace your next big meeting, and what Gen Z expects from the tools they use every day.

They also get honest about the bets that didn’t work, how to prioritize when everything feels urgent, and the leadership lessons Aparna has learned scaling innovation inside one of the world’s largest companies. Plus: why prompting may be the most important new career skill—and what that means for managers, creators, and anyone trying to stay relevant in the AI era.

00:00 Aparna Chennapragada’s Social Currency 

02:23 Bold Predictions for AI in the Next Two Years 

03:48 How Microsoft's AI Strategy Has Evolved

06:39 AI Hacks For Your Next Meeting

11:39 Empathy in AI Design 

13:50 How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Urgent 

17:27 The Right Way to Think About Customer Feedback 

19:39 Gen Z's Influence on Design 

22:47 Workshopping Cohesiveness and Interoperability 

25:46 Staying Focused in a Noisy AI World 

29:28 Mastering the Skill of Prompting 

34:11 AI in Education and Parenting 

35:24 Leadership Principles in AI Development 

38:33 How to Have Difficult Conversations With Your Team

40:24 Innovating at the Speed of Tryst 

42:35 The Future of AI in Media 

45:37 Hot Takes on AI

47:10 Social Currency Corner 

50:09 Advice for New Product Managers 

51:37 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3400 The 1 Rule That Made Aldi America’s Fastest-Growing Grocery Chain Aldi is quietly becoming the fastest-growing grocery train, without flashy stores, massive advertising budgets, or endless product choice. In this episode, Sammi breaks down how the company’s deliberately simple model (limited assortment, extreme cost discipline, productivity obsession, and private-label strategy) has allowed it to grow rapidly while competitors struggle with rising prices and complexity. Drawing on her own experience training to be an Aldi District Manager, Sammi explains the one rule that has cemented Aldi’s position leading the pack. At the center of Aldi’s strategy is a single internal question that guides nearly every choice. Understanding that principle helps explain not just Aldi’s growth, but why the model continues to hold together as it scales. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Aldi’s Social Currency 02:15 Aldi’s origin story 03:12 The kidnapping 04:05 Trader Joe’s and the Aldi split 06:40 How Aldi scaled 08:34 Ruthless efficiency 10:15 Private label products 10:59 Sammi’s Aldi days 12:35 Aldi’s customer psychology strategy 14:28 The single internal rule that explains Aldi’s success 16:04 How to show Social Currency some love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Aldi is quietly becoming the fastest-growing grocery train, without flashy stores, massive advertising budgets, or endless product choice. In this episode, Sammi breaks down how the company’s deliberately simple model (limited assortment, extreme cost discipline, productivity obsession, and private-label strategy) has allowed it to grow rapidly while competitors struggle with rising prices and complexity. Drawing on her own experience training to be an Aldi District Manager, Sammi explains the one rule that has cemented Aldi’s position leading the pack. At the center of Aldi’s strategy is a single internal question that guides nearly every choice. Understanding that principle helps explain not just Aldi’s growth, but why the model continues to hold together as it scales. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Aldi’s Social Currency 02:15 Aldi’s origin story 03:12 The kidnapping 04:05 Trader Joe’s and the Aldi split 06:40 How Aldi scaled 08:34 Ruthless efficiency 10:15 Private label products 10:59 Sammi’s Aldi days 12:35 Aldi’s customer psychology strategy 14:28 The single internal rule that explains Aldi’s success 16:04 How to show Social Currency some love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Aldi is quietly becoming the fastest-growing grocery train, without flashy stores, massive advertising budgets, or endless product choice.

In this episode, Sammi breaks down how the company’s deliberately simple model (limited assortment, extreme cost discipline, productivity obsession, and private-label strategy) has allowed it to grow rapidly while competitors struggle with rising prices and complexity. Drawing on her own experience training to be an Aldi District Manager, Sammi explains the one rule that has cemented Aldi’s position leading the pack.

At the center of Aldi’s strategy is a single internal question that guides nearly every choice. Understanding that principle helps explain not just Aldi’s growth, but why the model continues to hold together as it scales.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Aldi’s Social Currency

02:15 Aldi’s origin story

03:12 The kidnapping

04:05 Trader Joe’s and the Aldi split

06:40 How Aldi scaled

08:34 Ruthless efficiency

10:15 Private label products

10:59 Sammi’s Aldi days

12:35 Aldi’s customer psychology strategy

14:28 The single internal rule that explains Aldi’s success

16:04 How to show Social Currency some love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1065 Dianna Cohen (Crown Affair) on Building a Cult DTC Brand, Choosing a Hero Product, and Why “Take Your Time” Wins What does it actually take to build a beauty brand that feels timeless? Today, Sammi sits down with Dianna Cohen, founder and CEO of Crown Affair, the cult haircare brand that made slowing down a competitive edge. Before Crown Affair, Diana was behind the scenes of some of the most talked-about consumer brands of the last decade (Away, Outdoor Voices), Then, she walked away to build something quieter, more intentional, and way harder to pull off. In this conversation, she breaks down how she chose her hero product, what she learned during the DTC boom (and bust), and why “take your time” isn’t soft advice, it’s a strategy. They get into the real stuff: fundraising without losing the soul of your brand, the moment celebrity endorsements actually matter (and when they don’t), the slick bun tutorial we’ve been waiting for, and the one social move that directly translated to product sales. Dianna also opens up about evolving as a CEO, letting go of control, and building a company culture that doesn’t burn people out. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Dianna on Instagram Follow Crown Affair on Instagram 00:00 Dianna Cohen’s Social Currency02:53 From Away and Outdoor Voices to Crown Affair 07:02 Launching Crown Affair and Picking a Hero Product 14:57 Product Development and Early Tradeoffs 28:53 Go-to-Market Strategy and Raising Capital 31:38 Celebrity Endorsements and Timeless Branding 34:31 The Slick Bun Tutorial We’ve Been Waiting For 37:11 Dianna’s Fundraising Philosophy 46:52 Personal Brand vs. Business Brand on Social 50:27 The Seedling Mentorship Program 55:46 Dianna’s Hot Takes on the Beauty Industry 56:22 Social Currency Corner and Listener Question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What does it actually take to build a beauty brand that feels timeless? Today, Sammi sits down with Dianna Cohen, founder and CEO of Crown Affair, the cult haircare brand that made slowing down a competitive edge. Before Crown Affair, Diana was behind the scenes of some of the most talked-about consumer brands of the last decade (Away, Outdoor Voices), Then, she walked away to build something quieter, more intentional, and way harder to pull off. In this conversation, she breaks down how she chose her hero product, what she learned during the DTC boom (and bust), and why “take your time” isn’t soft advice, it’s a strategy. They get into the real stuff: fundraising without losing the soul of your brand, the moment celebrity endorsements actually matter (and when they don’t), the slick bun tutorial we’ve been waiting for, and the one social move that directly translated to product sales. Dianna also opens up about evolving as a CEO, letting go of control, and building a company culture that doesn’t burn people out. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Dianna on Instagram Follow Crown Affair on Instagram 00:00 Dianna Cohen’s Social Currency02:53 From Away and Outdoor Voices to Crown Affair 07:02 Launching Crown Affair and Picking a Hero Product 14:57 Product Development and Early Tradeoffs 28:53 Go-to-Market Strategy and Raising Capital 31:38 Celebrity Endorsements and Timeless Branding 34:31 The Slick Bun Tutorial We’ve Been Waiting For 37:11 Dianna’s Fundraising Philosophy 46:52 Personal Brand vs. Business Brand on Social 50:27 The Seedling Mentorship Program 55:46 Dianna’s Hot Takes on the Beauty Industry 56:22 Social Currency Corner and Listener Question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What does it actually take to build a beauty brand that feels timeless? Today, Sammi sits down with Dianna Cohen, founder and CEO of Crown Affair, the cult haircare brand that made slowing down a competitive edge.

Before Crown Affair, Diana was behind the scenes of some of the most talked-about consumer brands of the last decade (Away, Outdoor Voices), Then, she walked away to build something quieter, more intentional, and way harder to pull off. In this conversation, she breaks down how she chose her hero product, what she learned during the DTC boom (and bust), and why “take your time” isn’t soft advice, it’s a strategy.

They get into the real stuff: fundraising without losing the soul of your brand, the moment celebrity endorsements actually matter (and when they don’t), the slick bun tutorial we’ve been waiting for, and the one social move that directly translated to product sales. Dianna also opens up about evolving as a CEO, letting go of control, and building a company culture that doesn’t burn people out.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Dianna on Instagram

Follow Crown Affair on Instagram

00:00 Dianna Cohen’s Social Currency
02:53 From Away and Outdoor Voices to Crown Affair

07:02 Launching Crown Affair and Picking a Hero Product

14:57 Product Development and Early Tradeoffs

28:53 Go-to-Market Strategy and Raising Capital

31:38 Celebrity Endorsements and Timeless Branding

34:31 The Slick Bun Tutorial We’ve Been Waiting For

37:11 Dianna’s Fundraising Philosophy

46:52 Personal Brand vs. Business Brand on Social

50:27 The Seedling Mentorship Program

55:46 Dianna’s Hot Takes on the Beauty Industry

56:22 Social Currency Corner and Listener Question

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4159 The $10M Influencer Empire That Collapsed Over a Pink Cake Chiara Ferragni wasn’t just an influencer, she was a case study in how to turn social media fame into a multi-million-dollar business. And then a pink Christmas cake almost destroyed everything. Today, Sammi breaks down the scandal that triggered regulatory fines, a criminal fraud investigation, mass sponsor exits, and a collapse of more than 90% of company revenue in a single year — all tied to a holiday charity campaign that raised major questions about transparency in influencer marketing. But this story is bigger than one creator. It’s about what happens when governments try to regulate the creator economy in real time and how public blame gets distributed when a brand is a person versus a corporation. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Chiara Ferragni’s Social Currency 02:02 The Christmas Cake Controversy 03:01 Backlash and Fallout 04:23 The Legal Battle  06:11 The Lessons Most People Are Missing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Chiara Ferragni wasn’t just an influencer, she was a case study in how to turn social media fame into a multi-million-dollar business. And then a pink Christmas cake almost destroyed everything. Today, Sammi breaks down the scandal that triggered regulatory fines, a criminal fraud investigation, mass sponsor exits, and a collapse of more than 90% of company revenue in a single year — all tied to a holiday charity campaign that raised major questions about transparency in influencer marketing. But this story is bigger than one creator. It’s about what happens when governments try to regulate the creator economy in real time and how public blame gets distributed when a brand is a person versus a corporation. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Chiara Ferragni’s Social Currency 02:02 The Christmas Cake Controversy 03:01 Backlash and Fallout 04:23 The Legal Battle  06:11 The Lessons Most People Are Missing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Chiara Ferragni wasn’t just an influencer, she was a case study in how to turn social media fame into a multi-million-dollar business. And then a pink Christmas cake almost destroyed everything.

Today, Sammi breaks down the scandal that triggered regulatory fines, a criminal fraud investigation, mass sponsor exits, and a collapse of more than 90% of company revenue in a single year — all tied to a holiday charity campaign that raised major questions about transparency in influencer marketing.

But this story is bigger than one creator. It’s about what happens when governments try to regulate the creator economy in real time and how public blame gets distributed when a brand is a person versus a corporation.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Chiara Ferragni’s Social Currency

02:02 The Christmas Cake Controversy

03:01 Backlash and Fallout

04:23 The Legal Battle 

06:11 The Lessons Most People Are Missing

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 586 no Stacy Martinet (Adobe) on AI Solving the Blank Page Problem, the Ethics of Generative AI, and Branding Hot Takes Sammi sits down with Stacy Martinet, Adobe’s VP of Marketing and Communications, for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most influential creative companies is thinking about AI, creativity, and trust. Stacy shares why AI’s biggest “unlock” isn’t replacing creators— it’s getting rid of the blank-page panic and helping people start faster, whether you’re a student, a solo creator, or a CEO building a global brand. They get into the real ethics questions: what data goes into generative AI models, why “commercially safe” matters for brands, and why Adobe is betting on transparency and choice, including letting users pick between different AI models. Stacy also breaks down content credentials (think: a “nutrition label” for digital content), what it means for the future of credibility online, and why visuals and motion are quickly becoming the universal language of the internet. Plus: Stacy’s playbook for earning attention in a chaotic media landscape, how Adobe launched Firefly in a community-led way, and her advice for creators and entrepreneurs trying to build a personal brand that actually stands out—without losing the plot. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today with Stacy: 00:00 Stacy Martinet’s Social Currency 02:00 How Brands Earn Attention (and Keep It) 04:46 How Adobe Balances Creator and Enterprise Customers 06:40 The Democratization of Creative Tools 14:00 Ethics of Generative AI 16:23 Content Credentials the “Nutrition Label” for Content 17:45 Why IRL is Back 19:56 Storytelling as a Business Strategy 22:30 Advice for Emerging Creators 24:35 Hot Takes: Brands Need to Talk More 28:10 Routines and Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Sammi sits down with Stacy Martinet, Adobe’s VP of Marketing and Communications, for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most influential creative companies is thinking about AI, creativity, and trust. Stacy shares why AI’s biggest “unlock” isn’t replacing creators— it’s getting rid of the blank-page panic and helping people start faster, whether you’re a student, a solo creator, or a CEO building a global brand. They get into the real ethics questions: what data goes into generative AI models, why “commercially safe” matters for brands, and why Adobe is betting on transparency and choice, including letting users pick between different AI models. Stacy also breaks down content credentials (think: a “nutrition label” for digital content), what it means for the future of credibility online, and why visuals and motion are quickly becoming the universal language of the internet. Plus: Stacy’s playbook for earning attention in a chaotic media landscape, how Adobe launched Firefly in a community-led way, and her advice for creators and entrepreneurs trying to build a personal brand that actually stands out—without losing the plot. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today with Stacy: 00:00 Stacy Martinet’s Social Currency 02:00 How Brands Earn Attention (and Keep It) 04:46 How Adobe Balances Creator and Enterprise Customers 06:40 The Democratization of Creative Tools 14:00 Ethics of Generative AI 16:23 Content Credentials the “Nutrition Label” for Content 17:45 Why IRL is Back 19:56 Storytelling as a Business Strategy 22:30 Advice for Emerging Creators 24:35 Hot Takes: Brands Need to Talk More 28:10 Routines and Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Sammi sits down with Stacy Martinet, Adobe’s VP of Marketing and Communications, for a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the most influential creative companies is thinking about AI, creativity, and trust. Stacy shares why AI’s biggest “unlock” isn’t replacing creators— it’s getting rid of the blank-page panic and helping people start faster, whether you’re a student, a solo creator, or a CEO building a global brand.

They get into the real ethics questions: what data goes into generative AI models, why “commercially safe” matters for brands, and why Adobe is betting on transparency and choice, including letting users pick between different AI models. Stacy also breaks down content credentials (think: a “nutrition label” for digital content), what it means for the future of credibility online, and why visuals and motion are quickly becoming the universal language of the internet.

Plus: Stacy’s playbook for earning attention in a chaotic media landscape, how Adobe launched Firefly in a community-led way, and her advice for creators and entrepreneurs trying to build a personal brand that actually stands out—without losing the plot.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Stacy:

00:00 Stacy Martinet’s Social Currency

02:00 How Brands Earn Attention (and Keep It)

04:46 How Adobe Balances Creator and Enterprise Customers

06:40 The Democratization of Creative Tools

14:00 Ethics of Generative AI

16:23 Content Credentials the “Nutrition Label” for Content

17:45 Why IRL is Back

19:56 Storytelling as a Business Strategy

22:30 Advice for Emerging Creators

24:35 Hot Takes: Brands Need to Talk More

28:10 Routines and Social Currency Corner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1993 Nicolas Jammet (Sweetgreen) on Pricing Strategy, Trendspotting in Food and the Future of Fast Casual Today Sammi sits down with Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and Chief Concept Officer of Sweetgreen—the fast-casual brand that helped take “healthy food at scale” from a niche idea to a national movement with nearly 300 stores and a $5.5B IPO. Nicolas traces Sweetgreen’s origin story from Georgetown campus chaos (including a stolen laptop that nearly derailed opening week), to a three-founder partnership that has stayed intact for almost two decades, to taking the company public at the literal peak of the market in 2021. Then they zoom out to the bigger game: how Sweetgreen thinks about trend forecasting in food, why fast-casual is facing price-value pressure, and what it really takes to balance quality with consumer sensitivity in a $16-salad world. Nicolas explains how Sweetgreen is using feedback, loyalty, and automation to define the future of fast food—including the Infinite Kitchen, the new drive-thru format, and the viral max-protein bowl that set off a macro-counting frenzy online. They also get into brand strategy and culture: why Sweetgreen doesn’t have a Coke or Pepsi contract, how “food as storytelling” became a competitive moat, and how the Sweetlife Festival helped turn a salad shop into a cultural brand. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Nicolas Keep up with SweetgreenHere’s what Sammi covers with Nicolas: 00:00 Nicolas Jammet’s Social Currency 01:11 Early days and Stolen Laptops 08:47 How Three Co-Founders Stayed Together for Nearly 2 Decades 12:51 Behind the Scenes of the $5.5B IPO 14:38 The Chief Concept Officer Job Description 16:34 Trend Forecasting & the Kale/Avocado Glow-Up 22:56 The Price-Value Question in Fast Casual 24:27 Getting Customer Feedback 29:32 Automation, Drive-Thrus and the Infinite Kitchen 33:47 Who the Sweetgreen Customer Actually Is 42:40 Sweetlife Festival & Brand Building Beyond Food 46:00 Social Currency Corner: Protein Maxing & Functional Food 49:00 Retaining Talent in a Burnout Industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 27 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today Sammi sits down with Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and Chief Concept Officer of Sweetgreen—the fast-casual brand that helped take “healthy food at scale” from a niche idea to a national movement with nearly 300 stores and a $5.5B IPO. Nicolas traces Sweetgreen’s origin story from Georgetown campus chaos (including a stolen laptop that nearly derailed opening week), to a three-founder partnership that has stayed intact for almost two decades, to taking the company public at the literal peak of the market in 2021. Then they zoom out to the bigger game: how Sweetgreen thinks about trend forecasting in food, why fast-casual is facing price-value pressure, and what it really takes to balance quality with consumer sensitivity in a $16-salad world. Nicolas explains how Sweetgreen is using feedback, loyalty, and automation to define the future of fast food—including the Infinite Kitchen, the new drive-thru format, and the viral max-protein bowl that set off a macro-counting frenzy online. They also get into brand strategy and culture: why Sweetgreen doesn’t have a Coke or Pepsi contract, how “food as storytelling” became a competitive moat, and how the Sweetlife Festival helped turn a salad shop into a cultural brand. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Nicolas Keep up with SweetgreenHere’s what Sammi covers with Nicolas: 00:00 Nicolas Jammet’s Social Currency 01:11 Early days and Stolen Laptops 08:47 How Three Co-Founders Stayed Together for Nearly 2 Decades 12:51 Behind the Scenes of the $5.5B IPO 14:38 The Chief Concept Officer Job Description 16:34 Trend Forecasting & the Kale/Avocado Glow-Up 22:56 The Price-Value Question in Fast Casual 24:27 Getting Customer Feedback 29:32 Automation, Drive-Thrus and the Infinite Kitchen 33:47 Who the Sweetgreen Customer Actually Is 42:40 Sweetlife Festival & Brand Building Beyond Food 46:00 Social Currency Corner: Protein Maxing & Functional Food 49:00 Retaining Talent in a Burnout Industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today Sammi sits down with Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and Chief Concept Officer of Sweetgreen—the fast-casual brand that helped take “healthy food at scale” from a niche idea to a national movement with nearly 300 stores and a $5.5B IPO. Nicolas traces Sweetgreen’s origin story from Georgetown campus chaos (including a stolen laptop that nearly derailed opening week), to a three-founder partnership that has stayed intact for almost two decades, to taking the company public at the literal peak of the market in 2021.

Then they zoom out to the bigger game: how Sweetgreen thinks about trend forecasting in food, why fast-casual is facing price-value pressure, and what it really takes to balance quality with consumer sensitivity in a $16-salad world. Nicolas explains how Sweetgreen is using feedback, loyalty, and automation to define the future of fast food—including the Infinite Kitchen, the new drive-thru format, and the viral max-protein bowl that set off a macro-counting frenzy online.

They also get into brand strategy and culture: why Sweetgreen doesn’t have a Coke or Pepsi contract, how “food as storytelling” became a competitive moat, and how the Sweetlife Festival helped turn a salad shop into a cultural brand.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Keep up with Nicolas

Keep up with Sweetgreen
Here’s what Sammi covers with Nicolas:

00:00 Nicolas Jammet’s Social Currency

01:11 Early days and Stolen Laptops

08:47 How Three Co-Founders Stayed Together for Nearly 2 Decades

12:51 Behind the Scenes of the $5.5B IPO

14:38 The Chief Concept Officer Job Description

16:34 Trend Forecasting & the Kale/Avocado Glow-Up

22:56 The Price-Value Question in Fast Casual

24:27 Getting Customer Feedback

29:32 Automation, Drive-Thrus and the Infinite Kitchen

33:47 Who the Sweetgreen Customer Actually Is

42:40 Sweetlife Festival & Brand Building Beyond Food

46:00 Social Currency Corner: Protein Maxing & Functional Food

49:00 Retaining Talent in a Burnout Industry

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3293 no The Coach Turnaround Case Study and $5.6B Payoff There was a moment when carrying a Coach bag felt cringe. Today, Coach is one of the hottest brands among Gen Z, with demand exploding and bags selling out. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how one of the most unlikely retail comebacks of the decade happened: a story of disciplined restraint, thoughtful pricing strategy, and creating sub-brands. Coach proved that the fastest way to lose relevance is to chase volume, and the fastest way to regain it is to rebuild meaning. Sammi breaks down the strategic steps behind the turnaround—from shutting stores and nixing discounts to restoring design authority, defining the timeless Gen-Z customer, and turning retail into culture. And at the end, she reveals the core takeaway that explains why Coach succeeded where so many heritage brands have failed. Plus, you won’t want to miss the end of the episode where Sammi drops an exciting announcement…. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Coach 00:58 Coach's Origin Story and Initial Success 01:58 When It Went Downhill  04:08 The Turnaround Begins 06:19 Rebuilding the Brand: Design and Distribution Overhaul 07:06 Targeting Gen Z 09:09 Experiential Retail and Modern Success 10:48 How Coach Pulled This Off 11:17 Big Announcement… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency There was a moment when carrying a Coach bag felt cringe. Today, Coach is one of the hottest brands among Gen Z, with demand exploding and bags selling out. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how one of the most unlikely retail comebacks of the decade happened: a story of disciplined restraint, thoughtful pricing strategy, and creating sub-brands. Coach proved that the fastest way to lose relevance is to chase volume, and the fastest way to regain it is to rebuild meaning. Sammi breaks down the strategic steps behind the turnaround—from shutting stores and nixing discounts to restoring design authority, defining the timeless Gen-Z customer, and turning retail into culture. And at the end, she reveals the core takeaway that explains why Coach succeeded where so many heritage brands have failed. Plus, you won’t want to miss the end of the episode where Sammi drops an exciting announcement…. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Coach 00:58 Coach's Origin Story and Initial Success 01:58 When It Went Downhill  04:08 The Turnaround Begins 06:19 Rebuilding the Brand: Design and Distribution Overhaul 07:06 Targeting Gen Z 09:09 Experiential Retail and Modern Success 10:48 How Coach Pulled This Off 11:17 Big Announcement… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices There was a moment when carrying a Coach bag felt cringe. Today, Coach is one of the hottest brands among Gen Z, with demand exploding and bags selling out. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how one of the most unlikely retail comebacks of the decade happened: a story of disciplined restraint, thoughtful pricing strategy, and creating sub-brands. Coach proved that the fastest way to lose relevance is to chase volume, and the fastest way to regain it is to rebuild meaning.

Sammi breaks down the strategic steps behind the turnaround—from shutting stores and nixing discounts to restoring design authority, defining the timeless Gen-Z customer, and turning retail into culture. And at the end, she reveals the core takeaway that explains why Coach succeeded where so many heritage brands have failed. Plus, you won’t want to miss the end of the episode where Sammi drops an exciting announcement….

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Coach

00:58 Coach's Origin Story and Initial Success

01:58 When It Went Downhill 

04:08 The Turnaround Begins

06:19 Rebuilding the Brand: Design and Distribution Overhaul

07:06 Targeting Gen Z

09:09 Experiential Retail and Modern Success

10:48 How Coach Pulled This Off

11:17 Big Announcement…

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 816 no Rebecca Shostak (Flodesk) on Why “Marketing Is Dead,” Email Isn’t, and Building a Profitable SaaS in Two Weeks Today Sammi sits down with Rebecca Shostak, co-founder and CEO of Flodesk—the email platform bootstrapped to profitability just two weeks after launch. In this conversation, Sammi and Rebecca trace the journey from Rebecca designing merch for Rihanna and Linkin Park, to running a Photoshop template shop, to finally fixing the “giant WTF” of ugly, broken email tools with Flodesk. Then they get spicy: Rebecca explains why she thinks “marketing is dead” and the traditional funnel is over, why social media is just rented land, and why email—done right—is still the most resilient, highest-ROI channel you can own. She shares how moving to Vietnam to sit next to her 35-person engineering team led to a new AI-powered way to design emails (with multiple patents pending), how Flodesk is tackling feature creep while staying obsessively simple, and the metrics that actually matter for your list.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  This episode was brought to you by Flodesk. Check out their tools to help you grow your business Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Shostak’s Social Currency 02:55 The Origin Story of Flodesk 05:51 Building a Business: Challenges and Successes 11:09 Embracing AI 25:25 The Impact of the Pandemic on Small Businesses 27:40 Pricing Model Changes 29:43 Feature Creep vs. Focus in Email Marketing 32:05 Checkout and Sales Funnel Solutions 35:09 Why Email Marketing is the GOAT 41:12 Hot Takes on the Future of Marketing 43:22 Best Practices Email Marketing 45:55 Rebecca’s Leadership Systems  48:12 Social Media Strategy and Brand Expression 51:22 Advice for New Founders  53:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today Sammi sits down with Rebecca Shostak, co-founder and CEO of Flodesk—the email platform bootstrapped to profitability just two weeks after launch. In this conversation, Sammi and Rebecca trace the journey from Rebecca designing merch for Rihanna and Linkin Park, to running a Photoshop template shop, to finally fixing the “giant WTF” of ugly, broken email tools with Flodesk. Then they get spicy: Rebecca explains why she thinks “marketing is dead” and the traditional funnel is over, why social media is just rented land, and why email—done right—is still the most resilient, highest-ROI channel you can own. She shares how moving to Vietnam to sit next to her 35-person engineering team led to a new AI-powered way to design emails (with multiple patents pending), how Flodesk is tackling feature creep while staying obsessively simple, and the metrics that actually matter for your list.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  This episode was brought to you by Flodesk. Check out their tools to help you grow your business Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Shostak’s Social Currency 02:55 The Origin Story of Flodesk 05:51 Building a Business: Challenges and Successes 11:09 Embracing AI 25:25 The Impact of the Pandemic on Small Businesses 27:40 Pricing Model Changes 29:43 Feature Creep vs. Focus in Email Marketing 32:05 Checkout and Sales Funnel Solutions 35:09 Why Email Marketing is the GOAT 41:12 Hot Takes on the Future of Marketing 43:22 Best Practices Email Marketing 45:55 Rebecca’s Leadership Systems  48:12 Social Media Strategy and Brand Expression 51:22 Advice for New Founders  53:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today Sammi sits down with Rebecca Shostak, co-founder and CEO of Flodesk—the email platform bootstrapped to profitability just two weeks after launch. In this conversation, Sammi and Rebecca trace the journey from Rebecca designing merch for Rihanna and Linkin Park, to running a Photoshop template shop, to finally fixing the “giant WTF” of ugly, broken email tools with Flodesk.

Then they get spicy: Rebecca explains why she thinks “marketing is dead” and the traditional funnel is over, why social media is just rented land, and why email—done right—is still the most resilient, highest-ROI channel you can own. She shares how moving to Vietnam to sit next to her 35-person engineering team led to a new AI-powered way to design emails (with multiple patents pending), how Flodesk is tackling feature creep while staying obsessively simple, and the metrics that actually matter for your list. 

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

This episode was brought to you by Flodesk. Check out their tools to help you grow your business

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rebecca:

00:00 Rebecca Shostak’s Social Currency

02:55 The Origin Story of Flodesk

05:51 Building a Business: Challenges and Successes

11:09 Embracing AI

25:25 The Impact of the Pandemic on Small Businesses

27:40 Pricing Model Changes

29:43 Feature Creep vs. Focus in Email Marketing

32:05 Checkout and Sales Funnel Solutions

35:09 Why Email Marketing is the GOAT

41:12 Hot Takes on the Future of Marketing

43:22 Best Practices Email Marketing

45:55 Rebecca’s Leadership Systems 

48:12 Social Media Strategy and Brand Expression

51:22 Advice for New Founders 

53:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3458 Sami Sage (Betches) on Building a $24M Media Empire, Algorithms and Trad Wives This episode is the second half of a two-part look at women’s media in 2026. Last week, Sammi sat down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the couple behind Evie Magazine—the self-described “conservative Cosmo.” Today, Sammi is talking to Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with a comparatively left-leaning audience that helped define millennial feminism, internet satire, and the way Gen Z gets its news. Sami shares how Betches went from an anonymous blog on a couch in 2011 to one of the only profitable, venture-free success stories in women’s media—and ultimately a $24 million acquisition. She shares how Betches has balanced content for both Gen Z and millennial audiences, and why a founding team of three is a superpower.  Then Sammi and Sami unpack the trad wife aesthetic, body politics, GLP-1s, and the question Brittany Hugoboom wanted her to answer: would she gain 50 pounds in solidarity with the body positivity movement? They also talk about what it actually means for women to “tap in” to civic life—beyond voting every four years—and why business, culture, and politics are now the same story. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Sami Sage on Instagram Read Democracy in RetrogradeCheck out Betches on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers today with Sammy: 00:00 Sami Sage’s Social Currency 04:24 Early Virality for Betches the First Book Deal 14:33 Building a Profitable Women’s Media Company Without VC 18:40 Inside the Betches Acquisition and Earnout Structure 24:49 How the Founders’ Roles Changed Post-Exit 28:23 Keeping Gen Z and Millennials Engaged at the Same Time 32:14 Why Betches News Will Never Be a Traditional Newsroom 36:26 Legacy Media, Independent Media and Who Actually Breaks the News 42:15 Manufactured Culture Wars 45:27 The Rise of Trad Wives and Aesthetics as Ideology 51:13 What “Tapping In” to Civic Life Really Looks Like 54:31 Body Neutrality, GLP-1s and Brittany’s 50-Pound Question 01:02:52 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency This episode is the second half of a two-part look at women’s media in 2026. Last week, Sammi sat down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the couple behind Evie Magazine—the self-described “conservative Cosmo.” Today, Sammi is talking to Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with a comparatively left-leaning audience that helped define millennial feminism, internet satire, and the way Gen Z gets its news. Sami shares how Betches went from an anonymous blog on a couch in 2011 to one of the only profitable, venture-free success stories in women’s media—and ultimately a $24 million acquisition. She shares how Betches has balanced content for both Gen Z and millennial audiences, and why a founding team of three is a superpower.  Then Sammi and Sami unpack the trad wife aesthetic, body politics, GLP-1s, and the question Brittany Hugoboom wanted her to answer: would she gain 50 pounds in solidarity with the body positivity movement? They also talk about what it actually means for women to “tap in” to civic life—beyond voting every four years—and why business, culture, and politics are now the same story. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Sami Sage on Instagram Read Democracy in RetrogradeCheck out Betches on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers today with Sammy: 00:00 Sami Sage’s Social Currency 04:24 Early Virality for Betches the First Book Deal 14:33 Building a Profitable Women’s Media Company Without VC 18:40 Inside the Betches Acquisition and Earnout Structure 24:49 How the Founders’ Roles Changed Post-Exit 28:23 Keeping Gen Z and Millennials Engaged at the Same Time 32:14 Why Betches News Will Never Be a Traditional Newsroom 36:26 Legacy Media, Independent Media and Who Actually Breaks the News 42:15 Manufactured Culture Wars 45:27 The Rise of Trad Wives and Aesthetics as Ideology 51:13 What “Tapping In” to Civic Life Really Looks Like 54:31 Body Neutrality, GLP-1s and Brittany’s 50-Pound Question 01:02:52 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode is the second half of a two-part look at women’s media in 2026. Last week, Sammi sat down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the couple behind Evie Magazine—the self-described “conservative Cosmo.” Today, Sammi is talking to Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with a comparatively left-leaning audience that helped define millennial feminism, internet satire, and the way Gen Z gets its news.

Sami shares how Betches went from an anonymous blog on a couch in 2011 to one of the only profitable, venture-free success stories in women’s media—and ultimately a $24 million acquisition. She shares how Betches has balanced content for both Gen Z and millennial audiences, and why a founding team of three is a superpower. 

Then Sammi and Sami unpack the trad wife aesthetic, body politics, GLP-1s, and the question Brittany Hugoboom wanted her to answer: would she gain 50 pounds in solidarity with the body positivity movement? They also talk about what it actually means for women to “tap in” to civic life—beyond voting every four years—and why business, culture, and politics are now the same story.

Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Sami Sage on Instagram

Read Democracy in RetrogradeCheck out Betches on Instagram

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Sammy:

00:00 Sami Sage’s Social Currency

04:24 Early Virality for Betches the First Book Deal

14:33 Building a Profitable Women’s Media Company Without VC

18:40 Inside the Betches Acquisition and Earnout Structure

24:49 How the Founders’ Roles Changed Post-Exit

28:23 Keeping Gen Z and Millennials Engaged at the Same Time

32:14 Why Betches News Will Never Be a Traditional Newsroom

36:26 Legacy Media, Independent Media and Who Actually Breaks the News

42:15 Manufactured Culture Wars

45:27 The Rise of Trad Wives and Aesthetics as Ideology

51:13 What “Tapping In” to Civic Life Really Looks Like

54:31 Body Neutrality, GLP-1s and Brittany’s 50-Pound Question

01:02:52 Social Currency Corner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4297 When Luxury Goes Broke: The Saks Bankruptcy Today, Sammi breaks down the unraveling of Saks Fifth Avenue — a luxury icon that survived wars, recessions, and cultural shifts, but couldn’t survive its own merger math. Through stalled vendor payments, junk-bond debt, leadership shake-ups, and a failed $2.7B Neiman Marcus merger, Saks entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and set off a ripple effect far beyond Fifth Avenue. This isn’t a “department stores are dying” story — it’s a case study in how private equity, financial engineering, and legacy retail models collide. And why the belief that Saks was “too iconic to fail” turned out to be so wrong. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Saks & Neiman Marcus Merger and Its Fallout  03:31 Vendor Relationships and Financial Strain  06:45 Leadership Changes and Real Estate Moves  10:16 Lessons from Saks' Downfall  11:33 Breaking News: Saks Files for Bankruptcy  12:48 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi breaks down the unraveling of Saks Fifth Avenue — a luxury icon that survived wars, recessions, and cultural shifts, but couldn’t survive its own merger math. Through stalled vendor payments, junk-bond debt, leadership shake-ups, and a failed $2.7B Neiman Marcus merger, Saks entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and set off a ripple effect far beyond Fifth Avenue. This isn’t a “department stores are dying” story — it’s a case study in how private equity, financial engineering, and legacy retail models collide. And why the belief that Saks was “too iconic to fail” turned out to be so wrong. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Saks & Neiman Marcus Merger and Its Fallout  03:31 Vendor Relationships and Financial Strain  06:45 Leadership Changes and Real Estate Moves  10:16 Lessons from Saks' Downfall  11:33 Breaking News: Saks Files for Bankruptcy  12:48 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi breaks down the unraveling of Saks Fifth Avenue — a luxury icon that survived wars, recessions, and cultural shifts, but couldn’t survive its own merger math. Through stalled vendor payments, junk-bond debt, leadership shake-ups, and a failed $2.7B Neiman Marcus merger, Saks entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy and set off a ripple effect far beyond Fifth Avenue. This isn’t a “department stores are dying” story — it’s a case study in how private equity, financial engineering, and legacy retail models collide. And why the belief that Saks was “too iconic to fail” turned out to be so wrong.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Saks & Neiman Marcus Merger and Its Fallout 

03:31 Vendor Relationships and Financial Strain 

06:45 Leadership Changes and Real Estate Moves 

10:16 Lessons from Saks' Downfall 

11:33 Breaking News: Saks Files for Bankruptcy 

12:48 How to Show Social Currency Some Love 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 870 no Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom (Evie) on Building the “Conservative Cosmo,” the Raw Milkmaid Dress and the Business of Controversy This episode kicks off a two-part exploration of the modern women’s media landscape. Today, Sammi sits down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the husband-and-wife team behind Evie Magazine — a publication often described as a “conservative Cosmo.” Next week, she’ll speak with Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with comparatively left-leaning readership.  Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom created Evie with the goal of building a women’s media brand centered in femininity, beauty, and lifestyle without the progressive filter. In this conversation, Sammi digs into how they positioned Evie from day one, what business opportunity they spotted, and whether fashion and politics can ever be separated in 2026. They also unpack the viral Raw Milkmaid dress that set off backlash from both sides, and what that moment taught them about brand power, consumer perception, and the business of controversy.. The Hugobooms also talk about their second company, 28—a cycle-based wellness app backed by Peter Thiel—and how media becomes top-of-funnel for product ecosystems and cultural influence. From modern feminism to the soft-life debate to the death of the girlboss, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the ideas shaping women’s media today—and why Evie thinks the next female-led empire might not look like the last one.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Evie on Instagram Read the New York Times piece Here’s what Brittany and Gabriel cover with Sammi: 00:00 Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom’s Social Currency 04:08 Being the “Conservative Cosmo” 13:36 The Viral Raw Milkmaid Dress 24:42 Hot Takes on Femininity in 2026  33:57 Dealing with Backlash   36:04 28 38:12 Women's Health 42:05 Product Expansion and Marketing 48:47 Future Vision for Evie and 28 58:28 Industry Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency This episode kicks off a two-part exploration of the modern women’s media landscape. Today, Sammi sits down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the husband-and-wife team behind Evie Magazine — a publication often described as a “conservative Cosmo.” Next week, she’ll speak with Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with comparatively left-leaning readership.  Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom created Evie with the goal of building a women’s media brand centered in femininity, beauty, and lifestyle without the progressive filter. In this conversation, Sammi digs into how they positioned Evie from day one, what business opportunity they spotted, and whether fashion and politics can ever be separated in 2026. They also unpack the viral Raw Milkmaid dress that set off backlash from both sides, and what that moment taught them about brand power, consumer perception, and the business of controversy.. The Hugobooms also talk about their second company, 28—a cycle-based wellness app backed by Peter Thiel—and how media becomes top-of-funnel for product ecosystems and cultural influence. From modern feminism to the soft-life debate to the death of the girlboss, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the ideas shaping women’s media today—and why Evie thinks the next female-led empire might not look like the last one.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Evie on Instagram Read the New York Times piece Here’s what Brittany and Gabriel cover with Sammi: 00:00 Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom’s Social Currency 04:08 Being the “Conservative Cosmo” 13:36 The Viral Raw Milkmaid Dress 24:42 Hot Takes on Femininity in 2026  33:57 Dealing with Backlash   36:04 28 38:12 Women's Health 42:05 Product Expansion and Marketing 48:47 Future Vision for Evie and 28 58:28 Industry Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This episode kicks off a two-part exploration of the modern women’s media landscape. Today, Sammi sits down with Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom, the husband-and-wife team behind Evie Magazine — a publication often described as a “conservative Cosmo.” Next week, she’ll speak with Sami Sage, co-founder of Betches, a media company with comparatively left-leaning readership. 

Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom created Evie with the goal of building a women’s media brand centered in femininity, beauty, and lifestyle without the progressive filter. In this conversation, Sammi digs into how they positioned Evie from day one, what business opportunity they spotted, and whether fashion and politics can ever be separated in 2026. They also unpack the viral Raw Milkmaid dress that set off backlash from both sides, and what that moment taught them about brand power, consumer perception, and the business of controversy..

The Hugobooms also talk about their second company, 28—a cycle-based wellness app backed by Peter Thiel—and how media becomes top-of-funnel for product ecosystems and cultural influence. From modern feminism to the soft-life debate to the death of the girlboss, this episode offers an unfiltered look at the ideas shaping women’s media today—and why Evie thinks the next female-led empire might not look like the last one. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Check out Evie on Instagram

Read the New York Times piece

Here’s what Brittany and Gabriel cover with Sammi:

00:00 Brittany and Gabriel Hugoboom’s Social Currency

04:08 Being the “Conservative Cosmo”

13:36 The Viral Raw Milkmaid Dress

24:42 Hot Takes on Femininity in 2026 

33:57 Dealing with Backlash  

36:04 28

38:12 Women's Health

42:05 Product Expansion and Marketing

48:47 Future Vision for Evie and 28

58:28 Industry Predictions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4084 The Naked Truth About OnlyFans’ Billion-Dollar Business While tech investors chased ad-based creator platforms, OnlyFans did the opposite—and made billions. Today, Sammi unpacks the counterintuitive decisions that turned OnlyFans into a cultural lightning rod and a creator-economy juggernaut. From dodging the App Store tax and outsourcing discovery to TikTok, to the economics of fan intimacy and the infamous adult-content ban, Sammi explains why OnlyFans works and what makes it nearly impossible to replicate. Plus: can the platform really expand beyond adult content, or is that a recipe for failure? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Business Model of OnlyFans  01:01 The Founding and Growth of OnlyFans  01:53 Avoiding the App Store  02:48 Creator-Led Growth Strategy  05:10 Monetization Beyond Subscriptions  06:26 The 2021 Adult Content Ban  07:39 Leadership and Risk Management  08:11 Expanding Beyond Adult Content  10:13 The Future of OnlyFans  10:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency While tech investors chased ad-based creator platforms, OnlyFans did the opposite—and made billions. Today, Sammi unpacks the counterintuitive decisions that turned OnlyFans into a cultural lightning rod and a creator-economy juggernaut. From dodging the App Store tax and outsourcing discovery to TikTok, to the economics of fan intimacy and the infamous adult-content ban, Sammi explains why OnlyFans works and what makes it nearly impossible to replicate. Plus: can the platform really expand beyond adult content, or is that a recipe for failure? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Business Model of OnlyFans  01:01 The Founding and Growth of OnlyFans  01:53 Avoiding the App Store  02:48 Creator-Led Growth Strategy  05:10 Monetization Beyond Subscriptions  06:26 The 2021 Adult Content Ban  07:39 Leadership and Risk Management  08:11 Expanding Beyond Adult Content  10:13 The Future of OnlyFans  10:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices While tech investors chased ad-based creator platforms, OnlyFans did the opposite—and made billions. Today, Sammi unpacks the counterintuitive decisions that turned OnlyFans into a cultural lightning rod and a creator-economy juggernaut. From dodging the App Store tax and outsourcing discovery to TikTok, to the economics of fan intimacy and the infamous adult-content ban, Sammi explains why OnlyFans works and what makes it nearly impossible to replicate. Plus: can the platform really expand beyond adult content, or is that a recipe for failure?

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

00:00 The Business Model of OnlyFans 

01:01 The Founding and Growth of OnlyFans 

01:53 Avoiding the App Store 

02:48 Creator-Led Growth Strategy 

05:10 Monetization Beyond Subscriptions 

06:26 The 2021 Adult Content Ban 

07:39 Leadership and Risk Management 

08:11 Expanding Beyond Adult Content 

10:13 The Future of OnlyFans 

10:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 755 Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway) on Creating a Category, Stock Highs and Lows, and Seeing the Future Jenn Hyman built Rent the Runway on a contrarian insight back in 2009: women were already “renting” their clothes—borrowing from friends, cycling through fast fashion, and returning special-occasion outfits with the tags still on. Today, Jenn shares how she turned that overlooked behavior into one of the most influential fashion-tech companies of the last decade, why social media made outfit repetition feel impossible, and what fast fashion still gets wrong about how women actually shop. Jenn also goes where most founders won’t; she tells Sammi about becoming one of the few women to ever take a consumer startup public—and the first to IPO with an all-female C-suite—only to watch the market flip weeks later and the stock fall more than 98% from its peak. She breaks down what the stock price does (and doesn’t) say about the business, the realities of life as a public-company CEO, the recent recapitalization that strengthened Rent the Runway’s balance sheet and pushed it toward free cash flow breakeven, and how competition from players like Nuuly is reshaping the rental landscape. Plus, they unpack the wild downfall of CaaStle, a would-be Rent the Runway copycat—and Jenn’s response is JUICY. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Jenn’s work Learn more about Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers with Jenn: 00:00 Jenn Hyman’s Social Currency 04:07 Early Days of RTR 09:16 The Role of Social Media 11:18 Building a Resilient Team 16:19 The IPO Experience 21:22 Navigating Public Market Challenges 31:32 The Irony of Entrepreneurial Ego 32:25 Navigating Rent the Runway's Rollercoaster 34:49 The Future of Rental Economics 35:06 Rent the Runway's Marketing Mastery 39:00 Pricing Strategies and Customer Insights 40:38 Competitors and Market Shifts 47:31 The CaaStle Fraud Scandal 54:41 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Jenn Hyman built Rent the Runway on a contrarian insight back in 2009: women were already “renting” their clothes—borrowing from friends, cycling through fast fashion, and returning special-occasion outfits with the tags still on. Today, Jenn shares how she turned that overlooked behavior into one of the most influential fashion-tech companies of the last decade, why social media made outfit repetition feel impossible, and what fast fashion still gets wrong about how women actually shop. Jenn also goes where most founders won’t; she tells Sammi about becoming one of the few women to ever take a consumer startup public—and the first to IPO with an all-female C-suite—only to watch the market flip weeks later and the stock fall more than 98% from its peak. She breaks down what the stock price does (and doesn’t) say about the business, the realities of life as a public-company CEO, the recent recapitalization that strengthened Rent the Runway’s balance sheet and pushed it toward free cash flow breakeven, and how competition from players like Nuuly is reshaping the rental landscape. Plus, they unpack the wild downfall of CaaStle, a would-be Rent the Runway copycat—and Jenn’s response is JUICY. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Jenn’s work Learn more about Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers with Jenn: 00:00 Jenn Hyman’s Social Currency 04:07 Early Days of RTR 09:16 The Role of Social Media 11:18 Building a Resilient Team 16:19 The IPO Experience 21:22 Navigating Public Market Challenges 31:32 The Irony of Entrepreneurial Ego 32:25 Navigating Rent the Runway's Rollercoaster 34:49 The Future of Rental Economics 35:06 Rent the Runway's Marketing Mastery 39:00 Pricing Strategies and Customer Insights 40:38 Competitors and Market Shifts 47:31 The CaaStle Fraud Scandal 54:41 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Jenn Hyman built Rent the Runway on a contrarian insight back in 2009: women were already “renting” their clothes—borrowing from friends, cycling through fast fashion, and returning special-occasion outfits with the tags still on. Today, Jenn shares how she turned that overlooked behavior into one of the most influential fashion-tech companies of the last decade, why social media made outfit repetition feel impossible, and what fast fashion still gets wrong about how women actually shop.

Jenn also goes where most founders won’t; she tells Sammi about becoming one of the few women to ever take a consumer startup public—and the first to IPO with an all-female C-suite—only to watch the market flip weeks later and the stock fall more than 98% from its peak. She breaks down what the stock price does (and doesn’t) say about the business, the realities of life as a public-company CEO, the recent recapitalization that strengthened Rent the Runway’s balance sheet and pushed it toward free cash flow breakeven, and how competition from players like Nuuly is reshaping the rental landscape. Plus, they unpack the wild downfall of CaaStle, a would-be Rent the Runway copycat—and Jenn’s response is JUICY.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Jenn’s work

Learn more about Rent the Runway

Here’s what Sammi covers with Jenn:

00:00 Jenn Hyman’s Social Currency

04:07 Early Days of RTR

09:16 The Role of Social Media

11:18 Building a Resilient Team

16:19 The IPO Experience

21:22 Navigating Public Market Challenges

31:32 The Irony of Entrepreneurial Ego

32:25 Navigating Rent the Runway's Rollercoaster

34:49 The Future of Rental Economics

35:06 Rent the Runway's Marketing Mastery

39:00 Pricing Strategies and Customer Insights

40:38 Competitors and Market Shifts

47:31 The CaaStle Fraud Scandal

54:41 Social Currency Corner


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3847 The Credit Card War Behind Your Dinner Plans Most people think restaurant reservations are about demand. They’re not. Today, Sammi breaks down the quiet power struggle happening behind your hardest-to-get dinner reservations — and why credit card companies, not restaurants, increasingly call the shots. From OpenTable’s early dominance to Resy’s cultural takeover and American Express acquisition, Sammi explains how reservations became a tool for loyalty, data, and consumer control. Once you see how the reservation system really works, you’ll never look at “fully booked” the same way again. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Hidden Controllers of Restaurant Reservations 01:33 The Rise of OpenTable 03:14 Resy's Disruption 05:14 The Credit Card Wars: Amex vs. Visa 06:55 DoorDash Enters the Arena 08:22 The Bigger Picture: Control and Influence 09:03 Next Episode Teaser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Most people think restaurant reservations are about demand. They’re not. Today, Sammi breaks down the quiet power struggle happening behind your hardest-to-get dinner reservations — and why credit card companies, not restaurants, increasingly call the shots. From OpenTable’s early dominance to Resy’s cultural takeover and American Express acquisition, Sammi explains how reservations became a tool for loyalty, data, and consumer control. Once you see how the reservation system really works, you’ll never look at “fully booked” the same way again. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Hidden Controllers of Restaurant Reservations 01:33 The Rise of OpenTable 03:14 Resy's Disruption 05:14 The Credit Card Wars: Amex vs. Visa 06:55 DoorDash Enters the Arena 08:22 The Bigger Picture: Control and Influence 09:03 Next Episode Teaser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Most people think restaurant reservations are about demand. They’re not.

Today, Sammi breaks down the quiet power struggle happening behind your hardest-to-get dinner reservations — and why credit card companies, not restaurants, increasingly call the shots. From OpenTable’s early dominance to Resy’s cultural takeover and American Express acquisition, Sammi explains how reservations became a tool for loyalty, data, and consumer control.

Once you see how the reservation system really works, you’ll never look at “fully booked” the same way again.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Hidden Controllers of Restaurant Reservations

01:33 The Rise of OpenTable

03:14 Resy's Disruption

05:14 The Credit Card Wars: Amex vs. Visa

06:55 DoorDash Enters the Arena

08:22 The Bigger Picture: Control and Influence

09:03 Next Episode Teaser


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 666 Rebecca Rittenhouse (Privet Beauty) on Hero Products, Hollywood and Identity Shifts Building a business in public is hard. Building one when people already think they know you? Even harder. Today, Sammi sits down with actor and founder Rebecca Rittenhouse to talk about reinvention—on her own terms. Rebecca shares how she went from studying business at UPenn to taking a sharp left turn into acting, landing her breakout role on The Mindy Project, and ultimately channeling those skills into launching her clean, brow-focused beauty brand, Privet Beauty. Instead of launching with a sprawling product line or celebrity hype, she built Privet around a single hero product—bootstrapped, independently owned, and deeply hands-on at every step, from formulation with Korean chemists to brand storytelling. Rebecca opens up about the identity shift from actor to founder, how skills from acting translated into entrepreneurship, and why she chose independence over outside funding.  Sammi and Rebecca also get into launching a brand with focus instead of scale, balancing two demanding careers at once, building a personal brand without losing yourself in it, and the scrappy, low-cost marketing moves that actually move the needle.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rebecca on Instagram Check out Privet Beauty online and on Shopbop Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Rittenhouse’s Social Currency 03:25 Business at UPenn  05:51Choosing Acting Over Business  09:32 Early Acting Experiences and Challenges  11:54 Breakthrough Role on The Mindy Project  14:43 Launching Privet Beauty 16:59 The Importance of Eyebrows in Beauty  24:29 Marketing and Personal Branding  29:31 Substack and Personal Branding  30:49 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Inner Criticism  32:51 Building a Team   35:58 The Challenges of Bootstrapping a Business  43:15 Managing Time and Staying Organized  46:35 Making Decisions and Handling Emotions  52:32 Marketing Strategies for a New Business  55:45 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Building a business in public is hard. Building one when people already think they know you? Even harder. Today, Sammi sits down with actor and founder Rebecca Rittenhouse to talk about reinvention—on her own terms. Rebecca shares how she went from studying business at UPenn to taking a sharp left turn into acting, landing her breakout role on The Mindy Project, and ultimately channeling those skills into launching her clean, brow-focused beauty brand, Privet Beauty. Instead of launching with a sprawling product line or celebrity hype, she built Privet around a single hero product—bootstrapped, independently owned, and deeply hands-on at every step, from formulation with Korean chemists to brand storytelling. Rebecca opens up about the identity shift from actor to founder, how skills from acting translated into entrepreneurship, and why she chose independence over outside funding.  Sammi and Rebecca also get into launching a brand with focus instead of scale, balancing two demanding careers at once, building a personal brand without losing yourself in it, and the scrappy, low-cost marketing moves that actually move the needle.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rebecca on Instagram Check out Privet Beauty online and on Shopbop Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Rittenhouse’s Social Currency 03:25 Business at UPenn  05:51Choosing Acting Over Business  09:32 Early Acting Experiences and Challenges  11:54 Breakthrough Role on The Mindy Project  14:43 Launching Privet Beauty 16:59 The Importance of Eyebrows in Beauty  24:29 Marketing and Personal Branding  29:31 Substack and Personal Branding  30:49 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Inner Criticism  32:51 Building a Team   35:58 The Challenges of Bootstrapping a Business  43:15 Managing Time and Staying Organized  46:35 Making Decisions and Handling Emotions  52:32 Marketing Strategies for a New Business  55:45 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Building a business in public is hard. Building one when people already think they know you? Even harder.

Today, Sammi sits down with actor and founder Rebecca Rittenhouse to talk about reinvention—on her own terms. Rebecca shares how she went from studying business at UPenn to taking a sharp left turn into acting, landing her breakout role on The Mindy Project, and ultimately channeling those skills into launching her clean, brow-focused beauty brand, Privet Beauty.

Instead of launching with a sprawling product line or celebrity hype, she built Privet around a single hero product—bootstrapped, independently owned, and deeply hands-on at every step, from formulation with Korean chemists to brand storytelling. Rebecca opens up about the identity shift from actor to founder, how skills from acting translated into entrepreneurship, and why she chose independence over outside funding. 

Sammi and Rebecca also get into launching a brand with focus instead of scale, balancing two demanding careers at once, building a personal brand without losing yourself in it, and the scrappy, low-cost marketing moves that actually move the needle. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Rebecca on Instagram

Check out Privet Beauty online and on Shopbop

Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca:

00:00 Rebecca Rittenhouse’s Social Currency

03:25 Business at UPenn 

05:51Choosing Acting Over Business 

09:32 Early Acting Experiences and Challenges 

11:54 Breakthrough Role on The Mindy Project 

14:43 Launching Privet Beauty

16:59 The Importance of Eyebrows in Beauty 

24:29 Marketing and Personal Branding 

29:31 Substack and Personal Branding 

30:49 Dealing with Self-Doubt and Inner Criticism 

32:51 Building a Team  

35:58 The Challenges of Bootstrapping a Business 

43:15 Managing Time and Staying Organized 

46:35 Making Decisions and Handling Emotions 

52:32 Marketing Strategies for a New Business 

55:45 How to Show Social Currency Some Love 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3601 Actionable Lessons From Launching Social Currency 2025 was a transformative year. In this episode, Sammi shares the biggest lessons she’s internalized since launching her podcast this spring. She leaves no stone unturned and recounts her biggest milestones, mindset shifts, and the challenges she faced while building her business. From beginning her year at Amazon to creating her podcast studio and launching 'Social Currency,' Sammi details her leaps of faith and the importance of having a strong personal brand… and gets a little emotional in the process. If you’re thinking of making your side-hustle your main-hustle in 2026, this episode is a must-listen. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 2025 Year in Review 01:55 Deciding to Launch Social Currency 04:21 The LA Fires and Building the Podcast Studio 05:34 Launching the Podcast and Leaving Amazon 06:04 Growing the Business and Revenue Streams 09:33 Mindset Shifts for Success 11:53 Visualization and Outsourcing 14:46 Overcoming Comparison and Planning for the Future 17:02 What Sammi’s Thankful For 18:50 How to Support Social Currency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency 2025 was a transformative year. In this episode, Sammi shares the biggest lessons she’s internalized since launching her podcast this spring. She leaves no stone unturned and recounts her biggest milestones, mindset shifts, and the challenges she faced while building her business. From beginning her year at Amazon to creating her podcast studio and launching 'Social Currency,' Sammi details her leaps of faith and the importance of having a strong personal brand… and gets a little emotional in the process. If you’re thinking of making your side-hustle your main-hustle in 2026, this episode is a must-listen. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 2025 Year in Review 01:55 Deciding to Launch Social Currency 04:21 The LA Fires and Building the Podcast Studio 05:34 Launching the Podcast and Leaving Amazon 06:04 Growing the Business and Revenue Streams 09:33 Mindset Shifts for Success 11:53 Visualization and Outsourcing 14:46 Overcoming Comparison and Planning for the Future 17:02 What Sammi’s Thankful For 18:50 How to Support Social Currency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 2025 was a transformative year. In this episode, Sammi shares the biggest lessons she’s internalized since launching her podcast this spring. She leaves no stone unturned and recounts her biggest milestones, mindset shifts, and the challenges she faced while building her business. From beginning her year at Amazon to creating her podcast studio and launching 'Social Currency,' Sammi details her leaps of faith and the importance of having a strong personal brand… and gets a little emotional in the process. If you’re thinking of making your side-hustle your main-hustle in 2026, this episode is a must-listen.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 2025 Year in Review

01:55 Deciding to Launch Social Currency

04:21 The LA Fires and Building the Podcast Studio

05:34 Launching the Podcast and Leaving Amazon

06:04 Growing the Business and Revenue Streams

09:33 Mindset Shifts for Success

11:53 Visualization and Outsourcing

14:46 Overcoming Comparison and Planning for the Future

17:02 What Sammi’s Thankful For

18:50 How to Support Social Currency

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1232 Rebecca Minkoff on Building a Fashion Empire, Fundraising Myths and  Tupperware Parties Rebecca Minkoff’s origin story is not a glossy founder fairy tale—it’s a closet-bedroom apartment, a $3.25/hour internship, $60K in debt, and a single Rebecca Minkoff designed tee that ended up on Jay Leno. Today, Rebecca breaks down how that moment got her foot in the door—and how the next viral moment, the Morning After Bag, almost didn’t happen (FedEx late, no movie placement)… until it sparked the kind of sellout momentum every founder dreams about. Then she gets brutally honest about what it takes to stay alive in fashion when the landscape is louder, more crowded, and algorithm-shaped: the “white lies” founders sometimes tell to level up, why you don’t need VC, and the real pain of taking money.  Rebecca also unpacks the OnlyFans Fashion Week deal that covered a six-figure show—until the platform flipped back to adult content—how COVID wiped out 70% of the business overnight, and why she’s now widening the funnel with new channels like QVC. Plus, if you’re building a product brand and wondering how to get customers without pouring cash into Meta ads, her answer is refreshingly tactical: throw the “Tupperware party.” Follow Sammi on Instagram  Listen to Rebecca’s podcast Superwomen and start with Sammi’s episode! Follow Rebecca on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Minkoff’s Social Currency 02:14 Rebecca's Early Career Goals 05:49 Learning Business in the Trenches 08:04 The "I Love NY" Shirt Story 12:18 The Morning After Bag 15:07 Trend Spotting and Product Development 21:43 Besting the Dupes 23:24 VC, PE and Monetizing Creatively (Including OnlyFans) 30:15 COVID, Chaos, and Reinvention  34:10 The QVC Rocket Ship 35:50 Inside the Female Founder Collective 36:33 Fundraising Advice Women Should Ignore 39:21 Marketing Tips 41:13 Fashion Lightning Round 42:36 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 23 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Rebecca Minkoff’s origin story is not a glossy founder fairy tale—it’s a closet-bedroom apartment, a $3.25/hour internship, $60K in debt, and a single Rebecca Minkoff designed tee that ended up on Jay Leno. Today, Rebecca breaks down how that moment got her foot in the door—and how the next viral moment, the Morning After Bag, almost didn’t happen (FedEx late, no movie placement)… until it sparked the kind of sellout momentum every founder dreams about. Then she gets brutally honest about what it takes to stay alive in fashion when the landscape is louder, more crowded, and algorithm-shaped: the “white lies” founders sometimes tell to level up, why you don’t need VC, and the real pain of taking money.  Rebecca also unpacks the OnlyFans Fashion Week deal that covered a six-figure show—until the platform flipped back to adult content—how COVID wiped out 70% of the business overnight, and why she’s now widening the funnel with new channels like QVC. Plus, if you’re building a product brand and wondering how to get customers without pouring cash into Meta ads, her answer is refreshingly tactical: throw the “Tupperware party.” Follow Sammi on Instagram  Listen to Rebecca’s podcast Superwomen and start with Sammi’s episode! Follow Rebecca on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca: 00:00 Rebecca Minkoff’s Social Currency 02:14 Rebecca's Early Career Goals 05:49 Learning Business in the Trenches 08:04 The "I Love NY" Shirt Story 12:18 The Morning After Bag 15:07 Trend Spotting and Product Development 21:43 Besting the Dupes 23:24 VC, PE and Monetizing Creatively (Including OnlyFans) 30:15 COVID, Chaos, and Reinvention  34:10 The QVC Rocket Ship 35:50 Inside the Female Founder Collective 36:33 Fundraising Advice Women Should Ignore 39:21 Marketing Tips 41:13 Fashion Lightning Round 42:36 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Rebecca Minkoff’s origin story is not a glossy founder fairy tale—it’s a closet-bedroom apartment, a $3.25/hour internship, $60K in debt, and a single Rebecca Minkoff designed tee that ended up on Jay Leno. Today, Rebecca breaks down how that moment got her foot in the door—and how the next viral moment, the Morning After Bag, almost didn’t happen (FedEx late, no movie placement)… until it sparked the kind of sellout momentum every founder dreams about.

Then she gets brutally honest about what it takes to stay alive in fashion when the landscape is louder, more crowded, and algorithm-shaped: the “white lies” founders sometimes tell to level up, why you don’t need VC, and the real pain of taking money. 

Rebecca also unpacks the OnlyFans Fashion Week deal that covered a six-figure show—until the platform flipped back to adult content—how COVID wiped out 70% of the business overnight, and why she’s now widening the funnel with new channels like QVC. Plus, if you’re building a product brand and wondering how to get customers without pouring cash into Meta ads, her answer is refreshingly tactical: throw the “Tupperware party.”

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Listen to Rebecca’s podcast Superwomen and start with Sammi’s episode!

Follow Rebecca on Instagram

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers with Rebecca:

00:00 Rebecca Minkoff’s Social Currency

02:14 Rebecca's Early Career Goals

05:49 Learning Business in the Trenches

08:04 The "I Love NY" Shirt Story

12:18 The Morning After Bag

15:07 Trend Spotting and Product Development

21:43 Besting the Dupes

23:24 VC, PE and Monetizing Creatively (Including OnlyFans)

30:15 COVID, Chaos, and Reinvention 

34:10 The QVC Rocket Ship

35:50 Inside the Female Founder Collective

36:33 Fundraising Advice Women Should Ignore

39:21 Marketing Tips

41:13 Fashion Lightning Round

42:36 Social Currency Corner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3036 What the Gender “Ambition Gap” Research Got Wrong Women in corporate America aren’t burned out because of how much they’re working—they’re burned out by how much the system isn’t working for them. Today, Sammi breaks down the latest Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey, and the findings are more alarming than the headlines suggest. For the first time in over a decade, women are less interested in climbing the corporate ladder—not because they don’t want success, but because the ladder itself is broken. Sammi unpacks the data behind the growing “ambition gap,” the consequence of rolling back DEI efforts, and why women are still being penalized for flexibility and remote work—while men aren’t.  Sammi connects the dots between structural corporate failures and the rise of an entirely new career model—one that could define the next decade of work in America. If companies don’t adapt, Sammi says, they may be staring down a long-term talent crisis. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Breaking Point 01:10 Inside the Women in the Workplace report 02:15 The Truth About the “Ambition Gap” 3:13 The Broken Rung Problem 5:58 Corporate America’s Retreat from DEI 7:03 The Rise of Portfolio Careers 8:45 The Future of Work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:39:00 -0000 full Social Currency Women in corporate America aren’t burned out because of how much they’re working—they’re burned out by how much the system isn’t working for them. Today, Sammi breaks down the latest Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey, and the findings are more alarming than the headlines suggest. For the first time in over a decade, women are less interested in climbing the corporate ladder—not because they don’t want success, but because the ladder itself is broken. Sammi unpacks the data behind the growing “ambition gap,” the consequence of rolling back DEI efforts, and why women are still being penalized for flexibility and remote work—while men aren’t.  Sammi connects the dots between structural corporate failures and the rise of an entirely new career model—one that could define the next decade of work in America. If companies don’t adapt, Sammi says, they may be staring down a long-term talent crisis. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 The Breaking Point 01:10 Inside the Women in the Workplace report 02:15 The Truth About the “Ambition Gap” 3:13 The Broken Rung Problem 5:58 Corporate America’s Retreat from DEI 7:03 The Rise of Portfolio Careers 8:45 The Future of Work Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Women in corporate America aren’t burned out because of how much they’re working—they’re burned out by how much the system isn’t working for them.

Today, Sammi breaks down the latest Women in the Workplace report from Lean In and McKinsey, and the findings are more alarming than the headlines suggest. For the first time in over a decade, women are less interested in climbing the corporate ladder—not because they don’t want success, but because the ladder itself is broken.

Sammi unpacks the data behind the growing “ambition gap,” the consequence of rolling back DEI efforts, and why women are still being penalized for flexibility and remote work—while men aren’t. 

Sammi connects the dots between structural corporate failures and the rise of an entirely new career model—one that could define the next decade of work in America. If companies don’t adapt, Sammi says, they may be staring down a long-term talent crisis.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

00:00 The Breaking Point

01:10 Inside the Women in the Workplace report

02:15 The Truth About the “Ambition Gap”

3:13 The Broken Rung Problem

5:58 Corporate America’s Retreat from DEI

7:03 The Rise of Portfolio Careers

8:45 The Future of Work

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 723 Andrew Chau (Boba Guys) on Turning Bubble Tea Into a Cultural Movement, the Future of Cafe Culture and Strawberry Matcha Today, Sammi sits down with Andrew Chau, co-founder of Boba Guys—the brand that helped turn boba from a niche drink into a mainstream American obsession. Andrew takes us back to the very first 2011 pop-up and the early decisions that shaped Boba Guys’ identity: choosing authenticity over gimmicks, educating customers on Asian culture without westernizing it, and designing drinks that were as aesthetic as they were meaningful. He reveals how Boba Guys became the blueprint for modern café trends—and why so many brands copy their drinks without understanding the deeper consumer psychology behind them. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Find a Boba Guys Location near you Here’s what Sammi covers with Andrew: 00:00 Andrew Chau’s Social Currency 02:05 Sammi’s Personal Tie-In 03:37 The First Pop-Up 08:01 Early Branding Decisions and Being Your Favorite Marketer’s Favorite Marketer 13:51 Educating Customers on a Product vs. Educating  Customers on a Culture 22:24 The Future of Cafés  31:14 Vertical Integration 35:53 Matcha, Aesthetics, and Social Signaling 45:14 Consumer Behavior and Hot Takes 52:37 Social Currency Corner 01:03:17 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi sits down with Andrew Chau, co-founder of Boba Guys—the brand that helped turn boba from a niche drink into a mainstream American obsession. Andrew takes us back to the very first 2011 pop-up and the early decisions that shaped Boba Guys’ identity: choosing authenticity over gimmicks, educating customers on Asian culture without westernizing it, and designing drinks that were as aesthetic as they were meaningful. He reveals how Boba Guys became the blueprint for modern café trends—and why so many brands copy their drinks without understanding the deeper consumer psychology behind them. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Find a Boba Guys Location near you Here’s what Sammi covers with Andrew: 00:00 Andrew Chau’s Social Currency 02:05 Sammi’s Personal Tie-In 03:37 The First Pop-Up 08:01 Early Branding Decisions and Being Your Favorite Marketer’s Favorite Marketer 13:51 Educating Customers on a Product vs. Educating  Customers on a Culture 22:24 The Future of Cafés  31:14 Vertical Integration 35:53 Matcha, Aesthetics, and Social Signaling 45:14 Consumer Behavior and Hot Takes 52:37 Social Currency Corner 01:03:17 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi sits down with Andrew Chau, co-founder of Boba Guys—the brand that helped turn boba from a niche drink into a mainstream American obsession.

Andrew takes us back to the very first 2011 pop-up and the early decisions that shaped Boba Guys’ identity: choosing authenticity over gimmicks, educating customers on Asian culture without westernizing it, and designing drinks that were as aesthetic as they were meaningful. He reveals how Boba Guys became the blueprint for modern café trends—and why so many brands copy their drinks without understanding the deeper consumer psychology behind them.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Find a Boba Guys Location near you

Here’s what Sammi covers with Andrew:

00:00 Andrew Chau’s Social Currency

02:05 Sammi’s Personal Tie-In

03:37 The First Pop-Up

08:01 Early Branding Decisions and Being Your Favorite Marketer’s Favorite Marketer

13:51 Educating Customers on a Product vs. Educating  Customers on a Culture

22:24 The Future of Cafés 

31:14 Vertical Integration

35:53 Matcha, Aesthetics, and Social Signaling

45:14 Consumer Behavior and Hot Takes

52:37 Social Currency Corner

01:03:17 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4119 Williams Sonoma vs. Quince and the Future of the Dupe Economy A blockbuster lawsuit just exposed the biggest fear in retail—but it could backfire spectacularly. Today, Sammi does a deep dive into Williams Sonoma vs. Quince, a case that’s revealing a seismic consumer shift: shoppers no longer believe legacy brands deserve legacy prices. Sammi breaks down why Quince’s billion-dollar rise is shaking old-guard retailers and how comparative advertising became the new frontline of the dupe economy. If you want to understand the next chapter of retail—pricing, branding, influence, and the power of “good enough”—this episode is your blueprint. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Williams Sonoma vs. Quince 01:26 Quince's Disruptive Business Model  06:28 Consumer Reactions and Feedback  07:56 Quince's Foray into Food  09:01 Implications of the Lawsuit  10:18 Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency A blockbuster lawsuit just exposed the biggest fear in retail—but it could backfire spectacularly. Today, Sammi does a deep dive into Williams Sonoma vs. Quince, a case that’s revealing a seismic consumer shift: shoppers no longer believe legacy brands deserve legacy prices. Sammi breaks down why Quince’s billion-dollar rise is shaking old-guard retailers and how comparative advertising became the new frontline of the dupe economy. If you want to understand the next chapter of retail—pricing, branding, influence, and the power of “good enough”—this episode is your blueprint. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Williams Sonoma vs. Quince 01:26 Quince's Disruptive Business Model  06:28 Consumer Reactions and Feedback  07:56 Quince's Foray into Food  09:01 Implications of the Lawsuit  10:18 Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices A blockbuster lawsuit just exposed the biggest fear in retail—but it could backfire spectacularly. Today, Sammi does a deep dive into Williams Sonoma vs. Quince, a case that’s revealing a seismic consumer shift: shoppers no longer believe legacy brands deserve legacy prices. Sammi breaks down why Quince’s billion-dollar rise is shaking old-guard retailers and how comparative advertising became the new frontline of the dupe economy. If you want to understand the next chapter of retail—pricing, branding, influence, and the power of “good enough”—this episode is your blueprint.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Williams Sonoma vs. Quince

01:26 Quince's Disruptive Business Model 

06:28 Consumer Reactions and Feedback 

07:56 Quince's Foray into Food 

09:01 Implications of the Lawsuit 

10:18 Final Thoughts


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 736 no Luana Lopes Lara (Kalshi) on the Money in Prediction Markets, Trading the Presidential Election and Suing the Regulators Luana Lopes Lara didn’t just build a unicorn— she overturned a 100-year old ban, sued the regulators and became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the process. Luana co-founded Kalshi, the CFTC-regulated prediction market that lets you trade on the outcome of real-world events. Kalshi is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country; in fact, since Sammi spoke with Luana, Kalshi’s valuation has gone from $5 billion to $11 billion. Luana shares the ripple effects of the 2024 election on the business, the decision framework around which events are “tradeable,” the psychology of Kalshi users, and why she thinks prediction markets might rival stock exchanges sooner than anyone expects.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Learn more about Kalshi Today Luana and Sammi discuss: 00:00 Luana Lopes Lara’s Social Currency 02:14 The Early Days of  Kalshi 02:41 The Role of Ballet in Business 04:20 Understanding Prediction Markets 07:09 The Brutal Regulation Process 14:31 Marketing and Growth Strategies 16:18 The Impact of the 2024 Election 27:23 Sports and Other Popular Trading Categories 29:37 Ethics of Prediction Markets 33:33 User Behavior  37:55 Hot Takes and Future Trends 39:24 Social Currency Corner 46:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Luana Lopes Lara didn’t just build a unicorn— she overturned a 100-year old ban, sued the regulators and became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the process. Luana co-founded Kalshi, the CFTC-regulated prediction market that lets you trade on the outcome of real-world events. Kalshi is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country; in fact, since Sammi spoke with Luana, Kalshi’s valuation has gone from $5 billion to $11 billion. Luana shares the ripple effects of the 2024 election on the business, the decision framework around which events are “tradeable,” the psychology of Kalshi users, and why she thinks prediction markets might rival stock exchanges sooner than anyone expects.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Learn more about Kalshi Today Luana and Sammi discuss: 00:00 Luana Lopes Lara’s Social Currency 02:14 The Early Days of  Kalshi 02:41 The Role of Ballet in Business 04:20 Understanding Prediction Markets 07:09 The Brutal Regulation Process 14:31 Marketing and Growth Strategies 16:18 The Impact of the 2024 Election 27:23 Sports and Other Popular Trading Categories 29:37 Ethics of Prediction Markets 33:33 User Behavior  37:55 Hot Takes and Future Trends 39:24 Social Currency Corner 46:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Luana Lopes Lara didn’t just build a unicorn— she overturned a 100-year old ban, sued the regulators and became the youngest self-made female billionaire in the process. Luana co-founded Kalshi, the CFTC-regulated prediction market that lets you trade on the outcome of real-world events. Kalshi is one of the fastest-growing tech companies in the country; in fact, since Sammi spoke with Luana, Kalshi’s valuation has gone from $5 billion to $11 billion.

Luana shares the ripple effects of the 2024 election on the business, the decision framework around which events are “tradeable,” the psychology of Kalshi users, and why she thinks prediction markets might rival stock exchanges sooner than anyone expects.

 Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Learn more about Kalshi

Today Luana and Sammi discuss:

00:00 Luana Lopes Lara’s Social Currency

02:14 The Early Days of  Kalshi

02:41 The Role of Ballet in Business

04:20 Understanding Prediction Markets

07:09 The Brutal Regulation Process

14:31 Marketing and Growth Strategies

16:18 The Impact of the 2024 Election

27:23 Sports and Other Popular Trading Categories

29:37 Ethics of Prediction Markets

33:33 User Behavior 

37:55 Hot Takes and Future Trends

39:24 Social Currency Corner

46:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3106 Raw Chicken Nuggets and $75 Matcha: Meadow Lane’s Chaotic Rise to Fame and Infamy Today, Sammi breaks down all things Meadow Lane—the Tribeca grocery store that launched like a luxury fashion drop and spiraled into one of the most chaotic openings New York has seen in years. Founded by Sammy Nussdorf, the heir to a billion-dollar distribution empire, Meadow Lane was positioned as a bespoke, Manhattan-made answer to Erewhon. The result? A fandom of over 140,000 followers before the store even opened. But that hype came with consequences. During opening week, Meadow Lane faced a perfect storm of PR disasters—raw chicken nuggets, mislabeled chili that triggered an allergic reaction, viral snark about $750 caviar, and one very viral mouse. Sammi unpacks what Meadow Lane tells us about status-ification of food, TikTok consumerism, and whether grocery bags belong next to designer handbags.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers in today’s episode: 00:00 The Grocery Store That Became a Cultural Event 01:58 Who Is Sammy Nussdorf? 03:20 Building in Public: TikTok, Fandom, and Hype 06:17 Opening Week Chaos: Raw Nuggets, Allergies & The Mouse Video 07:53 Meadow Lane vs Erewhon 08:55 Food as a Modern Status Symbol 10:49 Sammi’s Predictions and Takeaway 12:01 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi breaks down all things Meadow Lane—the Tribeca grocery store that launched like a luxury fashion drop and spiraled into one of the most chaotic openings New York has seen in years. Founded by Sammy Nussdorf, the heir to a billion-dollar distribution empire, Meadow Lane was positioned as a bespoke, Manhattan-made answer to Erewhon. The result? A fandom of over 140,000 followers before the store even opened. But that hype came with consequences. During opening week, Meadow Lane faced a perfect storm of PR disasters—raw chicken nuggets, mislabeled chili that triggered an allergic reaction, viral snark about $750 caviar, and one very viral mouse. Sammi unpacks what Meadow Lane tells us about status-ification of food, TikTok consumerism, and whether grocery bags belong next to designer handbags.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers in today’s episode: 00:00 The Grocery Store That Became a Cultural Event 01:58 Who Is Sammy Nussdorf? 03:20 Building in Public: TikTok, Fandom, and Hype 06:17 Opening Week Chaos: Raw Nuggets, Allergies & The Mouse Video 07:53 Meadow Lane vs Erewhon 08:55 Food as a Modern Status Symbol 10:49 Sammi’s Predictions and Takeaway 12:01 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi breaks down all things Meadow Lane—the Tribeca grocery store that launched like a luxury fashion drop and spiraled into one of the most chaotic openings New York has seen in years.

Founded by Sammy Nussdorf, the heir to a billion-dollar distribution empire, Meadow Lane was positioned as a bespoke, Manhattan-made answer to Erewhon. The result? A fandom of over 140,000 followers before the store even opened.

But that hype came with consequences. During opening week, Meadow Lane faced a perfect storm of PR disasters—raw chicken nuggets, mislabeled chili that triggered an allergic reaction, viral snark about $750 caviar, and one very viral mouse. Sammi unpacks what Meadow Lane tells us about status-ification of food, TikTok consumerism, and whether grocery bags belong next to designer handbags. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers in today’s episode:

00:00 The Grocery Store That Became a Cultural Event

01:58 Who Is Sammy Nussdorf?

03:20 Building in Public: TikTok, Fandom, and Hype

06:17 Opening Week Chaos: Raw Nuggets, Allergies & The Mouse Video

07:53 Meadow Lane vs Erewhon

08:55 Food as a Modern Status Symbol

10:49 Sammi’s Predictions and Takeaway

12:01 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 774 Babba Rivera (Ceremonia) on Making Business Personal, Winning Retail, and Convincing Investors to Bet on Latinx Communities Building a beauty brand that celebrates Latin culture while competing on a global stage is no small feat—but for Babba Rivera, it’s not just business— it’s personal.  Babba founded Ceremonia to create a haircare brand rooted in Latin heritage, ritual, and community. Today, Ceremonia is one of the fastest-growing brands at Sephora, has raised over $11 million, and just took home an Allure Beauty Award. In this conversation, Babba shares how she built a company that’s as mission-driven as it is profitable—cutting marketing costs by half while still growing revenue—and what it really takes to lead a fast-scaling startup as a founder and mom of four. Babba also shares about her early days leading teams at Uber and Away, the power of saying no to investors who don’t get your vision, and why she believes the future of beauty is community-first, not celebrity-led.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Ceremonia on Instagram Follow Babba on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers with Babba: 00:00 Babba Rivera’s Social Currency 02:27 Growing Up Between Cultures 05:07 Early Beauty Rituals and Haircare Influences 07:00 Lessons from Uber 10:48 The Wild World of Away 13:11 From Marketing Agency to Beauty Brand 15:53 The Birth of Ceremonia 19:44 Navigating Funding During COVID-19 22:36 Direct to Consumer and Learning from Customers 27:00 Strategic Move to Credo 27:16 Scaling with Sephora 28:04 Challenges of Big Retailers 30:27 Allure Best of Beauty Award 33:46 Focus on Profitability 38:01 Representation in Beauty 45:11 Balancing Motherhood and Business 50:05 Daily Routines and Systems 53:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 02 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Building a beauty brand that celebrates Latin culture while competing on a global stage is no small feat—but for Babba Rivera, it’s not just business— it’s personal.  Babba founded Ceremonia to create a haircare brand rooted in Latin heritage, ritual, and community. Today, Ceremonia is one of the fastest-growing brands at Sephora, has raised over $11 million, and just took home an Allure Beauty Award. In this conversation, Babba shares how she built a company that’s as mission-driven as it is profitable—cutting marketing costs by half while still growing revenue—and what it really takes to lead a fast-scaling startup as a founder and mom of four. Babba also shares about her early days leading teams at Uber and Away, the power of saying no to investors who don’t get your vision, and why she believes the future of beauty is community-first, not celebrity-led.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Ceremonia on Instagram Follow Babba on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers with Babba: 00:00 Babba Rivera’s Social Currency 02:27 Growing Up Between Cultures 05:07 Early Beauty Rituals and Haircare Influences 07:00 Lessons from Uber 10:48 The Wild World of Away 13:11 From Marketing Agency to Beauty Brand 15:53 The Birth of Ceremonia 19:44 Navigating Funding During COVID-19 22:36 Direct to Consumer and Learning from Customers 27:00 Strategic Move to Credo 27:16 Scaling with Sephora 28:04 Challenges of Big Retailers 30:27 Allure Best of Beauty Award 33:46 Focus on Profitability 38:01 Representation in Beauty 45:11 Balancing Motherhood and Business 50:05 Daily Routines and Systems 53:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Building a beauty brand that celebrates Latin culture while competing on a global stage is no small feat—but for Babba Rivera, it’s not just business— it’s personal. 

Babba founded Ceremonia to create a haircare brand rooted in Latin heritage, ritual, and community. Today, Ceremonia is one of the fastest-growing brands at Sephora, has raised over $11 million, and just took home an Allure Beauty Award. In this conversation, Babba shares how she built a company that’s as mission-driven as it is profitable—cutting marketing costs by half while still growing revenue—and what it really takes to lead a fast-scaling startup as a founder and mom of four.

Babba also shares about her early days leading teams at Uber and Away, the power of saying no to investors who don’t get your vision, and why she believes the future of beauty is community-first, not celebrity-led. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Ceremonia on Instagram

Follow Babba on Instagram

Here’s what Sammi covers with Babba:

00:00 Babba Rivera’s Social Currency

02:27 Growing Up Between Cultures

05:07 Early Beauty Rituals and Haircare Influences

07:00 Lessons from Uber

10:48 The Wild World of Away

13:11 From Marketing Agency to Beauty Brand

15:53 The Birth of Ceremonia

19:44 Navigating Funding During COVID-19

22:36 Direct to Consumer and Learning from Customers

27:00 Strategic Move to Credo

27:16 Scaling with Sephora

28:04 Challenges of Big Retailers

30:27 Allure Best of Beauty Award

33:46 Focus on Profitability

38:01 Representation in Beauty

45:11 Balancing Motherhood and Business

50:05 Daily Routines and Systems

53:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3589 Inside Rhode’s $1 Billion Deal: How e.l.f. Exposed Every Secret Behind Hailey Bieber’s Brand Celebrity brands never release their numbers — until now. Beauty brand e.l.f. didn’t just acquire Hailey Bieber’s Rhode… they published every single line item of the company’s P&L. From shockingly low cost of goods sold to a 9x marketing efficiency ratio, Sammi unpacks why Rhode operates more like a billion-dollar conglomerate than a three-year-old celebrity brand. You’ll hear the real story behind the billion-dollar headline, why e.l.f. revealed Rhode’s financials days before earnings, and how a temporary sales dip shook Wall Street. Then, Sammi explains the record-breaking Sephora launch, the risks Rhode faces with limited SKUs, and why Hailey’s personal involvement is the brand’s ultimate moat. Finally, Sammi zooms out: what Rhode teaches us about cultural capital, beauty economics, and the future of creator-led brands — plus how it all compares to Rihanna’s Fenty and the cautionary tales of celebrity beauty past. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The e.l.f. Acquisition of Rhode 03:07 e.l.f.’s Unprecedented Financial Disclosure 03:44 Analyzing Rhode’s Financials 07:15 The Sephora Launch and Its Impact 08:17 Challenges and Future Prospects for Rhode 10:28 Comparing Rhode and Fenty 11:03 Future Predictions on Beauty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Celebrity brands never release their numbers — until now. Beauty brand e.l.f. didn’t just acquire Hailey Bieber’s Rhode… they published every single line item of the company’s P&L. From shockingly low cost of goods sold to a 9x marketing efficiency ratio, Sammi unpacks why Rhode operates more like a billion-dollar conglomerate than a three-year-old celebrity brand. You’ll hear the real story behind the billion-dollar headline, why e.l.f. revealed Rhode’s financials days before earnings, and how a temporary sales dip shook Wall Street. Then, Sammi explains the record-breaking Sephora launch, the risks Rhode faces with limited SKUs, and why Hailey’s personal involvement is the brand’s ultimate moat. Finally, Sammi zooms out: what Rhode teaches us about cultural capital, beauty economics, and the future of creator-led brands — plus how it all compares to Rihanna’s Fenty and the cautionary tales of celebrity beauty past. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The e.l.f. Acquisition of Rhode 03:07 e.l.f.’s Unprecedented Financial Disclosure 03:44 Analyzing Rhode’s Financials 07:15 The Sephora Launch and Its Impact 08:17 Challenges and Future Prospects for Rhode 10:28 Comparing Rhode and Fenty 11:03 Future Predictions on Beauty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Celebrity brands never release their numbers — until now. Beauty brand e.l.f. didn’t just acquire Hailey Bieber’s Rhode… they published every single line item of the company’s P&L. From shockingly low cost of goods sold to a 9x marketing efficiency ratio, Sammi unpacks why Rhode operates more like a billion-dollar conglomerate than a three-year-old celebrity brand.

You’ll hear the real story behind the billion-dollar headline, why e.l.f. revealed Rhode’s financials days before earnings, and how a temporary sales dip shook Wall Street. Then, Sammi explains the record-breaking Sephora launch, the risks Rhode faces with limited SKUs, and why Hailey’s personal involvement is the brand’s ultimate moat.

Finally, Sammi zooms out: what Rhode teaches us about cultural capital, beauty economics, and the future of creator-led brands — plus how it all compares to Rihanna’s Fenty and the cautionary tales of celebrity beauty past.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The e.l.f. Acquisition of Rhode

03:07 e.l.f.’s Unprecedented Financial Disclosure

03:44 Analyzing Rhode’s Financials

07:15 The Sephora Launch and Its Impact

08:17 Challenges and Future Prospects for Rhode

10:28 Comparing Rhode and Fenty

11:03 Future Predictions on Beauty

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 803 Julia Cheek (Everlywell) on Revolutionizing Diagnostics, Shark Tank and Biohacking Many people say the healthcare system is broken. Julia Cheek, is trying to fix a key part of that system: diagnostics.  Julia is the founder and CEO of Everlywell, the pioneering at-home health testing company that turned diagnostics from something that happened to you into something you control. Since launching in 2015, Everlywell has become one of the fastest-growing companies in consumer health and has raised more than $200 million—proving that convenience, access, and empowerment aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the future of medicine.  In this conversation, Julia tells Sammi about the moment that inspired her to build Everlywell after her own frustrating lab experience, what really happens after a Shark Tank deal, and the split-second leadership calls she had to make during the pandemic when the company scaled almost overnight. She also shares what she’s betting on next—from the future of at-home diagnostics and biohacking, to how insurance needs to evolve for proactive healthcare to actually work.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Explore Everlywell Here’s what Sammi covers today with Julia: 00:00 Julia Cheek’s Social Currency 01:42 The Lab Nightmare That Sparked Everlywell 04:18 Early Pushback—and Why Julia Built Anyway 08:47 BTS of Shark Tank 14:03 The Breakthrough Moment in Consumer Trust 18:55 Building a Team for Speed in Healthcare 21:37 Scaling Overnight During COVID 28:10 AI, Telehealth & The Future of Diagnostics 32:55 The Role of Insurance 44:17 Social Currency Corner: For Health Founders 48:30 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 25 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Many people say the healthcare system is broken. Julia Cheek, is trying to fix a key part of that system: diagnostics.  Julia is the founder and CEO of Everlywell, the pioneering at-home health testing company that turned diagnostics from something that happened to you into something you control. Since launching in 2015, Everlywell has become one of the fastest-growing companies in consumer health and has raised more than $200 million—proving that convenience, access, and empowerment aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the future of medicine.  In this conversation, Julia tells Sammi about the moment that inspired her to build Everlywell after her own frustrating lab experience, what really happens after a Shark Tank deal, and the split-second leadership calls she had to make during the pandemic when the company scaled almost overnight. She also shares what she’s betting on next—from the future of at-home diagnostics and biohacking, to how insurance needs to evolve for proactive healthcare to actually work.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Explore Everlywell Here’s what Sammi covers today with Julia: 00:00 Julia Cheek’s Social Currency 01:42 The Lab Nightmare That Sparked Everlywell 04:18 Early Pushback—and Why Julia Built Anyway 08:47 BTS of Shark Tank 14:03 The Breakthrough Moment in Consumer Trust 18:55 Building a Team for Speed in Healthcare 21:37 Scaling Overnight During COVID 28:10 AI, Telehealth & The Future of Diagnostics 32:55 The Role of Insurance 44:17 Social Currency Corner: For Health Founders 48:30 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Many people say the healthcare system is broken. Julia Cheek, is trying to fix a key part of that system: diagnostics. 

Julia is the founder and CEO of Everlywell, the pioneering at-home health testing company that turned diagnostics from something that happened to you into something you control. Since launching in 2015, Everlywell has become one of the fastest-growing companies in consumer health and has raised more than $200 million—proving that convenience, access, and empowerment aren’t just buzzwords—they’re the future of medicine. 

In this conversation, Julia tells Sammi about the moment that inspired her to build Everlywell after her own frustrating lab experience, what really happens after a Shark Tank deal, and the split-second leadership calls she had to make during the pandemic when the company scaled almost overnight. She also shares what she’s betting on next—from the future of at-home diagnostics and biohacking, to how insurance needs to evolve for proactive healthcare to actually work. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

Explore Everlywell

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Julia:

00:00 Julia Cheek’s Social Currency

01:42 The Lab Nightmare That Sparked Everlywell

04:18 Early Pushback—and Why Julia Built Anyway

08:47 BTS of Shark Tank

14:03 The Breakthrough Moment in Consumer Trust

18:55 Building a Team for Speed in Healthcare

21:37 Scaling Overnight During COVID

28:10 AI, Telehealth & The Future of Diagnostics

32:55 The Role of Insurance

44:17 Social Currency Corner: For Health Founders

48:30 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4016 The Row’s Quiet Luxury Gets Loud: Sample Sales, Influencer Drama, and the Future of Fashion’s Most Mysterious Brand Today Sammi unpacks the silent spectacle of The Row—Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s luxury label. Known for its “no logos, no advertising” ethos and a fiercely minimalist aesthetic, The Row has built its brand on mystique. But when a chaotic, viral sample sale hit New York this past October—drawing TikTok influencers and 9 hour+ lines—the brand’s carefully curated image suddenly looked less refined and more chaotic. Sammi breaks down The Row’s evolution from fashion-insider secret to full-blown cultural moment, dissects the breakup between The Row and their biggest fan, and asks: Can a brand built on exclusivity still grow without losing its identity? Or has The Row’s quiet luxury finally reached a volume it can’t turn down? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Row's Unique Luxury Approach 01:37 Early Days of The Row 04:21 The Row's Pricing Strategy and Market Impact 05:43 Sample Sale Insanity and 9 Hour Lines 07:22 The Breakup with Neelam Ahooja 10:05 The Future of The Row 12:27 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 21 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today Sammi unpacks the silent spectacle of The Row—Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s luxury label. Known for its “no logos, no advertising” ethos and a fiercely minimalist aesthetic, The Row has built its brand on mystique. But when a chaotic, viral sample sale hit New York this past October—drawing TikTok influencers and 9 hour+ lines—the brand’s carefully curated image suddenly looked less refined and more chaotic. Sammi breaks down The Row’s evolution from fashion-insider secret to full-blown cultural moment, dissects the breakup between The Row and their biggest fan, and asks: Can a brand built on exclusivity still grow without losing its identity? Or has The Row’s quiet luxury finally reached a volume it can’t turn down? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Row's Unique Luxury Approach 01:37 Early Days of The Row 04:21 The Row's Pricing Strategy and Market Impact 05:43 Sample Sale Insanity and 9 Hour Lines 07:22 The Breakup with Neelam Ahooja 10:05 The Future of The Row 12:27 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today Sammi unpacks the silent spectacle of The Row—Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s luxury label. Known for its “no logos, no advertising” ethos and a fiercely minimalist aesthetic, The Row has built its brand on mystique. But when a chaotic, viral sample sale hit New York this past October—drawing TikTok influencers and 9 hour+ lines—the brand’s carefully curated image suddenly looked less refined and more chaotic.

Sammi breaks down The Row’s evolution from fashion-insider secret to full-blown cultural moment, dissects the breakup between The Row and their biggest fan, and asks: Can a brand built on exclusivity still grow without losing its identity? Or has The Row’s quiet luxury finally reached a volume it can’t turn down?

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Row's Unique Luxury Approach

01:37 Early Days of The Row

04:21 The Row's Pricing Strategy and Market Impact

05:43 Sample Sale Insanity and 9 Hour Lines

07:22 The Breakup with Neelam Ahooja

10:05 The Future of The Row

12:27 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 860 no ​​Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton (Create & Cultivate) on How To Sell Out a Live Event, the Future of Community, and Whether Virtual Events Are Dead Today, Sammi sits down with Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton—the powerhouse duo behind Create & Cultivate. Long before every brand wanted a “community,” Jaclyn and Marina built one that actually mattered: a movement where founders, Fortune 500 leaders, and creators came together to build what’s next. After selling the company in 2021, Jaclyn stunned the industry when she bought it back—this time with Marina stepping in as CEO. In this episode, they share what it’s really like to sell and then reclaim your life’s work, how they divide power and make decisions as co-leaders, and the tightrope walk of balancing exclusivity at scale. They also get candid about the future of community, what makes people actually show up in a post-pandemic world, and whether virtual events are officially over.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Explore all Create & Cultivate events like their Supper Clubs (ATX on 3/13/2026 and LA 9/17/2026), ATX ATX Future Summit on 3/15/26 The World's Largest Festival for Women in Business 9/19/26 & 9/20/26 Here’s what Sammi covers with Jacyln and Marina: 00:00 Jaclyn and Marina’s Social Currency 02:25 The Evolution of Create & Cultivate Events 03:22 The Importance of Providing Value 06:05 How to Scale Intimacy  09:29 Monetization Strategies and Balancing Accessibility and Profitability 13:55 Marina’s Secret Sauce for Pitching Brands 18:30 BTS of the Create and Cultivate Sale 23:09 Reacquiring Create and Cultivate 25:29 Marina's Origin Story as CEO  27:04 The Secret Weapon of Being the Face of Your Brand 33:10 How Marina and Jaclyn Lead Together 37:20 Social Currency Corner 40:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi sits down with Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton—the powerhouse duo behind Create & Cultivate. Long before every brand wanted a “community,” Jaclyn and Marina built one that actually mattered: a movement where founders, Fortune 500 leaders, and creators came together to build what’s next. After selling the company in 2021, Jaclyn stunned the industry when she bought it back—this time with Marina stepping in as CEO. In this episode, they share what it’s really like to sell and then reclaim your life’s work, how they divide power and make decisions as co-leaders, and the tightrope walk of balancing exclusivity at scale. They also get candid about the future of community, what makes people actually show up in a post-pandemic world, and whether virtual events are officially over.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Explore all Create & Cultivate events like their Supper Clubs (ATX on 3/13/2026 and LA 9/17/2026), ATX ATX Future Summit on 3/15/26 The World's Largest Festival for Women in Business 9/19/26 & 9/20/26 Here’s what Sammi covers with Jacyln and Marina: 00:00 Jaclyn and Marina’s Social Currency 02:25 The Evolution of Create & Cultivate Events 03:22 The Importance of Providing Value 06:05 How to Scale Intimacy  09:29 Monetization Strategies and Balancing Accessibility and Profitability 13:55 Marina’s Secret Sauce for Pitching Brands 18:30 BTS of the Create and Cultivate Sale 23:09 Reacquiring Create and Cultivate 25:29 Marina's Origin Story as CEO  27:04 The Secret Weapon of Being the Face of Your Brand 33:10 How Marina and Jaclyn Lead Together 37:20 Social Currency Corner 40:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi sits down with Jaclyn Johnson and Marina Middleton—the powerhouse duo behind Create & Cultivate. Long before every brand wanted a “community,” Jaclyn and Marina built one that actually mattered: a movement where founders, Fortune 500 leaders, and creators came together to build what’s next.

After selling the company in 2021, Jaclyn stunned the industry when she bought it back—this time with Marina stepping in as CEO. In this episode, they share what it’s really like to sell and then reclaim your life’s work, how they divide power and make decisions as co-leaders, and the tightrope walk of balancing exclusivity at scale. They also get candid about the future of community, what makes people actually show up in a post-pandemic world, and whether virtual events are officially over. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Explore all Create & Cultivate events like their Supper Clubs (ATX on 3/13/2026 and LA 9/17/2026), ATX ATX Future Summit on 3/15/26

The World's Largest Festival for Women in Business 9/19/26 & 9/20/26

Here’s what Sammi covers with Jacyln and Marina:

00:00 Jaclyn and Marina’s Social Currency

02:25 The Evolution of Create & Cultivate Events

03:22 The Importance of Providing Value

06:05 How to Scale Intimacy 

09:29 Monetization Strategies and Balancing Accessibility and Profitability

13:55 Marina’s Secret Sauce for Pitching Brands

18:30 BTS of the Create and Cultivate Sale

23:09 Reacquiring Create and Cultivate

25:29 Marina's Origin Story as CEO 

27:04 The Secret Weapon of Being the Face of Your Brand

33:10 How Marina and Jaclyn Lead Together

37:20 Social Currency Corner

40:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2738 no The “PayPal Mafia” Lore: Inside the Elon Musk Coup and the Beginning of Founder Culture Today, Sammi uncovers one of the most iconic origin stories in tech: how a scrappy, chaotic startup from the late ’90s — PayPal — became the launchpad for a generation of founders who went on to build Tesla, LinkedIn, Yelp, Affirm, Palantir, SpaceX, and more.  Before they were billionaires or household names, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and the rest of the now-famous “PayPal Mafia” were just a band of stubborn twenty- and thirty-somethings coding through the night, fighting fraud in real time, burning millions a month, and trying to stay alive as the dot-com bubble exploded around them.  From a bitter rivalry between X.com and Confinity, to the explosive merger that created PayPal, to the legendary coup that ousted Musk while he was on his honeymoon, this episode charts the near-death moments, the brutal decisions, and the relentless ambition that forged Silicon Valley’s most influential alumni network. Sammi breaks down how their survival tactics became the blueprint for today’s startup culture — contrarian thinking, founder myth-making — and why the ripple effects of PayPal still shape tech more than two decades later.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The PayPal Origin Story 01:03 The X.com and Cofinity Rivalry  02:07 The PayPal Merger and Growth 02:38 16 Hour Work Days and Sleeping Under Decks 03:50 The Infamous Honeymoon Coup and Aftermath05:29 The PayPal Mafia Feature 08:23 The Legacy of the PayPal Mafia 11:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 14 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi uncovers one of the most iconic origin stories in tech: how a scrappy, chaotic startup from the late ’90s — PayPal — became the launchpad for a generation of founders who went on to build Tesla, LinkedIn, Yelp, Affirm, Palantir, SpaceX, and more.  Before they were billionaires or household names, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and the rest of the now-famous “PayPal Mafia” were just a band of stubborn twenty- and thirty-somethings coding through the night, fighting fraud in real time, burning millions a month, and trying to stay alive as the dot-com bubble exploded around them.  From a bitter rivalry between X.com and Confinity, to the explosive merger that created PayPal, to the legendary coup that ousted Musk while he was on his honeymoon, this episode charts the near-death moments, the brutal decisions, and the relentless ambition that forged Silicon Valley’s most influential alumni network. Sammi breaks down how their survival tactics became the blueprint for today’s startup culture — contrarian thinking, founder myth-making — and why the ripple effects of PayPal still shape tech more than two decades later.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The PayPal Origin Story 01:03 The X.com and Cofinity Rivalry  02:07 The PayPal Merger and Growth 02:38 16 Hour Work Days and Sleeping Under Decks 03:50 The Infamous Honeymoon Coup and Aftermath05:29 The PayPal Mafia Feature 08:23 The Legacy of the PayPal Mafia 11:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi uncovers one of the most iconic origin stories in tech: how a scrappy, chaotic startup from the late ’90s — PayPal — became the launchpad for a generation of founders who went on to build Tesla, LinkedIn, Yelp, Affirm, Palantir, SpaceX, and more. 

Before they were billionaires or household names, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and the rest of the now-famous “PayPal Mafia” were just a band of stubborn twenty- and thirty-somethings coding through the night, fighting fraud in real time, burning millions a month, and trying to stay alive as the dot-com bubble exploded around them. 

From a bitter rivalry between X.com and Confinity, to the explosive merger that created PayPal, to the legendary coup that ousted Musk while he was on his honeymoon, this episode charts the near-death moments, the brutal decisions, and the relentless ambition that forged Silicon Valley’s most influential alumni network. Sammi breaks down how their survival tactics became the blueprint for today’s startup culture — contrarian thinking, founder myth-making — and why the ripple effects of PayPal still shape tech more than two decades later. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The PayPal Origin Story

01:03 The X.com and Cofinity Rivalry 

02:07 The PayPal Merger and Growth

02:38 16 Hour Work Days and Sleeping Under Decks

03:50 The Infamous Honeymoon Coup and Aftermath
05:29 The PayPal Mafia Feature

08:23 The Legacy of the PayPal Mafia

11:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 795 no Marina and Ricardo Larroudé (Larroudé) on Innovative D2C Models, Betting on Brazil and Trading in the 9-to-5 When the world shut down, Marina and Ricardo Larroudé hit go. Out of their Manhattan apartment, the former Teen Vogue fashion director and her financier husband built Larroudé—a shoe brand that went from zero to millions in sales in just a few years. In this episode, Sammi dives into how they turned job loss into rocket fuel, built their own factory in Brazil, and reinvented the luxury e-commerce playbook with a direct-to-demand model that’s shaking up the mid-tier market. The Larroudés also talk about the wild world of RTV (return to vendor), the innovative way they’re using pre-orders to keep prices low, and why they’re bullish on Brazil. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Larroudé Check out the Candy Pratts Price collab 00:00 Marina and Ricardo Larroudé’s Social Currency 02:05 Losing Their Jobs and Starting a Shoe Brand 04:47 Making Product Development Personal 08:48 Quality and Customer Satisfaction in D2C 13:05 Bootstrapping Then Friends and Family Rounds  27:28 Wholesale Pre-Payment Financing Strategies  29:21 The Wild World of Return to Vendor (RTV) 36:11 Being Bullish on Brazil 39:49 The Innovative “Direct-to-Demand” Model 43:34 Defining the Mid-Tier Shoe Market 51:11 Managing High Return Rates in the Shoe Industry 53:04 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency When the world shut down, Marina and Ricardo Larroudé hit go. Out of their Manhattan apartment, the former Teen Vogue fashion director and her financier husband built Larroudé—a shoe brand that went from zero to millions in sales in just a few years. In this episode, Sammi dives into how they turned job loss into rocket fuel, built their own factory in Brazil, and reinvented the luxury e-commerce playbook with a direct-to-demand model that’s shaking up the mid-tier market. The Larroudés also talk about the wild world of RTV (return to vendor), the innovative way they’re using pre-orders to keep prices low, and why they’re bullish on Brazil. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Larroudé Check out the Candy Pratts Price collab 00:00 Marina and Ricardo Larroudé’s Social Currency 02:05 Losing Their Jobs and Starting a Shoe Brand 04:47 Making Product Development Personal 08:48 Quality and Customer Satisfaction in D2C 13:05 Bootstrapping Then Friends and Family Rounds  27:28 Wholesale Pre-Payment Financing Strategies  29:21 The Wild World of Return to Vendor (RTV) 36:11 Being Bullish on Brazil 39:49 The Innovative “Direct-to-Demand” Model 43:34 Defining the Mid-Tier Shoe Market 51:11 Managing High Return Rates in the Shoe Industry 53:04 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices When the world shut down, Marina and Ricardo Larroudé hit go. Out of their Manhattan apartment, the former Teen Vogue fashion director and her financier husband built Larroudé—a shoe brand that went from zero to millions in sales in just a few years.

In this episode, Sammi dives into how they turned job loss into rocket fuel, built their own factory in Brazil, and reinvented the luxury e-commerce playbook with a direct-to-demand model that’s shaking up the mid-tier market. The Larroudés also talk about the wild world of RTV (return to vendor), the innovative way they’re using pre-orders to keep prices low, and why they’re bullish on Brazil.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Larroudé

Check out the Candy Pratts Price collab

00:00 Marina and Ricardo Larroudé’s Social Currency

02:05 Losing Their Jobs and Starting a Shoe Brand

04:47 Making Product Development Personal

08:48 Quality and Customer Satisfaction in D2C

13:05 Bootstrapping Then Friends and Family Rounds 

27:28 Wholesale Pre-Payment Financing Strategies 

29:21 The Wild World of Return to Vendor (RTV)

36:11 Being Bullish on Brazil

39:49 The Innovative “Direct-to-Demand” Model

43:34 Defining the Mid-Tier Shoe Market

51:11 Managing High Return Rates in the Shoe Industry

53:04 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3459 The 90s Microdrama Revolution and Ghost of Quibi Hollywood is changing—and its future might be vertical. Today, Sammi dives into the explosive rise of “microdramas,” the ultra-short, ultra-addictive scripted shows that are pulling in billions and leaving traditional studios scrambling to survive. From Chinese-backed apps like ReelShort to Hollywood execs betting on AI-powered storytelling, this is the story of how 90-second episodes are out-earning blockbuster films and redefining what it means to be a creator. Sammi breaks down the psychology, the business model, and what this all says about our shrinking attention spans and the algorithmic future of storytelling. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 Microdramas, Big Plots 01:37 Microdramas vs. Traditional Hollywood 02:09 The Data Behind the Craze 05:14 YouTube vs. TikTok 07:22 The Business Model of Microdramas 10:30 Hollywood's Response  12:49 The Role of AI  17:07 Predictions on the Future of Entertainment 19:43 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 07 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Hollywood is changing—and its future might be vertical. Today, Sammi dives into the explosive rise of “microdramas,” the ultra-short, ultra-addictive scripted shows that are pulling in billions and leaving traditional studios scrambling to survive. From Chinese-backed apps like ReelShort to Hollywood execs betting on AI-powered storytelling, this is the story of how 90-second episodes are out-earning blockbuster films and redefining what it means to be a creator. Sammi breaks down the psychology, the business model, and what this all says about our shrinking attention spans and the algorithmic future of storytelling. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 Microdramas, Big Plots 01:37 Microdramas vs. Traditional Hollywood 02:09 The Data Behind the Craze 05:14 YouTube vs. TikTok 07:22 The Business Model of Microdramas 10:30 Hollywood's Response  12:49 The Role of AI  17:07 Predictions on the Future of Entertainment 19:43 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Hollywood is changing—and its future might be vertical. Today, Sammi dives into the explosive rise of “microdramas,” the ultra-short, ultra-addictive scripted shows that are pulling in billions and leaving traditional studios scrambling to survive. From Chinese-backed apps like ReelShort to Hollywood execs betting on AI-powered storytelling, this is the story of how 90-second episodes are out-earning blockbuster films and redefining what it means to be a creator. Sammi breaks down the psychology, the business model, and what this all says about our shrinking attention spans and the algorithmic future of storytelling.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

00:00 Microdramas, Big Plots

01:37 Microdramas vs. Traditional Hollywood

02:09 The Data Behind the Craze

05:14 YouTube vs. TikTok

07:22 The Business Model of Microdramas

10:30 Hollywood's Response 

12:49 The Role of AI 

17:07 Predictions on the Future of Entertainment

19:43 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1366 Gwen Whiting (The Laundress) on Acquisition Cautionary Tales, Bootstrapping, and The Fill Gwen Whiting co-founded The Laundress, the luxury laundry brand that transformed washing clothes into a lifestyle statement. What started as a passion project funded by credit cards became a cult favorite—and eventually caught the attention of Unilever, which acquired the company for a reported $100 million. But the dream deal didn’t go as planned. In this episode, Sammi sits down with Gwen to unpack what happens after the acquisition headlines fade. They discuss the culture clash between indie entrepreneurship and corporate ownership, the painful unraveling of the brand following a massive product recall, and the gender dynamics that often shape who wins and who loses in big business. Gwen opens up about what it was like to watch her life’s work become a public crisis—and how she found the strength to start again. Today, she’s building her next act: The Fill, a home wellness company that blends her love of design, sustainability, and self-care. It’s a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the real cost of success—and one that every founder, dreamer, or brand-builder needs to hear. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Learn more about The Fill Here’s what Sammi covers with Gwen: 00:00 Gwen Whiting’s Social Currency  00:45 The Birth of a Premium Laundry Brand  02:42 Early Challenges of Scaling The Laundress  04:29 Innovating in a Stale Market  15:24 Scaling and Funding the Business  20:44 The Unilever Acquisition  28:27 Gender Bias in Acquisitions  29:04 Corporate Culture Clash  32:52 Product Recall and Acquisition Nightmares  42:22 Rebuilding and Innovating with The Fill  51:08 Kris Jenner’s Cleaning Line and Advice for Founders 55:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 04 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Gwen Whiting co-founded The Laundress, the luxury laundry brand that transformed washing clothes into a lifestyle statement. What started as a passion project funded by credit cards became a cult favorite—and eventually caught the attention of Unilever, which acquired the company for a reported $100 million. But the dream deal didn’t go as planned. In this episode, Sammi sits down with Gwen to unpack what happens after the acquisition headlines fade. They discuss the culture clash between indie entrepreneurship and corporate ownership, the painful unraveling of the brand following a massive product recall, and the gender dynamics that often shape who wins and who loses in big business. Gwen opens up about what it was like to watch her life’s work become a public crisis—and how she found the strength to start again. Today, she’s building her next act: The Fill, a home wellness company that blends her love of design, sustainability, and self-care. It’s a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the real cost of success—and one that every founder, dreamer, or brand-builder needs to hear. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Learn more about The Fill Here’s what Sammi covers with Gwen: 00:00 Gwen Whiting’s Social Currency  00:45 The Birth of a Premium Laundry Brand  02:42 Early Challenges of Scaling The Laundress  04:29 Innovating in a Stale Market  15:24 Scaling and Funding the Business  20:44 The Unilever Acquisition  28:27 Gender Bias in Acquisitions  29:04 Corporate Culture Clash  32:52 Product Recall and Acquisition Nightmares  42:22 Rebuilding and Innovating with The Fill  51:08 Kris Jenner’s Cleaning Line and Advice for Founders 55:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Gwen Whiting co-founded The Laundress, the luxury laundry brand that transformed washing clothes into a lifestyle statement. What started as a passion project funded by credit cards became a cult favorite—and eventually caught the attention of Unilever, which acquired the company for a reported $100 million. But the dream deal didn’t go as planned.

In this episode, Sammi sits down with Gwen to unpack what happens after the acquisition headlines fade. They discuss the culture clash between indie entrepreneurship and corporate ownership, the painful unraveling of the brand following a massive product recall, and the gender dynamics that often shape who wins and who loses in big business. Gwen opens up about what it was like to watch her life’s work become a public crisis—and how she found the strength to start again.

Today, she’s building her next act: The Fill, a home wellness company that blends her love of design, sustainability, and self-care. It’s a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the real cost of success—and one that every founder, dreamer, or brand-builder needs to hear.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Learn more about The Fill

Here’s what Sammi covers with Gwen:

00:00 Gwen Whiting’s Social Currency 

00:45 The Birth of a Premium Laundry Brand 

02:42 Early Challenges of Scaling The Laundress 

04:29 Innovating in a Stale Market 

15:24 Scaling and Funding the Business 

20:44 The Unilever Acquisition 

28:27 Gender Bias in Acquisitions 

29:04 Corporate Culture Clash 

32:52 Product Recall and Acquisition Nightmares 

42:22 Rebuilding and Innovating with The Fill 

51:08 Kris Jenner’s Cleaning Line and Advice for Founders

55:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3678 Spirit Halloween: The Billion-Dollar Pop-Up That Can’t Be Beat Today’s episode is all about the billion dollar business built on a business model that defies every rule of traditional retail; they occupy buildings for just three months a year, hire around 50,000 seasonal workers, carry zero inventory for nine months, and somehow they're not just surviving— they are thriving. The business? Spirit Halloween, of course.  While most retailers are bleeding cash or shuttering entirely, Spirit has cracked the code on how to win in the age of e-commerce — by being deliberately temporary. Sammi unpacks how the brand turns ghost-town real estate into an asset, runs on a gig economy workforce, and creates an IRL experience that even Amazon can’t compete with. You’ll hear how Spirit’s seasonal strategy defies every traditional retail rule — and yet, earns over $1 billion annually. Plus, Sammi looks into the company’s bold new experiment: Spirit Christmas. Is it nostalgia or novelty fueling this growth? And what can other brands learn from Spirit’s spooky-smart playbook? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today, Sammi covers: 00:00 The Origin Story of Spirit Halloween 02:01 The Business Model Behind Spirit Halloween 02:36 The Seasonal Operations of Spirit Halloween 03:05 Real Estate Strategy 04:28 Inventory Management 04:53 The Workforce and Tear Down 05:53 The Billion Dollar Success 08:07 Spirit Christmas: A New Experiment 09:05 Lessons from Spirit Halloween 12:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:53:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today’s episode is all about the billion dollar business built on a business model that defies every rule of traditional retail; they occupy buildings for just three months a year, hire around 50,000 seasonal workers, carry zero inventory for nine months, and somehow they're not just surviving— they are thriving. The business? Spirit Halloween, of course.  While most retailers are bleeding cash or shuttering entirely, Spirit has cracked the code on how to win in the age of e-commerce — by being deliberately temporary. Sammi unpacks how the brand turns ghost-town real estate into an asset, runs on a gig economy workforce, and creates an IRL experience that even Amazon can’t compete with. You’ll hear how Spirit’s seasonal strategy defies every traditional retail rule — and yet, earns over $1 billion annually. Plus, Sammi looks into the company’s bold new experiment: Spirit Christmas. Is it nostalgia or novelty fueling this growth? And what can other brands learn from Spirit’s spooky-smart playbook? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today, Sammi covers: 00:00 The Origin Story of Spirit Halloween 02:01 The Business Model Behind Spirit Halloween 02:36 The Seasonal Operations of Spirit Halloween 03:05 Real Estate Strategy 04:28 Inventory Management 04:53 The Workforce and Tear Down 05:53 The Billion Dollar Success 08:07 Spirit Christmas: A New Experiment 09:05 Lessons from Spirit Halloween 12:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today’s episode is all about the billion dollar business built on a business model that defies every rule of traditional retail; they occupy buildings for just three months a year, hire around 50,000 seasonal workers, carry zero inventory for nine months, and somehow they're not just surviving— they are thriving. The business? Spirit Halloween, of course. 

While most retailers are bleeding cash or shuttering entirely, Spirit has cracked the code on how to win in the age of e-commerce — by being deliberately temporary. Sammi unpacks how the brand turns ghost-town real estate into an asset, runs on a gig economy workforce, and creates an IRL experience that even Amazon can’t compete with.

You’ll hear how Spirit’s seasonal strategy defies every traditional retail rule — and yet, earns over $1 billion annually. Plus, Sammi looks into the company’s bold new experiment: Spirit Christmas. Is it nostalgia or novelty fueling this growth? And what can other brands learn from Spirit’s spooky-smart playbook?

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Today, Sammi covers:

00:00 The Origin Story of Spirit Halloween

02:01 The Business Model Behind Spirit Halloween

02:36 The Seasonal Operations of Spirit Halloween

03:05 Real Estate Strategy

04:28 Inventory Management

04:53 The Workforce and Tear Down

05:53 The Billion Dollar Success

08:07 Spirit Christmas: A New Experiment

09:05 Lessons from Spirit Halloween

12:31 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 932 no RH’s Luxury Mountain and House of Cards: Part 2 In part two of her Restoration Hardware deep dive, Sammi pulls back the curtain on what’s really at the top of “Luxury Mountain.”  From the troubled Aspen expansion and RH’s sky-high ambitions in Europe, to eyebrow-raising governance decisions, failed ventures, and Warren Buffett’s very public goodbye— you have to wonder: is the RH foundation starting to crack? Sammi explores whether RH is still building the “LVMH of America” or if it’s become a masterclass in overreach, vanity projects, and vibes over fundamentals. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today, Sammi covers: 00:00 RH's Luxury Journey  01:11 Unveiling the Cracks in RH's Luxury Facade  03:10 International Expansion: A Grand Vision with Flaws  07:52 Warren Buffett's Exit: A Signal of Trouble  09:56 Legal Battles and Creative Controversies  12:20 Aspen Project: The Dream vs. Reality  14:13 Luxury Assets and Governance Issues  19:58 How to Show Social Currency Some Love The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency In part two of her Restoration Hardware deep dive, Sammi pulls back the curtain on what’s really at the top of “Luxury Mountain.”  From the troubled Aspen expansion and RH’s sky-high ambitions in Europe, to eyebrow-raising governance decisions, failed ventures, and Warren Buffett’s very public goodbye— you have to wonder: is the RH foundation starting to crack? Sammi explores whether RH is still building the “LVMH of America” or if it’s become a masterclass in overreach, vanity projects, and vibes over fundamentals. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today, Sammi covers: 00:00 RH's Luxury Journey  01:11 Unveiling the Cracks in RH's Luxury Facade  03:10 International Expansion: A Grand Vision with Flaws  07:52 Warren Buffett's Exit: A Signal of Trouble  09:56 Legal Battles and Creative Controversies  12:20 Aspen Project: The Dream vs. Reality  14:13 Luxury Assets and Governance Issues  19:58 How to Show Social Currency Some Love The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices In part two of her Restoration Hardware deep dive, Sammi pulls back the curtain on what’s really at the top of “Luxury Mountain.” 

From the troubled Aspen expansion and RH’s sky-high ambitions in Europe, to eyebrow-raising governance decisions, failed ventures, and Warren Buffett’s very public goodbye— you have to wonder: is the RH foundation starting to crack? Sammi explores whether RH is still building the “LVMH of America” or if it’s become a masterclass in overreach, vanity projects, and vibes over fundamentals.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Today, Sammi covers:

00:00 RH's Luxury Journey 

01:11 Unveiling the Cracks in RH's Luxury Facade 

03:10 International Expansion: A Grand Vision with Flaws 

07:52 Warren Buffett's Exit: A Signal of Trouble 

09:56 Legal Battles and Creative Controversies 

12:20 Aspen Project: The Dream vs. Reality 

14:13 Luxury Assets and Governance Issues 

19:58 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1439 no Yachts, Private Jets and The Restoration Hardware CEO Lore: Part 1 Today, Sammi delivers the most requested episode topic yet: the lore of Restoration Hardware and its CEO, Gary Friedman. Gary Friedman is part visionary, part provocateur and part illusionist. He is the CEO who took a nearly bankrupt furniture company and convinced Wall Street that it was building the LVMH of America. And for a while everyone believed him. In this first installment of her two-part deep dive, Sammi covers the brand's quirky beginnings in 1979, Gary's journey from folding jeans at The Gap to turning around Restoration Hardware, to his ambitious plans of positioning Restoration Hardware as a luxury powerhouse. What followed was an internal relationship at the company, a resignation, an IPO, and more. In the second episode, coming next week, Sammi pulls back the curtain on how the view from “Luxury Mountain” may not be what it seems. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 Introduction to Restoration Hardware Lore 00:51 Disclaimer  02:35 The Origins of Restoration Hardware 03:46 Gary Friedman's Rise in Retail 05:54 Transforming Restoration Hardware 06:27 The True Crime Interlude 07:28 Rebranding and Supply Chain Innovations 10:22 The Gallery Store Concept 16:44 Operational Challenges and Solutions 20:43 Expanding Beyond Furniture 22:26 Financial Moves and Future Plans 25:04 What’s Next The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication. Restoration Hardware was not contacted for this piece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi delivers the most requested episode topic yet: the lore of Restoration Hardware and its CEO, Gary Friedman. Gary Friedman is part visionary, part provocateur and part illusionist. He is the CEO who took a nearly bankrupt furniture company and convinced Wall Street that it was building the LVMH of America. And for a while everyone believed him. In this first installment of her two-part deep dive, Sammi covers the brand's quirky beginnings in 1979, Gary's journey from folding jeans at The Gap to turning around Restoration Hardware, to his ambitious plans of positioning Restoration Hardware as a luxury powerhouse. What followed was an internal relationship at the company, a resignation, an IPO, and more. In the second episode, coming next week, Sammi pulls back the curtain on how the view from “Luxury Mountain” may not be what it seems. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  00:00 Introduction to Restoration Hardware Lore 00:51 Disclaimer  02:35 The Origins of Restoration Hardware 03:46 Gary Friedman's Rise in Retail 05:54 Transforming Restoration Hardware 06:27 The True Crime Interlude 07:28 Rebranding and Supply Chain Innovations 10:22 The Gallery Store Concept 16:44 Operational Challenges and Solutions 20:43 Expanding Beyond Furniture 22:26 Financial Moves and Future Plans 25:04 What’s Next The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication. Restoration Hardware was not contacted for this piece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi delivers the most requested episode topic yet: the lore of Restoration Hardware and its CEO, Gary Friedman. Gary Friedman is part visionary, part provocateur and part illusionist. He is the CEO who took a nearly bankrupt furniture company and convinced Wall Street that it was building the LVMH of America. And for a while everyone believed him.

In this first installment of her two-part deep dive, Sammi covers the brand's quirky beginnings in 1979, Gary's journey from folding jeans at The Gap to turning around Restoration Hardware, to his ambitious plans of positioning Restoration Hardware as a luxury powerhouse. What followed was an internal relationship at the company, a resignation, an IPO, and more.

In the second episode, coming next week, Sammi pulls back the curtain on how the view from “Luxury Mountain” may not be what it seems.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

00:00 Introduction to Restoration Hardware Lore

00:51 Disclaimer 

02:35 The Origins of Restoration Hardware

03:46 Gary Friedman's Rise in Retail

05:54 Transforming Restoration Hardware

06:27 The True Crime Interlude

07:28 Rebranding and Supply Chain Innovations

10:22 The Gallery Store Concept

16:44 Operational Challenges and Solutions

20:43 Expanding Beyond Furniture

22:26 Financial Moves and Future Plans

25:04 What’s Next

The following content is based on publicly available information and includes personal opinions and analysis. It should not be interpreted as fact beyond what has been publicly reported, and it does not constitute investment advice. This podcast is not affiliated with or sponsored by any company mentioned. While all information is accurate to the best of the show’s knowledge at the time of recording, details may change after publication. Restoration Hardware was not contacted for this piece.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1810 Jim McKelvey (Square) on How to Out-Compete a Goliath, Advice for “Wantrepreneurs,” and Economizing Drug Trials Building something that lasts is rare. Building something that rewires an entire industry? That’s almost unheard of. But that’s exactly what Jim McKelvey did when he co-founded Square (now Block) with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.  Today, Jim and Sammi talk about how Square went head-to-head with Amazon and won, why Jim believes most startups don’t understand what real innovation looks like, and the surprising psychology behind a piece of tech being just difficult enough to capture attention. Plus, they dive into his more recent ventures, Invisibly and Fastrials, and what serving as an independent director at the Federal Reserve taught him about the intersection of policy and entrepreneurship. Plus, his hot take on— and role in— tipping culture. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers with Jim: 00:00 Jim McKelvey’s Social Currency  01:17 How Square Evolved From A Personal Painpoint 02:37 That Time Jim Stripped in a Business Pitch 05:13 The Psychology of Attention in Business 19:50 How Square Beat Amazon 31:21 Understanding Human Behavior and Social Pressure 32:17 Lessons From Jim’s Time as a Federal Reserve Director 38:19 Why Invisibly Failed, Profitably  40:28 Jim’s Newest Venture and Revolutionizing Drug Trials 45:48 Advice for Entrepreneurs in Regulated Industries 53:33 Tipping Culture and FinTech Predictions 58:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Building something that lasts is rare. Building something that rewires an entire industry? That’s almost unheard of. But that’s exactly what Jim McKelvey did when he co-founded Square (now Block) with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey.  Today, Jim and Sammi talk about how Square went head-to-head with Amazon and won, why Jim believes most startups don’t understand what real innovation looks like, and the surprising psychology behind a piece of tech being just difficult enough to capture attention. Plus, they dive into his more recent ventures, Invisibly and Fastrials, and what serving as an independent director at the Federal Reserve taught him about the intersection of policy and entrepreneurship. Plus, his hot take on— and role in— tipping culture. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers with Jim: 00:00 Jim McKelvey’s Social Currency  01:17 How Square Evolved From A Personal Painpoint 02:37 That Time Jim Stripped in a Business Pitch 05:13 The Psychology of Attention in Business 19:50 How Square Beat Amazon 31:21 Understanding Human Behavior and Social Pressure 32:17 Lessons From Jim’s Time as a Federal Reserve Director 38:19 Why Invisibly Failed, Profitably  40:28 Jim’s Newest Venture and Revolutionizing Drug Trials 45:48 Advice for Entrepreneurs in Regulated Industries 53:33 Tipping Culture and FinTech Predictions 58:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Building something that lasts is rare. Building something that rewires an entire industry? That’s almost unheard of. But that’s exactly what Jim McKelvey did when he co-founded Square (now Block) with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. 

Today, Jim and Sammi talk about how Square went head-to-head with Amazon and won, why Jim believes most startups don’t understand what real innovation looks like, and the surprising psychology behind a piece of tech being just difficult enough to capture attention. Plus, they dive into his more recent ventures, Invisibly and Fastrials, and what serving as an independent director at the Federal Reserve taught him about the intersection of policy and entrepreneurship. Plus, his hot take on— and role in— tipping culture.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers with Jim:

00:00 Jim McKelvey’s Social Currency 

01:17 How Square Evolved From A Personal Painpoint

02:37 That Time Jim Stripped in a Business Pitch

05:13 The Psychology of Attention in Business

19:50 How Square Beat Amazon

31:21 Understanding Human Behavior and Social Pressure

32:17 Lessons From Jim’s Time as a Federal Reserve Director

38:19 Why Invisibly Failed, Profitably 

40:28 Jim’s Newest Venture and Revolutionizing Drug Trials

45:48 Advice for Entrepreneurs in Regulated Industries

53:33 Tipping Culture and FinTech Predictions

58:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3929 The Future of Shopping Is Here— And It’s AI What if you never had to click “Buy Now” again—because your AI did the shopping for you? Today, Sammi breaks down the partnership between OpenAI and Stripe that could rewrite the rules of e-commerce. With the launch of the Agentic Commerce Protocol, AI can now recommend, purchase, and process transactions entirely within ChatGPT—no links, no websites, no Google searches. Sammi explains how this changes everything: from how we shop to how companies monetize, and why this might be the biggest existential threat Google has ever faced. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction to AI-Driven Shopping 00:46 The Agentic Commerce Protocol Explained 02:28 How AI Changes Shopping Behavior 03:59 The Impact on Google and Traditional Search 06:22 OpenAI's New Monetization Model 07:23 What It Means for Consumers and Merchants 08:49 The Future of AI Commerce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What if you never had to click “Buy Now” again—because your AI did the shopping for you? Today, Sammi breaks down the partnership between OpenAI and Stripe that could rewrite the rules of e-commerce. With the launch of the Agentic Commerce Protocol, AI can now recommend, purchase, and process transactions entirely within ChatGPT—no links, no websites, no Google searches. Sammi explains how this changes everything: from how we shop to how companies monetize, and why this might be the biggest existential threat Google has ever faced. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction to AI-Driven Shopping 00:46 The Agentic Commerce Protocol Explained 02:28 How AI Changes Shopping Behavior 03:59 The Impact on Google and Traditional Search 06:22 OpenAI's New Monetization Model 07:23 What It Means for Consumers and Merchants 08:49 The Future of AI Commerce Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What if you never had to click “Buy Now” again—because your AI did the shopping for you? Today, Sammi breaks down the partnership between OpenAI and Stripe that could rewrite the rules of e-commerce.

With the launch of the Agentic Commerce Protocol, AI can now recommend, purchase, and process transactions entirely within ChatGPT—no links, no websites, no Google searches. Sammi explains how this changes everything: from how we shop to how companies monetize, and why this might be the biggest existential threat Google has ever faced.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Introduction to AI-Driven Shopping

00:46 The Agentic Commerce Protocol Explained

02:28 How AI Changes Shopping Behavior

03:59 The Impact on Google and Traditional Search

06:22 OpenAI's New Monetization Model

07:23 What It Means for Consumers and Merchants

08:49 The Future of AI Commerce

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 707 no Tracy Anderson (Tracy Anderson Method) on Building a Fitness Empire, Debunking Wellness Trends, and IP in Fitness Routines From small studios to celebrity status, Tracy Anderson has built one of the most influential—and imitated—fitness empires in the world. Today, Sammi sits down with the fitness icon whose method has shaped some of the most famous bodies in Hollywood to peel back the layers of the brand, the science, and the woman behind it. Tracy opens up about the evolution of her signature method, the tension between exclusivity and accessibility, and what it really takes to maintain your signature style in a copycat industry. She also shares her candid thoughts on the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the tech takeover of the wellness space, and why protecting intellectual property is the next frontier in fitness. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Tracy Anderson on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers with Tracy: 00:00 Tracy Anderson’s Social Currency 00:22 The Myths Behind the Method 07:45 Spotting the Gap in the Fitness Industry 09:36 The Early Days of the Method 15:42 The Science Behind Her Signature Workouts and Partnering with Gwyneth Paltrow 24:53 Balancing Exclusivity and Accessibility 39:37 Copycats, Copyrights, and IP Protection 51:13 The Rise of Wellness Tech 52:21 Aging, Beauty, and Authenticity 1:01:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 14 Oct 2025 06:32:00 -0000 full Social Currency From small studios to celebrity status, Tracy Anderson has built one of the most influential—and imitated—fitness empires in the world. Today, Sammi sits down with the fitness icon whose method has shaped some of the most famous bodies in Hollywood to peel back the layers of the brand, the science, and the woman behind it. Tracy opens up about the evolution of her signature method, the tension between exclusivity and accessibility, and what it really takes to maintain your signature style in a copycat industry. She also shares her candid thoughts on the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the tech takeover of the wellness space, and why protecting intellectual property is the next frontier in fitness. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Tracy Anderson on Instagram Here’s what Sammi covers with Tracy: 00:00 Tracy Anderson’s Social Currency 00:22 The Myths Behind the Method 07:45 Spotting the Gap in the Fitness Industry 09:36 The Early Days of the Method 15:42 The Science Behind Her Signature Workouts and Partnering with Gwyneth Paltrow 24:53 Balancing Exclusivity and Accessibility 39:37 Copycats, Copyrights, and IP Protection 51:13 The Rise of Wellness Tech 52:21 Aging, Beauty, and Authenticity 1:01:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices From small studios to celebrity status, Tracy Anderson has built one of the most influential—and imitated—fitness empires in the world. Today, Sammi sits down with the fitness icon whose method has shaped some of the most famous bodies in Hollywood to peel back the layers of the brand, the science, and the woman behind it.

Tracy opens up about the evolution of her signature method, the tension between exclusivity and accessibility, and what it really takes to maintain your signature style in a copycat industry. She also shares her candid thoughts on the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, the tech takeover of the wellness space, and why protecting intellectual property is the next frontier in fitness.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Tracy Anderson on Instagram

Here’s what Sammi covers with Tracy:

00:00 Tracy Anderson’s Social Currency

00:22 The Myths Behind the Method

07:45 Spotting the Gap in the Fitness Industry

09:36 The Early Days of the Method

15:42 The Science Behind Her Signature Workouts and Partnering with Gwyneth Paltrow

24:53 Balancing Exclusivity and Accessibility

39:37 Copycats, Copyrights, and IP Protection

51:13 The Rise of Wellness Tech

52:21 Aging, Beauty, and Authenticity

1:01:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4131 Why I Shut Down My Matcha Business Have you ever built a business around something you love—only to realize it’s draining your passion? In this episode, Sammi shares her full founder story: launching a matcha brand during business school, fighting to scale it, surviving the 2020 lockdown, and finally deciding to shut it down. She breaks down the unglamorous side of entrepreneurship, the identity shift that comes with closing a company, and why walking away can sometimes be the ultimate power move. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today Sammi covers: 00:00 The Matcha Business Idea 03:15 Challenges and Lessons Learned 05:31 Pivoting to a New Strategy 07:56 The Impact of the Pandemic 08:48 Balancing a Day Job and a Side Hustle 10:16 Finding a New Passion 11:03 Shutting Down the Business 11:33 Reflections and Lessons 13:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 10 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Have you ever built a business around something you love—only to realize it’s draining your passion? In this episode, Sammi shares her full founder story: launching a matcha brand during business school, fighting to scale it, surviving the 2020 lockdown, and finally deciding to shut it down. She breaks down the unglamorous side of entrepreneurship, the identity shift that comes with closing a company, and why walking away can sometimes be the ultimate power move. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Today Sammi covers: 00:00 The Matcha Business Idea 03:15 Challenges and Lessons Learned 05:31 Pivoting to a New Strategy 07:56 The Impact of the Pandemic 08:48 Balancing a Day Job and a Side Hustle 10:16 Finding a New Passion 11:03 Shutting Down the Business 11:33 Reflections and Lessons 13:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Have you ever built a business around something you love—only to realize it’s draining your passion? In this episode, Sammi shares her full founder story: launching a matcha brand during business school, fighting to scale it, surviving the 2020 lockdown, and finally deciding to shut it down. She breaks down the unglamorous side of entrepreneurship, the identity shift that comes with closing a company, and why walking away can sometimes be the ultimate power move.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Today Sammi covers:

00:00 The Matcha Business Idea

03:15 Challenges and Lessons Learned

05:31 Pivoting to a New Strategy

07:56 The Impact of the Pandemic

08:48 Balancing a Day Job and a Side Hustle

10:16 Finding a New Passion

11:03 Shutting Down the Business

11:33 Reflections and Lessons

13:52 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 954 Neil Parikh (Casper, Slingshot AI) on Using AI for Emotional Wellbeing, Lessons from Cofounding Casper and Finding Winning Angel Investments Neil Parikh disrupted the sleep industry with Casper. Now, he’s using tech to disrupt one of the most pressing crises of our time: mental health. As co-founder of Slingshot AI, Neil is building tools to close the care gap in behavioral health, expand access to therapy, and still keep human connection at the heart of it all. He joins Sammi to chat about the buzziest topics in AI: ethics, regulation, job replacement, job creation and AI friends. Neil also shares advice for any founder who is thinking about raising capital; he’s raised VC money, bootstrapped a business, taken a company public, and taken a public company private. He’s seen every side of the table, and shares what he thinks is the best route for most early stage founders. Plus, Sammi and Neil dig into the ethics of AI in wellness, surprising user behavior Slingshot has observed with Ash, and why Neil thinks now is the moment for mission-driven tech. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Talk To Ash Today, Sammi and Neil cover… 00:00 Neil Parikh’s Social Currency  01:02 The Rise of Casper and Revolutionizing Sleep 07:55 Challenges and Lessons from Taking a Company Public 12:59 Transition to Mental Health Tech 25:57 AI, Mental Health and Therapy 27:38 AI Friends and Anthropomorphizing AI 31:05 Surprising Insights From Ash 35:51 Monetization Strategy and Funding 37:15 Raising Venture Capital 41:37 Investing in Startups 43:07 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 44:39 Regulating AI in Mental Health 48:36 Finding the Right Co-Founder 50:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 07 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Neil Parikh disrupted the sleep industry with Casper. Now, he’s using tech to disrupt one of the most pressing crises of our time: mental health. As co-founder of Slingshot AI, Neil is building tools to close the care gap in behavioral health, expand access to therapy, and still keep human connection at the heart of it all. He joins Sammi to chat about the buzziest topics in AI: ethics, regulation, job replacement, job creation and AI friends. Neil also shares advice for any founder who is thinking about raising capital; he’s raised VC money, bootstrapped a business, taken a company public, and taken a public company private. He’s seen every side of the table, and shares what he thinks is the best route for most early stage founders. Plus, Sammi and Neil dig into the ethics of AI in wellness, surprising user behavior Slingshot has observed with Ash, and why Neil thinks now is the moment for mission-driven tech. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Talk To Ash Today, Sammi and Neil cover… 00:00 Neil Parikh’s Social Currency  01:02 The Rise of Casper and Revolutionizing Sleep 07:55 Challenges and Lessons from Taking a Company Public 12:59 Transition to Mental Health Tech 25:57 AI, Mental Health and Therapy 27:38 AI Friends and Anthropomorphizing AI 31:05 Surprising Insights From Ash 35:51 Monetization Strategy and Funding 37:15 Raising Venture Capital 41:37 Investing in Startups 43:07 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 44:39 Regulating AI in Mental Health 48:36 Finding the Right Co-Founder 50:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Neil Parikh disrupted the sleep industry with Casper. Now, he’s using tech to disrupt one of the most pressing crises of our time: mental health.

As co-founder of Slingshot AI, Neil is building tools to close the care gap in behavioral health, expand access to therapy, and still keep human connection at the heart of it all. He joins Sammi to chat about the buzziest topics in AI: ethics, regulation, job replacement, job creation and AI friends. Neil also shares advice for any founder who is thinking about raising capital; he’s raised VC money, bootstrapped a business, taken a company public, and taken a public company private. He’s seen every side of the table, and shares what he thinks is the best route for most early stage founders.

Plus, Sammi and Neil dig into the ethics of AI in wellness, surprising user behavior Slingshot has observed with Ash, and why Neil thinks now is the moment for mission-driven tech.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Talk To Ash

Today, Sammi and Neil cover…

00:00 Neil Parikh’s Social Currency 

01:02 The Rise of Casper and Revolutionizing Sleep

07:55 Challenges and Lessons from Taking a Company Public

12:59 Transition to Mental Health Tech

25:57 AI, Mental Health and Therapy

27:38 AI Friends and Anthropomorphizing AI

31:05 Surprising Insights From Ash

35:51 Monetization Strategy and Funding

37:15 Raising Venture Capital

41:37 Investing in Startups

43:07 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

44:39 Regulating AI in Mental Health

48:36 Finding the Right Co-Founder

50:33 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3407 no Jeep’s Flop Era? Today, Sammi unpacks the dramatic meltdown of the Jeep brand. Once a cultural symbol that survived world wars and recessions, Jeep’s market share has now plunged to historic lows. Behind the scenes: a billionaire family dynasty, leadership obsessed with margins over customers, and a string of decisions so poor they’ll likely become a business school case study. Sammi traces how Stellantis, the global auto conglomerate that owns Jeep, gutted the brand’s core identity while chasing luxury profits. From discontinuing the Cherokee to launching overpriced SUVs, Jeep alienated loyal fans and opened the door for rivals like Ford’s Bronco to steal market share. Add in trade wars, tariff shocks, executive turnover, and tone-deaf cultural moves, and the result is a corporate implosion of epic proportions. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 00:00 Super Bowl 2025: A Symbolic Commercial 01:08 The Rise and Fall of Jeep 02:12 Stellantis, the Agnelli Family and Carlos Tavares 05:45 Cultural Impact of Jeep's Decline 08:54 Sammi’s Predictions 11:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 03 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi unpacks the dramatic meltdown of the Jeep brand. Once a cultural symbol that survived world wars and recessions, Jeep’s market share has now plunged to historic lows. Behind the scenes: a billionaire family dynasty, leadership obsessed with margins over customers, and a string of decisions so poor they’ll likely become a business school case study. Sammi traces how Stellantis, the global auto conglomerate that owns Jeep, gutted the brand’s core identity while chasing luxury profits. From discontinuing the Cherokee to launching overpriced SUVs, Jeep alienated loyal fans and opened the door for rivals like Ford’s Bronco to steal market share. Add in trade wars, tariff shocks, executive turnover, and tone-deaf cultural moves, and the result is a corporate implosion of epic proportions. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 00:00 Super Bowl 2025: A Symbolic Commercial 01:08 The Rise and Fall of Jeep 02:12 Stellantis, the Agnelli Family and Carlos Tavares 05:45 Cultural Impact of Jeep's Decline 08:54 Sammi’s Predictions 11:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi unpacks the dramatic meltdown of the Jeep brand. Once a cultural symbol that survived world wars and recessions, Jeep’s market share has now plunged to historic lows. Behind the scenes: a billionaire family dynasty, leadership obsessed with margins over customers, and a string of decisions so poor they’ll likely become a business school case study.

Sammi traces how Stellantis, the global auto conglomerate that owns Jeep, gutted the brand’s core identity while chasing luxury profits. From discontinuing the Cherokee to launching overpriced SUVs, Jeep alienated loyal fans and opened the door for rivals like Ford’s Bronco to steal market share. Add in trade wars, tariff shocks, executive turnover, and tone-deaf cultural moves, and the result is a corporate implosion of epic proportions.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

00:00 Super Bowl 2025: A Symbolic Commercial

01:08 The Rise and Fall of Jeep

02:12 Stellantis, the Agnelli Family and Carlos Tavares

05:45 Cultural Impact of Jeep's Decline

08:54 Sammi’s Predictions

11:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 890 no Julia Hartz (Eventbrite) on Taking a Company Public, Leading Through Crisis and the Future of Live Events Julia Hartz co-founded Eventbrite in 2006 with a bold vision: make ticketing accessible for anyone creating an event. Nearly two decades later, she’s still at the helm as CEO, having taken the company public in 2018 and steered it through one of the toughest crises imaginable—the pandemic, when live events disappeared overnight. In this episode, Julia takes us behind the scenes of Eventbrite’s rise from scrappy startup to IPO, and the resilience it took to reinvent during COVID. She opens up about being co-founders with her husband, the challenges and rewards of leading as a solo CEO, and why she believes the future of gathering is brighter—and quirkier—than ever. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Start Sammi’s Eventbrite Challenge Today, Sammi and Julia cover… 00:00 Julia Hartz’s Social Currency  02:09 Julia’s Early Career in TV  05:05 The Meet-Cute That Led to Eventbrite  08:44 Startup Model  25:58 Work-Life Balance?  32:24 Unlocking Productivity by Knowing Yourself  35:19 Transition to Solo CEO  37:49 Taking Eventbrite Public  43:43 Navigating the Pandemic  47:45 The Resurgence of In-Person Events  52:21 Trends and Quirky Subcultures in Events  57:36 Social Currency Corner  01:03:31 Eventbrite Challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:08:00 -0000 full Social Currency Julia Hartz co-founded Eventbrite in 2006 with a bold vision: make ticketing accessible for anyone creating an event. Nearly two decades later, she’s still at the helm as CEO, having taken the company public in 2018 and steered it through one of the toughest crises imaginable—the pandemic, when live events disappeared overnight. In this episode, Julia takes us behind the scenes of Eventbrite’s rise from scrappy startup to IPO, and the resilience it took to reinvent during COVID. She opens up about being co-founders with her husband, the challenges and rewards of leading as a solo CEO, and why she believes the future of gathering is brighter—and quirkier—than ever. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Start Sammi’s Eventbrite Challenge Today, Sammi and Julia cover… 00:00 Julia Hartz’s Social Currency  02:09 Julia’s Early Career in TV  05:05 The Meet-Cute That Led to Eventbrite  08:44 Startup Model  25:58 Work-Life Balance?  32:24 Unlocking Productivity by Knowing Yourself  35:19 Transition to Solo CEO  37:49 Taking Eventbrite Public  43:43 Navigating the Pandemic  47:45 The Resurgence of In-Person Events  52:21 Trends and Quirky Subcultures in Events  57:36 Social Currency Corner  01:03:31 Eventbrite Challenge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Julia Hartz co-founded Eventbrite in 2006 with a bold vision: make ticketing accessible for anyone creating an event. Nearly two decades later, she’s still at the helm as CEO, having taken the company public in 2018 and steered it through one of the toughest crises imaginable—the pandemic, when live events disappeared overnight.

In this episode, Julia takes us behind the scenes of Eventbrite’s rise from scrappy startup to IPO, and the resilience it took to reinvent during COVID. She opens up about being co-founders with her husband, the challenges and rewards of leading as a solo CEO, and why she believes the future of gathering is brighter—and quirkier—than ever.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter

Start Sammi’s Eventbrite Challenge

Today, Sammi and Julia cover…

00:00 Julia Hartz’s Social Currency 

02:09 Julia’s Early Career in TV 

05:05 The Meet-Cute That Led to Eventbrite 

08:44 Startup Model 

25:58 Work-Life Balance? 

32:24 Unlocking Productivity by Knowing Yourself 

35:19 Transition to Solo CEO 

37:49 Taking Eventbrite Public 

43:43 Navigating the Pandemic 

47:45 The Resurgence of In-Person Events 

52:21 Trends and Quirky Subcultures in Events 

57:36 Social Currency Corner 

01:03:31 Eventbrite Challenge


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]]> 4138 Inside the Protein Boom: The $1.2 Billion Bet Reshaping What We Eat Why is everything from your Starbucks drink to your popcorn now enhanced with extra protein? With 61% of Americans increasing their protein intake last year, cottage cheese sales skyrocketing 20%, and Starbucks rolling out drinks with 36 grams of protein, it’s clear this isn’t a fad—it’s a seismic shift in how we eat. Sammi explores the cultural, medical, and social factors driving this change, including the influence of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, the “health halo” around protein, and TikTok’s viral food trends. You’ll hear how food companies are scrambling to keep up with demand, why Chobani is investing $1.2 billion into new facilities, and how celebrities like Khloé Kardashian and Zac Efron are cashing in on the craze. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why Protein is Everywhere 01:09 Stats That Prove the Craze 03:08 Medical + Social Drivers 05:00 Cottage Cheese Goes Viral 06:35 Starbucks Bets Big on Protein 08:20 Celebrity Influence and Innovation 10:55 Sammi’s Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 26 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Why is everything from your Starbucks drink to your popcorn now enhanced with extra protein? With 61% of Americans increasing their protein intake last year, cottage cheese sales skyrocketing 20%, and Starbucks rolling out drinks with 36 grams of protein, it’s clear this isn’t a fad—it’s a seismic shift in how we eat. Sammi explores the cultural, medical, and social factors driving this change, including the influence of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, the “health halo” around protein, and TikTok’s viral food trends. You’ll hear how food companies are scrambling to keep up with demand, why Chobani is investing $1.2 billion into new facilities, and how celebrities like Khloé Kardashian and Zac Efron are cashing in on the craze. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why Protein is Everywhere 01:09 Stats That Prove the Craze 03:08 Medical + Social Drivers 05:00 Cottage Cheese Goes Viral 06:35 Starbucks Bets Big on Protein 08:20 Celebrity Influence and Innovation 10:55 Sammi’s Predictions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Why is everything from your Starbucks drink to your popcorn now enhanced with extra protein? With 61% of Americans increasing their protein intake last year, cottage cheese sales skyrocketing 20%, and Starbucks rolling out drinks with 36 grams of protein, it’s clear this isn’t a fad—it’s a seismic shift in how we eat.

Sammi explores the cultural, medical, and social factors driving this change, including the influence of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, the “health halo” around protein, and TikTok’s viral food trends. You’ll hear how food companies are scrambling to keep up with demand, why Chobani is investing $1.2 billion into new facilities, and how celebrities like Khloé Kardashian and Zac Efron are cashing in on the craze.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Why Protein is Everywhere

01:09 Stats That Prove the Craze

03:08 Medical + Social Drivers

05:00 Cottage Cheese Goes Viral

06:35 Starbucks Bets Big on Protein

08:20 Celebrity Influence and Innovation

10:55 Sammi’s Predictions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 742 no Maria Davidson (Kojo) on Record-Breaking Fundraising, Building a $4B Platform and Breaking Barriers in Construction Maria Davidson is making construction procurement cool— and a billion-dollar business. After studying philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford and a stint in venture capital, Maria set her sights on one of the least “sexy” industries imaginable: construction. What started with her hustling for meetings by showing up at job sites with pizza has grown into Kojo, a platform processing over $4 billion in material orders annually—and has broken fundraising records along the way. Since she spoke with Sammi, she’s raised an additional $10 million, for a total of $94 million raised, the most ever raised by a female founder in construction tech. In this conversation, Maria shares how her immigrant upbringing shaped her entrepreneurial drive, the scrappy tactics that got Kojo off the ground, and the leadership lessons that helped her scale in one of the most male-dominated industries. Whether you’ve never thought twice about procurement or you’re hungry for scaling lessons from a record-breaking founder, Maria will have you hooked. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Kojo Read the fundraising news since Sammi and Maria spoke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:56:00 -0000 full Social Currency Maria Davidson is making construction procurement cool— and a billion-dollar business. After studying philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford and a stint in venture capital, Maria set her sights on one of the least “sexy” industries imaginable: construction. What started with her hustling for meetings by showing up at job sites with pizza has grown into Kojo, a platform processing over $4 billion in material orders annually—and has broken fundraising records along the way. Since she spoke with Sammi, she’s raised an additional $10 million, for a total of $94 million raised, the most ever raised by a female founder in construction tech. In this conversation, Maria shares how her immigrant upbringing shaped her entrepreneurial drive, the scrappy tactics that got Kojo off the ground, and the leadership lessons that helped her scale in one of the most male-dominated industries. Whether you’ve never thought twice about procurement or you’re hungry for scaling lessons from a record-breaking founder, Maria will have you hooked. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Kojo Read the fundraising news since Sammi and Maria spoke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Maria Davidson is making construction procurement cool— and a billion-dollar business. After studying philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford and a stint in venture capital, Maria set her sights on one of the least “sexy” industries imaginable: construction. What started with her hustling for meetings by showing up at job sites with pizza has grown into Kojo, a platform processing over $4 billion in material orders annually—and has broken fundraising records along the way. Since she spoke with Sammi, she’s raised an additional $10 million, for a total of $94 million raised, the most ever raised by a female founder in construction tech.

In this conversation, Maria shares how her immigrant upbringing shaped her entrepreneurial drive, the scrappy tactics that got Kojo off the ground, and the leadership lessons that helped her scale in one of the most male-dominated industries. Whether you’ve never thought twice about procurement or you’re hungry for scaling lessons from a record-breaking founder, Maria will have you hooked.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Keep up with Kojo

Read the fundraising news since Sammi and Maria spoke

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3860 Are Membership Clubs Dead? From London’s 17th-century gentleman’s clubs to the meteoric rise of Soho House, private membership clubs have always been about more than cocktails and couches—they’re cultural status symbols. But as Soho House goes private again in a $2.7 billion deal, the playbook for exclusivity is being rewritten.  Today, Sammi unpacks the cracks in the traditional model and explores what’s next: hyper-niche communities, the luxury third-space economy, and the rise of the anti-club prioritizing privacy over paparazzi. Whether you’re eyeing a $10,000 waitlist or curious about how exclusivity itself is evolving, this episode reveals how the future of belonging is shifting from velvet ropes to invisible threads. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 What Is the Ultimate Status Symbol? 00:48 From Coffee Houses to Soho House 02:21 The $2.7B Soho House Pivot 04:14 Cracks in the Exclusive Club Model 07:36 Hyper-Niche Clubs, Luxury Third Spaces, and the Anti-Club Movement 07:59 Sammi’s Predictions  08:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 19 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency From London’s 17th-century gentleman’s clubs to the meteoric rise of Soho House, private membership clubs have always been about more than cocktails and couches—they’re cultural status symbols. But as Soho House goes private again in a $2.7 billion deal, the playbook for exclusivity is being rewritten.  Today, Sammi unpacks the cracks in the traditional model and explores what’s next: hyper-niche communities, the luxury third-space economy, and the rise of the anti-club prioritizing privacy over paparazzi. Whether you’re eyeing a $10,000 waitlist or curious about how exclusivity itself is evolving, this episode reveals how the future of belonging is shifting from velvet ropes to invisible threads. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 What Is the Ultimate Status Symbol? 00:48 From Coffee Houses to Soho House 02:21 The $2.7B Soho House Pivot 04:14 Cracks in the Exclusive Club Model 07:36 Hyper-Niche Clubs, Luxury Third Spaces, and the Anti-Club Movement 07:59 Sammi’s Predictions  08:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices From London’s 17th-century gentleman’s clubs to the meteoric rise of Soho House, private membership clubs have always been about more than cocktails and couches—they’re cultural status symbols. But as Soho House goes private again in a $2.7 billion deal, the playbook for exclusivity is being rewritten. 

Today, Sammi unpacks the cracks in the traditional model and explores what’s next: hyper-niche communities, the luxury third-space economy, and the rise of the anti-club prioritizing privacy over paparazzi. Whether you’re eyeing a $10,000 waitlist or curious about how exclusivity itself is evolving, this episode reveals how the future of belonging is shifting from velvet ropes to invisible threads.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 What Is the Ultimate Status Symbol?

00:48 From Coffee Houses to Soho House

02:21 The $2.7B Soho House Pivot

04:14 Cracks in the Exclusive Club Model

07:36 Hyper-Niche Clubs, Luxury Third Spaces, and the Anti-Club Movement

07:59 Sammi’s Predictions 

08:18 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 669 no Vanessa Dew (Health-Ade Kombucha): From Farmers' Markets to a $500M Empire, Life After an Exit and Fundraising 101 From hand-bottling kombucha in an apartment kitchen to building a $500 million brand sold in tens of thousands of stores across the country, Vanessa Dew didn’t just build a company— she built a movement. As the co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, Vanessa turned a niche wellness drink into a household name, all while keeping true to the company’s artisanal roots. When Health-Ade was acquired in 2021, she had to redefine what success means in her second act as an advisor and investor. In this conversation, Vanessa opens up about the company’s scrappy beginnings, the hardest decisions she had to make while building her business, what it really feels like to exit, and how she’s now paying it forward by backing the next generation of founders.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Vanessa  Here’s what Sammi and Vanessa cover today: 00:00 Vanessa Dew’s Social Currency 00:34 The Businesses Vanessa Almost Built 01:53 Kombucha Beginnings: Health-Ade’s First Batches 02:52 The Scrappy Startup Phase 04:33 From Farmers’ Markets to Grocery Shelves 09:52 Raising the First Round of Capital 13:22 The Rollercoaster of Funding Rounds 17:50 Co-Founders: Dividing Roles and Responsibilities 21:08 Scaling Without Losing Quality 23:44 Navigating Relationships Between Investors and Partners 25:58 Taking Health-Ade Nationwide 26:43 The Emotional Reality of Acquisition 28:21 Life After Exit and Redefining Success 35:49 Investing in Women Founders 38:48 Building Systems for Work-Life Balance 41:24 Where CPG Acquisitions Are Headed + Vanessa’s Advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 16 Sep 2025 05:19:00 -0000 full Social Currency From hand-bottling kombucha in an apartment kitchen to building a $500 million brand sold in tens of thousands of stores across the country, Vanessa Dew didn’t just build a company— she built a movement. As the co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, Vanessa turned a niche wellness drink into a household name, all while keeping true to the company’s artisanal roots. When Health-Ade was acquired in 2021, she had to redefine what success means in her second act as an advisor and investor. In this conversation, Vanessa opens up about the company’s scrappy beginnings, the hardest decisions she had to make while building her business, what it really feels like to exit, and how she’s now paying it forward by backing the next generation of founders.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Vanessa  Here’s what Sammi and Vanessa cover today: 00:00 Vanessa Dew’s Social Currency 00:34 The Businesses Vanessa Almost Built 01:53 Kombucha Beginnings: Health-Ade’s First Batches 02:52 The Scrappy Startup Phase 04:33 From Farmers’ Markets to Grocery Shelves 09:52 Raising the First Round of Capital 13:22 The Rollercoaster of Funding Rounds 17:50 Co-Founders: Dividing Roles and Responsibilities 21:08 Scaling Without Losing Quality 23:44 Navigating Relationships Between Investors and Partners 25:58 Taking Health-Ade Nationwide 26:43 The Emotional Reality of Acquisition 28:21 Life After Exit and Redefining Success 35:49 Investing in Women Founders 38:48 Building Systems for Work-Life Balance 41:24 Where CPG Acquisitions Are Headed + Vanessa’s Advice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices From hand-bottling kombucha in an apartment kitchen to building a $500 million brand sold in tens of thousands of stores across the country, Vanessa Dew didn’t just build a company— she built a movement. As the co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, Vanessa turned a niche wellness drink into a household name, all while keeping true to the company’s artisanal roots. When Health-Ade was acquired in 2021, she had to redefine what success means in her second act as an advisor and investor.

In this conversation, Vanessa opens up about the company’s scrappy beginnings, the hardest decisions she had to make while building her business, what it really feels like to exit, and how she’s now paying it forward by backing the next generation of founders. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Vanessa 

Here’s what Sammi and Vanessa cover today:

00:00 Vanessa Dew’s Social Currency

00:34 The Businesses Vanessa Almost Built

01:53 Kombucha Beginnings: Health-Ade’s First Batches

02:52 The Scrappy Startup Phase

04:33 From Farmers’ Markets to Grocery Shelves

09:52 Raising the First Round of Capital

13:22 The Rollercoaster of Funding Rounds

17:50 Co-Founders: Dividing Roles and Responsibilities

21:08 Scaling Without Losing Quality

23:44 Navigating Relationships Between Investors and Partners

25:58 Taking Health-Ade Nationwide

26:43 The Emotional Reality of Acquisition

28:21 Life After Exit and Redefining Success

35:49 Investing in Women Founders

38:48 Building Systems for Work-Life Balance

41:24 Where CPG Acquisitions Are Headed + Vanessa’s Advice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3133 no 3 Lessons from Amazon That Changed My Business Today, Sammi’s doing something a little different. She’s pulling back the curtain on her five years at Amazon—and the lessons she’s bringing with her as she builds Social Currency. Sammi breaks down the three Amazon frameworks that really work: customer obsession (yes, the empty chair in meetings is real), the fiery but brilliant “disagree and commit rule,” and the counterintuitive magic of writing a press release… before you build a thing. These aren’t corporate clichés—they’re surprisingly practical tools that can help you move faster, make smarter calls, and grow something people actually care about. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:30 From Amazon to Entrepreneurship 00:46 Inside Amazon’s Ecosystem 01:38 The Playbook That Lasts 02:06 #1 - Customer Obsession 04:40 #2 - Disagree and Commit 07:17 #3 - Writing PR FAQs 08:49 Takeaways You Can Use 09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi’s doing something a little different. She’s pulling back the curtain on her five years at Amazon—and the lessons she’s bringing with her as she builds Social Currency. Sammi breaks down the three Amazon frameworks that really work: customer obsession (yes, the empty chair in meetings is real), the fiery but brilliant “disagree and commit rule,” and the counterintuitive magic of writing a press release… before you build a thing. These aren’t corporate clichés—they’re surprisingly practical tools that can help you move faster, make smarter calls, and grow something people actually care about. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:30 From Amazon to Entrepreneurship 00:46 Inside Amazon’s Ecosystem 01:38 The Playbook That Lasts 02:06 #1 - Customer Obsession 04:40 #2 - Disagree and Commit 07:17 #3 - Writing PR FAQs 08:49 Takeaways You Can Use 09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi’s doing something a little different. She’s pulling back the curtain on her five years at Amazon—and the lessons she’s bringing with her as she builds Social Currency.

Sammi breaks down the three Amazon frameworks that really work: customer obsession (yes, the empty chair in meetings is real), the fiery but brilliant “disagree and commit rule,” and the counterintuitive magic of writing a press release… before you build a thing. These aren’t corporate clichés—they’re surprisingly practical tools that can help you move faster, make smarter calls, and grow something people actually care about.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Introduction and Overview

00:30 From Amazon to Entrepreneurship

00:46 Inside Amazon’s Ecosystem

01:38 The Playbook That Lasts

02:06 #1 - Customer Obsession

04:40 #2 - Disagree and Commit

07:17 #3 - Writing PR FAQs

08:49 Takeaways You Can Use

09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 735 no Alli Webb (Drybar) on Selling for $255M, Second Acts, and Embracing the Messy Truth What do you do after creating a $255 million brand that reshaped an entire industry? If you’re Alli Webb, founder of Drybar, you sell it, rebuild, and then launch something even more personal. Sammi and Alli go deep into the scrappy early days of Drybar, the chaos of scaling to hundreds of locations, and the bittersweet reality of selling your life’s work. Alli gets real about the toll entrepreneurship took on her personal life, the misconceptions she had to set straight, and the identity shift that came with “what’s next.” Now, she’s back with Messy—a new haircare line at Sephora that flips perfection on its head and celebrates authenticity.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Alli on Instagram Find Messy at Sephora Here’s what Sammi and Alli cover today: 00:00 A Perfectly Timed Sale 00:26 Meet Alli Webb: From Blowouts to Billion-Dollar Buzz 01:39 How Drybar Was Born 03:07 From One Shop to a Movement 12:16 The Big Bet on Franchising 20:11 Turning Blowouts Into Products 25:00 Pandemic Curveballs & Selling the Business 30:41 Clearing Up the Myths 32:41 Writing The Messy Truth 35:48 Partnerships, Business, and Love Lessons 39:09 Enter Messy: Alli’s New Chapter 40:57 Why Messy is the New Perfect 49:49 Ambition vs. Self-Care 53:56 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What do you do after creating a $255 million brand that reshaped an entire industry? If you’re Alli Webb, founder of Drybar, you sell it, rebuild, and then launch something even more personal. Sammi and Alli go deep into the scrappy early days of Drybar, the chaos of scaling to hundreds of locations, and the bittersweet reality of selling your life’s work. Alli gets real about the toll entrepreneurship took on her personal life, the misconceptions she had to set straight, and the identity shift that came with “what’s next.” Now, she’s back with Messy—a new haircare line at Sephora that flips perfection on its head and celebrates authenticity.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Alli on Instagram Find Messy at Sephora Here’s what Sammi and Alli cover today: 00:00 A Perfectly Timed Sale 00:26 Meet Alli Webb: From Blowouts to Billion-Dollar Buzz 01:39 How Drybar Was Born 03:07 From One Shop to a Movement 12:16 The Big Bet on Franchising 20:11 Turning Blowouts Into Products 25:00 Pandemic Curveballs & Selling the Business 30:41 Clearing Up the Myths 32:41 Writing The Messy Truth 35:48 Partnerships, Business, and Love Lessons 39:09 Enter Messy: Alli’s New Chapter 40:57 Why Messy is the New Perfect 49:49 Ambition vs. Self-Care 53:56 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What do you do after creating a $255 million brand that reshaped an entire industry? If you’re Alli Webb, founder of Drybar, you sell it, rebuild, and then launch something even more personal.

Sammi and Alli go deep into the scrappy early days of Drybar, the chaos of scaling to hundreds of locations, and the bittersweet reality of selling your life’s work. Alli gets real about the toll entrepreneurship took on her personal life, the misconceptions she had to set straight, and the identity shift that came with “what’s next.” Now, she’s back with Messy—a new haircare line at Sephora that flips perfection on its head and celebrates authenticity. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Alli on Instagram

Find Messy at Sephora

Here’s what Sammi and Alli cover today:

00:00 A Perfectly Timed Sale

00:26 Meet Alli Webb: From Blowouts to Billion-Dollar Buzz

01:39 How Drybar Was Born

03:07 From One Shop to a Movement

12:16 The Big Bet on Franchising

20:11 Turning Blowouts Into Products

25:00 Pandemic Curveballs & Selling the Business

30:41 Clearing Up the Myths

32:41 Writing The Messy Truth

35:48 Partnerships, Business, and Love Lessons

39:09 Enter Messy: Alli’s New Chapter

40:57 Why Messy is the New Perfect

49:49 Ambition vs. Self-Care

53:56 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3814 The Denim War: How American Eagle, Gap, and Lucky Brand Turned Jeans into Culture and Controversy This summer, denim wasn't just a fashion statement—it was a battlefield. Today, Sammi unpacks how American Eagle, Gap, and Lucky Brand launched three wildly different campaigns that turned jeans into a referendum on identity, controversy, and cultural capital. From American Eagle’s headline-grabbing Sydney Sweeney campaign to Gap’s inclusive girl-band-powered clapback, and Lucky Brand’s nostalgia-fueled Y2K revival with Addison Rae—Sammi breaks down how these brands are fighting for Gen Z’s attention and loyalty. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Welcome to the Denim Wars 02:06 American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Bet: Controversy as Strategy 05:07 Gap’s Counterpunch: Inclusivity Goes Viral 06:07 Lucky Brand’s Nostalgia Play: Addison Rae and the Y2K Revival 06:39 The Bigger Picture on Fashion Marketing 08:18 Rivalries as a Branding Strategy 09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 05 Sep 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency This summer, denim wasn't just a fashion statement—it was a battlefield. Today, Sammi unpacks how American Eagle, Gap, and Lucky Brand launched three wildly different campaigns that turned jeans into a referendum on identity, controversy, and cultural capital. From American Eagle’s headline-grabbing Sydney Sweeney campaign to Gap’s inclusive girl-band-powered clapback, and Lucky Brand’s nostalgia-fueled Y2K revival with Addison Rae—Sammi breaks down how these brands are fighting for Gen Z’s attention and loyalty. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Welcome to the Denim Wars 02:06 American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Bet: Controversy as Strategy 05:07 Gap’s Counterpunch: Inclusivity Goes Viral 06:07 Lucky Brand’s Nostalgia Play: Addison Rae and the Y2K Revival 06:39 The Bigger Picture on Fashion Marketing 08:18 Rivalries as a Branding Strategy 09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices This summer, denim wasn't just a fashion statement—it was a battlefield. Today, Sammi unpacks how American Eagle, Gap, and Lucky Brand launched three wildly different campaigns that turned jeans into a referendum on identity, controversy, and cultural capital.

From American Eagle’s headline-grabbing Sydney Sweeney campaign to Gap’s inclusive girl-band-powered clapback, and Lucky Brand’s nostalgia-fueled Y2K revival with Addison Rae—Sammi breaks down how these brands are fighting for Gen Z’s attention and loyalty.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Welcome to the Denim Wars

02:06 American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney Bet: Controversy as Strategy

05:07 Gap’s Counterpunch: Inclusivity Goes Viral

06:07 Lucky Brand’s Nostalgia Play: Addison Rae and the Y2K Revival

06:39 The Bigger Picture on Fashion Marketing

08:18 Rivalries as a Branding Strategy

09:23 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 682 no Bill Ready (Pinterest) on Social Media’s “Big Tobacco” Moment, Growing Pinterest to 578M Users, and What Gen Z Really Wants Bill Ready has never been afraid to make big bets—and at Pinterest, those bets are paying off. Since becoming CEO, he’s doubled down on building a healthier internet: one where all accounts under 16 are private by default, AI is tuned for positivity, and users come away inspired instead of exhausted. Today, Sammi sits down with Bill to trace his journey from his father’s auto shop in Kentucky to the helm of PayPal, Google, and now Pinterest. They dig into the headline-making decisions that reshaped Pinterest’s future, the rise of Gen Z shopping habits, and how collaborations like Pinterest Predicts with Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand are setting cultural trends. If you want a look at what social media can be when it prioritizes progress over doomscrolling, this conversation is it. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Pinterest here Check out the trend report Pinterest Predicts  00:00 Bill Ready’s Social Currency  02:05 Early Lessons from the Auto Shop  05:31 The Controversial Decision to Turn Accounts Private for Users Under 16  06:43 Tuning AI for Positivity  26:10 Evolving the Pinterest Shopping Experience  31:58 Pinterest's Unique Approach to Video Content  34:24 Inclusive AI Tools and Driving User Engagement  41:44 How Pinterest Shapes and Predicts Trends  51:45 Bill’s Systems for Success 53:14 Social Currency Corner  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 02 Sep 2025 07:30:00 -0000 full Social Currency Bill Ready has never been afraid to make big bets—and at Pinterest, those bets are paying off. Since becoming CEO, he’s doubled down on building a healthier internet: one where all accounts under 16 are private by default, AI is tuned for positivity, and users come away inspired instead of exhausted. Today, Sammi sits down with Bill to trace his journey from his father’s auto shop in Kentucky to the helm of PayPal, Google, and now Pinterest. They dig into the headline-making decisions that reshaped Pinterest’s future, the rise of Gen Z shopping habits, and how collaborations like Pinterest Predicts with Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand are setting cultural trends. If you want a look at what social media can be when it prioritizes progress over doomscrolling, this conversation is it. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Keep up with Pinterest here Check out the trend report Pinterest Predicts  00:00 Bill Ready’s Social Currency  02:05 Early Lessons from the Auto Shop  05:31 The Controversial Decision to Turn Accounts Private for Users Under 16  06:43 Tuning AI for Positivity  26:10 Evolving the Pinterest Shopping Experience  31:58 Pinterest's Unique Approach to Video Content  34:24 Inclusive AI Tools and Driving User Engagement  41:44 How Pinterest Shapes and Predicts Trends  51:45 Bill’s Systems for Success 53:14 Social Currency Corner  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Bill Ready has never been afraid to make big bets—and at Pinterest, those bets are paying off. Since becoming CEO, he’s doubled down on building a healthier internet: one where all accounts under 16 are private by default, AI is tuned for positivity, and users come away inspired instead of exhausted.

Today, Sammi sits down with Bill to trace his journey from his father’s auto shop in Kentucky to the helm of PayPal, Google, and now Pinterest. They dig into the headline-making decisions that reshaped Pinterest’s future, the rise of Gen Z shopping habits, and how collaborations like Pinterest Predicts with Emma Chamberlain’s coffee brand are setting cultural trends.

If you want a look at what social media can be when it prioritizes progress over doomscrolling, this conversation is it.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Keep up with Pinterest here

Check out the trend report Pinterest Predicts 

00:00 Bill Ready’s Social Currency 

02:05 Early Lessons from the Auto Shop 

05:31 The Controversial Decision to Turn Accounts Private for Users Under 16 

06:43 Tuning AI for Positivity 

26:10 Evolving the Pinterest Shopping Experience 

31:58 Pinterest's Unique Approach to Video Content 

34:24 Inclusive AI Tools and Driving User Engagement 

41:44 How Pinterest Shapes and Predicts Trends 

51:45 Bill’s Systems for Success

53:14 Social Currency Corner 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3892 The Goop Paradox: $140M and 17 Years Later, Why Isn't It Profitable? Seventeen years. $140 million in funding. And Goop—the empire Gwyneth Paltrow built on clean beauty, provocative candles, and aspirational wellness—is still not profitable. Today, Sammi unpacks the paradox of Goop: a brand that pioneered the $6.3 trillion wellness industry, yet can’t seem to make money from it. From the downfall of Goop Beauty at Sephora to the unexpected success of Goop Kitchen, and the leadership style that insiders compare to Anna Wintour, this is the story of how being an influencer and being a CEO are two very different games. Does Goop even need to exist in 2025—or has every other influencer already copied its playbook better? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Goop’s $140 Million Paradox 01:04 Gwyneth’s Kitchen-Table Origins 02:03 Charisma vs. CEO Skills 03:16 Layoffs and Leadership Turmoil 03:43 Beauty’s Bust, Fashion’s Flicker 05:10 The Surprising Success of Goop Kitchen 05:50 The Investor Dilemma 06:30 The Bigger Cultural Question: Do We Still Need Goop? 09:46 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 29 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Seventeen years. $140 million in funding. And Goop—the empire Gwyneth Paltrow built on clean beauty, provocative candles, and aspirational wellness—is still not profitable. Today, Sammi unpacks the paradox of Goop: a brand that pioneered the $6.3 trillion wellness industry, yet can’t seem to make money from it. From the downfall of Goop Beauty at Sephora to the unexpected success of Goop Kitchen, and the leadership style that insiders compare to Anna Wintour, this is the story of how being an influencer and being a CEO are two very different games. Does Goop even need to exist in 2025—or has every other influencer already copied its playbook better? Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Goop’s $140 Million Paradox 01:04 Gwyneth’s Kitchen-Table Origins 02:03 Charisma vs. CEO Skills 03:16 Layoffs and Leadership Turmoil 03:43 Beauty’s Bust, Fashion’s Flicker 05:10 The Surprising Success of Goop Kitchen 05:50 The Investor Dilemma 06:30 The Bigger Cultural Question: Do We Still Need Goop? 09:46 Closing Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Seventeen years. $140 million in funding. And Goop—the empire Gwyneth Paltrow built on clean beauty, provocative candles, and aspirational wellness—is still not profitable.

Today, Sammi unpacks the paradox of Goop: a brand that pioneered the $6.3 trillion wellness industry, yet can’t seem to make money from it. From the downfall of Goop Beauty at Sephora to the unexpected success of Goop Kitchen, and the leadership style that insiders compare to Anna Wintour, this is the story of how being an influencer and being a CEO are two very different games.

Does Goop even need to exist in 2025—or has every other influencer already copied its playbook better?

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 


Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Goop’s $140 Million Paradox

01:04 Gwyneth’s Kitchen-Table Origins

02:03 Charisma vs. CEO Skills

03:16 Layoffs and Leadership Turmoil

03:43 Beauty’s Bust, Fashion’s Flicker

05:10 The Surprising Success of Goop Kitchen

05:50 The Investor Dilemma

06:30 The Bigger Cultural Question: Do We Still Need Goop?

09:46 Closing Thoughts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 770 Amy Liu (Tower 28) on Life-Changing Pitches, Picking the Right Partners and Standing Out in a Crowded Industry Some say cult-favorite beauty brand Tower 28 is an “overnight success”— but founder Amy Liu is here to share how the brand’s success was years in the making. Today, Sammi and Amy dive into the real story behind Tower 28’s rise: from Amy’s scrappy Sephora pitch and pandemic launch to lessons from her friends and family fundraising round. Amy also gives her take on the perfect morning routine and the importance of picking the right partners— in business and in life. This episode was taped 4.23.25.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Tower 28 on Instagram 00:00 Amy Liu’s Social Currency  01:33 The Myth of Overnight Success  01:57 From Employee to Founder  04:21 Learning from Experience  05:57 The Role of Beauty in Confidence  09:15 Lessons Learned from Early Ventures 12:00 Raising Funds from Friends and Family  15:08 The Iconic Sephora Pitch  21:12 Launching During a Pandemic  25:14 Discovering the Power of Skincare  26:23 Building a Family Business  28:54 The Importance of Choosing the Right Partner  30:10 Creating a Strong Team Culture  34:26 Engaging with the Community  39:44 Morning Routines and Personal Systems  41:18 Creating Original Content  44:10 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs  46:54 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 26 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Some say cult-favorite beauty brand Tower 28 is an “overnight success”— but founder Amy Liu is here to share how the brand’s success was years in the making. Today, Sammi and Amy dive into the real story behind Tower 28’s rise: from Amy’s scrappy Sephora pitch and pandemic launch to lessons from her friends and family fundraising round. Amy also gives her take on the perfect morning routine and the importance of picking the right partners— in business and in life. This episode was taped 4.23.25.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Tower 28 on Instagram 00:00 Amy Liu’s Social Currency  01:33 The Myth of Overnight Success  01:57 From Employee to Founder  04:21 Learning from Experience  05:57 The Role of Beauty in Confidence  09:15 Lessons Learned from Early Ventures 12:00 Raising Funds from Friends and Family  15:08 The Iconic Sephora Pitch  21:12 Launching During a Pandemic  25:14 Discovering the Power of Skincare  26:23 Building a Family Business  28:54 The Importance of Choosing the Right Partner  30:10 Creating a Strong Team Culture  34:26 Engaging with the Community  39:44 Morning Routines and Personal Systems  41:18 Creating Original Content  44:10 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs  46:54 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Some say cult-favorite beauty brand Tower 28 is an “overnight success”— but founder Amy Liu is here to share how the brand’s success was years in the making.

Today, Sammi and Amy dive into the real story behind Tower 28’s rise: from Amy’s scrappy Sephora pitch and pandemic launch to lessons from her friends and family fundraising round. Amy also gives her take on the perfect morning routine and the importance of picking the right partners— in business and in life.

This episode was taped 4.23.25. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Tower 28 on Instagram

00:00 Amy Liu’s Social Currency 

01:33 The Myth of Overnight Success 

01:57 From Employee to Founder 

04:21 Learning from Experience 

05:57 The Role of Beauty in Confidence 

09:15 Lessons Learned from Early Ventures

12:00 Raising Funds from Friends and Family 

15:08 The Iconic Sephora Pitch 

21:12 Launching During a Pandemic 

25:14 Discovering the Power of Skincare 

26:23 Building a Family Business 

28:54 The Importance of Choosing the Right Partner 

30:10 Creating a Strong Team Culture 

34:26 Engaging with the Community 

39:44 Morning Routines and Personal Systems 

41:18 Creating Original Content 

44:10 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 

46:54 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3081 How the Fitness Industry Is Coming for Religion Fitness is the new religion. It sounds dramatic, but look around. People used to go to church on Sundays. Now they go to Barry's Bootcamp. Instead of confession, they cold plunge.  Today, Sammi unpacks how the boutique fitness boom became a new form of secular spirituality—complete with instructors as gurus, before-and-after photos as testimonies, and $10,000 luxury wellness retreats as modern pilgrimages. But this isn’t just a cultural shift—it’s a business revolution. With the wellness market on track to hit $7 trillion by 2025, fitness has become a belief system people are willing to invest in, spiritually and financially. Whether you’re a brand builder, a wellness junkie, or just curious about why we now confess in cold plunges instead of pews, this episode dives deep into the new religion of our era: sweat. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Fitness Is the New Religion 00:49 The Decline of Traditional Belief Systems 01:44 How Studios Became Sanctuaries 03:14 The Trillion-Dollar Wellness Economy 04:14 What This Shift Means for Brands 05:47 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 22 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Fitness is the new religion. It sounds dramatic, but look around. People used to go to church on Sundays. Now they go to Barry's Bootcamp. Instead of confession, they cold plunge.  Today, Sammi unpacks how the boutique fitness boom became a new form of secular spirituality—complete with instructors as gurus, before-and-after photos as testimonies, and $10,000 luxury wellness retreats as modern pilgrimages. But this isn’t just a cultural shift—it’s a business revolution. With the wellness market on track to hit $7 trillion by 2025, fitness has become a belief system people are willing to invest in, spiritually and financially. Whether you’re a brand builder, a wellness junkie, or just curious about why we now confess in cold plunges instead of pews, this episode dives deep into the new religion of our era: sweat. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Fitness Is the New Religion 00:49 The Decline of Traditional Belief Systems 01:44 How Studios Became Sanctuaries 03:14 The Trillion-Dollar Wellness Economy 04:14 What This Shift Means for Brands 05:47 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fitness is the new religion. It sounds dramatic, but look around. People used to go to church on Sundays. Now they go to Barry's Bootcamp. Instead of confession, they cold plunge. 

Today, Sammi unpacks how the boutique fitness boom became a new form of secular spirituality—complete with instructors as gurus, before-and-after photos as testimonies, and $10,000 luxury wellness retreats as modern pilgrimages.

But this isn’t just a cultural shift—it’s a business revolution. With the wellness market on track to hit $7 trillion by 2025, fitness has become a belief system people are willing to invest in, spiritually and financially. Whether you’re a brand builder, a wellness junkie, or just curious about why we now confess in cold plunges instead of pews, this episode dives deep into the new religion of our era: sweat.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Fitness Is the New Religion

00:49 The Decline of Traditional Belief Systems

01:44 How Studios Became Sanctuaries

03:14 The Trillion-Dollar Wellness Economy

04:14 What This Shift Means for Brands

05:47 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 449 Emily Heyward (Red Antler) on Building Brands That Stick, How AI Will Impact Creative Agencies and Lessons from Casper’s Success What do Casper and Allbirds have in common, besides redefining modern D2C brands? They all worked with branding agency Red Antler before they became household names. Today Sammi sits down with Emily Heyward, co-founder of Red Antler, the powerhouse creative agency behind some of the most iconic startups of the last decade. Emily shares how Red Antler went from a scrappy agency to the go-to partner for founders launching the next big thing. They dig into the real work of branding; how to create emotional connection, why a logo is never enough, and the mistakes even seasoned founders make when they treat branding as an afterthought. Emily also opens up about the founding of Red Antler’s VC arm, how her team vets investments, and why she thinks branding will always be human—even in the age of AI. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Red Antler’s work Here’s what Sammi and Emily cover today: 00:00 Emily Heyward’s Social Currency 01:45 The Origin of Red Antler 09:35 From Scrappy Startups to Culture-Making Brands 14:23 How to Land—and Keep—Dream Clients 18:40 When Branding Gets Messy (and How to Fix It) 24:10 Strategic Bets and the Ones That Paid Off 30:40 Building for Startups vs. Working with Giants 37:20 Breaking Down Red Antler’s Pricing Strategy 41:30 Why Red Antler Launched a VC Fund 49:23 What It Really Means to Build an Iconic Brand 54:40 Will AI Replace Branding Agencies? 1:00:36 Favorite Projects and Most Fun Collabs 1:05:22 Why Creative Breaks Are Critical 1:07:54 Crumbl, Duolingo, and What’s Trending Now 1:11:30 How to Choose the Right Branding Partner 1:20:35 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 19 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What do Casper and Allbirds have in common, besides redefining modern D2C brands? They all worked with branding agency Red Antler before they became household names. Today Sammi sits down with Emily Heyward, co-founder of Red Antler, the powerhouse creative agency behind some of the most iconic startups of the last decade. Emily shares how Red Antler went from a scrappy agency to the go-to partner for founders launching the next big thing. They dig into the real work of branding; how to create emotional connection, why a logo is never enough, and the mistakes even seasoned founders make when they treat branding as an afterthought. Emily also opens up about the founding of Red Antler’s VC arm, how her team vets investments, and why she thinks branding will always be human—even in the age of AI. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Red Antler’s work Here’s what Sammi and Emily cover today: 00:00 Emily Heyward’s Social Currency 01:45 The Origin of Red Antler 09:35 From Scrappy Startups to Culture-Making Brands 14:23 How to Land—and Keep—Dream Clients 18:40 When Branding Gets Messy (and How to Fix It) 24:10 Strategic Bets and the Ones That Paid Off 30:40 Building for Startups vs. Working with Giants 37:20 Breaking Down Red Antler’s Pricing Strategy 41:30 Why Red Antler Launched a VC Fund 49:23 What It Really Means to Build an Iconic Brand 54:40 Will AI Replace Branding Agencies? 1:00:36 Favorite Projects and Most Fun Collabs 1:05:22 Why Creative Breaks Are Critical 1:07:54 Crumbl, Duolingo, and What’s Trending Now 1:11:30 How to Choose the Right Branding Partner 1:20:35 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What do Casper and Allbirds have in common, besides redefining modern D2C brands? They all worked with branding agency Red Antler before they became household names.

Today Sammi sits down with Emily Heyward, co-founder of Red Antler, the powerhouse creative agency behind some of the most iconic startups of the last decade. Emily shares how Red Antler went from a scrappy agency to the go-to partner for founders launching the next big thing.

They dig into the real work of branding; how to create emotional connection, why a logo is never enough, and the mistakes even seasoned founders make when they treat branding as an afterthought. Emily also opens up about the founding of Red Antler’s VC arm, how her team vets investments, and why she thinks branding will always be human—even in the age of AI.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Red Antler’s work

Here’s what Sammi and Emily cover today:

00:00 Emily Heyward’s Social Currency

01:45 The Origin of Red Antler

09:35 From Scrappy Startups to Culture-Making Brands

14:23 How to Land—and Keep—Dream Clients

18:40 When Branding Gets Messy (and How to Fix It)

24:10 Strategic Bets and the Ones That Paid Off

30:40 Building for Startups vs. Working with Giants

37:20 Breaking Down Red Antler’s Pricing Strategy

41:30 Why Red Antler Launched a VC Fund

49:23 What It Really Means to Build an Iconic Brand

54:40 Will AI Replace Branding Agencies?

1:00:36 Favorite Projects and Most Fun Collabs

1:05:22 Why Creative Breaks Are Critical

1:07:54 Crumbl, Duolingo, and What’s Trending Now

1:11:30 How to Choose the Right Branding Partner

1:20:35 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2914 Inside Rippling vs. Deel’s Billion-Dollar Espionage War What happens when a unicorn startup hires a spy to infiltrate its biggest rival? Welcome to the $28 billion battle between Rippling and Deel—where encrypted messages, crypto payments, burner phones, and a secret escape to Dubai are all part of the plot. Today, Sammi unpacks the real-life espionage scandal playing out in Silicon Valley. At the center: two HR tech giants locked in a legal death match. One allegedly planted a spy inside the other. And not just any spy—a payroll exec turned corporate James Bond, allegedly paid thousands a month to leak sensitive data from Slack, Salesforce, and more. This story has everything: honeypots, family conspiracies, a phone destroyed with an axe, and RICO charges straight out of a mob movie. And it’s all unfolding right now. Whether you’re a founder, a tech worker, or just here for the tea—this episode is a front-row seat to the dark side of startup competition. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Spy Thriller Silicon Valley Didn’t See Coming 00:48 Meet the Rivals: Rippling vs. Deel 02:16 The “Snake Oil” Feud Gets Personal 04:13 Enter the Spy: Keith O’Brien’s Double Life 06:20 Crypto, Code Names, and the Watchman 08:31 How the Spy Got Caught (and Things Hit the Fan) 11:06 The Honeypot Trap and a Shocking Confession 13:45 Destroyed Phones and Dubai Getaways 15:52 The Lawsuit: RICO, Racketeering, and Corporate Crime 18:33 Deal Fires Back and the Legal War Escalates 20:10 Why the Market Doesn’t Seem to Care 22:05 What This Means for Startup Culture All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What happens when a unicorn startup hires a spy to infiltrate its biggest rival? Welcome to the $28 billion battle between Rippling and Deel—where encrypted messages, crypto payments, burner phones, and a secret escape to Dubai are all part of the plot. Today, Sammi unpacks the real-life espionage scandal playing out in Silicon Valley. At the center: two HR tech giants locked in a legal death match. One allegedly planted a spy inside the other. And not just any spy—a payroll exec turned corporate James Bond, allegedly paid thousands a month to leak sensitive data from Slack, Salesforce, and more. This story has everything: honeypots, family conspiracies, a phone destroyed with an axe, and RICO charges straight out of a mob movie. And it’s all unfolding right now. Whether you’re a founder, a tech worker, or just here for the tea—this episode is a front-row seat to the dark side of startup competition. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Spy Thriller Silicon Valley Didn’t See Coming 00:48 Meet the Rivals: Rippling vs. Deel 02:16 The “Snake Oil” Feud Gets Personal 04:13 Enter the Spy: Keith O’Brien’s Double Life 06:20 Crypto, Code Names, and the Watchman 08:31 How the Spy Got Caught (and Things Hit the Fan) 11:06 The Honeypot Trap and a Shocking Confession 13:45 Destroyed Phones and Dubai Getaways 15:52 The Lawsuit: RICO, Racketeering, and Corporate Crime 18:33 Deal Fires Back and the Legal War Escalates 20:10 Why the Market Doesn’t Seem to Care 22:05 What This Means for Startup Culture All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What happens when a unicorn startup hires a spy to infiltrate its biggest rival? Welcome to the $28 billion battle between Rippling and Deel—where encrypted messages, crypto payments, burner phones, and a secret escape to Dubai are all part of the plot.

Today, Sammi unpacks the real-life espionage scandal playing out in Silicon Valley. At the center: two HR tech giants locked in a legal death match. One allegedly planted a spy inside the other. And not just any spy—a payroll exec turned corporate James Bond, allegedly paid thousands a month to leak sensitive data from Slack, Salesforce, and more. This story has everything: honeypots, family conspiracies, a phone destroyed with an axe, and RICO charges straight out of a mob movie. And it’s all unfolding right now. Whether you’re a founder, a tech worker, or just here for the tea—this episode is a front-row seat to the dark side of startup competition.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Spy Thriller Silicon Valley Didn’t See Coming

00:48 Meet the Rivals: Rippling vs. Deel

02:16 The “Snake Oil” Feud Gets Personal

04:13 Enter the Spy: Keith O’Brien’s Double Life

06:20 Crypto, Code Names, and the Watchman

08:31 How the Spy Got Caught (and Things Hit the Fan)

11:06 The Honeypot Trap and a Shocking Confession

13:45 Destroyed Phones and Dubai Getaways

15:52 The Lawsuit: RICO, Racketeering, and Corporate Crime

18:33 Deal Fires Back and the Legal War Escalates

20:10 Why the Market Doesn’t Seem to Care

22:05 What This Means for Startup Culture


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 869 no James Reinhart (ThredUp) on Educating Your Customer, Designing a Stellar Customer Experience, and the Future of Fashion Resale James Reinhart didn’t set out to change the way we shop—he just wanted to clean out his closet. But that simple idea turned into ThredUp, the giant and beloved resale marketplace. In today’s episode, Sammi sits down with James to unpack how he went from teaching in classrooms to disrupting closets. They talk about the bold bet that helped ThredUp outsmart competitors, why the “Clean Out Kit” became their secret weapon, and what most people get wrong about the secondhand economy. James also shares why partnerships with legacy retailers like Walmart and Macy’s matter, how AI is reshaping resale logistics, and his take on live shopping. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow ThredUp Read ThredUp’s Resale Report Here’s what Sammi covers today with James: 00:00 James Reinhart’s Social Currency 01:51 From Education to Entrepreneurship 04:07 The Genesis of ThredUp 09:00 Building the Founding Team 15:20 The Managed Marketplace Model 18:37 The “Clean Out Kit” Innovation 25:43 Challenges in Secondhand Retail 28:56 Resale Market Growth Predictions 29:40 Trends in Secondhand Selling 30:23 Consumer Behavior in Secondhand Shopping 32:19 Customer Loyalty and Retention Strategies 34:06 AI Innovations in Secondhand Retail 39:46 Impact of De Minimis Exemption on Retail 46:34 Future of Retail and Brand Building 51:19 POV on Live Shopping 54:05 Surprising Consumer Behaviors 55:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 12 Aug 2025 06:44:00 -0000 full Social Currency James Reinhart didn’t set out to change the way we shop—he just wanted to clean out his closet. But that simple idea turned into ThredUp, the giant and beloved resale marketplace. In today’s episode, Sammi sits down with James to unpack how he went from teaching in classrooms to disrupting closets. They talk about the bold bet that helped ThredUp outsmart competitors, why the “Clean Out Kit” became their secret weapon, and what most people get wrong about the secondhand economy. James also shares why partnerships with legacy retailers like Walmart and Macy’s matter, how AI is reshaping resale logistics, and his take on live shopping. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow ThredUp Read ThredUp’s Resale Report Here’s what Sammi covers today with James: 00:00 James Reinhart’s Social Currency 01:51 From Education to Entrepreneurship 04:07 The Genesis of ThredUp 09:00 Building the Founding Team 15:20 The Managed Marketplace Model 18:37 The “Clean Out Kit” Innovation 25:43 Challenges in Secondhand Retail 28:56 Resale Market Growth Predictions 29:40 Trends in Secondhand Selling 30:23 Consumer Behavior in Secondhand Shopping 32:19 Customer Loyalty and Retention Strategies 34:06 AI Innovations in Secondhand Retail 39:46 Impact of De Minimis Exemption on Retail 46:34 Future of Retail and Brand Building 51:19 POV on Live Shopping 54:05 Surprising Consumer Behaviors 55:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices James Reinhart didn’t set out to change the way we shop—he just wanted to clean out his closet. But that simple idea turned into ThredUp, the giant and beloved resale marketplace. In today’s episode, Sammi sits down with James to unpack how he went from teaching in classrooms to disrupting closets.

They talk about the bold bet that helped ThredUp outsmart competitors, why the “Clean Out Kit” became their secret weapon, and what most people get wrong about the secondhand economy. James also shares why partnerships with legacy retailers like Walmart and Macy’s matter, how AI is reshaping resale logistics, and his take on live shopping.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow ThredUp

Read ThredUp’s Resale Report


Here’s what Sammi covers today with James:

00:00 James Reinhart’s Social Currency

01:51 From Education to Entrepreneurship

04:07 The Genesis of ThredUp

09:00 Building the Founding Team

15:20 The Managed Marketplace Model

18:37 The “Clean Out Kit” Innovation

25:43 Challenges in Secondhand Retail

28:56 Resale Market Growth Predictions

29:40 Trends in Secondhand Selling

30:23 Consumer Behavior in Secondhand Shopping

32:19 Customer Loyalty and Retention Strategies

34:06 AI Innovations in Secondhand Retail

39:46 Impact of De Minimis Exemption on Retail

46:34 Future of Retail and Brand Building

51:19 POV on Live Shopping

54:05 Surprising Consumer Behaviors

55:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3583 no $33 Toilet Paper and $48 Olive Oil? Welcome to the Age of Every-Day Luxury Would you spend $33 on toilet paper just because it looks good on your bathroom shelf? You’re not alone—and there’s a reason why. Today Sammi unpacks the rise of what she calls aesthetic utility—a consumer movement where everyday essentials are elevated into lifestyle flexes. Gone are the days of basic olive oil and generic hand soap; now, products like Flamingo Estate’s $48 EVOO or Skinny Confidential’s premium TP are selling status, not just function. Sammi traces how this shift evolved from the first wave of DTC disruption into something deeper: a full-blown cultural phenomenon driven by micro luxury, social media aesthetics, and generational disillusionment with traditional success. You’ll learn why this trend is booming, which brands are getting it right, and how “small luxuries” are reshaping the future of retail—one beautifully packaged necessity at a time. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Rise of Aesthetic Utility 00:22 The $33 Toilet Paper That Says Everything 01:20  DTC 1.0 vs 2.0: From Cheap to Chic 02:53 Micro Luxury: The New Status Symbol 04:49 Brands That Turn Basics Into Flexes 07:17 Sammi’s Prediction: How Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary 08:06 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Would you spend $33 on toilet paper just because it looks good on your bathroom shelf? You’re not alone—and there’s a reason why. Today Sammi unpacks the rise of what she calls aesthetic utility—a consumer movement where everyday essentials are elevated into lifestyle flexes. Gone are the days of basic olive oil and generic hand soap; now, products like Flamingo Estate’s $48 EVOO or Skinny Confidential’s premium TP are selling status, not just function. Sammi traces how this shift evolved from the first wave of DTC disruption into something deeper: a full-blown cultural phenomenon driven by micro luxury, social media aesthetics, and generational disillusionment with traditional success. You’ll learn why this trend is booming, which brands are getting it right, and how “small luxuries” are reshaping the future of retail—one beautifully packaged necessity at a time. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Rise of Aesthetic Utility 00:22 The $33 Toilet Paper That Says Everything 01:20  DTC 1.0 vs 2.0: From Cheap to Chic 02:53 Micro Luxury: The New Status Symbol 04:49 Brands That Turn Basics Into Flexes 07:17 Sammi’s Prediction: How Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary 08:06 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Would you spend $33 on toilet paper just because it looks good on your bathroom shelf? You’re not alone—and there’s a reason why. Today Sammi unpacks the rise of what she calls aesthetic utility—a consumer movement where everyday essentials are elevated into lifestyle flexes. Gone are the days of basic olive oil and generic hand soap; now, products like Flamingo Estate’s $48 EVOO or Skinny Confidential’s premium TP are selling status, not just function.

Sammi traces how this shift evolved from the first wave of DTC disruption into something deeper: a full-blown cultural phenomenon driven by micro luxury, social media aesthetics, and generational disillusionment with traditional success. You’ll learn why this trend is booming, which brands are getting it right, and how “small luxuries” are reshaping the future of retail—one beautifully packaged necessity at a time.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Rise of Aesthetic Utility

00:22 The $33 Toilet Paper That Says Everything

01:20  DTC 1.0 vs 2.0: From Cheap to Chic

02:53 Micro Luxury: The New Status Symbol

04:49 Brands That Turn Basics Into Flexes

07:17 Sammi’s Prediction: How Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary

08:06 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 607 no Ariel Kaye (Parachute) on Getting D2C Right, Building Customer Trust and Selling Out of Product Without Becoming a Sellout Today, Sammi is joined by Ariel Kaye, the founder of Parachute—the cult-favorite home essentials brand that helped define the direct-to-consumer movement. Ariel shares the real story behind Parachute’s early days: from bootstrapping her first launch to navigating funding rounds, managing growing pains, and expanding from digital to retail. She opens up about the emotional toll of solo entrepreneurship, the importance of mentorship, and how she kept her business grounded in customer experience—even during the chaos of COVID. Plus, Ariel reveals how she thinks about growth today, the pressures of staying independent, and why having options—not obligations—is the real founder flex. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Parachute Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ariel: 00:00  Ariel Kaye’s Social Currency 02:49  Early Customer Research and Product Iterations 07:53  Launch Mode: The First Products, First Wins 11:20 Fundraising Without Losing Focus 15:32 What Early Growth Looked Like 17:39 Why Parachute Went IRL With Brick-and-Mortar 21:44 COVID Curveballs 24:19 Building a Full Lifestyle Brand 27:35 Making Marketing Personal 31:32 How Ariel Earns Customer Trust 39:47 The Emotional Side of Building Solo 42:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 05 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi is joined by Ariel Kaye, the founder of Parachute—the cult-favorite home essentials brand that helped define the direct-to-consumer movement. Ariel shares the real story behind Parachute’s early days: from bootstrapping her first launch to navigating funding rounds, managing growing pains, and expanding from digital to retail. She opens up about the emotional toll of solo entrepreneurship, the importance of mentorship, and how she kept her business grounded in customer experience—even during the chaos of COVID. Plus, Ariel reveals how she thinks about growth today, the pressures of staying independent, and why having options—not obligations—is the real founder flex. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Parachute Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ariel: 00:00  Ariel Kaye’s Social Currency 02:49  Early Customer Research and Product Iterations 07:53  Launch Mode: The First Products, First Wins 11:20 Fundraising Without Losing Focus 15:32 What Early Growth Looked Like 17:39 Why Parachute Went IRL With Brick-and-Mortar 21:44 COVID Curveballs 24:19 Building a Full Lifestyle Brand 27:35 Making Marketing Personal 31:32 How Ariel Earns Customer Trust 39:47 The Emotional Side of Building Solo 42:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi is joined by Ariel Kaye, the founder of Parachute—the cult-favorite home essentials brand that helped define the direct-to-consumer movement. Ariel shares the real story behind Parachute’s early days: from bootstrapping her first launch to navigating funding rounds, managing growing pains, and expanding from digital to retail. She opens up about the emotional toll of solo entrepreneurship, the importance of mentorship, and how she kept her business grounded in customer experience—even during the chaos of COVID.

Plus, Ariel reveals how she thinks about growth today, the pressures of staying independent, and why having options—not obligations—is the real founder flex.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Follow Parachute

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ariel:

00:00  Ariel Kaye’s Social Currency

02:49  Early Customer Research and Product Iterations

07:53  Launch Mode: The First Products, First Wins

11:20 Fundraising Without Losing Focus

15:32 What Early Growth Looked Like

17:39 Why Parachute Went IRL With Brick-and-Mortar

21:44 COVID Curveballs

24:19 Building a Full Lifestyle Brand

27:35 Making Marketing Personal

31:32 How Ariel Earns Customer Trust

39:47 The Emotional Side of Building Solo

42:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2756 The Rise and Fall of Juicero: Silicon Valley's $120 Million Juicing Catastrophe Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and fall of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to solve a problem that didn't exist with an over-engineered solution. Founded by Doug Evans, who aspired to revolutionize the juice industry, Juicero promised a convenient, high-tech juicing machine. Despite backing from major investors like Google Ventures and celebrity endorsements, the company's $400 juicer was exposed as redundant by a viral Bloomberg video. The video revealed that the machine’s expensive features were unnecessary. This debacle led to Juicero’s downfall, highlighting critical lessons about startup culture, over-engineering, and the importance of validating a problem before developing a solution. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction to Juicero’s Rise and Fall 00:51 Doug Evans: The Visionary Behind Juicero 01:58 The Juicero Press: A Revolutionary Idea 02:40 Silicon Valley's Enthusiastic Response 03:48 The Launch and Initial Success 05:13 The Bloomberg Revelation 07:11 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned 10:55 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 01 Aug 2025 04:09:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and fall of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to solve a problem that didn't exist with an over-engineered solution. Founded by Doug Evans, who aspired to revolutionize the juice industry, Juicero promised a convenient, high-tech juicing machine. Despite backing from major investors like Google Ventures and celebrity endorsements, the company's $400 juicer was exposed as redundant by a viral Bloomberg video. The video revealed that the machine’s expensive features were unnecessary. This debacle led to Juicero’s downfall, highlighting critical lessons about startup culture, over-engineering, and the importance of validating a problem before developing a solution. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Introduction to Juicero’s Rise and Fall 00:51 Doug Evans: The Visionary Behind Juicero 01:58 The Juicero Press: A Revolutionary Idea 02:40 Silicon Valley's Enthusiastic Response 03:48 The Launch and Initial Success 05:13 The Bloomberg Revelation 07:11 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned 10:55 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and fall of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to solve a problem that didn't exist with an over-engineered solution. Founded by Doug Evans, who aspired to revolutionize the juice industry, Juicero promised a convenient, high-tech juicing machine. Despite backing from major investors like Google Ventures and celebrity endorsements, the company's $400 juicer was exposed as redundant by a viral Bloomberg video. The video revealed that the machine’s expensive features were unnecessary. This debacle led to Juicero’s downfall, highlighting critical lessons about startup culture, over-engineering, and the importance of validating a problem before developing a solution.

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Introduction to Juicero’s Rise and Fall

00:51 Doug Evans: The Visionary Behind Juicero

01:58 The Juicero Press: A Revolutionary Idea

02:40 Silicon Valley's Enthusiastic Response

03:48 The Launch and Initial Success

05:13 The Bloomberg Revelation

07:11 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned

10:55 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 767 no Tyler Denk (Beehiiv) on How to Grow a Profitable Newsletter, Lessons from Morning Brew and AI Bots For Creators What’s the secret behind today’s fastest-growing newsletters—and how can creators build smarter, not harder? Tyler Denk is here to answer exactly that. Tyler was one of the first hires at Morning Brew, and now is CEO of Beehiiv, the platform that’s powering some of your favorite newsletters and fueling a new wave of digital media empires. Tyler shares hard truths of being a founder, why he thinks being single is a startup superpower, and how he’s positioning Beehiiv to dominate in a creator economy flooded with tools. Plus, Tyler and Sammi dive into the role AI will (and won’t) play in the future of content.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Subscribe to Big Desk Energy Here’s what Sammi covers today with Tyler: 00:00 Tyler Denk’s Social Currency 03:23 Inside Morning Brew Early Days 06:46 Growth Hacking at Morning Brew 09:44 Leaving Morning Brew and Starting Beehiiv 16:57 Raising Seed Funding for Beehiiv 20:54 Naming Beehiiv 33:17 How to Grow a Newsletter 36:50 The Anti-VC Founder Mentality 38:36 Competing with Substack 43:54 AI in Newsletters 50:37 Contrast Therapy 55:05 Building a Company in Public 01:00:11 The Competitive Advantage of Being Single 01:02:38 Routine and Productivity Hacks 01:04:47 Monetization Funds for Creators 01:07:09 Exciting New Tools at Beehiiv 01:10:09 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What’s the secret behind today’s fastest-growing newsletters—and how can creators build smarter, not harder? Tyler Denk is here to answer exactly that. Tyler was one of the first hires at Morning Brew, and now is CEO of Beehiiv, the platform that’s powering some of your favorite newsletters and fueling a new wave of digital media empires. Tyler shares hard truths of being a founder, why he thinks being single is a startup superpower, and how he’s positioning Beehiiv to dominate in a creator economy flooded with tools. Plus, Tyler and Sammi dive into the role AI will (and won’t) play in the future of content.  Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Subscribe to Big Desk Energy Here’s what Sammi covers today with Tyler: 00:00 Tyler Denk’s Social Currency 03:23 Inside Morning Brew Early Days 06:46 Growth Hacking at Morning Brew 09:44 Leaving Morning Brew and Starting Beehiiv 16:57 Raising Seed Funding for Beehiiv 20:54 Naming Beehiiv 33:17 How to Grow a Newsletter 36:50 The Anti-VC Founder Mentality 38:36 Competing with Substack 43:54 AI in Newsletters 50:37 Contrast Therapy 55:05 Building a Company in Public 01:00:11 The Competitive Advantage of Being Single 01:02:38 Routine and Productivity Hacks 01:04:47 Monetization Funds for Creators 01:07:09 Exciting New Tools at Beehiiv 01:10:09 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What’s the secret behind today’s fastest-growing newsletters—and how can creators build smarter, not harder? Tyler Denk is here to answer exactly that.

Tyler was one of the first hires at Morning Brew, and now is CEO of Beehiiv, the platform that’s powering some of your favorite newsletters and fueling a new wave of digital media empires. Tyler shares hard truths of being a founder, why he thinks being single is a startup superpower, and how he’s positioning Beehiiv to dominate in a creator economy flooded with tools. Plus, Tyler and Sammi dive into the role AI will (and won’t) play in the future of content. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram 

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter 

Subscribe to Big Desk Energy

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Tyler:

00:00 Tyler Denk’s Social Currency

03:23 Inside Morning Brew Early Days

06:46 Growth Hacking at Morning Brew

09:44 Leaving Morning Brew and Starting Beehiiv

16:57 Raising Seed Funding for Beehiiv

20:54 Naming Beehiiv

33:17 How to Grow a Newsletter

36:50 The Anti-VC Founder Mentality

38:36 Competing with Substack

43:54 AI in Newsletters

50:37 Contrast Therapy

55:05 Building a Company in Public

01:00:11 The Competitive Advantage of Being Single

01:02:38 Routine and Productivity Hacks

01:04:47 Monetization Funds for Creators

01:07:09 Exciting New Tools at Beehiiv

01:10:09 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 4523 Why Some Celebrity Brands Flop While Others Break the Internet From skincare to alcohol, it feels like every celebrity has a brand and your feed is probably full of them. But why do some explode while others quietly crash and burn? Today, Sammi breaks down what really separates the hits from the hype. Is it all about star power—or does authenticity actually matter? Sammi dives into the blueprint behind successful celebrity brands like Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, and why others, like Blake Lively’s new beauty line and Katy Perry’s non-alcoholic beverage line, might be missing the mark. This isn’t just about celebs—it’s about how trust, timing, and problem-solving products win in a saturated market.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Celebrity Brand Boom 00:38 Fame vs. Business Savvy 01:13 The Risks of Building on a Personal Brand 01:45 What Happened to Ivy Park? 04:44 Skims: A Case Study in Smart Branding 06:20 Rhode and the Rise of Skinfluencers 07:30 Beauty Industry Hits and Misses 10:07 What Actually Makes a Brand “Authentic”? 12:04 Takeaways and Predictions 12:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 25 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency From skincare to alcohol, it feels like every celebrity has a brand and your feed is probably full of them. But why do some explode while others quietly crash and burn? Today, Sammi breaks down what really separates the hits from the hype. Is it all about star power—or does authenticity actually matter? Sammi dives into the blueprint behind successful celebrity brands like Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, and why others, like Blake Lively’s new beauty line and Katy Perry’s non-alcoholic beverage line, might be missing the mark. This isn’t just about celebs—it’s about how trust, timing, and problem-solving products win in a saturated market.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Celebrity Brand Boom 00:38 Fame vs. Business Savvy 01:13 The Risks of Building on a Personal Brand 01:45 What Happened to Ivy Park? 04:44 Skims: A Case Study in Smart Branding 06:20 Rhode and the Rise of Skinfluencers 07:30 Beauty Industry Hits and Misses 10:07 What Actually Makes a Brand “Authentic”? 12:04 Takeaways and Predictions 12:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices From skincare to alcohol, it feels like every celebrity has a brand and your feed is probably full of them. But why do some explode while others quietly crash and burn? Today, Sammi breaks down what really separates the hits from the hype.

Is it all about star power—or does authenticity actually matter? Sammi dives into the blueprint behind successful celebrity brands like Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, and why others, like Blake Lively’s new beauty line and Katy Perry’s non-alcoholic beverage line, might be missing the mark. This isn’t just about celebs—it’s about how trust, timing, and problem-solving products win in a saturated market. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Celebrity Brand Boom

00:38 Fame vs. Business Savvy

01:13 The Risks of Building on a Personal Brand

01:45 What Happened to Ivy Park?

04:44 Skims: A Case Study in Smart Branding

06:20 Rhode and the Rise of Skinfluencers

07:30 Beauty Industry Hits and Misses

10:07 What Actually Makes a Brand “Authentic”?

12:04 Takeaways and Predictions

12:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 848 no Phoebe Gates & Sophia Kianni (Phia) on Disrupting Fashion, Rethinking Retail, and Building a Business That’s Good for the Planet The fashion industry is facing a reckoning—from how clothes are made to how they’re resold. And Phia, a new tech-driven platform, is betting that the future of shopping is secondhand, smarter, and more sustainable. In this episode, Sammi sits down with Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about how they went from brainstorming ideas in their Stanford dorm room to building a company that’s rethinking retail. They share how Phia uses tech to track price drops and spotlight resale options, why they’re betting on browser extensions and Gen Z, and how their backgrounds have helped them build a mission-driven brand from the ground up. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Learn more about Phia here Listen to The Burnouts here Here’s what Sammi covers with Phoebe & Sophia: 00:00 Phoebe & Sophia’s Social Currency 01:51 The Phia Origin Story 07:18 Dropping Out of Stanford and Betting on Themselves 09:38 Building a Team and Advice from Bill Gates 14:48 How the Phia App Makes Secondhand Shopping Easy 25:23 Why Secondhand Isn’t Second-Rate 28:26 Gen Z’s Take on Sustainability 29:20 How Phia Reaches Shoppers Where They Already Are 30:11 The Resale Value Factor 31:07 Who They're Building Phia For 34:12 Lessons from Investors and Advisors 35:42 How Their Podcast The Burnouts on Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network Ties into Their Brand 37:32 Radical Transparency and Listening to Your Customer 44:41 How They Manage Their Time 47:18 What’s Next for the Future of Shopping 48:54 Whose Closet They’d Raid Tomorrow 50:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency The fashion industry is facing a reckoning—from how clothes are made to how they’re resold. And Phia, a new tech-driven platform, is betting that the future of shopping is secondhand, smarter, and more sustainable. In this episode, Sammi sits down with Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about how they went from brainstorming ideas in their Stanford dorm room to building a company that’s rethinking retail. They share how Phia uses tech to track price drops and spotlight resale options, why they’re betting on browser extensions and Gen Z, and how their backgrounds have helped them build a mission-driven brand from the ground up. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Learn more about Phia here Listen to The Burnouts here Here’s what Sammi covers with Phoebe & Sophia: 00:00 Phoebe & Sophia’s Social Currency 01:51 The Phia Origin Story 07:18 Dropping Out of Stanford and Betting on Themselves 09:38 Building a Team and Advice from Bill Gates 14:48 How the Phia App Makes Secondhand Shopping Easy 25:23 Why Secondhand Isn’t Second-Rate 28:26 Gen Z’s Take on Sustainability 29:20 How Phia Reaches Shoppers Where They Already Are 30:11 The Resale Value Factor 31:07 Who They're Building Phia For 34:12 Lessons from Investors and Advisors 35:42 How Their Podcast The Burnouts on Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network Ties into Their Brand 37:32 Radical Transparency and Listening to Your Customer 44:41 How They Manage Their Time 47:18 What’s Next for the Future of Shopping 48:54 Whose Closet They’d Raid Tomorrow 50:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices The fashion industry is facing a reckoning—from how clothes are made to how they’re resold. And Phia, a new tech-driven platform, is betting that the future of shopping is secondhand, smarter, and more sustainable.

In this episode, Sammi sits down with Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about how they went from brainstorming ideas in their Stanford dorm room to building a company that’s rethinking retail. They share how Phia uses tech to track price drops and spotlight resale options, why they’re betting on browser extensions and Gen Z, and how their backgrounds have helped them build a mission-driven brand from the ground up.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Learn more about Phia here

Listen to The Burnouts here

Here’s what Sammi covers with Phoebe & Sophia:

00:00 Phoebe & Sophia’s Social Currency

01:51 The Phia Origin Story

07:18 Dropping Out of Stanford and Betting on Themselves

09:38 Building a Team and Advice from Bill Gates

14:48 How the Phia App Makes Secondhand Shopping Easy

25:23 Why Secondhand Isn’t Second-Rate

28:26 Gen Z’s Take on Sustainability

29:20 How Phia Reaches Shoppers Where They Already Are

30:11 The Resale Value Factor

31:07 Who They're Building Phia For

34:12 Lessons from Investors and Advisors

35:42 How Their Podcast The Burnouts on Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network Ties into Their Brand

37:32 Radical Transparency and Listening to Your Customer

44:41 How They Manage Their Time

47:18 What’s Next for the Future of Shopping

48:54 Whose Closet They’d Raid Tomorrow

50:02 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3329 Buy Now, Pay Later: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly  Buy now, pay later is everywhere. Maybe you've seen it when you were buying a Sephora haul, or deciding that you deserve to splurge on your DoorDash delivery, but what’s the truth behind the trend? Today, Sammi answers the question: is BNPL just a shiny new version of the old school layaway, gamified for the TikTok generation? Or is it more dangerous? Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Allure of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) 01:00 How BNPL Works 01:42 The Popularity… and Risks 06:40 Economic and Social Implications of BNPL 09:11 The Financial Realities of BNPL 12:42 BNPL and Your Credit Score 15:55 Pros, Cons and the Future of Payments All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:28:00 -0000 full Social Currency  Buy now, pay later is everywhere. Maybe you've seen it when you were buying a Sephora haul, or deciding that you deserve to splurge on your DoorDash delivery, but what’s the truth behind the trend? Today, Sammi answers the question: is BNPL just a shiny new version of the old school layaway, gamified for the TikTok generation? Or is it more dangerous? Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Allure of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) 01:00 How BNPL Works 01:42 The Popularity… and Risks 06:40 Economic and Social Implications of BNPL 09:11 The Financial Realities of BNPL 12:42 BNPL and Your Credit Score 15:55 Pros, Cons and the Future of Payments All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  Buy now, pay later is everywhere. Maybe you've seen it when you were buying a Sephora haul, or deciding that you deserve to splurge on your DoorDash delivery, but what’s the truth behind the trend? Today, Sammi answers the question: is BNPL just a shiny new version of the old school layaway, gamified for the TikTok generation? Or is it more dangerous?

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Allure of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

01:00 How BNPL Works

01:42 The Popularity… and Risks

06:40 Economic and Social Implications of BNPL

09:11 The Financial Realities of BNPL

12:42 BNPL and Your Credit Score

15:55 Pros, Cons and the Future of Payments


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1231 no Ankur Jain (Bilt) on Turning Rent Into Rewards, Raising $250M, and Reinventing the Path to Homeownership What if paying rent could actually help you own a home someday? That’s exactly the idea Ankur Jain ran with when he launched Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program that lets renters earn points on rent—and it’s now backed by over 2 million units nationwide, plus Mastercard, Wells Fargo and more. Sammi sits down with Ankur to unpack how he built one of the most disruptive fintech startups in the housing space, why homeownership is getting harder for younger generations, and how Built is changing that. From navigating brutal regulatory red tape to raising $250 million in funding, Ankur shares what it really takes to scale a company that aims to fix real-world problems. He also opens up about his time at Tinder, his immigrant roots, the flaws of traditional venture capital, and his unbelievable wedding at the Great Pyramids of Giza. Here’s what Sammi covers with Ankur: 00:00 Ankur Jain’s Social Currency 02:04 Ankur's Time at Tinder 03:55 How Private Companies Can Solve Public Problems  14:08 COVID-19’s Unexpected Impact on Bilt 18:12 Ankur’s 18 Months in DC Tackling Regulatory Hurdles 22:42 Building a Complex Ecosystem 26:37 The Bilt Model and Connecting Renters with Merchants 31:36 Ankur’s Take on Fundraising 38:14 Surprising Gen Z and Millennial Money Habits 41:55 The Benefits of Working with Friends 44:27 The Future of Living 46:31 Social Currency Corner 47:58 The Wedding of the Century Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Check out Bilt here Peruse Ankur's Wedding Photos here All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What if paying rent could actually help you own a home someday? That’s exactly the idea Ankur Jain ran with when he launched Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program that lets renters earn points on rent—and it’s now backed by over 2 million units nationwide, plus Mastercard, Wells Fargo and more. Sammi sits down with Ankur to unpack how he built one of the most disruptive fintech startups in the housing space, why homeownership is getting harder for younger generations, and how Built is changing that. From navigating brutal regulatory red tape to raising $250 million in funding, Ankur shares what it really takes to scale a company that aims to fix real-world problems. He also opens up about his time at Tinder, his immigrant roots, the flaws of traditional venture capital, and his unbelievable wedding at the Great Pyramids of Giza. Here’s what Sammi covers with Ankur: 00:00 Ankur Jain’s Social Currency 02:04 Ankur's Time at Tinder 03:55 How Private Companies Can Solve Public Problems  14:08 COVID-19’s Unexpected Impact on Bilt 18:12 Ankur’s 18 Months in DC Tackling Regulatory Hurdles 22:42 Building a Complex Ecosystem 26:37 The Bilt Model and Connecting Renters with Merchants 31:36 Ankur’s Take on Fundraising 38:14 Surprising Gen Z and Millennial Money Habits 41:55 The Benefits of Working with Friends 44:27 The Future of Living 46:31 Social Currency Corner 47:58 The Wedding of the Century Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Check out Bilt here Peruse Ankur's Wedding Photos here All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What if paying rent could actually help you own a home someday? That’s exactly the idea Ankur Jain ran with when he launched Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program that lets renters earn points on rent—and it’s now backed by over 2 million units nationwide, plus Mastercard, Wells Fargo and more.

Sammi sits down with Ankur to unpack how he built one of the most disruptive fintech startups in the housing space, why homeownership is getting harder for younger generations, and how Built is changing that. From navigating brutal regulatory red tape to raising $250 million in funding, Ankur shares what it really takes to scale a company that aims to fix real-world problems.

He also opens up about his time at Tinder, his immigrant roots, the flaws of traditional venture capital, and his unbelievable wedding at the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Here’s what Sammi covers with Ankur:

00:00 Ankur Jain’s Social Currency

02:04 Ankur's Time at Tinder

03:55 How Private Companies Can Solve Public Problems 

14:08 COVID-19’s Unexpected Impact on Bilt

18:12 Ankur’s 18 Months in DC Tackling Regulatory Hurdles

22:42 Building a Complex Ecosystem

26:37 The Bilt Model and Connecting Renters with Merchants

31:36 Ankur’s Take on Fundraising

38:14 Surprising Gen Z and Millennial Money Habits

41:55 The Benefits of Working with Friends

44:27 The Future of Living

46:31 Social Currency Corner

47:58 The Wedding of the Century


Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Check out Bilt here

Peruse Ankur's Wedding Photos here


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3221 Let Them: How Mel Robbins Became the Oprah of TikTok Motivation Mel Robbins didn’t invent self-help—but she might’ve made it viral. From courtroom stress to content queen, Mel turned panic attacks into a personal brand empire, built on bite-sized truths like the Five Second Rule and Let Them. Her strategy? Simplicity that scales, relentless experimentation, and showing up as exactly herself. In today’s episode, Sammi breaks down how Mel went from anonymous anxiety to global influence—and what her journey teaches us about brand-building in the era of oversharing. Whether you want to grow your platform or just get your butt out of bed, Mel’s story is full of real, replicable takeaways. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Power of Bite-Sized Wisdom 00:30 Who Is Mel Robbins (and Why Is She Everywhere)? 05:10 The Five Second Rule: TikTok Therapy in Disguise 07:24 Let Them: Simplicity as a Business Strategy 10:07 The Mel Media Machine: How She Experiments Her Way to the Top 11:54 Lessons in Authenticity, Attention, and Algorithms 13:27 What You Can Steal From Mel’s Playbook All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 11 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Mel Robbins didn’t invent self-help—but she might’ve made it viral. From courtroom stress to content queen, Mel turned panic attacks into a personal brand empire, built on bite-sized truths like the Five Second Rule and Let Them. Her strategy? Simplicity that scales, relentless experimentation, and showing up as exactly herself. In today’s episode, Sammi breaks down how Mel went from anonymous anxiety to global influence—and what her journey teaches us about brand-building in the era of oversharing. Whether you want to grow your platform or just get your butt out of bed, Mel’s story is full of real, replicable takeaways. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Power of Bite-Sized Wisdom 00:30 Who Is Mel Robbins (and Why Is She Everywhere)? 05:10 The Five Second Rule: TikTok Therapy in Disguise 07:24 Let Them: Simplicity as a Business Strategy 10:07 The Mel Media Machine: How She Experiments Her Way to the Top 11:54 Lessons in Authenticity, Attention, and Algorithms 13:27 What You Can Steal From Mel’s Playbook All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mel Robbins didn’t invent self-help—but she might’ve made it viral. From courtroom stress to content queen, Mel turned panic attacks into a personal brand empire, built on bite-sized truths like the Five Second Rule and Let Them. Her strategy? Simplicity that scales, relentless experimentation, and showing up as exactly herself.

In today’s episode, Sammi breaks down how Mel went from anonymous anxiety to global influence—and what her journey teaches us about brand-building in the era of oversharing. Whether you want to grow your platform or just get your butt out of bed, Mel’s story is full of real, replicable takeaways.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Power of Bite-Sized Wisdom

00:30 Who Is Mel Robbins (and Why Is She Everywhere)?

05:10 The Five Second Rule: TikTok Therapy in Disguise

07:24 Let Them: Simplicity as a Business Strategy

10:07 The Mel Media Machine: How She Experiments Her Way to the Top

11:54 Lessons in Authenticity, Attention, and Algorithms

13:27 What You Can Steal From Mel’s Playbook


All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. 

*APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change.

See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1048 no Lauren Makler (Cofertility) on Make Egg Freezing Accessible, Consumerizing Women’s Health, and Building a Mission-Driven Business What if freezing your eggs didn’t have to feel out of reach, financially or emotionally? Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, is reimagining how we think about egg donation and preservation. Lauren’s company helps women freeze their eggs for free— in exchange for donating half— breaking down financial barriers while fostering a more transparent, human-first approach to fertility. In this conversation, Lauren tells Sammi about the wake-up call that sparked her mission, the challenges of innovating in healthcare, and how she balances operational complexity with a deeply personal, purpose-driven vision. Here’s what Sammi covers with Lauren: 00:00 Lauren Makler’s Social Currency 01:45 From Uber Health to Women’s Health: Lauren’s Career Journey 04:56 The Personal Story Behind Cofertility 09:36 Rethinking the Business of Fertility 16:26 How Co-Fertility’s Model Works 19:57 Making Egg Donation More Transparent 22:01 Fundraising in FemTech 23:00 Testing the Concept and Winning Over Investors 27:01 Navigating Operational Challenges 29:22 Building Trust Through Partnerships and Brand 32:50 Consumerizing Healthcare Without Losing the Human Touch 38:49 Advice for Founders Pivoting into Women’s Health 42:11 How to Support the Show Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Follow Cofertility here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 08 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency What if freezing your eggs didn’t have to feel out of reach, financially or emotionally? Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, is reimagining how we think about egg donation and preservation. Lauren’s company helps women freeze their eggs for free— in exchange for donating half— breaking down financial barriers while fostering a more transparent, human-first approach to fertility. In this conversation, Lauren tells Sammi about the wake-up call that sparked her mission, the challenges of innovating in healthcare, and how she balances operational complexity with a deeply personal, purpose-driven vision. Here’s what Sammi covers with Lauren: 00:00 Lauren Makler’s Social Currency 01:45 From Uber Health to Women’s Health: Lauren’s Career Journey 04:56 The Personal Story Behind Cofertility 09:36 Rethinking the Business of Fertility 16:26 How Co-Fertility’s Model Works 19:57 Making Egg Donation More Transparent 22:01 Fundraising in FemTech 23:00 Testing the Concept and Winning Over Investors 27:01 Navigating Operational Challenges 29:22 Building Trust Through Partnerships and Brand 32:50 Consumerizing Healthcare Without Losing the Human Touch 38:49 Advice for Founders Pivoting into Women’s Health 42:11 How to Support the Show Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Follow Cofertility here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What if freezing your eggs didn’t have to feel out of reach, financially or emotionally? Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, is reimagining how we think about egg donation and preservation.

Lauren’s company helps women freeze their eggs for free— in exchange for donating half— breaking down financial barriers while fostering a more transparent, human-first approach to fertility. In this conversation, Lauren tells Sammi about the wake-up call that sparked her mission, the challenges of innovating in healthcare, and how she balances operational complexity with a deeply personal, purpose-driven vision.

Here’s what Sammi covers with Lauren:

00:00 Lauren Makler’s Social Currency

01:45 From Uber Health to Women’s Health: Lauren’s Career Journey

04:56 The Personal Story Behind Cofertility

09:36 Rethinking the Business of Fertility

16:26 How Co-Fertility’s Model Works

19:57 Making Egg Donation More Transparent

22:01 Fundraising in FemTech

23:00 Testing the Concept and Winning Over Investors

27:01 Navigating Operational Challenges

29:22 Building Trust Through Partnerships and Brand

32:50 Consumerizing Healthcare Without Losing the Human Touch

38:49 Advice for Founders Pivoting into Women’s Health

42:11 How to Support the Show

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Follow Cofertility here


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2897 The Creator Economy Decoded: How to Actually Make Money Online Nearly 60% of Gen Z wants to be a creator—but how do you actually turn posting into profit? In this episode, Sammi pulls back the curtain on the creator economy and shares the real business model behind full-time content creation. From brand partnerships to your own storefront, affiliate links to equity deals, Sammi breaks down all the ways creators monetize (and the pitfalls to watch out for). Plus, she shares her own behind-the-scenes journey: how she priced her first brand deal, the mistakes she learned the hard way, and her big vision for Social Currency as a platform and a business. Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a creator yourself, already building your side hustle, or just curious about how the influencer sausage gets made—this episode will give you a roadmap to stand out, stay authentic, and actually make money online. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why the creator economy is just getting started 02:15 The myth of saturation—and how to stand out 03:44 The brand partnership playbook (and how to price yourself) 11:09 Owning your storefront: products, courses, and merch 15:07 Platform payouts, affiliate links, and even equity deals 16:33 The realities of creator cash flow and mental load 20:55  How to show Social Currency some love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Nearly 60% of Gen Z wants to be a creator—but how do you actually turn posting into profit? In this episode, Sammi pulls back the curtain on the creator economy and shares the real business model behind full-time content creation. From brand partnerships to your own storefront, affiliate links to equity deals, Sammi breaks down all the ways creators monetize (and the pitfalls to watch out for). Plus, she shares her own behind-the-scenes journey: how she priced her first brand deal, the mistakes she learned the hard way, and her big vision for Social Currency as a platform and a business. Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a creator yourself, already building your side hustle, or just curious about how the influencer sausage gets made—this episode will give you a roadmap to stand out, stay authentic, and actually make money online. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why the creator economy is just getting started 02:15 The myth of saturation—and how to stand out 03:44 The brand partnership playbook (and how to price yourself) 11:09 Owning your storefront: products, courses, and merch 15:07 Platform payouts, affiliate links, and even equity deals 16:33 The realities of creator cash flow and mental load 20:55  How to show Social Currency some love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Nearly 60% of Gen Z wants to be a creator—but how do you actually turn posting into profit? In this episode, Sammi pulls back the curtain on the creator economy and shares the real business model behind full-time content creation. From brand partnerships to your own storefront, affiliate links to equity deals, Sammi breaks down all the ways creators monetize (and the pitfalls to watch out for). Plus, she shares her own behind-the-scenes journey: how she priced her first brand deal, the mistakes she learned the hard way, and her big vision for Social Currency as a platform and a business.

Whether you’re dreaming of becoming a creator yourself, already building your side hustle, or just curious about how the influencer sausage gets made—this episode will give you a roadmap to stand out, stay authentic, and actually make money online.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Why the creator economy is just getting started

02:15 The myth of saturation—and how to stand out

03:44 The brand partnership playbook (and how to price yourself)

11:09 Owning your storefront: products, courses, and merch

15:07 Platform payouts, affiliate links, and even equity deals

16:33 The realities of creator cash flow and mental load

20:55  How to show Social Currency some love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1394 Augustus Doricko (Rainmaker) on Reprogramming the Weather, the Hard Tech Renaissance, and His Bloody Company Motto How would the health of the planet be impacted if we could control the weather? Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, is on a mission to find out. Augustus’ company makes it rain— literally. Through a process called cloud seeding, Rainmaker creates rain for farms, watersheds and ecosystems. In this conversation, Augustus tells Sammi about the brain-bending challenges of engineering cutting-edge technology, the impact of being a Peter Thiel fellow, and why his company motto is “we love the taste of blood in our mouth.”  Here’s what Sammi covers with Augustus: 00:00 Augustus Doricko’s Social Currency 01:45 The Mission of Rainmaker 02:38 The Tech Behind Cloud Seeding (Making It Rain) 03:34 The Origin Story of Weather Modification 04:46 The Importance of Attribution  05:36 How To Create a Brand-New Market 08:02 How Rainmaker Makes It Rain 09:42 Augustus’ Path to Rainmaker 11:00 How Rainmaker Can Address Water Scarcity 21:23 The Community of El Segundo 25:25 Making Engineering Cool  29:08 Fundraising for Hard Tech 31:14 The Peter Thiel Fellowship Experience 34:06 Advice for Aspiring Founders 35:55 Social Currency Corner Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Follow Rainmaker hereFollow Augustus here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 01 Jul 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency How would the health of the planet be impacted if we could control the weather? Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, is on a mission to find out. Augustus’ company makes it rain— literally. Through a process called cloud seeding, Rainmaker creates rain for farms, watersheds and ecosystems. In this conversation, Augustus tells Sammi about the brain-bending challenges of engineering cutting-edge technology, the impact of being a Peter Thiel fellow, and why his company motto is “we love the taste of blood in our mouth.”  Here’s what Sammi covers with Augustus: 00:00 Augustus Doricko’s Social Currency 01:45 The Mission of Rainmaker 02:38 The Tech Behind Cloud Seeding (Making It Rain) 03:34 The Origin Story of Weather Modification 04:46 The Importance of Attribution  05:36 How To Create a Brand-New Market 08:02 How Rainmaker Makes It Rain 09:42 Augustus’ Path to Rainmaker 11:00 How Rainmaker Can Address Water Scarcity 21:23 The Community of El Segundo 25:25 Making Engineering Cool  29:08 Fundraising for Hard Tech 31:14 The Peter Thiel Fellowship Experience 34:06 Advice for Aspiring Founders 35:55 Social Currency Corner Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Follow Rainmaker hereFollow Augustus here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices How would the health of the planet be impacted if we could control the weather? Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, is on a mission to find out.

Augustus’ company makes it rain— literally. Through a process called cloud seeding, Rainmaker creates rain for farms, watersheds and ecosystems. In this conversation, Augustus tells Sammi about the brain-bending challenges of engineering cutting-edge technology, the impact of being a Peter Thiel fellow, and why his company motto is “we love the taste of blood in our mouth.” 

Here’s what Sammi covers with Augustus:

00:00 Augustus Doricko’s Social Currency

01:45 The Mission of Rainmaker

02:38 The Tech Behind Cloud Seeding (Making It Rain)

03:34 The Origin Story of Weather Modification

04:46 The Importance of Attribution 

05:36 How To Create a Brand-New Market

08:02 How Rainmaker Makes It Rain

09:42 Augustus’ Path to Rainmaker

11:00 How Rainmaker Can Address Water Scarcity

21:23 The Community of El Segundo

25:25 Making Engineering Cool 

29:08 Fundraising for Hard Tech

31:14 The Peter Thiel Fellowship Experience

34:06 Advice for Aspiring Founders

35:55 Social Currency Corner


Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Follow Rainmaker here
Follow Augustus here

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3105 How Trader Joe’s Broke Every Rule in Retail—Then Outsold Everyone Trader Joe’s has no loyalty programs. No flashy ads. Stores that look like they time-traveled in from the '70s. And yet… Trader Joe’s generates more sales per square foot than almost any other grocery store in America. Why?  Today, Sammi unpacks the genius of Trader Joe’s—how a company that breaks every retail rule has built one of the most beloved (and profitable) grocery brands in the country. From decision paralysis and private-label domination to its anti-corporate vibe, cult-like fanbase, and German ownership, Trader Joe’s is proof that sometimes the most radical business model  is the simplest one done exceptionally well. Plus: Sammi explains the psychology behind limited-time products, how mystery breeds loyalty, and why treating your employees right isn’t just good karma—it’s good business. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Retail Rule-Breaker Nobody Saw Coming 01:35 How Trader Joe’s Was Built for the Over-Educated and Underpaid 04:02 From Flashlights to Fearless Flyers: The Early Days 06:18 Why Fewer Choices = More Sales 09:15 The Power of Private Label and the Two-Buck Chuck Strategy 12:50 The Real Reason You Love Their Packaging 14:07 How Trader Joe’s Built a Culture—Not Just a Store 16:34 The Anti-Influencer Marketing Model That Actually Works 19:15 Cult Products, Secrecy, and Brand Mythology 23:02 The German Empire Behind America’s Favorite Grocer 25:44 What You Can Learn From Trader Joe’s Playbook 27:10 How to Support the Show + Stay in the Loop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 27 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Trader Joe’s has no loyalty programs. No flashy ads. Stores that look like they time-traveled in from the '70s. And yet… Trader Joe’s generates more sales per square foot than almost any other grocery store in America. Why?  Today, Sammi unpacks the genius of Trader Joe’s—how a company that breaks every retail rule has built one of the most beloved (and profitable) grocery brands in the country. From decision paralysis and private-label domination to its anti-corporate vibe, cult-like fanbase, and German ownership, Trader Joe’s is proof that sometimes the most radical business model  is the simplest one done exceptionally well. Plus: Sammi explains the psychology behind limited-time products, how mystery breeds loyalty, and why treating your employees right isn’t just good karma—it’s good business. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Retail Rule-Breaker Nobody Saw Coming 01:35 How Trader Joe’s Was Built for the Over-Educated and Underpaid 04:02 From Flashlights to Fearless Flyers: The Early Days 06:18 Why Fewer Choices = More Sales 09:15 The Power of Private Label and the Two-Buck Chuck Strategy 12:50 The Real Reason You Love Their Packaging 14:07 How Trader Joe’s Built a Culture—Not Just a Store 16:34 The Anti-Influencer Marketing Model That Actually Works 19:15 Cult Products, Secrecy, and Brand Mythology 23:02 The German Empire Behind America’s Favorite Grocer 25:44 What You Can Learn From Trader Joe’s Playbook 27:10 How to Support the Show + Stay in the Loop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Trader Joe’s has no loyalty programs. No flashy ads. Stores that look like they time-traveled in from the '70s. And yet… Trader Joe’s generates more sales per square foot than almost any other grocery store in America. Why? 

Today, Sammi unpacks the genius of Trader Joe’s—how a company that breaks every retail rule has built one of the most beloved (and profitable) grocery brands in the country. From decision paralysis and private-label domination to its anti-corporate vibe, cult-like fanbase, and German ownership, Trader Joe’s is proof that sometimes the most radical business model  is the simplest one done exceptionally well.

Plus: Sammi explains the psychology behind limited-time products, how mystery breeds loyalty, and why treating your employees right isn’t just good karma—it’s good business.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 The Retail Rule-Breaker Nobody Saw Coming

01:35 How Trader Joe’s Was Built for the Over-Educated and Underpaid

04:02 From Flashlights to Fearless Flyers: The Early Days

06:18 Why Fewer Choices = More Sales

09:15 The Power of Private Label and the Two-Buck Chuck Strategy

12:50 The Real Reason You Love Their Packaging

14:07 How Trader Joe’s Built a Culture—Not Just a Store

16:34 The Anti-Influencer Marketing Model That Actually Works

19:15 Cult Products, Secrecy, and Brand Mythology

23:02 The German Empire Behind America’s Favorite Grocer

25:44 What You Can Learn From Trader Joe’s Playbook

27:10 How to Support the Show + Stay in the Loop


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1370 no Cassandra Grey (Violet Grey) on Buying Her Company Back, Finding Your Look, and the Vogue Effect What does it take to build a luxury beauty brand that’s as cool as it is strategic? Cassandra Grey has the answer. She’s the force behind Violet Grey—the ultra-curated beauty platform that has become a tastemaker in Hollywood and beyond. Cassandra’s playbook is not the usual one: she launched her brand, grew a cult following for nearly a decade, sold the company in 2022, and then bought it back in 2024. Today, she shares what she learned from every milestone. Cassandra explains what selling her brand taught her about business, insights from her early meetings with Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow, and how to find your aesthetic as a brand.   Here’s what Sammi covers with Cassandra: 00:00 Meet Cassandra Grey 01:30 Cassandra’s Introduction to Glamour and an Unusual Childhood 04:06 The Violet Grey Origin Story 05:20 Crafting a Business Plan Without an MBA 12:29 The Violet Code 17:31 THE Gwyneth Paltrow Phone Call 19:40 Acquisition by Farfetch 24:04 Why Delusion is Good in Business 25:56 Buying Back Violet Gray 28:02 Incubating Brands with Violet Labs 30:29 The Push into Retail 37:26 Hiring for Your Weaknesses 40:31 Actionable Tips for Finding Your Brand’s Look 44:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter hereFollow Violet Grey here Follow Cassandra here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 24 Jun 2025 07:26:00 -0000 full Social Currency What does it take to build a luxury beauty brand that’s as cool as it is strategic? Cassandra Grey has the answer. She’s the force behind Violet Grey—the ultra-curated beauty platform that has become a tastemaker in Hollywood and beyond. Cassandra’s playbook is not the usual one: she launched her brand, grew a cult following for nearly a decade, sold the company in 2022, and then bought it back in 2024. Today, she shares what she learned from every milestone. Cassandra explains what selling her brand taught her about business, insights from her early meetings with Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow, and how to find your aesthetic as a brand.   Here’s what Sammi covers with Cassandra: 00:00 Meet Cassandra Grey 01:30 Cassandra’s Introduction to Glamour and an Unusual Childhood 04:06 The Violet Grey Origin Story 05:20 Crafting a Business Plan Without an MBA 12:29 The Violet Code 17:31 THE Gwyneth Paltrow Phone Call 19:40 Acquisition by Farfetch 24:04 Why Delusion is Good in Business 25:56 Buying Back Violet Gray 28:02 Incubating Brands with Violet Labs 30:29 The Push into Retail 37:26 Hiring for Your Weaknesses 40:31 Actionable Tips for Finding Your Brand’s Look 44:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter hereFollow Violet Grey here Follow Cassandra here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices What does it take to build a luxury beauty brand that’s as cool as it is strategic? Cassandra Grey has the answer. She’s the force behind Violet Grey—the ultra-curated beauty platform that has become a tastemaker in Hollywood and beyond.

Cassandra’s playbook is not the usual one: she launched her brand, grew a cult following for nearly a decade, sold the company in 2022, and then bought it back in 2024. Today, she shares what she learned from every milestone. Cassandra explains what selling her brand taught her about business, insights from her early meetings with Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow, and how to find your aesthetic as a brand.  

Here’s what Sammi covers with Cassandra:

00:00 Meet Cassandra Grey

01:30 Cassandra’s Introduction to Glamour and an Unusual Childhood

04:06 The Violet Grey Origin Story

05:20 Crafting a Business Plan Without an MBA

12:29 The Violet Code

17:31 THE Gwyneth Paltrow Phone Call

19:40 Acquisition by Farfetch

24:04 Why Delusion is Good in Business

25:56 Buying Back Violet Gray

28:02 Incubating Brands with Violet Labs

30:29 The Push into Retail

37:26 Hiring for Your Weaknesses

40:31 Actionable Tips for Finding Your Brand’s Look

44:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter hereFollow Violet Grey here

Follow Cassandra here


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3093 The Rise and Fall of Away Luggage Away wasn’t just luggage—it was millennial wanderlust personified. Backed by $150 million in funding and powered by influencer buzz, Away rocketed to unicorn status in four years. But behind the minimalist branding and Instagrammable carry-ons was a workplace culture scandal, a global travel shutdown, and the hard truth that they were never a tech company… they were just selling suitcases. Today, Sammi unpacks the stunning rise and near-collapse of Away: the Slack surveillance, the CEO whiplash, the overfunding problem, and the brutal reality check of pandemic-era travel. Plus, what happens when your brand is built on vibes… and the vibes shift? Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Away: A Millennial Success Story 01:04 The Broken Luggage Origin Story to Unicorn Status 03:33 The Marketing Magic of Creating a Must-Have Brand 04:56 Rocket Ship Growth and Market Competition 06:08 Toxic Culture and the Beginning of the End 07:54 … and Then There’s COVID 09:06 Post-Pandemic Strategies 12:43 Lessons From The Rise and Fall of Away 13:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 20 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Away wasn’t just luggage—it was millennial wanderlust personified. Backed by $150 million in funding and powered by influencer buzz, Away rocketed to unicorn status in four years. But behind the minimalist branding and Instagrammable carry-ons was a workplace culture scandal, a global travel shutdown, and the hard truth that they were never a tech company… they were just selling suitcases. Today, Sammi unpacks the stunning rise and near-collapse of Away: the Slack surveillance, the CEO whiplash, the overfunding problem, and the brutal reality check of pandemic-era travel. Plus, what happens when your brand is built on vibes… and the vibes shift? Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Away: A Millennial Success Story 01:04 The Broken Luggage Origin Story to Unicorn Status 03:33 The Marketing Magic of Creating a Must-Have Brand 04:56 Rocket Ship Growth and Market Competition 06:08 Toxic Culture and the Beginning of the End 07:54 … and Then There’s COVID 09:06 Post-Pandemic Strategies 12:43 Lessons From The Rise and Fall of Away 13:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Away wasn’t just luggage—it was millennial wanderlust personified. Backed by $150 million in funding and powered by influencer buzz, Away rocketed to unicorn status in four years. But behind the minimalist branding and Instagrammable carry-ons was a workplace culture scandal, a global travel shutdown, and the hard truth that they were never a tech company… they were just selling suitcases.

Today, Sammi unpacks the stunning rise and near-collapse of Away: the Slack surveillance, the CEO whiplash, the overfunding problem, and the brutal reality check of pandemic-era travel. Plus, what happens when your brand is built on vibes… and the vibes shift?

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Away: A Millennial Success Story

01:04 The Broken Luggage Origin Story to Unicorn Status

03:33 The Marketing Magic of Creating a Must-Have Brand

04:56 Rocket Ship Growth and Market Competition

06:08 Toxic Culture and the Beginning of the End

07:54 … and Then There’s COVID

09:06 Post-Pandemic Strategies

12:43 Lessons From The Rise and Fall of Away

13:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1066 no Grant LaFontaine (Whatnot) on Building a Unicorn, Scaling with a Cofounder, and the Future of Shopping Grant LaFontaine says the future of shopping is here— and it’s live. Literally.  Grant is the cofounder and CEO of Whatnot—a $5 billion live shopping brand that’s shaking up the traditional retail playbook and betting big on the future of social commerce. Sammi sits down with Grant to unpack what it takes to build a unicorn; from the lesson Y Combinator taught him about working with a cofounder, to the unique way he thinks about hiring, and why user feedback is his North Star. He shares what he’s learned building in tech, what AI can and can’t do, and why a little paranoia is good for founders.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Learn more about Whatnot here 00:00 Grant LaFontaine’s Social Currency 01:40 Understanding Whatnot and the Live Shopping Opportunity 02:48 Who Is the Whatnot Customer  04:38 Social Interactions as a Secret Weapon 11:33 The Value of Y Combinator  13:42 Finding Product-Market Fit with Funko Pop 17:29 Scaling Whatnot and Entering New Markets 19:13 The Importance of Hiring and Company Culture 26:13 Fixing Breaks and Providing User Value 26:41 Why Paranoia is an Asset in Business 29:25 Using Mistakes as Data Points 31:32 User Feedback and Product Evolution 33:39 Co-Founder Dynamics and Decision Making 37:06 Social Currency Corner 48:59 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Grant LaFontaine says the future of shopping is here— and it’s live. Literally.  Grant is the cofounder and CEO of Whatnot—a $5 billion live shopping brand that’s shaking up the traditional retail playbook and betting big on the future of social commerce. Sammi sits down with Grant to unpack what it takes to build a unicorn; from the lesson Y Combinator taught him about working with a cofounder, to the unique way he thinks about hiring, and why user feedback is his North Star. He shares what he’s learned building in tech, what AI can and can’t do, and why a little paranoia is good for founders.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Learn more about Whatnot here 00:00 Grant LaFontaine’s Social Currency 01:40 Understanding Whatnot and the Live Shopping Opportunity 02:48 Who Is the Whatnot Customer  04:38 Social Interactions as a Secret Weapon 11:33 The Value of Y Combinator  13:42 Finding Product-Market Fit with Funko Pop 17:29 Scaling Whatnot and Entering New Markets 19:13 The Importance of Hiring and Company Culture 26:13 Fixing Breaks and Providing User Value 26:41 Why Paranoia is an Asset in Business 29:25 Using Mistakes as Data Points 31:32 User Feedback and Product Evolution 33:39 Co-Founder Dynamics and Decision Making 37:06 Social Currency Corner 48:59 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Grant LaFontaine says the future of shopping is here— and it’s live. Literally. 

Grant is the cofounder and CEO of Whatnot—a $5 billion live shopping brand that’s shaking up the traditional retail playbook and betting big on the future of social commerce.

Sammi sits down with Grant to unpack what it takes to build a unicorn; from the lesson Y Combinator taught him about working with a cofounder, to the unique way he thinks about hiring, and why user feedback is his North Star. He shares what he’s learned building in tech, what AI can and can’t do, and why a little paranoia is good for founders. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Learn more about Whatnot here

00:00 Grant LaFontaine’s Social Currency

01:40 Understanding Whatnot and the Live Shopping Opportunity

02:48 Who Is the Whatnot Customer 

04:38 Social Interactions as a Secret Weapon

11:33 The Value of Y Combinator 

13:42 Finding Product-Market Fit with Funko Pop

17:29 Scaling Whatnot and Entering New Markets

19:13 The Importance of Hiring and Company Culture

26:13 Fixing Breaks and Providing User Value

26:41 Why Paranoia is an Asset in Business

29:25 Using Mistakes as Data Points

31:32 User Feedback and Product Evolution

33:39 Co-Founder Dynamics and Decision Making

37:06 Social Currency Corner

48:59 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3403 The Business of Labubu and the Power of Manufactured Obsession People are lining up at 4 AM, crashing websites, and dropping thousands on a fuzzy vinyl creature with nine teeth and a cult following. Meet Labubu: part toy, part fashion statement, part emotional coping mechanism. Born from a Nordic mythology-inspired art project and catapulted to fame by Pop Mart, Labubu has become a collector’s dream and a status symbol—thanks to limited drops, blind box buying, and celebrity fans like BLACKPINK’s Lisa. Today, Sammi unpacks how scarcity, nostalgia, and the chaos of modern life created the perfect storm for Labubu’s rise—and what that says about the future of fandom, consumption, and identity. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Labubu’s Bizarre Social Currency 01:08 Where Labubu Came From 02:55 Scarcity as a Business Plan 04:10 The Lisa of It All 05:27 What Labubu Tells Us About the State of the World (Really)  06:31 The Future of Fandom 07:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 13 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency People are lining up at 4 AM, crashing websites, and dropping thousands on a fuzzy vinyl creature with nine teeth and a cult following. Meet Labubu: part toy, part fashion statement, part emotional coping mechanism. Born from a Nordic mythology-inspired art project and catapulted to fame by Pop Mart, Labubu has become a collector’s dream and a status symbol—thanks to limited drops, blind box buying, and celebrity fans like BLACKPINK’s Lisa. Today, Sammi unpacks how scarcity, nostalgia, and the chaos of modern life created the perfect storm for Labubu’s rise—and what that says about the future of fandom, consumption, and identity. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Labubu’s Bizarre Social Currency 01:08 Where Labubu Came From 02:55 Scarcity as a Business Plan 04:10 The Lisa of It All 05:27 What Labubu Tells Us About the State of the World (Really)  06:31 The Future of Fandom 07:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices People are lining up at 4 AM, crashing websites, and dropping thousands on a fuzzy vinyl creature with nine teeth and a cult following. Meet Labubu: part toy, part fashion statement, part emotional coping mechanism. Born from a Nordic mythology-inspired art project and catapulted to fame by Pop Mart, Labubu has become a collector’s dream and a status symbol—thanks to limited drops, blind box buying, and celebrity fans like BLACKPINK’s Lisa.

Today, Sammi unpacks how scarcity, nostalgia, and the chaos of modern life created the perfect storm for Labubu’s rise—and what that says about the future of fandom, consumption, and identity.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Labubu’s Bizarre Social Currency

01:08 Where Labubu Came From

02:55 Scarcity as a Business Plan

04:10 The Lisa of It All

05:27 What Labubu Tells Us About the State of the World (Really) 

06:31 The Future of Fandom

07:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 678 Loren Castle (Sweet Loren’s) on Turning a Diagnosis Into a Mission, Scaling a Food Brand and Supply Chain Lessons Meet Loren Castle, the powerhouse behind Sweet Loren’s—the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. Today, Sammi chats with Lauren about how a shocking medical diagnosis pushed her to turn her kitchen experiments into a multimillion-dollar business. They get into the wild ride of breaking into the food world—from the first big break with Whole Foods to juggling supply chain chaos and sticking to Loren’s mission of allergen-free, feel-good ingredients. Lauren also shares how she built Sweet Loren’s without taking a dime of venture capital, the secret to good packaging, and what’s next for the brand. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just a cookie lover with big dreams, you’ll want to tune in.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Sweet Lorens here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Loren: 00:00 Loren Castle’s Social Currency 01:37 How a Health Crisis Sparked a Cookie Empire 03:22 The Taste Tests Process and the State of Clean Ingredients 05:58 The Whole Foods Deal That Changed Everything 10:56 Lessons in Scaling and Finding Processing Partners 17:54 How to Find White Space 22:47 Profits Without VCs—How She Did It 26:58 COVID, Cookies, and Supply Chain Curveballs 29:27 Branding That Sticks (and Sells) 32:00 Trendy Collabs and What’s Coming Next 37:15 Social Currency Corner: Tips for Food Entrepreneurs 43:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Meet Loren Castle, the powerhouse behind Sweet Loren’s—the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. Today, Sammi chats with Lauren about how a shocking medical diagnosis pushed her to turn her kitchen experiments into a multimillion-dollar business. They get into the wild ride of breaking into the food world—from the first big break with Whole Foods to juggling supply chain chaos and sticking to Loren’s mission of allergen-free, feel-good ingredients. Lauren also shares how she built Sweet Loren’s without taking a dime of venture capital, the secret to good packaging, and what’s next for the brand. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just a cookie lover with big dreams, you’ll want to tune in.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Sweet Lorens here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Loren: 00:00 Loren Castle’s Social Currency 01:37 How a Health Crisis Sparked a Cookie Empire 03:22 The Taste Tests Process and the State of Clean Ingredients 05:58 The Whole Foods Deal That Changed Everything 10:56 Lessons in Scaling and Finding Processing Partners 17:54 How to Find White Space 22:47 Profits Without VCs—How She Did It 26:58 COVID, Cookies, and Supply Chain Curveballs 29:27 Branding That Sticks (and Sells) 32:00 Trendy Collabs and What’s Coming Next 37:15 Social Currency Corner: Tips for Food Entrepreneurs 43:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Meet Loren Castle, the powerhouse behind Sweet Loren’s—the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. Today, Sammi chats with Lauren about how a shocking medical diagnosis pushed her to turn her kitchen experiments into a multimillion-dollar business.

They get into the wild ride of breaking into the food world—from the first big break with Whole Foods to juggling supply chain chaos and sticking to Loren’s mission of allergen-free, feel-good ingredients.

Lauren also shares how she built Sweet Loren’s without taking a dime of venture capital, the secret to good packaging, and what’s next for the brand.

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just a cookie lover with big dreams, you’ll want to tune in. 

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Follow Sweet Lorens here

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Loren:

00:00 Loren Castle’s Social Currency

01:37 How a Health Crisis Sparked a Cookie Empire

03:22 The Taste Tests Process and the State of Clean Ingredients

05:58 The Whole Foods Deal That Changed Everything

10:56 Lessons in Scaling and Finding Processing Partners

17:54 How to Find White Space

22:47 Profits Without VCs—How She Did It

26:58 COVID, Cookies, and Supply Chain Curveballs

29:27 Branding That Sticks (and Sells)

32:00 Trendy Collabs and What’s Coming Next

37:15 Social Currency Corner: Tips for Food Entrepreneurs

43:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 2962 Why Saks Is In Trouble — and How PE Is To Blame Today Sammi digs into the retail scandal that ties together private equity, power plays, broken promises, and a $2.65 billion luxury merger that's now unraveling in public. Also known as: the story of Saks.   Sammi follows the money trail to the center of Saks’ downfall: the mastermind behind the merger that would lead to the financial and reputational mess the brand is in now. This isn't a story about just one department store. It's a case study in how private equity can gut a brand, how debt can disguise dysfunction, and how small businesses are often the ones that are left holding the bag. Today Sammi Covers: 00:00 How Saks Got Here 00:33 Richard Baker: the Mastermind 01:30 The Saks and Neiman Marcus Merger 02:00 Richard Baker's Wild Real Estate Strategy 04:31 Saks' Financial Decline 08:01 Vendor Fallout 10:13 What’s Next For Saks 12:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Today Sammi digs into the retail scandal that ties together private equity, power plays, broken promises, and a $2.65 billion luxury merger that's now unraveling in public. Also known as: the story of Saks.   Sammi follows the money trail to the center of Saks’ downfall: the mastermind behind the merger that would lead to the financial and reputational mess the brand is in now. This isn't a story about just one department store. It's a case study in how private equity can gut a brand, how debt can disguise dysfunction, and how small businesses are often the ones that are left holding the bag. Today Sammi Covers: 00:00 How Saks Got Here 00:33 Richard Baker: the Mastermind 01:30 The Saks and Neiman Marcus Merger 02:00 Richard Baker's Wild Real Estate Strategy 04:31 Saks' Financial Decline 08:01 Vendor Fallout 10:13 What’s Next For Saks 12:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Today Sammi digs into the retail scandal that ties together private equity, power plays, broken promises, and a $2.65 billion luxury merger that's now unraveling in public. Also known as: the story of Saks.  

Sammi follows the money trail to the center of Saks’ downfall: the mastermind behind the merger that would lead to the financial and reputational mess the brand is in now. This isn't a story about just one department store. It's a case study in how private equity can gut a brand, how debt can disguise dysfunction, and how small businesses are often the ones that are left holding the bag.

Today Sammi Covers:

00:00 How Saks Got Here

00:33 Richard Baker: the Mastermind

01:30 The Saks and Neiman Marcus Merger

02:00 Richard Baker's Wild Real Estate Strategy

04:31 Saks' Financial Decline

08:01 Vendor Fallout

10:13 What’s Next For Saks

12:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 995 John Hu (Stan) on the Path to $1 Billion, the Creator Economy and Building in Public Think it's too late to become a creator if you don't have a social media following? Think again. According to John Hu, cofounder of Stan—a platform that helps creators turn their platform into income—the creator economy is just getting started.  Today, John shares how he’s building Stan with unicorn status in mind, what MrBeast’s business empire can teach us about the business of content, and why he is “guarded” when it comes to fundraising. This is a deep dive into the business of influence—and what it takes to turn followers into a foundation for long-term growth. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Stan on Instagram here  Follow John on YouTube here Here’s what Sammi covers today with John: 00:00 John Hu’s Social Currency 00:35 Why Investment Banking Wasn’t It   04:43 How Stan Came From a Personal Pain Point 05:50 John’s Takes on the Creator Economy and Building a Business 11:23 Stan’s First Major Win 14:53 Stan’s Seed Round and Why John Is “Guarded” About Fundraising 18:36 John’s Tips on Finding a Business Opportunity  23:46 Stan's Unique Monetization Model 27:19 Behind Stan’s Customer Engagement and Content Strategy 27:38 Why Stan Personally Delivered One of Their Creators a Cake 29:23 John Answers Whether It’s Harder to Build a Personal Brand or a Company Brand 35:29 Secrets and Challenges to Building in Public  45:27 Social Currency Corner and Mr Beast 53:16 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 03 Jun 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Think it's too late to become a creator if you don't have a social media following? Think again. According to John Hu, cofounder of Stan—a platform that helps creators turn their platform into income—the creator economy is just getting started.  Today, John shares how he’s building Stan with unicorn status in mind, what MrBeast’s business empire can teach us about the business of content, and why he is “guarded” when it comes to fundraising. This is a deep dive into the business of influence—and what it takes to turn followers into a foundation for long-term growth. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Stan on Instagram here  Follow John on YouTube here Here’s what Sammi covers today with John: 00:00 John Hu’s Social Currency 00:35 Why Investment Banking Wasn’t It   04:43 How Stan Came From a Personal Pain Point 05:50 John’s Takes on the Creator Economy and Building a Business 11:23 Stan’s First Major Win 14:53 Stan’s Seed Round and Why John Is “Guarded” About Fundraising 18:36 John’s Tips on Finding a Business Opportunity  23:46 Stan's Unique Monetization Model 27:19 Behind Stan’s Customer Engagement and Content Strategy 27:38 Why Stan Personally Delivered One of Their Creators a Cake 29:23 John Answers Whether It’s Harder to Build a Personal Brand or a Company Brand 35:29 Secrets and Challenges to Building in Public  45:27 Social Currency Corner and Mr Beast 53:16 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Think it's too late to become a creator if you don't have a social media following? Think again. According to John Hu, cofounder of Stan—a platform that helps creators turn their platform into income—the creator economy is just getting started. 

Today, John shares how he’s building Stan with unicorn status in mind, what MrBeast’s business empire can teach us about the business of content, and why he is “guarded” when it comes to fundraising.

This is a deep dive into the business of influence—and what it takes to turn followers into a foundation for long-term growth.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Follow Stan on Instagram here 

Follow John on YouTube here

Here’s what Sammi covers today with John:

00:00 John Hu’s Social Currency

00:35 Why Investment Banking Wasn’t It  

04:43 How Stan Came From a Personal Pain Point

05:50 John’s Takes on the Creator Economy and Building a Business

11:23 Stan’s First Major Win

14:53 Stan’s Seed Round and Why John Is “Guarded” About Fundraising

18:36 John’s Tips on Finding a Business Opportunity 

23:46 Stan's Unique Monetization Model

27:19 Behind Stan’s Customer Engagement and Content Strategy

27:38 Why Stan Personally Delivered One of Their Creators a Cake

29:23 John Answers Whether It’s Harder to Build a Personal Brand or a Company Brand

35:29 Secrets and Challenges to Building in Public 

45:27 Social Currency Corner and Mr Beast

53:16 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3456 The Epic Comeback of Barnes & Noble Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt. You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, cookie-cutter model to embrace local community tastes, redesigned stores to rekindle the magic of browsing, and rode the wave of BookTok to win back readers. From understanding the brand’s original rise and near-fall, to dissecting the bold strategies behind its revival, this episode explores what Barnes & Noble’s rebound says about the future of retail—and why the story is far from over. Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 – Why Barnes & Noble Is a Case Worth Studying01:08 – The Origin Story of Barnes & Noble’s Empire 02:56 – The Beginning of the End of Barnes & Noble 04:42 – The Amazon of it All06:15 – Leadership Turmoil and the 80% Fall in Stock Price 08:10 – The Unexpected Turnaround and B&N’s MVP 10:19 – James Daunt’s Playbook for Success 11:42 – The Comeback: Growth, Expansion and BookTok 14:54 – The Future of Retail: Lessons from Barnes & Noble 16:51 – How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 30 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt. You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, cookie-cutter model to embrace local community tastes, redesigned stores to rekindle the magic of browsing, and rode the wave of BookTok to win back readers. From understanding the brand’s original rise and near-fall, to dissecting the bold strategies behind its revival, this episode explores what Barnes & Noble’s rebound says about the future of retail—and why the story is far from over. Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 – Why Barnes & Noble Is a Case Worth Studying01:08 – The Origin Story of Barnes & Noble’s Empire 02:56 – The Beginning of the End of Barnes & Noble 04:42 – The Amazon of it All06:15 – Leadership Turmoil and the 80% Fall in Stock Price 08:10 – The Unexpected Turnaround and B&N’s MVP 10:19 – James Daunt’s Playbook for Success 11:42 – The Comeback: Growth, Expansion and BookTok 14:54 – The Future of Retail: Lessons from Barnes & Noble 16:51 – How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt.

You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, cookie-cutter model to embrace local community tastes, redesigned stores to rekindle the magic of browsing, and rode the wave of BookTok to win back readers. From understanding the brand’s original rise and near-fall, to dissecting the bold strategies behind its revival, this episode explores what Barnes & Noble’s rebound says about the future of retail—and why the story is far from over.

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 – Why Barnes & Noble Is a Case Worth Studying
01:08 – The Origin Story of Barnes & Noble’s Empire

02:56 – The Beginning of the End of Barnes & Noble

04:42 – The Amazon of it All06:15 – Leadership Turmoil and the 80% Fall in Stock Price

08:10 – The Unexpected Turnaround and B&N’s MVP

10:19 – James Daunt’s Playbook for Success

11:42 – The Comeback: Growth, Expansion and BookTok

14:54 – The Future of Retail: Lessons from Barnes & Noble

16:51 – How to Show Social Currency Some Love

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1235 Rea Ann Silva (Beautyblender) on Owning 100% of Her Company, Dupes and Creating a Category Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry. Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupes, the growing pains of scaling, and Rea Ann’s decision not to take outside capital. This is the story of a product that changed the beauty industry—and the founder who created the category. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Beautyblender on Instagram here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rea Ann: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 00:23 The Origin Story of Beautyblender 03:17 How Rea Ann Built Her Prototype  15:50 The Decision to Keep Operations In-House 22:45 The Process Rea Ann Used to Build Her Team 23:39 Rea Ann’s Decision Not To Fundraise 28:30 The Secret to Organic Marketing 30:23 The Rise of Dupes in the Beauty Industry 33:46 How To Educate Your Consumer 37:46 How To Cater To Different Customers  39:59 Milestones and the Smithsonian Museum Story 46:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry. Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupes, the growing pains of scaling, and Rea Ann’s decision not to take outside capital. This is the story of a product that changed the beauty industry—and the founder who created the category. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Beautyblender on Instagram here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rea Ann: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 00:23 The Origin Story of Beautyblender 03:17 How Rea Ann Built Her Prototype  15:50 The Decision to Keep Operations In-House 22:45 The Process Rea Ann Used to Build Her Team 23:39 Rea Ann’s Decision Not To Fundraise 28:30 The Secret to Organic Marketing 30:23 The Rise of Dupes in the Beauty Industry 33:46 How To Educate Your Consumer 37:46 How To Cater To Different Customers  39:59 Milestones and the Smithsonian Museum Story 46:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry.

Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupes, the growing pains of scaling, and Rea Ann’s decision not to take outside capital. This is the story of a product that changed the beauty industry—and the founder who created the category.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Follow Beautyblender on Instagram here

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rea Ann:

00:00 Updates from Sammi

00:23 The Origin Story of Beautyblender

03:17 How Rea Ann Built Her Prototype 

15:50 The Decision to Keep Operations In-House

22:45 The Process Rea Ann Used to Build Her Team

23:39 Rea Ann’s Decision Not To Fundraise

28:30 The Secret to Organic Marketing

30:23 The Rise of Dupes in the Beauty Industry

33:46 How To Educate Your Consumer

37:46 How To Cater To Different Customers 

39:59 Milestones and the Smithsonian Museum Story

46:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3358 Uncovering the Wedding Industrial Complex Why is saying “I do” costing Americans more than ever? In today’s episode, Sammi rips the veil off the modern wedding machine—revealing how a once-simple ceremony ballooned into a multibillion-dollar status symbol. From five-figure flower budgets to wedding cake surcharges, Sammi tracks who’s cashing in (think The Knot, Zola, and a swarm of luxury vendors) and how the creator economy has cranked up the pressure to go bigger, farther, and glossier. Plus, Sammi shares what she learned about destination weddings and saving on wedding dresses through her own experience.  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Updates From Sammi 01:12 How Much the Average Wedding Is Costing Americans 02:33 The Most Expensive Part of Saying “I Do” 04:47 Destination Weddings and Sammi’s Experience 05:52 Which Wedding Brands Are Winning 09:57 The Social Media Effect 11:53 Sammi’s Predictions: Which Wedding Trends Are Here to Stay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 23 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Why is saying “I do” costing Americans more than ever? In today’s episode, Sammi rips the veil off the modern wedding machine—revealing how a once-simple ceremony ballooned into a multibillion-dollar status symbol. From five-figure flower budgets to wedding cake surcharges, Sammi tracks who’s cashing in (think The Knot, Zola, and a swarm of luxury vendors) and how the creator economy has cranked up the pressure to go bigger, farther, and glossier. Plus, Sammi shares what she learned about destination weddings and saving on wedding dresses through her own experience.  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Updates From Sammi 01:12 How Much the Average Wedding Is Costing Americans 02:33 The Most Expensive Part of Saying “I Do” 04:47 Destination Weddings and Sammi’s Experience 05:52 Which Wedding Brands Are Winning 09:57 The Social Media Effect 11:53 Sammi’s Predictions: Which Wedding Trends Are Here to Stay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Why is saying “I do” costing Americans more than ever? In today’s episode, Sammi rips the veil off the modern wedding machine—revealing how a once-simple ceremony ballooned into a multibillion-dollar status symbol. From five-figure flower budgets to wedding cake surcharges, Sammi tracks who’s cashing in (think The Knot, Zola, and a swarm of luxury vendors) and how the creator economy has cranked up the pressure to go bigger, farther, and glossier. Plus, Sammi shares what she learned about destination weddings and saving on wedding dresses through her own experience. 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Updates From Sammi

01:12 How Much the Average Wedding Is Costing Americans

02:33 The Most Expensive Part of Saying “I Do”

04:47 Destination Weddings and Sammi’s Experience

05:52 Which Wedding Brands Are Winning

09:57 The Social Media Effect

11:53 Sammi’s Predictions: Which Wedding Trends Are Here to Stay

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 926 Brian Kelly (The Points Guy) on How to Travel for Free, Turning a Hobby Into an Empire and Beating Burnout Before credit card points were a lifestyle, Brian Kelly was just a travel-obsessed guy with a blog. Then came a viral New York Times article, a flood of traffic, and a big bet on affiliate marketing that turned The Points Guy into a multi-platform media empire. Today, Brian tells Sammi how he turned his passion project into a profitable business, what he learned from selling his brand twice, and how he secured partnerships with the biggest financial institutions in the world.  Plus, Brian drops pro tips for maximizing travel rewards, choosing the best credit cards, and navigating the ever-changing landscape of travel perks. Whether you're a points rookie or a seasoned globetrotter, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. In this convo, you’ll find out how to travel smarter — and maybe even in first class — without breaking the bank. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Brian on Instagram here and The Points Guy here Order Brian’s book How to Win at Travel here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Brian: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 01:58 How Brian Became The Points Guy  08:01 Brian’s First Deal and Monetizing TPG 16:18 Scaling Challenges and Wins  24:11 Burnout and TPG’s Acquisition Stories  28:07 How the Pandemic Impacted TPG 29:41 How Brian Built Strong Partnerships  34:13 How Businesses Should Diversify Channels 36:20 Brian’s Unconventional Leadership Strategies 41:27 Social Currency Corner and Tips on Maximizing Travel Rewards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 20 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency Before credit card points were a lifestyle, Brian Kelly was just a travel-obsessed guy with a blog. Then came a viral New York Times article, a flood of traffic, and a big bet on affiliate marketing that turned The Points Guy into a multi-platform media empire. Today, Brian tells Sammi how he turned his passion project into a profitable business, what he learned from selling his brand twice, and how he secured partnerships with the biggest financial institutions in the world.  Plus, Brian drops pro tips for maximizing travel rewards, choosing the best credit cards, and navigating the ever-changing landscape of travel perks. Whether you're a points rookie or a seasoned globetrotter, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. In this convo, you’ll find out how to travel smarter — and maybe even in first class — without breaking the bank. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Brian on Instagram here and The Points Guy here Order Brian’s book How to Win at Travel here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Brian: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 01:58 How Brian Became The Points Guy  08:01 Brian’s First Deal and Monetizing TPG 16:18 Scaling Challenges and Wins  24:11 Burnout and TPG’s Acquisition Stories  28:07 How the Pandemic Impacted TPG 29:41 How Brian Built Strong Partnerships  34:13 How Businesses Should Diversify Channels 36:20 Brian’s Unconventional Leadership Strategies 41:27 Social Currency Corner and Tips on Maximizing Travel Rewards Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Before credit card points were a lifestyle, Brian Kelly was just a travel-obsessed guy with a blog. Then came a viral New York Times article, a flood of traffic, and a big bet on affiliate marketing that turned The Points Guy into a multi-platform media empire. Today, Brian tells Sammi how he turned his passion project into a profitable business, what he learned from selling his brand twice, and how he secured partnerships with the biggest financial institutions in the world. 

Plus, Brian drops pro tips for maximizing travel rewards, choosing the best credit cards, and navigating the ever-changing landscape of travel perks. Whether you're a points rookie or a seasoned globetrotter, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

In this convo, you’ll find out how to travel smarter — and maybe even in first class — without breaking the bank.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Follow Brian on Instagram here and The Points Guy here

Order Brian’s book How to Win at Travel here

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Brian:

00:00 Updates from Sammi

01:58 How Brian Became The Points Guy 

08:01 Brian’s First Deal and Monetizing TPG

16:18 Scaling Challenges and Wins 

24:11 Burnout and TPG’s Acquisition Stories 

28:07 How the Pandemic Impacted TPG

29:41 How Brian Built Strong Partnerships 

34:13 How Businesses Should Diversify Channels

36:20 Brian’s Unconventional Leadership Strategies

41:27 Social Currency Corner and Tips on Maximizing Travel Rewards


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3405 no How I Created Social Currency Ever wondered if your side hustle could become your full-time gig? Today, Sammi shares everything she learned from taking that leap herself. If you’re sitting on a big idea or just curious what it really takes to bet on yourself, Sammi uses her own story as a case study to share actionable advice and a behind-the-scenes look at building a brand from scratch. She shares the key lessons from working the opening shift at Aldi, launching a match brand, pivoting into tech and logistics during the pandemic, and how Mindy Kaling gave her the ultimate confidence boost. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why This Episode is Special 02:39 Early Obsessions with Business  03:43 Why Entertainment Was Not It 05:33 The Aldi Experience (and Crying in Chicago) 08:46 Starting a Matcha Brand 12:22 The Origin Story of Tanner's Tea 13:43 The Pandemic Pivot 15:29 The First Video and (Later) Going Viral 19:03 Finding a Niche 19:59 The Turning Point 25:50 Building Social Currency 28:19 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 16 May 2025 11:17:00 -0000 full Social Currency Ever wondered if your side hustle could become your full-time gig? Today, Sammi shares everything she learned from taking that leap herself. If you’re sitting on a big idea or just curious what it really takes to bet on yourself, Sammi uses her own story as a case study to share actionable advice and a behind-the-scenes look at building a brand from scratch. She shares the key lessons from working the opening shift at Aldi, launching a match brand, pivoting into tech and logistics during the pandemic, and how Mindy Kaling gave her the ultimate confidence boost. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Why This Episode is Special 02:39 Early Obsessions with Business  03:43 Why Entertainment Was Not It 05:33 The Aldi Experience (and Crying in Chicago) 08:46 Starting a Matcha Brand 12:22 The Origin Story of Tanner's Tea 13:43 The Pandemic Pivot 15:29 The First Video and (Later) Going Viral 19:03 Finding a Niche 19:59 The Turning Point 25:50 Building Social Currency 28:19 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Ever wondered if your side hustle could become your full-time gig? Today, Sammi shares everything she learned from taking that leap herself.

If you’re sitting on a big idea or just curious what it really takes to bet on yourself, Sammi uses her own story as a case study to share actionable advice and a behind-the-scenes look at building a brand from scratch. She shares the key lessons from working the opening shift at Aldi, launching a match brand, pivoting into tech and logistics during the pandemic, and how Mindy Kaling gave her the ultimate confidence boost.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Why This Episode is Special

02:39 Early Obsessions with Business 

03:43 Why Entertainment Was Not It

05:33 The Aldi Experience (and Crying in Chicago)

08:46 Starting a Matcha Brand

12:22 The Origin Story of Tanner's Tea

13:43 The Pandemic Pivot

15:29 The First Video and (Later) Going Viral

19:03 Finding a Niche

19:59 The Turning Point

25:50 Building Social Currency

28:19 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1940 Erewhon Economics: The Billion-Dollar Hype Behind America’s Bougiest Grocery Store  How did a small health food store become the go-to grocery destination for celebrities, influencers, nepo babies, and anyone who wants to signal their status and health to the world?  Today, Sammi unpacks how your favorite influencer’s favorite grocery store, Erewhon, cultivated its cult following. Sammi traces the brand’s rise from its origin story, to the acquisition that changed everything, and how much money the brand is making from the Hailey Bieber smoothie. Sammi uncovers the real secret to Erewhon’s success— not the perfectly-curated aisles— but the transformation of wellness into a status symbol.  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 02:12 Erewhon’s First Location and Origin Story 03:23 Erewhon’s Acquisition and the “Murdochs of Macrobiotics” 05:50 Erewhon’s Business Model, Surprising Bestsellers and Financials 07:46 Influencer Collaborations and Income From Luxury Smoothies 13:01 The Future of Erewhon and Health as a Status Symbol 14:04 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 13 May 2025 07:05:00 -0000 full Social Currency  How did a small health food store become the go-to grocery destination for celebrities, influencers, nepo babies, and anyone who wants to signal their status and health to the world?  Today, Sammi unpacks how your favorite influencer’s favorite grocery store, Erewhon, cultivated its cult following. Sammi traces the brand’s rise from its origin story, to the acquisition that changed everything, and how much money the brand is making from the Hailey Bieber smoothie. Sammi uncovers the real secret to Erewhon’s success— not the perfectly-curated aisles— but the transformation of wellness into a status symbol.  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 02:12 Erewhon’s First Location and Origin Story 03:23 Erewhon’s Acquisition and the “Murdochs of Macrobiotics” 05:50 Erewhon’s Business Model, Surprising Bestsellers and Financials 07:46 Influencer Collaborations and Income From Luxury Smoothies 13:01 The Future of Erewhon and Health as a Status Symbol 14:04 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  How did a small health food store become the go-to grocery destination for celebrities, influencers, nepo babies, and anyone who wants to signal their status and health to the world? 

Today, Sammi unpacks how your favorite influencer’s favorite grocery store, Erewhon, cultivated its cult following. Sammi traces the brand’s rise from its origin story, to the acquisition that changed everything, and how much money the brand is making from the Hailey Bieber smoothie. Sammi uncovers the real secret to Erewhon’s success— not the perfectly-curated aisles— but the transformation of wellness into a status symbol. 

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Updates from Sammi

02:12 Erewhon’s First Location and Origin Story

03:23 Erewhon’s Acquisition and the “Murdochs of Macrobiotics”

05:50 Erewhon’s Business Model, Surprising Bestsellers and Financials

07:46 Influencer Collaborations and Income From Luxury Smoothies

13:01 The Future of Erewhon and Health as a Status Symbol

14:04 How You Can Show Social Currency Some Love


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 1055 no Ty Haney (Outdoor Voices, TYB, Joggy) on Leaving Her $100M Brand, the Girlboss Achilles Heel and Second Acts At just 23 years old Ty Haney was the face of Outdoor Voices—the mind behind the “Doing Things” movement and a figure of the Girlboss era. Then came the backlash, boardroom battles, and exit from the brand she built. Today, Sammi sits down with Ty to unpack the rise and fall of Outdoor Voices and Ty’s game-changing second act. Ty reveals what she wishes she knew as a first-time founder, the dark side of VC and the most important lesson she’s learned on equity as a founder. She also shares the latest on her new ventures—Joggy, a clean energy brand, and TYB, a platform redefining what community-powered business looks like. If you've ever launched, led, or lost something you built, this one will hit home. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Ty on Instagram here Check out TYB here and Joggy here  Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ty: 00:00 How Ty Haney Scaled Outdoor Voices to $100M  02:05 How to Build Community within your Business 06:17 The Curse of the Girlboss Era 08:41 The Trap of Growth Versus Profitability 21:13 The Importance of Equity as a Founder 23:27 Second Acts: TYB and Joggy 29:37 The Value Proposition of Joggy 32:21 The Value Proposition of TYB 46:00 Insights and Reflections 48:52 Social Currency Corner 49:58 Advice for Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Tue, 13 May 2025 07:00:00 -0000 full Social Currency At just 23 years old Ty Haney was the face of Outdoor Voices—the mind behind the “Doing Things” movement and a figure of the Girlboss era. Then came the backlash, boardroom battles, and exit from the brand she built. Today, Sammi sits down with Ty to unpack the rise and fall of Outdoor Voices and Ty’s game-changing second act. Ty reveals what she wishes she knew as a first-time founder, the dark side of VC and the most important lesson she’s learned on equity as a founder. She also shares the latest on her new ventures—Joggy, a clean energy brand, and TYB, a platform redefining what community-powered business looks like. If you've ever launched, led, or lost something you built, this one will hit home. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Ty on Instagram here Check out TYB here and Joggy here  Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ty: 00:00 How Ty Haney Scaled Outdoor Voices to $100M  02:05 How to Build Community within your Business 06:17 The Curse of the Girlboss Era 08:41 The Trap of Growth Versus Profitability 21:13 The Importance of Equity as a Founder 23:27 Second Acts: TYB and Joggy 29:37 The Value Proposition of Joggy 32:21 The Value Proposition of TYB 46:00 Insights and Reflections 48:52 Social Currency Corner 49:58 Advice for Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices At just 23 years old Ty Haney was the face of Outdoor Voices—the mind behind the “Doing Things” movement and a figure of the Girlboss era. Then came the backlash, boardroom battles, and exit from the brand she built. Today, Sammi sits down with Ty to unpack the rise and fall of Outdoor Voices and Ty’s game-changing second act.

Ty reveals what she wishes she knew as a first-time founder, the dark side of VC and the most important lesson she’s learned on equity as a founder. She also shares the latest on her new ventures—Joggy, a clean energy brand, and TYB, a platform redefining what community-powered business looks like.

If you've ever launched, led, or lost something you built, this one will hit home.

Follow Sammi on Instagram here

Follow Ty on Instagram here

Check out TYB here and Joggy here 

Here’s what Sammi covers today with Ty:

00:00 How Ty Haney Scaled Outdoor Voices to $100M 

02:05 How to Build Community within your Business

06:17 The Curse of the Girlboss Era

08:41 The Trap of Growth Versus Profitability

21:13 The Importance of Equity as a Founder

23:27 Second Acts: TYB and Joggy

29:37 The Value Proposition of Joggy

32:21 The Value Proposition of TYB

46:00 Insights and Reflections

48:52 Social Currency Corner

49:58 Advice for Founders

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

]]> 3488 no Introducing Social Currency On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Fri, 02 May 2025 17:45:00 -0000 trailer Social Currency On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead.

New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know.

Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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