Social Currency with Sammi Cohen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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