Afleveringen
-
Jennifer Wong started as a Sales Associate at Aritzia… 39-years later, she’s running the company as CEO.Today, Jennifer joins Sammi to share how she almost left Aritzia for a career in banking, why founder Brian Hill convinced her to stay, and what it was like succeeding him after nearly four decades working alongside him. She explains the philosophy behind Aritzia's "everyday luxury," why the company has continued investing in physical retail while others have pulled back, and the thinking behind some of its most distinctive experiences (think mirrorless fitting rooms and complimentary personal styling appointments).Jennifer also breaks down how Aritzia navigated tariffs and supply chain disruptions, why timeless design is central to the brand's sustainability strategy, and what she thinks so many direct-to-consumer brands got wrong. Plus, she shares the leadership principles that have helped Aritzia retain employees for decades and why she still visits boutiques every few months.Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletterFollow Jennifer Wong and AritziaHere's What Sammi Covers with Jennifer:00:00 Jennifer Wong's Social Currency02:14 How Jennifer Went From Sales Associate to CEO04:03 The Banking Job She Almost Took06:08 The Conversation That Changed Her Career07:22 Saying Yes to Every Opportunity08:41 Aritzia's "40-Year Overnight Success"10:28 Succeeding Founder Brian Hill as CEO14:12 Why Aritzia Is Still Betting on Physical Retail15:35 The Strategy Behind Mirrorless Fitting Rooms18:17 Inside Aritzia's Styling Experience20:47 Defining "Everyday Luxury"21:09 How Aritzia Built a Multi-Generational Brand23:33 Designing Clothes That Feel Timeless25:27 Why Aritzia Creates Its Own Brands27:14 Jennifer's Take on Sustainable Fashion29:25 How Aritzia Prepared for the Tariffs31:00 The Supply Chain Pivot That Happened in One Month33:28 Why Aritzia Keeps Menswear Separate35:01 The Secret to 39 Years of Employee Retention37:04 What Jennifer Looks for When Hiring39:25 The Future of Fred Segal42:44 Jennifer's Leadership System43:40 Why She Visits Every Boutique44:44 What Aritzia Thinks Other Retailers Get Wrong45:41 Why Brand Has Always Come First47:48 Never Losing Sight of the Customer49:08 What's Missing From Most In-Store Shopping ExperiencesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
What started as Laney Crowell's passion for magazines, beauty, and storytelling became Saie Beauty, one of the fastest-growing clean beauty brands in the world and a standout success story at Sephora.In this episode, Laney joins Sammi to share how she went from working in editorial and at Estée Lauder to raising her first million dollars with no fundraising experience, launching Saie just months before the pandemic, and turning an early rejection from Sephora into a nationwide launch. She explains why she wanted Saie to be a top 10 Sephora brand from day one and the tactical fundraising lessons she wishes every founder knew.Plus, she opens up about the realities of leading a fast-growing company, the trade-offs of building her dream business while raising two children, and what still keeps her up at night as CEO.Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletterFollow what Laney is working on with SaieHere's What Sammi Covers with Laney:00:00 Laney Crowell's Social Currency02:00 Feeling Like She Was Meant to Be a Founder06:34 Why Resilience Is a Founder's Greatest Skill08:00 Storytelling as a Competitive Advantage12:51 Fundraising Without Any Experience14:21 The Power of "Expanders"16:21 Raising Her First $1 Million17:23 Why Every "No" Gets You Closer to a "Yes"18:30 Perfecting the Pitch One Meeting at a Time19:47 Building Saie to Be a Top Sephora Brand21:03 Why Investors Bet on Founders, Not Ideas23:52 Sephora's First Rejection26:22 The Call That Changed Everything28:18 Launching Through COVID29:24 Building a Beauty Brand During a Downturn31:21 The Three Most Important Early Hires34:37 How Laney Hires Great People36:13 Why Sustainability Has to Be Built Into the Business41:16 What Actually Brings Customers to Saie42:07 Staying Focused in a Crowded Industry43:39 What Keeps Laney Up at Night45:46 Why Community Is Beauty's Most Misused Buzzword47:33 Creating Value Beyond the Product48:28 Why Founder-Led Content Matters More Than Ever49:45 The Trade-Offs of Building a Dream Company51:05 Laney's Biggest Pinch-Me MomentLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
From the FIRE movement, to the rent versus buy debate and financial fibs, today Sammi is tackling the biggest money questions of the moment with Haley Sacks.
Haley Sacks (Mrs. Dow Jones) has become one of the most influential voices in financial education, building a media empire around the idea that the secrets to wealth should be available to everyone. Haley joins Sammi to discuss the psychology behind our earliest money beliefs, why she publicly pushed back on "girl math," and the money moves future rich people are making now.
They also dive into creator entrepreneurship, including how Haley turned comedy into a seven-figure business, why newsletters are her most valuable asset, and the revenue strategy behind building a sustainable creator business.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Check out Haley’s book Future Rich Person
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Haley:
00:00 Haley Sacks’ Social Currency
02:06 When Do You Become a "Future Rich Person"?
04:05 Growing Up Around Wealth Without Financial Literacy
06:02 Why Your Relationship With Money Is Formed by Age Seven
08:17 The Money Advice Women Actually Need
09:34 Building a Career Before the Creator Economy Existed
12:44 The Comedy Rule Behind Haley’s Content
16:00 Audience vs. Community
18:20 Why IRL Is More Important Than Ever
19:28 Why Haley Thinks "Girl Math" Is Harmful
22:27 Money Is a Relationship, Not Just a Number
24:31 Haley’s Take on the Trad Wife Movement
29:47 Friends Should Share Salaries
35:03 How Haley Built a Seven-Figure Creator Business
36:00 Why Newsletters Beat Social Media
37:49 Creator vs. Creator-Entrepreneur
40:47 Financial Advice vs. Financial Education
43:13 Does Personal Responsibility Ignore Systemic Problems?
47:34 The Hardest Chapter of Future Rich Person
50:12 Why Every Creator Should Start a Podcast
54:03 Is the FIRE Movement a Cult?
55:27 Renting Forever: Smart or Financial Failure?
57:05 Should You Ever Lie to Your Partner About Money?
58:18 The Worst Money Advice on TikTok
59:34 Haley’s Most Defensible Splurge
01:00:42 Therapy or a Financial Advisor First?
01:02:05 Haley’s Productivity System
01:03:52 Navigating Rising Prices Without Giving Up
01:07:12 How to Say "No" to an Expensive Bachelorette Party
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
What does building a billion-dollar company actually feel like? According to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, it's far less glamorous than most founder stories make it seem.
Jamie joins Sammi to unpack the journey from almost running out of money to building Ring into one of the biggest consumer tech acquisitions in history. He explains why entrepreneurship can be deeply traumatic, how close Ring came to bankruptcy before appearing on Shark Tank, and why the rejection that made headlines wasn't nearly as important as what happened afterward.
They also discuss why Jamie spent nearly all of Ring's remaining cash buying Ring.com, the lawsuit that nearly destroyed Amazon's acquisition, why he eventually walked away from running Ring despite loving the company, and what brought him back years later.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Check out Jamie’s book Ding Dong
00:00 Jamie Siminoff’s Social Currency
02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking
03:22 Why Entrepreneurship Is More Traumatic Than People Admit
05:20 Why Jamie Came Back to Ring
07:30 Life After Selling Ring to Amazon
08:50 Knowing When It's Time to Walk Away
09:30 Why Retirement Didn't Last
11:10 The Story Jamie Almost Didn't Tell
13:15 Why You Shouldn't Start a Company for Money
14:30 The Mission Behind Ring
16:00 Can You Actually Measure Safer Neighborhoods?
18:00 Partner Message: Rula
19:14 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking
20:28 The Customer Stories That Make It All Worth It
22:00 How Ring Became a Household Name
24:15 How Close Ring Came to Bankruptcy
26:05 The Shark Tank Effect
27:13 Why Rejection Wasn't Ring's Biggest Break
29:07 The Survivorship Bias of Entrepreneurship
30:19 Why AI Will Reward Builders
31:46 The $1 Million Bet on Ring.com
35:30 Why "DoorBot" Had to Die
36:44 Rebuilding Ring From Scratch
37:07 Partner Message: Bilt
38:08 The Lawsuit That Almost Killed the Amazon Deal
40:40 From the Highest High to the Lowest Low
42:30 The Settlement That Saved Ring
43:24 Building a Hypergrowth Company While Running Out of Money
44:27 Calling Amazon Back
46:53 Being a Solo Founder
50:39 Superbowl Ad
01:00:00 Social Currency Corner
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Rula: rula.com/socialcurrency
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Shopify: shopify.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Peter Semple is CEO of Depop, the fashion resale marketplace that became one of Gen Z's most influential shopping platforms and completely changed how a new generation thinks about secondhand fashion.
Peter joins Sammi to break down how Depop built a community-first brand, why the company made the surprising decision to eliminate seller fees, and what it takes to scale beyond Gen Z without losing cultural relevance. They also discuss why Peter wants Depop to become the "Nike of resale," the future of AI-powered shopping, and what the recently announced $1.2 billion acquisition by eBay means for the next chapter of the business.
Plus: why Depop keeps showing up cultural moments (from rap lyrics to SNL), and what happens when superfans become employees.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Peter and Depop
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Peter:
00:00 Peter Semple’s Social Currency
02:14 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal03:36 From Copywriter to CEO05:49 What Google Creative Lab Taught Him About Brands08:04 Leaving Google for a Startup10:13 How Sneakers Led Him to Depop11:58 Why Depop Hires Its Own Users
14:34 Partner Message: Rula
15:49 Partner Message: Mercury for Business17:08 The Mindset Shift From CMO to CEO20:07 How Depop Scales Without Losing Gen Z24:25 Building the “Nike of Resale”26:01 Why Depop Eliminated Seller Fees29:13 The Power of Circular Fashion
30:06 Partner Message: Bilt
31:07 Partner Message: Shopify32:22 Why Brands Should Earn, Not Chase, Cultural Relevance35:10 From SNL to Rap Lyrics: Becoming Part of Culture38:06 What the $1.2 Billion eBay Acquisition Means42:13 Can Sustainability Beat Fast Fashion?45:20 Why Shopping Should Feel Like a Treasure Hunt46:56 How AI Is Changing Fashion Resale50:03 Will AI Change How We Discover Products?52:38 Depop’s Competitive Advantage55:00 The Secret Behind the Name “Depop”
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Rula: rula.com/socialcurrency
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Shopify: shopify.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Twenty years after uploading his first YouTube video, Gary Vaynerchuk is still obsessed with where attention is going next. Today, he joins Sammi to talk about his predictions and why it’s not too late to get started on social media.
Gary explains why he believes social media has become “interest media,” how AI and authenticity are not mutually exclusive, and why quantity remains one of the biggest competitive advantages in content.
They also discuss the rise of live shopping, why Gary is betting big on IRL experiences, and the long-term vision behind VeeFriends—his modern intellectual property empire centered around optimism, accountability, and character development. Along the way, Gary shares his approach to mental health, whether he wants his kids to take over his business, and the one thing he still hasn’t done yet. Plus, they revisit one of Sammi’s favorite pieces of Gary’s content… and it’s a real tearjerker.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Gary Vaynerchuk and VeeFriends
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Gary:
00:00 Gary Vaynerchuk’s Social Currency
02:14 Partner Message: Mercury for Business
03:37 Uploading His First YouTube Video 20 Years Ago
05:34 Why Gary Only Talks About What He Knows
07:22 Why Social Media Became “Interest Media”
09:35 The Platform Predictions That Made Gary Famous
12:13 Why Content Merit Matters More Than Followers
14:20 Partner Message: Rula
15:36 Partner Message: Bilt
16:36 AI, Authenticity, and the Creator Dilemma
17:57 Why Quantity Is a Competitive Advantage
19:00 The Power of “And” Instead of “Or”
20:25 Why Gary Is Betting Big on IRL Experiences
21:14 The Rise of Analog in a Digital World
22:24 What Gary Will Never Outsource to AI
24:20 Why Great Businesses Ignore Personal Preference
25:12 Will Humans Eventually Marry AI?
26:23 The Upside of AI That People Ignore
27:33 The Video That Best Captures Gary’s Philosophy
28:53 Why Gary Cares So Much About Underdogs
30:10 The Difference Between Positivity and Delusion32:20 Gary’s Approach to Mental Health
33:23 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal
34:37 Partner Message: Shopify
35:57 What Gary Wants for His Kids
37:50 Why VeeFriends Is His Most Important Project
39:34 Building an IP Empire Through Character-Based Storytelling
42:13 Why Live Shopping Is Finally Taking Off
44:10 Gary’s Advice for Sammi’s New Live Show
46:06 Why Creators Need More Content on More Platforms
46:29 Gary’s First Viral Video
47:33 Who Gets the Good News—and Who Gets the Bad News
48:08 Whether Gary Will Ever Take a Real Break
49:28 The 15/85 System That Runs His Career
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Rula: rula.com/socialcurrency
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Shopify: shopify.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Matilda Djerf transformed a growing social media audience into Djerf Avenue: a global lifestyle brand and an aesthetic that has genuinely shaped internet culture from fashion to beauty to the now-iconic Matilda Djerf hair.
In this episode, Matilda joins Sammi to share the full story behind Djerf Avenue— from packing orders with friends and family in an empty warehouse to scaling through the pandemic when nobody knew whether consumers would buy blazers during lockdowns. She explains why she never raised venture capital, how she used DMs as market research, and realities of growing a creator-led company at rocketing speed.
Sammi and Matilda also talk about creator burnout, the pressure of tying your personal identity to your company, and the difficult public scrutiny she faced after allegations from former employees. Matilda opens up about leadership, accountability, and what it actually feels like to grow up publicly while running a scaling business. Plus, Matilda shares about getting into community building, influencer culture, and how creators today should think about what parts of their lives belong online and what should stay private.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Follow Matilda Djerf and Djerf Avenue
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Matilda:
00:00 Matilda Djerf’s Social Currency
02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal
03:33 Growing Up in a Small Town and Building a Global Audience
04:44 What’s Changed for Creators Since the 2010s
05:32 Why Passion Still Matters More Than Growth Hacks
06:56 Where Matilda Finds Creative Inspiration
08:08 Protecting Your Image in the Age of Social Media
11:30 AI, Copyright, and the Future of Creator Rights
12:00 When Matilda’s Hair Became a Cultural Phenomenon
13:25 Launching Djerf Avenue From an Empty Warehouse
16:29 Why She Never Raised Outside Capital
18:48 Building a Brand Around Community, Not White Space
19:35 Partner Message: Mercury for Business
21:09 Turning Followers Into Customers
22:06 Trusting Her Gut Over a Business Plan
23:49 Launching a Fashion Brand Into a Pandemic
27:13 Why Authentic Community Can’t Be Faked
29:36 How Djerf Avenue Invests in Its Customers
30:46 The Challenges of Scaling 300% Growth
32:20 The Hidden Cost of Returns
34:04 Why Customer Service Remains Human
35:18 Partner Message: Bilt
36:19 Managing a Personal Brand and a Business Brand
38:04 Navigating Public Scrutiny and Leadership Challenges
39:09 The Leadership Lessons She Learned the Hard Way
41:11 Why She Never Considered Walking Away
42:11 The New Social Contract Between Founders and Employees
44:02 Expanding Djerf Avenue Into Beauty
46:27 Selling Beauty Products Without Retail Stores
47:46 What’s Next for Djerf Avenue
49:00 A Week in the Life of Djerf Avenue’s Chief Creative Officer
51:46 Brick and Mortar Dreams
57:10 On Gathered
58:24 Social Currency Corner
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Eugene Remm didn't set out to build a hospitality empire. He started as a bartender, worked in nightlife, and chased success through New York's club scene… until a major failure forced him to rethink everything.
Today, Eugene is the co-founder of CATCH Hospitality Group, the company behind some of the most sought-after restaurants in America, including CATCH, The Corner Store, Or’esh, and The Eighty Six. He breaks down the restaurant formula that most operators get wrong, why "vibe" is actually the last thing you should focus on, and how he thinks about building unforgettable guest experiences. He explains the psychology behind New York's line culture, why restaurant critics have lost their gatekeeping power, and how social media has completely reshaped hospitality.
They also dive into the business side of restaurants: scaling without losing quality, managing celebrity demand, hiring people who genuinely care, and the lessons Eugene learned from failed nightclub ventures and unsuccessful expansion deals. Plus, Eugene shares what happened after Taylor Swift started visiting The Corner Store, why he believes no celebrity has a bigger impact on consumer behavior, and how AI is poised to transform hospitality without replacing the human touch.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Eugene’s Work:
Catch Restaurants, @catch
The Corner Store, @thecornerstore
The Eighty Six, @the86.nyc
Or'esh, @or.esh
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Eugene
00:00 Eugene Remm’s Social Currency
02:10 Partner Message: Mercury for Business
03:31 From Bartender to Hospitality Entrepreneur
06:13 How Failure in Nightlife Led to CATCH
08:10 Reinventing a 15-Year-Old Restaurant Brand
10:58 Why Big Restaurants Stopped Working
13:53 The Three Pillars: Food, Service, and Vibe
14:05 Why Guest Experience Is the Hardest Thing to Scale
15:37 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal
16:50 Partner Message: Bilt
17:56 How Eugene Hires People Who Actually Care
20:30 Why Great Teams Beat Great Individuals
21:18 Why Most Restaurants Get Vibe Wrong
22:22 The Art of Curating a Dining Room
23:03 Building a Celebrity-Filled Restaurant Without Chasing Celebrities
25:14 The Million-Dollar Reservation Strategy
26:32 Why Restaurant Critics No Longer Matter
27:27 Michelin Stars vs. Customer Demand
29:14 How Social Media Replaced Traditional Gatekeepers
31:02 Why Eugene Chooses 10 A-Minus Businesses Over One A-Plus
32:45 What’s Next for CATCH Hospitality Group
35:03 Building an LVMH of Restaurant Brands
36:11 The Corner Store’s Viral Rise36:28 The Taylor Swift Effect
38:00 Why Fast Casual Is the Next Frontier
39:54 The Psychology of the “New York Hour”
41:28 Lessons From a Failed Dubai Expansion
43:02 How Tilman Fertitta Changed the Business
44:32 Eugene’s “Constant Gentle Pressure” System
45:28 How AI Will Transform Hospitality
47:53 When You’re Ready to Open Restaurant Number Two
49:31 Why Restaurants Might Be the Hardest Business in the World
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Rick Caruso has spent decades reshaping Los Angeles through projects like The Grove, Americana at Brand, and Palisades Village. In this conversation with Sammi, Rick talks through his entrepreneurial strategy with real estate and beyond.
Rick explains how he built a billion-dollar real estate empire by studying people instead of the industry, why he intentionally ignored traditional mall design rules, and the Walt Disney philosophies that shaped his approach to hospitality. He shares why he believes founders need to be comfortable being over their skis, how criticism actually signals progress, and the surprising rituals he still personally does for guests at his properties.
Then the conversation turns to Los Angeles. Rick gives an unfiltered breakdown of the Pacific Palisades fires, explaining exactly how Palisades Village survived while much of the surrounding area burned. He walks through the fire prevention systems his team built years in advance, the operational decisions that protected the property, and the broader lessons for government competency and crisis management.
Sammi and Rick also discuss why small businesses are increasingly struggling in California, why entrepreneurs are leaving cities like LA and New York, and the political climate that ultimately led Rick to decide not to run for governor.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Rick Caruso’s work
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rick:
00:00 Rick Caruso’s Social Currency
02:50 Why “Follow Your Passion” Is Bad Advice
05:16 Why Not Knowing the Rules Helped Him Win
08:05 Why Founders Need to Be “Over Their Skis”
09:23 The “Celebrate vs. Isolate” Framework
10:00 Building The Grove Around the Farmers Market
12:08 Why Criticism Means You’re Doing Something Important
14:00 The Hospitality Details Guests Never Notice
18:12 Walt Disney’s Biggest Lesson for Entrepreneurs
22:12 Why People Propose at the Americana Fountain
25:00 Expensive Mistakes
28:32 Why Retail Must Constantly Reinvent Itself
29:14 How Palisades Village Reinvented Retail Layouts
30:00 Why Rick Writes a Fictional Story for Every Project
31:17 What Saved Palisades Village During the Fires
35:05 Why Rick Thinks LA Leadership Failed
37:13 Why Rick Decided Not to Run for Governor
41:00 Why California Needs Business-Minded Leadership
44:18 Solutions to Homelessness in LA
49:29 Why Small Businesses Are Struggling in California
51:45 Rick’s Personal System for Life and Leadership
54:13 Why Entrepreneurs Are Leaving California
56:02 Innovation vs. Naivety for Founders
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Harley Finkelstein believes we’re entering the most important shift in commerce since the invention of online shopping itself.
As President of Shopify, Harley has helped build the infrastructure powering millions of businesses across more than 175 countries. Now, he says AI is about to fundamentally change not only how consumers discover and buy products online— but how “machine customers” might do our shopping for us.
Harley explains why agentic commerce could replace traditional search, his take on the idea that every brand is becoming a media company (featuring a Favorite Daughter case study), and why this new era may reward product quality more than ad spend.
Harley also shares the story of joining Shopify in its earliest days, why founder-led companies consistently outperform, and why he believes modern entrepreneurs can now go from a kitchen-table idea to a multi-billion-dollar company faster than ever before. Plus: the brands he thinks are getting retail right—and the critical “give a sh*t factor” he believes only founders truly have.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Harley’s work and updates at Shopify
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Harley:
00:00 Harley Finkelstein’s Social Currency
01:57 Partner Message: Mercury
02:30 Growing Up Around Immigrant Entrepreneurs
05:40 Why Harley Went to Law School
08:00 Meeting Shopify Founder Tobi Lütke
12:00 Why Shopify Felt Like a “Superpower”
15:00 Partner Message: Mercury
16:19 Partner Message: Mosh
18:00 The Moment Shopify Became a Generational Company
21:00 From E-Commerce Platform to Commerce Operating System
22:30 Every 26 Seconds a New Entrepreneur Gets Their First Sale
24:00 Why Some Brands Become Media Companies
25:00 Favorite Daughter and the Founder-Led Brand Flywheel
27:00 Why Most Brands Feel Inauthentic
28:30 What Great Retail Brands Understand About Emotion
30:00 Shopify’s OpenAI and ChatGPT Announcement
31:00 What “Agentic Commerce” Actually Means
32:00 AI Personal Shoppers and Curated Buying
35:00 Why AI Could Help Small Brands Win
37:00 The End of Traditional Search?
39:00 How Brands Maintain Identity Inside AI Platforms
41:00 Why Storytelling Matters More in an AI World
42:00 The Rise of Machine Customers
44:00 Why Harley Is a Techno-Optimist
47:30 Why Founder-Led Companies Win
50:00 The Founder “Give a Shit Factor”
51:00 Harley’s Framework for Finding Your Life’s Work
Thanks to Our Sponsors!Mercury: mercury.com
Mosh Bars: moshlife.com/socialcurrency
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
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 - Laat meer zien
