Social Currency with Sammi Cohen
On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.
Episodes
August 1, 2025 • 12 mins
Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and fall of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to solve a problem that didn't exist with an over-engineered solution. Founded by Doug Evans, who aspired to revolutionize the juice industry, Juicero promised a convenient, high-tech juicing machine. Despite backing from major investors like Google Ventures and celebrity endorsements, the company's $400 juicer was exposed as redundant...
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What’s the secret behind today’s fastest-growing newsletters—and how can creators build smarter, not harder? Tyler Denk is here to answer exactly that.
Tyler was one of the first hires at Morning Brew, and now is CEO of Beehiiv, the platform that’s powering some of your favorite newsletters and fueling a new wave of digital media empires. Tyler shares hard truths of being a founder, why he thinks being single is a startup superpow...
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July 25, 2025 • 13 mins
From skincare to alcohol, it feels like every celebrity has a brand and your feed is probably full of them. But why do some explode while others quietly crash and burn? Today, Sammi breaks down what really separates the hits from the hype.
Is it all about star power—or does authenticity actually matter? Sammi dives into the blueprint behind successful celebrity brands like Hailey Bieber’s Rhode and Kim Kardashian’s Skims, and why ...
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The fashion industry is facing a reckoning—from how clothes are made to how they’re resold. And Phia, a new tech-driven platform, is betting that the future of shopping is secondhand, smarter, and more sustainable.
In this episode, Sammi sits down with Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about how they went from brainstorming ideas in their Stanford dorm room to building a company that’s rethinking retail. They...
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July 18, 2025 • 19 mins
Buy now, pay later is everywhere. Maybe you've seen it when you were buying a Sephora haul, or deciding that you deserve to splurge on your DoorDash delivery, but what’s the truth behind the trend? Today, Sammi answers the question: is BNPL just a shiny new version of the old school layaway, gamified for the TikTok generation? Or is it more dangerous?
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What if paying rent could actually help you own a home someday? That’s exactly the idea Ankur Jain ran with when he launched Bilt Rewards, the first loyalty program that lets renters earn points on rent—and it’s now backed by over 2 million units nationwide, plus Mastercard, Wells Fargo and more.
Sammi sits down with Ankur to unpack how he built one of the most disruptive fintech startups in the housing space, why homeownership is...
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July 11, 2025 • 16 mins
Mel Robbins didn’t invent self-help—but she might’ve made it viral. From courtroom stress to content queen, Mel turned panic attacks into a personal brand empire, built on bite-sized truths like the Five Second Rule and Let Them. Her strategy? Simplicity that scales, relentless experimentation, and showing up as exactly herself.
In today’s episode, Sammi breaks down how Mel went from anonymous anxiety to global influence—and what ...
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What if freezing your eggs didn’t have to feel out of reach, financially or emotionally? Lauren Makler, co-founder and CEO of Cofertility, is reimagining how we think about egg donation and preservation.
Lauren’s company helps women freeze their eggs for free— in exchange for donating half— breaking down financial barriers while fostering a more transparent, human-first approach to fertility. In this conversation, Lauren tells Sam...
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July 4, 2025 • 22 mins
Nearly 60% of Gen Z wants to be a creator—but how do you actually turn posting into profit? In this episode, Sammi pulls back the curtain on the creator economy and shares the real business model behind full-time content creation. From brand partnerships to your own storefront, affiliate links to equity deals, Sammi breaks down all the ways creators monetize (and the pitfalls to watch out for). Plus, she shares her own behind-the-s...
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How would the health of the planet be impacted if we could control the weather? Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO of Rainmaker, is on a mission to find out.
Augustus’ company makes it rain— literally. Through a process called cloud seeding, Rainmaker creates rain for farms, watersheds and ecosystems. In this conversation, Augustus tells Sammi about the brain-bending challenges of engineering cutting-edge technology, the impact of ...
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June 27, 2025 • 21 mins
Trader Joe’s has no loyalty programs. No flashy ads. Stores that look like they time-traveled in from the '70s. And yet… Trader Joe’s generates more sales per square foot than almost any other grocery store in America. Why?
Today, Sammi unpacks the genius of Trader Joe’s—how a company that breaks every retail rule has built one of the most beloved (and profitable) grocery brands in the country. From decision paralysis and private...
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What does it take to build a luxury beauty brand that’s as cool as it is strategic? Cassandra Grey has the answer. She’s the force behind Violet Grey—the ultra-curated beauty platform that has become a tastemaker in Hollywood and beyond.
Cassandra’s playbook is not the usual one: she launched her brand, grew a cult following for nearly a decade, sold the company in 2022, and then bought it back in 2024. Today, she shares what she ...
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June 20, 2025 • 16 mins
Away wasn’t just luggage—it was millennial wanderlust personified. Backed by $150 million in funding and powered by influencer buzz, Away rocketed to unicorn status in four years. But behind the minimalist branding and Instagrammable carry-ons was a workplace culture scandal, a global travel shutdown, and the hard truth that they were never a tech company… they were just selling suitcases.
Today, Sammi unpacks the stunning rise an...
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Grant LaFontaine says the future of shopping is here— and it’s live. Literally.
Grant is the cofounder and CEO of Whatnot—a $5 billion live shopping brand that’s shaking up the traditional retail playbook and betting big on the future of social commerce.
Sammi sits down with Grant to unpack what it takes to build a unicorn; from the lesson Y Combinator taught him about working with a cofounder, to the unique way he thinks about ...
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June 13, 2025 • 10 mins
People are lining up at 4 AM, crashing websites, and dropping thousands on a fuzzy vinyl creature with nine teeth and a cult following. Meet Labubu: part toy, part fashion statement, part emotional coping mechanism. Born from a Nordic mythology-inspired art project and catapulted to fame by Pop Mart, Labubu has become a collector’s dream and a status symbol—thanks to limited drops, blind box buying, and celebrity fans like BLACKPIN...
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Meet Loren Castle, the powerhouse behind Sweet Loren’s—the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. Today, Sammi chats with Lauren about how a shocking medical diagnosis pushed her to turn her kitchen experiments into a multimillion-dollar business.
They get into the wild ride of breaking into the food world—from the first big break with Whole Foods to juggling supply chain chaos and sticking to Loren’s mission of allergen-free, ...
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June 6, 2025 • 15 mins
Today Sammi digs into the retail scandal that ties together private equity, power plays, broken promises, and a $2.65 billion luxury merger that's now unraveling in public. Also known as: the story of Saks.
Sammi follows the money trail to the center of Saks’ downfall: the mastermind behind the merger that would lead to the financial and reputational mess the brand is in now. This isn't a story about just one department store. I...
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June 3, 2025 • 56 mins
Think it's too late to become a creator if you don't have a social media following? Think again. According to John Hu, cofounder of Stan—a platform that helps creators turn their platform into income—the creator economy is just getting started.
Today, John shares how he’s building Stan with unicorn status in mind, what MrBeast’s business empire can teach us about the business of content, and why he is “guarded” when it comes to f...
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May 30, 2025 • 19 mins
Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt.
You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, coo...
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Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry.
Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupe...
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