What if your first investment was a $400 tax refund and a tape measure? In this episode of The Burnouts, fashion founder Danielle Guizio sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to talk about turning side hustles into global brands, learning leadership the hard way, and why your iPhone might be your most powerful marketing tool.
Danielle opens up about recovering from surgery, walking garbage bags of orders to USPS, and getting duped on TikTok. She shares the strategy behind her $2M Black Friday breakthrough, why she still fits every sample herself, and how she built a viral fashion empire with no design experience, no car, and no connections—just a deep belief that she could figure it out.
Also: negotiating in Chinatown at 13, selling out with zero ads, and what she really looks for in a résumé (hint: it’s not your school).
Chapters
1:10 – $400, no car, and a dream
5:45 – Getting duped and going viral anyway
10:12 – Negotiation school and hiring red flags
13:48 – Why she still works the retail floor
16:00 – Instagram as your magazine
21:35 – How she got Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa in her clothes
24:18 – What she actually looks for in a hire
28:55 – Advice for every girl with a side hustle
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About The Burnouts
As former Stanford roommates turned startup founders, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are building more than a business—they’re building a bold new conversation. The Burnouts dives into the chaos of creation, covering everything from VC pitches and product meltdowns to friendship, finance, and fear. With top guests like Danielle Guizio, Kris Jenner, and Whitney Wolfe Herd, this is your behind-the-scenes playbook for building on your own terms.
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