STACKED with Emily Dempsey

011. She Manifested A Martha Stewart Collab — And Just Renewed It. How a Second Date Idea Became a Multi-City Empire | | Elisa Marshall, Maman

Welcome back to STACKED — the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Elisa Marshall, co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Maman, the French-inspired café and lifestyle brand she built with her husband Benjamin Sormonte from a 1,600 sq ft SoHo grab-and-go in 2014 into 54 locations across the US and Canada, a Martha Stewart collaboration, and one of the most imitated brand aesthetics in hospitality. Elisa came up through luxury fashion buying, retail leasing, wedding planning, catering, and baking — five jobs, none of them enough. Maman was the room she built to do all of it under one roof. In this episode she breaks down how she built a hero product before social media existed, what makes a celebrity partnership actually work, the commissary model behind scaling 54 locations economically, and the line she will never cross on in-person hospitality. Key Topics Covered * Multi-passion origin story: fashion, events, weddings, baking, and the job that did not exist * The first Maman in SoHo: 18 seats, grab-and-go that became sit-and-stay * The cookie that put Maman on the map and the man who drove an hour to buy one * Pre-Instagram virality: how a Grub Street article triggered a 24-hour bake shift * From 50 cookies a day to 100 dozen at peak demand * Why Elisa builds every location like it is the only one * The four signature brand prints and the personal stories behind each * The vintage china obsession and why customers steal it * The Martha Stewart partnership: how it came together and how it just got renewed * What makes a celebrity collab work — and what kills most of them * The commissary model: one central kitchen, 8 to 10 satellite locations * Events as 20% of revenue and why dinner service did not pencil * Site selection: second-generation spaces with charm built in * Why Maman will never put a self-order screen in any location * What Elisa would do with $50K in 30 days starting over today * Building a legacy brand for the next generation Timestamps:  00:00 Welcome to STACKED  00:30 Introducing Elisa Marshall and Maman  02:00 Growing up between Toronto and Montreal  02:30 The five jobs era: fashion, events, weddings, catering, baking  04:00 Two entrepreneurial parents and the lesson that stuck 07:00 The first Maman: 1,600 sq ft in SoHo, 2014  10:00 Why reservations did not work in New York  12:00 The first signal: the man who drove an hour for cookies  13:30 The Grub Street article they did not know about  15:00 Fifty cookies a day to 100 dozen at peak  26:00 Maman today: 54 locations across the US and Canada  29:00 Events as a 20% revenue stream 34:00 Aesthetics as the moat: the feeling, not just the food  37:00 The four signature prints and the stories behind them  40:00 Why customers steal the china and what Elisa is building because of it  46:30 Manifesting Martha Stewart since age nine 48:00 How the Martha Stewart partnership came together  51:00 What makes a celebrity collaboration actually work  1:00:30 The hardest part of scaling hospitality  1:05:00 Why Maman will never install a self-order screen  1:07:30 Starting over with $50K in 30 days  1:10:00 Building a legacy business for her kids  Tags: Elisa Marshall, Maman NYC, French café, lifestyle brand, hospitality scaling, brand building, Martha Stewart collab, café business, restaurant unit economics, commissary model, hero product, women founders, female entrepreneur podcast, café aesthetics, brand strategy, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, scaling a small business, second generation real estate Disclaimer : The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

010. Bitcoin 101: He Built The First Laptop. Now He's Securing Bitcoin. | Bob Burnett former CTO of Gateway Computers On Bitcoin Mining, Heat Reuse, and Why Crypto Pulled Him Out of Retirement

Welcome back to STACKED — the show about becoming your own best asset. Today, I sat down with Bob Burnett. Bob spent over 35 years at the intersection of technology and infrastructure — on the engineering team behind the world’s first laptop, and as CTO of Gateway Computers, one of the most iconic Fortune 200 companies of the era. In 2017 a single phone call brought him into crypto mining and one year of deep research led out of retirement and all-in on Bitcoin. Today,  Bob is the founder and CEO of Barefoot Mining and board member at Ocean – a Bitcoin mining pool backed by Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, among other ventures. Barefoot Mining is one of the most innovative off-grid Bitcoin mining operations in the world. This episode is your introductory course on Bitcoin mining: why do people mine Bitcoin in the first place, how does it work, and why energy costs matter more than money in today’s world.  Key Topics Covered * From Wisconsin to the world’s first laptop * How the personal computer, the internet, Bitcoin, and AI are not four separate things * Metcalfe’s Law, network effects, and what happens when networks start multiplying each other * The Bitcoin adoption S-curve * Why Ethereum lost its soul when it abandoned proof of work * Why Bitcoin consumes only 0.6% of the world’s electricity and why most of it is wasted energy * Cow manure, hydroelectric, solar, and stranded gas * On-grid vs. off-grid mining * The future of block space — why nation states and big banks will eventually mine * Ocean and why template creation is the only mining that is true to Bitcoin’s principles Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to STACKED 00:30 — Introducing Bob Burnett and Barefoot Mining 01:30 — The Stacked play on words: stacking sats 02:00 — Why Emily made an exception for a virtual inter in view 03:20 — Growing up in Kenosha, Wisconsin and the Apollo missions 05:00 — The birth of the personal computer 06:55 — The world’s first laptop and being there when something big was happening 09:00 — Metcalfe’s Law: the power of a network is the square of its users 10:50 — The four steps: personal computer, internet, Bitcoin, AI 11:30 — AI, agentic workflows, and the decentralization of intelligence 13:50 — Metcalfe’s Law of Metcalfe’s Law 22:00 — How the rate of change is becoming astronomical 24:00 — The technology adoption S-curve 38:00 — Where Bitcoin sits on the adoption curve today 44:30 — What was Bob’s first signal on Bitcoin? 48:00 — The 2017 phone call that changed everything 54:50 — The switch from Ethereum to Bitcoin 58:00 — What Bitcoin actually has that Ethereum never did 01:06:10 — The biggest misconception about Bitcoin mining 01:11:10 — Is Bitcoin mining bad for the environment? No. 01:13:30 — Cow manure to Bitcoin: the Indiana dairy farm 01:16:40 — Bitcoin mining explained in 60 seconds 01:29:50 — The orchard produces oranges. Bob produces blocks. 01:33:10 — Final settlement in 10 minutes and what that means for global commerce 01:40:40 — The future: nation states, big banks, and the fade of public miners 01:41:20 — On-grid vs. off-grid 01:49:50 — Lightning round 01:57:00 — Wrap up and where to find Bob Tags Bob Burnett, Barefoot Mining, Ocean mining pool, Bitcoin mining, Bitcoin infrastructure, proof of work, block space, Bitcoin energy, off-grid mining, on-grid mining, Bitcoin adoption curve, Ethereum vs Bitcoin, Gateway CTO, Bitcoin decentralization, Metcalfe’s Law, digital asset investing, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, Bitcoin sovereignty, Bitcoin mining explained Disclaimer The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

009. She Left Wall Street to Help Others Thrive | Sophia Mullins: Wellness for Ambitious Women

Welcome back to STACKED — the show about becoming your own best asset. Today Emily sits down with Sophia Mullins, founder and CEO of Wall Street Wellness. Sophia spent nearly a decade on Wall Street across investment banking at Barclays, private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds when  a Hashimoto's diagnosis in the middle of her career stopped her in her tracks. Two traditional doctors called her a medical mystery. A functional health doctor gave her answers in 90 minutes, a lifestyle medicine protocol that sent her antibodies into full remission, and a passion for wellness that she has now turned into a consultancy working with high-achievers, as well as investment banks, law firms, top corporations and leading universities. This episode is your complete high-performance-without-burning-out playbook, the real one, not the aesthetic version. Key Topics Covered : * From investment banking to autoimmune diagnosis — what Hashimoto's actually feels like inside a high-intensity career * Why two traditional doctors said 'medical mystery' and what a functional health doctor found in 90 minutes * How lifestyle medicine sent every antibody into remission * The non-negotiable framework, identifying the 1 to 3 habits that actually move the needle for you * Wellness on the road, travel strategy for client dinners, conferences, and back-to-back meetings * Caffeine timing, anti-inflammatory eating, and the truth about why wellness is not one-size-fits-all * Wearable tech and when the Oura Ring is actually making you more anxious * GLP-1s — a non-judgmental, practical take on what to watch for * Transcendental Meditation, Insight Timer, Wim Hof, and To Be Magnetic — what actually works * Lightning round: protein vs. coffee first, matcha anxiety, walk and talk vs. Zoom, phone in the other room Timestamps : 00:00 — Welcome to STACKED 00:30 — Introducing Sophia Mullins and Wall Street Wellness 01:33 — Starting a wellness community while still in finance 03:00 — The Hashimoto's diagnosis: symptoms, two years of wrong answers, the functional doctor 07:36 — Lifestyle medicine and sending antibodies into remission 09:10 — Autoimmune disease, stress, and the genetic predisposition trigger 11:00 — The sprint mentality that is not sustainable 12:00 — Life as a marathon 15:00 — Transcendental Meditation 16:00 — Insight Timer, Law of Attraction and Abundance, Blondish 17:00 — Wim Hof breathwork 18:30 — To Be Magnetic — neuroscience-backed manifesting app 19:00 — On a crazy week: the non-negotiables framework 22:30 — Why too long a wellness routine creates paralysis 24:00 — Wellness is a mindset, not a tool 25:00 — Travel strategy: flexibility, eating framework, pre-planning menus 28:00 — The alcohol question — navigating work drinking culture 32:00 — Wellness-based client entertainment: padel, workouts, spa 34:00 — Anti-inflammatory eating and caffeine timing 38:00 — Sophia's food sensitivities: gluten, dairy, soy 42:00 — GLP-1s — the non-judgmental practical breakdown 44:00 — Wearable tech: Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch, EMFs, when not to get one 49:00 — Lightning round 50:30 — Where to find Sophia Tags : Sophia Mullins, Wall Street Wellness, high performance burnout, Hashimoto's wellness, autoimmune disease career, corporate wellness, functional medicine, wellness for women, investment banking burnout, biohacking women, Oura Ring, GLP-1, anti-inflammatory diet, Transcendental Meditation, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, women in finance, nervous system regulation, female founders Disclaimer : Disclaimer. The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

008. She Built 5 Companies & Exited 3 | Divya Gugnani on First Customers, Pricing & the Exit

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. In this week’s live filming at our STACKED IRL event Emily goes from banking to beauty empire with Divya Gugnani, serial founder, investor, and mentor behind five companies, three exits, and one of the most honest founder stories you will hear this year. She started at Goldman Sachs from Cornell without being on their recruit list, moved into private equity and venture, backing Shopify and Pinterest before most people knew what either of them were and eventually became the accidental entrepreneur who built Wander Beauty with a supermodel she met at a party, grew it to 40+ awards and global distribution, and sold it. Her latest venture is 5 SENS, a fragrance brand built entirely around mood. This is the founder playbook in real life! The good decisions, the ones she'd take back, and the frameworks she actually uses. Key Topics Covered * From Cornell to Goldman without being on their recruit list * Why she took the lowest-paying offer of the five she had * The lesson from Goldman she built every company around * Why the best founders never planned to be founders * The 100-woman survey that built Wander Beauty * The gold under-eye patches — born in Korea, rejected by Sephora, tens of millions in sales * Staying close to the customer no matter how big you get * The mindset shift that happened by company three * Early investor in Shopify and Pinterest — why it's always the people * AI as co-founder copilot for 5 SENS brand voice * How to pick a co-founder and what makes the partnership last * The New York to Tokyo hiring test * The bad hire, the apology, and how fast culture changed * The double standard that calls confident women aggressive * Imposter syndrome and putting the customer before the personal brand * Lightning round: D2C, hero SKUs, creator seeding, raise prices or shrink the pack Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome + introducing Divya Gugnani 01:33 — Childhood: Springfield to New York, shy Indian girl, parents between Delhi and New York 02:18 — Cornell, government & economics, nearly became a lawyer 03:02 — Landing Goldman: 4 offers, 24 Saturday interviews, lowest-paying, and why she took it 04:32 — There's no 'I' in Goldman — the lesson behind every company name 05:00 — Investcorp → FirstMark → accidental entrepreneur 06:14 — The best businesses come from personal problems 07:36 — Wander Beauty: the 100-woman survey aged 18 to 72 10:12 — The gold under-eye patches — coffee for your face 13:36 — Sephora said no. She said yes. Tens of millions followed. 15:51 — Building vs. backing: the operator-to-investor mindset shift 17:06 — Company three unlock: hire the best, get out of their way 18:08 — Early Shopify and Pinterest investor 19:17 — Training AI on 5 SENS brand voice 20:21 — Co-founder framework: complementary skills, clear lanes, trust 21:00 — Meeting Lindsay Ellingson at a party, 10 years together 22:51 — Two ears, one mouth — the leadership rule from her mom 24:06 — Hire slowly, fire quickly 28:07 — The assumptions people still make about women founders 31:13 — Imposter syndrome, community over personal brand, lightning round NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY AT 7AM EST. Subscribe so you never miss one. Tags Divya Gugnani, Wander Beauty, 5 SENS, Concept2Co, serial founder, beauty entrepreneur, Goldman Sachs, Cornell, women founders, startup advice, co-founder advice, D2C beauty, first 100 customers, pricing strategy, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, female founders, imposter syndrome, women in business, how to build a brand Disclaimer Disclaimer. The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

007. Inside Crypto with a Top Lawyer | Greer Griffith on Bitcoin, Blockchain, & Custody

Welcome back to STACKED — the show about becoming your own best asset. What do you actually do if the government comes for your crypto? What happens to your Bitcoin if your custodian goes bankrupt? And why does everyone keep saying "not your keys, not your coins?" This week we're going inside the crypto courtroom.  Greer Griffith is a partner at McDermott Will & Schulte and leader of their fintech and blockchain practice. Her team has handled more significant crypto litigations than any other law firm in the world and is one of the only groups ranked by Chambers for crypto asset disputes. She got into Bitcoin as a personal investor in 2017 before it was ever part of her job. Today she's giving us the full legal playbook. No jargon. No gatekeeping. Just everything you need to know to protect yourself in this space. This is the legal first aid kit every woman in crypto needs. WHAT WE COVER: * From Big Law to crypto: how Greer went from white-collar defense to building one of the most recognized fintech and blockchain practices in the world * Bitcoin, blockchain and stablecoins explained: the plain-English breakdown of the three terms you need to understand before anything else * Custody 101: the two ways to hold your crypto, the real risks on both sides, and what actually happens in a crypto bankruptcy * The 2025 regulatory wave: the Genius Act, the Clarity Act, and why clarity is good news for everyone in the space * Subpoenas and government inquiries: what to do, what not to do, and why the first few days matter more than anything * Crypto scams: the fake "your account is frozen" texts, why they're everywhere, and the one rule that protects everything * Greer's predictions for 2026 and 2027: enforcement trends, IPOs, consolidation, and where the space is heading TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Welcome to STACKED 02:00 — Introducing Greer Griffith 05:30 — From white-collar defense to crypto law 10:00 — Bitcoin 101: what it is and why it has value 15:00 — Blockchain explained: the public ledger no one can alter 19:00 — Stablecoins: the digital dollar for everyday transactions 23:00 — The 2025 regulatory moment: Genius Act and Clarity Act 29:00 — Custody 101: custodian vs. self-hosted wallet 35:00 — What really happens in a crypto bankruptcy 40:00 — Subpoenas: what to do when the government comes knocking 44:00 — Bitcoin vs. digital asset treasuries vs. ETFs 48:00 — Crypto scams and the one rule that protects everything 52:00 — Greer's predictions for 2026 and 2027 55:00 — One thing to do in the next 24 hours NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY AT 7AM EST. Subscribe so you never miss one. 🎙️ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only. Nothing here is legal or financial advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified professional before making any investment or legal decisions. TAGS: Greer Griffith, McDermott Will & Schulte, crypto law, Bitcoin, blockchain, stablecoins, crypto custody, self custody, digital wallet, seed phrase, crypto regulation, Genius Act, Clarity Act, crypto bankruptcy, crypto scams, STACKED podcast, Stacked, women in crypto, women and Bitcoin, fintech law, Bitcoin education, crypto for beginners, crypto for women, financial education, Brickell Babes, Miami women, Bitcoin 101, blockchain explained, crypto attorney