018. From Group Chat to 3,500-Woman Empire | Courtney Spritzer, Co-Founder of Entrepreneista on Turning Community Into Cash, Building a Personal Brand & Going AI-First

018. From Group Chat to 3,500-Woman Empire | Courtney Spritzer, Co-Founder of Entrepreneista on Turning Community Into Cash, Building a Personal Brand & Going AI-First

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Courtney Spritzer, Co-Founder of Entreprenista, a private membership community of more than 3,500 women entrepreneurs across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Courtney didn't set out to build a community business — she studied economics at NYU, graduated in 2009 into one of the worst financial crises in a century, and spent two years underwriting insurance policies in rural Massachusetts. A job at American Express in 2011 changed everything — she was in the room as major brands first figured out Facebook and Twitter, and realized social media could be a career. She and her business partner, Stephanie, built a social media agency, SocialFly, from nothing — nights and weekends, then a leap of faith, then their first $8,000 month. In 2018, almost as an experiment to learn a new platform for their agency clients, they started the Entreprenista Podcast. By 2020, it had grown into its own private community — one Courtney and Stephanie eventually spun off entirely, selling SocialFly to focus on what it became. In this episode, Courtney breaks down the one rule that built her entire referral engine, how she balances monetizing a community with keeping it authentic, why the face of a brand doesn't have to be its founder, and why she's convinced every founder — herself included — needs to build AI-first from here on out. This is the episode for anyone building something out of a group chat, a podcast, or a side project, and wondering if it could ever be the real business. Promo Code: $500 off Entreprenista initiation dues with code BRICKELLBABES500 — reducing the fee from $1,497 to $997 when paid in full. Applicable to member's first year of Entreprenista dues. https://refer.entreprenista.com/bb [https://refer.entreprenista.com/bb] Key Topics Covered: — Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs — clothing stores in the Bronx — and trying to do the opposite — Studying economics at NYU and graduating into the 2009 financial crisis — Hitting an $8,000 revenue goal in month one — How SocialFly grew into a full-service digital, paid media, and influencer marketing agency — Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018 to learn a new platform for clients — Balancing authenticity with monetizing a community — Why 40% of new members join through referrals — How AI agents saved a friend's business roughly $250,000 in three weeks — Why Courtney would build an AI-first business if she started over today — Lightning round Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Courtney Spritzer 03:45 – Growing Up in a Family of Entrepreneurs in the Bronx 05:26 – Meeting Business Partner Stephanie 06:01 – Building the Agency Nights & Weekends 06:50 – The Leap of Faith: Quitting Corporate for Good 07:01 – Hitting the $8,000 Revenue Goal in Month One 10:41 – Trading Social Media Services for Free Office Space 18:18 – Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018 18:52 – Spinning Entreprenista Into Its Own Company During the Pandemic 21:05 – Selling SocialFly to Focus Fully on Entreprenista 29:03 – The Entreprenista to Entourage Ambassador Program 30:37 – Building a Personal Brand Without Oversharing 40:20 – Why Courtney Would Build Her Next Business AI-First 44:30 – Lightning Round 46:00 – Where to Find Courtney Spritzer & Entreprenista Tags: Courtney Spritzer, Entreprenista, SocialFly, women entrepreneurs, women in business, community building, monetizing community, personal branding, AI for business, LinkedIn growth, Threads growth, referral marketing, membership community, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, female founder podcast Disclaimer: The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. It does not create any client, patient, or fiduciary relationship. Contents are for general informational purposes only — consult your own advisors regarding your specific situation.

017. The CEO of Your Own Body | Colleen Wachob on 16 Years Inside Wellness, What Actually Works for Women & Building mindbodygreen to 15 Million Monthly Readers

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Colleen Wachob, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of mindbodygreen, the independent media and wellness brand she launched with her husband Jason out of a Brooklyn apartment in 2009. It now reaches 15 million women a month, and their supplement line launched in 2020 is the fastest-growing part of the business. In this conversation we got into everything. What a pulmonary embolism at 32 taught her about listening to her body. What 16 years of watching wellness trends actually teaches you about what works for women and why she rejects bro biohacking and Kardashian wellness. Why the algorithm is making the wellness conversation worse, not better. The creatine shift and what it says about how women are finally moving toward strength. The psychology of quitting a salary to build something you believe in. And what training for HYROX at 45 taught her about cardio, community, and what it feels like when your body is finally getting what it was asking for. Colleen is one of the clearest and most honest thinkers in this space and this conversation will stay with me. Key Topics Covered: — Growing up in SoCal, Stanford, and spending her 20s as a corporate operator at Gap, Walmart, and Amazon — The pulmonary embolism at 32 and the moment she decided to build differently — Quitting Amazon and the psychological weight of taking a massive salary cut to go all in on mindbodygreen — Running the business with her husband Jason: what makes it work, what required couples therapy — The pivot into supplements: why they waited until 2020 and what the Thorne partnership taught them — Over 20 SKUs, in-house PhDs, and the fastest-growing segment of the business — Creatine and why women driving its growth is the most exciting shift in women's health in 16 years — Plant protein vs. whey: what the science actually says about muscle protein synthesis — The algorithm problem: why virality makes wellness advice worse, not better — Training for HYROX at 45: adding 6 points to her VO2 max and why cardio needed a rebrand — Lightning round: wellness or well-being, Whoop or Oura, sauna or cold plunge, bro hacker or Kardashian wellness Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Colleen Wachob 02:45 – Growing Up in SoCal, Stanford, International Relations & Spanish 05:00 – Gap, Walmart & Amazon: The Corporate Decade 07:30 – The Pulmonary Embolism at 32 That Changed Everything 09:30 – Listening to Your Body Before the Whispers Become a Shout 11:45 – Quitting Amazon: The Psychology of Leaving a Salary Behind 13:30 – Building mindbodygreen in the Early Blog Era 22:24 – What the Algorithm Is Doing to the Wellness Conversation 28:01 – Over 20 SKUs, In-House PhDs & What's Driving Sales 27:46 – Creatine and Why Women Are Driving the Next Wave of Growth 32:39 – Plant Protein vs. Whey: What the Science Says 35:56 – Training for HYROX at 45 & Adding 6 Points to VO2 Max 39:06 – Connection as a Health Strategy: Why Great Friendships Improve Recovery 42:02 – Lightning Round: Wellness vs. Well-Being, Whoop vs. Oura, Sauna vs. Cold Plunge Tags:Colleen Wachob, mindbodygreen, women's health, creatine for women, wellness trends, supplement industry, female founder, how to build a wellness brand, pulmonary embolism, HYROX training, VO2 max, strength training for women, protein for women, co-founder relationship, building with your spouse, wellness algorithm, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, CEO of your own body, wellness supplements 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.

016. From Bergdorf's to Bitcoin | Emily Dempsey on Career Pivots, Building the Brickell Babes & Why She Finally Went All In

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. This week I am going solo. This is the episode I have been meaning to do for a while — my full career arc and the honest version of how I actually got here. I started at Tulane, transferred to Fordham, studied economics, and spent my college years doing every fashion internship I could find in New York City. I landed my dream job as assistant buyer at Bergdorf Goodman's 5F floor where I worked investment banking hours making $40,000 a year and loved every minute of it. I went on to buy off-price fine jewelry at Saks Fifth Avenue before a light bulb moment made me realize I did not want my boss's job, let alone my boss's boss's job. I pivoted into commercial real estate brokerage, spent years cold calling hundreds of numbers a week, and learned more about sales and the art of the deal than I ever expected. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I started the Brickell Babes in 2022 just to find a good manicure and make some friends. Three years later it had 70,000 women and I was barely treating it like a business. Nine months ago I decided to go all in. This episode is everything I learned along the way and the through line I finally found connecting all of it. Key Topics Covered: — Tulane to Fordham: why she transferred and what New York City gave her from day one — Landing her dream job: assistant buyer at Bergdorf Goodman 5F — contemporary floor, runway shows, $40K salary — Off-price pivot: Saks Fifth Avenue, fine jewelry, private label development — Detox to Retox: the health and fitness Instagram that started monetizing before the pivot — Switching to self-storage sales and learning cold calling at scale — What commercial real estate taught her that fashion never could: sales, thick skin, the art of the deal — The Brickell Babes origin story: started for a manicure, grew to 70,000 women organically — Exploring Bitcoin mining: conferences, evaluating over 50 sites, going down the rabbit hole — The decision nine months ago to go all in on the Brickell Babes — Membership, partnerships, and building a real revenue model — Launching STACKED as the media layer of everything — The through line across every version of her career: helping people become the best version of themselves Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome + Solo Episode Intro 01:07 – Tulane to Fordham: Why She Transferred & What NYC Gave Her 05:56 – Three Fashion Internships (PR, Black Denim & Elizabeth Sulcer) 10:40 – Landing Her Dream Job: Assistant Buyer at Bergdorf Goodman 5F 12:40 – What She Learned at Bergdorf: P&L, Business Etiquette & Earning Your Stripes 13:12 – Off-Price Pivot: Saks Fifth Avenue, Fine Jewelry & Private Label 14:57 – Barney's Chapter: Buying Intern Before Bergdorf 17:04 – Detox to Retox: The Health & Fitness Instagram Era 18:25 – Pivoting to Commercial Real Estate: NYC & South Florida Retail Leasing 24:46 – What Commercial Real Estate Taught Her 25:55 – What Fashion Taught Her 30:08 – Going Down the Bitcoin Rabbit Hole 31:06 – Evaluating 50+ Sites & Conferences 33:15 – The Decision to Go All In on Brickell Babes 36:47 – The Through Line Across Every Version of Her Career Tags: Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, STACKED podcast, from fashion to Bitcoin, career pivot, female entrepreneur, Bergdorf Goodman buyer, Saks Fifth Avenue, commercial real estate, Bitcoin mining, how to build a community, women in business, solo episode, career arc, fashion buyer, entrepreneurship, Brickell Miami, how I got here, women in crypto, Miami entrepreneur 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.

015. She Bought Bitcoin at $11, Campaigned for Ron Paul, Lobbyist for Ross Ulbricht (Silk Road), Web3 Pioneer | Tatiana Moroz on Artist Coins & Creator Independence, Blockchain, and Freedom

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Tatiana Moroz, singer-songwriter, early Bitcoiner, and founder of Crypto Media Hub. Tatiana is a Berklee College of Music alumna who bought her first Bitcoin at $11 in 2012 through a connection from the Ron Paul campaign. Two years later, she created TatianaCoin on the Bitcoin blockchain—the world's first artist cryptocurrency—and used it to fund her third album, Keep the Faith, paying her entire band in Bitcoin throughout production. In this conversation, we dive into why the creator economy is still broken for musicians, how blockchain gives artists a way to truly own their audience, what fan-funded music looks like in practice, how AI is compressing years of work into days for independent builders, and what it means to build a career without asking permission from labels or platforms. Tatiana also shares her decade-long advocacy for Ross Ulbricht, what his pardon meant for the Bitcoin and libertarian communities, and why she believes Bitcoin is more than an investment—it's a revolution. This is a beginner-friendly conversation about music, money, creative ownership, and the future of independent creators. Key Topics Covered: — Origin story: Berklee, libertarian politics, and how the Ron Paul campaign led directly to Bitcoin — Buying Bitcoin at $11 through a BitPay sponsorship and falling down the Bitcoin rabbit hole — The DIY creator trap: building audiences on platforms that can censor or cut you off — TatianaCoin: creating the world's first artist cryptocurrency on Bitcoin in 2014 — Blockchain explained simply: digital scarcity, finite ownership, and why it matters — Funding Keep the Faith: the first album funded and paid for entirely with Bitcoin — Why touring is often a social media flex rather than a sustainable income model for artists — Tokenization in music vs. gaming: why network effects remain the biggest challenge — AI as a force multiplier for indie entrepreneurs: 36 hours instead of 2 years and $500K — Building a censorship-free, blockchain-powered platform for artist independence — Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road, and more than a decade of advocacy leading to his pardon — Bitcoin for beginners: wallets, self-custody, trusted communities, and getting started safely Timestamps: 00:00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Tatiana Moroz 00:01:00 – Origin: Berklee, Music as a Message & Reading Dystopian Novels 00:02:21 – Libertarian Politics & Singing for the Ron Paul Campaign 00:04:37 – The DIY Creator Trap: Building Audiences on Platforms You Don't Own 00:07:01 – Blockchain Explained: Scarcity, Finite Copies & Why It Matters for Creators 00:07:38 – Creating TatianaCoin in 2014: The World's First Artist Cryptocurrency 00:12:51 – AI as a Builder's Tool: 36 Hours vs. 2 Years and $500K 00:17:40 – Building a Censorship-Free Platform for Artist Independence 00:35:53 – Bitcoin for Beginners: Wallets, Self-Custody & Trusted Communities 00:42:46 – Teaching Kids About Bitcoin & Ghost Trading as a Starting Point 00:44:24 – Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road & Over 10 Years of Advocacy Before the Pardon 00:48:43 – Lightning Round Tags:Tatiana Moroz, TatianaCoin, Bitcoin for artists, creator economy, fan-funded music, artist cryptocurrency, music and Bitcoin, creator independence, self-custody, blockchain for musicians, indie artist, music business, financial sovereignty, Bitcoin beginner, Crypto Media Hub, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, Ross Ulbricht pardon, Bitcoin at $11, direct-to-fan monetizationDisclaimer: 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.

014. The Sharing Economy: Airbnb For Pets Founder On Raising $50 Million to Overnight Widow: Dog Vacay, Rover│Karine Nissim on Grief, Being A Single Mom & The Unsexy Side of Consumer Brands

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset. Today I sat down with Karine Nissim, serial entrepreneur, who studied filmmaking in Los Angeles, and built her first real company there alongside her late husband. That company was Dog Vacay, the Airbnb for pets, which raised $50 million and went on to merge with Rover. During the pandemic, she launched Shmask on her own, a shirt with a built-in mask for kids, and sold over $100,000 in a single day on the Today Show. Then Aaron passed away unexpectedly, and everything changed. In this conversation we got into everything: the unsexy logistics behind consumer brands, what she learned about herself as an operator, why your network is always the real shortcut, the grief that led her to build DayNew, and why she believes done is always better than perfect. Karine is one of the most generous and clear-eyed people I know, and this conversation will stay with me. Key Topics Covered🔹 From Israel to New Jersey, South Florida, and LA: growing up in an entrepreneurial immigrant family — How Dog Vacay was born from a personal problem and scaled to raise $50 million — Building with a spouse: balancing egos, defining roles, and why most co-founder relationships fail — Why "done is better than perfect" and how to overcome analysis paralysis — Shmask: turning a midnight idea into a Today Show feature and $100K+ in sales in a single day — The unexpected loss of her husband and the year of survival that followed — How writing through grief became the foundation for DayNew — The two things every person needs during difficult times: connection and consistency — Understanding your strengths as an operator: launching vs. managing day-to-day operations — Why in-person networking remains one of the highest-leverage growth strategies — How negative self-talk prevents the alignment and growth you're seeking — Finding your North Star and allowing your purpose to evolve over time — Lightning Round: Peer Support vs. Expert-Led, CAC vs. LTV, Miami vs. LA Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Karine Nissim 01:54 – From Israel to LA: Karine's Origin Story 03:00 – Growing Up in an Entrepreneurial Immigrant Family 03:54 – The Personal Problem That Sparked Dog Vacay 04:28 – Raising $50M to Build the Airbnb for Pets 06:11 – Building a Company with Your Spouse: Roles, Ego & Trust 12:02 – Escaping Analysis Paralysis & Making Better Decisions 13:50 – Why Done Is Better Than Perfect 20:51 – Shmask: From a Midnight Idea to $100K+ in One Day 26:05 – Losing Aaron & Navigating a Year of Survival 29:38 – How Writing Through Grief Built an Audience 32:31 – What Is DayNew? AI, Community & Practical Support for Healing 34:44 – The Two Things Every Human Needs During Hard Times 35:51 – Why Acceptance Is the Most Important Step in Healing 44:25 – Knowing Yourself as an Operator: Launching vs Running 48:34 – Negative Self-Talk & the Language of Becoming 50:26 – Finding Your North Star & Letting It Evolve 58:46 – Lightning Round 01:01:41 – Where to Find Karine Nissim Tags: Karine Nissim, DayNew app, grief and entrepreneurship, serial entrepreneur, Dog Vacay, Shmask, consumer brands, female founder, how to build a startup, women in business, turning pain into purpose, entrepreneur mindset, healing tech, grief support, personal brand, community building, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, done is better than perfect, startup founder story 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.