Professional Jealousy Podcast: Founder Stories, Brands and Business Innovation

Redefining Energy: How WIP is Building the "Zyn of Caffeine" with Richard Mumby

In this episode of Professional Jealousy, Natasha Jakubowski chats with Richard Mumby, CEO of Wip, to discuss the birth of the next generation energy pouch. Richard shares his journey from DTC pioneers like Gilt and Bonobos to the front lines of category disruption at Juul, and how those experiences informed the launch of Wip.We dive into why liquid caffeine is failing specific consumer groups—from marathon runners to construction workers—and how Wip is using a "product-first" mentality to mask the bitterness of caffeine while building a brand that feels like a "witch’s cauldron of Red Bull, GoPro, and Supreme."Whether you’re an entrepreneur interested in retail velocity or just someone looking for that 25th hour in the day, Richard’s insights on building movements and the "set by 40" career trajectory are not to be missed.Key Themes[00:00] – Introduction: Meeting Richard Mumby and the Wip origin story.[01:58] – The "Zyn" Effect: Why pouches are the next generational shift in consumption.[03:55] – Solving the Liquid Problem: Bloating, spills, and the "biological" bathroom issue.[07:02] – Product vs. Marketing: The science of masking caffeine’s bitterness.[09:32] – Pilot to Launch: Transitioning from LFGO to the global brand identity of Wip.[14:19] – The Brief: Combining the DNA of Red Bull, GoPro, and Supreme.[17:26] – Lessons from Juul & Gilt: Using culture to create a category.[20:40] – Retail Strategy: Why "retail velocity" matters more than vanity metrics.[33:07] – Career Philosophy: Why your trajectory is often "set by 40."[38:25] – Superpowers: The art of building movements and pulling people along.

Ep.26 / Stop Wasting Time on Facials: Rachel Liverman’s No-Fluff Blueprint for Glowbar

In this episode of Professional Jealousy, Natasha Jakubowski chats with Rachel Liverman, founder of Glowbar to peel back the curtain on how she turned a 2017 manifestation email into a multi-city skincare empire. Rachel shares why she stripped away the "fluff" of 90-minute massages to focus on 30-minute clinical results, and how she maintains a high-performance culture with over 400 employees. In this episode: - The "Ranch House" Philosophy: Why you need a solid foundation before you scale. - The "Try Three, Then Me" Rule: Rachel’s genius hack for delegating and preventing leadership burnout. - Legacy vs. Innovation: How she’s honoring her grandmother (the woman who brought esthetics to the US) while reinventing the industry. - Why Glowbar Says NO to Botox: Staying focused in a crowded "MedSpa" market. - Fundraising Realities: How she raised her first $1M from friends, family, and former bosses. [Timestamps] 0:00 - Intro: Meeting the Founder of Glowbar 2:15 - The "Aha" Moment: Why traditional facials are failing consumers 5:30 - Raising $1M: The power of your professional network 8:45 - Building the "DOPEST" company culture 12:10 - The "Try Three, Then Me" delegation rule 15:50 - Why Glowbar won’t do injectables or GLP-1s 22:30 - Skincare trends: Retinol, Exosomes, and Longevity 28:15 - Professional Jealousy: Who does Rachel Liverman look up to? #Glowbar #RachelLiverman #SkincareBusiness #FemaleFounders #StartupScaling #BeautyIndustry #ProfessionalJealousy #EntrepreneurLife #SkincareRoutine #businessgrowth

Ep.25 / Fixing the Female Healthcare and Menopause Gap with Monica Molenaar, co-Founder of Alloy Health

In this deep dive, Natasha Jakubowski chats with Monica Molenaar, serial entrepreneur and the co-founder and co-CEO of Alloy Health, a digital health platform revolutionizing how women navigate perimenopause and menopause. Monica shares her powerful personal journey—from a BRCA gene discovery and preventive surgery to the "aha moment" that led her to solve the menopause care crisis. We discuss the critical role of estrogen in preventing chronic diseases like heart disease and osteoporosis, and why topical estrogen is the "prophylactic" skincare secret every woman over 35 needs to know about. Whether you're an entrepreneur looking to scale a mission-driven business or a woman seeking evidence-based solutions for hot flashes, weight gain, and skin health, this conversation provides the roadmap to thriving in midlife. Video Chapters: – Why the medical system is failing midlife women.2:15 – The BRCA discovery: How a health crisis became a business mission.7:45 – Founding Alloy: How a chance meeting while walking dogs led to a startup.12:30 – Entrepreneurial Advice: Why you shouldn't worry about people stealing your ideas.17:00 – Scaling a health-tech business: Moving from "gut feel" to data-driven growth.22:15 – The Truth about HRT: Debunking the Women's Health Initiative study.25:40 – Estrogen & Skincare: How to maintain collagen and hydration through menopause.30:20 – Alloy Health’s "Specialist in Your Pocket" model.40:00 – The Future of Consumer-Driven Healthcare.48:20 – Monica’s Longevity Stack: Strength training, protein, and microbiome health.

Ep.24 / Creating an anti-marketing brand with an unserious name and serious nutrition

On this episode, I chat with Dejan Rankovic, co-founder of Man Cereal, a creatine-infused functional food that is low carb, high protein and features this trending ingredient that isn't as ubiquitous as fiber or protein yet. He describes it as "Serious Nutrition" with an "Unserious Name", offering benefits designed to bring health conscious adults back to the cereal aisle. I was impressed by Dejan’s clarity of intent and ambition. He shared insights into his career path at high-growth environments like Netflix and Dr. Squatch to becoming a first time founder, his advice on fundraising during economic shifts, the mechanics of brand authenticity, and the "gray area" of functional foods. This conversation included: - The Power of "Anti-Marketing": rejecting traditional category norms to create differentiation and authenticity, inspired by brands like Liquid Death. - Solving the ‘creatine problem’ of bitterness and chemical instability that has meant that unlike protein and fiber it has not "maxed out" in food innovation. - Advice on the getting through the rollercoaster of the fundraising process that ultimately started with friends and family - His approach to leadership that is influenced by his time at Netflix, where "action is usually more valuable than strategy".

Ep.23 - Scaling authentically from one store to the world's best cookie global brand

On this episode of Professional Jealousy, I sit down with Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald, the legendary duo behind Levain Bakery. Over the course of 30 years, they have grown from one tiny shop on New York’s Upper West Side to a globally recognized brand famous for its six-ounce cookies (and coincidentally, my son’s favorite treats). Unlike many modern startups focused on rapid growth, Pam and Connie prioritized a "lifestyle" approach for the first two decades that was all about locale and community. They said that “We grew the business the way that we wanted to live our lives”. This conversation included: - Intentional and steady scaling - it took 20 years to become an "overnight success"! - People-first leadership built with "soul" and human connection rather than spreadsheets. - Levain’s brand has remained remarkably consistent, with a logo and core identity that has barely changed since 1995. - Their neighborhood focus and making instinctual decisions that make sense for the brand and community - Why they decided to take significant investment after 23 years building - Making the decision to step down as co-CEOs and bring in ‘proper’ operators