Jennifer Wong (Aritzia) on Rising from Sales Associate to CEO, the Styling Suite Experience, and Building a Generational Brand

Jennifer Wong (Aritzia) on Rising from Sales Associate to CEO, the Styling Suite Experience, and Building a Generational Brand

Jennifer Wong started as a Sales Associate at Aritzia… 39-years later, she’s running the company as CEO. Today, Jennifer joins Sammi to share how she almost left Aritzia for a career in banking, why founder Brian Hill convinced her to stay, and what it was like succeeding him after nearly four decades working alongside him. She explains the philosophy behind Aritzia's "everyday luxury," why the company has continued investing in physical retail while others have pulled back, and the thinking behind some of its most distinctive experiences (think mirrorless fitting rooms and complimentary personal styling appointments). Jennifer also breaks down how Aritzia navigated tariffs and supply chain disruptions, why timeless design is central to the brand's sustainability strategy, and what she thinks so many direct-to-consumer brands got wrong. Plus, she shares the leadership principles that have helped Aritzia retain employees for decades and why she still visits boutiques every few months. Follow ⁠Sammi Cohen on Instagram ⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/?hl=en] Subscribe to ⁠the Social Currency newsletter⁠ [https://socialcurrency.beehiiv.com/] Follow Jennifer Wong [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferwongaritzia/] and ⁠Aritzia⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/aritzia/?hl=en] Here's What Sammi Covers with Jennifer: 00:00 Jennifer Wong's Social Currency 02:14 How Jennifer Went From Sales Associate to CEO 04:03 The Banking Job She Almost Took 06:08 The Conversation That Changed Her Career 07:22 Saying Yes to Every Opportunity08:41 Aritzia's "40-Year Overnight Success" 10:28 Succeeding Founder Brian Hill as CEO 14:12 Why Aritzia Is Still Betting on Physical Retail 15:35 The Strategy Behind Mirrorless Fitting Rooms 18:17 Inside Aritzia's Styling Experience 20:47 Defining "Everyday Luxury" 21:09 How Aritzia Built a Multi-Generational Brand 23:33 Designing Clothes That Feel Timeless 25:27 Why Aritzia Creates Its Own Brands 27:14 Jennifer's Take on Sustainable Fashion 29:25 How Aritzia Prepared for the Tariffs 31:00 The Supply Chain Pivot That Happened in One Month 33:28 Why Aritzia Keeps Menswear Separate 35:01 The Secret to 39 Years of Employee Retention 37:04 What Jennifer Looks for When Hiring 39:25 The Future of Fred Segal 42:44 Jennifer's Leadership System 43:40 Why She Visits Every Boutique 44:44 What Aritzia Thinks Other Retailers Get Wrong 45:41 Why Brand Has Always Come First 47:48 Never Losing Sight of the Customer 49:08 What's Missing From Most In-Store Shopping Experiences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Laney Crowell (Saie Beauty) on Raising Her First $1 Million, Building a Top Sephora Brand, and Magazine Culture

What started as Laney Crowell's passion for magazines, beauty, and storytelling became Saie Beauty, one of the fastest-growing clean beauty brands in the world and a standout success story at Sephora. In this episode, Laney joins Sammi to share how she went from working in editorial and at Estée Lauder to raising her first million dollars with no fundraising experience, launching Saie just months before the pandemic, and turning an early rejection from Sephora into a nationwide launch. She explains why she wanted Saie to be a top 10 Sephora brand from day one and the tactical fundraising lessons she wishes every founder knew. Plus, she opens up about the realities of leading a fast-growing company, the trade-offs of building her dream business while raising two children, and what still keeps her up at night as CEO. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/?hl=en] Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter [https://socialcurrency.beehiiv.com/] Follow what Laney is working on with Saie [https://www.instagram.com/saiebeauty/?hl=en] Here's What Sammi Covers with Laney: 00:00 Laney Crowell's Social Currency 02:00 Feeling Like She Was Meant to Be a Founder 06:34 Why Resilience Is a Founder's Greatest Skill 08:00 Storytelling as a Competitive Advantage 12:51 Fundraising Without Any Experience 14:21 The Power of "Expanders" 16:21 Raising Her First $1 Million 17:23 Why Every "No" Gets You Closer to a "Yes" 18:30 Perfecting the Pitch One Meeting at a Time 19:47 Building Saie to Be a Top Sephora Brand 21:03 Why Investors Bet on Founders, Not Ideas 23:52 Sephora's First Rejection 26:22 The Call That Changed Everything 28:18 Launching Through COVID 29:24 Building a Beauty Brand During a Downturn 31:21 The Three Most Important Early Hires 34:37 How Laney Hires Great People 36:13 Why Sustainability Has to Be Built Into the Business 41:16 What Actually Brings Customers to Saie 42:07 Staying Focused in a Crowded Industry 43:39 What Keeps Laney Up at Night 45:46 Why Community Is Beauty's Most Misused Buzzword 47:33 Creating Value Beyond the Product 48:28 Why Founder-Led Content Matters More Than Ever 49:45 The Trade-Offs of Building a Dream Company 51:05 Laney's Biggest Pinch-Me Moment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Haley Sacks (Mrs. Dow Jones) on Money Psychology, Wealth Hacks, and How to Say No to an Expensive Bachelorette

From the FIRE movement, to the rent versus buy debate and financial fibs, today Sammi is tackling the biggest money questions of the moment with Haley Sacks. Haley Sacks (Mrs. Dow Jones) has become one of the most influential voices in financial education, building a media empire around the idea that the secrets to wealth should be available to everyone. Haley joins Sammi to discuss the psychology behind our earliest money beliefs, why she publicly pushed back on "girl math," and the money moves future rich people are making now. They also dive into creator entrepreneurship, including how Haley turned comedy into a seven-figure business, why newsletters are her most valuable asset, and the revenue strategy behind building a sustainable creator business.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/?hl=en] Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter [https://socialcurrency.beehiiv.com/] Check out Haley’s book Future Rich Person [https://www.mrsdowjones.com/book] Here’s What Sammi Covers with Haley: 00:00 Haley Sacks’ Social Currency 02:06 When Do You Become a "Future Rich Person"? 04:05 Growing Up Around Wealth Without Financial Literacy 06:02 Why Your Relationship With Money Is Formed by Age Seven 08:17 The Money Advice Women Actually Need 09:34 Building a Career Before the Creator Economy Existed 12:44 The Comedy Rule Behind Haley’s Content 16:00 Audience vs. Community 18:20 Why IRL Is More Important Than Ever 19:28 Why Haley Thinks "Girl Math" Is Harmful 22:27 Money Is a Relationship, Not Just a Number 24:31 Haley’s Take on the Trad Wife Movement 29:47 Friends Should Share Salaries 35:03 How Haley Built a Seven-Figure Creator Business 36:00 Why Newsletters Beat Social Media 37:49 Creator vs. Creator-Entrepreneur 40:47 Financial Advice vs. Financial Education 43:13 Does Personal Responsibility Ignore Systemic Problems? 47:34 The Hardest Chapter of Future Rich Person 50:12 Why Every Creator Should Start a Podcast 54:03 Is the FIRE Movement a Cult? 55:27 Renting Forever: Smart or Financial Failure? 57:05 Should You Ever Lie to Your Partner About Money? 58:18 The Worst Money Advice on TikTok 59:34 Haley’s Most Defensible Splurge 01:00:42 Therapy or a Financial Advisor First? 01:02:05 Haley’s Productivity System 01:03:52 Navigating Rising Prices Without Giving Up 01:07:12 How to Say "No" to an Expensive Bachelorette Party Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Jamie Siminoff (Ring) on Near Bankruptcy, Amazon, and Shark Tank

What does building a billion-dollar company actually feel like? According to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff, it's far less glamorous than most founder stories make it seem. Jamie joins Sammi to unpack the journey from almost running out of money to building Ring into one of the biggest consumer tech acquisitions in history. He explains why entrepreneurship can be deeply traumatic, how close Ring came to bankruptcy before appearing on Shark Tank, and why the rejection that made headlines wasn't nearly as important as what happened afterward. They also discuss why Jamie spent nearly all of Ring's remaining cash buying Ring.com, the lawsuit that nearly destroyed Amazon's acquisition, why he eventually walked away from running Ring despite loving the company, and what brought him back years later. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/?hl=en] Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter [https://socialcurrency.beehiiv.com/] Check out Jamie’s book Ding Dong [https://www.amazon.com/Ding-Dong-Shark-Reject-Everyones-ebook/dp/B0FX5ZC43Z] 00:00 Jamie Siminoff’s Social Currency 02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking 03:22 Why Entrepreneurship Is More Traumatic Than People Admit 05:20 Why Jamie Came Back to Ring 07:30 Life After Selling Ring to Amazon 08:50 Knowing When It's Time to Walk Away 09:30 Why Retirement Didn't Last 11:10 The Story Jamie Almost Didn't Tell 13:15 Why You Shouldn't Start a Company for Money 14:30 The Mission Behind Ring 16:00 Can You Actually Measure Safer Neighborhoods? 18:00 Partner Message: Rula 19:14 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking 20:28 The Customer Stories That Make It All Worth It 22:00 How Ring Became a Household Name 24:15 How Close Ring Came to Bankruptcy 26:05 The Shark Tank Effect 27:13 Why Rejection Wasn't Ring's Biggest Break 29:07 The Survivorship Bias of Entrepreneurship 30:19 Why AI Will Reward Builders 31:46 The $1 Million Bet on Ring.com 35:30 Why "DoorBot" Had to Die 36:44 Rebuilding Ring From Scratch 37:07 Partner Message: Bilt 38:08 The Lawsuit That Almost Killed the Amazon Deal 40:40 From the Highest High to the Lowest Low 42:30 The Settlement That Saved Ring 43:24 Building a Hypergrowth Company While Running Out of Money 44:27 Calling Amazon Back 46:53 Being a Solo Founder 50:39 Superbowl Ad 01:00:00 Social Currency Corner Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com [http://mercury.com]  Rula: rula.com/socialcurrency [http://rula.com/socialcurrency] Bilt:  joinbilt.com/socialcurrency [http://joinbilt.com/socialcurrency]  Shopify: shopify.com/socialcurrency [http://shopify.com/socialcurrency]  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Peter Semple (Depop) on Scaling Beyond Gen Z, the CMO to CEO Pipeline, and the eBay Deal

Peter Semple is CEO of Depop,  the fashion resale marketplace that became one of Gen Z's most influential shopping platforms and completely changed how a new generation thinks about secondhand fashion.  Peter joins Sammi to break down how Depop built a community-first brand, why the company made the surprising decision to eliminate seller fees, and what it takes to scale beyond Gen Z without losing cultural relevance. They also discuss why Peter wants Depop to become the "Nike of resale," the future of AI-powered shopping, and what the recently announced $1.2 billion acquisition by eBay means for the next chapter of the business. Plus: why Depop keeps showing up cultural moments (from rap lyrics to SNL), and what happens when superfans become employees. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  [https://www.instagram.com/sammicohentalks/?hl=en] Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter [https://socialcurrency.beehiiv.com/] Follow Peter [https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersemple/] and Depop [https://www.depop.com/] Here’s What Sammi Covers with Peter: 00:00 Peter Semple’s Social Currency 02:14 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal03:36 From Copywriter to CEO05:49 What Google Creative Lab Taught Him About Brands08:04 Leaving Google for a Startup10:13 How Sneakers Led Him to Depop11:58 Why Depop Hires Its Own Users 14:34 Partner Message: Rula 15:49 Partner Message: Mercury for Business17:08 The Mindset Shift From CMO to CEO20:07 How Depop Scales Without Losing Gen Z24:25 Building the “Nike of Resale”26:01 Why Depop Eliminated Seller Fees29:13 The Power of Circular Fashion 30:06 Partner Message: Bilt 31:07 Partner Message: Shopify32:22 Why Brands Should Earn, Not Chase, Cultural Relevance35:10 From SNL to Rap Lyrics: Becoming Part of Culture38:06 What the $1.2 Billion eBay Acquisition Means42:13 Can Sustainability Beat Fast Fashion?45:20 Why Shopping Should Feel Like a Treasure Hunt46:56 How AI Is Changing Fashion Resale50:03 Will AI Change How We Discover Products?52:38 Depop’s Competitive Advantage55:00 The Secret Behind the Name “Depop” Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com [http://mercury.com]  Rula: rula.com/socialcurrency [http://rula.com/socialcurrency] Bilt:  joinbilt.com/socialcurrency [http://joinbilt.com/socialcurrency]  Shopify: shopify.com/socialcurrency [http://shopify.com/socialcurrency] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]