Social Currency with Sammi Cohen

Social Currency
  • 4.8 (147)
  • Business
  • Updated Semiweekly

On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.

  1. 1d ago

    Eugene Remm (CATCH) on the Business of Vibe, Restaurant Economics and Critics Who Gatekeep

    Eugene Remm didn't set out to build a hospitality empire. He started as a bartender, worked in nightlife, and chased success through New York's club scene… until a major failure forced him to rethink everything. Today, Eugene is the co-founder of CATCH Hospitality Group, the company behind some of the most sought-after restaurants in America, including CATCH, The Corner Store, Or’esh, and The Eighty Six. He breaks down the restaurant formula that most operators get wrong, why "vibe" is actually the last thing you should focus on, and how he thinks about building unforgettable guest experiences. He explains the psychology behind New York's line culture, why restaurant critics have lost their gatekeeping power, and how social media has completely reshaped hospitality. They also dive into the business side of restaurants: scaling without losing quality, managing celebrity demand, hiring people who genuinely care, and the lessons Eugene learned from failed nightclub ventures and unsuccessful expansion deals. Plus, Eugene shares what happened after Taylor Swift started visiting The Corner Store, why he believes no celebrity has a bigger impact on consumer behavior, and how AI is poised to transform hospitality without replacing the human touch. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Eugene’s Work: Catch Restaurants, @catch  The Corner Store, @thecornerstore The Eighty Six, @the86.nyc  Or'esh, @or.esh  Here’s What Sammi Covers with Eugene 00:00 Eugene Remm’s Social Currency 02:10 Partner Message: Mercury for Business 03:31 From Bartender to Hospitality Entrepreneur 06:13 How Failure in Nightlife Led to CATCH 08:10 Reinventing a 15-Year-Old Restaurant Brand 10:58 Why Big Restaurants Stopped Working 13:53 The Three Pillars: Food, Service, and Vibe 14:05 Why Guest Experience Is the Hardest Thing to Scale 15:37 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal 16:50 Partner Message: Bilt 17:56 How Eugene Hires People Who Actually Care 20:30 Why Great Teams Beat Great Individuals 21:18 Why Most Restaurants Get Vibe Wrong 22:22 The Art of Curating a Dining Room 23:03 Building a Celebrity-Filled Restaurant Without Chasing Celebrities 25:14 The Million-Dollar Reservation Strategy 26:32 Why Restaurant Critics No Longer Matter 27:27 Michelin Stars vs. Customer Demand 29:14 How Social Media Replaced Traditional Gatekeepers 31:02 Why Eugene Chooses 10 A-Minus Businesses Over One A-Plus 32:45 What’s Next for CATCH Hospitality Group 35:03 Building an LVMH of Restaurant Brands 36:11 The Corner Store’s Viral Rise36:28 The Taylor Swift Effect 38:00 Why Fast Casual Is the Next Frontier 39:54 The Psychology of the “New York Hour” 41:28 Lessons From a Failed Dubai Expansion 43:02 How Tilman Fertitta Changed the Business 44:32 Eugene’s “Constant Gentle Pressure” System 45:28 How AI Will Transform Hospitality 47:53 When You’re Ready to Open Restaurant Number Two 49:31 Why Restaurants Might Be the Hardest Business in the World Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com Bilt:  joinbilt.com/socialcurrency  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    52 min

  2. May 26

    Rick Caruso (Caruso) on Disney-Inspired Retail, Political Leadership, and Why California Is Losing Entrepreneurs

    Rick Caruso has spent decades reshaping Los Angeles through projects like The Grove, Americana at Brand, and Palisades Village. In this conversation with Sammi, Rick talks through his entrepreneurial strategy with real estate and beyond. Rick explains how he built a billion-dollar real estate empire by studying people instead of the industry, why he intentionally ignored traditional mall design rules, and the Walt Disney philosophies that shaped his approach to hospitality. He shares why he believes founders need to be comfortable being over their skis, how criticism actually signals progress, and the surprising rituals he still personally does for guests at his properties. Then the conversation turns to Los Angeles. Rick gives an unfiltered breakdown of the Pacific Palisades fires, explaining exactly how Palisades Village survived while much of the surrounding area burned. He walks through the fire prevention systems his team built years in advance, the operational decisions that protected the property, and the broader lessons for government competency and crisis management. Sammi and Rick also discuss why small businesses are increasingly struggling in California, why entrepreneurs are leaving cities like LA and New York, and the political climate that ultimately led Rick to decide not to run for governor.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rick Caruso’s work Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rick: 00:00 Rick Caruso’s Social Currency 02:50 Why “Follow Your Passion” Is Bad Advice 05:16 Why Not Knowing the Rules Helped Him Win 08:05 Why Founders Need to Be “Over Their Skis” 09:23 The “Celebrate vs. Isolate” Framework 10:00 Building The Grove Around the Farmers Market 12:08 Why Criticism Means You’re Doing Something Important 14:00 The Hospitality Details Guests Never Notice 18:12 Walt Disney’s Biggest Lesson for Entrepreneurs 22:12 Why People Propose at the Americana Fountain 25:00 Expensive Mistakes 28:32 Why Retail Must Constantly Reinvent Itself 29:14 How Palisades Village Reinvented Retail Layouts 30:00 Why Rick Writes a Fictional Story for Every Project 31:17 What Saved Palisades Village During the Fires 35:05 Why Rick Thinks LA Leadership Failed 37:13 Why Rick Decided Not to Run for Governor 41:00 Why California Needs Business-Minded Leadership 44:18 Solutions to Homelessness in LA 49:29 Why Small Businesses Are Struggling in California 51:45 Rick’s Personal System for Life and Leadership 54:13 Why Entrepreneurs Are Leaving California 56:02 Innovation vs. Naivety for Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m

  3. May 19

    Harley Finkelstein (Shopify) on AI Shopping Agents, Merit-Based Commerce, and the “Give a Sh*t Factor” That Makes Founder-Led Companies Win

    Harley Finkelstein believes we’re entering the most important shift in commerce since the invention of online shopping itself. As President of Shopify, Harley has helped build the infrastructure powering millions of businesses across more than 175 countries. Now, he says AI is about to fundamentally change not only how consumers discover and buy products online— but how “machine customers” might do our shopping for us. Harley explains why agentic commerce could replace traditional search, his take on the idea that every brand is becoming a media company (featuring a Favorite Daughter case study), and why this new era may reward product quality more than ad spend. Harley also shares the story of joining Shopify in its earliest days, why founder-led companies consistently outperform, and why he believes modern entrepreneurs can now go from a kitchen-table idea to a multi-billion-dollar company faster than ever before. Plus: the brands he thinks are getting retail right—and the critical “give a sh*t factor” he believes only founders truly have. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Harley’s work and updates at Shopify Here’s What Sammi Covers with Harley: 00:00 Harley Finkelstein’s Social Currency 01:57 Partner Message: Mercury 02:30 Growing Up Around Immigrant Entrepreneurs 05:40 Why Harley Went to Law School 08:00 Meeting Shopify Founder Tobi Lütke 12:00 Why Shopify Felt Like a “Superpower” 15:00 Partner Message: Mercury 16:19 Partner Message: Mosh 18:00 The Moment Shopify Became a Generational Company 21:00 From E-Commerce Platform to Commerce Operating System 22:30 Every 26 Seconds a New Entrepreneur Gets Their First Sale 24:00 Why Some Brands Become Media Companies 25:00 Favorite Daughter and the Founder-Led Brand Flywheel 27:00 Why Most Brands Feel Inauthentic 28:30 What Great Retail Brands Understand About Emotion 30:00 Shopify’s OpenAI and ChatGPT Announcement 31:00 What “Agentic Commerce” Actually Means 32:00 AI Personal Shoppers and Curated Buying 35:00 Why AI Could Help Small Brands Win 37:00 The End of Traditional Search? 39:00 How Brands Maintain Identity Inside AI Platforms 41:00 Why Storytelling Matters More in an AI World 42:00 The Rise of Machine Customers 44:00 Why Harley Is a Techno-Optimist 47:30 Why Founder-Led Companies Win 50:00 The Founder “Give a Shit Factor” 51:00 Harley’s Framework for Finding Your Life’s Work Thanks to Our Sponsors!Mercury: mercury.com Mosh Bars:  moshlife.com/socialcurrency Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 9m

  4. May 12

    Todd Kahn (Coach) on Winning Gen Z, Shrinking to Grow, and the Brand Turnaround That Changed Everything

    Todd Kahn took over the commercial responsibility for Coach in March of 2020. Two weeks later, he closed all North America stores.  Today, Coach CEO Todd Kahn sits down with Sammi to break down the strategy behind one of fashion’s biggest brand turnarounds, and why Coach had to do the exact opposite of conventional growth advice to pull it off. He explains why trying to be “for everyone” almost destroyed the brand, how flash sales quietly trained customers to wait for discounts, and why the company stopped greeting shoppers with coupons entirely during the pandemic. Todd also shares how Coach rebuilt itself for Gen Z through “expressive luxury,” viral bags like the Tabby and Brooklyn, immersive retail experiences, and unexpected ideas like coffee shops, book charms, and co-creation stations inside stores. Plus: the real reason Gen Z shops in person more than people think, why virality can’t be engineered, and the internal operating system Todd uses to run a nearly $7 billion business. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow the Coach branding masterclass Here’s What Sammi Covers with Todd: 00:00 Todd Kahn’s Social Currency 02:30 From Corporate Lawyer to Coach CEO 07:52 Joining Coach During the Financial Crisis 10:00 What Actually Went Wrong at Coach 14:00 Flash Sales, Discounting, and Brand Dilution 15:00 Hiring Stuart Vevers and Resetting Creativity 19:00 Rediscovering Coach’s Brand Codes 20:44 Why Coach Focused on Gen Z 23:00 Closing 250 Stores to Save the Brand 24:00 Why “Stores Are Commercial Activities” 26:00 Cutting 40% of the Assortment 27:10 The “Timeless Gen Z” Strategy 28:40 Taking Over Coach Right Before COVID 29:50 Why Coach Stopped Leading with Discounts 30:20 Building a Billion-Dollar Digital Business 31:00 Why People Bought Handbags During Lockdown 32:00 From Performance Marketing to Brand Building 33:00 Bringing 2.9 Million New Customers Into Coach 34:00 Why Coach Wants to Be Your First Luxury Bag 35:30 The Real Story Behind Bag Charm Mania 38:00 What Actually Creates Virality 39:45 Why Coach Only Does Two Big Campaigns a Year 40:00 What “Expressive Luxury” Really Means 42:00 Why Gen Z Loves Shopping In Person 43:00 Coach Play Stores and Experiential Retail 44:00 The Business Strategy Behind Coach Coffee Shops 47:30 Todd’s Operating System for Leadership 50:22 The Story Behind Coach’s Viral Book Charms 52:00 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Books and Community Thanks to Mercury for sponsoring this episode! mercury.com  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    59 min

  5. May 5

    Rebecca Hessel Cohen (LoveShackFancy) on Building a Multi-Generational Fashion Brand, D2C Versus Retail, and Collaborations That Actually Work

    Rebecca Hessel Cohen didn’t set out to build a company, she just wanted better bridesmaid dresses. But that small idea turned into LoveShackFancy, a multi-generational, cult-favorite brand with dozens of stores, hundreds of retail partners, and a fiercely loyal community. Today, Rebecca joins Sammi to break down the unfiltered reality of building a fashion business from scratch. From leaving her dream job at Cosmopolitan, to launching her first collection the same week she had her first child, to schlepping dresses in her car to early customers— this the unfiltered look at what it means to start a business. They also get into Rebecca’s viral social media moments (including the most epic bat mitzvah), building a brand that resonates from “babies to eighties,” how she evaluates collaborations from Stanley to Victoria's Secret, and what actually makes a retail store feel magical instead of transactional.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Rebecca and LoveShackFancy Here’s What Sammi Covers with Rebecca: 00:00 The Gwyneth Paltrow Moment That Changed Everything 02:03 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal Banking 03:00 Growing Up in Fashion Closets 06:00 Life as a Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan 10:30 The Bridesmaid Dress That Started It All 14:00 Turning a Side Hustle Into a Business 18:30 Launching a Brand While Having a Baby 20:53 Partner Message: Mercury for Business Banking 22:07 Partner Message: Mosh Bars 23:42 Why LoveShackFancy Wasn’t an Overnight Success 26:00 Building a Team and Scaling the Business 29:00 Opening Retail Stores During COVID 33:00 Dividing Roles With Her Husband 36:00 Building the Beauty Business and Sephora Strategy 38:30 Where Inspiration Actually Comes From 41:00 Designing for “Babies to Eighties” 43:30 How LoveShackFancy Approaches Collaborations 47:00 What Makes a Partnership Actually Work 49:30 Building a Brand Through Community and Retail 52:00 The Power of Experiential Shopping 55:00 Supporting Female Founders Through Trunk Shows 58:00 The Viral Home Tour and Social Media Strategy 01:02:00 Instagram vs. TikTok: How Rebecca Thinks About Both 01:05:00 What She Shares Online (And What She Doesn’t) Thanks to Our Sponsors! Mercury: mercury.com Mosh Bars:  moshlife.com/socialcurrency  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 10m

  6. Apr 28

    Steven Schwartz (Whop) on Building a Unicorn, Creating Millionaires, and the Future of Work

    What if the future of work doesn’t look anything like the office jobs we were told to chase? Steven Schwartz started building businesses as a teenager and eventually turned that obsession into Whop, one of the fastest-growing marketplaces for internet businesses. Today, the company is valued at $1.6 billion and helps thousands of people earn income online. In this episode, Steven joins Sammi to break down how he met his co-founder on Facebook at 13, why they almost quit Whop after just three months, and how they scaled it into a unicorn backed by names like Peter Thiel and Kevin Hart. They also unpack the creator economy, why everyone is a creator now, why traditional 9-to-5 career paths are being disrupted, and what “agentic income” could mean in the next era of work. Plus: why Steven thinks the biggest mistake aspiring entrepreneurs make is waiting to feel ready. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Check out Whop Here’s what Sammi covers with Steven: 00:00 How Steven Met His Co-Founder at 13 on Facebook 03:15 Building Sneaker Bots as a Teenager 06:00 20+ Side Hustles Before Whop 10:30 Almost Quitting Whop After 3 Months 14:00 What Whop Actually Is 19:00 50,000+ New Users Per Day 22:00 The $1.6 Billion Valuation Explained 25:00 Why Stablecoins Matter for Global Business 29:45 Whop Has Created Hundreds of Millionaires 32:30 Advice for New Entrepreneurs 36:00 AI and the End of the Creator Economy 39:30 What “Agentic Income” Means 41:30 The Company That Tried to Buy Whop 43:00 Why Steven Wants to Redefine Work 46:00 Whop Finance and the Future of Money 50:00 Why Creators Shouldn’t Rely on One Platform Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    56 min

  7. Apr 21

    Suzy Welch (NYU) on the Joy of Getting Fired, Decoding the 10/10/10 Method, and Why Most People Settle for a B+ Life

    Suzy Welch has built a career helping people answer one deceptively simple question: What should I do with my life? She’s a bestselling author, professor at New York University Stern School of Business, former editor at Harvard Business Review, and creator of the “Becoming You” methodology. Today Sammi sits down with Suzy to unpack why getting fired can actually benefit your career, why so many people get trapped in what she calls a “B+ life,” and how fear, expectations, and convenience quietly pull people away from who they really are. She also shares the framework that made her famous: the 10/10/10 method, how to make better decisions by thinking about consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. Plus: why only a small percentage of people truly know their values, how AI is changing career anxiety, and what to do when the life you built no longer fits you. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Claim 15% off the Values Bridge with the code SOCIALCURRENCY Here’s what Sammi covers with Suzy: 00:00 Suzy Welch’s Social Currency02:15 Starting as a Crime Reporter in Miami06:30 What Covering Crime Taught Her About Human Nature09:00 Falling in Love with Business Journalism13:25 Why Everyone Should Get Fired Once17:30 The Workplace Dynamic of “Toxic Handlers”19:45 Rebuilding After Loss and Choosing Life Again23:00 The Origin of “Becoming You”25:15 Why AI Is Changing Career Anxiety28:50 Why Only 7% of People Know Their Values32:40 Can Your Values Change Over Time?34:10 Why Family Isn’t Everyone’s Top Value38:05 The Trap of a B+ Life40:50 The Four Horsemen of Values Destruction48:30 How the 10/10/10 Framework Works 51:43 Social Currency Corner 55:51 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 1m
  8. Jay Luchs (Newmark) on Building a Real Estate Empire, Strategy for Brick and Mortar, and Newbie Lease Mistakes

    Apr 14

    Jay Luchs (Newmark) on Building a Real Estate Empire, Strategy for Brick and Mortar, and Newbie Lease Mistakes

    If you’ve driven through Los Angeles, you’ve already met today’s guest. Jay Luchs is one of the most influential retail real estate brokers in LA; his “For Lease” signs are plastered across the city’s most valuable streets, from Rodeo Drive to Melrose. But behind those signs is a business built on relationships, taste, and a deep understanding of what actually makes a retail concept work. In this episode, Jay sits down with Sammi to break down how the business really works: how he wins listings in one of the most competitive markets in the country, what founders consistently misunderstand about signing their first lease, and why picking the wrong landlord can quietly kill a business. They also go deep on the future of retail in LA—from why food and coffee are now the backbone of any successful retail strip, to how brands like Erewhon can completely transform a street overnight, to why there’s actually less available space than people think.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Jay Luchs on Instagram Learn more about Mercury for Personal and Business Here’s what Sammi covers with Jay: 00:00 Jay Luchs’ Social Currency 02:22 Real Estate Origin Story 06:40 Why Real Estate Is a Creative Business 09:27 How the “For Lease” Empire Works 12:05 Winning Listings in a Competitive Market 14:19 What Founders Get Wrong About Leases 15:25 How to Spot a Bad Landlord 17:00 Choosing the Right Retail Location 18:46 Why LA Has Less Retail Space Than You Think 21:15 What Makes a Retail Area Thrive 22:24 How Social Media Changed Real Estate 29:03 Inside a Decade-Long Development Project 32:00 Turning Retail Into a Destination 37:23 Building Relationships That Last 40:01 Jay’s Daily System for Clarity 41:21 Can Retail Rebuild Communities? 45:12 What Makes a Brick-and-Mortar Store Succeed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    51 min
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About

On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead. New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know. Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.

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