Social Currency with Sammi Cohen

Social Currency
  • 4.8 (141)
  • 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. 6 Habits of the Most Successful Female Founders

    22H AGO

    6 Habits of the Most Successful Female Founders

    Months into interviewing founders for this podcast, Sammi noticed something surprising: the most successful women were often practicing the same habits, but almost none of them were the things people usually talk about in founder profiles. Today, Sammi breaks down six patterns she has seen repeatedly across standout founders. The examples come directly from conversations with founders like Amy Liu (Tower 28), Maria Davidson (Kojo), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), Babba Rivera (Ceremonia), Dianna Cohen (nm) Jenn Hyman (Rent the Runway), and others who built category-defining companies under very different circumstances—but often with strikingly similar instincts. Sammi also shares where she is still actively learning these lessons herself: leaving Amazon, building her own media business, overcommitting early, tying performance too closely to outcomes, and learning in real time what sustainable ambition actually looks like.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Here are the full episodes Sammi mentions today: Amy Liu, CEO of Tower 28  Maria Davidson, Founder of Kojo Julia Hartz, CEO of Eventbrite  Babba Rivera, CEO of Ceremonia  Dianna Cohen, CEO of Crown Affair  Jenn Hyman, CEO of Rent the Runway Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Founder Strategies Nobody Says Out Loud 01:19 Why Great Founders Build Networks Early 03:22 Launching Before You Feel Ready 05:00 Your Calendar Like a Financial Document 06:38 Self-Advocacy and Defending Your Vision 08:20 Hiring For Your Weaknesses 09:20 Separating Identity from Outcomes 11:15 One Habit to Start this Month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    15 min

  2. 1D AGO

    Laura Meyer (Envision Horizons) on AI’s Shopping Disruption, How to Show Up in ChatGPT Searches and the New Cost of Attention

    Laura Meyer has spent nearly a decade helping brands navigate Amazon, TikTok Shop, retail media, and now the next major shift in commerce: AI-driven shopping. Today, Sammi is partnering with Laura’s strategic commerce agency Envision Horizons to help brands get— and keep— attention in the changing world of online shopping. Laura explains why consumers are facing what she calls an “invisible tax on attention,” where prices rise because brands have to spend more on advertising just to stay visible in increasingly crowded digital platforms. She breaks down how rising customer acquisition costs are reshaping pricing, product quality, and platform strategy, and why even legacy brands are being forced to rethink where they spend every marketing dollar. Then the conversation turns to what may be the biggest shift ahead: consumers using AI before they buy. Laura shares new survey data showing that half of consumers switch brands after seeing recommendations from ChatGPT, why legacy brands are suddenly more vulnerable than they realize, and how platforms like Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify could each be affected differently as AI becomes the new shopping gatekeeper. She also explains why TikTok Shop remains a winners-and-losers platform, why she’s bearish on live shopping despite industry hype, and why logistics may still determine who wins the next era of commerce. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Download the free report Laura references in this episode — "The New Blind Spot: Why AI Is Sending Your Customers to Competitors" — including the full consumer survey results and AI Readiness Checklist Want to know how your brand shows up when consumers ask ChatGPT? Book a free AI Readiness Audit Follow Laura Meyer on LinkedIn and learn more about Envision HorizonsHere’s what Sammi covers with Laura: 00:00 Laura Meyer’s Social Currency 02:31 Laura’s Background and Launching Envision Horizons 09:07 The Changing Online Landscape 11:28 Retail Media Explained 12:36 How AI is Changing Brand Discovery 16:00 What Happens when AI Ads Arrive 23:50 TikTok Shop vs Amazon Economics 29:44 Why Amazon Still Wins Fulfillment 35:00 New AI Consumer Survey Findings 40:23 Why UX May Matter Less in Agentic Commerce 46:37 What Brands Should Ask Agencies 52:00 Laura’s POV on Live Shopping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    58 min
  3. Julian Reis (SuperOrdinary) on Creator IPOs, Monetizing on TikTok Shop and Where China is Beating American Entrepreneurialism

    3D AGO

    Julian Reis (SuperOrdinary) on Creator IPOs, Monetizing on TikTok Shop and Where China is Beating American Entrepreneurialism

    Julian Reis has built businesses across hedge funds, beauty clinics, China e-commerce, creator monetization, and now TikTok Shop infrastructure, but the throughline is the same: spotting where consumer behavior is headed before most people do. In this episode, Julian tells Sammi how he went from trading at JPMorgan Chase to founding Skin Laundry, pricing mistakes that almost hurt the business, and the lessons that came from building a beauty concept globally. Then he explains why moving to Shanghai in 2018 changed everything: watching creators sell inside China’s super-app ecosystem convinced him that American retail was years behind and that social commerce would eventually reshape how Americans shop. Julian breaks down how his company SuperOrdinary scaled from zero to 350 employees in China, helped brands like Drunk Elephant and Olaplex grow in Asia, and why TikTok Shop is creating a new kind of retail where creators function more like digital storefronts than influencers. He also shares why affiliate data matters more than follower counts, what kinds of products actually work on TikTok, why he believes creators may eventually IPO themselves, and how micro dramas could become the next major content-to-commerce engine. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter Learn More about SuperOrdinary Here’s what Sammi covers with Julian:00:00 Julian Reis’ Social Currency04:07 The Finance Chapter11:18 Why Skin Laundry Almost Failed19:37 Moving to Shanghai23:19 Building Brands in China31:00 Why China’s KOL Economy Changed Everything34:49 TikTok Shop’s Massive U.S. Opportunity39:00 What Brands Need To Win TikTok45:14 Fanfix, Micro Dramas, and Creator Monetization51:43 Could Creators Become Public Companies? 53:03 Social Currency Corner54:31 The Future of AI Twins and Creator IP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1 hr
  4. QVC Built the Blueprint for Live Shopping—Then Lost the Market

    MAR 6

    QVC Built the Blueprint for Live Shopping—Then Lost the Market

    Before TikTok Shop, before influencers sold products through livestreams, QVC had already perfected the live shopping formula: charismatic hosts, product storytelling, and frictionless buying through a screen. Today, Sammi unpacks how the company that built the category became trapped protecting the wrong business. QVC saw digital change coming, but instead of building for where consumer attention was moving, it spent billions doubling down on legacy retail through acquisitions like Zulily and HSN just as cable television was collapsing. Now, with $6.6 billion in debt, restructuring talks underway, and TikTok becoming one of its last major growth bets, QVC has become a case study in what happens when a company masters a format but loses control of the platform that made it powerful. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 How QVC Became a Cash Flow Machine 03:15 The First Big Wrong Turn 03:33 Why Zulily Failed04:33 The HSN Bet 05:17 Doubling Down on a Shrinking Market 06:37 Rebrands, Layoffs, and Decline 08:06 Why QVC Turned to TikTok 09:18 The Debt Problem 10:19 The Capital Allocation Lesson 11:05 The Big Lesson From the Billion-Dollar Crisis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    14 min
  5. Doug Evans (Juicero) on the Viral Takedown, Blessings in Disguise and Reinvention With The Sprouting Company

    MAR 3

    Doug Evans (Juicero) on the Viral Takedown, Blessings in Disguise and Reinvention With The Sprouting Company

    Doug Evans didn’t just build a juicer… he built one of Silicon Valley’s most debated startups. As the founder of Juicero, Doug raised more than $100 million to bring cold-pressed juice into people’s homes, only to watch the company crumble after a viral Bloomberg article questioned whether the machine was even necessary. In this episode, Doug tells Sammi his side of the story.  He shares what Juicero was actually trying to solve, the power of a takedown piece, and the surprising role geography played in the company’s fate. He opens up about stepping down as CEO, the shock of watching the company shut down with capital still in the bank, and the fallout that followed. Doug sets the record straight and shares what never made it into the takedown pieces.  Then comes the reinvention. Doug shares how he retreated to the Mojave Desert, wrote a national bestselling book on sprouting, and launched a new direct-to-consumer company built around countertop food production.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Follow Doug and The Sprouting Company Here’s what Sammi covers today with Doug: 00:00 Doug Evans’ Social Currency 02:55 The “Genetically Cursed” Mindset Shift 04:23 Building Organic Avenue Before Juice Was Cool 09:37 Why Juicero Had to Exist 14:52 The Bloomberg Squeeze Story 17:53 The Media Pile-On and Fallout 25:34 Lessons on Leadership and Investor Alignment 27:38 Going Reclusive After Juicero 33:51 Mojave Desert Reinvention 37:37 The Science Behind Sprouts 41:15 Writing The Sprout Book 46:23 Pitching Sprouts on Shark Tank 51:45 From Trauma to Confidence 56:39 Making Sprouting Mainstream 01:12:12 Social Currency Corner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 12m
  6. Grocery Store Botox? The $17B Med Spa Boom Meets the Private Equity Playbook

    FEB 27

    Grocery Store Botox? The $17B Med Spa Boom Meets the Private Equity Playbook

    You can now get a discount on your Botox or Brow lift at… Erewhon? The latest partnership between Erewhon and med spa startup Ject isn’t just a publicity stunt. It’s a bigger signal: medical aesthetics has gone fully mainstream. In this episode, Sammi unpacks how Botox went from cosmetic approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration just 14 years ago to a $17B industry with more than 10,000 med spas across the U.S. She breaks down the forces behind the boom like loosened regulations, cash-pay margins, social media normalization, and why private equity is racing to roll up the space. But when the product is commoditized, what’s the real moat? Sammi’s takeaway: the brand is not the competitive advantage, it’s something else hiding in plain sight.  Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Grocery Store Botox  01:15 How Med Spas Took Off  02:04 Insane Growth By The Numbers  02:55 Regulatory Changes  03:36 Social Media’s Impact on the Landscape 04:28 Private Equity Moves In  05:43 The Rollup Playbook  06:48 HIV Outbreaks, Safety And Oversight Risks  08:24 The Real Differentiator  10:55 Who Wins Next Decade  11:11 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    13 min
  7. Jesse Draper (Halogen Ventures) on Betting on Companies Early, Founder Red Flags, and Why Investing in Women Is NOT a Charity

    FEB 24

    Jesse Draper (Halogen Ventures) on Betting on Companies Early, Founder Red Flags, and Why Investing in Women Is NOT a Charity

    Jesse Draper has heard it all: “nepo baby,” “charity fund,” “too niche”—and she turned every jab into fuel. After getting laughed out of rooms while raising her first fund, Jesse built Halogen Ventures into one of the earliest venture capital funds explicitly focused on backing female founders, now with 85+ portfolio companies and multiple unicorns. In this episode, Jesse breaks down how she actually evaluates startups when they’re early (and sometimes barely making their first dollar), the metrics she thinks founders overhype, and the green flags that make her lean in, like radical transparency and founders who are obsessed enough to “check QuickBooks” mid-question. She also tells the wild story of why she’ll never invest off Zoom again, how social media has changed consumer investing, and what the DEI rollback is starting to look like inside venture. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Jesse’s epic interview with Elon MuskFollow Jesse’s work at Halogen Ventures Here’s what Sammi covers with Jesse 00:00 Jesse Draper’s Social Currency 00:50 Meet Jesse Draper 03:00 The Reality of Being Fourth Generation VC 06:13 The Valley Girl Show and the Elon Musk Interview 16:36 From Entertainment to Entrepreneurship 18:25 Getting Laughed Out of Pitches and Championing Female Founders 25:36 Crazy Pitch Stories 27:25 The Wild Con Artist Story 30:29 Never Invest Based on Zoom Meetings 34:03 The Viral “Investing In Women Is Not a F*cking Charity” Essay 37:16 Data That Investing in Women Works 38:09 What Founders Should Know About Conversations with VCs  41:43 Red Flags and Green Flags 46:44 How Social Media Has Changed VCs 53:00 Future of Equity in VC 59:12 Investing in Alabama 01:07:56 Social Currency Corner 01:09:57 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 15m
  8. Is This the Starbucks Comeback?

    FEB 20

    Is This the Starbucks Comeback?

    Starbucks didn’t lose to a cooler coffee chain. It lost to itself. Today, Sammi unpacks how one of the most dominant brands in modern retail engineered its own slide and what new CEO Brian Niccol is doing to fix it. From nixing pickup-only stores and cutting a quarter of the menu to investing $150K per location and betting on traffic before margins, Starbucks is attempting something rare: looking backwards to move forward. Sammi breaks down the latest numbers showing U.S. traffic rising for the first time in nearly two years, the massive menu and bakery overhaul, the revamped Rewards program, and the viral Bearista cups that reveal a deeper cultural strategy. Then, she shares what entrepreneurs can take away from the Starbucks turnaround — and why this comeback proves that even iconic brands don’t need reinvention, they need ruthless clarity about who they are and the discipline to execute on it. Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The “Third Place” Promise — and the Self-Sabotage 01:30 From 17 Stores to a $78B Empire 02:33 When the App Took Over 03:28 Strikes, Boycotts & Inflation 04:42 The Cooler, Cheaper Competition 05:27 The Chipotle Fixer Enters 06:36 Traffic Is Finally Up 07:39 Cut the Menu, Then Rebuild It 08:58 Viral Merch and the Gen Z Play 09:54 The Founder Rule: Subtract First 11:12 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    13 min
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
141 Ratings

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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