Family Offices Replacing VCs for Consumer Brands

Is Sephora losing its crown? How is Olive Young rewriting beauty retail? And should you really be using AI to plan your menstrual cycle - including when to date?

Creators are turning their knowledge into paid AI advisors. Mel Robbins is building a protein empire. Founders are publicly sharing revenue and fundraises. And GAP hiring a Chief Entertainment Officer may redefine how brands grow in 2026…

In this episode, Maggie and Katie break down their hottest 2026 predictions - so you can spot what’s next before everyone else does.

Maggie & Katie discuss:

. Sephora vs Ulta vs Olive Young and the new beauty status symbol

. Korea’s speed-to-shelf advantage and trend-first retail

. Scheduling your business and dating life around your cycle (and using AI to do it)

. The “everything shower” and why beauty admin is a mental health reset

. Paid AI advisors, AI therapy, and the creator IP problem

. Why “human verified” will beat the blue check

. Founders disclosing revenue, salaries, and fundraises in 2026

. Why being disliked is a badge of honour (and why it works)

. Why VC is dying for consumer brands and family offices are rising

. The brands that will win by entertaining, not selling

. Celebrity “beauty brands” are over: protein is next

Breaking News About Sephora x Olive Young Partnership:

Sephora newsroom - https://newsroom.sephora.com/sephora-and-olive-young-partner-to-bring-the-best-of-korean-beauty-to-sephora-consumers/

Business of Fashion:: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/beauty/sephora-olive-young-partnership-2026/

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:38 The “Everything Shower” Reset - When Self-Care Becomes Survival

02:35 Why Balance Doesn’t Exist – Scheduling Life Around Your Cycle

04:14 Using AI to Plan Your Cycle, Work and Dating Life

05:14 Would You Pay for AI Therapy? The Tony Robbins AI Debate

07:40 AI Will Replace Therapy - Why We Disagree

09:04 Human-Verified Will Beat the Blue Checkmark

09:37 AI Copycats, Idea Theft and the Future of Originality

11:36 Is Sephora Losing Its Crown?

12:15 Olive Young’s Korean Playbook Changing Beauty Retail

13:53 Why Korean Brands Move Faster Than Sephora 15:53 Trend-First Stores – The Olive Young Advantage 16:42 Why Sephora Isn’t Adapting Fast Enough 18:08 Product-First Consumers Are Rewriting Beauty 18:45 The Coming Shake-Up in the Beauty Industry 19:16 beehiiv Ad Read 20:37 Founders Building in Public 21:37 Why Humans Crave Connection More Than Ever 22:34 Should Founders Share Revenue and Salaries? 24:48 The Hidden Cost of Radical Transparency 26:07 Being Disliked as a Badge of Honor 27:42 You Can’t Find Your Audience Without Criticism 30:48 Cozy Earth Ad Read 31:53 Why Family Offices Are Replacing VCs 36:23 Steven Bartlett’s Groq Investment – Low Effort, High Impact 37:11 Pitching VCs Is a Waste of Time IF… 38:02 Brands Must Entertain, Not Sell - GAP’s Pivot! 40:11 The Two Influencers Every Brand Should Study 41:56 Celebrity Protein Is the New Beauty Boom 43:51 Mel Robbins, Khloe Kardashian and the Protein Gold Rush 47:00 How Should We End Podcast Episodes Better?

Episode Sponsors:

beehiiv - http://www.beehiiv.com/hsr?utm_campaign=hsr-2026-Partnership&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=hsr&utm_term=2026-01-21

Cozy Earth - http://cozyearth.com with code HSR

⸻

Hot Smart Rich:

Join 250,000+ angels and subscribe to the Hot Smart Rich newsletter: https://hotsmartrich.com/subscribe

Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset: https://shorturl.at/pJWLc

Merch: https://hotsmartrich.shop/

YouTube: https://shorturl.at/IXXFZ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotsmartrich/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hotsmartrich

Maggie Sellers Reum:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiesellersreum/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesellersreum

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellersmaggie/

Locker: https://www.wantlocker.com/users/maggiesellers

ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/maggiesellers

Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/maggiesellers

⸻

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices