Being Disliked as a Growth Strategy

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

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