Social Currency with Sammi Cohen

Trader Joe’s has no loyalty programs. No flashy ads. Stores that look like they time-traveled in from the '70s. And yet… Trader Joe’s generates more sales per square foot than almost any other grocery store in America. Why?  Today, Sammi unpacks the genius of Trader Joe’s—how a company that breaks every retail rule has built one of the most beloved (and profitable) grocery brands in the country. From decision paralysis and private-label domination to its anti-corporate vibe, cult-like fanbase, and German ownership, Trader Joe’s is proof that sometimes the most radical business model  is the simplest one done exceptionally well. Plus: Sammi explains the psychology behind limited-time products, how mystery breeds loyalty, and why treating your employees right isn’t just good karma—it’s good business. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 The Retail Rule-Breaker Nobody Saw Coming 01:35 How Trader Joe’s Was Built for the Over-Educated and Underpaid 04:02 From Flashlights to Fearless Flyers: The Early Days 06:18 Why Fewer Choices = More Sales 09:15 The Power of Private Label and the Two-Buck Chuck Strategy 12:50 The Real Reason You Love Their Packaging 14:07 How Trader Joe’s Built a Culture—Not Just a Store 16:34 The Anti-Influencer Marketing Model That Actually Works 19:15 Cult Products, Secrecy, and Brand Mythology 23:02 The German Empire Behind America’s Favorite Grocer 25:44 What You Can Learn From Trader Joe’s Playbook 27:10 How to Support the Show + Stay in the Loop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to build a luxury beauty brand that’s as cool as it is strategic? Cassandra Grey has the answer. She’s the force behind Violet Grey—the ultra-curated beauty platform that has become a tastemaker in Hollywood and beyond. Cassandra’s playbook is not the usual one: she launched her brand, grew a cult following for nearly a decade, sold the company in 2022, and then bought it back in 2024. Today, she shares what she learned from every milestone. Cassandra explains what selling her brand taught her about business, insights from her early meetings with Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow, and how to find your aesthetic as a brand.   Here’s what Sammi covers with Cassandra: 00:00 Meet Cassandra Grey 01:30 Cassandra’s Introduction to Glamour and an Unusual Childhood 04:06 The Violet Grey Origin Story 05:20 Crafting a Business Plan Without an MBA 12:29 The Violet Code 17:31 THE Gwyneth Paltrow Phone Call 19:40 Acquisition by Farfetch 24:04 Why Delusion is Good in Business 25:56 Buying Back Violet Gray 28:02 Incubating Brands with Violet Labs 30:29 The Push into Retail 37:26 Hiring for Your Weaknesses 40:31 Actionable Tips for Finding Your Brand’s Look 44:34 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter hereFollow Violet Grey here Follow Cassandra here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Away wasn’t just luggage—it was millennial wanderlust personified. Backed by $150 million in funding and powered by influencer buzz, Away rocketed to unicorn status in four years. But behind the minimalist branding and Instagrammable carry-ons was a workplace culture scandal, a global travel shutdown, and the hard truth that they were never a tech company… they were just selling suitcases. Today, Sammi unpacks the stunning rise and near-collapse of Away: the Slack surveillance, the CEO whiplash, the overfunding problem, and the brutal reality check of pandemic-era travel. Plus, what happens when your brand is built on vibes… and the vibes shift? Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Away: A Millennial Success Story 01:04 The Broken Luggage Origin Story to Unicorn Status 03:33 The Marketing Magic of Creating a Must-Have Brand 04:56 Rocket Ship Growth and Market Competition 06:08 Toxic Culture and the Beginning of the End 07:54 … and Then There’s COVID 09:06 Post-Pandemic Strategies 12:43 Lessons From The Rise and Fall of Away 13:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grant LaFontaine, co-founder and CEO of Whatnot, shares insights into revolutionizing online shopping through live streams. He discusses the significance of Y Combinator in shaping his entrepreneurial journey and emphasizes the importance of user feedback in product evolution. Grant dives into the unique customer interactions that make Whatnot stand out, the challenges of scaling while maintaining quality, and the potential future of social commerce. He even highlights how a little paranoia can be a powerful asset for founders.

People are lining up at 4 AM, crashing websites, and dropping thousands on a fuzzy vinyl creature with nine teeth and a cult following. Meet Labubu: part toy, part fashion statement, part emotional coping mechanism. Born from a Nordic mythology-inspired art project and catapulted to fame by Pop Mart, Labubu has become a collector’s dream and a status symbol—thanks to limited drops, blind box buying, and celebrity fans like BLACKPINK’s Lisa. Today, Sammi unpacks how scarcity, nostalgia, and the chaos of modern life created the perfect storm for Labubu’s rise—and what that says about the future of fandom, consumption, and identity. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter here Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 Labubu’s Bizarre Social Currency 01:08 Where Labubu Came From 02:55 Scarcity as a Business Plan 04:10 The Lisa of It All 05:27 What Labubu Tells Us About the State of the World (Really)  06:31 The Future of Fandom 07:22 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Loren Castle, the powerhouse behind Sweet Loren’s—the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. Today, Sammi chats with Lauren about how a shocking medical diagnosis pushed her to turn her kitchen experiments into a multimillion-dollar business. They get into the wild ride of breaking into the food world—from the first big break with Whole Foods to juggling supply chain chaos and sticking to Loren’s mission of allergen-free, feel-good ingredients. Lauren also shares how she built Sweet Loren’s without taking a dime of venture capital, the secret to good packaging, and what’s next for the brand. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or just a cookie lover with big dreams, you’ll want to tune in.  Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Sweet Lorens here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Loren: 00:00 Loren Castle’s Social Currency 01:37 How a Health Crisis Sparked a Cookie Empire 03:22 The Taste Tests Process and the State of Clean Ingredients 05:58 The Whole Foods Deal That Changed Everything 10:56 Lessons in Scaling and Finding Processing Partners 17:54 How to Find White Space 22:47 Profits Without VCs—How She Did It 26:58 COVID, Cookies, and Supply Chain Curveballs 29:27 Branding That Sticks (and Sells) 32:00 Trendy Collabs and What’s Coming Next 37:15 Social Currency Corner: Tips for Food Entrepreneurs 43:25 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today Sammi digs into the retail scandal that ties together private equity, power plays, broken promises, and a $2.65 billion luxury merger that's now unraveling in public. Also known as: the story of Saks.   Sammi follows the money trail to the center of Saks’ downfall: the mastermind behind the merger that would lead to the financial and reputational mess the brand is in now. This isn't a story about just one department store. It's a case study in how private equity can gut a brand, how debt can disguise dysfunction, and how small businesses are often the ones that are left holding the bag. Today Sammi Covers: 00:00 How Saks Got Here 00:33 Richard Baker: the Mastermind 01:30 The Saks and Neiman Marcus Merger 02:00 Richard Baker's Wild Real Estate Strategy 04:31 Saks' Financial Decline 08:01 Vendor Fallout 10:13 What’s Next For Saks 12:50 How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this discussion, John Hu, CEO and co-founder of Stan, shares insights on transforming audiences into successful businesses. He explains why it's not too late to join the creator economy and emphasizes the importance of authenticity in building a personal brand. John also highlights the lessons learned from MrBeast’s business model and reveals why he feels guarded about fundraising. With tips on spotting business opportunities and the unique monetization strategies of Stan, this conversation is a treasure trove for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs.

Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt. You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, cookie-cutter model to embrace local community tastes, redesigned stores to rekindle the magic of browsing, and rode the wave of BookTok to win back readers. From understanding the brand’s original rise and near-fall, to dissecting the bold strategies behind its revival, this episode explores what Barnes & Noble’s rebound says about the future of retail—and why the story is far from over. Here’s what Sammi covers today: 00:00 – Why Barnes & Noble Is a Case Worth Studying01:08 – The Origin Story of Barnes & Noble’s Empire 02:56 – The Beginning of the End of Barnes & Noble 04:42 – The Amazon of it All06:15 – Leadership Turmoil and the 80% Fall in Stock Price 08:10 – The Unexpected Turnaround and B&N’s MVP 10:19 – James Daunt’s Playbook for Success 11:42 – The Comeback: Growth, Expansion and BookTok 14:54 – The Future of Retail: Lessons from Barnes & Noble 16:51 – How to Show Social Currency Some Love Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before the Beautyblender sponge was a staple in every makeup bag, it was a clever DIY tool dreamed up on set by professional makeup artist Rea Ann Silva. Then came a hot pink hero product, a cult following, and a revolution in the beauty industry. Today, Sammi sits down with Rea Ann to unpack how she turned her first invention into a multi-million dollar brand— and what it took to stay on top. They dig into the battle against dupes, the growing pains of scaling, and Rea Ann’s decision not to take outside capital. This is the story of a product that changed the beauty industry—and the founder who created the category. Follow Sammi on Instagram here Follow Beautyblender on Instagram here Here’s what Sammi covers today with Rea Ann: 00:00 Updates from Sammi 00:23 The Origin Story of Beautyblender 03:17 How Rea Ann Built Her Prototype  15:50 The Decision to Keep Operations In-House 22:45 The Process Rea Ann Used to Build Her Team 23:39 Rea Ann’s Decision Not To Fundraise 28:30 The Secret to Organic Marketing 30:23 The Rise of Dupes in the Beauty Industry 33:46 How To Educate Your Consumer 37:46 How To Cater To Different Customers  39:59 Milestones and the Smithsonian Museum Story 46:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices