
The Burnouts with Phoebe & Sophia
As former Stanford roommates and now business partners, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share their experience as startup founders and the complexities of being young professionals—from financial literacy, social impact, and navigating networking (ever been hit on through LinkedIn?). With exclusive access to top experts, they offer an inside look at their chaotic lives alongside career insights from their network of thought leaders. Watch The Burnouts pursue their dreams while trying to keep their lives from going up in flames. Will they burn out? We’ll find out.
Latest episodes

May 15, 2025 • 37min
She Built Bumble to $13B...Then Walked Away. Here's Why.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the visionary Founder and CEO of Bumble, shares insights on building a women-first platform and the innovative shift towards smaller, AI-powered teams. She candidly discusses hiring blunders that nearly derailed her company and the fallout of hustle culture. Whitney emphasizes energy management as crucial for success and unveils surprising growth hacks, like inflatable bees! She also reflects on personal burnout and the emerging trend of friendship-first dating, promoting authentic connections in a tech-driven world.

May 8, 2025 • 37min
The 3 rules this Hollywood comedian thinks you should break to make millions (ft. Chelsea Handler)
What do you do when the world tells you to tone it down? If you’re Chelsea Handler, you turn up the volume—on confidence, career, and comedy. In this unapologetic and hilarious episode of The Burnouts, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni sit down with the legendary comedian and bestselling author who’s built an empire on not giving a f***. They talk through confidence myths, investor pitch chaos, stand-up breakthroughs, and why Chelsea bought her ex 35 trees. Also: why burnout might actually be your breakthrough. Chapters1:22 – were you always this confident?6:14 – how to say no (and mean it)11:02 – kids, career, and confidence clashes15:00 – real estate, financial freedom & female power21:06 – mushrooms with your landscaper & other business lessons25:45 – dating while dominating30:12 – women, work, and not shrinking yourself Follow usPhoebe GatesSophia KianniChelsea Handler Follow The BurnoutsYoutube @theburnoutspodcastInstagram @theburnoutsTikTok: @theburnoutsLinkedIn: /the-burnouts Subscribe for more bold convos with iconic women, founders, and disruptors who are burning down old systems and building what’s next.Download the Phia app to start saving money at join.phia.com About the BurnoutsAs former Stanford roommates and now business partners, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share their experience as startup founders and the chaos of building something new—covering everything from pitching VCs to maintaining friendships, decoding financial literacy, and finding power in female-driven storytelling. With candid conversations and top guests (like Kris Jenners and Sara Blakely), The Burnouts is your go-to for smart, hilarious, and sometimes chaotic advice on how to build your career on your own terms.

14 snips
May 2, 2025 • 41min
How Sara Blakely went from fax machine sales to Forbes billionaire
Sara Blakely, the innovative founder of Spanx, joins the conversation to share her inspiring journey from selling fax machines to becoming a billionaire. She reveals her unique mindset hacks that sparked the creation of Spanx and discusses the importance of trusting the universe for signs—one of which came from Oprah! Sara candidly shares lessons on hiring, firing, and knowing when to pivot in business. With stories of her crazy hustles, she emphasizes the significance of confidence and resilience for aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women.

Apr 24, 2025 • 27min
Why we dropped out of Stanford to build this app (ft. the Phia team)
DOWNLOAD THE PHIA APP
Find better fashion deals while you shop. Download Phia HERE and follow Phia on Instagram!CHAPTERS00:00 – Launch day is HERE 01:12 – The Zoom roast that got our CPO hired05:40 – Pivoting the product after tough feedback10:00 – From Instagram design to full-time UX15:25 – Interning, accounting, and off-boarding your ex20:45 – Quitting jobs, joining podcasts, and saying yes fast24:00 – Real friends give real feedback26:10 – What’s next for Phia Follow the Hosts
📸 @phoebegates📸 @sophiakianni Follow The Burnouts📸 @theburnouts🎥 Subscribe on YouTube

Apr 15, 2025 • 28min
Recessions make millionaires: Money moves you NEED to know (ft. Mrs. Dow Jones)
Feeling lost in the chaos of the economy right now? Same. Between inflation, tariffs, and TikTok panic, it feels like we’re all one iced coffee away from a full-blown recession spiral.In this episode of The Burnouts, Sophia Kianni and Phoebe Gates call in financial dominatrix Haley Sacks — aka @MrsDowJones — for a much-needed crash course in surviving your first economic downturn. We talk Roth IRAs, recession anxiety, index funds, investing FOMO, and why press-on nails might just be the ultimate economic indicator.Whether you’re getting your first paycheck, trying to start investing, or just wondering WTF to do with your money, this episode is for you.💸 It’s funny. It’s practical. And it might just change your financial future. 🔖 CHAPTERS0:00 – Our first economic freakout2:15 – Should we actually be scared?5:20 – The only money moves that matter right now9:45 – Haley’s worst investment ever13:00 – Roth IRAs, index funds & investing without crying17:20 – Budgeting when your paycheck hits21:10 – Renting, home buying, and financial hot takes 📚 RESOURCES Free Emergency Fund PlannerInvestment Returns Calculator3 Index Funds We LoveFree Customized Money PlanMoney Book 2.0Investing 101& more HERE! Mrs. Dow Jones Instagram & Newsletter 🔗 FOLLOW US@theburnouts@phoebegates@sophiakianni@mrsdowjones

Apr 9, 2025 • 30min
How Kris Jenner went from flight attendant to billionaire through manifestation
Kris Jenner, the savvy matriarch behind the Kardashian empire, shares her incredible journey from flight attendant to billionaire. She reveals her secret to overcoming rejection with creativity, like using brownies to negotiate. The conversation highlights the importance of confidence, the art of vintage fashion, and the power of manifestation in business. Kris also discusses valuable lessons for young women entrepreneurs and how clean car interiors can impact your life. Get ready for inspiration and practical advice from this iconic mom-ager!

Apr 1, 2025 • 30min
Burning Out: Stanford cheating rings, fake assistants, and that perfect orange glow
This conversation dives into the world of entrepreneurship with amusing anecdotes about Bluetooth tampons and a clever fake assistant. They discuss the pressures of competition and collaboration at Stanford, sharing their experiences with a notorious cheating ring. Phoebe and Sophia reflect on their journey from college roommates to business partners, highlighting humorous missteps along the way. Their tales illustrate the importance of offering value in outreach and balancing personal growth with entrepreneurial ambitions.

Mar 28, 2025 • 55sec
Welcome to The Burnouts
Burnout is real—and building your career while figuring out who you are? Even harder. Enter The Burnouts: Join best friends Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni as they try to launch their first company and make sense of the chaos that is a career in your 20s.They’re not pretending to have all the answers—but they’re asking the people who just might. Sophia and Phoebe sit down with guests who’ve actually made it to talk candidly about careers, ambition, burnout, and everything they wish they knew sooner.Whether you’re navigating your first job, thinking about a big pivot, or just trying to survive Monday, The Burnouts is here to keep it real. New episodes every Tuesday.