Fifteenish

We're Not Really Strangers has become one of the most recognizable brands of the last decade, those red and white cards, those questions that make you go quiet for a second. But most people have no idea where it actually came from.

In this episode, we talk about Koreen Odiney, founder, photographer, and the woman who turned a broken heart into a global movement. At 16, after her first heartbreak, Koreen walked out onto Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles and started asking strangers one question: Did you ever get over your first love? That single act of vulnerability became the seed for everything.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Koreen Odiney and We're Not Really Strangers, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and brand coverage, including:

• Hypebae — Interview with Koreen Odiney on the origin of WNRS and her photography background (November 2020)
• The Digital Campfire — "How a Card Game Exploded into a Global Movement" (September 2020)
• ILY Magazine — Interview with Koreen Odiney on heartbreak, vulnerability, and building WNRS (November 2019)
• UP Magazine — "Turning Lessons into Art: The Story Behind We're Not Really Strangers" (February 2023)
• Wikipedia — We're Not Really Strangers entry

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

we’re not really strangers website

we’re not really strangers instagram

I just signed up for a marathon. 26.2 miles. And I am not a runner. I've started and stopped workout plans so many times over the last ten years. But when World Vision came to speak at our church, I felt like she was speaking directly to me. She said, "If you're sitting there thinking I'm not an athlete, or I'm not a runner, you can do this." And I realized I literally had no excuses.

So I signed up. And I'm terrified. But I'm doing it anyway.

And that decision of saying yes even when I felt unqualified, made me think of Payal Kadakia. She was a consultant at Bain with a safe job and a clear path. But she had this side project, first Classtivity, then ClassPass, that she couldn't let go of. And she had to decide: stay safe or quit and go all-in on something she had no idea how to build.

She wasn't a tech person. She wasn't a fitness person. She was just someone with an idea who said yes even though she felt completely unqualified. She quit Bain in 2013, almost ran out of money multiple times, had to pivot the business model, and faced major backlash. But she kept going. And ClassPass was eventually acquired by Mindbody for hundreds of millions of dollars.

If you're waiting to feel qualified before you say yes to something, this one's for you. You don't have to feel ready to start. You just have to say yes and figure it out as you go.

Mentioned in this episode: I talk about running my first 6K in this episode

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Payal Kadakia's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including:

• Payal Kadakia's background as an Indian classical dancer
• Her education at MIT studying economics
• Her career at Bain & Company as a consultant
• Founding Classtivity in 2010 as a search engine for fitness classes
• Building Classtivity as a side project while working at Bain (2010-2013)
• Pivoting to the ClassPass membership model in 2013
• Quitting Bain in 2013 to work on ClassPass full-time
• ClassPass's early growth and near-failure moments
• The business model change from unlimited to credit-based system
• ClassPass expansion to 30+ cities by 2015 and international growth
• ClassPass reaching millions of users by 2020
• ClassPass acquisition by Mindbody in 2021
• Interviews where Payal discussed the decision to quit Bain and challenges of building ClassPass

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

The last few weeks, we've talked about Hilary Duff stepping back, Katrina Lake refusing to step back, and Emma Grede building in the background. This week, we're talking about rejection. A lot of rejection. Melanie Perkins got rejected by over 100 investors while trying to raise funding for Canva. Over three years, she heard no again and again. One investor literally fell asleep during her pitch. And she kept going anyway. She was running Fusion Books during the day, pitching Canva at night and on weekends, flying to conferences, refining her deck, and hearing no over and over. For three years. Until she finally got the yes she needed. Now Canva is worth $26 billion. Melanie is one of the youngest female tech billionaires in the world. And over 170 million people use Canva every month. If you're sitting with a rejection right now, if you've been told no and you're wondering if you should give up, this one's for you. Rejection isn't the end. It's just part of the process.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Melanie Perkins' life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including:

• Melanie Perkins' background growing up in Perth, Australia
• Her experience teaching design software in college
• Co-founding Fusion Books in 2007 with Cliff Obrecht
• Her journey pitching Canva to over 100 investors (2010-2013)
• The story of an investor falling asleep during her pitch
• Meeting Bill Tai in 2012 and securing funding
• Canva's launch in 2013
• Canva's user growth milestones (10M in 2018, 30M in 2020, 60M in 2021, 170M+ currently)
• Canva's valuation reaching $26 billion
• Interviews where Melanie discussed the rejection years and what kept her going
• Her vision of democratizing design and making it accessible to everyone

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

The last couple weeks, we talked about Hilary Duff stepping back and Katrina Lake refusing to step back. This week, we're talking about Emma Grede, a woman who built a hundred million dollar brand without anyone even noticing. Emma co-founded Good American with Khloe Kardashian, but everyone assumed Khloe was the brains. Emma was the one in the factories, negotiating with manufacturers, building the supply chain, all while raising four kids and running multiple businesses. She did it all in the background. Let Khloe be the face. Let other people get the credit. She just kept building. When people finally started paying attention, when she became the first Black woman investor on Shark Tank, she'd already built something massive. If you're building something and no one's paying attention, this one's for you. You don't need to be seen to be valuable. You just need to keep building.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Emma Grede's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including:

• Emma Grede's background growing up in East London
• Her career in marketing and PR, co-founding ITB Worldwide
• Co-founding Good American with Khloe Kardashian in 2016
• Good American's launch details (sizes 00-24, million-dollar first day)
• Her work building the supply chain and manufacturing partnerships
• Coverage of Good American's growth into a hundred-million-dollar brand
• Her role as a mother of four while building multiple businesses
• Her statements about work-life integration vs. balance
• Her history as a guest shark on Shark Tank (2021) and becoming the first Black woman regular investor (2024)
• Interviews where she discussed being overlooked as the founder
• Business reporting on Good American's inclusive sizing and approach

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

Last week, we talked about Hilary Duff stepping back from Hollywood to be a mom. This week, we're talking about a woman who refused to step back; Katrina Lake, founder of Stitch Fix. When Katrina was seven months pregnant and pitching investors, everyone kept asking the same question: "How are you going to do this?" They doubted whether she could be both a founder and a mom. They suggested she slow down, step back, or bring in someone else to lead. She didn't wait. She didn't slow down. She kept building. And in 2017, she became the youngest woman ever to take a company public, all while being a mom. If someone's asking you "How are you going to do this?" and it's making you doubt yourself, this episode is for you.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Katrina Lake's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and business reports, including:

• Katrina Lake's founding story of Stitch Fix (started 2011)
• Her career background at Parthenon Group (consulting)
• Interviews about building Stitch Fix while pregnant
• Coverage of Stitch Fix's growth and revenue milestones
• Stitch Fix IPO in 2017 (youngest woman to take a company public)
• Articles and profiles about motherhood and entrepreneurship
• Business reporting on Stitch Fix's business model and data-driven approach
• Public interviews where Katrina discussed investor doubt and challenges
• Her statements about being a mom making her a better CEO

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

After Hilary left Disney, she made a choice a lot of people didn't really get. She stepped back from Hollywood. Not because her career failed or anything like that. But because she chose to build a real life over chasing fame. In this episode, we're walking through the years when people kind of forgot about her. How she came back with shows like Younger. And why her return to music now isn't about proving she's still got it, it's just about showing up as who she is today. If you've ever felt pressure to stay the same version of yourself, or if you've wondered whether you can step away from something and come back as someone completely different, Hilary's story might be the permission you need. You're allowed to live in seasons. No apology needed.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Hilary Duff's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and public statements, including:

• Hilary Duff's social media posts and public announcements
• Interviews about her music career and albums (including Breathe In. Breathe Out.)
• Coverage of her role in the TV series Younger
• Articles about her transition from child star to adult actor and musician
• Entertainment industry reporting on her career evolution
• Public statements about her family life and career choices
• Her Instagram reel and caption about returning to music

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

This week's episode is different. I'm processing in real time what it means to hold grief and life at the same time; losing my grandma, watching what's happening in my community here in Minnesota, and trying to show up for my kids, my business, and my own life while carrying all of it. If you've ever felt the weight of the world pressing down on you while still trying to function, this episode is for you. We talk about the pull of doomscrolling, the guilt of protecting your peace, and the messy reality of holding heartbreak and presence at the same time. I don't have all the answers, but I'm figuring it out alongside you.

My Grandma died, and I didn't make it in time to say goodbye. I was thirty minutes too late. Five and a half years ago, my family had a falling out and I let fear keep me from reaching out to her. I convinced myself I had time, that someday I'd be brave enough to have the hard conversation. But someday never came. This episode exists because I wasn't brave enough when it mattered. I'm recording this less than 24 hours after losing her because I need you to hear this while the pain is still raw, while the regret is sitting in the pit of my stomach. If there's someone you've been thinking about; someone you miss, someone you've been too scared or too proud to reach out to, please don't do what I did. Don't wait for perfect timing. Don't give other people power over when you show up. Because none of us know how much time we really have, and "I wish I had" is the heaviest sentence you'll ever carry.

Grandma Barbin, this one's for you. I love you. I'm sorry. And I promise to be braver now.

Before Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code and changed the lives of over 500,000 girls, she experienced one of the most public failures of her life. In 2010, she quit her corporate law career to run for Congress in New York—and lost badly, getting just 19% of the vote. But that devastating loss showed her a problem she couldn't ignore: girls were missing from computer science classrooms. In this episode, we zoom in on that Congressional race, the brutal aftermath of public failure, and how losing everything redirected her toward the work she was actually meant to do. If you've ever failed publicly, or you're afraid of taking a risk because you might fail, this story will show you that failure isn't the end—it's redirection.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Reshma Saujani's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, and organizational records, including:

• Reshma Saujani's 2010 Congressional race in New York's 14th District
• Election results and campaign coverage from 2010
• Interviews and profiles about the founding of Girls Who Code
• Girls Who Code organizational data and impact reports
• TED Talks and public speaking appearances by Reshma Saujani
• Articles about her transition from law and finance to nonprofit leadership
• Media coverage of Girls Who Code's growth and national expansion
• Publicly available information about women in tech and the gender gap in computer science

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.

Before Jenna Kutcher became one of the most well known online educators, podcast hosts, and business mentors, she was a wedding photographer with a waitlist of couples. But success wasn't enough. In this episode, we zoom in on the moment Jenna walked away from her thriving photography business to build something that felt more aligned, even when everyone thought she was crazy.

And now she's doing it again now with her podcast, Goal Digger. If you've ever felt the pull to let go of something successful because it doesn't feel right anymore, this story will give you permission to listen to that voice.

Sources & Disclaimer

This episode was created using publicly available information about Jenna Kutcher's life and career, gathered from verified interviews, articles, podcast episodes, and public statements, including:

• Jenna Kutcher's own podcast (Goal Digger) and public interviews
• Her Instagram announcements and social media presence
• Articles and features about her transition from photography to online education
• Business profiles and entrepreneur spotlights
• Her public announcement about stepping back from Goal Digger podcast
• Publicly available information about her courses, programs, and business evolution

All facts shared in this episode are based on information available at the time of recording. Any personal reflections, interpretations, or opinions included are my own. If any details are found to be inaccurate, I'm happy to issue corrections.