STACKED: Money, Investing & Business for Women | The Brickell Babes

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

This week I'm going solo to answer the questions you ask me constantly: how did The Brickell Babes actually start, and what does it really take to build a community from scratch? I pull back the curtain on the unglamorous part nobody posts about.

I take you back to the beginning — relocating to Miami from New York, struggling to make friends, and starting a Facebook group selfishly, out of my own need. I booked our first happy hour for 4 people, and 20 showed up. Four years later we're over 70,000 women across our platforms.

I get into the media kit that changed everything, why I fought venues just to get a table, and the real difference between a community and a following. I share the 3 biggest mistakes I see people make when they try to build one, why I refused to monetize for years, and the one asset I wish I had started capturing on day one.

This is the honest, no-highlight-reel version of building something that outgrows you.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— Why I moved from New York to Miami with no real plan

— Starting a community selfishly, out of my own need for friends and recommendations

— The first happy hour: a table booked for 4, and 20 women showing up

— The media kit that got local venues to say yes

— Why splitting the bill kills community events

— What year one of The Brickell Babes actually looked like

— Authenticity in practice: consistency, honesty, and having an opinion

— Community vs. following — what each one actually needs

— The 3 biggest mistakes people make building a community

— Why monetizing too soon is a scarcity mindset

— Underpromise and overdeliver as the rule for brand partnerships

— Owned media: why email and demographics beat followers

— What I wish I knew at the very beginning

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold Open + Welcome

01:31 – Why This Solo Episode on Community Building

02:13 – How The Brickell Babes Started: Moving to Miami With No Friends

03:51 – The First Happy Hour: Planned for 4, 20 Women Showed Up

05:03 – Why Splitting the Bill Defeats the Purpose of Community

05:26 – The Media Kit That Opened Doors With Venues

08:52 – What Year One of Building a Community Actually Looked Like

09:59 – Authenticity in Practice: Consistency, Honesty & Having Opinions

10:43 – Reaching 70,000 Women While Staying Consistent

13:17 – Community-First vs. Influencer-Driven Growth

14:02 – The Unsexy, High-Touch Work Behind a 70,000-Person Community

15:17 – The Moment Brickell Babes Stopped Feeling Like a Hobby

16:24 – The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make Building Community

17:59 – Why I Didn't Monetize Earlier — And Why Restraint Paid Off

18:52 – What a Community Needs That a Following Doesn't (The YPO Model)

21:16 – What I Wish I Knew Earlier About Owned Media

22:54 – Accept Help, Let Other People Lead

23:22 – Closing + Where to Find STACKED & The Brickell Babes

Tags:

community building, how to build a community, Brickell Babes, women's network, Miami, Emily Dempsey, community vs following, owned media, email list, brand partnerships, founder journey, women entrepreneurs, building in public, networking for women, STACKED podcast, organic growth, community first, women in business, passion project to business

Disclaimer:

The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Dr. Jila Senemar, a board-certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of clinical experience and the founder of JilaMD and the Miami Menopause Collective. For most of her career, Dr. Jila practiced traditional OB/GYN medicine — she joined a father-son practice as its first female partner and delivered over 5,500 babies. But she kept running into the same gap: once her patients hit perimenopause, she had nowhere to send them, because menopause care was never really part of her own training either. So she left the practice she'd built, taught herself through the Menopause Society, and started a concierge practice from scratch — built entirely around the idea that women shouldn't have to just suffer through this.

In this episode, Dr. Jila breaks down what perimenopause actually is and why it can start a decade before most women expect it, why the hot flash isn't even the real story, and what happened in 2002 when a single study scared a generation of women and their doctors away from hormone therapy — a fear that outlived the science for over twenty years. She also talks about testosterone's role in women's health beyond libido, why GLP-1 medications aren't a one-size-fits-all answer, and the unregulated corners of the wellness world she warns her own patients about.

This is a conversation, not medical advice — always talk to your own doctor about what's right for you. This is the episode for the woman who plans to live past fifty, which is all of us.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— From traditional OB/GYN practice to building a concierge menopause practice from scratch

— Being the first female partner in a father-son practice team

— What perimenopause actually is, and why it can start in your mid-to-late 30s

— The symptoms nobody connects to menopause: brain fog, sleep, mood, unexplained rage

— The 2002 study that scared a generation off hormone therapy, and what got lost in translation

— Why she calls estrogen "the hero hormone"

— Metabolic health, muscle, and bone in the midlife window

— GLP-1 medications — her take on who they're actually right for

— Testosterone in women's health, beyond libido

— The unregulated wellness trends she warns her own patients about

— Why she calls this decade a performance window, not a decline

— Lightning round

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Dr. Jila Senemar

01:59 – The 2002 Study That Scared a Generation Off Hormone Therapy

07:01 – What Perimenopause Actually Is & When It Starts

10:14 – The Symptoms Nobody Connects: Brain Fog, Sleep, Mood & Rage

14:18 – Estrogen as the "Hero Hormone"

13:15 – Metabolic Health, Muscle & Bone in Midlife

48:06 – GLP-1 Medications: Who They're Actually Right For

14:10 – Testosterone in Women's Health Beyond Libido

53:40 – Unregulated Wellness Trends She Warns Her Patients About

Tags :

Dr. Jila Senemar, JilaMD, Miami Menopause Collective, menopause, perimenopause, hormone therapy, hormone replacement therapy, women's health, midlife health, estrogen, testosterone in women, GLP-1, metabolic health, longevity, OB/GYN, women's wellness, Brickell Babes, female founder podcast, midlife wellness, health education

Disclaimer:

The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Christian J. Lopez, Managing Director and Head of Blockchain & Digital Assets at Cohen & Company Capital Markets. A first-generation American raised by entrepreneurial immigrant parents, Christian witnessed the 2008 financial crisis firsthand while working at UBS in London. Seeing his family lose their homes led him to explore sound money, gold, and ultimately Bitcoin.

He joined Cohen in 2021 when Bitcoin was still a word most investment banks refused to say in a client meeting. Four years later, Cohen & Company is the #1 Bitcoin investment banking team in the country (Hashrate Index, three consecutive years), and Christian has personally advised some of the most significant deals in the space: the Gemini IPO, Anthony Pompliano's $1B ProCap Financial public listing, and Adam Back's Blockstream $125M convertible offering.

In this episode, Christian breaks down why the S&P 500 is not the inflation hedge most people assume it is, the consolidation wave coming for small and mid-sized crypto companies, and the $6.6 trillion deposit battle between Coinbase and the big banks over stablecoin yield.

This is the Bitcoin conversation for the woman who has been hearing about it for years and wants the Wall Street version of the thesis — from someone who has done the deals.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— First-generation American origin story: Colombian + Spanish family, Dallas restaurant, Chicago upbringing

— The 2008 financial crisis as the origin of his Bitcoin conviction

— Bitcoin mining 101 and the AI + HPC data center pivot

— Bitcoin ETFs vs. Bitcoin treasury companies (DATs)

— The coming consolidation wave for small and mid crypto companies

— Bitcoin as sound money, categorically different from "crypto"

— Why not holding Bitcoin is becoming irresponsible for corporate treasurers

— End-of-2026 Bitcoin price target: $125,000 to $175,000

Timestamps:

03:47 – First-Generation American: Colombian & Spanish Family, Dallas to Chicago

05:55 – University of Illinois, UBS London & Landing on a Trading Floor in 2008

07:15 – Watching His Family Lose Their Homes & the Path to Bitcoin

08:30 – Columbia MBA, Guggenheim Securities & Broadhaven Capital Partners

11:35 – Joining Cohen & Company in 2021 When Bitcoin Was a “Bad Word” on Wall Street

14:30 – SPACs Explained & How Cohen Became the #1 Bitcoin Investment Bank

18:55 – Bitcoin Mining 101 & the AI/HPC Data Center Pivot

33:30 – Bitcoin ETFs vs. Bitcoin Treasury Companies (DATs)

38:20 – The Genius Act, Clarity Act & the Coming Consolidation Wave

56:40 – The $6.6 Trillion Stablecoin Deposit Battle: Coinbase vs. Jamie Dimon

01:02:00 – Christian’s Allocation & His End-of-2026 Bitcoin Price Target

01:02:40 – Lightning Round

Tags:

Christian J. Lopez, Cohen and Company Capital Markets, Bitcoin investment banking, Bitcoin mining, Bitcoin ETF, Bitcoin treasury companies, DATs, SPACs, Genius Act, Clarity Act, stablecoin regulation, sound money, Bitcoin inflation hedge, S&P 500 inflation, corporate Bitcoin treasury, first-generation American, Wall Street Bitcoin, Bitcoin price prediction, Bitcoin 2026, women and Bitcoin, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey

Disclaimer:The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Gabby Arancio, Founder and CEO of GamePlan Skincare, the first skincare brand built specifically for athletes. Before she was a founder, Gabby spent a decade as an athletic trainer — at LSU in the SEC, with the Miami Dolphins in the NFL, and as head trainer for Miami FC — which is where she noticed the problem nobody was solving: by her count, most of the athletes she worked with struggled with sport-induced breakouts, and there was nothing built to handle it.

In this episode, Gabby breaks down how she built GamePlan from the sidelines, the emotional story behind why she actually started the company, how she sourced and tested her formula directly with real athletes instead of guessing, and her advice for founders raising their first round.

This is the episode for anyone who's ever had an idea and needed one person to believe in them first.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— Discovering athletic training as a major

— Becoming one of the first female students at UM awarded an NFL internship, with the Miami Dolphins

— Life on staff at LSU during the 2019 National Championship season

— Becoming head athletic trainer for Miami FC

— The insight that started GamePlan: sport-induced breakouts nobody was solving

— The friend who told her to go build it — and the loss that came days later

— Sourcing formula and manufacturing, and why she chose a Korean lab over domestic options

— Testing the product directly with athletes instead of guessing

— Early demand from sports agencies for athlete care packages

— Raising a friends-and-family pre-seed round, and why she's raising a seed round now

— Selling out at Urban Outfitters four times

— Becoming a top pick on Amazon in her category

— Her advice for founders on fundraising, hiring, and product versus aesthetics

— Why she says to ask the market before you build

Timestamps:

10:11 – Growing Up in New Jersey & Choosing Miami on a Whim

10:18 – Discovering Athletic Training as a Major

14:20 – Becoming One of the First Female NFL Interns with the Miami Dolphins

15:58 – Life on Staff at LSU During the 2019 National Championship Run

18:00 – Becoming Head Athletic Trainer for Miami FC

21:50 – What GamePlan Skincare Actually Is

24:30 – The Friend Who Told Her to Go Build It & the Loss That Followed

31:55 – Sourcing & Manufacturing: Why She Chose a Korean Lab

35:45 – Testing Formula & Packaging Directly with Athletes

37:21 – Early Demand from Sports Agencies for Athlete Care Packages

38:53 – The Friends-and-Family Pre-Seed Round & Raising a Seed Round Today

40:30 – Selling Out at Urban Outfitters & Becoming an Amazon Top Pick

48:13 – Founder Advice: Fundraising, Hiring, Product vs. Aesthetic

42:02 – Lightning Round

52:00 – Where to Find Gabby Arancio & GamePlan Skincare

Tags:

Gabby Arancio, GamePlan Skincare, athlete skincare, sport-induced breakouts, women founders, female entrepreneur, skincare startup, CPG founder, athletic trainer, NFL, LSU football, Miami FC, seed round, bootstrapping a startup, Urban Outfitters, Amazon best seller, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, women in business podcast, founder story

Disclaimer:
The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

This week I'm going solo to answer the question I get asked more than almost anything else: how do you actually buy your first Bitcoin? There are three ways to do it — a brokerage or exchange, a Bitcoin ETF, or a cold wallet — and I walk through exactly how each one works, plus the tradeoff nobody explains clearly enough: what you actually own versus what you think you own.

I break down why Bitcoin sitting on an exchange is technically an IOU (and what that meant for FTX customers in 2022), why an ETF gets you price exposure but not the asset itself, and why a cold wallet — an $80 to $150 device — is the only way to hold the real thing.

I also give you my own rule for how the strategy should change depending on how much you're buying: $500, $5,000, or $50,000+.

This is the no-fluff, beginner-friendly breakdown I wish someone had given me before I bought my first Bitcoin.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— The 3 ways to buy Bitcoin: exchange, ETF, cold wallet

— How buying on an exchange actually works, step by step

— Why Bitcoin on an exchange is technically an IOU

— The bag-in-a-warehouse analogy for custody risk

— What happened to customer funds when FTX collapsed in 2022

— What a Bitcoin ETF actually is, and what it isn't

— Why an ETF is "paper Bitcoin," not the real asset

— What a cold wallet is and how much it costs

— Setting up a cold wallet and generating a seed phrase

— Why the seed phrase is the actual key to your Bitcoin

— What happens if you lose your cold wallet

— Emily's dollar-amount rule: $500 vs. $5,000 vs. $50,000+

— Multisig authentication as a middle-ground option

— Why "sats" are the name behind the show

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + How to Buy Your First Bitcoin
01:36 – The 3 Main Ways to Buy Bitcoin: Exchange, ETF, or Cold Wallet
01:56 – Option 1: Buying Bitcoin on an Exchange (Step-by-Step)
02:24 – The Hidden Catch: Why Your Bitcoin May Be an IOU
02:40 – Understanding Custody Risk with the Warehouse Analogy
03:10 – What Happened with FTX and Why It Matters
03:20 – Option 2: What a Bitcoin ETF Actually Is
03:47 – Why ETFs Are Often Called "Paper Bitcoin"
04:06 – Option 3: Cold Wallets and Self-Custody Explained
04:33 – How to Set Up a Cold Wallet and Protect Your Seed Phrase
05:17 – What Happens If You Lose Your Cold Wallet?
05:35 – Emily's Bitcoin Strategy for Different Investment Amounts ($500, $5,000, and $50,000+)
06:53 – Final Thoughts + Where to Find More from STACKED

Tags:

how to buy Bitcoin, Bitcoin for beginners, buying Bitcoin on an exchange, Bitcoin ETF explained, cold wallet, self-custody, seed phrase, Ledger, Trezor, FTX collapse, not your keys not your coins, Bitcoin wallet, stacking sats, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, Bitcoin basics, Bitcoin investing for women, personal finance podcast

Disclaimer:

The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Courtney Spritzer, Co-Founder of Entreprenista, a private membership community of more than 3,500 women entrepreneurs across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Courtney didn't set out to build a community business — she studied economics at NYU, graduated in 2009 into one of the worst financial crises in a century, and spent two years underwriting insurance policies in rural Massachusetts.

A job at American Express in 2011 changed everything — she was in the room as major brands first figured out Facebook and Twitter, and realized social media could be a career. She and her business partner, Stephanie, built a social media agency, SocialFly, from nothing — nights and weekends, then a leap of faith, then their first $8,000 month. In 2018, almost as an experiment to learn a new platform for their agency clients, they started the Entreprenista Podcast. By 2020, it had grown into its own private community — one Courtney and Stephanie eventually spun off entirely, selling SocialFly to focus on what it became.

In this episode, Courtney breaks down the one rule that built her entire referral engine, how she balances monetizing a community with keeping it authentic, why the face of a brand doesn't have to be its founder, and why she's convinced every founder — herself included — needs to build AI-first from here on out.

This is the episode for anyone building something out of a group chat, a podcast, or a side project, and wondering if it could ever be the real business.

Promo Code: $500 off Entreprenista initiation dues with code BRICKELLBABES500 — reducing the fee from $1,497 to $997 when paid in full. Applicable to member's first year of Entreprenista dues. https://refer.entreprenista.com/bb

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs — clothing stores in the Bronx — and trying to do the opposite

— Studying economics at NYU and graduating into the 2009 financial crisis

— Hitting an $8,000 revenue goal in month one

— How SocialFly grew into a full-service digital, paid media, and influencer marketing agency

— Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018 to learn a new platform for clients

— Why 40% of new members join through referrals

— Why Courtney would build an AI-first business if she started over today

Timestamps:

03:45 – Growing Up in a Family of Entrepreneurs in the Bronx

05:26 – Meeting Business Partner Stephanie

06:01 – Building the Agency Nights & Weekends

06:50 – The Leap of Faith: Quitting Corporate for Good

07:01 – Hitting the $8,000 Revenue Goal in Month One

10:41 – Trading Social Media Services for Free Office Space

18:18 – Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018

18:52 – Spinning Entreprenista Into Its Own Company During the Pandemic

21:05 – Selling SocialFly to Focus Fully on Entreprenista

29:03 – The Entreprenista to Entourage Ambassador Program

40:20 – Why Courtney Would Build Her Next Business AI-First

44:30 – Lightning Round

46:00 – Where to Find Courtney Spritzer & Entreprenista

Tags: Courtney Spritzer, Entreprenista, SocialFly, women entrepreneurs, women in business, community building, monetizing community, personal branding, AI for business, LinkedIn growth, Threads growth, referral marketing, membership community, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, female founder podcast

Disclaimer: The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. It does not create any client, patient, or fiduciary relationship. Contents are for general informational purposes only — consult your own advisors regarding your specific situation.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Colleen Wachob, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of mindbodygreen, the independent media and wellness brand she launched with her husband Jason out of a Brooklyn apartment in 2009. It now reaches 15 million women a month, and their supplement line launched in 2020 is the fastest-growing part of the business.

In this conversation we got into everything. What a pulmonary embolism at 32 taught her about listening to her body. What 16 years of watching wellness trends actually teaches you about what works for women and why she rejects bro biohacking and Kardashian wellness. Why the algorithm is making the wellness conversation worse, not better. The creatine shift and what it says about how women are finally moving toward strength. The psychology of quitting a salary to build something you believe in. And what training for HYROX at 45 taught her about cardio, community, and what it feels like when your body is finally getting what it was asking for.

Colleen is one of the clearest and most honest thinkers in this space and this conversation will stay with me.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— The pulmonary embolism at 32 and the moment she decided to build differently

— Quitting Amazon and the psychological weight of taking a massive salary cut to go all in on mindbodygreen

— Running the business with her husband Jason: what makes it work, what required couples therapy

— The pivot into supplements: why they waited until 2020 and what the Thorne partnership taught them

— Creatine and why women driving its growth is the most exciting shift in women's health in 16 years

— Plant protein vs. whey: what the science actually says about muscle protein synthesis

— The algorithm problem: why virality makes wellness advice worse, not better

— Training for HYROX at 45: adding 6 points to her VO2 max and why cardio needed a rebrand

— Lightning round: wellness or well-being, Whoop or Oura, sauna or cold plunge, bro hacker or Kardashian wellness

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Colleen Wachob

02:45 – Growing Up in SoCal, Stanford, International Relations & Spanish

05:00 – Gap, Walmart & Amazon: The Corporate Decade

07:30 – The Pulmonary Embolism at 32 That Changed Everything

09:30 – Listening to Your Body Before the Whispers Become a Shout

11:45 – Quitting Amazon: The Psychology of Leaving a Salary Behind

13:30 – Building mindbodygreen in the Early Blog Era

22:24 – What the Algorithm Is Doing to the Wellness Conversation

27:46 – Creatine and Why Women Are Driving the Next Wave of Growth

32:39 – Plant Protein vs. Whey: What the Science Says

35:56 – Training for HYROX at 45 & Adding 6 Points to VO2 Max

42:02 – Lightning Round: Wellness vs. Well-Being, Whoop vs. Oura, Sauna vs. Cold Plunge

Tags:Colleen Wachob, mindbodygreen, women's health, creatine for women, wellness trends, supplement industry, female founder, how to build a wellness brand, pulmonary embolism, HYROX training, VO2 max, strength training for women, protein for women, co-founder relationship, building with your spouse, wellness algorithm, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, CEO of your own body, wellness supplements

Disclaimer:The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

This week I am going solo. This is the episode I have been meaning to do for a while — my full career arc and the honest version of how I actually got here.

I started at Tulane, transferred to Fordham, studied economics, and spent my college years doing every fashion internship I could find in New York City. I landed my dream job as assistant buyer at Bergdorf Goodman's 5F floor where I worked investment banking hours making $40,000 a year and loved every minute of it. I went on to buy off-price fine jewelry at Saks Fifth Avenue before a light bulb moment made me realize I did not want my boss's job, let alone my boss's boss's job.

I pivoted into commercial real estate brokerage, spent years cold calling hundreds of numbers a week, and learned more about sales and the art of the deal than I ever expected. Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I started the Brickell Babes in 2022 just to find a good manicure and make some friends. Three years later it had 70,000 women and I was barely treating it like a business.

Nine months ago I decided to go all in. This episode is everything I learned along the way and the through line I finally found connecting all of it.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— Landing her dream job: assistant buyer at Bergdorf Goodman 5F — contemporary floor, runway shows, $40K salary

— Off-price pivot: Saks Fifth Avenue, fine jewelry, private label development

— Detox to Retox: the health and fitness Instagram that started monetizing before the pivot

— What commercial real estate taught her that fashion never could: sales, thick skin, the art of the deal

— The Brickell Babes origin story: started for a manicure, grew to 70,000 women organically

— Exploring Bitcoin mining: conferences, evaluating over 50 sites, going down the rabbit hole

— The decision nine months ago to go all in on the Brickell Babes

— Membership, partnerships, and building a real revenue model

— Launching STACKED as the media layer of everything

— The through line across every version of her career: helping people become the best version of themselves

Timestamps:

01:07 – Tulane to Fordham: Why She Transferred & What NYC Gave Her

05:56 – Three Fashion Internships (PR, Black Denim & Elizabeth Sulcer)

10:40 – Landing Her Dream Job: Assistant Buyer at Bergdorf Goodman 5F

12:40 – What She Learned at Bergdorf: P&L, Business Etiquette & Earning Your Stripes

14:57 – Barney's Chapter: Buying Intern Before Bergdorf

17:04 – Detox to Retox: The Health & Fitness Instagram Era

18:25 – Pivoting to Commercial Real Estate: NYC & South Florida Retail Leasing

24:46 – What Commercial Real Estate Taught Her

25:55 – What Fashion Taught Her

30:08 – Going Down the Bitcoin Rabbit Hole

31:06 – Evaluating 50+ Sites & Conferences

33:15 – The Decision to Go All In on Brickell Babes

36:47 – The Through Line Across Every Version of Her Career

Tags:

Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, from fashion to Bitcoin, career pivot, female entrepreneur, Bergdorf Goodman buyer, commercial real estate, Bitcoin mining, how to build a community, women in business, fashion buyer, entrepreneurship, Brickell Miami,

Disclaimer:The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Tatiana Moroz, singer-songwriter, early Bitcoiner, and founder of Crypto Media Hub.

Tatiana is a Berklee College of Music alumna who bought her first Bitcoin at $11 in 2012 through a connection from the Ron Paul campaign. Two years later, she created TatianaCoin on the Bitcoin blockchain—the world's first artist cryptocurrency—and used it to fund her third album, Keep the Faith, paying her entire band in Bitcoin throughout production.

In this conversation, we dive into why the creator economy is still broken for musicians, how blockchain gives artists a way to truly own their audience, what fan-funded music looks like in practice,

Tatiana also shares her decade-long advocacy for Ross Ulbricht, what his pardon meant for the Bitcoin and libertarian communities, and why she believes Bitcoin is more than an investment—it's a revolution.

This is a beginner-friendly conversation about music, money, creative ownership, and the future of independent creators.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered:

— Buying Bitcoin at $11 through a BitPay sponsorship and falling down the Bitcoin rabbit hole

— The DIY creator trap: building audiences on platforms that can censor or cut you off

— TatianaCoin: creating the world's first artist cryptocurrency on Bitcoin in 2014

— Blockchain explained simply: digital scarcity, finite ownership, and why it matters

— Funding Keep the Faith: the first album funded and paid for entirely with Bitcoin

— Why touring is often a social media flex rather than a sustainable income model for artists

— Tokenization in music vs. gaming: why network effects remain the biggest challenge

— AI as a force multiplier for indie entrepreneurs: 36 hours instead of 2 years and $500K

— Building a censorship-free, blockchain-powered platform for artist independence

— Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road, and more than a decade of advocacy leading to his pardon

— Bitcoin for beginners: wallets, self-custody, trusted communities, and getting started safely

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Tatiana Moroz

00:01:00 – Origin: Berklee, Music as a Message & Reading Dystopian Novels

00:02:21 – Libertarian Politics & Singing for the Ron Paul Campaign

00:04:37 – The DIY Creator Trap: Building Audiences on Platforms You Don't Own

00:07:01 – Blockchain Explained: Scarcity, Finite Copies & Why It Matters for Creators

00:07:38 – Creating TatianaCoin in 2014: The World's First Artist Cryptocurrency

00:12:51 – AI as a Builder's Tool: 36 Hours vs. 2 Years and $500K

00:17:40 – Building a Censorship-Free Platform for Artist Independence

00:35:53 – Bitcoin for Beginners: Wallets, Self-Custody & Trusted Communities

00:42:46 – Teaching Kids About Bitcoin & Ghost Trading as a Starting Point

00:44:24 – Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road & Over 10 Years of Advocacy Before the Pardon

00:48:43 – Lightning Round

Tags:Tatiana Moroz, TatianaCoin, Bitcoin for artists, creator economy, fan-funded music,, music and Bitcoin, creator independence, self-custody, blockchain for musicians, indie artist, music business, financial sovereignty, Bitcoin beginner, Crypto Media Hub, Brickell Babes, Ross Ulbricht pardon, Bitcoin at $11, direct-to-fan monetization

Disclaimer:

The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Karine Nissim, serial entrepreneur, who studied filmmaking in Los Angeles, and built her first real company there alongside her late husband. That company was Dog Vacay, the Airbnb for pets, which raised $50 million and went on to merge with Rover.

During the pandemic, she launched Shmask on her own, a shirt with a built-in mask for kids, and sold over $100,000 in a single day on the Today Show. Then Aaron passed away unexpectedly, and everything changed.

In this conversation we got into everything: the unsexy logistics behind consumer brands, what she learned about herself as an operator, why your network is always the real shortcut, the grief that led her to build DayNew, and why she believes done is always better than perfect. Karine is one of the most generous and clear-eyed people I know, and this conversation will stay with me.

This episode is brought to you by The Brickell Babes, Miami’s largest network of ambitious women. Join for lifetime connections, real recommendations, curated events, exclusive perks, and a community of women who actually show up for one another. Learn more about membership. http://www.thebrickellbabes.com/membership

Key Topics Covered

— How Dog Vacay was born from a personal problem and scaled to raise $50 million

— Building with a spouse: balancing egos, defining roles, and why most co-founder relationships fail

— Why "done is better than perfect" and how to overcome analysis paralysis

— Shmask: turning a midnight idea into a Today Show feature and $100K+ in sales in a single day

— The unexpected loss of her husband and the year of survival that followed

— How writing through grief became the foundation for DayNew

— The two things every person needs during difficult times: connection and consistency

— Why in-person networking remains one of the highest-leverage growth strategies

— How negative self-talk prevents the alignment and growth you're seeking

— Finding your North Star and allowing your purpose to evolve over time

— Lightning Round: Peer Support vs. Expert-Led, CAC vs. LTV, Miami vs. LA

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Karine Nissim

01:54 – From Israel to LA: Karine's Origin Story

03:00 – Growing Up in an Entrepreneurial Immigrant Family

03:54 – The Personal Problem That Sparked Dog Vacay

04:28 – Raising $50M to Build the Airbnb for Pets

06:11 – Building a Company with Your Spouse: Roles, Ego & Trust

12:02 – Escaping Analysis Paralysis & Making Better Decisions

13:50 – Why Done Is Better Than Perfect

20:51 – Shmask: From a Midnight Idea to $100K+ in One Day

26:05 – Losing Aaron & Navigating a Year of Survival

29:38 – How Writing Through Grief Built an Audience

32:31 – What Is DayNew? AI, Community & Practical Support for Healing

34:44 – The Two Things Every Human Needs During Hard Times

35:51 – Why Acceptance Is the Most Important Step in Healing

44:25 – Knowing Yourself as an Operator: Launching vs Running

48:34 – Negative Self-Talk & the Language of Becoming

50:26 – Finding Your North Star & Letting It Evolve

58:46 – Lightning Round

01:01:41 – Where to Find Karine Nissim

Tags:

Karine Nissim, DayNew app, grief and entrepreneurship, serial entrepreneur, Dog Vacay, Shmask, consumer brands, female founder, how to build a startup, women in business, turning pain into purpose, entrepreneur mindset, healing tech, grief support, personal brand, community building, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, done is better than perfect, startup founder story

Disclaimer:The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.