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
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15:05
John Hu (Stan) on the Path to $1 Billion, the Creator Economy and Building in Public
Think it's too late to become a creator if you don't have a social media following? Think again. According to John Hu, cofounder of Stan—a platform that helps creators turn their platform into income—the creator economy is just getting started.
Today, John shares how he’s building Stan with unicorn status in mind, what MrBeast’s business empire can teach us about the business of content, and why he is “guarded” when it comes to fundraising.
This is a deep dive into the business of influence—and what it takes to turn followers into a foundation for long-term growth.
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Follow Stan on Instagram here
Follow John on YouTube here
Here’s what Sammi covers today with John:
00:00 John Hu’s Social Currency
00:35 Why Investment Banking Wasn’t It
04:43 How Stan Came From a Personal Pain Point
05:50 John’s Takes on the Creator Economy and Building a Business
11:23 Stan’s First Major Win
14:53 Stan’s Seed Round and Why John Is “Guarded” About Fundraising
18:36 John’s Tips on Finding a Business Opportunity
23:46 Stan's Unique Monetization Model
27:19 Behind Stan’s Customer Engagement and Content Strategy
27:38 Why Stan Personally Delivered One of Their Creators a Cake
29:23 John Answers Whether It’s Harder to Build a Personal Brand or a Company Brand
35:29 Secrets and Challenges to Building in Public
45:27 Social Currency Corner and Mr Beast
53:16 How to Show Social Currency Some Love
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56:06
The Epic Comeback of Barnes & Noble
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
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19:05
Rea Ann Silva (Beautyblender) on Owning 100% of Her Company, Dupes and Creating a Category
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.
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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
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52:28
Uncovering the Wedding Industrial Complex
Why is saying “I do” costing Americans more than ever? In today’s episode, Sammi rips the veil off the modern wedding machine—revealing how a once-simple ceremony ballooned into a multibillion-dollar status symbol. From five-figure flower budgets to wedding cake surcharges, Sammi tracks who’s cashing in (think The Knot, Zola, and a swarm of luxury vendors) and how the creator economy has cranked up the pressure to go bigger, farther, and glossier. Plus, Sammi shares what she learned about destination weddings and saving on wedding dresses through her own experience.
Here’s what Sammi covers today:
00:00 Updates From Sammi
01:12 How Much the Average Wedding Is Costing Americans
02:33 The Most Expensive Part of Saying “I Do”
04:47 Destination Weddings and Sammi’s Experience
05:52 Which Wedding Brands Are Winning
09:57 The Social Media Effect
11:53 Sammi’s Predictions: Which Wedding Trends Are Here to Stay
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On Social Currency, Sammi Cohen unpacks the stories that are shaping business, culture and the intersection of the two. From boardrooms to Instagram trends, Sammi speaks with business leaders to connect the dots between brand, consumer and influence, so you don’t just keep up—you get ahead.
New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday. Follow now to stay in the know.
Want more? Find Sammi on Instagram @sammicohentalks.
Listen to Social Currency with Sammi Cohen, The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app