Trading Secrets

This week, Jason is joined by billionaire-dollar jewelry brand founder, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Shark Tank investor Kendra Scott! Starting with just $500 and a wooden tea box in the spare bedroom of her Austin home in 2002, Kendra turned her passion for jewelry into a company valued at over $1 billion, with more than 170 stores nationwide and over 4,000 employees.

Kendra takes Jason behind the scenes of building her empire, from dropping out of college and watching her first business fail to bootstrapping Kendra Scott for 10 years without outside investment. She opens up about the terrifying moment during the 2008 financial crisis when the bank called her $700,000 line of credit, leaving her just 45 days to figure out how to save her business. She also breaks down how the company grew from approximately $1.7 million in revenue in 2010 to $24 million in 2013, securing her first $5 million investment, and the life-changing private equity deal that valued her company at over $1 billion.

Jason and Kendra dive into the financial realities of entrepreneurship, including taking on debt, putting everything up as collateral, retaining employees when you can't afford competitive salaries, hiring and firing, executive compensation, and knowing when to bring in outside leadership. Kendra also reveals why she stepped down as CEO, the three-year manifestation exercise that transformed her approach to business, and how she's expanding her empire beyond jewelry with her Western lifestyle brand, Yellow Rose.

Plus, Kendra shares what really happens behind the scenes of Shark Tank, what she looks for before investing in a founder, the biggest red flags that make her walk away from a deal, and why even the most passionate entrepreneur doesn't always have an investable business. She also opens up about navigating divorce, raising two young children as a single mother, having just $200 in her checking account for groceries, and the surreal moment she finally achieved financial freedom.

From building a billion-dollar business with just $500 to overcoming financial setbacks, creating a company culture that puts people first, and learning the power of surrounding yourself with the right people, Kendra reveals all this and so much more in another episode you can't afford to miss!

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Host: Jason Tartick


Audio: John Gurney


Video: Marc Colcer


Guest: Kendra Scott
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Jason Tartick and David are back for another 30 Minute Thursday, breaking down the biggest takeaways from Jesse James Decker’s episode, the latest market and mortgage-rate moves, and everything happening in their lives.

They dive into Jesse’s entrepreneurial mindset, her refusal to be told she has to focus on just one thing, growing up with financial struggles, and the powerful perspective that “no is never no.” They also talk about productivity, finding balance, being present with family, and why appreciating what you have can completely change your perspective.

On the money side, Jason and David discuss the S&P 500’s continued growth, mortgage rates moving above 7%, inflation, AI-driven profits, and why now is the time to shop your debt, shop where your money is, and shop your investments.

Plus, they recap a wild week in New York, debate sleep and productivity habits, talk about pop culture and the latest headlines, and preview next week’s episode with Kendra Scott.
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Jessie James Decker joins Jason Tartick on Trading Secrets to open up about the business, financial, and personal lessons behind her incredibly diverse career. From becoming a country music star and reality TV personality to building a fashion brand, launching a fitness app with nearly 40,000 subscribers, and creating multiple successful businesses, Jessie has never been afraid to bet on herself.

Jessie gets candid about growing up with financial struggles, learning to manage money, and why knowing your weaknesses—and surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you—can be one of your greatest strengths. She also explains why she refuses to believe in staying in one lane, how she overcame imposter syndrome, and why she believes the person at the center of every venture is ultimately your biggest asset.

Jason and Jessie dive into the evolution of her fashion brand Kittenish, which has grown into a $60 million business, and the difficult decision to step away from day-to-day operations so the company could scale. Jessie shares the business lesson behind knowing when to hand over the reins, her experience on Dancing With the Stars and Special Forces, and how she balances marriage, motherhood, and entrepreneurship.
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What does it take to turn a simple idea into a real business? On this special episode of Trading Secrets, Jason Tartick sits down with two entrepreneurs who competed in The UPS Store’s 2026 Small Biz Challenge after nearly 6,000 businesses applied—and both made it to the final three.

The Laundry Basket, shares how it turned a $20 first customer into a growing, multi-city laundry and linen management business by focusing on convenience, recurring revenue, partnerships, B2B opportunities, and knowing her numbers. High Strung Raquets, explains how it identified a gap in the tennis and pickleball market, built a premium product around style and performance, and learned how to sell through wholesale, storytelling, and strategic partnerships.

Jason and the founders break down the importance of differentiation, discipline, storytelling, social media, customer feedback, cash flow, scaling without becoming the bottleneck, and knowing when to work smarter instead of harder.

Plus, both entrepreneurs reveal the trading secrets they learned from building their businesses—and why sometimes the best time to start is before you're ready.
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Vivian Tu, aka Your Rich BFF, is back on Trading Secrets nearly three years after her first appearance—and a lot has changed. With over 10 million followers and $8.2M in annual earnings, Vivian breaks down exactly where the money comes from, including brand deals, speaking, books, and podcasting, plus the team and expenses behind that massive top-line number.

She reveals why she invested over $1M of her own money into building Ask Dolly, her new financial wellness app, and why she chose to self-fund instead of raising outside capital. Vivian also shares how she’s grown her audience without spending a dollar on paid ads, why she still posts every day, and how the creator economy is evolving beyond traditional influencers.

Plus, Vivian gets into the current financial uncertainty, emergency funds, high-interest debt, wedding budgeting after her Lake Como wedding went 3X over budget, and the $10K wedding expense she regrets. She also opens up about speaking on financial policy, whether she’d ever consider politics, and why her newest Trading Secret is knowing when it’s worth fighting for what you want.

Host: Jason Tartick

Audio: John Gurney

Video: Marc Colcer

Guest: Vivian Tu
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