Hot Smart Rich

• Crown Affair’s Dianna Cohen: Why She Fired Herself as CEO After Raising $15M—And What It Taught Her About Money, Power & Letting Go

  In this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers sits down with Dianna Cohen—the founder of Crown Affair, the premium beauty brand redefining clean luxury in haircare. Dianna’s journey started long before building her own brand—she launched her career working alongside Emily Weiss at Into The Gloss, then went on to shape the stories of modern DTC icons like Away. That background gave her a masterclass in brand building.By 2024, she had scaled Crown Affair to $20M in sales and raised $15M in venture funding. Then she did something few founders would dare to do: she fired herself as CEO.This episode isn’t about quitting—it’s about redefining. Dianna opens up about what it means to build a premium, emotionally resonant brand in the age of hustle culture, and how stepping into a more creative, intuitive role has become her most powerful chapter yet.What You'll Hear In This Episode:From working with Emily Weiss to building her own brand—Dianna’s evolution from beauty insider to beauty founderThe early days of Crown Affair and how her time at Away shaped her approach to brand strategy and storytellingWhy Dianna stepped down as CEO—and how it unlocked a new creative chapterThe clean luxury playbook: how she built Crown Affair into a category-defining brandRaising $15M and scaling to $20M in revenue—without compromising brand integrityMaggie’s take on the identity shifts every founder faces—and the freedom of letting goDianna’s blueprint for building brands that feel personal, purposeful, and powerfulCONNECT WITH MAGGIE:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers ⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK: ⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_ ⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich ⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN: ⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers ⁠⁠⁠NEWSLETTER: HSR ICYMI ⁠⁠⁠⁠CONNECT WITH DIANNA:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠Dianna Cohen⁠⁠TIKTOK: ⁠⁠Dianna Cohen⁠⁠SUBSTACK: Take Your TimeSHOP CROWN AFFAIR: WEBSITESEPHORASHOP HSR:⁠⁠⁠HSR MERCH⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠SHOP MY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AMAZON⁠⁠⁠This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions.

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  53:39
• Maggie's Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset: Women Are Being Lied to About Money and It’s Making Men Rich

  On this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers sits down with her sister and former CFO of billion-dollar DTC brands, Katie Sellers, to talk about the Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset. The truth? Women are being lied to about money—and it’s making our boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and the men in our lives richer by default. They’re not smarter. They’re just in the room when financial decisions are being made.Meanwhile, women control 85% of consumer spending—we decide what to buy, where to shop, and which brands blow up. We are the market. But we’re still being left out of wealth-building conversations, especially when it comes to things like angel investing, equity, and financial freedom.This week, Maggie and Katie go deep on the real money rules that changed their lives—from the 50-20-20-10 budgeting framework to the mental blocks women face when managing money. It’s not just about spreadsheets and savings—this is about power, access, and confidence.In this episode, you’ll hear:How the wrong money mindset is keeping women from getting richHow women are unintentionally transferring wealth to men—and how to stop doing itWhy 50-20-20-10 is the budgeting method for ambitious women who want to save, invest, and still live wellWhy “being good with money” isn’t about coupons or coffee—it’s about knowing your numbers and owning your worthWhat Maggie and Katie wish more women knew about cash flow, investing, and building wealth on your own termsThis isn’t financial advice—it’s a financial awakening. If you’ve ever felt behind, ashamed, or confused when it comes to money, this episode will change the way you think about your bank account, your habits, and your power.Listen now and start acting like the investor you are.CONNECT WITH MAGGIE:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠@maggiesellers ⁠⁠TIKTOK: ⁠⁠@maggiesellers_ ⁠⁠YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠@hotsmartrich ⁠⁠LINKEDIN: ⁠⁠Maggie Sellers ⁠⁠CONNECT WITH KATIE:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠@katiesellers_ ⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK: ⁠⁠⁠@katiesellers_ ⁠⁠⁠YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich ⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN: ⁠⁠⁠Katie Sellers⁠ ⁠READ THE NEWSLETTER:⁠⁠HSR ICYMI ⁠⁠SHOP HSR:⁠⁠HSR MERCH⁠⁠ ⁠⁠SHOP MY⁠⁠⁠⁠AMAZON⁠⁠This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Spotify.

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  50:17
• Natalie Holloway: How She Built Bala to $20M, Survived Nearly Going Bankrupt & Balanced Motherhood

  On this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers sits down with Natalie Holloway, co-founder of Bala, the brand that made fitness hot. Natalie built Bala into a $20M business with a Shark Tank deal from Mark Cuban, faced near bankruptcy, and navigated the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship—all while raising three kids under four.The conversation gets real as Natalie shares the hardest moments of scaling Bala, from the chaos of explosive growth during COVID to nearly losing the company. She breaks down what saved the business, why she prioritizes profit overgrowth, and how she made the tough call to lay off nearly her entire team while pregnant.Maggie and Natalie also dive into motherhood, ambition, and the reality of balancing it all—plus, Natalie shares what really happened with Bala’s Drunk Elephant drama, how she deals with copycats, and why she believes affiliate marketing is the future for brands.Key TakeawaysYou can build a $20M brand without raising big VC money. Bala’s success proves that profitability is more important than endless fundraising. Natalie and her husband bootstrapped their way to the top—then nearly lost it all.Scaling fast can break you. Bala blew up overnight after Shark Tank and COVID, but hypergrowth almost killed the business. Natalie shares the hard truth about layoffs, cash flow, and surviving the free fall.Motherhood and entrepreneurship? There’s no perfect balance. Natalie had to make brutal business decisions while pregnant. The real talk: founders don’t get maternity leave, and work-life balance is a myth.Copycats and competition will come—so stay ahead. Drunk Elephant launched a Bala-inspired product. Knockoffs are everywhere. The only way to win is to innovate faster than they can copy.The smartest founders are shifting from influencers to affiliates. Natalie shares why paying influencers big bucks is outdated and why affiliate marketing is the new power move for brands.Negotiate like a man. Women are still underpricing themselves in business. Natalie learned to ask for more, own her worth, and not settle for the first offer.Bala is just getting started. NYC fitness studio? More retail expansion? Natalie spills what’s next and why she’s betting big on IRL experiences and digital fitness.Items Mentioned in This EpisodeBala — the original workout bangles. Shop here.Form x Bala — the set. Shop here.Connect with MaggieInstagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with NatalieInstagram: @natalieholloway, @bala & @balacizeSubstack: working out in heels Read the Newsletter⁠⁠⁠HSR ICYMI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Stay ahead with consumer startup trends, business news, and investing insights.Shop Maggie's Favorites⁠⁠⁠HSR Merch⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions and Vandana Ravi.

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  52:21
• BTS of Neko Health’s 100,000-Person Waitlist, What to Do in London, and HSR’s Global Angel WhatsApp Community

  In this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie takes you behind the scenes of her latest trip to London—where business, wellness, and exclusivity collide. From securing high-level meetings with potential LPs and Unilever Ventures to stepping inside the ultra-exclusive Neko Health body scan (with a 100,000-person waitlist), this episode pulls back the curtain on what it looks like to build a global empire while living life in the fast lane.Maggie also takes you inside one of London’s most talked-about events with her boyfriend, Courtney Reum—Bryony Deery’s wedding, a Vogue-worthy affair celebrating the Pilates entrepreneur and Dior’s Global Wellness Expert. Plus, she’s launching something major: the HSR Global Angels WhatsApp community, a new way for ambitious women to connect, network, and build their own power circles.This episode is a first-of-its-kind vlog-style format—so if you want to see the full experience, make sure to watch on Spotify or YouTube.Episode HighlightsThis episode isn’t just about business—it’s about building a life that blends ambition, wellness, and connection. Maggie shares an inside look at her week in London, including:Neko Health Body Scan: Maggie experiences one of the most high-tech, data-driven wellness scans available today, founded by Daniel Ek (CEO of Spotify).Bryony Deery’s Wedding: A behind-the-scenes look at the stunning wedding of fitness entrepreneur Bryony Deery, founder of Pilates by Bryony and Dior Global Wellness Expert, to Kaspar Basse, Founder of Joe & The Juice.HSR Angels Meet-Up: 30 HSR community members gathered at Joe & The Juice for an impromptu event—proving the power of real-life connections.Doing Business on the Go: Maggie shares how she maximizes travel time for work, from taking investor meetings between events to leveraging her global network.Working the Network: Meetings with potential LPs and Unilever Ventures—how Maggie is making strategic connections for future investments.Join the HSR Global Angels Community💌 Link to join: Click here to joinThis is a community by you, for you. It’s peer-led, community-driven, and built for ambitious, like-minded women. Whether you’re looking to connect with business besties, discover the best Pilates class in your city, or find new friends—this is where it happens.Places & Items Mentioned in This EpisodeNeko Health Body Scan – The future of personalized healthcare. Get on the waitlist.Pants from Revolve (The Everywhere Pant) – Maggie’s go-to travel pants. Shop here.Milk Makeup – Hydro Grip Primer. Shop here.FlyKitt – Jet lag relief kit. Shop here.Arrae – Siff & Nish's brand. HSR15 for 15% off. Shop here.Pilates By Bryony – Bryony's pilates method. Join here.✨CONNECT WITH MAGGIE SELLERS✨ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_⁠⁠YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers⁠⁠⁠✨READ THE NEWSLETTER✨⁠⁠HSR ICYMI⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Stay ahead with consumer startup trends, business news, and investing insights.✨SHOP HOT SMART RICH✨⁠⁠HSR Merch⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Shop My⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠✨ABOUT MAGGIE SELLERS✨Maggie Sellers is the founder of Hot Smart Rich, an investment and media company designed to empower women in business and entrepreneurship. A multi-hyphenate creator, investor, and entrepreneur, she’s redefined female empowerment with her sharp, candid insights into business, wealth-building, and startup investing. As a leading voice on TikTok and LinkedIn, Maggie’s content reaches over 180,000 ambitious women looking to elevate their careers, finances, and businesses.Maggie is also an angel investor in brands like Allara Health, Mixlab, and De Soi and a venture partner in HSR Ventures, where she backs the next generation of consumer startups. Forget outdated notions of female empowerment—Maggie is reshaping what it means to be a modern power player in business and investing.📢 This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC.

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  24:34
• Investing $60M to Find the Next Mr. Beast—The Future of Influencers, Creators, and Venture Capital with Megan Lightcap

  Investing $60M to Find the Next Mr. Beast—The Future of Influencers, Creators, and Venture Capital with Megan LightcapIn this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie sits down with Megan Lightcap, Partner at Slow Ventures, one of the leading venture capital firms backing content creators and digital-first businesses. With a $60M seed-stage fund, Megan and Sam Lessin are betting big on the creator economy, where social media platforms, personal brands, and original content are shaping the future of digital entrepreneurship.From investing in early-stage startups to finding the next Mr. Beast, Megan breaks down how venture capital is shifting toward creators and why influencers are the new entrepreneurs to bet on.Episode HighlightsThe creator economy is booming, and Slow Ventures is proving that content creators are the next generation of entrepreneurs. Megan unpacks Goldman Sachs’ $500 billion projection for the creator economy, what it means for venture capital firms, and where social media platforms are heading in a post-Instagram world.She also dives into how creators are turning personal brands into multi-million dollar businesses and why Mr. Beast is the blueprint for the next wave of content entrepreneurs. Megan shares an inside look at raising a creator-led fund and how she and Sam Lessin structured Slow Ventures’ $60M fund to back the next era of digital-first founders.Key TakeawaysCreators Are the New Entrepreneurs – Investors are treating influencers like startups, changing the entire business model of social media.How to Secure VC Funding as a Creator – What venture firms like Slow Ventures look for when backing creator-led businesses.The Future of Monetization – Why brand deals aren’t enough and how creators can build scalable revenue streams.Social Media’s Next Evolution – Where new platforms will drive the next wave of digital entrepreneurship.The Mr. Beast Playbook – The business model behind the world’s biggest creator—and how others can apply his strategy.Resources & Items Mentioned in This EpisodeApply for the Slow Ventures Creator Fund Associate Role – Interested in venture capital and the creator economy? Apply for the Slow Ventures Associate role and let them know HSR sent you: Apply HereMegan’s Go-To Skincare for Hydrated Skin – She swears by Hada Labo Hyaluronic Acid for its affordability and effectiveness. Shop HereMust-Listen Podcast on the Future of Social & AI – Check out the Telepathy Tapes Podcast, where Sam Lessin and Slow Ventures break down the evolving landscape of AI, social media, and the internet. Listen Here90% of Young People Want To Be an Influencer - Read HereListen now for an inside look at how venture capital is evolving, why creators are building billion-dollar businesses, and how Slow Ventures is shaping the future of content, social platforms, and digital entrepreneurship.✨CONNECT WITH MAGGIE SELLERS✨ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_⁠⁠YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers⁠⁠⁠✨CONNECT WITH MEGAN LIGHTCAP✨ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Megan Lightcap⁠⁠Websites: ⁠Slow Ventures⁠✨READ THE NEWSLETTER✨⁠⁠HSR ICYMI⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Stay ahead with consumer startup trends, business news, and investing insights.✨SHOP HOT SMART RICH✨⁠⁠HSR Merch⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Shop My⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠📢 This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions.

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