The Burnouts with Phoebe & Sophia
Phoebe Gates & Sophia Kianni
As former Stanford roommates and now business partners, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share their experience as startup founders and the complexities of being young professionals—from financial literacy, social impact, and navigating networking (ever been hit on through LinkedIn?). With exclusive access to top experts, they offer an inside look at their chaotic lives alongside career insights from their network of thought leaders. Watch The Burnouts pursue their dreams while trying to keep their lives from going up in flames. Will they burn out? We’ll find out.
Episodes
Mentioned books
12 snips
May 7, 2026 • 36min
Why Most People Lose Arguments (Sales Tricks That Made Shelby Sapp $1M/Month at 24)
Shelby Sapp, a former door-to-door pest control rep turned high-ticket sales coach who built a remote training business, shares rapid-fire tactics. She explains how anyone can learn closing, confidence rituals, feminine sales scripts, price discipline like the "pregnant pause," and using framing to steer decisions — even in relationships.
10 snips
Apr 23, 2026 • 29min
Shark Tank Icon: Turning $1,000 to $1Billion! (ft. Barbara Corcoran)
Barbara Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Group and long‑time Shark Tank investor, built a 1,000‑person real estate empire and sold it for $66M. She recounts starting with $1,000, working 22 jobs by 23, and using resilience, competition, and bold vision to scale. She explains how childhood setbacks and a brutal breakup fueled her drive and how she evaluates founders and deals.
Apr 9, 2026 • 30min
What Really Happens at Billionaires' Private Parties (Michael Rubin)
Michael Rubin, founder and executive chairman of Fanatics and philanthropist focused on criminal justice reform, talks about relationships as a strategic skill. He explains the origin and culture of the Hamptons White Party, how he builds rooms where power and culture collide, and how he spots and nurtures talent.
8 snips
Mar 26, 2026 • 23min
Dating 101 as an Ambitious Woman: How to Seduce Anyone (ft. Chloe Shih)
Chloe Shih, Forbes 30 Under 30 creator and podcaster, offers candid takes on dating and long-term love. She talks couples therapy, Gottman’s warning signs, playful flirting tactics, and the story of how persistence and vulnerability turned a disastrous first date into a lasting partnership. She also reflects on how a healthy relationship reshaped her ambition.
7 snips
Mar 12, 2026 • 50min
Billionaire Makeup Artist Spills the Kardashians' Beauty Secrets & How Celebs get Perfect Faces
Anastasia Soare, founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills and pioneer of modern brow shaping, built a global beauty brand after emigrating from Romania. She explains the golden ratio pencil method for mapping brows. She recalls starting with $5,000, the Oprah moment that changed everything, building products and education, and expanding into global markets and influencer-driven growth.
11 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 42min
Alex Cooper: The TRUTH About Call Her Daddy and my $100M+ Media Empire
Alex Cooper, creator of Call Her Daddy and co-founder of Unwell, turned a podcast into a multiplatform media company. She talks CEO life, how Unwell makes money across ads, TV, merch and live events, and the high-stakes negotiations behind $60M and $125M deals. Short, sharp stories about hiring, incentives, and choosing partners for growth.
9 snips
Feb 26, 2026 • 37min
Celebrity Stylist: How To Stand Out, Style Celebrities & 10-min Morning Fashion Upgrade (Rachel Zoe)
Rachel Zoe, celebrity stylist and fashion entrepreneur known for shaping red‑carpet looks, shares career‑building stories and reinvention. She recounts the Tommy Hilfiger break, high‑pressure on‑set learning, and the psychology of styling. Hear practical tips like a signature uniform, wardrobe essentials, dressing for the job you want, and why diversifying income matters.
14 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 45min
Money Expert: Quit Your 9-5 and Get Rich the Easy Way. This is What I Did. (ft. Sahil Bloom)
Sahil Bloom, New York Times bestselling author who left private equity to redesign his life. He recounts the wake-up call that made him quit fast and prioritize time and relationships. Conversations cover redefining wealth beyond money, the Five Types of Wealth, using AI and content as leverage, finding mentors, and practical ways to replace a salary without sacrificing life.
Feb 12, 2026 • 39min
Fashion Design Expert: How to Make Iconic Outfits & Make It Big in Fashion (Rebecca Minkoff)
Rebecca Minkoff, fashion designer who turned a $3.25/hour internship into a global lifestyle brand. She recounts the Morning After Bag breakout, intensive networking tactics to break in with no connections, surviving a 70% COVID revenue drop, pivoting product and community-first brand building, and choosing strategic partnerships over fast fundraising.
18 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 40min
Duolingo CEO: How to Brainwash Yourself to Success and Get Addicted to Learning. Follow these habits
Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, pioneer of gamified language learning. He tells the origin of the green owl and how it became a viral mascot. He explains using edgy, TikTok-ready marketing and hiring young creators. He discusses making learning as habit-forming as social media, expanding beyond languages, and using AI to personalize learning.
