Time for my favorite part of the week, ICYMI!!!
ICYMI ₊♡₊˚ 🍒・₊✧ ₊
This Week’s Mantra: To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing - Aristotle
On The Roast of Tom Brady: If you haven’t watched The Roast of Tom Brady, this is your sign to put it on immediately. Aside from it being one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a long time, I also learnt that the best quarterback of all time was selected 199th in the 2000 NFL draft as the 6th quarterback that year. Let that be your reminder that no matter where you start, nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough.
This Week’s Smart Quick Read: Are you hunting Antelopes or Field Mice? A really good reminder to focus your efforts on big goals that provide substantial rewards rather than expending energy on small tasks that offer minimal returns.
This Week’s Best Podcast: Anne Hathaway is done trying to please. This podcast is very fitting for this week’s major theme of success, competition and shedding what people think of you.
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Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s reading this, but especially to mine. Because I am my mother’s daughter, I can do anything and if I had to pick just three things I’m grateful for that my mom passed down to me, that I can only hope to pass down to my kids one day, they would be:
My positivity and childlike curiosity to explore, create and question the status quo
The connection I feel to my body, knowing what I like and don’t and being confident enough to communicate that to the people around me
My balance of ambition with the gratitude to know how lucky and abundant I already am
Rethinking: I can’t think of something more important to me than having a family and children one day but if you had asked me 5 years ago if I wanted children, I would have straddled between “no” or “I’m not sure”. As we read “Think Again”, it’s reminded me that it’s okay to change your mind and that the only constant in life is change.
THE HSR Show Pilot: We filmed the pilot of the "Hot Smart Rich Show" with Samantha Coxe, founder and CEO of Flaus, and she brought the tea. I can’t wait for you to hear all about the behind-the-scenes of building Flaus, including how to get on and walk away with a deal on Shark Tank, build a thriving business amid her dad being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, her breakup with both her co-founder and her boyfriend of 9 years, and leaving her big law career in M&A at Skadden to go full-time on Flaus. Plus we’re breaking down the whole Finance Bro trend and what kind of Finance Bro you really want to date.
This Week’s Mood Board
Feuds Broke The Internet
ICYMI, what broke the internet this week was massive public feuds, some more extreme than others. From the Drake vs. Kendrick, Alex Cooper vs. Dave Portnoy, the Tom Brady roast, and Uber Eats teaming up with Instacart to fend off Door Dash, competition was taking over the zeitgeist this week.
Interestingly enough, the topic of competition also came up naturally in my conversations behind closed doors this week. A number of my female founders came to me for advice on how to handle not just competition but blatant copycats.
My POV on competition and how to stay focused completely shifted when I watched this YouTube video of Simon Sinek sharing the differences between the way Microsoft and Apple approach competition. After 3 minutes, you’ll understand why Apple is ahead (I wrote this before the most recent iPad launch). The TLDR if you don’t want to watch the video is to stop being obsessed with what someone else is doing (copycat or market leader) and get obsessed with making your product the best it can possibly be.
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“I’ve been imitated so well I’ve heard people copy my mistakes.” - Jimi Hendrix
“Copycats may get close but they’ll never get ahead.” - Unknown
Brands That Did An Amazing Job
Leveraging Social Trends
In case you live under a rock there were a few brands that really capitalized on the cultural zeitgeist taking over our FYP page this week that I am so here for it and have to highlight.
@justsalad look no further than a midtown Just Salad during lunchtime. #nyc #newyorkcity #midtown #finance #lunch
This Week’s Top 10
Nocturnal Serum
Sezane leopard belt
De Soi Aperol Spritz (a new flavor launching so soon!!)
My Keratin treatment from 901
The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix
Relax Gummies from Nature’s Craft
Welly First Aid Kit
Arrae magnesium (you can use code HSR15 for 15% off)
Consumer News
♡ the brands, people, places, things that have captured my attention ♡
Swehl and Molly Baz's lactation cookie ad banned from Times Square. Nothing made me more angry and upset this week.
Meat and dairy is so back. Sweet Green stock rockets 37% as they roll out steak dishes.
Is the Met Gala worth the investment?
WNBA Star Angel Reese claps back at criticism for attending the Met Gala ahead of her pre-season game.
Chip City Cookies recently secured $7.5 million in Series B funding from Enlightened Hospitality Investments
CeraVe is now American’s #1 Skincare Brand - Neutrogena Lost Dermatologists and Missed Out on the $42 Billion Beauty Boom on TikTok
Walmart wants in on luxury beauty, but will customers follow?
Podcasts don’t technically need upfronts - they’re getting more anyway
Shopify shares plunge 18% on weak guidance even after an amazing Q1
How Beis looks to bring personality to its events
Breaking Down The Business Of
@maggiesellers_ Is Alo Yoga’s era over? Breaking down the Business of Alo Yoga using data only available on Particl #alo #particl #investing #luxury #fash... See more
I always get asked what my POV is on consumer brands or the business of so I’m launching “Breaking Down The Business Of” as HSR’s next original series.
This week I broke down Alo Yoga and if their era is over?! I used data only available on Particl to break down the business of Alo to find out whats going on and you guys seemed to like it on both TikTok and LinkedIn. I’ve already covered Alo, JVN hair, The Row, styling so let me know what you want to see next…
TYSM, I♡U!!!!
To enter this week's giveaway and in celebration of mothers day AND my friend, Taylor Frankel’s engagement, we’re doing a huge NUDESTIX giveaway! Comment on with a 💄 emoji and something your mother (or a mother in your life) taught you.
If this email was forwarded to you, I’d love for you to join me!
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This week I’m sharing:
How I took advantage of the “finance bro” trend, went viral and sold a ton of HSR hats
How I deal with competition and people who copy my work
How much money Candace Nelson could make from her $250,000 investment into Flaus (I get really nerdy Mags and do an illustrative returns analysis)
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