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Time for my favorite part of the week, ICYMI!!!

ICYMI ⋆˚✿˖°

MY people ♡

This week is short and sweet because I’m in Greece for my first time trying to relax but tbh, my goal of this Europe leg was to show more of my personality on TikTok and it’s been A LOT of fun.

For so long, I was so focused on showing the side of me that fit into the HSR buckets (heavy on the smart), but it is FREEING to just post in the moment, without over thinking or producing content to show all the sides of me - sometimes silly, unserious, and hungry and tired. 

I’ve already done a lot of firsts this trip - tried Mastika, ate goat, and styled myself with a bunch of perfect items like this white blazer and this sexy skirt from Paris and this bikini. But the best part of the trip is seeing so many incredible HSR meet ups happening globally from Austin, Texas to Australia to Vancouver, Canada. There are more meetups happening this week in Aussie so please DM @brookekm_ if you want to join!!

But the biggest thing this week that’s been on my mind is how surreal it was to visit the birthplace of modern democracy on the same day ICE raids swept through LA. Standing at the Acropolis, I was reminded that what we now know as democracy was first established in Athens, Greece around 508 BC— is actively being threatened in the United States. Since that visit, Courtney and I have been in constant conversation. I want to say something. I want to do more than just donate to organizations fighting here—but speaking out publicly could put my own immigration status at risk. If you think that’s an exaggeration, read this article from a Canadian woman in the health and wellness industry who came face-to-face with the business of ICE being detained for 2 weeks. Warning: it’s graphic and cruel—but it reveals a harsh truth. Like everything else in the U.S., ICE is a business. These facilities are privately owned, they operate for profit and it is wrong.

Things I am currently unsubscribing from:
♡ People’s newsletters who sign me up without permission (looking at you @growthdaily)
♡ Marissa Metzler’s substack
♡ Having to show a full serious side of you all the time online
♡ People pleasing in fear of meeting opposing opinions online

♡ Project Petal ♡

For the last 6+ months, I’ve been quietly working on something behind the scenes. A new kind of brand. One that fixes a very real problem for women. And now it’s finally time to bring in my angels!!! I can’t wait to get started!!

♡ This Week’s Mood Board ♡

♡ HSR Podcast Updates♡

Last week, Allison McNamara shared her coming out story for the first time, opened up about her divorce, and let us in on what it means to be both the face and founder of MARA Beauty. It was a masterclass in vulnerability and reinvention.

This week? We’re talking about body, business, and breaking the algorithm.
Bryony Deery went from working in a pub to building a global online Pilates empire—and she’s not gatekeeping how she did it. If you’ve ever thought about monetizing your movement, taking your passion full-time, or just want a peek behind the curtain of digital fitness success, this one’s for you.

🎧 Follow Hot Smart Rich on Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) so you don’t miss it.

♡ Consumer Trends The HSR Angels Gossiped
About Most This Week ♡

♡ Jens Grede joins the UTA board which honestly, makes a ton of sense—Kim and Jens have arguably built one of the most successful celebrity-founded brands ever with SKIMS. Every talent agent dreams of replicating that level of success for their clients, but it’s incredibly difficult to pull off. What makes this even more fitting is that, according to Puck, the ties between the Kardashian-Jenners and the Gredes seem to be fraying. Personally, I felt the shift when Emma was asked on Diary of a CEO how her relationship with the Kardashian-Jenners was going—she answered nervously and was clearly media-trained to divert the question. Going to be interesting to see if Emma follows Jens’ path and switched from WME to UTA over the next few months.

♡ Etoile’s founder’s personal board meeting + the most underrated founder on TikTok currently. I love this example of building-in-public storytelling from ÉTOILE’s founder, Michelle. It’s been so fun to follow along as she builds the brand and shares her transparent take on what actually drives sales vs. what’s good for brand building (but doesn’t necessarily convert). Some of her findings might surprise you!

♡ The thread where saie talks about what they’re doing amidst tariffs: here. The comments disagreeing are shocking when the brand couldn’t have been more transparent and forthcoming.

♡ The night before I left for Europe, I went to a founder’s dinner at Roxy Earle’s house. One of the biggest themes I heard around the table was that founders are tired of being labeled in every single headline as “minority-founded.” That’s why I didn’t release Allison’s episode during the first week of Pride Month. It wasn’t about reducing her story to her sexual orientation or only celebrating her because of it. I just wanted to tell her story—full stop. So I made the intentional decision not to frame it as the Pride Month episode and release it when all eyes were on Pride.

♡ If you didn’t attend the #BoFBeauty summit in Napa, I LOVED this tiktok on how Hailey Bieber selects her campaign faces. I’m not sold on the mist mirror holder but I have a feeling the masses will be!

Consumer News

♡ the brands, people, places, things that have captured my attention ♡

♡ Women’s Health & Beauty ♡

• L’Oréal acquires majority stake in Medik8. Clinical skincare gets the luxury stamp. - from Vogue Business

• BoF x McKinsey report says beauty is cooling. The hype era is over—proof is in. - from Instagram

• Somnee raises $10M for AI-powered sleep headbands. Tech meets beauty rest. - from Femtech Insider
  → With backing from Khosla Ventures & Orlando Magic owners source

• Arrae drops CLEAR PROTEIN+: protein, collagen, and electrolytes in one chic stick. No blender, no bloat. - from Instagram

♡ Media, Entertainment & Creator ♡

• Tezza launches the Summer Edit: three new film effects giving '90s sun-crushed glam. - from Instagram

• Heaven Mayhem drops its Summer ’25 collection. Glossy, beachy, and limited. - from Instagram

• Lauren Leichtman bought Wave FC for $113M. Women’s sports are a family business now. - from Instagram

♡ E-Commerce, Retail & Social ♡

• Lululemon rival faces $150M lawsuit—and influencers are caught in the mess. - from The Street

• TYB raises Series A to scale community-powered commerce. Your favorite brands, now with better tools and fan love. - from Instagram

♡ Tech, Business, & Investing ♡

• DAVID sued after acquiring Epogee. The alt-fat startup's legal drama begins. - from Food Business News

• Meet Jenny Lee: venture capital’s first woman billionaire. Unicorn intuition pays off. - from Forbes

• Walmart heiress Alice Walton backs nationwide anti-Trump protests. Billionaires picking sides. - from Forbes

• Collab Capital closes $75M Fund II. Culture-driven VC is scaling up. - from Collab Capital

• Hims & Hers eyes growth in weight loss as U.S. market shifts. Ozempic nation is just the beginning. - from Reuters

This isn’t just a legal case. It’s a cultural flashpoint.

When Emma DiMarco, the queer founder of the brand Kissing Cowboys, posted on TikTok that Brandy Melville had stolen her logo and put it on their shirts, the internet exploded. “Brandy Melville stole my logo and put it all over a bunch of ugly shirts,” she said. “And today, I’m selling everything in my vintage studio to pay for a lawyer.” Her pop-up sale sold out almost entirely—600+ pieces gone in one day—as hundreds of Gen Z shoppers rallied behind her.

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