“Love this episode and hearing actually tangible tips to get it into startups to invest in” - HSR Angel
ICYMI
I write this after one too many cappuccinos at sant ambroeus to try and get my brain working after Halloween in NYC. My first time celebrating in the city and I think it might be the best place to celebrate halloween. ICYMI, my husband shaved his head for our costume bit so by default I think we won halloween couple costume of the year. I shared on my IG stories, I’m really not a big drinker but if I do have a glass of something, I always take this before and it makes a huge difference.
I have one of the busiest weeks and will be in 2 countries and 3 cities by next Sunday so I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to be productive today. I am also doing my first ever Live TV appearance without a beta blocker so I am trying to keep my stress low going into this week. When in NYC, CJR and I always go to a Comedy Club so if you see me there tonight, say hi and wish me luck (also because I love meeting the Angels IRL).
I have walked by the soon-to-open ONER active store so many times that I was thrilled when Krissy Cela surprised us with the first of three documentary style vlogs of the opening to watch while I bed rot at The Twenty Two (my favorite hotel in NYC and London)!
I plan to do my Sephora sale shopping done after I get a fresh Russian mani at one of my 3 NYC spots. Favorites are Asya Nail near Flatiron (23 E 20th St), Art Nail NYC in the West Village (3 W 13th St) and Russian Manicure in Midtown (40 W 38th St, floor 5). This is a list of all of my favorite Sephora goodies.
This Week’s Mood Board
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It Pays To Be A Party Girl
Your network might be your most valuable asset, but are you actually using it to build wealth?! Last week I sat down with someone who has turned her influence, relationships and understanding of culture into an incredible investment portfolio, and I think every woman needs to hear this conversation.
Chantel Jeffries was investing in brands like Poppi and Oura BEFORE everyone became obsessed with them. And what I LOVE about Chantel is that she understands something so many women overlook: being in the right rooms is one thing, but knowing how to turn those opportunities into actual ownership is another.
We talked about how she spots brands early, why she believes AI is one of the biggest investment opportunities right now and how she has built an incredible network through her career as a DJ. Her advice? Build genuine relationships, recognize opportunities before everyone else does and stop giving away your value for free.
And beyond investing, I loved how unapologetic Chantel is about knowing her worth. She is incredibly intentional about protecting her relationships and understanding the value of her access. She is proof that you can have fun, build meaningful connections AND turn your influence into real wealth.
If you want to become a smarter investor, build a powerful network and start recognizing the value of what you bring to the table, this episode is for you.
Consumer Gossip
all the brands, people, places, things we’re gossiping about this week
Women’s Health & Beauty
Rhode commits $5M to women's health research. The three-year commitment to the Foundation for Women's Health is the brand's largest philanthropic investment, seeding a diagnostics and therapeutics fund that reinvests its proceeds - real capital behind the cause, not just talk. - WWD
Lady Gaga is taking over as CEO of Haus Labs following co-founder Ben Jones' departure. She's been the face and creative force behind the brand since 2019 and now she wants to take responsibility for the business, too. Being a celebrity founder is one thing but running the company is another. - Business of Beauty
Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato reunite for a Rare Beauty collab. Nostalgia isn't just content anymore; it's a reason to shop. - ELLE
A dermatologist is buying her way into beauty. Dr. Mamina Turegano and Ben Bennett's The Center acquired Boscia and plan to relaunch it direct-to-consumer in 2027. - WWD
Skincare meets pop culture. The Ethereal Glow collection is the first of three Dove Cameron co-creations over the next year - and a non-prescription line anyone can buy, from $35 with a subscription. - Curology
Skims is selling $78 Cryo Glow Globes. The holiday collab with makeup artist Jenny Patinkin tests how far a shapewear brand's appeal travels into beauty - the name might be becoming a category of its own. - Who What Wear
Media, Entertainment & Creator
Karlie Kloss is bringing back print with a $45 magazine. Bedford Media relaunches LIFE on November 23 as a quarterly alongside documentaries and events - a mass-market weekly reborn as a collectible, where cultural value may matter more than circulation. - New York Times
Instagram's new awards aren't about followers. The 2026 Rings went to creatives including Salehe Bembury, Kareem Rahma and Renell Medrano, with judges favoring original voices and distinct subcultures over audience size. - i-D
Prada is betting that human-made is the new luxury. Glen Luchford's photography and hand-drawn animation by Disney veteran John Pomeroy, with Maya Hawke and Sadie Sink - when imagery can be generated in seconds, visible craftsmanship is the appeal. - WWD
Romance fans are paying $150 to go IRL. Hundreds of women attended 831 Stories' inaugural Rom Con, and the publisher has raised at least $4 million from investors including Female Founders Fund and Sara and Erin Foster - a readership becoming an audience for experiences, not just book buyers. - Fortune
Consumer, E-Commerce & Retail
1.7M copies in one day. The ACOTAR obsession is real. Sarah J. Maas's new release reportedly hit that figure across preorders and release-day print and ebook sales - romantasy readers are translating fandom into extraordinary numbers. - Variety
Samsonite just paid $178.5M to reach young women. BÉIS CEO Adeela Hussain Johnson says the 85% stake in Shay Mitchell's brand fills a gap in Samsonite's portfolio. Now its global infrastructure can take BÉIS's audience-led strategy worldwide - proof of how valuable understanding an underserved customer can be. - Vogue Business
Seth Rogen is Sephora's holiday star. He plays a beauty shopper who doesn't know where to start, guided by a beauty adviser - and Sephora is betting that unfamiliar shopper is the most valuable one to win. - Sephora
Swig x Liquid Death cups sold out in 48 hours. The color-changing Halloween cup became a collectible as fans shared their attempts to find one - when the cup is why people show up, merchandise is doing the marketing. - PR Newswire
eBay and Depop just hit $9B in fashion sales. The figure combines 12 months of US sales, including pre-acquisition Depop volume, which more than doubled in Q3 - resale is no longer a Gen Z habit; it's a meaningful part of the fashion economy. - Fortune
Tech, Business & Investing
Michael Strahan is launching a women's flag football league. Grand Slam of Flag, with CAA and EverWonder Studio, fields six national teams in LA during Super Bowl week 2027 for a $500,000 prize pool billed as the sport's largest - arriving as flag football heads to the 2028 Olympics. - Associated Press
Willow just bought two more breastfeeding brands. Fresh off acquiring pump rival Elvie, it added education platform Swehl and bottle maker Momtech - the next competition may be for the entire customer relationship, not a single device. - Fast Company
DoorDash is buying Instacart for $17 billion. The deal is expected to close in late 2027 or early 2028; meanwhile, CEO Tony Xu said third-party AI agents have generated only several hundred orders total - consolidation at scale while agent-led shopping remains small. - DoorDash, TechCrunch
Women-only startups got just 1.1% of US VC funding in 2025. As Ellen Zentner argues in Fortune, women's growing consumer power isn't translating into access to capital. - Fortune
The Internet's Weirdest Obsessions Are Becoming Big Business
What tradwives, Rolex collectors and romantasy fans reveal about the commercial power of belonging, and why I'm applying the same thinking to HSR.
I think one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make is assuming they need to build something that appeals to as many people as possible. I've been thinking a lot about that this week with HSR and I’m going to tell you why.
Some of the most interesting businesses I've been watching this week are being built around communities that the majority of the internet doesn't even know exist.
Take ACOTAR. If you're part of the fandom, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. If you're not, you probably have no idea why millions of women are obsessed with a romantasy series and faeries. I'll be the first to say I'm not part of it BUT I have been part of communities like it before. In middle and high school I was (and still am) obsessed with Harry Potter so I know what the community is like.
And that's kind of my point.
There are entire communities of people who share interests, language, recommendations and purchasing habits that are literally invisible to everyone outside them and I think there's a huge business opportunity in understanding these communities.
Today I'm breaking down why niche communities might be one of the most overlooked business opportunities right now, and am sharing:
How a creator with fewer than 400K followers partnered with a bestselling Sephora brand and sold out her product within days, and what this tells us about the value of a highly engaged audience.
Why a podcast recommendation can convince people to buy something they've never heard of, and how niche communities are becoming incredibly powerful distribution channels.
What ACOTAR fans, luxury-watch collectors and even tradwives have in common, and why understanding the identity behind a community might be more valuable than its size.
The three signals I would look for before building a business around a niche community, including how I would test demand before spending thousands of dollars developing a product.
The number one question I've been asking myself about HSR this week, why I've realized the woman we're building for is actually part of a VERY niche group, and what that means for our future.
Because you might not need to come up with the next big idea. You might just need to pay attention to what people are already obsessed with.
So let’s get into it:
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