The Burnouts with Phoebe & Sophia

He arrived in New York with $100, slept in parks, showered at the YMCA — and went on to invent the tube top, dress Studio 54, and build a billion-dollar fashion empire.In this episode of The Burnouts, fashion icon Elie Tahari joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni alongside his son and CEO Jeremey Tahari for a rare, multi-generational conversation about survival, ambition, taste, and legacy.Elie walks through his unbelievable journey: immigrating to New York alone, working as an electrician by day and selling clothes by night, sneaking into a fashion show through a back door, and accidentally creating one of the most iconic garments of the 1970s. From disco dresses to power suits, he explains how watching women on New York streets — not runways — taught him how to anticipate what they’d want next.Jeremey opens up about growing up inside the business, stepping out of his father’s shadow, and eventually taking over as CEO — while expanding the company into real estate, licensing, and global scale. Together, they unpack what it really looks like to work with family, disagree on taste, hand over control, and build something meant to last 50+ years.This episode is about the American dream in its rawest form — luck, hustle, intuition, ego checks, and building success with heart. If you’re building from scratch, navigating family dynamics at work, or trying to define success on your own terms, this one’s required listening.Chapters00:00 – Arriving in NYC with $10001:00 – Sleeping in parks & finding community03:00 – From electrician to fashion hustle04:30 – Inventing the tube top06:30 – Sneaking into a fashion show & landing 250K orders08:30 – Studio 54, disco & early fashion moments11:00 – Dressing women entering the workforce13:00 – Building a fashion empire15:00 – Real estate, licensing & vertical integration17:00 – Father–son dynamics in business19:30 – Taking over as CEO22:00 – Disagreeing on taste & generational shifts25:00 – Persian culture, fashion & femininity27:30 – Leadership, hiring & humility30:00 – Legacy, luck & advice for the burnouts🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniElie TahariJeremey TahariTahari Group🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTSInstagramTikTokLinkedIn📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts — they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Try it now → https://www.phia.comAbout The BurnoutsThe Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your 20s.Past guests include Paris Hilton, Tommy Hilfiger, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and other entrepreneurs redefining our generation.🔔 Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Allison Ellsworth went from oil & gas spreadsheets to building Poppi, the prebiotic soda that broke the internet, rewrote the rules on “healthy soda,” and sold to PepsiCo in a multibillion-dollar deal.In this episode of The Burnouts, Allison joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to share how a DIY apple-cider-vinegar tonic from her Texas kitchen turned into the soda of the next generation. She walks through the whole arc: farmers’ markets, Whole Foods, Shark Tank while nine months pregnant, a risky rebrand, and the TikTok storytime that quietly did $100K on Amazon overnight.Allison also gets brutally honest about working with her husband, hiring too slowly while growth rockets, and what happens to your identity when you suddenly have both a Super Bowl ad and an exit. She shares the unglamorous side of lawsuits, burnout, mom guilt, and figuring out “what’s next” when you technically never have to work again.If you’re building a consumer brand, obsessing over content, or just trying to stay ambitious without completely frying your nervous system, this episode is a masterclass in playing the long game — and still having fun.Chapters00:00 – From Texas kid to unexpected founder02:00 – ACV shots, health issues & the Poppi spark04:30 – Farmers’ market hustle → Whole Foods breakthrough06:30 – Shark Tank at 9 months pregnant08:30 – The risky rebrand: Mother Beverage → Poppi11:00 – Launching Poppi during COVID13:00 – TikTok virality & selling out overnight16:00 – Creator-first marketing & celebrity fans19:00 – Flavor wins, flavor fails & building a real soda22:00 – Working with your husband (and being wrong sometimes)24:30 – Sugar, lawsuits & building in CPG27:00 – Inside the PepsiCo acquisition30:00 – Life after the exit & what’s next for Allison🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniAllison EllsworthPoppi 🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTShttps://www.instagram.com/theburnoutshttps://www.tiktok.com/@theburnoutshttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-burnouts📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts — they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download now and join the community of 800,000+ smarter shoppers.About The BurnoutsThe Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your 20s.Past guests include Paris Hilton, Tommy Hilfiger, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and other entrepreneurs redefining our generation.🔔 Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Founder and creative force Jasmin Larian Hekmat reveals the untold story of how she turned a scrappy side hobby into Cult Gaia, one of the most recognizable fashion brands of the last decade.Before the Ark Bag exploded across Instagram, Jasmin was wiring flower crowns at her kitchen table, hauling a flower cart to festivals, and giving away bags no one would buy. In this episode of The Burnouts, she tells Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni how a single product quietly snowballed into a global sensation and reshaped her entire career.Jasmin breaks down the five years before Cult Gaia “hit,” the moment the Ark Bag went from ignored to iconic, and the relentless creativity that keeps her one step ahead of imitators. She shares how she built a multimillion-dollar business without raising a cent of venture capital, how she protects the brand’s fiercely artful DNA, and why her designs are meant to stop someone in their tracks.From vase purses to playable backgammon clutches to fragrance bottles that feel like sculpture, Jasmin explains how she turns wild ideas into objects people obsess over. She also opens up about motherhood, running a 100 person team, trusting her gut when everyone says no, and staying original in an industry that copies everything.If you are building a fashion brand, dreaming up your first product, or trying to stand out in a crowded industry, this conversation will change the way you think about creativity, community, and staying power.Chapters00:00 The Hobby That Accidentally Started Cult Gaia02:00 The $38 Bag No One Wanted04:00 The Viral Moment That Changed Everything06:00 How She Built a Brand With Zero Investors08:00 Surviving Copycats and Staying Original10:00 Building a Team While Raising Three Kids12:00 The Pressure Behind a “Perfect” Brand14:00 Designing Pieces People Can’t Ignore16:00 What Founders Get Wrong About Success18:00 Lightning Round: Style, Risks, and Reinvention🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniJasmin Larian Hekmat🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTSInstagramTikTokLinkedIn📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia are the founders of Phia, a new fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download now and join the community of 800,000+ happy users.About The BurnoutsThe Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your twenties.Past guests include Paris Hilton, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and Tommy Hilfiger.Subscribe for the inside playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Founder and author Grace Beverley built a multimillion-dollar portfolio of brands—TALA, Shreddy, and The Productivity Method—before turning 25.In this episode of The Burnouts, Grace joins Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to share how she went from posting anonymous fitness content at Oxford to leading some of the UK’s fastest-growing female-founded companies. She breaks down the pressure of being a young woman in power and the bias female founders still face.Grace opens up about juggling multiple businesses, navigating personal grief, and the hidden cost of public success. She also speaks candidly about relationships, ambition, and the standards women are expected to meet.Whether you’re building a brand, raising capital, or figuring out how to stay ambitious without burning out, this conversation offers an unfiltered look at what it really takes for young women to succeed.Chapters00:00 – From anonymous fitness posts to Oxford02:15 – The £1 ebooks that changed her life05:20 – Building her first multimillion-dollar business08:10 – Why women must stop chasing “shiny” projects11:00 – The truth about scaling TALA & Shreddy14:30 – Fundraising bias & the questions women still get asked18:00 – Miscarriage, grief & running a company21:15 – The impossible standards for female founders24:00 – Relationships that dim ambition27:00 – Why social media punishes successful women30:00 – Building Retrograde & the creator economy33:00 – How Grace makes decisions fast36:00 – What she wishes every young woman knew about power🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniGrace Beverley🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTSInstagramTikTokLinkedIn📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts — they’re the founders of Phia, a new fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download the app and try it yourself.About The BurnoutsThe Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond headlines to explore the real stories, breakdowns, and breakthroughs that define your 20s.Past guests include Paris Hilton, Tommy Hilfiger, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and other entrepreneurs redefining our generation.Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Burnouts, Steve sits down with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni to share the true story of how he went from a college dropout selling shoes in Queens to building one of the most influential footwear companies in the world. He talks about the early instincts that set him apart, the moment he knew he had something special, and the creative philosophy that has kept his brand relevant for more than three decades.Steve also opens up about the twists and turns of his journey — including learning hard lessons during the Wolf of Wall Street years and stepping away from the company before returning more focused and energized than ever. He reflects on the loyalty of his team, the power of staying close to the customer, and why speed, instinct, and obsession with product remain his North Star.Plus: the story behind his first viral shoe, his unfiltered take on dupe culture, the trends he loves (and hates), how Gen Z made him go viral again, and the fashion advice he wishes everyone knew earlier.Whether you’re building a brand, navigating a major life pivot, or chasing a creative vision, this conversation is a masterclass in staying true to your instincts, evolving with culture, and building something that lasts.Chapters00:00 – Growing up in Queens and falling in love with shoes01:45 – Dropping out of college and learning retail03:20 – Starting Steve Madden with $1,10006:00 – Product instinct, speed to market, and early hits08:45 – Becoming a “pirate” in fashion11:00 – The Wolf of Wall Street years and the IPO14:00 – Prison, addiction, and rebuilding his life16:30 – Reinventing the Steve Madden brand18:00 – Dupe culture, controversy, and staying relevant20:00 – What he hates (and loves) in fashion today22:00 – Designing shoes women actually want23:30 – AI, TikTok, and the future of trend cycles26:00 – Lessons from failure and advice for young founders🔗 FOLLOW USPhoebe GatesSophia KianniSteve Madden🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTSInstagramTikTokLinkedIn📲 Support What We’re BuildingPhoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts — they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download Phia for free in the App Store. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.