HSR ICYMI 🍒・+✧ +

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

ICYMI ₊♡₊˚ 🍒・₊✧ ₊

♡ This Week’s Mantra: Fortune favors the prepared—opportunity meets those who are ready.

♡ This Week’s Lesson: You’re going to piss people off, and that’s okay. What matters is staying true to yourself and your vision.

♡ This Week’s Affirmation: I create my own luck through preparation, confidence, and perseverance.

♡ This Week’s Quote: If you wouldn’t let someone into your home, why would you let them into your mind?

♡ This Week’s Long Read: A 2022 by Julie Bogen in The Atlantic “‘Mom Brain’ Isn’t a Joke”. The cognitive labor of running a household is as intense as running a Fortune 500 Company and the gender pay gap in 2024 just increased for the first time in 20 years. More below.

♡ A Correction: We realized the link to Nichole Wischoff’s deck to raise $50M was broken in last week’s email. You can find it HERE.

This Week’s Mood Board

• A secret version of the HSR Podcast Playlist

• An HSR exclusive interview from Allison McNamara, founder of MARA Beauty, on how Amazon has supercharged her luxury skincare brand

• Spilling the tea on what it’s like working with my sister (and how to pick the right business partner)

Spilling My Secret Tools

I spilled some real secrets this week, the same ones that keep brands like SKIMS, Alo Summer Fridays, Beis, and Rhode at the top. Ever wonder how these brands are always a step ahead? It’s not magic—it’s data.

I use Particl, anAI tool that gives you instant access to sales data from over 10,000 brands—Bies, Summer Fridays. From color selling strategies to pricing hacks, Particl tracks it all: what’s selling, who’s buying, and how brands are winning. And let’s just say… I am obsessed.

If you’re a consumer founder, operator, or investor, you’re probably always looking for that edge to scale faster and smarter. Particl is the non-negotiable tool that’s been guiding every product and investment decision I make.

They have a 14-day free trial so you can see for yourself why I log in daily.

This Has To Stop

It’s shocking how many people didn’t realize the gender pay gap has widened for the first time in 20 years. According to recent data, women now earn just 83% of what men make, down from 84% last year. This marks the first significant widening of the gap since 2003, despite overall gains in earnings for both men and women.

We can’t afford to let this continue. The wage gap reflects broad inequality in the labor market, with women still facing significant barriers—especially in low-wage jobs that are disproportionately filled by women.

I shared more about this in a video I collaborated on with Dell/DWEN, where we explored tools and resources DWEN offers to help female entrepreneurs close the gap and get ahead and the video had such a great response that I wanted to share with my HSR Angels here too!

This has to stop happening. Let’s take action—if you’re a female entrepreneur, visit DWEN and explore how we can help create lasting change for women in the workforce by building businesses that will be part of the change.

Consumer News

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

♡ Women’s Health & Beauty ♡

• LEVY Health Secures $4.5M in Funding to Bridge the Reproductive Care Gap by Empowering Providers - from Levy Health

• Melinda French Gates launches a new women’s health fund - from CNN

• Maven Clinic raises $125M Series F for women and family health - from Axios

• Claudia Schiffer is the new face of Rhode - from Instagram

♡ Media, Entertainment & Creator ♡

• The Female Founder World Summit 2024 is coming up on Nov 2 - from Female Founder World

• How influencers make money - a podcast from BoF

• Kamala Harris digital cover and interview - from Vogue

♡ E-Commerce, Retail & Social ♡

• Summer Fridays named the top startup in Los Angeles by LinkedIn for 2024 - from LinkedIn

• The glory days of the pop-up store are over – What’s next? - from Business of Fashion

• Mytheresa to acquire Yoox Net-a-Porter in equity deal with Richemont - from Business of Fashion

♡ Tech, Business, & Investing ♡

• Export your brain with AI, according to a16z, Andreessen Horowitz’s new investment thesis - from a16z

• AI can jump-start consumer brands, say investors and founders - from The Information

• PepsiCo trims revenue outlook as North American snacking, key international markets lag - from CNBC

TYSM, I♡U!!!!

To enter this week's giveaway, respond to the poll below

If this email was forwarded to you?

Subscribe to Monthly to read the rest.