Hot Takes Big Stakes

About Hot Takes Big Stakes

The real-world highs and lows of building a business—from early ideas scribbled on napkins to multimillion-dollar raises and the pivotal moments in between. Hosted by serial founders Natalie Holloway (Bala) and Lana Elie (Floom). We explore the unfiltered truths most founders are too polished (or too cautious) to say out loud. No hype, no jargon—just honest conversations about what actually works, what doesn’t, and what it really takes to grow something from nothing. Each week, Natalie and Lana sit down founder-to-founder to share sharp insights, fresh perspectives, and the kind of candor you rarely hear in the boardroom. Build your dream. Burn the playbook.

Publisher

Natalie Holloway and Lana Elie

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

8 Jul 2025

Latest episode

3 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

19 of 42 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   3 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   She Dropped Out of Harvard and Built a $300M Sustainable Brand | #41

   Host Natalie Holloway interviews Sarah Paiji Yoo, founder of Blueland, about building a $300 million sustainable brand and navigating entrepreneurial challenges.

2. 

   6 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   From Pop-Up to 15 Studios, The Y7 Founder Story | #40

   Host Natalie Holloway interviews Y7 Studio founder Sarah Ayako about her journey building a wellness brand from a pop-up to 15 studios.

3. 

   29 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How MERIT Got To $200M | #39

   MERIT Beauty grew from launch to over $200 million in sales in just five years, without a hero product, heavy discounting, or chasing marketing trends. In this episode, the CMO shares how they built a minimalist beauty brand for millennials and Gen X by rejecting industry playbooks and focusing on trust, pricing psychology, and diversified marketing. From launching during COVID to engineering risk across platforms, this is a masterclass in modern brand building. If you are building a business or leading a team, this conversation is packed with hard-earned lessons. This Hot takes big stakes episode is sponsored by: dtcmvp, shopify's modern expert network. Qualified brand leaders can discover vetted tools, get compensated for their time, and give feedback to founders and avoid the traditional sales pitch. For vendors, it's a great way to meet brands where they are, get feedback on what youre building, and improve your company. From intro to insights, dtcmvp handles everything. Together - brands and saas startups can improve the industry faster.https://dtcmvp.com/ http://Hirodiapers.com/natalieMore Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Aila Morinhttps://www.instagram.com/ailamorin/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ailamorinMore on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

Inside a recent episode

She Dropped Out of Harvard and Built a $300M Sustainable Brand | #41

Published 3 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Like our mission is really like our why, like we're in, why we're doing what we're doing. And you can't sort of, make the choices that you believe are right for the business whether from a mission and sustainability perspective or from like managing the business for like long-term health and success if you're reliant on outside capital right and I did not know this then what I do now having you know now that we're sort of three going on four years of profitability but profitability is such a competitive advantage like it's Everything from me as a CEO not having to constantly be fundraising or thinking about how do I grow this business in a way so I can explain it when I have to go out and raise the next round of capital to hiring because we are so profitable. […]

Who has been a guest on Hot Takes Big Stakes

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sarah Paiji Yoo
• Oli Walsh
• Alex Taylor
• Michelle Wahler
• Allison McNamara

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

39 ratings

Contact Hot Takes Big Stakes

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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