Melanie Travis didn’t go to fashion school. She didn’t work at a legacy brand. She didn’t have a co-founder, a warehouse, or a team.

What she did have was a miserable experience swimsuit shopping for a company retreat and a hunch that other women felt the same.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, Melanie joins Alex and Lee to share how she turned a universal frustration into Andie Swim, a nationally recognized brand that’s sold millions of swimsuits and recently expanded into new categories through strategic acquisition.

We talk about:

– The origin story: from BarkBox employee to Kickstarter campaign to CEO

– How she taught herself the fashion supply chain using an Airbnb “fashion tour”

– Why she believes the classic DTC playbook no longer works

– The truth about raising $30M and still struggling to reach profitability

– Her approach to omnichannel growth, from Nordstrom to private label deals

– What she looks for in brand acquisitions (and how she bought her first)

– How she’s building a multi-brand portfolio while juggling two young kids

Melanie keeps it brutally honest about fundraising, scaling, hiring, and growth. This episode is a masterclass for consumer founders and a reality check for anyone chasing the DTC dream.

No guests. No prep. Just us.

In this episode, we sat down together — two co-founders, two moms, two longtime partners in life and business — to talk about what’s really keeping our relationships strong. And what’s absolutely not.

We covered:

– Why Alex has never farted in front of her husband in 10 years (yes, really)

– Why French kissing still matters (even after a decade)

– How to maintain attraction without pretending it’s 2014

– What our moms taught us about effort and appearance

– The one yearly trip that saves our sanity and our spark

– Why mystery is underrated and boundaries still matter

This is the stuff that doesn’t always make it into podcast interviews.

But it’s real, it’s funny, and we think it’s worth saying out loud.

If you’ve ever wondered how to balance love, motherhood, marriage, and not totally losing yourself… this one’s for you.

Watch the full episode now and don’t forget to subscribe.

Liz Teich and her brand The New York Stylist is the real deal. A New York fashion stylist with nearly 20 years of experience, a loyal online following, and a sustainable wardrobe philosophy that actually makes sense.

In this episode, Liz sits down with Alex and Lee to talk about how she built her business, her brand, and her confidence… without chasing trends or cutting corners.

We cover:

• The personal story behind The New York Stylist

• What it’s really like to style celebrities (including Mike Tyson)

• Her best advice for anyone starting a creative business

• Why she prioritizes sustainability and “shopping your closet”

• What pieces actually belong in your wardrobe

• The connection between style, confidence, and showing up for yourself

Plus: why Lee needs to clean her sneakers, how Liz fakes the perfect tuck, and the psychological power of getting dressed (even if it’s just for your mailman).

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by fashion, disconnected from your closet, or unsure how to show up with confidence—this episode will make you feel seen, smarter, and a little more stylish.

Tieghan Gerard built one of the most beloved food brands on the internet.

Today, Half Baked Harvest has over 6 million followers across platforms, four bestselling cookbooks, a candle line, a sold-out national tour with Williams-Sonoma, and a fiercely loyal community that shows up for everything she creates.

But the story behind the brand? It’s chaotic, personal, and deeply real.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, Tieghan sits down with Alex and Lee to talk about:

• Starting Half Baked Harvest with her mom at 19

• Growing up as one of eight kids in a wildly creative (and noisy) household

• Managing anxiety while running a massive business

• Why she focuses on her website and email list (not just social media)

• How she stays creatively inspired without following trends

• What she’d do if she had to start all over in 2025

• And why she still makes pancakes for lunch when she’s feeling off

This isn’t a story about recipes. It’s about resilience, identity, and building a brand that lasts… without selling your soul to the algorithm.

If you’re a creative, entrepreneur, or multi-hyphenate woman trying to build something real, this one’s for you.

Victoria Brito has lived many lives: ballerina, global fashion model, queer icon, and now podcast host. But beneath the resume is a story of resilience, reinvention, and radical self-trust.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, Victoria opens up about:

• Being raised by a single mom and mentored by Pelé (yes, that Pelé)

• What it takes to stay grounded in industries built on performance

• Her viral relationship story—and what it’s like becoming a queer stepmom overnight

• Cutting ties with people (including family) to protect your peace

• The shift from being the face of a campaign… to becoming the voice behind the mic

Victoria is magnetic, raw, hilarious, and refreshingly self-aware. You’ll walk away from this one thinking about your identity, your energy, and your boundaries.

Subscribe for more honest conversations about growth, pivots, and the messiness of building a life you actually want.

What do branding and dating have in common?

More than you’d think.

This week on Unfinished Business, we sit down with creative director and wellness advocate Alex Sall to talk about what it really means to show up as your authentic self—in business and in love.

We get into:

• How to build a brand that actually feels like you

• Why confidence is the real secret to success (on Hinge and on Shopify)

• The toxic trap of outsourcing everything too early

• How a wellness journey can start with flossing—and lead to life-changing fertility insights

• Why “settling” is often just fear in disguise

Plus: Red lipstick, functional medicine, gut health, and why your oral microbiome might matter more than your Instagram.

This one’s honest, eye-opening, and unexpectedly hilarious.

Alex and Lee are back with a brutally honest look at what it’s really like to build a profitable, non-venture-backed brand.

They reflect on:

• Scaling Hulken to $30M+ with a tiny team

• Saying no to VC—and why they’re not looking back

• What it means to build a “Kleenex-level” brand in a world of dupes

• DTC strategy, community magic, and the power of going slow

Plus: They tease new product drops (carry-on alert!), share their TikTok Shop strategy, and reveal what’s actually on their minds as founders in year two.

It’s fun. It’s raw. It’s the season opener you didn’t know you needed.

Would you post about your period online to build your business? Nadya Okamoto did—and that’s just the beginning.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, we sit down with Nadya Okamoto, the fearless founder of August, a Gen Z brand that’s flipping the tampon industry on its head.

We talk about:

• What DTC brands get wrong about Gen Z (and why “Hey Bestie” doesn’t work)

• Why she posted 5,500+ videos to launch August—and still creates 5+ daily

• How she keeps CAC low and virality high with unpolished, human content

• How to build a brand without becoming the brand

• Her brutally honest advice for first-time founders (hint: it’s not “raise capital”)

• What founders get wrong about social media, team building, and retail expansion

This is the blueprint for building a mission-led brand without faking the voice to get there.

If you’re a founder, content creator, or aspiring entrepreneur—watch this.

What do ballet and building a company have in common?

Way more than you’d think.

Megan Fairchild is a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, an author, an NYU MBA grad, and a mom of three (including twins). In this episode, she gets radically honest about the pressure to perform—on stage, at work, and at home.

We talk about:

🩰 Perfectionism as a tool, not a personality flaw

🧠 How to give and receive feedback without spiraling

🤯 Living in constant comparison—and how to break out of it

🪞 What parenting taught her that ballet never could

🧘‍♀️ The anxiety that brought her to her knees—and how meditation brought her back

📚 Why she spent 15 years finishing her undergrad (and what it taught her about discipline)

If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, imposter syndrome, or the pressure to always be “on”—this episode will hit home.

🔔 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations about ambition, identity, and doing things your way.

👇 Let us know in the comments: What’s something you learned the hard way about chasing excellence?

What if you could build a multi-million dollar company from a coin, some cellophane, and zero outside capital?

Alexandra Fine did exactly that.

She’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Dame Products—one of the most iconic sex toy brands in the world. In this episode, Alexandra gets radically honest about:

🔥 Starting her company in her grandma’s pool house

🔥 Prototyping her first product using plastic from an art supply store

🔥 Launching on Indiegogo and raising $575K in 45 days

🔥 Navigating bans, shadowbanning, and the politics of pleasure

🔥 Getting canceled (and crying about Glassdoor reviews)

🔥 Redefining ambition after becoming a mom

This is one of the most vulnerable, hilarious, and real conversations we’ve ever had on Unfinished Business.

💡 If you’re a founder questioning how to start, how to stay, or how to survive—you’ll want to hear every word.

🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations on building, balancing, and betting on yourself.

👇 Drop a comment: What’s one thing you’ve been scared to launch without “enough” resources?

💡 “Give up right before you drown—but only after you’ve had Wim Hof training.” 💡Jonathan Bush, co-founder of Athena Health and now Zus Health, has seen it all—building a billion-dollar company, taking it public, getting fired, and now starting again from scratch.In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Jonathan shares:🚀 The brutal truth about being a founder (and why most people shouldn’t do it)🛑 How to know when to quit—and when to suffer through the hard part⚡ The MacGyver vs. The Wolf framework for hiring the right early employees💰 Why most startups don’t actually fail on the idea—but on execution🔥 What he learned from getting fired from the company he built from the ground upIf you’re a founder, investor, or just someone trying to survive the chaos of building something from nothing, this is the episode you need to hear.🔗 Subscribe for more candid conversations on business, leadership, and the startup grind.

In this episode, Alex and Lee chat with Daniella Rabbani about her multifaceted career as an actor, podcaster, Yiddish singer, and mother. Daniella shares her journey from Orthodox Judaism to pursuing her artistic passions, her recent performance in Poland on Holocaust Remembrance Day, and how she balances motherhood with her creative pursuits.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Introduction & Daniella's Creative Background3:38 Singing in Yiddish & Cultural Heritage7:26 Recent Performance in Poland for Holocaust Remembrance Day14:54 Instilling Jewish Culture & History in Her Children19:29 Transitioning from Orthodox Judaism to Acting26:22 Finding Your Soul's Calling vs. Societal Expectations30:33 The Importance of Joy in Your Work34:42 Maintaining Your Energy While Following Your Path36:16 Final Advice for Taking the Leap into Your Next Chapter

We’ve all been there—feeling exhausted, out of balance, or simply *off*, but pushing through anyway because that’s what we’ve been conditioned to do. Work harder, train harder, do more. But what happens when your body starts waving every red flag in the book, and no one—*including you*—is listening?Our guest on Unfinished Business this week, Kim Strother, knows this journey better than most. A personal trainer, yoga instructor, and holistic health coach, Kim has spent over 20 years helping people feel their best. But for much of that time, she was ignoring her own body’s desperate calls for help.

In this episode of Unfinished Business, we talk with Catalina Garcia, founder of Bonded, an app that helps users understand their sexuality and improve intimacy. Catalina shares insights on maintaining passion in long-term relationships, cultural differences in discussing sex between Europe and America, and practical advice for exploring personal desires. The conversation covers everything from the importance of self-understanding to communication techniques with partners, addressing the "orgasm gap," and how to reintroduce novelty into established relationships. This candid and enlightening discussion aims to normalize conversations about pleasure, intimacy, and sex education while offering practical tips for all relationship stages. Perfect for anyone looking to enhance their connection with themselves and their partners.0:00 - Introduction to Catalina and Bonded

1:30 - Who is Bonded for? Women, young men, and couples

3:01 - Maintaining intimacy in long-term relationships

5:20 - Creating a monthly sex "bucket list" with your partner

7:09 - Overcoming shame and getting comfortable with your sexuality

10:40 - Cultural differences in sex education between US and Europe

16:28 - Surprising insights about men's sexuality preferences

20:58 - The importance of enthusiastic consent

24:18 - Sex toy recommendations for beginners

26:51 - Understanding the "orgasm gap" between men and women

Join hosts Alex Schinasi and Lee Rotenberg on this episode of Unfinished Business as they sit down with Isabelle Kenyon, pioneering entrepreneur and founder of Calibrate. In this candid conversation, Isabelle shares her remarkable journey from investment banking to revolutionizing healthcare following a life-changing injury. Discover how she built a company in the GLP-1 space before most people had heard of Ozempic, and her insights on building category-defining businesses.

Timestamps:

00:53 - Isabelle's background and early career path

01:53 - The skiing accident that changed everything

03:18 - How breaking her back inspired her healthcare mission

04:52 - Developing an entrepreneurial mindset

07:53 - The pharmacy frustration that sparked her business idea

11:21 - The thesis behind direct-to-consumer pharma

14:22 - Pioneering GLP-1 medications before mainstream adoption

18:08 - Understanding Ozempic and metabolic health

24:45 - Raising $100M in just one year for Calibrate

31:12 - The challenges of building without a co-founder

35:37 - Isabelle's next venture: a community platform for GLP-1 users

When Alex found out she was pregnant right after raising their first million in VC funding, she burst into tears. When Lee was at her breaking point, she found herself lying on a WeWork bathroom floor. This is the unfiltered story of two founders navigating motherhood and entrepreneurship – complete with all the tears, guilt, and impossible choices that never make it to the highlight reel. In this deeply personal episode, Alex and Lee share their nine-year journey of building companies while raising families. They dive into the myth of perfect balance, the power of authentic partnership, and why being fulfilled in your work can make you a better parent (and vice versa). Key topics: - The reality of pregnancy announcements when you're running a startup - Finding strength in vulnerability and imperfection - How to build a support system that actually works - Navigating guilt and expectations as a founder-mom - Why "having it all" looks different than you might think

Pivoting in life and business isn’t just about making changes; it’s about navigating uncertainty with intention, self-awareness, and a clear framework. In this episode of Unfinished Business, Sarah Schaff shared her incredible journey—from lawyer to entrepreneur to executive coach—filled with actionable insights and inspiring anecdotes.

In this week’s episode of Unfinished Business, we sat down with Katharina Hoeftmann Ciobotaru, author of Guten Morgen, Tel Aviv! and a powerhouse entrepreneur. Katharina shared her hard-earned wisdom on overcoming self-doubt, embracing vulnerability, and redefining what it means to ask for help. Here’s how her story inspires us to rethink the way we approach success.

December always feels like a double-edged sword. It’s the season of magic and reflection, but also exhaustion. This year, it hit especially hard. Between selling a company, having a baby (Lee), scaling another business (Alex), and now training for a half marathon (both of us… what were we thinking?), we’re ending 2024 feeling like we’ve lived five lives in one. One of the tools that’s kept us grounded—and thriving—through it all is MANIFESTATION. For nearly a decade, we’ve leaned into this practice to shape our goals, dreams, and daily actions. It’s helped us land major business deals, navigate personal transitions, and even find our husbands. 😉 In this week’s episode of Unfinished Business, we’re skipping the guests and turning the mic on ourselves to share how manifestation plays into our journey, why it’s not just “woo-woo,” and the practical ways we use it to set ourselves up for success. Plus, we’re giving you a sneak peek into the Unfinished Business Manifestation Challenge — a 2025-setting exercise that’s part reset, part roadmap, and all about designing your best year yet.

This week’s guest is none other than our incredible co-founder at Clay, Omri Mendellevich — who’s aforementioned Dynamic Yield was eventually acquired for a whopping $300M+ by McDonald’s. Our conversation dives deep into the sometime precarious, always fun co-founder dynamics — what works, what doesn’t, and how to navigate the delicate balance of personalities, responsibilities, and challenges. When we first heard about Omri, it was the middle of 2020 — peak COVID. Tom from Houzz had reached out, saying, “I have this amazing entrepreneur. He’s a tech genius, one of the co-founders of Dynamic Yield, and maybe he’d be interested in joining you two on your next idea.” Naturally, we looked him up on LinkedIn and thought, “*He can’t possibly mean the Omri we’re thinking of.”* But it was. And we thought there was no way he’d even take a call with us, let alone consider becoming our co-founder. Spoiler alert: He did. And the rest is history.