Phoebe Gates & Sophia Kianni: Rebounds, Roommates & Running a Business

Join Alex in the studio for a conversation with Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the hosts of Unwell’s newest podcast, The Burnouts! The girls discuss going from enemies to best friends, their most unhinged college life hacks, and their worst rebounds. They also talk about launching a company together and how they navigate being young women in business. Enjoy!

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by American Eagle. Holiday outfits just got way easier. American Eagle's new arrivals are basically everything you need right now. Super soft sweaters, lightweight layers, comfy lounge styles, heritage faves, and low-rise jeans that are very much back in the rotation. Whether you're heading to a holiday thing or just hanging with your people, there's something for every plan. Just don't wait too long. Your new faves won't be around forever. You can check it all out at AE.com or just go to the store. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Pandora Jewelry. Make their holiday unforgettable with a gift that says it all from Pandora Jewelry.

• 0:43Alex Cooper?

  I feel like the best gifts are always the ones that feel really personal, right? Like, anyone can buy you something nice, but when someone gives you a gift that is actually meaningful, you appreciate it so much more. And that's what I do love about Pandora. They have so many pieces that you can really just make your own, from festive charms to personalized engravings and jewelry that can represent the people and the moments that mean the most to you. So whether you're shopping for your partner or your mom, your best friend, you can find something that really is specific to them. Maybe it's a charm that makes you think of the trip that you guys took together once, or maybe it's an engraving for your anniversary, or just a piece that feels like them the second you see it.

• 1:28Alex Cooper?

  Pandora makes it so easy to give a gift that feels thoughtful and personal and makes every holiday moment even more meaningful and special. Because at the end of the day, the best gifts aren't just about the piece itself, but it's the intention and the story behind them. Say more this holiday season with Pandora. Shop now at pandora.net or visit your closest Pandora store. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Stouffer's. Let me tell you something. When I am hungry and I am trying to figure out what to eat, sometimes you can just actually become so, you're angry. You're like, I am busy, I'm hungry, I'm getting hangry, I'm getting angry. What can I eat? I need something hot and delicious

• 2:09Alex Cooper?

  and low maintenance. Well, introducing Stouffer's dinners are not only delicious, they're done in a flash. Serve up their classic lasagna, chicken pesto, or carbonara for two. Whatever you're craving, Stouffer's is your hot, delicious, easy meal fantasy. When the clock strikes dinner, think Stouffer's. You can see all the delicious options at Stouffer's.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Ashley. Okay, so whenever I am picking new furniture for my house or redesigning a room, it is so important to me to make sure that it also is cohesive with the rest of my house and the vibe that I'm feeling. And I think filling your home with beautiful durable pieces

• 2:50Alex Cooper?

  from Ashley will help you create a backdrop for growing family's biggest memories, right? You want your home to feel cozy and you want it to feel like you. And thanks to features like stain resistant performance fabric, even the messiest memories will be easy to clean. So, visit your local store or head to ashley.com to find your style. Daddy gang, welcome back to another episode of Call Her Daddy. I am so excited for you to watch this episode. We have Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni on this week's episode. They just launched their podcast called The Burnouts with Unwell, and they are our most recent sign to unwell. If you guys are going to become fans of them today,

• 3:31Alex Cooper?

  I am just excited for you to listen to their chaotic stories, their best friends, their business partners, and they are officially unwell. The first time I ever met them was on a random Zoom. We had a mutual friend put us together. They were like, you guys are in complete different industries, but maybe you guys will hit it off. And one thing led to another and we recognized, wait, you guys are launching a sustainable fashion company, you're young women in your twenties, living in New York, you're figuring life out? Yeah, I want to listen to you guys and hear what you have to say. And so, we launched their podcast. They also just launched their company called FIA, and they really have become quickly two of my favorite people. They're so funny together. Their banter as business partners

• 4:13Alex Cooper?

  and best friends is everything. So, without further ado, I'm so excited for you to get to know them. Let's get into it.

• 4:23Alex Cooper?

  What is up Daddy Gang? It is your founding father Alex Cooper with Call Her Daddy.

• 4:32Alex Cooper?

  Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, welcome to Call Her Daddy. Thank you for having us. Phoebe and Sophia have been up since 2 AM, 3 AM? 5 AM. Okay, your company just launched today, Fia. How are you guys feeling?

• 4:45Speaker 01

  I feel like we just birthed a child that we've been like creating for the last year. It feels nuts. I'm like really excited though. I'm kind of freaking out a little bit.

• 4:53Alex Cooper?

  Launch day for anyone that has a business, anyone first day of school, like a birthday party. I don't even know what the feeling is, but there's just this excitement and I want to get into everything. But first, I do though want people to get to know you better today because this is kind of like now your reintroduction to the world through the lens of Call Her Daddy and the Daddy Gang. So we're going to do it a little Call Her Daddy style. I want to go back to the beginning for you guys in terms of you two met at Stanford. You're in college, you meet. Can you tell me your first impressions of each other and how you actually met?

• 5:28Speaker 01

  Okay, so we met at a football game, right? And Sophia, I was pretty intimidated by because she worked for the UN. Her Instagram basically looked like this girl was a professional award receiver, okay? It's like Times, New York Times, UN, saving the world with her nonprofit. And so I obviously was super jealous of her, I'm not going to lie. And I thought she was a little bit of a freak because she put something on her story that was like sober squad, love college, like love being sober. And I was like, well, she sounds like a whole lot of fun. And so when I first met her, I was like, ugh, and she's hot too. I hate her so much. That was my first impression of Sophia was honestly, I feel like a lot of like jealousy. I was like, this girl's pretty cool. But it really took, I want to say a year for us to to bond. And it was frankly, an accident because there was another girl

• 6:13Speaker 01

  we were supposed to room with and she ended up living with her boyfriend. So we end up getting screwed and we have to live with each other. And I'm like, oh, great, sober squad and me. Can't wait for an awesome year of talking about sustainability. I'm like throwing away my plastic water bottles, like hiding the Shein shirt I have and...

• 6:29Alex Cooper?

  I didn't even know this.

• 6:31Speaker 01

  You had the Shein shirt? I did. I threw them all away. I got recyclable bottles for you.

• 6:36Alex Cooper?

  Wow, thank you. Thank you, Phoebe. Well, I was like, okay, I am in my bag and I am here on a mission. I'm going to graduate from Stanford. I'm going to law school. Like, I'm bossed up.

• 6:48Speaker 01

  This irrelevant person does not matter.

• 6:51Speaker 02

  Okay, then we go, we got dinner one night because we find out we're gonna be rooming together. And we're talking and she'd been dating her boyfriend for about like five years. You dated for like half a decade.

• 7:00Speaker 01

  Four years. Whoa, it was four years. Five years sounds crazy.

• 7:03Speaker 02

  Almost half a decade. And we're at dinner and I was like, it's very clear to me your parents are getting divorced. And she was like, how do you know that? And I was like, just your emotional state, everything you're talking about. Cause I had gone through, my parents had had a very, very public divorce. And I really couldn't tell many people about it, especially because like it was going on for, you know, so long in our household before it was announced. And so I really felt like this built up pressure and I could just see that in her. And that was the moment, then we end up, you know, sitting and talking for four hours together. And I'm like, okay, honey, you need to dump your boyfriend though, because we had, I had just gone through a breakup and she was like, me and my boyfriend, we're getting married. Like I'm gonna be a senator. It's gonna be incredible.

• 7:40Speaker 01

  A senator?

• 7:41Speaker 02

  Yes. Oh my God. So really, it was so crazy because we become roommates. We don't really know each other at all. We're like randomly paired basically.

• 7:48Speaker 01

  We had that one dinner. It was a heart to heart and you were a little mad at me because I said you needed to break up with your boyfriend.

• 7:52Speaker 02

  I did. And I was delusional and I was like, this bitch is trying to sabotage me. She doesn't realize he's my husband, whatever.

• 7:58Speaker 01

  She was in her bag, of course. Why did you think she needed to break up with him?

• 8:02Speaker 02

  He was like, I just think if you were a senator, it'd be hard for the kids. And I'm like, what kids? And also, how is that how you're gonna react to this? Like, that is so negative. But I'm still delusionally believing he's my childhood sweetheart, whatever. We're gonna get married. And then me and Phoebe are talking. She's like, you're gonna break up with him. I'm like, she's literally trying to sabotage me. Fast forward, we're roommates. This was actually before we're roommates. This is like lore. We're roommates. I've very recently broken up with him. I'm basically like sobbing, trying to keep it together. I'm not in my bag at all. I'm a mess.

• 8:31Speaker 01

  The bag has fallen off.

• 8:32Speaker 02

  And Phoebe's like, are you okay? What's wrong? And I'm like, we did break up. And she's like, I knew it. But then she actually ends up being the most incredible person on the planet. Like the most supportive friend, gives me such good advice. And I was like, whoa, I love this girl. Like we actually, and I'm like fake tanning at 2am, I'm butt naked. She's talking to me, we're talking for hours. And I'm like, this is my soul sister. We really just got along instantly after I stopped being like a robot and I broke down my walls and I just opened up. And I, I actually talked about what was going on and we talked about like, yeah, the divorces, the ex-boyfriends, like we realized how much we had in common.

• 9:09Alex Cooper?

  Okay, the fact that you guys kind of went from like enemies to lovers is kind of iconic.

• 9:14Speaker 01

  It was a true arc. It was a true arc.

• 9:17Alex Cooper?

  I love though how Phoebe, you said, which I think is like a very relatable thing for women is like, okay, I was jealous and I thought she had all this. How did you go from feeling like competitive jealous to all of a sudden being like, wait, I actually can like mutually have a good relationship with this person and not feel like I have to compete? Cause I feel like especially being at such like a high level school and you guys both wanting to have such successful careers. Like where do you think the competitiveness kind of kind of died out a little bit?

• 9:46Speaker 01

  I think honestly, it's not about it. I mean, for me, there was, I had to find myself first because right, I was so insecure. I was going into Stanford. I wanted to be pre-med because I knew my sister was pre-med and I wanted to do that better. And figuring out, you know, I'm still figuring myself out, but having confidence in myself and my own decisions was a big thing. And now in the company, each having our own lanes. And then I realized I was like, well, we're both very competitive people. What if instead of like this being against each other, like it could be together. And I think that's the thing is it's not like that has gone away, but it's, we just drive each other so hard. We're both like foot to the gas pedal. And also seeing that like frankly, you know, I was asleep in my bed and I hear one night Sophia in front of the mirror completely by herself go,

• 10:27Speaker 01

  this fake tan is developing wonderfully, wakes me up so loud, wakes me up. She's saying it over and over to herself, crazy person. And I open my door and I see her butt naked in front of the mirror like this, just by herself. No boys are over there. And that was the like, I think finding out and really humanizing her for me was the biggest thing was gaining confidence and then humanizing her and then being like, wait, what if we took this like competitive energy and then brought it together to actually like build something and now we've birthed Sophia?

• 10:54Alex Cooper?

  I am obsessed with you being like, the moment I knew is when she was naked in front of the mirror, just really like relishing in her fake tan. Can you tell me the story though, Sophia of you made up in college that you had an assistant?

• 11:10Speaker 01

  So in college, I discovered that I'm doing public speaking and you're supposed to get paid when you public speak and I need to pay my Stanford tuition. So I'm like, hey, like, can you give me a hundred dollars to do this speech? Everyone laughs in my face. They're like, absolutely not. So I'm like, okay, well, how can I get people to pay me? And one of my friends goes, well, you can have a fake assistant. Make it a man and make him negotiate your deals for you.

• 11:37Speaker 02

  And I'm like, that's so psychotic. You're a genius. I'm gonna do that.

• 11:41Alex Cooper?

  That is so smart.

• 11:42Speaker 02

  So I create like [email protected] or something. I have a friend named Kobe. I'm so paranoid. I'm like, I'm gonna put you on the phone. If anyone ever asks, you're my assistant. Okay? He's like, you're psychotic. But I'm like, it's gonna work. So Kobe, every time someone emails me, I'm like looping in my assistant Kobe to take it from here. Kobe's a hard ass. He's like, Sofia has spoken at all these places. Her rates are this and this. He starts out with like a thousand dollars. He's like, she's gonna speak for a thousand dollars. I'm like shitting my pants. I'm like, everyone's gonna think I'm a fraud. This is so much money. They're like, done. Absolutely. Whatever Miss Kianni desires. I'm like, I am Miss Kianni now. I am Miss Kianni now.

• 12:19Alex Cooper?

  I'm also picturing you writing as Kobe, being like, a thousand dollars. I'm pressing send. I could see you like panicking, walking around your room.

• 12:26Speaker 02

  I was so paranoid. I would change the way that Kobe did his grammar to not sound like me. I would capitalize weirdly. Then when I had to loop myself back in, I would talk and sign off my emails in a different way. I had a whole elaborate scheme going on. And then I was telling Phoebe, I eventually got in way over my head. I promoted Kobe to my chief of staff. Cause I was like, 1,000, let's try 5,000. Like, let's keep upping the stakes. We actually had a guest on the burnouts recently and she's like, I don't know if you remember, but I actually talked to Kobe when you were in college. And I'm literally like about to die of embarrassment. I'm genuinely so embarrassed. And she's like, you looped in Kobe and then you were like, Sofia would love to do this, but you need to cover her travel and accommodations.

• 13:11Speaker 02

  And she also needs a speaking stipend. And I'm like so embarrassed. I am actually about to die. And she was like, honestly, at the time, I was like, I don't think a college student would have an assistant, but I love this for her. And honestly, this does make sense. Like I will, and she paid me. She literally paid me, paid for my flights, whatever, because of Kobe.

• 13:29Alex Cooper?

  No, this is so embarrassing. I think it's so genius. Also, the biggest factor that I took from this, which I wouldn't have thought of is like that you made it a man. Because when a man is like, no, this is like, it's just the world we live in. And it was so smart of you to be like, I'm gonna advocate for myself through a fake man. And look how much I can get out of this fucking man that's Kobe. That is genius.

• 13:53Speaker 02

  It's so sad.

• 13:54Alex Cooper?

  That's a good hack.

• 13:54Speaker 02

  It's a really good hack.

• 13:55Alex Cooper?

  If anyone is listening, boom, have a male fake assistant. Oh, my God, this is genius. Do you guys have any other like hacks that you can share with the daddy gang in business? That are like little tricks?

• 14:08Speaker 02

  Unhinged.

• 14:08Alex Cooper?

  Okay.

• 14:09Speaker 02

  I told Phoebe, I was gonna take this to the grave with me because it's genuinely also.

• 14:12Alex Cooper?

  But we agreed, she'll share it.

• 14:13Speaker 02

  I wanted to gatekeep it because it's such a good hack. So when I got into Stanford, I was like, oh, my God, I need to apply for scholarships. Like, I need to have scholarships to pay for college. I'm applying for these scholarships and they all have this section where it's like, include links about yourself if there are articles about you. And I'm like, the fuck, how the hell do you have an article written about you? That's so crazy. So I'm like, okay, how do I get a journalist to write an article about me? And I, you know, I, I use this thing called Rocket Reach. You can find anyone's email. Anyway, so I'm emailing all these journalists. Obviously, they're like, who is this psychotic 19 year old trying to pitch herself? She's so embarrassing. I was so embarrassing. So I'm like, okay, this isn't working. I need another way. I go on Twitter and go look at these journalists. And by the grace of God, I see this one journalist and she posts this thing that's like,

• 14:56Speaker 02

  hashtag journo request, looking for a source to speak about climate change, something like that. And I'm like, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me, me. I slid into her DMs, I emailed her, whatever. First time I am ever in a story. And I'm like, there must be more of this. I go to this hashtag, hashtag journo request. It's like hundreds of journalists every single day. They are posting, looking for people to interview for things. And I'm like, I am going to email every single person who is doing this. And I am going to have links.

• 15:26Alex Cooper?

  Kobe emailed everyone.

• 15:28Speaker 02

  Sorry, yeah, Kobe's emailing them. I'm gonna email all of these people and I'm gonna have articles to link in my scholarship application. And let me tell you, my friends all were like, Are you famous or something? Do you have a PR person? Like, how are you every single week? If Phoebe's like professional award receiver, yeah, because I engineered it. Like, it was literally like every week I am DMing these people, I'm emailing these people, whatever. Because I'm like, I need links to put in these scholarship applications. And fast forward, I think the most important thing to say is I ended up going on this interview live on TV because of a journal request and they thought I was a good fit. So I go on, I talk about my climate change background, I talk about my climate change nonprofit, my UN work, whatever. And I swear to God, it was like a miracle.

• 16:11Speaker 02

  These people emailed me and said, we run this scholarship organization. We have closed applications for the season, but we heard your story. We thought it was so amazing. We would love to extend you an invite to apply for a scholarship. And I'm like, this cannot be real. And I apply and I got the scholarship. And it was all because of this fucking journal request hack.

• 16:33Alex Cooper?

  Sophia, I feel like that is so what people need to hear also today of like, sometimes you just have to put yourself out there, even as like embarrassing as it can feel, even if you feel like you're faking it and you're just like getting yourself in the door because you are qualified and you do deserve. If, if people are going to pay you that amount of money, even though you felt awkward to ask for it, or when you went to get the scholarship, even though you had to bust through certain doors and like do like random things to get there. I feel like that is like a hack of, that's a great hack for people to be like, go for it in any way you can and there is no fucking shame.

• 17:10Speaker 02

  You have to create your own luck. Like, that's the reality.

• 17:13Alex Cooper?

  Can we talk about you guys then finally deciding to work together? Because you're obviously talking about like you guys had your things, you were talking pre-med, you're talking about all of this, like then you guys eventually come to be like, I think we want to work together. Can you talk about how you decided? Like, when did you guys come together and be like, let's make this?

• 17:31Speaker 02

  So I'm on my journal request wave because I'm doing my stuff in women's reproductive health. So I was focusing on like access to birth control, access to abortion, et cetera, after Roe v. Wade was overturned. And so I'm all in this mindset of like, what if we work together on something, you know, joint activism? Because that's what we were both interested in at the time.

• 17:49Speaker 01

  And so our first idea together wasn't even going to be a company. We wanted to create like a smart Bluetooth tampon, low key, like an Oura ring for your pussy. We realized very quickly, there was no monetization model behind it. We didn't know how the hell we would do it. We honestly didn't know what it would really do. But that kind of kickstarted this like crazy, I want to say almost manic like sense of like, let's just come up with an idea, lock ourselves in our dorm room for a week and like see what we can create. We came up with, I'm going to be honest with you, the dumbest ideas for the first like month. There were rumors spread all around campus that we had fallen off the earth, that we had fallen in love with each other. And so, but as we keep building, the one thing we came back to was like our own experience of, okay, we're roommates. We're always arguing over clothes.

• 18:34Speaker 01

  And frankly, like it's kind of bullshit that the shopping environment hasn't developed in the last 10 years. Like, how come I'm on a site and I don't know if I should buy an item or not? Why isn't AI able to tell me, hey, this is a good deal or this is not a good deal? Where's my little shopping assistant? And so we're like, what if we could create a shopping assistant or a shopping hack? Be it your Kobe for shopping. So we were like, what if we did something like with our names together, FIA? And that's how the idea was originally born, but it took a lot of bad ideas. I'm not going to lie.

• 19:01Alex Cooper?

  Was there any hesitation because you guys are now best friends to be like, we're actually going to get in business together? Or no, was that no hesitation?

• 19:09Speaker 01

  We did a day where we wrote down our strengths and weaknesses and that was brutal.

• 19:13Alex Cooper?

  You had to write about each other?

• 19:15Speaker 01

  Oh, we did our own and then we did each other's, yeah.

• 19:17Alex Cooper?

  Getting in business with a friend is obviously like, there is a risk, but I think it's also, there's an upside to like, it's kind of similar to maybe how I feel kind of with Matt where it's like, you guys trust each other.

• 19:30Speaker 01

  We don't know how you do it with Matt. We talk about that all the time. That we can never do it with our boyfriends ever in a million years. We're like, this is so much easier because I don't know how you don't take it home. I would, we, I would go crazy.

• 19:40Alex Cooper?

  I think we just have found this like weird balance where we know how sacred both elements are. And it's like, the minute we can tell one of us is like burnt out, we're like, let's stop talking about work. But we also just like, it's our passion. We love it. Like, I don't feel like it's work. So, and then the minute it does feel like it's too much, then we're like, okay, stop. But I think it's beautiful that you guys have found this like perfect rhythm. Well, perfect. Yeah, yeah, you guys are still figuring it out, right? Like, it's not

• 20:07Speaker 02

  It's perfect!

• 20:08Speaker 01

  I think the biggest thing that people don't realize though is, so one thing I'll say is every time we do an interview, they always want like us to hate each other. They're always asking if it's, especially if we interview individually, they'll always ask me, what do I hate about Sophia? What does she hate about me?

• 20:20Alex Cooper?

  It's so fucked.

• 20:21Speaker 01

  Because they really want like the beef between the two women, I think, which I think is really interesting because you see in all narratives, like when you have women in business, they're, they always want there to be some sort of catfight. And I think the clarification is me and Sophia fight all the time. I mean, we're co-founders and best friends, but it's about like having something so we can figure out at the end of the day, like, okay, we disagree on this, but like, if you think that color blue is better, like, let's just go for it. And if it's wrong, we'll get rid of it. Like, and then we'll do, you know, my idea next. And so that's like the biggest thing I think we've learned is just argue really fast. And we have something where we limit arguments to what, five minutes now? So at the end of it, we're like, okay, decision time.

• 20:57Speaker 02

  I'm so mad, I'm like, five minutes, ding ding ding ding ding, we're done?

• 21:00Speaker 01

  We're not talking about this anymore, back to work. Like, we need to decide what the next step is. So even like, you're getting it off the chest and then at the end of the five minutes, like, okay, what are the action items? Okay, if Phoebe's mad, Phoebe go for a walk. Phoebe, go get latte. Phoebe, go take a nap. Phoebe, come back. Or, you know, let's make a decision. Let's try this. And then if it fails, okay, great. We'll try it for a week and then do your idea.

• 21:19Alex Cooper?

  But I love what you said, Phoebe, because it's so real where, yes, people want, whenever there is a duo.

• 21:25Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 21:25Alex Cooper?

  People want to be like, how is it not working? And the reality is if anyone's like, it's so perfect, just like a marriage, just like a friendship and a business relationship, nothing is perfect. And I think it's, there should be healthy arguments. Like, and again, it's how you argue is the key factor. The fact that you guys have this like structure where you're like, five minutes, let's get through it. That's so healthy.

• 22:03Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Southern New Hampshire University. A good support system is literally everything and it's what makes Southern New Hampshire University truly next level. Even as online, even as an online student, you'll have real support from real people like admission counselors, instructors, and ride or die academic advisors, all genuinely cheering you on every step of the way. So daddy gang, if you're like, where, where should I go? Where, where, where is it? You know your answer now. Getting your degree online doesn't have to mean doing it alone. Start yours at SNHU.edu/callherdaddy. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by SoFi, the everything app for smarter money.

• 22:46Alex Cooper?

  If your money is scattered across five different apps you never open, you're not in control. Your money should move you forward. With SoFi, you get award-winning banking, investing, borrowing, and more all in one app, so you finally know where your money is. Make your first move with SoFi Checking and Savings. Competitive APY, no account fees, a bonus when you join with eligible direct deposit. Terms apply. SoFi Bank, NA Member FDIC. When you're ready to invest or pay off that debt, everything you need is right there. As a SoFi member, you get access to SoFi Wealth's world-class financial planners to help you know what to do next. Get started today at sofi.com/callherdaddy. SoFi, get your money right.

• 23:28Alex Cooper?

  This is a paid advertisement by SoFi Technologies and is not intended to be financial advice. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Stouffer's. Let me tell you something. When I am hungry and I am trying to figure out what to eat, sometimes you can just actually become so, you're angry. You're like, I am busy, I'm hungry, I'm getting hangry, I'm getting angry, what can I eat? I need something hot and delicious and low maintenance. Well, introducing Stouffer's dinners are not only delicious, they're done in a flash. Serve up their classic lasagna, chicken pesto, or carbonara for two. Whatever you're craving, Stouffer's is your hot, delicious, easy meal fantasy. When the clock strikes dinner, think Stouffer's. You can see all the delicious options at Stouffer's.com.

• 24:14Alex Cooper?

  Okay, Sophia, you have talked about feeling pressured to be the perfect immigrant daughter and have more of like a traditional, stable career that you felt like at one point you probably would make your family happy if you went that way. Can you talk about how you ultimately decided to take the risk and go for something that wasn't as predictable and stable?

• 24:36Speaker 02

  120%. The only reason I was able to take that leap of faith, move to New York City and work on the company was because of Phoebe. I think honestly, throughout college, it was very much for me, fake it until you make it. Like, I put on this confident aura. Deeply, still, I was insecure and scared. And for the first time, it was like, seeing this person who believed in us, and honestly, who believed in me, that we could do this together, made me tell my parents, listen, like, I'm taking a leave of absence. I'm leaving Stanford. I know I worked so hard for this. Like, I know this was my dream, but I need to do this. Like, this is our calling. And, and it was honestly only because of Phoebe. Because she said, I know we can do it. I know this is an opportunity. You need to believe in yourself, because I

• 25:20Speaker 02

  believe in us. And I was like, you're so right. And I want to do this. I don't want to be an environmental lawyer. I don't want to work for the UN. I want to build this company with you for the next five or 10 years. Like, we can do it. You're right. And it's just so surreal to think, yeah, we were bumbling and fumbling in our dorm room, building a smart tampon. We had no idea what we were doing. And now, like, we launched FIA, and we launched a product we are genuinely so proud of, that we poured like our blood, sweat, and tears into. And it was all because Phoebe was like, it's worth it. We can take the leap of faith. Stanford will always be there. It's worth it.

• 25:53Alex Cooper?

  Can I ask, because obviously, you guys sitting on this couch, you have such different backgrounds. And like, you, Sophia, talking about wanting to get scholarships, and getting the scholarships, and trying to figure out how to get in the door that way. And then Phoebe coming from a place of privilege, and you both kind of like, having this like, beautiful, opposite energy of where you both came from. Like, how have you guys like, found a Equal feeling to merge your independent lives and your backgrounds into one in a business.

• 26:27Speaker 02

  I think it's about Phoebe really made me understand like you are a byproduct of your own beliefs. And if they're self limiting, that's how your life is going to pan out. Like you can't have a scarcity mindset. And I think especially when you come from a background where you're being pushed to do something really typical, like climb the career ladder, get the pedigree. You never think about what if, like, what if you take that risk? And Phoebe being able to do that for me has everything to do with just who she is as a person. Like, that's just how you're wired.

• 27:01Alex Cooper?

  Um, Phoebe, you coming from a place of privilege, your dad being Bill Gates. Did you ever feel like it's been difficult to make a name for yourself? And really like carve your own path and not just be like Bill Gates daughter?

• 27:15Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think a hundred percent, but the tough thing is it's like, yeah, that's difficult, but that comes with so much privilege, right? Like, I didn't have to fight for a scholarship in college. Like, I didn't, I knew what my college was going to be paid for. I had incredible opportunities because of my parents. Like, if I didn't have my parents as my rock, like, I wouldn't have been able to have these incredible opportunities. So, yes, it came with the thing of like, oh, yeah, I am in my parents' shadows. And like, you know, it is going to be tough to make a name for myself. I had to learn very early on who were true friends, who weren't true friends. But honestly, like, I think all in all, like, I have an incredibly privileged life. And so I think saying that is like, oh, it's, it's a hardship. It isn't really for me because it's like, I've been so blessed with what I've been given by my parents and I'm never going to pretend I haven't been.

• 27:55Alex Cooper?

  Obviously, we've all seen like the nepotism conversation online. And I think that's like, there's not a right answer. Cause if people are like, what do you want them to say? And I do feel that from you since the day I've met you. Like, you're so hardworking, you're so smart. And yes, you have this privilege, but it's beautiful to see what you're doing with it. In a I guess what I would want to ask, because I know you're not saying you're like, feel bad for me, but like, how have you walked into rooms and in moments, how do you deal with it when you can feel someone's maybe not, not not taking you seriously, but being like, oh, it's like Bill's daughter, like, we'll just like, take the meeting or whatever? Like, have you, how have you been like, no, I am an individual and I am smart and I, I do deserve to be here? Like, how do you push through those feelings of imposter syndrome,

• 28:39Alex Cooper?

  but then also knowing your worth?

• 28:41Speaker 01

  I think it's really about what Sophia said, fake it till you make it. I used to lean too hard of, and this is something we've discussed a lot, too hard on the side of, I would overshare consistently of like, where I'd messed up, there are things that gone wrong, because I wanted people to feel like I was a real human and not just like, you know, a figure or like a figment of my parents. And so I used to lean too hard on the oversharing side. And then I realized, like, fake it till you make it. Like, if I feel like I am my own person stepping into that room, because frankly, once you get inside a room, it doesn't matter how you got there. Once your foot is in that door, you're there. And I think that was like, the biggest learning. And then frankly, honestly, not even like, something that I did myself, or either of us did, but finding really strong female mentors that were there because they liked us, was a huge thing for us. And so

• 29:24Speaker 01

  finding those people who could say, yeah, you think that's tough for you, walking into a room and everyone thinks you're just Bill Gates's daughter? Yeah. Okay, honey, imagine walking into a room in tech in 1965. Like, you think you have it tough, babe? Like, watch what I did. See, see the empire I built. And learning from those women has been so critical of, how do you like, be true to yourself and be your own person?

• 29:43Alex Cooper?

  I completely agree. I love also what you said about having women as mentors. I feel like, I mean, that's literally how we even got connected. It's like, the more, I feel like it's very isolating as a woman in business to connect with other women, because there, there is that like scarcity mindset where you see online, people trying to tear women down if they're succeeding. And when you see a man succeeding, everyone's like, oh, that's so hot and attractive and go him. And when a woman is succeeding, it's like, well, she must have done something bad to get there.

• 30:15Speaker 01

  Who'd she fuck?

• 30:15Alex Cooper?

  Who did she fuck? Who does she know? Or who did it for her? And she's like, just the face of it? Like, there's, they're always trying to tear it down. I think when men are assertive also in business, people are like, wow, this is so- Attractive and a great quality as where when a woman is assertive in business, she's considered a bitch. How have you guys navigated being women in business, being business owners and bosses, and navigating all of it?

• 30:43Speaker 01

  I think it's easy because we're bitches.

• 30:45Speaker 02

  Oh, we lay down the law. That's the reality.

• 30:51Alex Cooper?

  We are hardcore bitches. I know. What if we all just start saying like, yeah, I'm the biggest bitch. I'm such a fucking bitch. Like, yep. And what else? Like, it is kind of like, yeah, just own it.

• 31:01Speaker 01

  I think the hardest thing for us was learning originally how to fire people. Because I feel like as a woman, you are asked to be everything. When someone reaches out for you and wants, you know, support or wants advice, you feel like you need to respond to that email. You're not giving back. You know, you're not helping out. There's this, you know, aspect where you feel like you need to show up as a girlfriend, as a friend and a founder. And so I think for us, learning really early on to separate the emotions, be like, I can't be everything for someone. Like, I can't be someone's emotional support. I can't be their friend necessarily. If they're my employee and I have to let them go, I have to have a wall there of how I do it. And I feel like we allow men to have that wall, but we don't let women have that.

• 31:39Alex Cooper?

  It's so fucking true. And hearing you say that, I'm just thinking about like, how many women are listening to this episode right now and have tried to go in and advocate for themselves in the workplace, let's say? How many women have walked in and asked for something, whether it's a raise or fair treatment or whatever it be? And I know as a woman, because I've done it myself, we're always apologizing. Like, sorry, like, I know you don't have that much time. And it's like, a man would never walk in and feel anxious and feel like they have to kind of like placate the energy and kind of like also throw in a smile and also throw in like a compliment. And we as women, I feel like we have all these little cushions that we surround the hard truth information that we want to deliver because as a woman, we need to be graceful

• 32:24Alex Cooper?

  and we can't be a bitch. And we want to come off as sweet and kind and not intimidating. Where a man is like, I think I deserve the raise. This is the things that I've done to deserve it. And let me know if I, if you can give me the raise or not. I think that's a great piece of advice to women is maybe we need to start really thinking to ourselves.

• 32:43Alex Cooper?

  Emotion, yes, it's what we've trained, we've been trained to do since we were born. But when it comes to business, you are as deserving as the person out there with a fucking penis. And so start moving forward and acting like that and be like, you know what? Let me try it because I've been doing this recently. And as scary as it is to wonder like, oh my God, is someone going to call me a bitch? I've just been way more direct. Running a business, you have to be direct.

• 33:06Speaker 01

  Yep.

• 33:07Alex Cooper?

  Is it scary? Fuck yes, because I'm also in a public situation where someone could go and be like, Alex is a bitch. I'm like, no, I just told you the job wasn't good enough. If that makes me a bitch, totally fine. But if it came out of Matt's mouth, you would have, if anything, been like, okay, damn, I want to go work harder. So I like this that you're saying of like firing people or being trying to be everything for everyone. You can't. So maybe we just need to start saying fuck it. And if the, if the word gets out that you're a bitch, okay, you're doing just fine. What has been the hardest double standard you guys feel like you've had to overcome together?

• 33:40Speaker 01

  Children, always children. We'll have investors ask us all the time, well, what happens when you two go have babies? And I remember one time like crying about that. I called my mom and she was like, get up or get out the game, sis. I was like, damn. But I think just like the assumption that, you know, in your career, if you're a woman and if an investor puts in money and you're going to be around for 10 years, that like, you know, that you're going to have kids and then you're going to fuck off.

• 34:03Speaker 02

  Someone asked that to us, like literally an investor on a call was like, so what's going to happen to your company when you have kids? And we were like, what's going to happen to your venture firm when you have kids?

• 34:13Speaker 01

  I was like, Sophia, calm it down, calm it down.

• 34:15Speaker 02

  I'm like, what about you, huh? And he's like, um, like, why, why would that affect anything? And I was like, you answered your own question.

• 34:21Alex Cooper?

  It's so true and it's so crazy because that's not a one off. It's wild you say that. I just had someone ask me the same thing.

• 34:28Speaker 01

  No way.

• 34:29Alex Cooper?

  We were talking about a specific thing for business that we were considering launching. And someone asked me about my timeline for kids. And I was like, Oh my God. And it's like, imagine ever asking a man that, listen, I get it that our bodies are going through something that the man doesn't have to go through. However, like it's, it's so inappropriate. And in my brain, when I have a kid, I'm like, Matt, we're 50 50. If anything, you're 70 and I'm 30 because I already have an extra fucking 100%. That's on me anyways. So step up buddy. Like, that is so crazy.

• 35:07Alex Cooper?

  Wow. Do you have any advice for women in the workplace when they're dealing with this like kids timeline? All of it, like obviously none of us have kids right now, but like, how do you deal with it?

• 35:19Speaker 01

  Keep a win sheet always. My biggest hack is keep a win sheet of things that you've done. I had someone come to me recently and they, they wanted something. They wanted to do a project or something and they came with a win sheet of here's everything I've done for the business. Here's how I've affected the bottom line. Here's the things I've created. And I was like, oh my God, you're so right. You did do all those things. I thought I did those. You did those things like, of course, then you deserve this. And I think having that, because then you can't be doubted. You can't be on your back foot of, oh, what's going to happen when, you know, you're a mother, blah, blah, blah. If you can show up to your boss and say, this is my win sheet. This is what I've created for the company. And this is what I deserve. I think that's the biggest thing and having, writing that down, even for yourself, when you start to doubt yourself and going to look at that is a huge thing.

• 36:00Alex Cooper?

  Such good advice. Cause it's also like, don't worry about that. I'll handle that. This is what I've done and I'm going to continue to do.

• 36:05Speaker 01

  And just don't answer questions you don't want to answer. Sophia's taught me this so much. Like, and when someone asks you something and it's necessarily in a professional setting, it's not a conversation. It's a question and it's a response and your response doesn't need to be an answer to that question. Especially like in any sort of media setting, it's just a response. So you can twist that and say whatever you want and spin it into your thing. You just need to respond. You don't need to answer their question because sometimes people ask inappropriate questions.

• 36:49Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by SoFi, the everything app for smarter money. If your money is scattered across five different apps you never open, you're not in control. Your money should move you forward. With SoFi, you get award-winning banking, investing, borrowing, and more all-in-one app. So you finally know where your money is. Make your first move with SoFi checking and savings, competitive APY, no account fees, a bonus when you join with eligible direct deposit. Terms apply. SoFi Bank, N A Member FDIC. When you're ready to invest or pay off that debt, everything you need is right there. As a SoFi member, you get access to SoFi Wealth's world-class financial planners to help you know what to do next. Get started today at sofi.com/callherdaddy.

• 37:34Alex Cooper?

  SoFi, get your money right. This is a paid advertisement by SoFi Technologies and is not intended to be financial advice. Daddy gang, did you know the average person has to send out 51 resumes just to try to land a job? It is insane and it's a lot of work. But honestly, I believe that, right? I remember when I got my first job out of college, I literally spent months applying and applying and applying and then applying. And the worst part is you can spend all this time finding the right role, fixing your resume, writing the application, and then you might not even hear back. Right? And it is so frustrating because you're like, okay, I know I would be so great for this job,

• 38:17Alex Cooper?

  but how do I actually get them to even notice me? That is where ZipRecruiter comes in, my friends. Okay, ZipRecruiter matches you up with the right job in minutes. And their new feature even lets your application be seen first by employers. You can try it out by going to ziprecruiter.com/daddy. It is such a game changer, guys. When you apply for a job, you can be seen first. Just tell the employer why you're interested in the role and your application jumps to the top of their list. No matter where you are in your career journey, make your application be seen first only on ZipRecruiter. Try it out now by going to this exclusive web address, ziprecruiter.com/daddy. Again, that's ziprecruiter.com/daddy.

• 39:05Alex Cooper?

  Okay, you guys are obviously so well put together, but we're gonna play a game called, "Have You Ever Been Unwell?" I'm gonna give you an unwell scenario and you tell me if it has ever happened to you. Have you ever embarrassed yourself in front of someone famous?

• 39:21Speaker 02

  Sophia, that's all you says? This is such an embarrassing story and Phoebe knows exactly what I'm talking about because I talk about it all the time because I just can't forget it because I'm so embarrassed. But we went to, so Michael Rubin had this charity party for, it was like a poker charity party, right? We're freaking out. This is so cool. All these cool people are there. We're like, oh my God, we look, we need to look amazing, whatever. So my dumb ass wears like these five inch stiletto heels because I need to look like a bomb ass bitch. And so we go to this poker night thing and I'm like walking down the stairs being like, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall.

• 39:53Alex Cooper?

  It's a huge, like, it's like, so here's the entire poker room, there's probably what 200 people in here and there's a staircase like this. We think we're having our moment. You know, no one knows who we are. No one has any idea but each other. We're walking down the stairs.

• 40:05Speaker 02

  Dun, dun, dun, dun, like slow motion. I'm like, Cinderella story, you're like, I'm arrived. Exactly. I fucking tumble. Like, I'm not even joking. It was like a movie, like two flights of stairs. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I like collapse on the floor. I am literally, I swear to God, gushing blood from my leg. I'm wearing a long dress. No one can see it. I'm gushing blood. I'm like, I have a concussion. And then I look up, I'm dizzy. I think it's Phoebe and I'm like, yo, bro, I need help. And then, Literally, she goes, yo, bro. It is Jay-Z. No. It is fucking Jay-Z being like, hey, are you okay? I'm literally like, He goes, that was really embarrassing.

• 40:48Speaker 02

  I'm like, I literally can't speak. I'm just like, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, yeah. And he literally goes, "I know, you're embarrassed, right? It's okay. Don't be. It's gonna be okay. Are you okay?" I'm like, "Yes, sir. Absolutely. I am so okay. Do not worry at all. I am so good. Please, please just, please leave. I'm gonna start crying. Please, please, please, please, please go away." Do you take his hand? Yes, of course I take his hand. He's so, he was such a gentleman. He was so sweet. He literally was like, hey, like, do you need someone to come over here? I'm like, no, no, I promise. I'm so okay. This is so embarrassing. Everyone's looking at me. Please stop. You're like, no, I just need to leave. I was like, I need to leave. And then anyway, he, he like helps me up so sweet and then leaves. And then Phoebe walks over and I'm like, I...

• 41:27Speaker 01

  I'm so embarrassed. I need to leave. Like, I'm literally gushing blood. Phoebe's like, "No, I want to go play poker." Phoebe is a blackjack god. What? Do you want to tell her what happened? What? Much more important, actually, part of the story. Well, I'm kind of a loser. So before, like, the party, I had memorized the stats of how you can win blackjack. Like, what are the most, you know, the best statistical plays to win? Because it's a game of luck, right? Right. And I was at, somehow I ended up at a table with Tom Brady, and I ended up beating him in blackjack, which Sophia will not stop talking about. I, I talk about it every day. You shouldn't stop talking about it. I talk about it every day. That's actually so cool. I'm gushing blood, losing this game. I have no idea how to play. I look over. The, the whole crowd is around Phoebe. Taking a match.

• 42:09Speaker 01

  Phoebe, the fucking mastermind, beating Tom Brady at blackjack. And everyone's like, "Who is that girl?" I told everyone I was an influencer. Like, it's called IMG. Stop. And I model for them. It's, it was tough. DNA and IMG, they had a lot of debate over me, but it's, uh, you know, it's been a busy career. Meanwhile, you're like counting cards. And he's still, like, he says it to you, like- I ran into him once recently, and he was like, "Blackjack." I was like, "That is so, okay." I'm again, like, "Tom Brady knows who you are." This is so insane. He doesn't know my name. He just knows I was the girl with, like, the ink written of the different stats on my hands, like- He knows you're an influencer. I'm a model. Phoebe, you're a model influencer. Wait, okay, speaking of famous people, your boyfriend is the grandson of Paul McCartney? Indeed. Are you a Beatles person?

• 42:53Speaker 01

  Oh, man, it's so bad. Like, I'm so bad at music. I mean, my family, like, were so nerdy, so I knew nothing about music. Like, I knew about tech stuff growing up, not music stuff. So I remember, like, early on, he was, like, so excited, like, he thought he was in Rizme. He took me to an Elton John concert. And Elton John comes out in, like, a bedazzled tracksuit. I'm like, "Is Elton John gay?"

• 43:13Speaker 01

  His entire family starts dying laughing. And now we've been dating, like, almost two years. Every time I see them, they're like, "Oh, is Elton John gay?" Oh my god, you're like- This girl went to Stanford, is Elton John gay? Oh, are you kidding me? Oh no. Unfortunately, Arthur does not have any musical talent. I've been trying to get him to serenade me for a very long time, but it has not happened. I'm not okay that you're like, Elton John? They're like, you dumb bitch. Okay, but you're learning. Yes, I am learning. Okay, that's good for you. Um, okay, have you ever ghosted someone? Yeah, oh yeah. I feel like you're so good at ghosting people on the low. I just, yeah, I don't respond. I mean, I'm so bad at my inbox, I have ADHD that I just randomly ghost people, I'm not gonna lie. What is the most unhinged lie you've ever told to get out of plans? Sophia.

• 43:57Speaker 02

  Okay, well, Phoebe would always make fun of me in college, because I was-

• 43:59Speaker 01

  She had a template email, a template lie email.

• 44:01Speaker 02

  I had a template lie email, because I was trying to juggle so much in college with all our work stuff-

• 44:06Speaker 01

  Justify it, sister.

• 44:07Speaker 02

  And my own, like, my climate and my UN stuff, whatever. I had so much going on and I obviously always needed a deadline extension on my stuff.

• 44:13Speaker 01

  You're like, and then this is the reason I also had to do it, and then this is the reason I out- What, what did you do?

• 44:17Speaker 02

  So I had a folder of image-

• 44:20Speaker 01

  This sounds so crazy.

• 44:22Speaker 02

  So psycho. I, I, so I had a folder of images that I had with like, really random, like, weird, crazy people, right?

• 44:28Speaker 01

  No, with famous people.

• 44:30Speaker 02

  With famous people, but like, like, the Pope famous, not like, or whatever.

• 44:34Speaker 01

  And the Pope and Malala were in this folder.

• 44:36Speaker 02

  Yes, Malala, Pope, whatever.

• 44:38Speaker 01

  And one photo of her in the hospital from when she had the stomach virus.

• 44:40Speaker 02

  I did use that hospital photo many times. And so, I have a folder of photos that I know I can attach to an email that guarantees me a get out of jail free card. When you tell your professor, I'm so sorry, I am meeting the Pope this week, I really need an extension, they are all like, absolutely, you get the extension. A hundred per- it always works. It al- Phoebe's like, you're going to hell.

• 45:02Speaker 01

  She has one template email with Dalai Lama, one with the Pope, one with some, a couple different climate guys, and then one is the, this horrific photo I took of her in the hospital. When like, a TA would be like, why'd you miss class? She'd be like, so sorry, I've been very ill. And you're fucking attaching a hospital photo?

• 45:18Speaker 02

  I did, I have a cell- I, it was a selfie of me going like this, in my hospital gown.

• 45:22Speaker 01

  Oh, you all pulled up.

• 45:22Speaker 02

  With like, my hospital band. So they couldn't, because I was like, I'm really sick right now, and they're like, it's due tomorrow. And I'm like, I'm literally in the hospital, can you, you are so mean, you're horrible, you're a jerk.

• 45:32Alex Cooper?

  That is kind of so genius, although the fucking hospital one, I can't decide. Cause I get if you say you're in the hospital, most teachers are gonna be like, go fuck yourself. No, you're not like, where are the receipts? But then a selfie as opposed to just like the paperwork is fucking nuts.

• 45:47Speaker 02

  I'm like, I'm so sorry. I'm delirious. This is the only thing I can send you. This is literally like, I'm in the hospital. Like, I like you. Do you know what a horrible person you have to be to tell someone they can't have an extension? If they have literally given you a selfie in the hospital and I'm green.

• 46:02Speaker 01

  I like, it would just be so awkward because sometimes we'd have like overlapping TAs for different classes. And they come up to me, they're like, oh, so bummed Sophia missed last week. And then I would try to suss out the conversation to see what email she had sent them. Cause I'm not sure if it's like, oh yeah, like it's so cool. Like she did meet the Pope last week. How great is that versus like, did she send the hospital selfie email? Cause that's like a little different conversation I have to have. So I'd be like, as they're like talking, I'm like, yes, it is very interesting that she missed that.

• 46:27Speaker 02

  I would always tell Phoebe, you have to fucking cover for me, bro. I'm dead. I'm like literally dead at the hospital.

• 46:32Speaker 01

  Phoebe one time is like, how incredible. And they're like, she's in the hospital. You're like, she was green. I'm like incredibly sad is what it is. It really is. That girl, she works herself too hard.

• 46:44Alex Cooper?

  Dude, Sophia, you're fucking savvy over there. You're coming with some good ass shit. Um, okay. Let's talk relationship. Have you guys ever gone for the same guy?

• 46:54Speaker 01

  There was a guy, we'll say Alejandro.

• 46:57Alex Cooper?

  I like that.

• 46:59Speaker 01

  Um, so both of us have these relationships that end. He ended up being both of our rebounds. Importantly, my rebound first, I'd just like to say, but I like this guy is gorgeous. And the reality is there's like three attractive guys at Stanford. So it's absolutely blown out of proportion. And Alejandro was like, I was, I mean, I was down bad. This guy was like, not interested. I think we made out like a couple of times. And he not look, he was like pretty narcissistic and.

• 47:28Alex Cooper?

  Hella, hella narcissistic.

• 47:30Speaker 01

  My favorite quote from him is saying that he was the best person that Sophia had ever met. And Dalai Lama and Pope were number two and three tied.

• 47:37Alex Cooper?

  This guy's psycho.

• 47:39Speaker 01

  But I warned Sophia after her breakup, I was like, be very careful. Like you're going through a breakup. Like we've been there. I've been down bad for Alejandro. You know, there's no one else on this campus. Avoid Alejandro at all costs. He's a witch. And Sophia's like, please, like. I'm a bad bitch. Like, I'm never gonna fall for this trap. Like, you're so stupid. And I was like, okay, but like, just so you know, like, if you and Alejandro get together, like, I'm not gonna be upset. Like, I understand, there's literally one attractive guy on this campus, and I can point to him. And, but I'm just gonna warn you, like, it's not gonna end well.

• 48:09Speaker 02

  My relationship has ended, and I'm like, I'm, a guy's never gonna look at me again. I'm so devastated. I don't know how to talk to boys. And Alejandro comes up to me-

• 48:18Speaker 01

  He was like long, kind of like highlighting it, but it's natural, and he's like so buff.

• 48:22Speaker 02

  So sexy. And he comes up to me at a party, and he's like, talking to me, he's flirting with me. I'm like, oh my god. And this whole time, I'm like, Phoebe, ew, I would never go for Alejandro. I have no idea what you're talking about. You're psychotic. He comes over and woos me. And then I go back, and I'm like, Phoebe, Alejandro was flirting with me. I'm really flustered. I don't know what to do. Phoebe's like, dude, go for it. I get it. But just know, like, he, on the low, sucks. And I'm like, but he was just so charismatic and beautiful and handsome and sweet and smart. And, oh my god, he's just the best. And it ended up in flames.

• 48:57Speaker 01

  So now he texts us. So, we put him to therapy, because-

• 49:01Speaker 02

  What?

• 49:02Speaker 01

  We did. The next thing I know is, I'm like, and if things get messed with Alejandro, I don't wanna be included in this drama, because I've already had a pep talk with him about me being down bad for him, and like, it not working out between us. So I don't wanna be involved if things go south with you two. Next thing I know, I'm in a group chat with Sophia and Alejandro, and she's texting him about how he should go to therapy, which apparently he did.

• 49:22Speaker 02

  How long did each of you last with Alejandro?

• 49:25Speaker 01

  Literally like two weeks. It's like a fever dream. Mine was bad, like, two months. No, not like on and off for like, two months. But now it's a bit, where he's like, my company, my Fia, my girls, like, how are my ladies? He's gonna be so gassed that he's included on this podcast. Like, you don't understand the texts we're about to get.

• 49:42Speaker 02

  We- We're like best friends now. He has like a really hot girlfriend. We're really happy for him. The therapy fixed him. Like, he's a good boyfriend.

• 49:48Speaker 01

  We were kind of hoping with karma that she wouldn't be cute. We're like, nah, there's no way. We looked at the Instagram. It was very tough.

• 49:54Speaker 02

  And you guys were like the stepping stones.

• 49:56Speaker 01

  We were the stepping stones.

• 49:57Speaker 02

  You made him into a better man, and now a deserving woman gets him. But you guys are happily in your relationships.

• 50:02Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 50:02Speaker 02

  Can you explain to me, because I'm sure people are fascinated, what is it like introducing a guy to your dad?

• 50:25Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Airbnb. So the other day I was just scrolling on my phone and one of those one year ago today notifications popped up. I usually don't pay much attention to them, but when I saw it was from my Napa trip with Lauren. I obviously had to go back through every single photo. I remember we drove up to Napa for a weekend and found the cutest farmhouse on Airbnb to stay in. The location could not have been more perfect. It was right by a vineyard and overlooked this beautiful golf course, which yes, Matt was very jealous of. During

• 51:05Alex Cooper?

  the day, we went wine tasting like a little cute couple. Then we brought our favorite bottles back to the house at night for cozy, long girl talks on the couch. Obviously, I haven't had a drink in forever since being pregnant, so I cannot wait for wine nights again soon with my girlfriends. And now that holiday travel season is finally here, all of my group chats are going off with everyone trying to coordinate dates and just figure out where we're going to stay and where we're going to go next. But looking back through those photos reminded me that some of the best parts of a trip happen back at the house, right? Like, that's why I love booking a home on Airbnb. It literally gives

• 51:49Alex Cooper?

  everyone space to just spread out and it makes every trip feel more relaxed. You can even order groceries, which I love, for your trip through Airbnb and have everything from breakfast essentials to holiday snacks delivered after you arrive. If you're planning your Thanksgiving trip or any holiday travel this season, definitely check out Airbnb before you book. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Stouffer's. Let me tell you something. When I am hungry and I am trying to figure out what to eat, sometimes you can just actually become so, you're angry. You're like, I am busy, I'm hungry, I'm getting hangry, I'm getting angry. What can I eat? I need something hot and delicious and

• 52:31Alex Cooper?

  low maintenance. Well, introducing Stouffer's dinners are not only delicious, they're done in a flash. Serve up their classic lasagna, chicken pesto, or carbonara for two. Whatever you're craving, Stouffer's is your hot, delicious, easy meal fantasy. When the clock strikes dinner, think Stouffer's. You can see all the delicious options at Stouffer's.com. What is it like introducing a guy to your dad?

• 52:55Speaker 01

  I think terrifying for the guy. For me, hilarious, because my dad's like, pretty socially awkward. Like, he says, he's, you know, has Asperger's. Like, to me, it's so funny. But for guys, I think they get, like, really wigged out. And I'll never forget, like, early in high school, before I had, like, a long-term boyfriend, it was like, one of my first, like, dances, maybe my sophomore, junior year. And my mom had, like, signed my dad up to drive me and the boy to the dance together. First off, my dad insisted on us listening to NPR the entire 30-minute drive. He stopped for fast food. Then he calls the guy, he's like, be responsible tonight, Max Deenenhauer. His name was, was Maxwell Danenhauer. Literally wanted to die. But honestly, like, I think, like, now it's become easier for me, because it's just funny. Like, when

• 53:40Speaker 01

  you introduce a guy to your dad, and it's like, depending on how he reacts, that's how you know if he's gonna be a good guy or not.

• 53:46Alex Cooper?

  Such a good point. Wait, how are you and your dad different and similar?

• 53:50Speaker 01

  Uh, we are, I'm way more of a people person than he is. He would 100% say that. Like, it used to be a joke of, like, our family would be so boring if I wasn't born. I'd force my dad, like, at the dad-daughter dances, my mom would, like, have us go to. I'd force my dad to go, like, talk to all the other dads and daughters there. And he would get, like, nervous and leave. And I was like, no, like, if we're here, we're gonna socialize. Like, we gotta work this room, Bill. Like, these other, these other dad and daughters, they're sweeping us up. Like, we gotta get out here.

• 54:19Speaker 02

  Um, so I'd say we're very different in that way. I'd say in terms of similitude, we're both very competitive. I mean, you do not want to play a board game with the two of us. And that's actually worse than introducing a guy to my dad is my dad's always like, let's play pickleball. Let's play a board game together. Let's do a puzzle together. And the second you do that, like the guy's like trying to put two pieces together. My dad grabs the pieces out of his hands, like shoving them together. So that is actually when it's really nerve wracking to put a guy around my dad. Like pickleball, my dad, he like puts on his glasses.

• 54:49Speaker 02

  Have you experienced this competitiveness? Oh my God, this is so embarrassing, but the first time that I met Bill, we were going to a concert or something. And so it was like me and Phoebe and a couple of friends. And we were all staying at Phoebe's house. And so her dad was there, which I am an idiot. And I obviously people's parents are at their houses. So I literally have face gems all over my face. Sustainable face gem company sent face gems to Sophia. I was like, throw the, burn those things. She was like, these are immaculate. Yes, I'm like literally like in my sparkly set with my face gems, blah, blah, blah. I'm walking, I'm walking, I'm walking. Boom. I run straight into Bill Gates and he's like, wow, I, I like your outfit. Who, who are you? And I'm like, I'm Sophia.

• 55:31Speaker 02

  I'm, I'm Phoebe's co-founder, actually. We're, we're in business together. He's like, oh, it's really nice to meet you, Sophia. I, I, I like your outfit. I'm like, so, so nice to meet you, Bill. So nice. I need to go, I need to go. And then I'm literally like, Phoebe, why would you not tell me your dad is here? This is so weird and embarrassing. Like, I don't want to be anyone's parents with fucking glitter all over my face. And she's like, did you not think my parents were going to be here? Like, hello, obviously. I, I just was dumb, but it was literally, I, I honestly still, every time I see your dad, I'm like, he probably thinks I'm so weird. Probably does not remember at all, I guarantee. Right. Okay, this crazy bitch. Anyways, bye. Don't care. That is, you're like, I wish I was in a suit and like really presenting. But then honestly, like, look, it worked out. You guys are still in business together. Yes. Um, okay, let's talk about Phoebe.

• 56:17Alex Cooper?

  So by the time this comes out, you'll have been one week launched. One, just tell me, how much are you twitching to look at your phones right now?

• 56:23Speaker 02

  Very much. I'm like, I need to text Fifth Cross.

• 56:26Alex Cooper?

  You guys literally just launched. Like, how are you feeling?

• 56:29Speaker 02

  Honestly, it's been so exciting. Sophia is currently on the top 100 shopping charts. We were basically crying and then we were like, wait, our makeup needs to look good for Call Her Daddy. Because we were so excited, but honestly, it's just been such a long time in the making. When we were in college, we probably had no idea that what we would end up launching is now FIA is an app and a shopping tool. Where basically as you're shopping in one click, it will find you the best price on fashion. So it's like, say you're looking at like a thousand dollar Gucci bag. FIA pops up and then you ask it, should I buy it? And it's like, girl, no, the price is high. Like you can buy this for $250 on the real real or on like eBay, whatever. And then you can save like 75% off. And so it was honestly the tool that we wished we had in college.

• 57:12Speaker 02

  Cause what me and Phoebe really bonded over is we loved secondhand shopping, but it's just so hard. There's so many sites, like you never know if like one reseller scamming you or not. And so we built this like really easy tool so that anyone while they're shopping can get this like instant price check. Kind of like Google flights for fashion. And I honestly think we were really nervous this morning, but just seeing girls like DM us being like, wait, this is so smart. Like this is so helpful. Like now I can save time and money. And like, I'm so glad that you guys built this and thought about us.

• 57:42Alex Cooper?

  So someone listening today, walk me quickly through, what do they do?

• 57:49Speaker 02

  You go to the App Store, you download FIA. You basically click a button that says, take me to Safari. You go to Safari, you click and then you turn on the extension, you toggle it on. And then there's two popups that show up and then you need to say, I want to allow FIA on every shopping website. Every website is the key, not for one day, not for just this website, every website, that's where everyone falls off. And then you're done. It's honestly like one, two, three, app.

• 58:18Alex Cooper?

  Toggle, permissions, you're done. I'm so excited for you guys. I'm excited for FIA. I'm excited for the burnout. I think everything you guys are doing is so exciting and it's so nice to meet people and get to know people that are like so smart in such a different field than me. I think it's like very stimulating to listen to you guys and talk to you guys because I think what we've probably all recognize is there's so much through line between all of these different industries. And when you think that you can't relate, you're like, oh, there's all the same themes of being stressed, staying up late at night. Like everyone listening is going to take something from this and it's inspiring to hear you guys talk about the story. I love you guys. This was so fun. I feel like we got like a good amount of

• 59:02Alex Cooper?

  chaotic fun and also like really good advice. And honestly, like the hacks, the hacks that you brought. At journal request. No, it's crazy. Hashtag journal request. Everyone go become. We're gonna be using, we're gonna be eating that up before this goes live next week because then the hack is gonna be dead. No, and we also need, we all need our own Kobe, okay? Um, no, I love you guys. Thank you so much for coming on Call Her Daddy. This was a dream. You guys are amazing. Congrats. Thank you so much, Alex. Download FIA on the App Store now.

• 59:41Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Alka Seltzer Cold. Life's already messy enough. Drama, dating, working, a cold or flu? We don't have time for that. Alka Seltzer Cold fast dissolve tablets are designed to deliver cold and flu relief fast. Just drop the two tablets in water and hear those bubbles bursting into action, ready to work faster than pills. Pills take time to dissolve. Next time a cold or flu strikes, quick Alka Seltzer Cold. Nothing works faster for cold and flu symptom relief. Among oral OTC products, use as directed.

• 1:00:17Alex Cooper?

  Call Her Daddy is brought to you by T-Mobile. Daddy gang, there are honestly so many reasons to just choose T-Mobile. They've got T-Mobile Tuesdays perks, tons of freebies, travel benefits like hotel and rental car savings. They make your phone plan feel like it's actually giving you something back instead of just being another bill that you have to pay every single month. And if you're a student, T-Mobile has student perks plans designed specifically for you. I remember being in college and constantly, literally just looking for ways to save money, understandably. And so these are the kind of perks I would have absolutely taken advantage of. Students can get things like a $5 movie ticket every month,

• 1:01:00Alex Cooper?

  exclusive access to concerts, okay? And even streaming benefits, so you can always have a reality TV binge night with your girls. And when you're already paying for your phone every month, getting all of these extra benefits on top of it, just, it makes sense, right? For all the reasons to choose T-Mobile, find yours at tmobile.com/membership. Qualify and plan required. Visit tmobile.com. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Stouffer's. Let me tell you something, when I am hungry and I am trying to figure out what to eat, sometimes you can just actually become so, you're angry. You're like, I am busy, I'm hungry, I'm getting hangry, I'm getting angry.

• 1:01:43Alex Cooper?

  What can I eat? I need something hot and delicious and low maintenance. Well, introducing Stouffer's dinners are not only delicious, they're done in a flash. Serve up their classic lasagna, chicken pesto, or carbonara for two. Whatever you're craving, Stouffer's is your hot, delicious, easy meal fantasy. When the clock strikes dinner, think Stouffer's. You can see all the delicious options at stouffer's.com.