Danielle Bernstein: Buying Back Her Business, Addressing Accusations, & Starting Over

Fashion designer, entrepreneur, and WeWoreWhat founder Danielle Bernstein sits down with Maggie Sellers Reum on Hot Smart Rich for an unfiltered conversation on taking back her life both personally and professionally. After turning a simple fashion blog into an 8-figure empire and selling her company at just 30 years old, Danielle faced public controversies and the downside of the internet. In this episode, Danielle addresses the rumors and accusations head-on, sharing what really happened and reflecting on the regrets she holds from that period. She breaks down the reality of ending her relationship, the importance of healthy prenups, and why marriage ultimately functions as a business decision. Looking ahead, Danielle discusses how she bought back her company, the strategy behind WeWoreWhat’s massive new rebrand, and what it truly takes to start over at 34 while protecting your empire. Get unselfish access to insights that will help you own the room. Sign up now https://linkly.link/2jPXJ ⸻ Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:50) Calling Off an Engagement (08:39) How Her Breakup Impacted Her Community (09:46) Does Her Community Affect Her Decisions? (10:56) How Her Breakup Changed Her Perspective (11:58) Dealing with Negative Comments (12:47) Moving On From Her Engagement (14:09) Experience With Anxiety (15:52) Who Is Danielle Today? (17:04) Mentality Toward New Relationships (19:08) Danielle’s Childhood (20:41) Shopify Ad (22:01) SoFi Ad (23:14) Starting Her First Business (24:17) When Did It Become Real? (25:09) Making Money vs. Building Wealth (25:43) From Influencer to Business Owner (28:00) What Motivates Danielle? (28:55) Negotiating Brand Deals (30:16) Not Everyone Needs a Brand (31:37) Advice to Influencers (33:16) Evolution of WeWoreWhat (33:59) Inside Danielle’s Creative Process (35:26) Addressing the Controversy (36:20) Why Speak Out Now? (39:25) Has Danielle Made Amends? (39:56) What Danielle Wants People to Know (40:47) Bilt Ad (41:51) OSEA Ad (42:58) What’s Next? (44:37) Taking Ownership of WeWoreWhat (46:45) Advice for Women Starting Over (48:35) Danielle's Investment Philosophy (51:26) Evaluating Investment Opportunities (52:18) Future Wealth-Building (52:50) Final Thoughts (53:02) Rapid Fire ⸻ Sponsors: Shopify - http://Shopify.com/HSR SoFi - Visit https://Sofi.com/HSRLoan to learn more and see if a SoFi Small Business Loan is right for your business Bilt - Sign up at http://Joinbilt.com/HSR Osea - Use code HSR for 10% off at http://oseamalibu.com ⸻ Hot Smart Rich: Your Business & Culture Gossip For ambitious women wanting to own the room, gain power, and build wealth. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotsmartrich/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hotsmartrich Maggie Sellers Reum: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiesellersreum/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesellersreum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellersmaggie/ Locker: https://www.wantlocker.com/users/maggiesellers ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/maggiesellers Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/maggiesellers/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

• 0:00Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you're starting a business, there are certain things that are so fun to think about. Y'all know I love a mood board. So everything that relates to the creative, the name, the brand, the website, the vision board. But then there are the things that make you pause and ask, am I even doing this correctly? Or do I even want to be doing this? Like forming your business, getting the right documents, keeping your personal information private. This is where our sponsor Northwest Registered Agent is so helpful. They're a one stop shop for founders who want to launch and legitimize their business without turning it into a giant admin spiral. They help you form an LLC or a corporation, act as your registered agent, and give you tools like a business address, operating agreement, website, phone number, professional email, and free guides.

• 0:43Maggie Sellers Reum?

  They also have real corporate guides who know your local laws. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree.

• 1:06Speaker 01

  The action's on the court. And as the official beer sponsor of the NBA, Michelob Ultra is getting fans closer to the game with a chance to win courtside seats, merch, and more. Visit michelobultra.com/courtside to enter. Michelob Ultra Courtside, 26 to 27. No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents 21 plus. Begins on October 1st, 2026 and ends on June 30th, 2027. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at michelobultra.com/courtside for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details.

• 1:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You are the first person I have had in this chair that has also called off an engagement.

• 1:38Speaker 02

  It was just two people realizing that we were not the right fit for forever. I'm like getting emotional for some reason. I started blogging when I was 19 years old. I was as hard headed and big willed as you see me today. Like my mom always says that the easiest part about raising me was my birth. But then I realized, holy shit, if I could sell millions of dollars of other people's products, why am I not doing it towards something I own? So I started We wore what, but people said our designs came too close to someone else's and I did not handle those right. It's something that I was pretty scared to talk about, honestly. But I've grown and I've changed and I'm absolutely accountable.

• 2:15Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Is there anything that you still want people to know?

• 2:18Speaker 02

  Well, not being stuck to one version of success is also really important. Just because you want something so badly, you don't want it to be the wrong thing.

• 2:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  When you think about this new world that we're all entering with creators, what would you advise people?

• 2:32Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 2:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Hi, angels. Did you know that subscribing to our channel is free? It doesn't cost you anything. And it is the simplest way for you to support Hot, Smart, Rich and help us grow so that we can bring you more of the conversations you love. Just hit the subscribe button below and thank you.

• 2:56Maggie Sellers Reum?

  In case you missed it, you're allowed to be hot, smart, and rich. So let's get into it.

• 3:07Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein.

• 3:10Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Can I tell you something? I used to hate when people wouldn't clap with me. So now I know this is going to be my favorite episode.

• 3:15Speaker 02

  This is like, our dynamic is very funny already.

• 3:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Um, production, please keep this in because we're gonna actually start this way. But I have

• 3:22Speaker 02

  We should.

• 3:23Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I have to say,

• 3:24Speaker 02

  Raw.

• 3:24Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein, are you ready to get hot, smart, rich?

• 3:27Speaker 02

  Hell, yeah.

• 3:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I was so looking forward to this conversation because I know so much about you, both online and also DM, text. We've like potentially maybe even started businesses together. You're the founder of We wore what and you built your career very publicly through massive success and major controversy. So what do you think that people will learn if they listen to this episode in full?

• 3:50Speaker 02

  Well, depending on what we talk about, which I have an idea, they're gonna learn about me, my personal journey, my career journey, which have overlapped over the years, right? I've grown up in front of the camera. I've grown and I've changed. I've made a lot of mistakes along the way. I'm absolutely able to be accountable and acknowledge those and I can't wait to. And I've, I've created this larger than life brand that still has a ways to go to be what I know it can be. But it's been a really fun, exciting journey. There's a lot to talk about.

• 4:22Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So we're gonna start on the complete opposite side of business. Because you are the first person I have had in this chair that has also called off an engagement.

• 4:32Speaker 02

  We are going there.

• 4:34Maggie Sellers Reum?

  We are just going there.

• 4:35Speaker 02

  I knew it would come up and we were going there first.

• 4:39Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Well, I think it's hard to relate when you haven't gone through a proposal and planned a wedding and dreamt of a life with someone. And I actually think it brought me a lot closer to my community when I remember making that first video acknowledging that like that was gonna change in my life because it was at the time I was starting to deal with, okay, now there's a public person following along on this, but it was nowhere near your magnitude and how big of a moment that was for you. How do you feel about everything now?

• 5:09Speaker 02

  I feel great about everything. I know that I made the right decision for me and for my life. And that just because you get engaged to someone, if you realize that that's not right, it doesn't have to be forever. You're not tied to it. And I think there's a big fear and I myself was so fearful around calling off my engagement, not just because of what it meant personally, right? Like when you break off an engagement, you're not just mourning the person, you're mourning the life that you were gonna have with that person. And that's a lot to go through. And now go through it again publicly. So it was a lot, but you know, I let my followers in on all my relationships for the past 15 years. I've shared a lot with them. And so they felt like they were part of that journey in ways that were good and also really bad.

• 5:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Was there a moment that you knew it wasn't the right relationship for you? Or it was like a series of moments that just was a feeling?

• 6:00Speaker 02

  The internet likes to have like one answer for everything, right? They wanna know like, why did it happen? Or who did it? And what's the reason? And they want like one blanket, clean answer, which is how rumors get created and circulate the internet. There wasn't just like one reason that's so outrageous and, and something dramatic. Like it just wasn't. It was just two people realizing that we were not the right fit for forever. It just was really that like non dramatic. It really wasn't. It was really hard for sure. And we had many conversations over a long period of time, but it was something that we both felt like was the right decision.

• 6:32Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I've never really talked about my broken engagement, honestly, on the show. And I feel like it's because when you're with someone who's gone through it, they can relate in a way that maybe other people can't. So maybe this is why I'm sharing it now. But for me, I kind of always knew my ex fiance wasn't the one. Like that's why I didn't intertwine many things. Like financially, we were intertwined. Like of course, we live together, but leaving wasn't hard in the way of like, we share this car, we have this house, or we do all of these things. Because I kind of knew in my gut from the beginning of getting engaged that like there was something off.

• 7:08Speaker 02

  So why did you stay so long?

• 7:10Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I think it was because I was either in my last year of being 20, like twenties, or but the very beginning of my thirties is when it actually ended up getting called off. And I think that's because I thought that's what you did. And like all of my friends were getting engaged or married.

• 7:26Speaker 02

  Same boat.

• 7:26Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And I just felt like this is what you are supposed to do. And I had never been in a relationship that felt right to know what to compare it against. I guess what I'm asking for you is like, how intertwined was it to have to get out? Or was it easy just to be like, we can separate?

• 7:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think in the sense that you're talking about like financially and owning things together and we didn't have that. So it was easier in that sense to like separate our lives. It was more of like an emotional, like this is my best friend for the past however many years. And, and you get so close to someone's family and that stuff was really hard for us. But you know, when you know it's the right decision and the fear of starting over kind of goes away. I mean, it never really goes away. Like starting over is really scary. And I was very scared to start over again at the age of 33. Like I was ready for marriage and kids and I wanted that so badly. I still want that so badly. But just because you want something so badly,

• 8:28Speaker 02

  you don't want it to be the wrong thing. And you don't want it, I didn't want it bad enough that I wanted to make the wrong decision. And so it was something that felt really brave to do. But at the same time, I was like, okay, I'm not starting over from nothing. I'm starting over with so much more now. I know what I want. I know what I don't want. I know what I'm not willing to compromise on. And I actually felt like I gained more by choosing to leave that relationship.

• 8:52Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Out of everything I get stopped on the street for, it is this. It is women that are in a relationship that they are not 100% sure on. And they're like questioning to me, like, how did you know? How do you start over? What do you do?

• 9:06Speaker 02

  So if you're even questioning it, that should be enough. Like it should not be that big of a question. I firmly believe.

• 9:13Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And when you decided to start over, like what is the first step to get back to a place that's like just able to be Danielle?

• 9:19Speaker 02

  Starting over and breaking off my engagement came at a time where I was also buying back my company. I was also moving into a new apartment. And so there were so many changes happening at once that I was almost so busy and so distracted that I didn't even have time to really like understand what was going on, which was good and bad at the same time. Because I do believe like you need the proper time to grieve and mourn and get over a situation. But I also was so busy and I felt this like air of like freshness and newness moving into my new home that I had just spent the past year renovating, even though I had spent that year renovating that home for us and for what would be our future family and, and the guest room that was supposed to be a baby room and all these things that like, It sucked, but at the same time, I was so grateful for these new things I was getting to

• 10:04Speaker 02

  experience that it was like a lot of change at once, but in a good way. Like it all led to this like new beginning.

• 10:11Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you feel like it brought you closer to the We Were What community? Or did it feel like there was this separation between you for a period of time?

• 10:17Speaker 02

  My breakups in the past, I did feel like brought me a lot closer to my community. This one hit differently. There was a lot of rumors that circulated the internet that really upset me. And I felt like I had like, kind of done it to myself. Like I let people in so far. I opened the door and when they walked too far into it, I got upset about it. And so I decided from that moment on that I actually don't want people to really know that much about my personal life. I want to create a healthier boundary between what I show publicly and what I have privately. And I think that my life since then has just had so much more meaning to it that like my private moments are just mine. And I love talking about it still. And like, there's so much I wish I could just still share. And it's actually something I have to teach myself, like how to have that discipline

• 11:02Speaker 02

  and how to sit back. Like it does not come naturally. I want to share everything. I feel like it's discipline and it's teaching me a lot along the way and I'm still learning. And I don't know if I'll forever be so quiet. I have no clue. Like I'm not going to always stick to one thing, but it's just been a really healthy, like new dynamic to have in my life.

• 11:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you feel like having that community has been helpful navigating things like this? Or has it at times made you make different decisions that you probably wouldn't have made?

• 11:29Speaker 02

  Both for sure. At times it's been super helpful. I feel connected and I feel supported, really like a lot of support, especially through like sharing about my egg freezing and, and, and sharing about breakups and engagement. I was so excited to share my like bridal era with everybody and the support I felt around that was so beautiful. And then at the same time, it's, there's been a lot of, you know, there's a lot of chatter, a lot of opinions that get created. And sometimes that can affect your decision-making. And I cannot sit here today and say that the outside noise never affected my decision-making. Like would I have left sooner? Would I have, you know, done XYZ? Like if I didn't have the public and all the opinions and the outside noise? Like, I don't know. I'm sure the answer would be that I would do something differently.

• 12:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  It's so interesting because I think that like, as we're told, create content, build a platform, do these things. And you see these people that have so many opportunities open. No one is brave enough to talk about the things that we're saying now where there, there is trade-offs. There is the things that like you see. How would you describe what you just went through and how differently it's made you in every single capacity of your life just treat decisions differently?

• 12:38Speaker 02

  I've just changed the way I think and react to things. And I think my reaction has been like, one of the most important changes in my life. I used to be super reactive and defensive and always wanting to provide context and explain things and over explain myself. And like, I now take a step back. I sit in my thoughts. I'm a lot more silent for a while until I really feel like I know what I want to say and if I even want to say something. And I have like group chats with my friends where sometimes I'll be like, here's everything I want to say right now and here's what's going on. And I really want to post this. What do you guys think? And then I get it out somehow because it feels therapeutic to me. And then I decide like, okay, does this need to be shared with 3 million people right now? Like, let's think about this. Let's figure out how to approach the situation.

• 13:20Speaker 02

  Even with decision-making around, you know, business decisions and things in my personal life, like I take a little bit more time to make my decisions now, which is not something that comes naturally at all.

• 13:30Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Take me to what you would do. You see something online that really upsets you.

• 13:34Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 13:34Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you do?

• 13:35Speaker 02

  I'm very, you know, strong now when it comes to that. Like I can take on a lot of heat and not let it affect me on a day-to-day basis, which has taken a lot of practice. And I also really try and just not pay attention to it. So inevitably, if I see something that affects me or that makes me upset, I just talk to somebody about it. Family, friends, my life coach, a significant other, whoever it may be, and someone maybe who can relate to it as well. Like I think that that's really important. Like it's okay to talk to family and friends about things, but like talking to another creator, talking to Melissa, one of my best friends who was also, you know, we've all been through so much in this industry that it's, it's nice to have other people you can lean on who have been through it also and who understand like kind of what you would be feeling.

• 14:19Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Is there anything that you feel like you still want people to know that you haven't said about how you feel about things? Or do you feel like you've said what you need to say and now like you're just moving on and you don't want to talk about it again?

• 14:31Speaker 02

  A little bit of both. I think surrounding the engagement, there was a lot of rumors that it ended because of prenup. It did not. And I am so proud that we had a prenup. It was one of the healthiest conversations we ever had. He understood, we had the conversation even before we got engaged, which I think was necessary and important and is something I would suggest to other women. People think that if you're getting a prenup, you're like, you know, your relationship's going to fail and you like, think it's going to. And that is so not true that I just wish more women would feel power in, in, in what that means, like protecting your assets and protecting what's yours. And we had a very healthy, great conversation about it and it was not the reason for our ending of our engagement. And I just like hate that that made it feel so icky surrounding it, like all those rumors that came about.

• 15:15Speaker 02

  At this point, it's like, I'm not trying to change people's opinions about me or what's happened. Like I've contributed to the version of me that's on the internet. I have enough like distance now to understand that and to be at peace with that because I used to really not be okay with it. Like, why do people think this? And like, all I would want to do is like, one at a time, like whack them all. But like, you can't do that. That's so unrealistic. So I'm, I'm a lot more at peace with like my journey and what's happened up until this point, and I'm very excited for what's to come.

• 15:42Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you have anxiety?

• 15:44Speaker 02

  I used to have a lot. I get situational anxiety sometimes, but I, I feel like I kind of grew out of it.

• 15:52Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How do you do that?

• 15:53Speaker 02

  I think anxiety is for me, like some, like for a lot of people, it's something that you can't even control and help. But for me, it was very situational. So I've created tools along the way that just helped me personally to like move past that point and to really like sit back and ask myself why I'm feeling that way, address the things of what I'm feeling, and then be able to walk into a room and be okay.

• 16:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Is that part of like this huge healing process that you've gone on? And did that just start after the engagement? Or has that been like something you've been doing because you've been online for 15 years?

• 16:24Speaker 02

  It's something that was gradual over time, but I swear, the past six months have been so formative for me, like more than six months, like six to eight months. Like since I ended my engagement and moved into my new home and bought my business back, like all of those things have really changed my life. And so I just feel like I'm a different version of myself than I was a year ago and I'm going to keep changing and growing. Like I'm never pretending that I'm the best version of myself. Like I love bettering myself. I still work with a life coach on a week-to-week basis. I still love to hear feedback and criticism and work on myself as a leader and a businesswoman and as a friend and as a significant other. And so, um, yeah.

• 17:01Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Someone that's listening to this.

• 17:03Speaker 02

  Can I take my shoes off?

• 17:04Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yes.

• 17:05Speaker 02

  I feel like we're, we're very cozy.

• 17:07Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah. It's like, it's fall vibes.

• 17:10Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 17:10Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 17:11Speaker 02

  My suede bomber jacket.

• 17:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I feel like leaving made me the strongest version of myself that I am today. And I, I always say this, I would not be able to date my husband had I not gone through what I've gone through because I know my value. I know my worth. It's what I brought into new relationships. So for you, as you think about the future, like how has your past affected the woman that you are today and the woman that you want to be as a wife, as a mother, and all these things that you left behind and wanted?

• 17:40Speaker 02

  Everything. I mean, it's everything. And I, and I've done it very publicly too. So everyone's seen all these different versions of me over the years. Actually, you were saying about like meeting followers and they've been affected by this thing particularly. I met somebody in the bathroom recently in LA and she said, I left my marriage because of you. And I was like, whoa. That's a lot of pressure. She's like, no, like I watched you go through breakup after breakup and not being willing to settle. And we were, we had just gotten married. We don't have kids yet. Like I realized if you could do it, I could do it. And so I left. And it was like, I was like, I cried with her. It was a really special moment. And I think that like, just sharing so much of my journey online has helped people connect with my story.

• 18:22Speaker 02

  They've just watched me evolve and change over the years and I hope that continues to happen.

• 18:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you think this makes you more inclined or less inclined to want to get married?

• 18:31Speaker 02

  I still want it so badly. More than anything, I'm just unwilling to settle.

• 18:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Is that like just in you?

• 18:37Speaker 02

  Yeah. Like, why, like what does settling even look like? Want to be in an unhappy relationship? Like I want love fairy tale, the whole thing. I want to wake up and be so happy to be next to that person. Like, and it's not always the truth, but I think your relationship should be one of the easiest parts of your life. It should de-stress you. It should not bring you more stress. It should bring you joy and, and that's what I want.

• 18:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I feel like I have a lot of friends or friends of friends that are settling and it's very evident to me.

• 19:04Speaker 02

  It's sad.

• 19:05Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And it's sad, but it is hard to feel like in this era of like, you hear about the horrible men and the dating stories. And I even met this woman in New York when I was just there and she saw me and my husband interact and she was like, wow, being around you guys has actually made me realize like it is not so bad out there and I need to change my perception and what I expect is going to be there because I'm so tired of just like what you see. For you, what is your mentality towards the world and like what is out there for you?

• 19:37Speaker 02

  There's so many people in this world. Like there is someone for everyone. And I actually have a couple in my life. My friends, Ally and Wes, who I love. They've been married for 20 years. They have three kids. They live in Tribeca, New York. They're so chic. They're so cool. They go out. I love them. They have the happiest, sexiest, coolest relationship ever. And they were actually part of the reason I felt really good about like, there's something like that out there for me and I'm going to go find that. I'm like getting emotional for some reason. We've talked about this for too long.

• 20:07Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Sorry.

• 20:08Speaker 02

  No, I looked at them and I was just like, oh, that exists and I want that.

• 20:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I love you. I am so proud of you because I.

• 20:16Speaker 02

  I don't want to show them that. They're going to be so happy.

• 20:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I honestly remember watching it and I just like, my heart broke for you. Not because I was sorry or felt sympathy. I was like so proud of you because I did it without what you went through publicly, knowing how hard that would have been is like, I think I'm staring at one of the most brave people, like seriously that I've sat across. It's actually like incredible what you've been able to do. Your family dynamic, your parents, like do you have parents that have that type of love and marriage or relationship?

• 20:48Speaker 02

  Oh my God, no.

• 20:48Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Are they divorced?

• 20:49Speaker 02

  They're divorced. Oh yeah. I think that because I'm a child of divorce, my parents got divorced when I was 12. So I was old enough to understand what was going on, young enough to be completely affected by it. And so I always looked at my relationship as I don't want it to end in divorce, which is why I've been unwilling to settle. So I really looked at that and it, it gave me a lot of strength early on when it came to men. Also a lot of like distrust and like all the things that come from like a divorced parent situation that I'm sure a lot of people can relate to. But it definitely taught me a lot about not wanting to settle.

• 21:22Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And what were you like as a kid?

• 21:24Speaker 02

  My mom always says that the easiest part about raising me was my birth.

• 21:30Speaker 02

  Which is hysterical. And I love when she says that because I was crazy. I mean, I was as hard headed and, and big willed and confident as you see me today. I really was. And started blogging when I was 19 years old. So I was in my early twenties. I was coming up in New York City. I was getting put in rooms that I was like, oh my God, what am I doing here? But then I felt so cool being there and like that would come off as entitled at times. And I was learning how to be an adult in front of so many people. And so like childhood Danielle was just the same amount of like energetic with this hustler attitude. And I was like, play hard, work hard, the whole thing. And it's kind of still how I am today, but I'm a lot more calmer now, I would say.

• 22:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I've said it before, and I'm gonna say it again. This is one of the best times in history to build something of your own. If you have an idea for a business, I want you to pick up your phone right now. Because genuinely, you just need to start. Now, entrepreneurship is far from easy. But if it's a product business, there's infrastructure like our sponsor Shopify that can get you up and running almost overnight. The storefront, the payments, the orders, all built in. And for women especially, there are so many gatekeepers we just don't have to deal with in the same way anymore.

• 22:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  The bank, the landlord, all those people who used to decide whether you got a shot. There's a reason Shopify's stock jumped 17% recently. There's also a reason that I applied to Shopify 11 times. They are the backbone of entrepreneurship. You may never feel completely ready, but you've never had more of an opportunity to start. There is no better feeling than having something that is truly yours. Find out what it's like to say, that's my business at Shopify.com slash HSR. That's Shopify.com slash HSR. If you run a business, you know there are moments where you need capital quickly.

• 23:38Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Maybe there's an opportunity you want to move on, or inventory needs to be purchased, or maybe cash flow is a little tighter than you'd like it to be. The annoying thing is financing often feels slow, confusing, and full of things you don't find out until way too late. But our sponsor SoFi and their small business loans are designed to be not only fast, but straightforward too. With a quick digital application, you can check your eligibility in minutes, receive a decision quickly, and if approved, get funding as soon as 24 hours later. One thing I really like is how transparent they are. You see your terms clearly before you accept, so you know exactly what you're signing up for. There's also no penalties for paying off your loan early.

• 24:21Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you're managing cash flow, investing in growth, or giving your business more flexibility, SoFi can help you access the capital you need, so you can stay focused on running your business. Visit SoFi.com slash HSR loan to learn more and see if the SoFi Small Business Loan is right for your business. That's SoFi.com slash HSR loan.

• 24:46Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What age did you start your first business?

• 24:51Speaker 01

  The action's on the court. And as the official beer sponsor of the NBA, Michelob Ultra is getting fans closer to the game with a chance to win courtside seats, merch, and more. Visit michelobultra.com/courtside to enter. Michelob Ultra Courtside, 26 to 27. No purchase necessary. Open to US residents 21 plus. Begins on October 1st, 2026 and ends on June 30th, 2027. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at michelobultra.com/courtside for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details.

• 25:19Speaker 03

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. You're ready to level up your business, but the pressure to find the right person to make that happen is intense. Indeed Sponsored Jobs can help carry the load. It boosts your job post to help it reach quality talent fast. Cut through the chaos with Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs.

• 25:48Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Was it 19?

• 25:49Speaker 02

  Yeah, I was 19. I mean, I was like social chair of my sorority and I was doing events. I wanted to be an event planner. So when I was in high school, I would always be the one throwing the parties and organizing events at school. And then when I was at Wisconsin for a year, I was social chair of my sorority and I loved doing that. And then I interned in the city, worked in nightlife for M Group loans like Catch and that whole group. And I was doing event planning for them. And then I fell into blogging. So it was just completely a hobby when I started doing it. I saw something that I became really passionate about and then saw very quickly an opportunity to turn it into a real business.

• 26:22Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you think what motivated you was money? Or was it something else?

• 26:26Speaker 02

  At first, I was motivated by just, I loved doing it. And then I was in school at the time, I was at FIT, and I wanted to pursue it full time. I said, I think I can make money here and I love doing it. So if I can make a career out of the thing I love doing most, like let's see if we can make it happen. And then as I was able to start financially supporting myself, I just full steam ahead went for We Were What.

• 26:49Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What was the first moment that you realized like this is a business?

• 26:54Speaker 02

  Yeah, it became a real business when I could financially support myself. And so we would, when I started getting paid by brands for sponsorships, when I would, when affiliate marketing started becoming a thing and you could make commission off of products you were linking and promoting, and then eventually owning the product I was promoting. So the first moment I realized I should continue on the path of creating product was when I had a swim collaboration that sold $2 million in the first few hours. And I was like, holy shit, there's really something here. My audience isn't just attention. They are consumers, they're buying, there's demand. I need to point that demand towards something I own, not just other people's businesses. Cause if I could sell millions of dollars of other people's products, why am I not doing it towards something I own? Which is why I really started pursuing We Were What as a full, ready to wear brand

• 27:38Speaker 02

  and introduced categories one at a time to start growing it into what it is today.

• 27:42Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You told my team that you were very good at making money before you understood what wealth is. For someone that's hearing that for the first time, what does that mean?

• 27:50Speaker 02

  So I think my relationship with money has changed over the years. At first, it was, it was income, right? It was a check, it was a thing I was able to buy, it was a milestone. It was like X amount in my bank account and then this. And then it became something that gave me choices, something where I could say no, where I could invest it, where I could put it back into my business. And then money became about building wealth and a net worth. And what did it mean for, for the long haul?

• 28:16Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Who helps you navigate that transition of just making a paycheck to building wealth?

• 28:22Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think you, over the years, as you grow, you have the right team that you surround yourself with, right? So like wealth managers and attorneys and financial advisors and all of those kinds of people. And that comes with time. But I always say that like, you want to surround yourself with a great team so that you can ask greater questions. Like you don't want to just surround yourself with a great team so that you don't have to know what's going on. Like I love surrounding myself with smart people so that I can ask even better questions and learn from them too. And I always like to know what's going on. Like if I could tell my younger self anything, it would be like, pay more attention in that business class. Like learn about taxes, learn about contracts, learn like the fine language of certain things because it'll really save you a lot in the long run.

• 29:03Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Now that you have enough money to be able to leave rooms you're no longer respected in, or that you don't want to be in anymore?

• 29:08Speaker 02

  I love that.

• 29:09Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Oh yeah, that's what.

• 29:10Speaker 02

  Vote you on that.

• 29:11Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I say fuck you money is the ability to leave any room that you're no longer respected in?

• 29:15Speaker 02

  By the way, that's not typically what I would associate fuck you money with. And I love that because it feels so much more obtainable.

• 29:21Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What would you say fuck you money is?

• 29:22Speaker 02

  Fuck you money is like, you know, extravagant things in my opinion. But like, the way you just said it is so much cooler.

• 29:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I have just seen so many women in my life been controlled by not having the financial opportunity to leave. And so if you were to ask me like, what fuels you? Why are you doing this? It is so that like, no matter what, throughout my entire life, I have the option to leave any room.

• 29:44Speaker 02

  Optionality.

• 29:44Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Optionality.

• 29:45Speaker 02

  That's what money is to me, is optionality. And I love that you just said that because I couldn't agree more.

• 29:50Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Was there a specific number in your head that you said, when I reach this, I will be okay? Or like, I've made it?

• 29:56Speaker 02

  There was milestones, right? When I made my first million, I was like, fuck, that's so cool. And then I had an eight figure multiple in my head. And then I had, you know, whatever. So I've had different milestones. I feel really fortunate and really lucky, like that if I wanted to stop today and just like live my life, I could. But I have a long ways to go. I have really high aspirations for the brand and for myself. And so I don't have that like one number in my head anymore, but I just want exactly what we've been talking about, like the ability to say no and have that optionality and not have to do something.

• 30:31Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Let's talk about that because I think that as someone of your level that has equity in your own brand, what is motivating to you to get out of bed, to go and do something for a brand partner? When you're like, I have to consider that against everything that I could do for We Were What? What is going to motivate you to get out of bed?

• 30:49Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 30:49Maggie Sellers Reum?

  For someone else?

• 30:50Speaker 02

  You know what? My team motivates me and the people that I support through this business. We Were What is mainly the brand, right? That's like our main source of revenue, but the influencer side of the business is still really powerful. And we still have a lot of revenue that comes from that. And I still really enjoy that because I genuinely enjoy sharing products and what I'm wearing. And even though nine out of 10 times, I'm pulling one thing We Were What out for my outfits, it's always mixed with something else, right? Great denim I like and shoes and other things. And I like mixing and matching and sharing that. And so it's natural for me to take on influencer partnerships when I like a product, but I love saying no when I don't.

• 31:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So your first brand deal was like a Thousand dollars.

• 31:30Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 31:30Maggie Sellers Reum?

  To now your brand deals being like 20,000 to 30,000.

• 31:34Speaker 02

  That's for like a one-off post, right? Like influencers have a rate card. So yes, in the beginning, it was a thou- we were making up numbers.

• 31:40Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 31:40Speaker 02

  A thousand and it was 3,000. Now it could be up to 20,000, but I'll still even take smaller deals than that. Then there can also be like six-figure deals with a larger partnership where there's also a rev share split and other things that go into the way you can make money. It always varies. It's always very specific to the brand partnership. And I always say like attaching my rate card, but like let's hop on a call because this isn't a one-size-fits-all model. There's always a discussion to have. Let me know what kind of budget you're working with and I'll tell you what I think will help you perform best. Which I love having that relationship with brands because when I talk to an influencer for We Were What and I say, I'd love for you to promote our new fall collection, but what do you think will work best with your audience? Like what would feel the best for you? Is it stories? Is it a reel? Is it an in-feed? Is it just a TikTok?

• 32:24Speaker 02

  Do you just want to like have the product on or have it on a hanger? Like what would work for you? And I want to hear, because nobody knows better than the influencer, what their audience is going to respond to. And I wish more brands would understand that. These like long like creative decks and like suggested verbiage and this and like you have to hit X, Y, and Z in this many frames and include these hashtags and whatever. It's like, do you want it to perform well or not? Like you gotta put a little trust in the creator at a certain point.

• 32:49Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And I have heard through the grapevine that you are actually one of the top converters. I think people talk in this space.

• 32:55Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 32:55Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And you hear like, what do people convert really well? But is that the reason you think that you were like, I need to start a brand because I'm converting? Because I think a lot of people in social media will hear this and be like, well, then I should just do a brand. And I actually don't think it translates.

• 33:08Speaker 02

  Right.

• 33:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  For every single person.

• 33:10Speaker 02

  Not everybody needs to create their own line and their own product, but it is a way to have longevity, right? Because high converting influencers are few and far between. I know that as somebody who has a brand and somebody who is one of them. Like it is not easy to find. And I do really pride myself on someone who's created a long trusting relationship with their audience. And I'll, I've told creators today, like, do not focus on growing your numbers. Focus on growing your relationship with your audience because once you have their trust and they are buying from you, the brands will come. There are some creators I work with that have under 100,000 followers and convert better than somebody with 3 million followers. Like that is just the reality of the power of like a strong community.

• 33:51Speaker 02

  And I think that I've had so much longevity in this career because even though there's been a lot of noise around We Were What over the years, I've remained really close with my community and have a really long-lasting trusting relationship with them. Like we've grown up together and they trust when I'm promoting a product. I'm not just getting paid to do it like I actually want it and would buy it myself.

• 34:10Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Let's go back to the creator that has under 100,000 followers.

• 34:13Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 34:14Maggie Sellers Reum?

  They convert more than a person with 3 million followers. They're listening to this. What do you tell them to evaluate their value in the market? How much they should be paying themselves? Because I think that's one of the really hard parts about this space. There is no definition for a rate card based on exactly that.

• 34:33Speaker 02

  Not really, yeah.

• 34:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Engagement is so much more valuable than audience, but so many brands price based on audience. So what would you recommend to that person?

• 34:40Speaker 02

  I think now there's so many agencies and representation out there that you don't actually need to figure that out for yourself. Like there's so many people you can turn to and go to, to help you negotiate contracts and talk about rates and get a higher rate for something. And like when you're a new creator, like maybe you don't know what usage rights are. Like that tax on a fee, like if a traditional model, if they're going to use their image for six months versus three months, that's a different fee. So you need to find that out. And not everybody knows that early on. So you can teach yourself that and you can read things, but you can also rely on people who are experts in this. And there's so much of it now that like it's not hard to find.

• 35:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  When you were thinking about transitioning from brand deals to creating equity in We Were What, did you ever anticipate it would be what it is today?

• 35:26Speaker 02

  No, I didn't even know when I started that. This wasn't a word.

• 35:29Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah.

• 35:29Speaker 02

  There wasn't this industry. It didn't exist. So I didn't pick up my camera and start photographing street style thinking I'm going to be in the creator economy and I'm going to be an influencer. Like I was literally doing this as a hobby. So I never knew what the future looked like. And even if you asked me like eight years ago when I started the brand, I would not be able to tell you that.

• 35:49Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How would you describe the brand eight years ago to the brand today?

• 35:52Speaker 02

  Well, the brand it will be and is about to be with this relaunch, which I'm so excited about. It's just the more grown up version. Like it's, it's where I am today. It's where the brand is. We're just catching up with it. It's, it's a new look. It's elevated. It's chic. It's still really accessible. Like we make everyday pieces that people just want to wear that are easy, that you can repeat, that can be wardrobe staples. And we are like a trend-focused runway-inspired brand. Like we are looking at runways and street style and my own closet. And we're taking inspiration and just making it accessible for our audiences. So we still have a wide range of price points. We still have those under a hundred dollar items, but now we're going up to like 850.

• 36:32Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So you just touched on a few words that we're going to like.

• 36:34Speaker 02

  Okay.

• 36:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Get into. Creative, inspiration. And I think that this has been a subject of curiosity from the public for a very long time. People have questioned your creative process. How would you describe your creative process of We Were What now versus when you first started?

• 36:52Speaker 02

  I think that something I didn't do early on was clearly communicate what We Were What was, right? Like just what I was explaining to you, that we take inspiration from runways and from trends and, and from the existing fashion industry. And we translate it into something for the We Were What customer. Were there times and designs over the years that shouldn't have made it through our process? For sure. I can definitely say that clearly. And were there times that people brought those concerns to light and said that our designs came too close to someone else's? Yes, and I did not handle those right and I regret that. I was reactive. I was defensive. I confused providing context with taking accountability.

• 37:34Speaker 02

  And it's something that now that I've had a lot of distance from it, I'm able to look at and speak about clearly without being defensive and just own it, which I think is really important. And I think is something that people are looking to hear from me because it's something that I've danced around for a long time and was pretty scared to talk about, honestly. So I think that what you'll see now with We Were What is just a lot clearer communication.

• 37:59Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What do you think the people really want to hear?

• 38:04Speaker 02

  I think they just want to hear me own it and take accountability. Yes, there were times over the years where we've had designs that shouldn't have made it through our process. And there were times where I should have just owned something or not blown up about it publicly and tried to defend myself and, and share receipts and, and show intention. And like, that didn't really matter. Like if somebody was hurt by a situation, they were hurt by it. And I didn't do a good job at hearing them. I think just owning that and being able to be like, that will always be part of my narrative, but it's not my whole narrative. Right? Like I'm really still so proud of We Were What and all of our original designs over the years and all the things we've created and built. And I don't think one interview and podcast and, and post is going to change that for people. Like it's not, but I'm not trying to really change people's opinions.

• 38:48Speaker 02

  I'm trying to show them and how I operate and how the company moves forward, that we are doing things differently now.

• 38:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Have you ever talked about it publicly?

• 38:55Speaker 02

  No, not till now, yeah. Not really.

• 38:57Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And what like came on to you that you wanted to do this?

• 39:00Speaker 02

  I feel like the last few months have just been really formative. Like I just feel like I took a step back. I was a bit more quiet. I'm not sharing about my private life right now. And it's helped me to just kind of look at like the whole picture of like what's happened over the years and not be so defensive about it. Because I was always really defensive about it. Like I, like I'm a good person. I promise I didn't do that or that didn't happen. But like sometimes it did happen and like it just, there was just a lot. And I didn't know how to deal with it. I didn't have the tools to deal with it. And so I didn't deal with it the right way a lot of the times. And now I'm able to just have a better perspective and an outlook, just being a little further away from it.

• 39:40Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You seem to be someone that's very good at handling uncertainty or controversy. Did you grow into that? Because that to me feels like that is a hard skill to learn.

• 39:51Speaker 02

  It's hard and it's changed a lot over the years. I'm, I'm not here to like victimize myself by any means because like the same internet that gave me all my successes and amplified all that also shared about all my mistakes along the way. So I don't get to like love one and resent the other, right? Like the, the two coexist. I just think it's about how I move forward now and I'm excited for people to see that. I'm excited for the rebrand. I'm excited to be separate a little bit from the brand where it can evolve and, and exist without me having to be in front of the camera every single day. I think it's going to be better for me personally. It'll help the brand to grow as well. And it's, there's just a lot of fun things planned.

• 40:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Do you feel like this moment in time with the podcast, kind of the post that you're doing, the story, like you will be done talking about it after this? Like it will just be like, I'm not speaking about it? Or will it be something that's just always going to be a part of your story?

• 40:50Speaker 02

  If I get asked about it, I think I have a much better perspective and a comfort level in talking about it that it's not something I'll shy away from. Like it is part of my story and it will be part of my story forever. But I don't want it to be my whole story. And I don't want my kids to Google me one day and just see like bad headlines. Like that would kill me. So I want my career to mean so much more than that in the long run. You were pulling it all out of me today.

• 41:16Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I think there will be people that will watch this and be like, but it doesn't forgive. And I think that those people.

• 41:22Speaker 02

  That's definitely going to happen, by the way. I'm never going to make everyone happy and, and that's something I'm okay with. And that is the reality of being public and sharing about this. And I full-blown know coming on podcasts and, and talking about this stuff publicly, that it will kick up old dirt. And that's something that does give me anxiety, but like I can handle it. And I want to do this because it feels really important to me to talk about these things now and to be able to just like own it. And like I, I, I want to talk about it so I can just get it out there and hopefully just move on from it and let people grow and see the change for themselves.

• 41:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Are you or have you talked to people individually of people that maybe were hurt or were a part of it that you are going to reach out to or going to have a private conversation with those people?

• 42:08Speaker 02

  I have had some really great private conversations over the past few months that have been great. Yeah.

• 42:16Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Like I said, there's gonna be people that are just not willing to walk and look the other way. Then there's people that are gonna hopefully listen to you and be like, I actually am really appreciative that she's taking responsibility and she's taking accountability and we're all moving forward. Is there anything else that you feel like we haven't touched on that you would want people to hear about this specifically?

• 42:38Speaker 02

  I don't think that I have the right to people's opinions about me anymore. I used to think I did and I'd be like, let me just show them this and prove to them that. And, you know, I love like talking about all the good things we were what does, all the give backs we do, the philanthropy work and, and what we've done over the years and all that stuff. And I'm like, just look, we do good things and, and we're great. And like, look at our products and this. And I'm just not in the position where I'm trying to convince people to change their opinions about me anymore. Like, if you wanna see it and give it a chance, that's great. And if you don't, then that's your prerogative. Like, it's just the way it is. But I really, for the first time in a very long time, feel at peace with that.

• 43:18Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You know that rent and mortgage payments have got to be the least sexy thing we spend our money on, but they're a necessity. You have to pay them whether you like it or not. And with our sponsor Bilt, you can earn points on rent and mortgage payments to put towards the nicer and finer things in life, like flights, hotels, that hot yoga class you've been putting off, and more. And I love that idea because it's kind of like your housing payment takes care of the responsible stuff and Bilt gives you a little something for the fun stuff. Built can make other parts of where you live more rewarding, too. Just download the Bilt app, link a debit or a credit card, and ask the neighborhood concierge

• 44:00Maggie Sellers Reum?

  pretty much anything. It can tell you about exclusive benefits at restaurants, fitness studios, and more around your home. Download the Bilt app and join the membership for where you live at joinbilt.com slash HSR. That's J-O-I-N-B-I-L-T dot com slash HSR. And make sure to use our URL so they know that we sent you. This was the first brand I heard about when I moved to Los Angeles almost eight years ago.

• 44:30Speaker 02

  Osea.

• 44:31Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Now, this brand I remember hearing about because when I moved to LA and it was Dry AF, someone told me about this Andaria Algae Body Oil. I started using it and fell in love with the ritual of taking care of my skin. It's wild to me that eight years later, multiple careers later, they are now a show sponsor. Their Andaria Algae Body Oil is one of their best products, clinically shown to instantly and visibly improve skin elasticity and deeply moisturize because it's made with Andaria seaweed, known to help skin feel firmer and more youthful. If you wanna give this incredible oil a try, I have a special

• 45:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  discount for my HSR Angels, 10% off with your first order with code HSR at oseamalibu.com. That's code HSR at oseamalibu.com. And let me know what you think.

• 45:24Speaker 02

  It's so funny because it feels like it is a rebirth, not just of the brand, but also of you at a time.

• 45:34Speaker 01

  The action's on the court. And as the official beer sponsor of the NBA, Michelob Ultra is getting fans closer to the game with a chance to win courtside seats, merch, and more. Visit michelobultra.com/courtside to enter. Michelob Ultra Courtside, 26 to 27. No purchase necessary. Open to US residents 21+. Begins on October 1st, 2026 and ends on June 30th, 2027. Multiple entry periods. See official rules at michelobultra.com/courtside for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes, and details.

• 46:02Speaker 03

  This episode is brought to you by Indeed. You're ready to level up your business, but the pressure to find the right person to make that happen is intense. Indeed sponsored jobs can help carry the load. It boosts your job post to help it reach quality talent fast. Cut through the chaos with Indeed sponsored jobs. Get a $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now? Then this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.

• 46:31Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Um, that you're trying to separate the two. It's like you're rebirthing We Were What and you're rebirthing Danielle Bernstein at the same time.

• 46:38Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:39Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How do you think those two rebirths coexist and then will really have their separation in the future?

• 46:45Speaker 02

  Even just changing the Instagram handle, like, I will no longer be We Were What. I will be Danielle Bernstein again. So I will no longer be We Were What. We've always been synonymous with each other and I've always been the face of the brand. And I still will be the thing that leads and charges the brand, but it's more about creating something that can live on past me and my following, which just feels really crazy. It does.

• 47:06Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Wait, should we do something funny?

• 47:08Speaker 02

  What?

• 47:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So your name in my phone is literally Danielle Bernstein We Were What. Should we remove the We Were What?

• 47:14Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 47:15Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Okay.

• 47:15Speaker 02

  I mean, it's up to you. I mean, yeah.

• 47:17Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Officially, everyone, Danielle We Were What. She's going away.

• 47:21Speaker 02

  Just Danielle Bernstein. That is like the whole point of having this rebrand moment because in order to have 15 more years of We Were What, it can't just rely on me and my following to be successful. Like, I have to be able to step away from it in a healthy way and it will still perform. And that is what I want for the brand.

• 47:40Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And then it's like, you are in a new frame of mind. What is that era called for you?

• 47:44Speaker 02

  It's just the rebrand. It's the new We Were What and the new me. I'm excited to like, talk about it a lot more. I've been loving writing on Substack and I've been kind of avoiding these topics purposely because I wanted this moment to happen where we had the article on the podcast and I wanted it to be fresh for that. And now I'm excited to dive into all of these topics deeper on my Substack because I love writing. It brings me back to the OG days of blogging and it's been something that's been like very therapeutic for me.

• 48:09Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So part of this rebrand is the fact that you bought out your partner.

• 48:13Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 48:13Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Which is, again, you betting on yourself again. Is this the most amount of money that you've spent ever?

• 48:18Speaker 02

  Well, the first part is that I sold a piece of my company before I was 30 for eight figures. So I really cashed out of the business early, but I was able to start building my net worth and my wealth at a really young age. And that required a lot of responsibility and a lot of leaning on the right people and was an awesome decision that I'm so happy I made. And then an even bigger decision was to buy it back. I always had creative control, but I was really taking ownership back in the future of the company and was able to now do all of these things that I'm doing with it today.

• 48:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  So let's break it down a little bit for the people that are listening that might not know exactly what that means. So you sold a piece of your company to your production partners that they were also an owner in your business.

• 49:02Speaker 02

  Yep.

• 49:03Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You still had majority control. You had creative control, but like, you really made the decisions.

• 49:07Speaker 02

  Yeah. I think that there was a point where, and everything ended really amicably and like, I don't believe the same people that get you to be, you know, a 20, $30 million brand, get you to be a $100 million brand. Like, I do think when you wanna hit a different level of growth, you need maybe a different person to do that with, or the right partners to do that with. And so there just comes a time where you maybe outgrow somebody that helped you get to a certain point and that's really what happened.

• 49:34Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I think that goes back to what I said, like, that is a huge bet on yourself as you're navigating all of this.

• 49:39Speaker 02

  Well, the same time that I was buying back the business, I was also buying back my life. Like, I was breaking off my engagement. Like, however you wanna put that, there were these like two huge pivotal moments that were happening at the same time. And it was really more about like, I wanna be in control of my future, both personally and professionally, and this is how I do that.

• 49:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  That is such an insane thing to be able to say, especially as a woman.

• 50:03Speaker 02

  But I didn't like buy back my life.

• 50:04Maggie Sellers Reum?

  No, but like, you, it's in the way you just said it, though. Like, you do make decisions. And I think that's the funny thing when we think about buying and it's so tied to money, but it's like, our most finite resource is time. And I always think about it in that way.

• 50:17Speaker 02

  Totally.

• 50:17Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What would you tell a woman to have buttons up and ready to do by the time she's 35 to have option value?

• 50:23Speaker 02

  I would first take away the age completely because I think this like buy 35 mentality is what got us both in like our situations to begin with, right? Like, kids by 30, this by this, like, all these different age things that like, now at 34, first of all, I feel like I'm 27 again. And I just feel like that kind of mentality is gonna put us in the wrong headspace to choose a partner, choose a career, all of the above. So first of all, I think choosing your partner is probably most, one of the most important business decisions you'll ever make. Like, choose your partner, like, it's a business decision because it'll tell you how much time and energy and, and happiness you will have in

• 51:05Speaker 02

  order to like, then go do the other things. Not being stuck to like one version of success is also really important. Like, I've always like moved the bar and, and changed what I thought success looked like for me and that's okay. And like, not being stuck to one version of myself has been such an important lesson I've learned over the years. But again, like, freezing my eggs was something that was so important to me and I, and I'm, I'm so privileged that I was able to do that at a young age. And I feel so lucky that I had that experience and I have that insurance policy now. But that's not the reality for everyone. So you really have to, you know, take a step back and look at your life and, and see, what am I compromising? And what is that taking away from me time-wise? Because your time

• 51:49Speaker 02

  is money. And like, money then is gonna give you that optionality. But at the end of the day, like, everyone's on their own journey and comparison is a thief of joy. And you just do not wanna compare yourself to other people. The grass is always greener. Like, what you see on the internet is not the whole picture and you really just need to like stay in your own lane.

• 52:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  You're keep on building We Were What as your focus.

• 52:11Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 52:11Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How do you now feel about investing? Angel investing, creator investing. What's your thoughts there?

• 52:18Speaker 02

  So that's been something that has been so fun and such a passion of mine over the years. Like, I started angel investing and taking sweat equity and being a part of other companies, maybe like six years ago. Started with Wellbell. And now I have a ton that I've done in the CBG space, but let's use Wellbell as the example because it's the perfect thing where it was such a natural progression of a product I love that I saw worked and it was proven results. And then I, you know, became super close with the founders. And then I said, we need to rebrand this and I know how to market this better. And like, let's do X, Y, and Z, and here's the value I can provide. And so angel investing and becoming equity, an equity holder in companies that I really believed in has been such a passion of mine for so long that I always said, one day I

• 53:02Speaker 02

  was like, I'm going to start a VC firm and whatever. I really love doing it still. And when I believe in a product and the founder at the same time, that's when I want to get involved. And if I know that I can provide a lot of value to that company, then I'm really, I get excited about it.

• 53:16Maggie Sellers Reum?

  See, wouldn't you say that your position with Wellbell is more like private equity? Like, you're so involved, whereas I'm sure you have so many other companies that are more like angels where you're like, you put in some time, you put in some money, but it's like, you're not so involved.

• 53:28Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 53:28Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Because I do think that you as Wellbell, like, I think of you when I think of Wellbell.

• 53:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 53:33Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I'm sure many people do.

• 53:34Speaker 02

  For sure.

• 53:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  When you think about this new world that we're all entering with creator investors, what are the things you would advise people just to make sure they know? So it's like, these are red flags or this is things that I learned because I learned it the hard way. I was one of the first ones to do this. What are the things that you think would be helpful if someone wants to start investing as a creator?

• 53:55Speaker 02

  For creators, because we have a lot of inherent value that we can provide on like marketing, the promotion side of things, like getting behind a brand and really pushing our following towards that brand. When you get in early enough, you can be involved in like the weeds of things and getting involved so late stage, I don't think is as smart for creators. Like, I really think like, we get exposure to so many young, up and coming brands, small businesses that are at their early stages, that just want to connect with an influencer. And that is the access that has helped me make a lot of my angel investments because I'll meet a brand at a very early stage. I'll see they have an amazing product, they have a great team behind them. And I'm like, I want in now because it's early stage.

• 54:39Speaker 02

  So look for those early stage companies that could use a check, but also want to give you sweat equity to be an advisor and to be, you know, on board and as part of the team. And with my angel investments, like, I am getting involved operationally as well. Like, I won't take on something unless I can give it some of my time, enough to make a difference.

• 54:58Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I actually love that you just said that because one of the things I say is like, a good rule of thumb for a consumer brand, and again, everything is nuanced, but if the valuation is over like $50 million, it's likely hard to make the risk worth the return.

• 55:11Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 55:12Maggie Sellers Reum?

  For you, do you have any guardrails that you can think to for people of like, if they're starting to look at opportunities, how do they try to understand what's a good opportunity from something that might not pan out for them?

• 55:24Speaker 02

  I think what I said, like, the early stage investments are going to be the ones that you can really touch and feel and see the impact that you're going to be able to make. And as they get later stage like that, like, the risk and the reward becomes a lot more iffy, right? Like, you don't know whether that's going to pan out. And if you're even writing a large enough check that it's going to be worth your time and commitment and promotion of the product, let's say. So again, I would just say, look for the early stage.

• 55:50Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you think about the next phase of building wealth for Danielle Bernstein, where are you going to spend more of your time and where do you feel like you're already really covered?

• 55:58Speaker 02

  I mean, I'm definitely going to still be spending a majority of my time building We Were What. Like, that is my main focus and will remain my main focus for the foreseeable future. But it's really about building an ecosystem around We Were What, where I can be the founder, but I don't have, I don't have to be the face of it all the time. And we can build a really big community ecosystem around it where it can be successful on its own and stand on its own, even if I step away.

• 56:22Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein, do you think that there's anything that we haven't talked about that you would be sad leaving the set of Hot Smart Rich if we didn't?

• 56:28Speaker 02

  You covered literally everything. I'm sure I spoke way too much and rambled on, but we will see it in the edit.

• 56:35Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Okay, can we do some rapid fire?

• 56:37Speaker 02

  Sure.

• 56:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein, what is the last thing you put on your credit card?

• 56:40Speaker 02

  A flight this morning to come back here.

• 56:43Maggie Sellers Reum?

  When?

• 56:44Speaker 02

  Like, in like two weeks.

• 56:45Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Oh, my God. Okay, what is the last most expensive thing?

• 56:48Speaker 02

  It's got to be something for my roof renovation, unfortunately, not that sexy.

• 56:51Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Oh, my God. Okay, finish this sentence. I know I'm stressed if I'm spending money on?

• 56:57Speaker 02

  I know I'm stressed if I'm spending money on, like, Forward. Like, if I'm shopping a lot, I gotta shop like Forward or like My Teresa all the time for Net-a-Boarder.

• 57:08Maggie Sellers Reum?

  That's amazing.

• 57:09Speaker 02

  If I'm stressed, I'm shopping, honestly.

• 57:11Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is something you hate spending money on?

• 57:13Speaker 02

  Like, little things, like, things you would laugh at, like, under a hundred dollar things, like, the most random shit that I'd be like, oh, why am I spending money on that? But then like, I'll buy like a designer bag, so it like, doesn't make any sense. But I feel like everyone has their version of that.

• 57:27Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Yeah. What age did you stop worrying about money?

• 57:30Speaker 02

  When I sold my company in my late twenties.

• 57:32Maggie Sellers Reum?

  What is the last purchase that changed your life?

• 57:35Speaker 02

  My home.

• 57:36Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Love that.

• 57:36Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 57:37Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you could only tell yourself one HSR love note for the rest of your life, what would it be?

• 57:41Speaker 02

  So it's not mine, it's DVF said it, and it's that the most important relationship is the one with yourself.

• 57:46Maggie Sellers Reum?

  And if you could title this season of your life, what would it be called, Danielle Bernstein?

• 57:50Speaker 02

  The rebrand era.

• 57:53Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein, thank you so much for coming on HSR. Where can people find you and how can HSR help you?

• 57:58Speaker 02

  At We Were What, at Danielle Bernstein now, and weawerewhat.com.

• 58:03Maggie Sellers Reum?

  That's crazy. Is this the first time you're saying it?

• 58:05Speaker 02

  Yeah, it is.

• 58:05Maggie Sellers Reum?

  How does it feel?

• 58:06Speaker 02

  It feels really good.

• 58:07Maggie Sellers Reum?

  I'm obsessed.

• 58:08Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 58:09Maggie Sellers Reum?

  Danielle Bernstein, thank you for coming on, we love you.

• 58:10Speaker 02

  I love you, this is so fun.

• 58:22Maggie Sellers Reum?

  If you're starting a business, there are certain things that are so fun to think about. Y'all know I love a mood board, so everything that relates to the creative, the name, the brand, the website, the vision board. But then there are the things that make you pause and ask, am I even doing this correctly? Or do I even want to be doing this? Like forming your business, getting the right documents, keeping your personal information private. This is where our sponsor, Northwest Registered Agent, is so helpful. They're a one stop shop for founders who want to launch and legitimize their business without turning it into a giant admin spiral. They help you form an LLC or a corporation, act as your registered agent, and give you tools like a business address, operating agreement, website, phone number, professional email, and free guides.

• 59:06Maggie Sellers Reum?

  They also have real corporate guides who know your local laws. Visit northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree and start using free resources to build something amazing. Get more with Northwest Registered Agent at northwestregisteredagent.com/hsrfree.

• 59:26Speaker 04

  Whenever fall comes back around, it always feels like a fresh start. This year, I've been layering in some styles from the new Lululemon fall drop because the weather is shifting and I find I have to be ready for the entire day and not just one part of it. Lululemon's fall line has some really versatile transitional pieces, so I can just wake up, throw on a matching set, add a jacket or a fleece, and head out, knowing that I'll feel comfortable enough to go wherever the day takes me. Check out the new fall arrivals in store and online now at lululemon.com.