Hot Smart Rich

• How The Two Celebrity Content Creators Behind Kate Hudson & Miranda Kerr Built a Creative Agency Business, Signed Celebs, & Went Viral ft. Chloe Sappern & Lydia Berry of Darlington

  In this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers sits down with Chloe Sappern and Lydia Berry, the powerhouse duo behind Darlington, the social-first agency trusted by Sofia Richie Grainge, Miranda Kerr, Megan Roup, Serena Kerrigan, Kate Love, Emily DiDonato, Cameron Rogers, Liv Perez, and more.Darlington isn’t just another digital agency—it’s the industry’s best-kept secret, crafting the social presence of some of the most recognizable faces in fashion, beauty, and pop culture. Founded less than a year ago, they’ve grown entirely through inbound demand and referrals. Their work has led to over 1,000% increases in views, 2,000% growth in likes and shares, and double-digit follower growth for A-list clients in just a few months.Key Takeaways:Social is a non-negotiable. If you’re not on Instagram or TikTok, you’re missing the moment. Whether you’re building a personal brand or a business, consistent content — not perfection — is what drives growth and visibility.White space is an invitation. Chloe and Lydia saw a gap in how celebrities and creators were being supported online and built a talent business that met the moment. The biggest brands often start where no one else is looking.Start scrappy, not silent. Your first TikTok might flop. Your second might go viral. But you won’t know unless you post. Trial reels, cross-platform testing, and messy momentum are how personal brands gain traction.Your strategy should reflect your life — not just the algorithm. Instagram Stories, TikTok trends, and behind-the-scenes content can all work if they align with your energy and goals. There’s more than one way to win online. “Date” your co-founder before you commit. Starting a business together is a bigger deal than signing a lease. Chloe and Lydia tested their dynamic first — and found out their complementary strengths made them stronger.Complementary skill sets matter more than matching aesthetics. The best co-founder relationships (especially in fast-moving industries like social and creator marketing) are built on different perspectives, not just shared vibes.The future of talent is hybrid: part agency, part social strategist. Chloe and Lydia aren’t just managing creators — they’re helping talent show up strategically on TikTok, Instagram, and beyond.--⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐If you like what you hear, rate, review, and subscribe to Hot Smart Rich, the podcast supporting women who own their worth — in business, wealth, and life.--💌 Own your worth — and build the life you want. Subscribe to the ⁠Hot Smart Rich newsletter,⁠ the no-BS guide to startup life, consumer brands, and becoming your hottest, smartest, richest self, written by Maggie Sellers. Join 250,000+ women building wealth, confidence, and community on their own terms.Subscribe here: https://hotsmartrich.com/subscribe--Follow Maggie here:Instagram: @maggiesellers TikTok: @maggiesellers_https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesellers_LinkedIn: Maggie SellersShopMy: Maggie SellersAmazon Storefront: maggiesellers--Follow Darlington, Lydia, and Chloe here:Instagram: @atdarlingtonLydia's Instagram: @lydberryChloe's Instagram: @chloesappern--More from Hot Smart Rich:The Hot Smart Rich Money MindsetMerch--This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions, Meghan Coyle, and Vandana Ravi.

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• Kosas’s Sheena Zadeh On The Truth About Money, Divorce, Success, & What She Learned After Losing Everything

  On this week's episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie sits down with Sheena Zadeh, founder of Kosas, for a real conversation about what it actually takes to build an iconic brand — and survive everything life throws at you at the same time.Sheena talks openly about losing her house in the LA fires, going through a divorce while scaling a consumer startup, and rebuilding not just her business, but her life. She shares what no one tells you about success, money, grief, and balance — and why real female empowerment looks different than the internet makes it seem.Whether you’re building your own thing, thinking about early-stage investing, or just figuring out how to make sense of your ambition, relationships, and sanity, Sheena’s story is proof you can lose everything and still come back stronger.--Key TakeawaysResilience isn’t glamorous, it’s survival. Sheena rebuilt her life and brand after losing her house and going through divorce — and talks openly about how grief and success can coexist.Consumer startups aren’t built off a single viral moment. Kosas’ growth came from slow, steady, unsexy consistency — not one “big break.”Money provides safety, not happiness. Wealth-building matters, but fulfillment comes from your relationships, your rituals, and the life you’re actually living — not your bank account.Founders sacrifice more than anyone sees. From missing out on memories to navigating single motherhood while scaling a brand, the personal cost is real (and rarely talked about).Brand loyalty matters more than brand heat. Kosas wasn’t chasing headlines — it was building real consumer love, which lasts longer than any viral moment.Your personal brand should feel like an extension of your real life. You don’t have to fake high energy or become someone else to be visible — you can build it authentically, even as an introvert.There’s no “balance” when you’re building — and that’s okay. The idea of balance looks different at different stages, and sometimes survival is the balance.Your real legacy isn’t your resume — it’s the life you lived. What you create, who you love, and what you experience matter more than your LinkedIn title.--⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐If you like what you hear, rate, review, and subscribe to Hot Smart Rich, the podcast supporting women who own their worth — in business, wealth, and life.--💌Own your worth — and build the life you want. Subscribe to the Hot Smart Rich newsletter, the no-BS guide to startup life, consumer brands, and becoming your hottest, smartest, richest self, written by Maggie Sellers. Join 250,000+ women building wealth, confidence, and community on their own terms.--Follow Maggie here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiesellers/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maggiesellers_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellersmaggie/ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/maggiesellersAmazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/maggiesellers--Follow Sheena here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheenazadeh--More from Hot Smart Rich:The Hot Smart Rich Money Mindset: https://hotsmartrich.shop/collections/shop-all/products/hsr-50-20-20-10-methodMerch: https://hotsmartrich.shop/--This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC, with support from Coldea Productions.

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  46:18
• Maggie & Katie Sellers Get Real: $50M Lawsuits, Fake Birkins, and the Future of Beauty

  In this episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers and Katie Sellers break down the five biggest stories shaping beauty, retail, and the startup lifestyle—$50M lawsuits, fake Birkins, rebrand flops, and the future of K-beauty.We get into:The truth about K-beauty medical tourism (and what went wrong for one woman who lost her vision)Why Olive Young might eat Sephora’s lunch—and what beauty from the inside out really looks likeHow Boy Smells lost the plot with their rebrand (and their core customer)How TikTok creators in China are exposing luxury markups—and what that means for the future of fashion houses and consumer trustWhat the Revolve lawsuit reveals about influencer marketing, taxes, and the fine print no one talks about📌 Like what you hear? Rate + review the pod to support women who are redefining what it means to build power—through culture, capital, and consumer. Brands, Products & Things Mentioned in This EpisodeOlive YoungSephoraRevolveBoy Smells4AM SkinPhlur by Chriselle LimFreja New YorkPolèneDHGateAmore Vintage TokyoCONNECT WITH MAGGIE:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers ⁠⁠⁠TIKTOK: ⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_ ⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN: ⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers ⁠⁠⁠CONNECT WITH KATIE:INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@katiesellers_ ⁠⁠⁠⁠LINKEDIN: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Katie Sellers⁠⁠ ⁠READ THE NEWSLETTER:⁠⁠⁠HSR ICYMI ⁠⁠⁠SHOP HSR:⁠⁠⁠HSR MERCH⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠SHOP MY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AMAZON⁠⁠⁠This episode is produced by HSR Media.

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• Maggie Solo Episode: A Week In My Life In Japan — Cherry Blossoms, Market Meltdowns & K-Beauty Breakouts

  In this week’s solo episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie Sellers takes you behind the scenes of her trip to Tokyo and Kyoto with the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), where business, beauty, burnout, and inspiration collide.This isn’t your typical travel vlog. It’s a raw, unfiltered look at what it means to build a business while living out of a suitcase, navigate elite global networks, and stay grounded when your skin’s breaking out and your schedule is maxed.Maggie opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of stepping into high-pressure rooms while not feeling her best physically, how changing your environment can shift your self-image, and what it’s really like to network with billion-dollar business leaders over sushi in Japan.This first-of-its-kind episode blends travel diary, business insights, beauty commentary, and personal reflection. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “not doing enough” while on the road or wondered what really goes on at invite-only global business trips, this one’s for you.Join the HSR Global Angels Community💌 Link to join: ⁠Click here to join⁠This is a community by you, for you. It’s peer-led, community-driven, and built for ambitious, like-minded women. Whether you’re looking to connect with business besties, discover the best Pilates class in your city, or find new friends—this is where it happens.CONNECT WITH MAGGIE SELLERS Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maggiesellers_⁠⁠⁠YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@hotsmartrich⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Maggie Sellers⁠⁠⁠⁠READ THE NEWSLETTER⁠⁠⁠HSR ICYMI⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Stay ahead with consumer startup trends, business news, and investing insights.SHOP HOT SMART RICH⁠⁠⁠HSR Merch⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop My⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ABOUT MAGGIE SELLERSMaggie Sellers is the founder of Hot Smart Rich, an investment and media company designed to empower women in business and entrepreneurship. A multi-hyphenate creator, investor, and entrepreneur, she’s redefined female empowerment with her sharp, candid insights into business, wealth-building, and startup investing. As a leading voice on TikTok and LinkedIn, Maggie’s content reaches over 180,000 ambitious women looking to elevate their careers, finances, and businesses.Maggie is also an angel investor in brands like Allara Health, Mixlab, and De Soi and a venture partner in HSR Ventures, where she backs the next generation of consumer startups. Forget outdated notions of female empowerment—Maggie is reshaping what it means to be a modern power player in business and investing.📢 This episode is produced by HSR Media, a division of Creative MES LLC.

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  25:45
• Maggie Solo Episode: Why I Got a Breast Augmentation—And What No One Tells Ambitious Women About Surgery, Recovery & Self-Confidence

  In this raw and unfiltered episode of Hot Smart Rich, Maggie opens up about something she’s never talked about publicly before—her recent natural breast augmentation, also known as an NFTBA (Natural Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation). From the real cost of the procedure to the unexpected emotional rollercoaster of recovery, this is the tell-all she wishes had existed when she was making her decision.She breaks down exactly what the experience was like—both physically and professionally. From downtime as a founder and managing brand campaigns while recovering, to the mental load of plastic surgery as a high-achieving woman, Maggie shares the part no one talks about.If you’ve ever typed “fat transfer breast augmentation reviews” into Reddit, wondered whether fat transfer actually lasts, or debated between implants vs natural enhancement—this is your go-to guide. She also reveals why Dr. Steven Teitelbaum was her surgeon of choice, what no one tells you about post-op depression, and how this surgery intersected with her identity, body image, and ambition.What This Episode Covers: Why Maggie chose fat transfer over implants (and what she’d do differently) What to expect with plastic surgery downtime while running a business What Maggie wore during recovery, what helped her heal, and what no one warned her about The actual cost and why it was over $17K The business of beauty and how investors and VCs are capitalizing on medical aesthetics and plastic surgery How to approach elective surgery as a working woman in the corporate world This is for the woman who’s ambitious, informed, and unapologetic about wanting to feel confident in her body—and still wants the full breakdown before making a decision.Whether you’re in your “research era” or just here for the tea, Maggie’s story will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and maybe a little less alone.

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  50:44

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