200,000 downloads. A tagline that finally made people “get it.” And a few hard lessons along the way.

In this episode of The Burnouts, co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni unpack the marketing experiments that helped Phia find traction—from trial reels and creator guides to AI-generated scripts and TikTok reach campaigns. They share what worked, what didn’t, and what they’re still learning about building a brand from scratch.

They also talk about the power of a clear metaphor (“Google Flights for fashion”), the pressure of launching on the same day as a major podcast appearance, and why community has been their most valuable asset.

Also: how Kris Jenner got involved...

📲 Download the Phia app to start saving money: www.phia.com

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🔍 CHAPTERS

2:00 – Launching Phia the same day as Call Her Daddy

6:20 – Trial Reels: our low-cost growth engine

8:45 – Our best-performing hook

11:15 – TikTok flops, LinkedIn wins, and why Substack matters

13:10 – The hack to community-building

15:00 – How we use AI to write scripts that work

17:30 – The SEO agency mistake we won’t make again

19:10 – The "special sauce" in a marketing hire

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Subscribe to The Burnouts for exclusive conversations with today’s top founders and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by former Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, this isn’t just another founder podcast—it’s untold conversations and the unfiltered reality of what it takes to build your dream career in your 20s.

Guests include Paris Hilton, Chelsea Handler, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and more visionaries defining the brands—and blueprints—of our time. Whether you’re dreaming big or building now, these are the conversations that will show you how it’s done (and what no one else tells you).

🔔 Subscribe now to get the blueprint for building your dream career

Olympic gold, Ivy League brains, supermodel looks—and still figuring it out.

In this episode of The Burnouts, Olympic gold medalist, model, and Stanford student Eileen Gu joins Phoebe and Sophia for an unfiltered conversation about ambition, identity, and what happens after you’ve seemingly “made it.”

Eileen opens up about her post-Olympic burnout, learning to sit with stillness after injury, and the pressure of being young, female, and hyper-visible on the world stage. From negotiating brand deals at 13 to being grilled about geopolitics at 18, she reflects on the emotional toll of public scrutiny—and the freedom of learning to define success on her own terms.

She also shares how fashion gave her a new language for femininity, what solo travel taught her about self-worth, and why she’ll never apologize for being “the nerd who does everyone’s homework.”

Also: the difference between a high-quality man and a fragile ego.

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CHAPTERS

2:10 – Post-Olympic depression is real

4:45 – How she accidentally went pro

6:55 – Negotiating for yourself, even if you're scared

10:40 – Walking Victoria’s Secret and staying true to your values

13:15 – Becoming a cultural bridge—not picking a side

17:35 – Why smart women scare fragile men

26:00 – Glorifying suffering is not a flex

28:55 – Nerd alert: physics made her a better skier

35:40 – Injury, identity, and learning to rest

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📲 Download the Phia app to start saving money: www.phia.com

Subscribe to The Burnouts for bold, raw interviews with the thinkers, athletes, and founders redefining ambition. Hosted by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni—former Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders—each episode dives into the unpolished truths of building a life and career that matters. This isn’t another founder podcast. It’s what building something in your 20s actually sounds like—unfiltered, in-progress, and a little bit chaotic.

What if your side hustle made you a millionaire—and taught millions of women how to become one too?

In this episode of The Burnouts, Vivian Tu (@Your.RichBFF) joins Phoebe and Sophia to unpack the story behind her Wall Street-to-TikTok glow-up, the money myths that hold women back, and how she’s rewriting financial literacy for a new generation.

Vivian opens up about surviving workplace racism, being your office’s unofficial 401(k) whisperer, and building a media empire that started with one viral video—and became a New York Times bestselling book, a chart-topping podcast, and a full-time career.

She also shares the real talk behind her relationship: who paid more rent, how German cockroaches accidentally fast-tracked her move-in, and why every couple should go on “dessert walks.”

Also: the genius trick to automating your savings without even thinking about it.

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🔍 CHAPTERS
1:02 – Why dating gets harder when women get more successful
4:55 – How to actually budget (no spreadsheets, no shame)
8:00 – What to do with your first paycheck
13:50 – Getting pushed out of Wall Street—and finding a new path
18:20 – When to quit your job for your side hustle
30:55 – Talking about money in relationships (without making it weird)

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Vivian Tu

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📖 Read Rich AF
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📲 Download the Phia app to start saving money

Subscribe to The Burnouts for exclusive interviews with the thinkers, founders, and creatives shaping culture and business today. As former Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders, Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni bring rare access and real curiosity to every guest—cutting through the noise to get to what actually matters. It’s not just another founder podcast. This is what building in your 20s really looks like—unscripted, in-progress, and surprisingly honest.