⛷️ “Gnarly Numbers” — Vail’s ski-pocalypse. Robinhood’s VC IPO. Stanley’s manly pivot. +$700K Girl Scout Cookie

Summary

The Best One Yet – Episode Summary

⛷️ “Gnarly Numbers” — Vail’s ski-pocalypse. Robinhood’s VC IPO. Stanley’s manly pivot. +$700K Girl Scout Cookie
Date: February 19, 2026
Hosted by: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

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Overview

In this episode, Jack and Nick tackle three major pop-business stories: Colorado's historically bad ski season and how ski resorts are pivoting, Robinhood’s unprecedented “People’s VC” IPO that lets anyone invest in hot startups, and Stanley’s bold attempt to recapture hype by pivoting their viral water bottle brand from ‘cup girlies’ to gym dudes. Plus, they open the show with a jaw-dropping Girl Scout cookie sales feat that’s blowing previous records out of the water.

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Notable Segments & Key Points

Opening Highlight: $700K Girl Scout Cookie Queen (00:33–03:00)

• Six-year-old Pim Neal of Pennsylvania smashes the record by selling over 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in six weeks—equivalent to $700,000 in revenue.
  • “This kindergartener sold over 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Yeah, real number.” – Nick (01:43)
  • Pim leverages both traditional door-to-door sales and TikTok virality (“honest authenticity, link in bio”).
  • On track for 200,000 boxes, which could break long-standing records.
  • The reward for selling 2,026 boxes in 2026: A trip to Niagara Falls. Pim is 50x over that!
  • “Pim is a thin mint mogul, Jack. She’s a wolf of Main Street.” – Nick (02:11)
  • “She’s the Jamie Dimon of Do-si-dos, isn’t she?” – Jack (02:16)

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Story #1: Colorado’s “Gnarly” Ski Crisis & Ski Resort Survival (05:35–11:07)

The Crisis (05:35–06:50):

• Colorado’s ski resorts are enduring their worst season ever due to lack of snow; over half the trails are closed. Even high-elevation Arapaho Basin is only 35% open.
• Tragic news: 8 people killed in Tahoe avalanche, bittersweet against US skier Mikaela Shiffrin’s gold in the Olympics.

Financial Fallout & Vail’s Position (07:03–07:46):

• Vail Resorts, a $5B company, reports 20% drop in visits but only a 2% drop in lift revenue—thanks to nonrefundable tickets and pre-bought season passes.
• “You paid for your skiing before Thanksgiving, before you had any idea how much snow there would be.” – Jack (07:35)

Adaptation: Survival Strategies (07:55–10:04)

Tech Solutions:

• Massive snowmaking investments: $100M on weather-based snow guns, but water shortages limit effectiveness.

Creative Fixes:

• Monarch Mountain: Has 100% open terrain—with no manmade snow, but instead snow fences to catch wind-blown drifts. (“We repeat, fences for snow.” – Jack, 08:56)
• Resorts pivot to alternative attractions (water parks, roller coasters, concerts, competitions, comedy shows).
  • “Skiing is increasingly secondary, right? Bells and whistles keep the customers coming even when the snow doesn’t.” – Jack (09:35)

Disneyworld for Skiers:

• Resorts are morphing into “entertainment destinations” to keep visitors coming, even when skiing is subpar.

The Takeaway (10:06–11:07)

• “To survive, they have to be more like the Sox.” – Jack (10:06)
  Ski resorts should mimic baseball teams: Most revenue comes from pre-sold season tickets, and the key is entertaining fans—good or bad season.
  • “Management’s job at both baseball teams and ski resorts is to minimize the torture of a bad season by distracting customers with other stuff to do.” – Nick (10:37)
  • “Red Sox Nation pays up no matter what. For ski resorts to survive, yeah, they need to do the same.” – Nick (10:57)

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Story #2: Robinhood’s “People’s VC” – The Public Venture Fund IPO (11:07–16:12)

Robinhood’s Groundbreaking Move (11:07–12:38)

• Launching the first publicly traded VC fund (“People’s VC”) so any investor can get a piece of hot startups long before IPO.
  • “Now with this publicly traded venture capital fund Robinhood’s building, you can be like Bono: invest in top startups through this fund.” – Nick (11:54)
• Notable portfolio so far: Databricks, Oura Ring, Stripe, Revolut, Boom Supersonic, Ramp—but no SpaceX, Anthropic, or OpenAI yet.

IPO Mechanics & Impact (13:04–13:45)

• Robinhood users can buy shares at $25 each; fund will be listed under ticker RVI.
• Robinhood charges an annual 2% fee but not the typical 20% “carry” on profits.

Valuation Quirks & Meme Risk (14:17–15:55)

• The fund’s market value should match the sum of its startup stakes, but meme traders might push it to bizarre “moon” levels, as seen with GameStop or Tesla.
  • “The private stock market is the most exclusive VIP section in finance. But a door just opened for meme traders.” – Jack (14:47)
  • “It’s finance inception. What is going on?” – Nick (13:27)
  • “If Robinhood’s VC becomes a meme stock... oh boy, mooning over here.” – Nick (15:39)
• Pandora’s box: No one knows the effect if retail traders send this fund’s value soaring beyond the underlying companies’ worth.

The Takeaway (14:47–15:55)

• Historic democratization: “A door into Finance’s VIP section that anyone can now walk through.” – Jack (22:13 wrap)
• It’s a first-of-its-kind experiment with uncertain outcomes but big implications for finance and tech investing.

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Story #3: Stanley’s Manly Pivot – From ‘Cup Girlies’ to Gym Guys (18:36–21:49)

The Rise & Plateau (18:36–19:33):

• Stanley Quencher Tumbler: Once the “ultimate female zillennial status symbol,” exploded in sales peaking during Pilates chic.
  • “When we covered Stanley back in 2021, revenues had jumped 275%. In 2024, they were doing $750 million in revenue.” – Jack (19:16)

Fading Hype (19:33–19:38):

• Stanley stops sharing exact revenue numbers; sign that market may be saturated as “everyone who wanted a Stanley Tumblr got one.”
  • Piper Sandler survey: Owala is now the hot brand, supplanting Stanley.

New Strategy: “Get Manly Again” (19:44–20:54)

• Launching overtly masculine versions: waterproof tote backpack, gym bag, giant protein shaker—now in matte black as well as traditional colors.
  • “Stanley’s not just pivoting from women to men. Stanley is pivoting to black gym bags. For guys who are protein maxing, besties.” – Nick (18:44)
• Partnerships shifted: From floral collab with Love Shack Fancy to sports sponsorships (Lionel Messi, Paris FC).
  • “Stanley launched 113 years ago, four working men. Now they’re pivoting to working out men.” – Jack (20:45)
• Observing the brand’s second major pivot, the hosts note that the next challenge is to make Stanley’s products feel exclusive again, not just widely available.

The Takeaway (20:58–21:49)

• “If everyone’s a member of the club, Nick, then no one lines up to get in.” – Jack (20:58)
• Reflects Apple’s hero product/accessory model, but stresses the importance of renewing the status-symbol allure.
  Their challenge: Can Stanley make men feel that using Stanley is special, not just functional?
  • “It’s how do you make men feel like Stanley is a club that they would line up to get into?” – Jack (21:43)

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Memorable Quotes

• “In the ski industry, for ski resorts to survive, they have to be more like the Sox.” – Jack (10:06)
• “The private stock market is the most exclusive VIP section in finance. But a door just opened for meme traders.” – Jack (14:47)
• “Stanley’s hero product is the 40 ounce tumbler. And these gym bags, they help you take it on the go. But what we think is missing is the club element.” – Jack (21:09)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Story | Start Time | |------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Girl Scout Cookie Queen | 00:33 | | Colorado’s Ski-pocalypse & Solutions | 05:35 | | Robinhood’s People’s VC IPO | 11:07 | | Stanley’s Manly Pivot | 18:36 | | Key Takeaways Recap | 21:49 | | Quick-fire News (“What Else You Need to Know”) | 22:32 |

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Final Takeaways Recap (21:52–22:32)

• Ski resorts must diversify offerings like baseball teams and rely on pre-sale revenue to survive climate uncertainty.
• Robinhood’s “People’s VC” IPO opens up private tech investing to everyone, creating potential for meme-level volatility.
• Stanley’s challenge: transitioning to become a men’s status brand while regaining that coveted club feel.

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Additional Fast Facts & News (22:32–24:03)

• Possible stock spinoff for the Knicks and Rangers.
• Rent control gaining steam in large US cities.
• Erewhon launches world’s “healthiest” smoothie for $25—branding continues to chase extremes.

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This episode fuses business analysis, pop culture, and savvy trend-spotting, making it both accessible and sharply relevant for anyone who loves staying on the pulse of business news with a side of witty banter.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[B]

It's Thursday, the new Friday, February 19th, and today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T, boy.

[A]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[B]

I'm sorry, Jack. February, shortest month of the year, but also biggest month of the year.

[A]

Started with the super bowl, then the Winter Olympics, then the like four game, NBA All Star Game tournament.

[B]

Okay, but it's also Black history Month, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, and we just started Ramadan yesterday.

[A]

Happy fast to all our Yetis fasting right now. But Nick, Lent started yesterday, so I'm actually withholding sugar for 40 days.

[B]

Well, I'm eating twice as much sugar. February. Keep looking. Fantastic, Jack. Let's hit our three stories. What do we got?

[A]

For our first story, Colorado is having its worst ski season ever. The situation in the Rockies is rocky. Your skis are gonna get dinged up.

[B]

So how do we save the ski industry? Yetis it's with fences and Fenway.

[A]

For our second story, Robin Hood is turning Silicon Valley's most exclusive VIP room into a $25 stock.

[B]

It's the People's Vent Fund. And we just found out what's in it. SpaceX, question mark.

[A]

And our third and final story is the Stanley tumbler. It's no longer the it accessory for the cup girlies.

[B]

So Stanley is making the biggest pivot yet. Can Stanley get manly again? If you know, you know.

[A]

But yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[B]

Oh, I mean, what a mix of stories. Love the mix of stories for the new Friday, Jack.

[A]

Everyone's talking about the Olympics medal count.

[B]

Okay, but Jack, we talked about the most important podium out there right now.

[A]

Girl Scout cookies.

[B]

Yeah, it's the cookies.

[A]

Because 6 year old pim Neal of Pennsylvania just set a record for most boxes of cookies sold in one single selling season.

[B]

Get this. This kindergartener sold over 100,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Yeah, real number.

[A]

100,000 boxes. That's $700,000 in revenue. And she's only been selling for six weeks.

[B]

Jack, could you sprinkle on some calendar context, please?

[A]

Girl Scout cookie selling season is January through April.

[B]

So we're not even halfway through this thing yet.

[A]

Which means Pym is on pace to sell 200,000 boxes, which would break the.

[B]

Career record of sales in just one single season.

[A]

Pim is a thin mint mogul, Jack.

[B]

She's a wolf a Main Street.

[A]

I love her name, but she's the Jamie Dimon of Do Si dos, isn't she?

[B]

Hey, Andreessen. We got the Carnegie of Samoas.

[A]

Yes, she does sell door to door like all girl scouts do.

[B]

And yes, her family posts her links on Facebook to scale it.

[A]

But little Pim who has disabilities is winning on TikTok. Especially with her honest authenticity link in bio.

[B]

That's a CTA you just can't resist after seeing one of her sister.

[A]

Nick, with these numbers, she'll graduate from Daisy to Brownie this year. I guarantee it.

[B]

Hey Jack, the girls towns don't do a bonus, but they do give a reward to girls who sell 2026 boxes in the year 2026.

[A]

A trip to Niagara Falls. That's the reward. But what if you beat that goal by 50x and counting, Nick.

[B]

Well, the cookie queen probably gonna have her parents tag along.

[A]

Jack, I see what you did there and I approve.

[B]

Not that for a guy cutting out sugar.

[A]

Jack. Let's see that.

[B]

Three stories. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's. But the best is the norm, Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip. T Boy City on your Liz if you know, you know. Cause we read to go we can't wait no more so just start the.

[A]

Show.

[B]

Start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor, Menace AI Yetis. So when are we using AI when we're jumping in T boy style to some research.

[A]

Why crunch numbers in that earnings report when a bot will do it for you?

[B]

Don't worry. Jack's love language is fact checking. So everything gets a double check. Fact check before it makes the pod. You know it.

[A]

No. AI Slopper out.

[B]

No. So Jack and I are pumped to tell you about Manus AI the hot new AI agent that does more than just answer your questions.

[A]

It does tasks for you that you don't want to do to get your work done faster and better.

[B]

Manus is the most powerful AI agent for people who don't code.

[A]

We just asked Manus where the CEOs of the 100 most profitable companies went to college. Boom. It created it for us.

[B]

Or you could ask Manus to launch an e commerce shop for you. Boom. You're Anna Wintour.

[A]

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[B]

Oh, by the way, Manus means hands in Latin. Because like hands, Manus is pretty darn useful to humans.

[A]

And you can get your hands on.

[B]

Manus AI for free, visit Manus Im tboy to get started with Manus and some tboy sponsors special credits.

[A]

That's menace Im tbly.

[B]

Yeah, it is. Jack had a lifelong dream of owning a ski house. But then he married a skier who's better at skiing than him, which put.

[A]

The pressure on to really own a ski house.

[B]

Okay, but still, ski house is very expensive. So what helped make Jack's dream doable? Airbnb.

[A]

I bought the chalet in 2024 and I use it very often with my own family. But when we're not using it, I host it on Airbnb. Especially those three day weekends when ski houses are in most demand.

[B]

The additional income Jack earns from hosting his home and Airbnb, it helps make owning the secondary property possible.

[A]

President's Day weekend coming up.

[B]

Nick A lot of people want to go skiing, Jack.

[A]

I've done a ton of skiing this season already. I want to go to Florida with my family. The extra income I earned from hosting on Airbnb helps offset those travel costs for adults.

[B]

Four children from just outside Boston. Boom. They just booked a stay on Jack Chalet.

[A]

Primary home or secondary home? If you've got space, you've got opportunity. Hosting on Airbnb helped make my dream possible.

[B]

Besties, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host for our first story. Colorado's ski resorts are having their worst season ever. It's peak ski and yet over half of the trails are closed.

[A]

So how can we save the ski industry right now? By adding fences and being more like Fenway Park.

[B]

Fences in Fenway, but besties. Before Jack and I start a ski story today, we should point out, you know, it's a bittersweet, complicated day in the entire skiing industry. Right, Jack?

[A]

In the Sierra Nevadas, just outside of Tahoe, eight people died in an avalanche this week, which is an absolute tragedy.

[B]

And yet, on the other side of the world, Mikayla Shiffrin, best skier in the world and Colorado native, finally won gold medal in the slalom yesterday.

[A]

And she won it by one and a half seconds. A great moment from Mikayla.

[B]

But it is a good thing that Colorado is not hosting the Winter Olympics in 2020. And Jack, what's the good reason There.

[A]

There's no snow.

[B]

Yeah, there's snow. Bankrupt right now.

[A]

Arapaho Basin, the third highest ski resort in the US by elevation, has just 35% of its terrain open right now.

[B]

On the other hand, over in Vermont, they're having a good but bitter cold ski season and Utah's doing okay out.

[A]

There, but Breckenridge is snow broke right now.

[B]

If you had a ski can last weekend, you know what we're talking about.

[A]

The technical term for what's happening in the ski season in Colorado is gnarly, I believe.

[B]

I think it's gnarly and it hurts.

[A]

Financially for the resorts the bartenders and Airbnb host too.

[B]

But besties, there is one publicly traded ski stock, a pure play powder stock, if you will, and that is Vail.

[A]

Vail Resorts is a $5 billion company. It owns five Colorado ski resorts and like 50 more all across the world.

[B]

It's worth almost one lift. And they announced in January that visits are down 20% through January 4, which is a problem.

[A]

It's because of the lack of snow. But lift revenue is only down 2%.

[B]

So how is that bizarre situation happening, Basties? Well, it's because of non refundable ticket sales and your season passes.

[A]

You paid for your skiing before Thanksgiving before you had any idea how much snow there would be.

[B]

More on that in the takeaway. But besties, what is happening in Colorado this season is going to happen to the entire ski industry with increasing frequency.

[A]

Because of climate change. So we're phoning our friend Charles Darwin.

[B]

Chucky Darwin, and we're looking at the.

[A]

Ski resorts that are adapting best to a world with less snow.

[B]

And the responses, the options, the creativity is wild. But Jack, let's start with the obvious one first. Let's start with the snowmaking.

[A]

Vail is investing $100 million this year in CA so that they can turn their water ponds into man made snow when it doesn't dump.

[B]

But here's the wild part. Each one of those water to snow guns has a built in weather station. It turns on when freezing and it.

[A]

Turns off when it's too warm out to maximize efficiency. But there's still a problem, Nick, of not being enough water to turn into snow.

[B]

Yeah, you see that drought that's causing the lack of snow. It's also caused the lack of rain. Which means they can't convert the rain into snow.

[A]

Which leads to a shocking survivor of this snowpocalypse. It's called Monarch Mountain in Colorado, which has 100% of their terrain open right now despite the lack of snow.

[B]

And they're doing it without any man made snow. I'm sorry, Jack, sit down, stand up and sit back down on the gondola again. How is that possible in the world of physics and economics?

[A]

It's an all natural mountain and According to the Denver Post, there's 100% covered in snow because of snow fences.

[B]

We repeat fences for Snow.

[A]

They have 80 portable fences they set up on the side of the trail that captures snow being blown by the wind in drifts. And then the snow machines spread them out across the whole trail.

[B]

It's created a natural snow oasis at Monarch Mountain, Colorado. Oh, another winner, by the way. J Peak over in Vermont.

[A]

They built a water park at the resort for when the snow stinks.

[B]

Jack, how about our buddies over at Breckenridge?

[A]

They have an outdoor roller coaster that operates year round even if it's 10 degrees out.

[B]

So, Jack, add it all up and I'm seeing concerts, competitions, comedy shows, basically anything to entertain the visitors who are bummed about the snow bankruptcy situation.

[A]

It's the new business model of skiing. Yeah, skiing is increasingly secondary, right? Bells and whistles keep the customers coming even when the snow doesn't.

[B]

That's right. It works for Disney World. It could work for Beaver Creek too.

[A]

Which reminds us of something the Yankees are doing.

[B]

Ah, sounds like our takeaway, brah.

[A]

Again, that's not us. Gears talk.

[B]

I did my bachelor party in Park City. I got a skiers talk, bruh. Nothing wrong with a 1pm half price. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Vail? In the ski industry, for ski resorts.

[A]

To survive, they have to be more like the Sox.

[B]

Yeah, the Red Sox commiserate in bad season. Celebrate the good ones, but be paying customers no matter what.

[A]

Two thirds of Vail's ticket revenue is sold before the season begins, thanks to the epic pass and non refundable single day tickets.

[B]

Well, Jack and I noticed that is similar to the 70 to 80% of major league baseball ticket sales that come from season ticket holders.

[A]

If the Red Sox have a bad season, you already spent your money and you hope for better luck next year. You know what?

[B]

It's kind of the same with the ski resorts these days.

[A]

Management's job at both baseball teams and ski resorts is to minimize the torture of a bad season by distracting customers with other stuff to do.

[B]

The concerts, the competitions, the shows. You book summer weddings to help offset the lost revenue from people who canceled the ski trips.

[A]

Half the time, being a Sox fan is torture. Increasingly, it feels the same with skiing.

[B]

But Red Sox Nation pays up no matter what. And for ski resorts to survive, yeah, they need to do the same.

[A]

They need to adopt baseball's business model.

[B]

For our second story, Robinhood is ipoing again. This time though, it's for their first ever venture fund.

[A]

We call it the People's VC because anyone can invest. And now we finally know what unicorn stocks you can get a piece of.

[B]

Now, besties, it's not deja vu. We did cover this when it was breaking news. Robinhood's first ever venture fund back in September.

[A]

They announced it back then and it was consistent with their mission to democratize finance for all.

[B]

Jack, could you use an analogy here with, I don't know, with my dad's favorite band? Yeah, I'll say your dad's favorite Irish band, Jack.

[A]

Okay. Bono made more money investing in Facebook pre IPO than he did with his music.

[B]

That's the power of pre IPO investing. The lead singer of U2 made more money with one Facebook investment than he did on Vertigo.

[A]

Well, now with this publicly traded venture capital fund that Robinhood's building, you can be like Bono. Invest in top startups through this fund.

[B]

But Jack, I gotta pause the pod for a sec. Back in September, we warned the Yetis that the devil is in the deals.

[A]

In other words, what company will this VC fund get you access to? Is it going to be SpaceX or is it going to be Spacey?

[B]

Y. You don't want Spacey.

[A]

Well, Robinhood told us this week, yes, they did.

[B]

The fund has already taken stakes in databricks, Oura Ring, Stripe, even Robinhood's rival, Revolut. Robinhood now owns shares of it.

[A]

It also owns stock in Boom Supersonic, which is a jet company, and Ramp, a fintech company, and a couple other startups you probably haven't heard of yet. Chipping out.

[B]

There's no SpaceX, there's no Anthropic, and there's no investment in OpenAI yet.

[A]

But Nick and I jumped in T boy style to the prospectus for this new stock, and it did say the word space 19 times and AI 77 times.

[B]

So Robinhood is hoping to get their hands on some of those red hot private companies before they ipo. Probably later this year.

[A]

Once this thing launches next week, this new fund will invest in at least 10 private companies, and no single name will represent more than 20% of the assets.

[B]

Add it all up and basically Robinhood has created a stock of startups.

[A]

Now, Nick and I were very interested in how this VC would be packaged and sold to U.S. retail investors. And now we know through an IPO.

[B]

So, Jack, let me just clarify this for a sec. Publicly traded Robinhood is now creating a new company and using that company to buy stocks in private companies and then IPOing that fund to be a publicly.

[A]

Traded stock which you can buy on Robinhood.

[B]

I feel like Christopher Nolan. It's finance inception. What is going on?

[A]

Jack, you just said what's going on? So next week, they're going to sell 35 million shares of this new Robinhood venture fund to Robinhood users at $25 per share, and then on February 26, it will begin trading like any other stock.

[B]

And how is Robinhood going to make money on this new publicly traded venture capital fund?

[A]

By charging a 2% fee on the holdings.

[B]

Yeah, interestingly, Robinhood is not taking a 20% share of the profits of the fund, which a venture capitalist would typically do.

[A]

But this does represent a big jump in maturity for Robinhood.

[B]

Yes, it does.

[A]

From purely transaction based revenue to recurring.

[B]

Fee reven, basically from dating style revenue to marriage quality revenue. And that is why we think it's a mature move for Robinhood.

[A]

So the stock is going to be rvi, that's the ticker symbol trading on New York stock exchange starting February 26th.

[B]

Okay, but Jack, what will this stock of startups actually be worth? At the end of the day, it.

[A]

Should be the sum of the valuations of the private companies that it's invested in.

[B]

You add up databricks, Aura stock, stripe stock, Revolut stock. That should be the value of of this new venture capital stock.

[A]

But what it should be worth, it kind of doesn't compute to the retail investor crowd that's trading meme stocks on Robinhood.

[B]

Yeah. Could this thing go to the moon? And what does that mean? So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Robinhood?

[A]

The private stock market is the most exclusive VIP section in finance. But a door just opened for meme traders.

[B]

Yeah, they just got bottle surface besties. Let's talk valuation numbers here. If Robinhood's venture capital fund owns stocks in 10 private companies and each is worth $1 billion, the sum of the shares should be $10 billion.

[A]

That's what the valuation should be. But as a publicly traded stock, there's no telling how Robinhood's VC will trade and at what price.

[B]

Like Jack, Robinhood's venture capital fund could trade. Like Tesla, it could be given a way higher price than the underlying profits justified.

[A]

Or it could be treated like GameStop, a price completely divorced from the underlying businesses it owns.

[B]

Basically, what we're saying is it would be interesting to see if Robinhood's venture capital stock trades at a huge premium to its actual book value.

[A]

And if Robinhood's VC becomes A meme stock.

[B]

Oh boy, mooning over here.

[A]

I mean, I don't know how that could mess with the whole private capital valuation market. Like, I honestly don't know. This is Pandora's box, so he tells me.

[B]

People will be pretty happy though.

[A]

Bestie.

[B]

This stock of startups, it is a first of its kind and we hope it succeeds. And honestly, we hope Robinhood launches more.

[A]

Of them because Nick and I getting a piece of Robinhood stock pre Robinhood ipo. That was a life changing moment for the two of us.

[B]

Yes, it was. And now Robinhood's opening a new door into finance's most private VIP room. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[A]

Monarch.

[B]

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[A]

And the reason we could put all that spending in one month is our favorite budgeting app, Monarch.

[B]

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[A]

It's like your own personal cfo. It knows every account that you have. All your finances in one place in one app.

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[A]

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[B]

I see you in that transaction tab. Jack, what's going on in that transaction tab?

[A]

All of my spending is in that transactions tab. Including the way too much I spent on the hotel room with the water view.

[B]

Honey, what's going on with my mini bar?

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All right, Jack, you know how in every superhero movie they find the one future saving all powerful object?

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It's usually some kind of crystal.

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Totally.

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Well, for business, this, it's AI.

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And like Thanos, moving fast to snag those infinity stones, your competition is moving fast on AI.

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Because it has access to your business data, it's able to suggest efficiencies and complete tasks for you like a superhero.

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It will help you deliver insight, cut costs, and confidently make decisions.

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Oh, guess what? You don't need a cape. Whether your company's earning millions or billions, you just use NetSuite.

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If our business needed an ERP, if we did, we'd absolutely use the AI Cloud ERP from NetSuite.

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So, yeah, if your revenues are at least in the seven figures, get your free business guide demystifying [e-mail] tboy and.

[A]

If your revenues aren't in the seven figures, we're glad you're listening to this episode, because soon they will be.

[B]

The guide's free to [e-mail] tboy that's netsuite.com tboi for our third and final story, Stanley Quencher, the most viral drinking product of the last five years. It isn't viral anymore.

[A]

So Stanley's not just pivoting from women to men. Stanley is pivoting to black gym bags. For guys who are protein maxing besties.

[B]

Of the last three years, the ultimate female zillennial status symbol was a 40 ounce can that could survive getting run over by a tank.

[A]

Well, I think you're talking about the Stanley Tumbler.

[B]

Yes, I am, Jack. Good point.

[A]

Saturday Night Live called it the Big Dumb Cop, and I was a little offended because I do have two of them.

[B]

Yeah, and it's kind of part of like the Zillennial brand trilogy. You know, it pairs well with a Sephora hall and an SUV and a big dumb hat. But let's talk numbers, yetis, because when we covered Stanley Back in 2021, the revenues had jumped 275%. In 2024, they were doing 750 million bucks in revenue.

[A]

The Rose Quartz Stanley Quencher basically ran your Pilates studio.

[B]

But here's the problem, besties. Despite their beautiful new color innovations and collabs with Wicked, Stanley stopped sharing their revenue numbers just last year.

[A]

Our guess, everyone who wanted a Stanley Tumblr got a Stanley Tumblr.

[B]

And according to Piper Sandler's famous survey of teen spending habits, Oala is the new Stanley.

[A]

So Stanley's decided to pivot to dudes. Their new product lineup launched this week, and it clearly targets guys.

[B]

Oh, it clearly does. Here's the question. Can Stanley become manly?

[A]

Last week, Nick and I noticed the colors of the tumblers were changing.

[B]

Jack, is that cup Tiger Lily red? I'm sorry, is that what that is?

[A]

No, it's Atlanta Falcons red, Nick.

[B]

Ah, that was interesting. But more Fascinating is that Stanley has pivoted their whole product lineup.

[A]

The product that launched this week is a waterproof tote backpack, a gym bag, and a giant protein shaker.

[B]

Each come in a classically female Stanley color, but also come in black, matte black. And that's what they're advertising.

[A]

Each bag has a special pocket to hold your new Stanley protein shaker from when you leave the gym.

[B]

They're heavy, they're edgy, and it's not just the dark design here, yetis, it's also, interestingly, the partnerships.

[A]

A couple years ago, they did a floral collaborative cup with Love Shack Fancy.

[B]

Instead, though, now Stanley's sponsoring Lionel Messi and Paris Top Soccer Club.

[A]

So from style to product to partners, Stanley has injected their product with testosterone.

[B]

But besties, the most ironic part of this entire story, it's that Stanley launched 113 years ago, four working men.

[A]

And now they're pivoting to working out men.

[B]

So if you add it up, this is really Stanley's second pivot.

[A]

Women made Stanley relevant again, but they need guys to keep it alive.

[B]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Stanley?

[A]

If everyone's a member of the club, Nick, then no one lines up to get in.

[B]

Now, Yetis, it is possible that Stanley's taking a lesson here from Apple. If you find the right hero product, then just sell accessories for it.

[A]

Stanley's hero product is the 40 ounce tumbler. And these gym bags, they help you take it on the go.

[B]

Okay, but what we think is missing is the club element. Can Stanley convince guys that it's exclusive?

[A]

Stanley became a status symbol not because the mug is so expensive, but because that mug was exclusive.

[B]

Totally. Having the latest color style, the crystal coated quencher, you could only get at Target. That signaled you were on the inside.

[A]

But once every woman had a Stanley and they could be bought anywhere, it didn't feel as special anymore.

[B]

So, Bastis, the real challenge here isn't selling protein mugs and backpacks to that guy on the go.

[A]

It's how do you make men feel like Stanley as a club that they would line up to get into?

[B]

Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for the new Friday?

[A]

Colorado is having its worst ski season ever, but snow fences are helping it do more with less snow.

[B]

It's a snow bankruptcy, so resorts are realizing they need to be more like baseball. Good season or bad season, fans will pay either way.

[A]

For our second story, Robinhood's second IPO is for the People's VC Fund. It's already got Oura ring and Revolut in there, but no SpaceX or anthropic yet.

[B]

Either way, it's a door into Finance's VIP section that anyone can now walk through.

[A]

And our third and final story. Stanley's 40 ounce mug is no longer viral, so they're pivoting to men with black gym gear.

[B]

From wellness girlies to gym guys. But remember that no one lines up for a club if everyone is already inside.

[A]

But besties? This pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[B]

First, James Dolan, who inherited Madison Square Garden from his dad, owns and controls both the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers.

[A]

And he announced yesterday that he's considering spinning off the Knicks and the Rangers into two separate publicly traded companies.

[B]

I mean, Jack, my chats are blowing up on this. We might have a Knicks Inc. And o' Rangers Inc. Publicly traded stocks. What kind of ticker symbol are you thinking here?

[A]

Puck dunk for the Knicks. And I don't know hockey. That's your department.

[B]

Now we should clarify. MSGE is already a publicly traded company. Madison Square Garden, the publicly traded company, and it already owns both teams.

[A]

Second, rent control laws are gaining traction across America's biggest cities.

[B]

The news is that Boston's mayor endorsed a statewide cap on rent increases to match inflation.

[A]

Washington D.C. passed a rent cap into law last year, and New York and LA are moving to do the same.

[B]

Now, econ theory says that the true solution is to build more homes. But with that not happening right now, rent caps are gaining popularity even if they don't solve the root problem.

[A]

And finally, Erewhon, the trendy pricey grocery store in la, just launched the world's healthiest smoothie.

[B]

That is their terms. Their lawyers actually let them say that.

[A]

Can't believe their lawyers approved it.

[B]

Erewhon is famous for the Hailey Bieber smoothie which Jack and I have indulged in. It was a write off. But this one is not backed by a celebrity. It's backed by 160 scientists.

[A]

According to Erewhon, it has no filler, no aesthetic, only superfoods looking at you Kale. And no shortcuts in the recipe either.

[B]

Yeah, but like the Hailey Bieber smoothie, it cost 25 bucks. Because like Jack and I have said, when it comes to branding, there's always opportunity in the extremes. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Katherine Caldwell from lovely Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. And it's one of the many facts that got Sent in after we did a story on the profits of martinis shaken or stirred. Yeah.

[A]

In a poll on Spotify, four times more people said they ordered their martini shaken, not stirred.

[B]

Okay, but the correct way to order a martini is actually stirred because it takes longer but tastes smoother as a final product.

[A]

Several bartenders commented that we got that wrong in our stories.

[B]

Okay, which leads to the big question. Why does James Bond, the legendary 007, order his martinis shaken instead of stirred?

[A]

According to the original Ian Fleming novels, it's because he was in a rush.

[B]

Yeah. You know, someone could kill him. He didn't have time to have a martini stirred.

[A]

But he did have time for a martini.

[B]

Besties, remember to buy your Girl Scout cookies right now. Load up on those Samoas. And if you haven't yet, tell a buddy. H y H t b o y. That's how we grow the show.

[A]

Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

[B]

Have you heard the best one yet? And before we go, a happy sixth birthday to legendary Yeti Ellington Millender, the kindergartner CEO in Burlingame, California.

[A]

Happy birthday to Kurt Peters turning 26 in Pella, Iowa, and celebrating with the legendary fiance Laura.

[B]

And Peter Collins. Enjoy the best birthday yet over on the Upper west side. Enjoy some Levain cookies.

[A]

Happy birthday to Sidra Smith in Denver.

[B]

Colorado, and Ashley Lundgren celebrating the big day over in Vegas.

[A]

And to Austin Alfaro. You are looking fantastic running into your 31st year over in California.

[B]

Mlvika Mehra, enjoy that 23rd birthday in Mumbai, India. Thanks for celebrating with us all the way across the world.

[A]

Happy anniversary to Melissa and Gilberto Chaidez in Aurora, Illinois.

[B]

And Emily Harrison and Adam Goldblum are closing on a condo in White Plains. The cats are pumped and we are too. Congrats, guys.

[A]

Good luck and congratulations to Sean little and Nick DeFrancesco who are leading the Pennsylvania DECA state career development Conference.

[B]

Have a great competition in Hershey. You got this, guys. And thanks for all the hyh tbois.

[A]

And congrats to KAVI Mystery, the 14 year old who's launching a side hustle in the United Kingdom on Etsy.

[B]

It's called the printed craft 3D printed objects that look incredible. Congrats, Kavi.

[A]

We love the side hustle. This is Jack. Nick and I both own stock of Airbnb, Apple and Robin Hood.

[B]

We interrupt this program to bring you an important Wayfair message. Wayfair's got style tips for every home. This is Stiles McKenzie helping you make those rooms sing today's. Style tip when it comes to making a statement, Treat bold patterns like neutrals. Go wild like an untamed animal Print area rug under a rustic farmhouse table. From wayfair.com this has been your Wayfair style tip to keep those interiors superior.

[A]

Wayfair Every Style, Every Home.