WTF is PE? Decoding Private Equity and How Investors Make Money

Nicole breaks down the latest moves from three of the biggest names in investing—Bill Ackman, Cathie Wood, and Warren Buffett—and reveals what you can actually learn from watching the pros. Copying their portfolios might sound like a shortcut to success, but it’s not a cheat code—it’s homework. Nicole shows how studying their strategies can help you spot market themes, understand investor psychology, and fine-tune your own approach. From Ackman’s conviction bets to Cathie’s innovation plays to Buffett’s timeless discipline, you’ll walk away knowing how to learn from the best… while making your own money moves. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. All investing involves risk. Brokerage services for US listed securities, options and bonds in a self-directed brokerage account are offered by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Not investment advice. Availability of the Investment Plans tool on Public.com is not a recommendation or endorsement of the tool. Public.com does not provide investment, tax or legal advice. For additional disclosures about Investment Plans, go to public.com/disclosures.

If you only know Emma Hernan from Selling Sunset, buckle up—because that's just part of her story. Emma isn’t just a reality TV star and luxury real estate agent; she’s a self-made business powerhouse who started investing in her family company as a teen and went on to build a vertically integrated food empire from scratch. In this episode, Emma opens up what it’s really like running a family business, and why she believes in being her own rich boyfriend. Of course, we talk Selling Sunset too—how the show’s fame reshaped her life, the financial realities behind filming, and the drama that’s about to explode this season. Bonus: if you’re watching on Spotify or YouTube, you’ll spot her adorable dog trying (and succeeding) to steal the spotlight.

Today, Nicole shares the biggest headlines on Wall Street and how they will affect you and your wallet. In this episode, she unpacks the good news on student loan forgiveness, OpenAI's new video tech and backlash, and how Amazon broke the internet— but not their stock price. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. As part of the IRA Match Program, Public Investing will fund a 1% match of: (a) all eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers made to a Public IRA; and (b) all eligible contributions made to a Public IRA up to the account’s annual contribution limit. The matched funds must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid an early removal fee. Match rate and other terms of the Match Program are subject to change at any time. See full terms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Today, Nicole sits down with the woman Oprah crowned “the Queen of Brows,” Anastasia Soare—founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills. Anastasia’s story is the definition of the American Dream: she grew up in communist Romania, came to the U.S. with $0, and built one of the most successful beauty brands in the world—now valued at a reported $3 billion. She shares how she negotiated her first business deals, what financial moves she made before betting on herself, and how she cultivated a celebrity client list that includes Kris Jenner, Jennifer Lopez, and Hailey Bieber. Plus, Nicole and Anastasia play a special round of Bullish or Bearish on today’s hottest beauty trends. Buy her book, Raising Brows, out now!

Today, Nicole shares the biggest headlines on Wall Street and how they will affect you and your wallet. In this episode, she unpacks how the markets are reacting to the escalating tariff war, why some experts are back on recession watch and a cautionary tale of a missing $2 billion in the latest corporate scandal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. As part of the IRA Match Program, Public Investing will fund a 1% match of: (a) all eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers made to a Public IRA; and (b) all eligible contributions made to a Public IRA up to the account’s annual contribution limit. The matched funds must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid an early removal fee. Match rate and other terms of the Match Program are subject to change at any time. See full terms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

A recent study done by Credit Karma found that nearly one-third of Americans grapple with money dysmorphia— a state of distorted perception of one's financial health, caused by the relentless comparison with depictions of wealth online. Today, Nicole unpacks the biggest source of this condition and how we can cure it ourselves.

Originally aired on 10.29.21 For most of her childhood, Kate Somerville struggled with the tumultuous hand she was dealt. Then, in one moment, she received advice that turned her life around. Listen to hear that advice, and how it led to her starting her eponymous skincare brand.

Founders often talk about an acquisition as the ultimate business goal. But Gwen Whiting knows M&A isn't always the fairytale it's made out to be. Gwen cofounded The Laundress, grew it into a cleaning empire, and sold the company to Unilever for a reported $100 million. But then... the product recall happened. Gwen tells Nicole about the scrappy days of launching and scaling The Laundress without investor capital, and the cautionary tales from the Unilever deal. Gwen talks about how she's approaching her new venture The Fill differently— and why she's not building it to sell. Then, Gwen opens up about her experience as one of the survivors of sexual assault by Dr. Robert Hadden, and what talking with other survivors taught her the power of collective action. Learn more about The Fill Unilever's response to the product recall Gwen's piece about learning her OBGYN was a predator

Would you live with your ex to keep a 2% mortgage rate? That’s the question Morgan Dickson and her ex-husband faced— and ultimately said yes. But for them, the decision wasn’t just about dollars and cents. Keeping the home was the best decision for their kids—but the real estate market has become an unexpected character in their story. Today, Nicole sits down with Morgan , whose story recently went viral after being featured in The Wall Street Journal. Morgan talks about how the interest rate “lock-in effect" played a role in her and her ex's living arrangements, and how they manage expenses as a divorced couple cohabitating. Then, Nicole and Morgan dive into the economics of divorce, and what happens when personal and financial decisions become intertwined. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.

Today, Nicole shares the biggest headlines on Wall Street and how they will affect you and your wallet. In this episode, she unpacks the latest on the government shutdown, why Charlie Javice is going to prison and the economics of Taylor Swift's new album This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any financial decisions or investments. All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. As part of the IRA Match Program, Public Investing will fund a 1% match of: (a) all eligible IRA transfers and 401(k) rollovers made to a Public IRA; and (b) all eligible contributions made to a Public IRA up to the account’s annual contribution limit. The matched funds must be kept in the account for at least 5 years to avoid an early removal fee. Match rate and other terms of the Match Program are subject to change at any time. See full terms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match.