Hey! It’s Doone, your hype girl in biz… Wow. It’s been 3 months inside the ‘24 Techstars Accelerator program and now that we’re done—I have SO much to share with you. It’s exciting and it’s big! I’m going to start with an announcement this week but plz know there’s more coming ✨

Soo.. the last 13 weeks have been the most intense and transformative of my professional life. I went into the program with a very specific goal but literally no clue how to get there or how things would shape out.

It well and truly overdelivered. Techstars did more than just help me figure it out... 🥹🫶 I've come out the other side feeling the most excited I've probably ever been about the next chapter of my career both for FSC and…… Groopie!

Over the last 3 months I’ve been digging through all my deep learnings from launching our own private micro communities over the years, my cant-keep-up-with coaching waitlist that keeps growing by the day, AND what our community (you!) tell me you want and need, to shape this product and bring her to life.

And I’m really excited to share this moment with you as I announce our newest venture in the FSC portfolio, Groopie.

The OnlyFans for Business Professionals.

Groopie enables in-demand professionals—founders, execs, investors, inventors, and 9to5ers—to turn their brainpower, expertise, and connections into passive income, transforming your text addiction into a monetized space for sharing insights and advice.

We all know how fast the digital world is changing; AI is disrupting literally everything faster than we can imagine—but something I truly believe will never change is connection. And connections. A powerful network still matters.

It’s who you know. And who knows you.

Groopie bridges the gap for ambitious professionals who are seeking access, guidance and inspiration to trusted experts. And for those experts with insights and brainpower to share, a system that values our time and talent. In other words; an ecosystem where meaningful connection happens in real time—not through endless static content, but through authentic, genuine interactions in hyper-niche, micro communities. 

We are the connector for professionals who are influential—but not necessarily influencers—to join the booming creator and subscription economy set to reach half a trillion dollars in the next 2 years alone, without having to play the content game and build an audience online. 

And we meet you where you’re already hanging out everyday; in the group chat.

So!

If you're someone who is constantly getting tapped on the shoulder for 'pick-your-brain' coffees, mentorship and advice; and you're overwhelmed... I feel you. 

Groopie is for you. 

If you’re someone who wants that deeper access to mentorship, advice and brainpower from experts who you’d love to be in a group chat with….. I got you!

Groopie is for you.

We'll be opening up our beta group in early 2025 to bring on the first batch of in-high demand professionals (like 4 x Olympian Bronte Campbell and Sarah Forrai, founder & inventor of Contour Cube!)

You can join the waitlist as an expert [here] or drop into my inbox if you’ve got any questions 🫶

(Check out the IG post above to see some of the BTS from our Demo Day last week where I quietly announced Groopie to a few hundred of Sydney’s top investors, government and cheerleaders!)

Phew! That was a biggie. Let’s jump into the rest of today’s newsy:

• 💗 Our post-cyber weekend pulse check 👋

• 💗 Handy step-by-step hack for maximising reviews

• 💗 Brooklyn Brewery is awarding 5 people $10K!

• 💗 Forbes 30U30 is back & other business news

• 💗 Part-time & remote job openings for your side hustle

Post-Cyber Weekend Pulse Check 👋

This year’s Cyber Weekend was one for the books. As the dust settles and inboxes quiet down - sigh of relief - we’ve been reflecting on what this weekend looked like for retail world, and more importantly, for our community of founders (you!).

Let’s start with the numbers. U.S. consumers spent a record $10.8 billion online this Black Friday - that’s a whopping 10.2% increase from last year. Mobile shopping dominated (unsurprisingly IMO) and made up 55% of all of those transactions. This goes to just goes to show how much power lies in having a seamless mobile experience, btw! Meanwhile, TikTok Shop made headlines by driving $100 million in U.S. sales, with users tuning into over 30,000 livestreams throughout the weekend. So, as predicted, social commerce is officially here - and ✨thriving✨.

But beyond the data, IDK if it’s just me, but the vibe of this year’s BFCM felt… Different? As fast fashion giants like Shein and Temu leaned hard into urgency tactics (hello countdown timers, gamified discounts, and wild sales), I saw many smaller brands taking a more intentional approach. We saw founders leaning into storytelling over sales (Girls That Invest), community-driven promotions (Omsom), and getting creative on their offers with bundles & subscriptions (Blume). It’s clear that the playbook is shifting - people don’t just want discounts, they want connection! My new favourite word…

As we put the sales season behind us and focus on the holidays, we want to say a huge thank you to every founder in our community. Whether you smashed your sales goals, barely kept the lights on, or fell somewhere in between, we see you. Every order, every email, and every ounce of energy you poured into the BFCM weekend matters.

And if you’re feeling a bit bruised by the experience, take a breath and reflect. What worked? What didn’t? BFCM is never a straight line. The key takeaway? Customers don’t just buy products; they buy trust, connection, and a story they can believe in. And every new year is an opportunity for us all to improve on the last one. Now, let’s go tackle on the rest of the holiday season.

Gold Tweets This Week 💗

1/ You’re right where you belong:

2/ The answer is: nothing ✨

Step 1: Go to the platform where your reviews are hosted (e.g., Amazon, Google, Yelp); locate the “Export Reviews” button and download it 👀

Step 2: Open the downloaded file in Excel or Google Sheets; create a new column for character count & use code =LEN(Cell) to calculate the number of characters in each review (drag the formula down to apply it to all rows) 👩‍💻

Step 3: Copy a batch of reviews & paste them reviews into the ChatGPT input box 💬

Step 4: Use prompts to ask ChatGPT to analyse, for example…

• “Analyse the following reviews and classify the emotional sentiment”

• “From these reviews identify common factors influencing purchasing decisions”

• “Suggest possible generational demographics for the reviewers”

Extra Stuff to Check Out 👀

• Meet the newest Forbes 30 under 30

• How 10-year-old Glossier finally got its glow back

• From the Founder of Susteau: Syndeo has launched 

• Meet the 2024 Vogue Codes Future Innovators

• Sharing a spotlight on Women’s Health and Wellness

• How Hello Alice’s co-founders survived a very bad year

• The beauty Brands exploring indie fashion collaborations

• 11:11 Beauty will be Paris’ first majority stake beauty venture

• IDK about you but pre-holiday stress has me needing this

• SOMI has officially launched in Australia and New Zealand

• See what folks are saying about Groopie…. 👀🍿

Female-founded ✨remote jobs✨ 

Secure a paying gig that supports your financial needs and allows you to invest in your biz from a place of ✨abundance✨ rather than scarcity —right here—👇

REMOTE 🏝️

• Beauty brand Rodan + Fields is seeking a Manager of Treasury to manage their cash and financial planning remotely | apply here.

• The Mom Project - the career destination for moms - is hiring a Social Media and Marketing/Visualisation Specialist | apply here.

PART-TIME ⏳

• TEMILY is hiring a part-time product development / production manager In New York for their newly launched luxury womenswear brand | apply here.

✨ Hold on!! Tap an image below to let me know what you think of this newsy 💗