Married to the Startup
Married to the Startup is a modern podcast where power couple, George and Alicia McKenzie, navigate the thrilling intersection of marriage, family, and entrepreneurship. With over a 15 years of partnership, this CEO and entrepreneurial coach duo share candid insights on building businesses while fostering a strong family unit.
Episodes
62 episodes
First to Market and Still Lost
In Episode 60, Alicia and George unpack one of the most romanticized myths in entrepreneurship: being first to market guarantees success. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.They break down why pioneers often build the category… and fast ...
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Episode 60
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39:40
Why Most Perfect Couples and Brands Fail
SummaryIn this episode of "Married to the Startup," hosts Alicia and George McKenzie delve into the complexities of celebrity brands and their sustainability in the market. They discuss the recent divorce of a well-known couple and how ...
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42:54
Scaling Up a Marriage | is it equitable?
What if the problem in most marriages isn’t effort, but assumptions?In this episode, Alicia and George unpack why the idea of a “50/50 marriage” sounds good in theory but often breaks down in real life. Drawing parallels between marriage...
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Episode 58
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29:11
Who the Hell Are We? Marriage, Money, and Building Businesses Together
Episode 57 is a reintroduction — and a reset.With the podcast officially transitioning to video, Alicia and George McKenzie pull back the curtain on who they are, where they’ve been, and why Married to the Startup exists ...
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Episode 57
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36:54
From Pandemic Darling to a $9 Stock
Peloton went from a $50 billion valuation to fighting for survival. George and Alicia break down how the pandemic darling made critical mistakes: mistaking temporary demand for permanent growth, overinvesting in manufacturing, and failing to ad...
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Episode 56
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54:40
What do Fast Walkers and iRobot Have in Common?
Absolutely nothing but check out these hot takes. What We’re Talking AboutFast Walkers & Founder Energy Are you the person always five steps ahead? We unpack what walking speed says about personality, am...
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Episode 55
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49:18
Buying a Nepo Baby's Brand | What are you really getting?
OverviewAlicia and George break down Coty's $600M acquisition of Kylie Cosmetics and debate the real value of influencer marketing.Key PointsThe Deal:Coty paid $600M for 51% at $1.2B valuati...
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37:09
The Rise and Fall of Away
Episode SponsorRelive Health - Modern wellness clinic offering peptides, hormone optimization, and vitamin therapy in Gaithersburg.What We're Discussing...
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Episode 53
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52:37
The $465M Exit Where the Founders Got Nothing
In this week’s episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia and George pull back the curtain on one of the wildest startup stories in recent history — the fantasy-sports giant that sold for nearly half a billion dollars… and left its founders with...
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Episode 52
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30:00
When Scaling Goes Wrong | The MacKenzie Child's Story
Alicia and George break down the wild true story behind Mackenzie-Childs — the beloved ceramics brand whose founders not only lost their company…but also the rights to their own name.It’s a cautionary tale every founder needs to...
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Episode 51
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31:40
The Retake: Hitting 50 Episodes and WTF is Vibe Coding
In this milestone 50th episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia and George McKenzie reflect on their podcast journey — from chewed cables to choppy audio — and celebrate how far they’ve come. Sponsored by
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Episode 50
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39:31
When Your Mom Comes to the Interview
Alicia and George are back with a mix of tech, family, and finance talk that somehow leads to a debate about eye contact and manners.What They Talk About: • The recent AWS outage that broke half the internet — Starbucks, Unite...
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Episode 49
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35:37
Authenticity, Bail Bonds, and Buying a Business
Alicia and George unpack why authenticity wins over appearances, how bail actually works (because Alicia had no idea), the tradeoffs of buying a company versus building one, and the right way to ask for a warm intro without being annoying.<...
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Episode 48
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33:11
Motivation, Arrogance and Fitzgerald Grant III
In this candid and often hilarious episode, Alicia and George McKenzie unpack the myth of “natural greatness.” From raising five kids (and now three dogs) to running companies and managing chaos, they explore how success really comes down to do...
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31:53
Integrity Over Opportunity, Idea Creep and George's Muscle Gain
In this episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia and George McKenzie dive into how integrity and self-awareness play into both business and personal life. From turning down misaligned opportunities to parenting through modern social c...
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Episode 46
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26:49
Building Trust, Navigating Change, and the Future of Work
In this episode, Alicia and George pull back the curtain on what it really takes to maintain trust—at home, in business, and everywhere in between. Recorded just after a whirlwind trip to San Francisco for Alicia’s upcoming children’s book laun...
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Episode 45
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37:01
Episode 18 (Replay): Be the CEO of Your Health — Functional Medicine, Biomarkers & Building Your Longevity “Team” with Greg Shindler
Episode snapshotFunctional medicine isn’t “woo”—it’s a systems-level approach that treats root causes, not just symptoms. In this replay, Greg Shindler (aka “The Longevity CEO”) joins Alicia and George to reframe health like a bus...
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55:48
The Exit Plan Nobody Talks About — Startups, AI, and Staying Married
In this episode, Alicia and George dive into two conversations that stopped them in their tracks:AI & Privacy: Did you know ChatGPT conversations briefly showed up on Google search results? We unpack what that means for y...
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Episode 44
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35:07
Back-to-School, Business Stress, and the Art of Sales
This week on Married to the Startup, Alicia and George open up about navigating big transitions—sending their oldest to college, walking their youngest into preschool, and everything in between. They explore how kids mirror our emotion...
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Episode 43
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36:31
Six New Wealth Levels, Risk vs. Peace of Mind, and Why UGC Is Beating Big-Budget Ads
After a summer pause, Alicia and George are back—refreshed and ready to stir the pot. They break down a buzzy “wealth ladder” that splits the economy into six net-worth levels (not income), talk honestly about what actually helps you level up, ...
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Episode 42
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36:00
Replaying "You Can't Legislate Boundaries."
Overview: Replaying the most listened to episode. Alicia and George McKenzie share about what “wellness” actually looks like when you're raising five kids, running companies, and still trying to have a conversation that doesn’t ...
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Episode 4
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34:21
Anxiety Patches, Unlimited PTO, and When to Switch to an S-Corp
In this episode, Alicia shares her surprising results using a new anxiety patch that actually lowered her daytime stress levels, backed by data from her Oura Ring. George gives it a try too and opens up about his own high-stress moment...
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Episode 40
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38:06
Peptides, Private Equity and Profit
In this episode, Alicia and George McKenzie take you inside their latest wellness routines, including peptide injections and biohacking for recovery, cognitive performance, and longevity. They share how tracking health KPIs is just as important...
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Episode 39
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41:15