Gwen Whiting co-founded The Laundress, the luxury laundry brand that transformed washing clothes into a lifestyle statement. What started as a passion project funded by credit cards became a cult favorite—and eventually caught the attention of Unilever, which acquired the company for a reported $100 million. But the dream deal didn’t go as planned.

In this episode, Sammi sits down with Gwen to unpack what happens after the acquisition headlines fade. They discuss the culture clash between indie entrepreneurship and corporate ownership, the painful unraveling of the brand following a massive product recall, and the gender dynamics that often shape who wins and who loses in big business. Gwen opens up about what it was like to watch her life’s work become a public crisis—and how she found the strength to start again.

Today, she’s building her next act: The Fill, a home wellness company that blends her love of design, sustainability, and self-care. It’s a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the real cost of success—and one that every founder, dreamer, or brand-builder needs to hear.

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Here’s what Sammi covers with Gwen:

00:00 Gwen Whiting’s Social Currency

00:45 The Birth of a Premium Laundry Brand

02:42 Early Challenges of Scaling The Laundress

04:29 Innovating in a Stale Market

15:24 Scaling and Funding the Business

20:44 The Unilever Acquisition

28:27 Gender Bias in Acquisitions

29:04 Corporate Culture Clash

32:52 Product Recall and Acquisition Nightmares

42:22 Rebuilding and Innovating with The Fill

51:08 Kris Jenner’s Cleaning Line and Advice for Founders

55:24 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

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