Alex Cooper: What Nobody Knows About Call Her Daddy and my $100M+ Media Empire

Alex Cooper breaks down the business side nobody sees: how she and her husband Matt built Unwell up from a scrappy startup, how podcasting revenue really works, and what rules she learned the hard way negotiating $60M and $125M deals. Alex Cooper is the creator and host of Call Her Daddy and the co-founder of Unwell, a modern media company spanning podcasts, TV/film, live events, consumer products, and a fast-growing creative agency.    Chapters 00:00 - Alex on going “full circle” and revealing the CEO side  02:00 - Building Unwell from Host to Founder  02:45 - A day in the life  05:20 - How Unwell makes money  07:15 - The video ad revolution  08:10 - Live events, merch, and consumer products as revenue engines  09:05 - Launching the Unwell creative agency  10:50 - Which division is the “cash king” (and what’s catching up fast)  13:30 - Inside mega-deals: Spotify vs Amazon  16:15 - Why distribution mattered  18:30 - Agents, fees, and who should get paid first (her “wait—no” moment)  21:10 - The hard rule: keep incentives clean (and avoid cozy backchannels)  23:00 - The biggest mistakes: trust, documentation, and walking away from millions  26:20 - Hiring top operators and building a high-standard culture  31:40 - PE, acquisitions, and what it takes to go to the next level  34:25 - Incentives for execs  35:05 - How Alex and Matt split decision-making  39:25 - Handling narratives about ambition, success, and being misunderstood    🔗 FOLLOW US  https://www.instagram.com/phoebegates  https://www.instagram.com/sophiakianni  https://www.instagram.com/alexandracooper  https://www.instagram.com/callherdaddy  https://www.instagram.com/unwell    🔥 FOLLOW THE BURNOUTS  https://www.instagram.com/theburnouts  https://www.tiktok.com/@theburnouts  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-burnouts    📲 Support What We’re Building  Phoebe and Sophia aren’t just your hosts—they’re the founders of Phia, a fashion-tech app helping shoppers find the best prices across retail and resale. Download the app and help us grow → https://www.phia.com    About The Burnouts  The Burnouts brings you raw, unfiltered conversations with today’s top founders, creators, athletes, and culture-shaping entrepreneurs. Hosted by Stanford roommates turned startup co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, the show goes beyond the headlines to reveal the real stories behind ambitious careers.  Past guests include Paris Hilton, Chelsea Handler, Kris Jenner, Karlie Kloss, and more.  Subscribe for the insider playbook to build your dream career.