I'd like to acknowledge the traditional owners on which this episode is being recorded, the combo marry people. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Today I'm your host, Georgie Stevenson, and this is the
Rise and Conquer podcast. This is the podcast where we ch have mindset, self development and becoming your higher self mix soon with a lot of laughs, plus behind the scenes of my life running two businesses and being among Think of us as the perfect combo of brunch with your besties mixed with self development. No matter where you are in your journey, we're here to help you be curious,
pull yourself out, and embrace radical self awareness. If you're ready to get into the driver's seat of your own life and stop letting life pass you by, then you're in the right place. Hello everybody, Welcome back to the Body and Happy Friday. We hope you have been loving these her Story episodes because we have part three or four today and we'll be talking about Whitney wolf Hurd, who is the founder of Bumble So Exciting, Soboty Exciting, God she's she is like, I want to be her
when I grow up. I love it. So, guys, if you didn't know in Her Story series, in each episode we share stories of iconic women who have made history or who are currently making history. So these women are trailblazers in their chosen careers. They're doing things differently, and what we do is we unpack the aspects and the values that they model in everything they do, and we really discuss how we can use them as expanders and
apply it to our own life. But what this series is about is I want we really wanted to provoke some thoughts of like what are you leaving behind? Like what is your legacy? What is the impact you were leaving behind, Like could you do things differently? Could you think outside the box? And how you can really push yourself out of your comfort zone. Because there's such a key theme here with the women we chose, and they really are stepping outside of their comfort zone. So this
episode is really really incredible. Whitney's story is whole, Like it's just.
Like I admire her strength and integrity so much.
It's yeah, her integrity is just yeah incredible, And I think you guys are going to listen and like wow, like it's no wonder she was the youngest female who took bumble public, like she was a self made billionaire, and like she did it with a baby on a hip.
I know.
So it's just so inspiring as well soberly inspiring. But before we get into the episode, A Tier Weekly recommendation, Oh, do you want.
To go first?
No, you go first.
My recommendation is. I feel like I recommended it on the podcast last year, but I'm re recommending it because I rewatched it recently. It's a movie called Rise on Disney Plus. And if you watched the King Richard movie before or after listening to her story EP, and you enjoyed that movie, you will love this. It's the story of a family who's they're basketballers, so it is another sport one but these their parents migrated, not migrated, They
were refugees from Nigeria and lived in Greece. But these three brothers ended up becoming NBA players and it's that journey and like it I was in tears again at the end. It's one of the best movies I've watched. And their stories just so inspiring and like it's like goosebumps the entire time because of the level of risk this family took, and I just it blows my mind every time. So that is my recommendation.
What is yours? Oh my god, incredible. I have to put it on my list. Yeah, you definitely do. My recommendation this week is, Look, this is kind of like, yeah, thanks Georgy. But it's like it's gonna be like a tears recond there's gonna be like a tears recommendation that she got out so bad because it was so basic that you guys won't hear it. Kind of similar where I had a moment this week where like internally and in my personal life, sorry, I had a lot going on.
And I think sometimes I'm a routine person. So my routines are like, really what I think is such a huge catalyst of like my success, because like I can be very disciplined and like when I create a routine, like that's it and I show Yeah, And I think, really what determines you as a person is how you
show up in the not so great times. Like I feel like that really defines you because we're all gonna have not so great times, and if in the not so great times, you don't stick to routine and you don't show up, you're never going to push for and so so true my botes no, but it is. And it's yeah, something I've been playing with a lot of like how you show up in the shit times is really the person you are? Like to the core? WHOA
don't you think? Yeah, Like it's it's all And I've said this, like it's all well and good and the good times like for example, like the example I always go to a gym, but like it's just easy to explain. But it's like when you're you've got like they had the best sleep and you had the moon milk the night before and you got your clothes out and your pre workout's ready and your gym buddies waiting at gym.
Of course it's easy to go to gym, yeah, but when you you know, your babies woking up, or you're had a broken sleep, or you got cramps you can't cramps or different things, it's like in those moments, how do you show up? And it's not always going to the gym, but it's just like processing how you show
up anyway. So that's been what I'm diving deep into lately and so bit like, I guess the opposite side of that is I had a moment during the week where I was going through some different stuff personally and I was on the way to gym and I thought, what I actually need right now is a beach walk. And so I literally was in the car halfway to gym and I like turned around and I was like, I just need some me time. I need to actually
be with my thoughts and unpack this. So I don't go during the day and kind of and I guess it's also like you know, when you kind of just put your feelings like under the covers, like you don't deal with them. Yep. And that's something I notice I do, is I don't deal with them, and then it's enough time that I just kind of forget or get over it. Yeah, And so I've been really trying to unpack when I have the feelings and also like honor myself where I'm at.
So like in that moment, I was like, well, I'm not going to go to gym today and just pretend it's okay. I'm going to go to the beach process unpack, and then I'm going to show up at work and that's what I needed to do in that moment because I had some serious stuff that I need to shop for, work for.
Yeah.
So it's like, do you see like the discernment then of it's not always go to gym, it's like the opposite, but that's still in integrity.
Yeah, it's like honoring yourself and prioritizing your inner self.
And that's going to look different. Sometimes it is, Oh, let's just go up and get to gym, and then sometimes it's like, oh, I actually just need to feel my feelings and process this and take some time for myself.
Yeah.
I love that, and I just, yeah, I'd never really done that before. I'm usually just like, let's go to gym and let's hide my feelings and just carry like plow forward. Yeah, but I'm really proud of myself for doing that. And so I want to with you guys.
That's amazing.
Thank you. Let's get into the episode.
You're gonna love this guys.
All right, So I thought we'd tell the story of Whitney wolf Herd, who is the founder of Bumble.
I fucking love Whitney.
She's amazing, isn't she.
She is so amazing. I'm so excited to this app.
Mean too, I loved researching this.
Let's get straight into her.
So there's not much really known or covered about her upbringing, so I thought we'd just jumped straight to when she went to college, which is UNI here yep. So she majored in international studies and actually started two businesses while she was in college. The first was at the age of twenty, where she sold bamboo tote bags to help benefit areas that had been affected by the BP oil spill. The bags actually received national press after celebrities like Nicole Ritchie was seen.
Wearing them, which blows my mind.
Like, imagine being twenty and having Nicole Richie, where your tote bag that you just started selling at UNI. And then soon after that she started a second business with a celebrity stylist called Tender Heart. So that was a clothing line dedicated to raising awareness around human trafficking and fair trade. And after graduating, she traveled to Southeast Asia
where she worked with orphanages. I know, what a gorgeous human being, such a beautiful human and I love that, Like helping others was such a central part of.
And you can see that from her whole story, like continuously, Yeah, which is why we love her.
Yeah. So now we're gonna jump to twenty twelve, where at the age of twenty two, she joined a startup called hatch Lapse. So this project didn't actually go to plan and ended up being somewhat abandoned, but it is where she met Sean rad and Chris Gulsinski. I apologize if my pronunciation is not good.
Who you're around Frances.
Who later became the development team for Tinder. So the initial name of Tinder was actually Matchbox, Inc. And Whitney was appointed the vice president of marketing and has now been credited for coming up with the name Tinder and actually fueling the apps popularity on college campuses and growing its use base.
What is like Tinder?
Mean, Tinder is like the fire starter, so they call it it's like a I don't know if it's dried leaves, So it's what fuels a fire and helps it start.
So smart. Yeah, so clever.
So I think it went from Matchbox, but they had the flame logo. So that's where she got the name Tinder from. Okay, which was super clever. That's amazing.
Yeah, I remember reading about she had so many interesting like marketing techniques that were all around kind of like gorilla marketing. Yeah, but it's like all around the campus. But she just did things in such a unique way that it was such a catalyst to Tinder doing so well.
Yeah, she's and so she actually ended up being I think called a co founder, which was a big deal because I don't think she was initially. Yeah, and so the next part of this story that I will tell has been alleged and not confirmed, but I think it's
important to provide some context as to what could have happened. So, she started dating one of her fellow co founders, Justin, and after the relationship sort of went a bit sour, she ended up filing for sexual harassment against him, and her lawsuit alleged that she'd been called a slut and a liar after she and Justin had broken up in
twenty thirteen. It also stated that he became verbally controlling and abusive in the months following the split, which is really intense considering they worked together in such a close proximity. So former employees of Tinder told Time magazine that Whitney was told to shut up by executives and bring breakfast to them and another source told the outlet that she'd been supposedly spit at by someone at a party, a work party.
That is so disgusting, It's.
Literally so gross, and I can't believe like a woman was treated that way in such an environment. And obviously, so that's the end of the allegations. Everything else after
this has been confirmed. So what we do definitely know is that she left Tinder under questionable circumstances in twenty fourteen after filing that sexual harassment lawsuit against the company, and while she's legally unable to talk about what she went through at Tinder, the lawsuit was settled for over a million dollars without an admission of wrongdoing from Tinder's side, and Sean rad one of the co founders, then stepped down as Tinder CEO, and wolf Hurd did open up
about the experience in twenty fifteen in an interview with Business Insider, saying I don't wish for anyone to go through that, especially right as you're turning twenty five.
Wow.
So she was so incredibly young, when almost my age when she entered the environment and left a couple of years later when she was twenty five, and I can't imagine having to go through that and deal with that. And I admire her for really sticking to her guns and staying true to herself and going, no, I'm worth more than this, you can't treat me this way. I also think it's so important to add of like she started that sexual harassment so when she was still working there.
Yeah, And I just think like that is you know, so many people may have been like, it's just easier if I don't make out like a fuss. Yeah, if I don't ruffle any feathers. But sn you know, will continue to see in her story she is someone who's like, no, this is wrong, and I'm going to make a stand. And I just think that is so brave, so brave, so brave, and so incredible that she did do that knowing that people were going to know and treat her differently,
but like, yeah, sticking to her guns. I love her for that.
And so after she left Tinder, she actually started the process of developing another app, which centered around women being able to compliment each other, because she'd faced so much harassment online and at work, and she'd also been unhappy with how some women did get treated through Tinder and how it easily allowed that to happen, and the app was going to be called Mercy, which I think.
Is really cute. Mercy Yes, so sweet.
In that process, though, she was approached by Andre Andre, an investor in businessman from London, and he suggested that she actually start her own dating app, but after her experience, she said, I'm really not interested in doing that unless women can have complete control.
Unless it's on my term. Yeah, of how women are treated exactly, which I just I love her.
I know, like imagine leaving Tinder and then having someone approach you and being like, hey, like I'll fund a dating app, or just being saying back to them, oh, like that's so fine, but.
We're going to do it my way. Yeah, but you're giving me buddy, but it's my way, yeah, my way in a way.
So in December twenty fourteen, quite a quick turnaround from when she left Tinder, Bumble started being developed. And so for anyone who may not know, Bumble is a dating app where women get to make the first move, so you're able to match with guys, but they can't actually message you unless you message them first. So I also really love how she almost reframed that narrative around women messaging guys first from being needy.
I love. I love this so much. It's also like, not only is she protecting women, because we all know the world of men sending inappropriate messages or photos or just I know as well, like it's a thing on dating apps is like they'll just send a message literally to everyone, and the same one and the same one. Yeah, just to like, you know, see if anyone's barden. Yeah,
see if there's a nibble. And I love that she really created a safe place that's on the internet, which is a bit unheard of on the Internet because it's like wild West, Like she had so much intentionality around it.
Yeah, I love it. And it's like protecting women and empowering them at the same time, yes.
Which I love.
And so she'd actually initially planned to call Bumble Moxie, but the app had been taken already. The name had been taken already.
What's Moxie mean?
I think?
Why do I not know the meaning of anything this whole series? What does it even mean?
Moxie means force of character, determination or nerve.
I really love that. Love that she said Moxie. Yeah, what a muxigout what a muxigout, Let's start using that on the CUSP.
So by December twenty fifteen, the app had already reached fifteen a million conversations and eighteen million matches, which is insane in a year to think it grew that much. And in an interview with Time. In an interview with Time the night before her IPO so when her company went public, Whitney said, honestly, my ambition comes from abusive relationships. I've never had this healthy male relationship until I created it. I engineered an ecosystem of healthy male relationships in my life.
Just what a quote. At the time of the IPO Bumble was valued at over thirteen billion dollars. Still, the money was never the end goal for her. It was prioritizing women and their needs, desires, and aspirations. Whitney Wolf heard is now the youngest woman to ever take a company to IPO on Nastak, which is the American stock exchange, and opened it with her one year old son on
her hip. On Twitter that day, she said, this is only possible thanks to more the more than one point seven billion first moves made by brave women on our app and the pioneering women who paved the way for us in the business world. To everyone who made today possible.
Thank you. Oh my god, I want to cry full body shivers. She's just incredible. She's so incredible.
And what do you really love about her?
I think, like, first of all her because I remember when I was doing some research too of her saying she had really toxic relationships up like her whole early twenties. Yeah, and you know her even saying like this was because
of the abusive relationships. And I just love that she turned her mess into her message and it was not in spite because I don't want to use that word, but she was like, no, this is this happened to me, but I'm going to use it as fuel to create something better, to create this legacy that like leaves women better off because I wasn't treated right, like the bravery and just the I want to say audacity, but like
you know, audacity in a good way. Yeah, the audacity to just like be treated like that continuously and still show up of No, I'm still going to be a good person. Yeah, And I'm actually going to create my own boundaries and my own world where I get to be treated differently.
Exactly like that quote, she engineered an ecosystem around her of men that treated her right. And I think that that's almost such an expander in like, if you have shitty people around you, you can change that. You do have the power to change that. You just have to be comfortable with letting them go in the first place, and being uncomfortable, because I guaran I would bet anything that when she filed that sexual harassment claim, whils still
working in that environment. It was not good, It was not comfortable, and she needed to get out, but she stuck it out so that she got out in the best way for her. Yeah.
I love it too, because sometimes you know, when we're treated a certain way and we're conditioned to like get
treated like that continuously, we accept it. Yeah, And so for her to literally be like, no, I'm not accepting this and I'm actually going to make sure this doesn't happen to other people is so incredible and so powerful, so powerful, and exactly what you said, like, if you don't like the people you're around, or if you don't like how you're being treated, having that kind of I get to actually change that, and it might be uncomfortable for a bit, but it actually gets to turn out
amazing and in the long run be so worth it.
Yeah, Like, I'm sure she obviously no one wants to go through toxic or abusive relationships, but I'm sure she's glad she learned what she did from it. And it's almost like what you say where you can't mess it up, Like, no matter what you do, you can't mess it up. Another thing about her that I just admire so much is how integral she was throughout everything she did, and her value on supporting and protecting and empowering women was
just a constant theme. And if what she was doing didn't fit that she left or she put her foot down, like to that investment and she's like, sure, i'll do a dating app with you, but it's going to be on my terms. And my terms is that the females
are put first, the women are put first. And that takes a lot of guts when she's quote unquote at her lowest staff to leaving Tinder and doing a different kind of startup that's maybe not working out, but to still be so true to who you are and not worry about the money and not worry about what society is going to think of you, but she very much prioritizes what she thinks of herself over what anyone else did.
I love that this has come up too, because that's even something that I've been playing with a lot right now, of the integrity of does your internal integrity match your external reality? So does how you you know, want to have boundaries or how you want to treat yourself and how you want to treat others? Does that actually get you know, is that actually a portrayal of what your life is like?
Yes?
If that makes sense, because I think sometimes we think we have these values, and we think we have these priorities, and we think we you know, want life in a certain way, and we really believe in something, but when we actually look at our life, and I know I've been saying this a lot and podcasts of like how you do one thing is how you do everything? Being really is what I'm wanting inside actually matching my reality
and how I'm doing life. And I love that, Like integrity is such a huge theme in her story because you can see she has used that as a compass for every step and it's obviously hugely paid off, just so beautiful because it didn't always like seem bright or it didn't always look at like the right decision to make outwardly, but she's like locked into her integrity, her intuition and going, no, I need to do this for me, and in the long run, obviously it's worked out fucking incredible.
Really really well.
I love that so much because I think so many of us we can have this view of who we are and how we see the world and how we interact with people and just how we do life. But it's like, if you got really honest, are you acting in integrity?
I think where a lot of people might trip up on that is you'll have these values that mean so much to you, but it's not reflected in one your external world, but also the people you surround yourself with, because I noticed that, Like, you'll have friends or some of my friends' friends, they'll be like, oh, I'm like this, and I'm like that, But then they'll be friends with maybe someone who's like politics is just a really easy way to explain it, where they're like very eco conscious
and that sort of stuff, but they're friends with someone who's maybe very right wing, who doesn't really care about climate change, And this is just a very base example, but they're like, oh, don't worry about them, like they're still okay, Like it's fine, and I'm not saying that you can't be friends with that person, but it's almost just like how true to your values are you if you're surrounding yourself or mixing in circles or maybe working at a p place that doesn't value your values.
That is so powerful And that's so a lot of people will be listening and being like, oh, it's uncomfortable, it's just throw and shame. No. I love that, And that's a really powerful question. And I think guys, like in these episodes, we are asking you really strong questions, and I really I don't want anyone to just notice yourself if you're getting like defensive or you're arcing up, because it's just about being curious. Yeah, I mean curious
curious about this. In the office, we do this thing because my coach has been telling me, like, the best frequency you can shift into is curiosity rather than you know, shame or doubt or guilt. So like, anytime I got because I tend to go to shame straight away. Anytime I'm like about shame myself or think I'm wrong or this and that, or think they're wrong. I go into curiosity and I'm like, that's so interesting. What is this
bringing up inside me? So anything we say during you know, this series especially, these are literally thought provoking episodes for you guys to think, this is so interesting, Like is there something here that comes up? So I love that you said that a Tia, yeah, because even I was like, hmm, it's so interesting.
Yeah. And I think like there'll always be an excuse as to why you can't because you might have a family member that disagrees with you, or a friend, or you're working in a place where the values that you hold true to yourself aren't really amplified in your workplace,
and it's uncomfortable to bring that up. And it's uncomfortable to say to someone or something or anything that hey, like, I'm actually gonna have to remove myself because I'm my values are not being honored here, yeah, or I'm not acting in integrity, and it's very uncomfortable to tell someone like, hey, like, I'm just gonna have to keep my distance because like your political beliefs really just don't align with what I believe, or you're the way you treat others even though you're
nice to me. Everyone has that friend that's that's nice to them but mean to other people. Oh my god. Yeah, And it's just like, do you really like even though they're nice to you, that's great, But do you want that energy, that frequency, that person in your space if they amplify that to others because it's always a reflection of you in the end.
Yeah, yeah, that's that's so incredible, And that's such a good you know, it's such a good question to ask yourself and just sit with and just be like, this is so interesting of am I actually being integral with the things I do or do? I pick and choose what's easiest and more comfortable for me and then call myself integral. I feel like we're all guilty up there, like I need to go under an off. So integrity
is just that. Yeah, it's amazing. I Also, my favorite thing in Whitney's story is just the pushing back on society norms, because even when she was in college and like you know, first started Tinder and then you know, with bumble and stuff. I even remember hearing about bumble and obviously you know, this was what ten norm so years ago and hearing about it and thinking so so interesting because all I had heard about dating apps was just like gross things.
Yeah.
So I even remember thinking, oh my god, that's so interesting, that's so different. I do admire and love that. Yeah, And I just love that she literally did something that was so opposite to what was happening at the moment, and even like I very much resonate with Naked Harvest and bringing like supplements to the industry that were female focus. Yes, because you know, like when we started Naked Haus, like
females just weren't a theme. Like it was either supplements that were for juicy males who you know, had the muscles and the lightning bolts and the five hundred tubs with red then five hundred meg of caffeine that would like fuck you up, or it was the natural supplements, but they were like so boring looking and they tasted like dirt.
Yeah.
I remember thinking what is happening right now and seeing such a gap in the market of No, I want supplements that taste good. I want them to be natural, I want them to be clean, and I also fucking want them to be pretty. Yeah, and I want them to be for a female because I'm so sick of having to take half serves because you haven't thought about me.
Yes, Oh my gosh, so true.
And I remember having that thought, and then you know, obviously Naked Harvest has been able to carve a spot in the industry, and I truly believe that has so much to do with how we've been able to grow fast. So it's like even thinking about, you know, in your life or your business, of like where are you just following the grain and it doesn't actually serve you. Yeah, And this I've had a huge journey with this and being a working mum and being really confused about how
I should do life, how I should feel. And it wasn't until I took my power back and I was like, wait, I actually get to decide what my norm is and what my narrative is going to be.
Yes.
And I think sometimes we give that away and we think, sure, oh no, but everyone does it this way, so I have to do it this way. But I'm fucking really about it.
And it's so true.
And even like we're just conditioned, like there would be things that you haven't even thought about doing differently because you're just so conditioned that that's the way we do things so true.
I think for me that was definitely like you go to school, you go to UNI, you.
Get a job, Yeah, that's your life, yeap.
And like working where I've worked is just sort of opened my mind to like that's not your life, Like that doesn't have to be your life if it doesn't feel right. And people just being more open to following their intuition over what society tells them, and just getting really clear on like your big life, your goals, your priorities, and that's something that Whitney really was so clear on from such a young age, which blows my mind. I
love it and it just has not faulted. And she's used that as like you said, the measuring stick the compass for where she wants to go, and that's what propelled her so fast. And I think for me, like I really got clear on that and I'll do it for you if you just love of course in Jaen, Yeah, and I know so many other people did, and like getting into that practice of like constantly auditing and checking and checking in with your values, with who you are,
with your buckets, your priorities. Are you happy where you are or do you need to make a shift and not just waiting for like a new week or a new year or anything like that. Like it's you can do it at any time and it's important and the earlier you do.
It the better. I love that so much. Yeah, and that's even something like just going back to the working month thing. Ps. I fucking love that she had her one year old, I know, and she was just like, I'm a bossan. Yeah, that was so iconic. Literally, I hope that we'll obviously put that in the trailer because that was so iconic. That's even something I've thought about because in these episodes, we really want you guys to
think about like what legacy are you leaving behind? And obviously the women we're talking about like they're literally leaving a legacy that people are talking about globally, but even just like, for example, something I think about is with my legacy of what's Ivy going to talk about to her friends about her mum? Do you mean your legacy doesn't mean how you're going to make a news or impact the most amount of people, but just even the
people in your life. It can just be your immediate family or your intimate family, and it's like, what are they going to say about you and how you led your life. Did you just do what everyone else is doing or did you go against the grain because you listen to your intuition and you trusted your intuition and led with integrity. Yeah, because you can like you can feel that, everyone around you can feel that, and it's like it's not necessarily always about doing the big thing.
Sometimes it's about the small things, but how impactful they actually are.
Yeah, Oh my gosh, I love that so much. I think we might need to give the listeners of this episode a little do It for your Future Self course. Of course. I think we should, just because I think that course really helped me to get clear on that.
And it's so happy that you literally work for R and C and you do like that was life changing.
I'm like, it's amazing.
No, I loved it so much too. And okay, like, do you want to just do a random Let's okay, guys, use the code Bumble and we'll give you an amazing discount on the do it for your future self if you do want to get clear.
That's such a good idea and I think just ps, this episode was not sponsored by Bumble.
But please come and sponsor a series. That would be amazing.
We'd love to.
Hi love it well, this episode was amazing to chat about it. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thank you so much to Tear for researching and telling us all about the amazing Whitney. This was superb Bye everybody, Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Rise and Conker Podcast. If you enjoyed it and want more, come connect with us on Instagram at Risinconquer dot podcast and join our Facebook discussion group, a Rise and Concer
podcast community. We're an independent podcast and we have a small team, so we do appreciate your time and support. If you have a spare moment, a follow or subscribe on whatever platform you listen to would be so amazing, And look, if you're feeling extra kind, a review on Apple Podcasts would be great.