Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.

Today I sat down with Courtney Spritzer, Co-Founder of Entreprenista, a private membership community of more than 3,500 women entrepreneurs across the U.S., Canada, and beyond. Courtney didn't set out to build a community business — she studied economics at NYU, graduated in 2009 into one of the worst financial crises in a century, and spent two years underwriting insurance policies in rural Massachusetts.

A job at American Express in 2011 changed everything — she was in the room as major brands first figured out Facebook and Twitter, and realized social media could be a career. She and her business partner, Stephanie, built a social media agency, SocialFly, from nothing — nights and weekends, then a leap of faith, then their first $8,000 month. In 2018, almost as an experiment to learn a new platform for their agency clients, they started the Entreprenista Podcast. By 2020, it had grown into its own private community — one Courtney and Stephanie eventually spun off entirely, selling SocialFly to focus on what it became.

In this episode, Courtney breaks down the one rule that built her entire referral engine, how she balances monetizing a community with keeping it authentic, why the face of a brand doesn't have to be its founder, and why she's convinced every founder — herself included — needs to build AI-first from here on out.

This is the episode for anyone building something out of a group chat, a podcast, or a side project, and wondering if it could ever be the real business.

Promo Code: $500 off Entreprenista initiation dues with code BRICKELLBABES500 — reducing the fee from $1,497 to $997 when paid in full. Applicable to member's first year of Entreprenista dues. https://refer.entreprenista.com/bb

Key Topics Covered:

— Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs — clothing stores in the Bronx — and trying to do the opposite

— Studying economics at NYU and graduating into the 2009 financial crisis

— Hitting an $8,000 revenue goal in month one

— How SocialFly grew into a full-service digital, paid media, and influencer marketing agency

— Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018 to learn a new platform for clients

— Balancing authenticity with monetizing a community

— Why 40% of new members join through referrals

— How AI agents saved a friend's business roughly $250,000 in three weeks

— Why Courtney would build an AI-first business if she started over today

— Lightning round

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Courtney Spritzer

03:45 – Growing Up in a Family of Entrepreneurs in the Bronx

05:26 – Meeting Business Partner Stephanie

06:01 – Building the Agency Nights & Weekends

06:50 – The Leap of Faith: Quitting Corporate for Good

07:01 – Hitting the $8,000 Revenue Goal in Month One

10:41 – Trading Social Media Services for Free Office Space

18:18 – Starting the Entreprenista Podcast in 2018

18:52 – Spinning Entreprenista Into Its Own Company During the Pandemic

21:05 – Selling SocialFly to Focus Fully on Entreprenista

29:03 – The Entreprenista to Entourage Ambassador Program

30:37 – Building a Personal Brand Without Oversharing

40:20 – Why Courtney Would Build Her Next Business AI-First

44:30 – Lightning Round

46:00 – Where to Find Courtney Spritzer & Entreprenista

Tags: Courtney Spritzer, Entreprenista, SocialFly, women entrepreneurs, women in business, community building, monetizing community, personal branding, AI for business, LinkedIn growth, Threads growth, referral marketing, membership community, STACKED podcast, Emily Dempsey, Brickell Babes, female founder podcast

Disclaimer: The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. It does not create any client, patient, or fiduciary relationship. Contents are for general informational purposes only — consult your own advisors regarding your specific situation.