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
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 zero.
They break down:
• How FanDuel raised $450M and still lost ownership control
• Why preferred shares, liquidation stacks, and dilution can quietly erase a founder...
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 hear about scaling too fast, taking on debt, and trusting investors to have your best interest at heart.
What We Cover
- The origin story of Victoria & Richard Mackenzie-Childs
- How rapid ex...
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 Relive Health Gaithersburg, the duo dives into midlife motivation, hormone health, and the rise of personalized wellness, sharing candid experiences with peptides, functional medicine, and navigating health in their...
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, United, and even Reddit went dark.
• How a handful of tech giants control most of the world’s data and what that means for all of us.
• Whether AI is becoming a crutch for small talk an...
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.
Key Takeaways
- Authenticity scales trust. Performative branding cracks under pressure.
- Starting up = freedom and speed, but cash is tight. Buying = instant revenue, but you inherit ...
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 doing small things well — every single day.
They cover:
- Why greatness isn’t born — it’s built through repetition and resilience.
- The fine line between confidence and arrogance (a...
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 challenges, this conversation is uncomfortable but necessary.
They discuss:
- Why saying “no” to the wrong opportunity protects your brand and values
- The blurred lines of respect and disa...
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 launch, the two share their raw impressions of a city in transition (empty hotels, shuttered malls, and the unexpected highlight: a driverless Waymo ride).
From there, the conversati...
Episode snapshot
Functional 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 business: set a vision, hire the right team, track the right KPIs, and iterate. We get practical on labs and wearables, epigenetic clocks (Horvath, GrimAge, DunedinPACE), peptides and where they...
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 your data, why privacy settings matter, and how people are (mis)using AI as therapists, lawyers, and business consultants.
- Life After the Exit: Everyone talks about how to position your company ...
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 emotions, why community is essential at every age, and the surprising ways parenting and entrepreneurship overlap.
Inside the episode:
- Parenting through change: helping kids (and yourself) ha...
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, and dig into the trade-off between equity and peace of mind. Then they switch gears to marketing: why user-generated content (UGC) is outperforming polished campaign shoots, how...
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 involve snack negotiations or Slack notifications.
They dig into cold plunges, ketone shots, and why Alicia only answers emails on Mondays—plus, their take on the California bill that ...
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 moments managing life solo with the kids. The couple also breaks down what it really means to be "busy" versus just living a full life, and they reflect on techniques like tapping, s...
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 as business KPIs, especially when you're running companies, raising kids, and chasing long-term vitality.
The duo also unpacks the story of a six-month-old SaaS startup tha...
In this raw and powerful episode of Married to the Startup, Alicia McKenzie sits down with Amri Kibbler—entrepreneur, community builder, and founder of HeyMama—to talk about the dual challenges of scaling a company and facing a life-threatening illness. After two successful acquisitions and a diagnosis of stage three colorectal cancer, Amri opens up about the role of self-care, the complexities of founder relationship...
In this conversation, George and Alicia discuss various themes related to parenting, youth sports, and societal trends. They explore the dangers of burnout in youth sports, the rising trend of water tastings, changing drinking habits among women, and the impact of economic factors on alcohol consumption. The discussion also touches on the balance between structured summer camps and unstructured play for children, the ...
In this episode, George and Alicia discuss various themes surrounding mental health, vulnerability, and the pressures faced by gifted individuals and men. They explore the impact of labels on performance, the importance of having a support system, and the challenges of balancing work and personal life. The conversation also highlights the significance of understanding one's purpose in business and the experiences...
In this episode, Alicia and George discuss the recent acquisition of Hailey Bieber's beauty brand, Road, by Elf Beauty for $1 billion. They explore the implications of celebrity influence in business, the operational roles behind celebrity brands, and the challenges of replicating such success.
The conversation also delves into the concept of self-made success, the role of privilege, and the importance of strateg...
In this episode, Alicia and George McKenzie explore the implications of AI on creativity, parenting, and the importance of empathy. They discuss the challenges of parenting in a judgmental society, the lessons learned from sports, and the significance of building authentic relationships in business. The conversation also touches on the future of AI and its potential to assist in various fields while emphasizing the ir...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.