EP 014. She Lost Everything and Built Something Greater │ Karine Nissim on Grief as a Business Catalyst, Building Daynu & The Unsexy Side of Consumer Brands

Welcome back to STACKED, the show about becoming your own best asset.Today I sat down with Karine Nissim, serial entrepreneur, award-winning writer, and podcaster. Karine grew up between Israel, New Jersey, and South Florida, studied filmmaking in Los Angeles, and built her first real company there alongside her late husband Aaron. That company was Dog Vacay, the Airbnb for pets, which raised $50 million and eventually merged with Rover.During the pandemic, she launched Shmask on her own, a shirt with a built-in mask for kids, and sold over $100,000 in a single day on the Today Show. Then Aaron passed away unexpectedly, and everything changed.In this conversation we got into everything: the unsexy logistics behind consumer brands, what she learned about herself as an operator, why your network is always the real shortcut, the grief that led her to build DayNew, and why she believes done is always better than perfect. Karine is one of the most generous and clear-eyed people I know, and this conversation will stay with me.Key Topics Covered🔹 From Israel to New Jersey, South Florida, and LA: growing up in an entrepreneurial immigrant family— How Dog Vacay was born from a personal problem and scaled to raise $50 million— Building with a spouse: balancing egos, defining roles, and why most co-founder relationships fail— Why "done is better than perfect" and how to overcome analysis paralysis— Shmask: turning a midnight idea into a Today Show feature and $100K+ in sales in a single day— The unexpected loss of her husband and the year of survival that followed— How writing through grief became the foundation for DayNew— The two things every person needs during difficult times: connection and consistency— Understanding your strengths as an operator: launching vs. managing day-to-day operations— Why in-person networking remains one of the highest-leverage growth strategies— How negative self-talk prevents the alignment and growth you're seeking— Finding your North Star and allowing your purpose to evolve over time— Lightning Round: Peer Support vs. Expert-Led, CAC vs. LTV, Miami vs. LATimestamps:00:00 – Welcome + Introducing Karine Nissim01:54 – From Israel to LA: Karine's Origin Story03:00 – Growing Up in an Entrepreneurial Immigrant Family03:54 – The Personal Problem That Sparked Dog Vacay04:28 – Raising $50M to Build the Airbnb for Pets06:11 – Building a Company with Your Spouse: Roles, Ego & Trust12:02 – Escaping Analysis Paralysis & Making Better Decisions13:50 – Why Done Is Better Than Perfect20:51 – Shmask: From a Midnight Idea to $100K+ in One Day26:05 – Losing Aaron & Navigating a Year of Survival29:38 – How Writing Through Grief Built an Audience32:31 – What Is DayNew? AI, Community & Practical Support for Healing34:44 – The Two Things Every Human Needs During Hard Times35:51 – Why Acceptance Is the Most Important Step in Healing44:25 – Knowing Yourself as an Operator: Launching vs Running48:34 – Negative Self-Talk & the Language of Becoming50:26 – Finding Your North Star & Letting It Evolve58:46 – Lightning Round01:01:41 – Where to Find Karine NissimTags:Karine Nissim, DayNew app, grief and entrepreneurship, serial entrepreneur, Dog Vacay, Shmask, consumer brands, female founder, how to build a startup, women in business, turning pain into purpose, entrepreneur mindset, healing tech, grief support, personal brand, community building, STACKED podcast, Brickell Babes, done is better than perfect, startup founder storyDisclaimer:The content shared on this page should not be construed as legal, financial, investment, or medical advice. Your viewing and/or use of this information does not create any kind of client, patient, or fiduciary relationship with us. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own advisors or medical professional concerning your situation and specific questions you may have.