TFS#259 - Victoria Montgomery Story Behind Big Think (8.8M+ Subs) & Her New AI Company Vault Stamp

Victoria Montgomery Brown is an entrepreneur, author, and media executive best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Big Think, one of the world's leading thought leadership and educational media platforms. Since launching Big Think in 2007, she helped grow it into a global destination for ideas, featuring renowned experts such as Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and other influential thinkers. Brown holds a BA from McGill University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also the author of Digital Goddess: The Unfiltered Lessons of a Female Entrepreneur and currently serves as CEO of Vault Stamp, a company focused on protecting creators and brands from AI-generated content misuse and digital impersonation.Connect with Victoria!https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrmontgomerybrownhttps://www.digitalgoddess.comhttps://vaultstamp.comCHAPTERS:0:00 – Introduction0:59 – Meet Victoria Montgomery Brown1:31 – What the New York tech scene is like today2:29 – How Andy first discovered Big Think3:18 – The origin story of Big Think4:10 – Is AI content helping or hurting thought leadership?6:28 – Advice for building a content brand without a budget8:51 – Victoria’s purpose behind creating Big Think9:56 – Victoria’s career before launching Big Think11:52 – How she reached out to Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and other world-class thinkers13:08 – Thoughts on vertical video vs. horizontal content15:09 – Which content format has the most longevity?16:18 – Why Victoria sold Big Think after 14 years17:56 – Victoria talks about how Big Think made money19:37 – Victoria discusses selling thought leadership content to enterprises20:50 – How to find and close large corporate clients23:22 – The biggest mistake founders make when pitching sponsors26:35 – What to do when you can’t offer enough value yet28:33 – Victoria talks about balancing passion projects with sponsor demands31:18 – Andy’s fear of monetizing his podcast32:24 – Victoria’s advice on finding podcast sponsors33:14 – What Victoria did after exiting Big Think34:08 – What she has been focused on over the last six months35:29 – Victoria shares how she started working with Vault Stamp36:29 – How to know if an idea is actually worth investing in39:07 – What problem does Vault Stamp solve?41:35 – How Vault Stamp protects creators from AI theft43:39 – How Vault Stamp helps protect musicians and copyright owners through provenance44:12 – Victoria’s approach to pricing new products45:24 – Early customer success stories using Vault Stamp46:10 – What the “Automatic Takedowns” feature in Vault Stamp actually means47:44 – Victoria’s day-to-day life as a CEO49:23 – Balancing entrepreneurship, relationships, and life choices50:55 – Why authenticity matters in relationships and business52:55 – AI clones, Joe Rogan deepfakes, and digital identity protection54:01 – Victoria talks about her book Digital Goddess54:52 – Advice for successful female entrepreneurs seeking relationships57:48 – Following your passion vs. chasing revenue1:00:31 – Building a business while running out of runway1:02:51 – Victoria’s recent life discoveries1:05:44 – Letting go of ventures that aren’t working1:08:13 – Why Vault Stamp gained more traction than her previous venture1:09:31 – Victoria talks about the importance of in-person events1:12:05 – Victoria’s personal goals and focus for the next six months1:13:48 – Connect with Victoria1:14:13 – Outro