The Woman Who Out-Pinterested Pinterest: Kristine Locker on Building Something From Scratch
In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Katie Cazorla — comedian and entrepreneur — to welcome Forbes-recognized founder Kristine Locker, the woman behind the shopping platform everyone's about to be obsessed with: Locker.
It started the way the best ideas do — with a problem. Kristine was keeping a Google spreadsheet of products she wanted to buy and thought there has to be a better way!
What followed was a leap from commercial real estate broker to tech founder. Now shes raised $3.5 million, created partnerships with major retailers like Neiman Marcus, and found success with viral TikToks that bring in 5,000 new users overnight. Oh, and she's pregnant. No big deal.
Think of Locker as what you'd get if Pinterest and an influencer network had a baby — a visual, social shopping platform where anyone can save, share, and actually earn from the things they love. And with women receiving just 2% of venture capital dollars, Kristine's story isn't just inspiring — it's a little bit radical.
This episode is also pure fun but also reveals an incredible truth - betting on yourself is the only business plan that actually holds up.
Pull up your phone, open a new tab, and maybe start thinking about what you'd put in your locker.
✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- From Google Spreadsheets to $3.5M raised — Kristine's unexpected path to founding Locker
- What Locker actually is — and why "Pinterest meets influencer network" finally makes online shopping make sense
- How a user cold-messaged Kristine about investing — and ended up writing a $1M check
- Why women receive only 2% of venture capital dollars (and what we can do about it)
- The viral TikTok that got 2 million views and 5,000 new users in a single week
- Kristine's advice for anyone with a big idea and no idea where to start
🔗 FOLLOW
Stacy Phillips Website: stacydphillipsesq.com/my-podcasts Instagram: @stacydphillipsesq
Katie Cazorla Instagram: @officialkatiecazorla
Kristine Locker Website: wantlocker.com Instagram: @kristinelocker TikTok: @kristinelocker / @wantlocker
Got it! Here they are:
🕒 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Stacy and Katie introduce Forbes founder Kristine Locker
01:47 — The Google spreadsheet that started it all
02:40 — Building v1 with two college students hired off Upwork
04:26 — How a user cold-messaged Kristine and ended up writing a $1M check
06:07 — How Locker works — saving, sharing, and earning from what you love
07:42 — "Locker" — a name that's also a last name (and a very good pun)
07:56 — Baby news! Kristine announces she's pregnant
08:23 — Growing the team from one to ten
09:03 — The TikTok that got 2 million views and 5,000 new users overnight
11:13 — If Pinterest and an influencer network had a baby
12:29 — Katie's nail printer, her mall cart at the Americana, and a wild idea from China
13:24 — From nail salons to the Kookaburra Lounge
14:50 — Signed with Gersh and a Lionsgate development deal in the works
16:14 — Stacy is a brick-and-mortar girl — so how does Locker work for her?
17:21 — Neiman Marcus, in-store data, and the gap Locker wants to close
21:28 — Women get 2% of venture capital dollars
22:47 — Kristine's advice for anyone with a big idea and no clue where to start
23:03 — Your network is your net worth — and time-blocking your success metrics
23:55 — We plan, God laughs — on saying yes when you least expect it
27:01 — Where to find Kristine and Katie online