When I watched the Call Her Daddy documentary, Call Her Alex, I didn’t just see a viral podcast story—I saw a blueprint for building a business in today’s creator economy.

Alex Cooper, the force behind Call Her Daddy, didn’t follow the rules—she rewrote them. What started as a scrappy, self-produced podcast recorded in her apartment turned into a multimillion-dollar deal with Spotify and the launch of her own media empire. Her story isn’t just about content. It’s about entrepreneurship, audience-building, and knowing when to go all in. For any founder, creator, or small-business owner trying to break through, there’s a lot to take away. Here are the lessons that stuck with me most: 1. Find the gap—and go all in Cooper identified a glaring void: Women weren’t speaking openly about sex the way men had been for decades. Instead of avoiding it, she built her entire brand around that bold honesty. Every business needs to ask: What’s the conversation no one’s having—and how can we be the ones to lead it?

2. Don’t be afraid of what gets attention By episode three of Call Her Daddy, she dropped the phrase “Gluck Gluck 9000”—a now-famous bit that was outrageous, hilarious, and calculated to go viral. She didn’t shy away from being provocative if it aligned with her brand. In today’s crowded market, safe doesn’t cut it. If something grabs attention and serves your audience, don’t feel guilty about leading with it. 3. Start scrappy, stay scrappy She shot, edited, and promoted everything herself—no budget, no gatekeepers. She didn’t wait for the perfect logo or the right investor. And when the opportunity with Barstool Sports came, she didn’t let ego get in the way of smart partnership. That mindset—starting small but thinking long—is the foundation of any great business. 4. If the ads won’t come, monetize the culture At first, traditional advertisers stayed away from the explicit content. So she leaned into merch—and turned listeners into a community. “Daddy Gang” wasn’t just a nickname; it was an identity. For small businesses, the message is clear: If one revenue stream isn’t working, double down on your community and create products that help them feel connected.