How do you go from writing stories about human trafficking on the US-Mexico border to building a multi-million dollar business media empire?

Welcome to the Forbes Top Creator Show! This week, host Steven Bertoni decodes the business of influence with former journalist, Wall Street investor, and serial entrepreneur Codie Sanchez.

In this episode, Codie opens up about her intense early days as a border journalist, winning the John F. Kennedy Award for print journalism, and the searing realization that it is nearly impossible to assert your will on the world when you are broke. She details her transition into high finance—climbing the ladder at Vanguard, Goldman Sachs, and State Street—and why she walked away from private equity after realizing she didn’t want to end up like her corporate peers.

Codie delivers a true masterclass on building Contrarian Thinking, a powerhouse holding company that uses social media to drive 130 million monthly views into venture capital, franchise brands, and advisory services. She breaks down her daily routine of waking up at 6:00 AM, skipping the cold plunges to go down TikTok rabbit holes, and enforcing a checklist of doing “one hard thing” and having “one hard conversation” every single day.

Finally, Codie shares her core investment thesis: why “boring” physical businesses like plumbing, HVAC, car washes, and laundromats are the ultimate path to financial freedom in the age of AI, and why they will outlast traditional knowledge workers like accountants, attorneys, and graphic designers. She also reveals her biggest creator mistake—getting “murdered” by the internet over a typo, and her three commandments for finance creators: “bring your weird way better than boring,” fight the “sloppification” of content, and obsess over serving just one person.

#CodieSanchez #ForbesTopCreators #ContrarianThinking #CreatorEconomy

Check out the Forbes Top Creator List:https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2026/06/23/forbes-top-creators-2026/

0:00 Meet Codie Sanchez

1:32 What Makes a Podcast Worth an Hour of Your Life

3:13 From Walter Cronkite School to the US-Mexico Border

6:11 The City of Death: Why Money Equals Leverage

8:31 Winning the John F. Kennedy Journalism Award

10:52 From Valley Forge to the Goldman Sachs Rotational Program

13:06 Why I Quit Wall Street: “Third Wife, Lots of Lamborghinis”

15:03 Coronado and Launching the Contrarian Thinking Newsletter

16:20 Leaving the Inbox: Transitioning to Video and Short-Form

18:24 Going Viral with Laundromats

20:04 The Contrarian Holding Company Business Model

21:41 Top of Funnel: Serving 99.9% of Your Audience for Free

24:19 Mel Robbins and the Secret to Growing a Top Podcast

27:21 Daily Routine: TikTok Rabbit Holes, Heavy Workouts & Electrolytes

29:17 The Core Daily Habit: One Hard Conversation a Day

31:22 Why “Boring” Businesses Outlast Accountants & Lawyers

34:40 The Baby Boomer Key Hand-Off and Small Business Investing

36:57 Breaking the Mainstream: Less Corporate, More Off-The-Cuff

39:01 My Biggest Mistake: A Typo

40:45 Day One Directive For New Creators

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