Serial entrepreneur Jeni Castro, founder of Coffee Dose (a.k.a. Anti-Bitch Serum) talks building a loud, lovable brand in an 88-sq-ft salon, why franchising Bronze Bunny drained her creativity, and how “Karens & trolls” accidentally became rocket fuel. We get into confidence, cussing as a calling card, surviving a viral Yelp pile-on during cancel culture, team/turnover realities, and expanding to Encinitas near Rancho Santa Fe while staying unapologetically her.
00:02:33 – Her “psycho”: Karens & trolls (fuel and fire).
00:03:36 – Confidence talk: born with it or built?
00:06:08 – Branding love: Anti-Bitch Serum on a cup.
00:06:27 – Coffee Dose origin: accident → opportunity.
00:07:00 – Franchising Bronze Bunny: “I absolutely hated it.”
00:08:06 – 88-sq-ft launch in Costa Mesa; “f— it, let’s do it.”
00:09:20 – Loud on purpose: female-first coffee, no judgment.
00:10:16 – Culture: fun with her husband; “HR liability” jokes.
00:12:06 – Quality receipts: house-made almond milk, not just IG.
00:15:06 – Team pains from the beauty biz; why it dulled her sparkle.
00:17:00 – Handbook honesty (yes, the F-word) & staffing realities.
00:17:33 – Encinitas buildout on the cusp of Rancho Santa Fe.
00:19:03 – Viral during cancel culture: the “Karen” sign & reviews.
00:20:59 – “~3,000 one-star Yelp reviews in six hours.” (clapback video)
00:22:25 – “Calling someone Karen is like the N-word” (wild review).
00:25:55 – Brand thesis: loosen up, laugh, and keep it real.