Podcasts about aeropostale

A fashion buyer, Gabrielly Silva aproveitou a mudança de país para fazer uma transição de carreira - ela estudou administração no Brasil, e veio para Toronto, no Canadá, para estudar negócios de moda. Hoje ela é Assistant Buyer no grupo de varejo canadense que compõe as marcas BlueNotes, Aeropostale, Aeropostale Kids e West49.  convidada: https://www.instagram.com/gabihyy/  newsletter: https://modanamochila.substack.com/about  Ig: https://www.instagram.com/modanamochila/  cursos: https://www.modanamochila.com/aprender  Podcasts citados Ep 40 - Mochila, viagem e AÇÃO: fashion entrepreneur na América do Norte, com Lipsio Carvalho https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cKEBYnvTkYavaHs8DY2BP?si=-VzGlVJ7QBOtrqhenqJpXQ Ep 66 - Canada's Drag Race e Marketing de Moda Canadense, com Silvia Oshiro https://open.spotify.com/episode/2V1lM15mBy8N8Up4I8DCaL?si=gsERzGsiS0eLtSpKaovRfg Capítulos 00:00:00 INTRO 00:01:39 Como é a Rotina de um Fashion Buyer no Canadá? 00:09:31 Como foi sua trajetória até aqui? 00:16:40 Como escolheu o Canadá? 00:23:02 Como é um college de moda no Canadá? 00:32:00 Como conseguiu o primeiro emprego na moda no Canadá? 00:42:00 Como foi desenvolver a coleção da Taylor Swift para o Super Bowl? 00:49:03 Qual o diferencial do brasileiro na moda internacional? 00:57:06 Gostaria de morar em algum outro lugar? 00:58:56 Sugestões de filmes, séries ou livros sobre moda?

Ever wondered how the fusion of hyperpop, Sexy Drill, and R&B samples can revolutionize the music scene? Join us as Leif takes us through the vibrant world of Hyperdrill and Jersey Club Disco, pioneering New York's next sonic wave. She not only breaks down her creative process and collaborations with notable Jersey producers like Ace Mula and MC Vert Project X but also shares her insights into the synergistic relationship between her music and fashion ventures. With Leif's innovative sounds and her role as a muse for Pat McGrath, and campaigns with Calvin Klein and Aeropostale, this episode is a feast for anyone passionate about boundary-pushing music and fashion.Switching gears, we explore Leif's transformation into her "Dream Girl Era," a journey marked by inclusivity and relentless dream-chasing. Reflecting on collaborations with artists such as Cash Cobain, Lay, and Baby Tate, Leif reveals how these partnerships align with her personal playlist and the latest trends like Sexy Drill and Jersey Club. We also discuss the nuances of personal accountability, relationship maturity, and how astrological signs influence our interactions. From nostalgic childhood hobbies to our shared love for Korean dramas and K-pop, this episode blends musical innovation with heartfelt personal stories and light-hearted conversations.Talk Soon! ✌

Aja Cohen is a fashion designer who has worked for Converse, Aeropostale and Elle Magazine, among others, before starting her own clothing brand. She's also an Orthodox Jewish mom from New Jersey. She recently wove together for us the narrative threads of her religious and career journeys. This is her story.  Saturday to Shabbos is […]

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts!Follow @ListenListenPodcast on InstagramFollow @JaurjiComedy on Instagram & @Jaurji on TikTokTimestamps:0:00 Welcome Farbsy & Creating Listen Listen5:30 Bad Jobs vs Bad People6:05 Getting Fired10:53 Jesse's Worst Job Ever13:13 Aeropostale?15:10 Cellphone Scams & Quitting Jobs19:59 Everyone is Scared of the Big Boss22:03 One Of A Kind Employees24:18 R.I.P. EB Games27:12 Playing A Big Role In Someone Else's Life29:36 The Idea Behind Farbsy32:15 Effort Doesn't Equal Results (on social media)34:09 Making Content YOU Like36:56 Not Limiting Yourself38:54 Jesse's First Job & Cold Calling44:15 Running A Restaurant & The Bear47:23 Haters Everywhere51:45 The Reality of Working Social Media Full Time56:02 TikTok vs Instagram1:01:03 Just Happy To Be Here

Episode 55 of the "Everything Except The Law" podcast has arrived! This time we're speaking with Bo Royal, CEO & Co-Founder of Pareto Legal.In this episode, Bo and host Nick Werker discuss how paid advertising fits into a law firm's overall marketing strategy, what law firms need to have in place before investing in paid ads, things to look for in a marketing partner and much more!About our guest: Bo and Pareto co-founder Jake Barufkin and met a decade ago at eBay's marketing solutions division, where they led large teams of digital marketing experts and analytics specialists that oversaw $250M+ in annual advertising budget for their clients. Some of the large clients they worked with included: Aeropostale, Alex & Ani, BCBG, bebe, Calvin Klein, Dr. Marten's, GNC, JACK SPADE, Kate Spade New York, Nixon, Perricone MD, Sallie Mae, Serta & Stuart Weitzman.Today, Bo and Jake own and operate two "sibling" agencies: Pareto Legal & Pareto PPC. Both agencies leverage their experience and expertise that they developed working for fortune 1000 brands and in-house as CMO & COO at a large Philadelphia-based injury law firm (a firm that they were able to scale from 7-figures to 8-figures in under 3 years).Learn more about Pareto Legal here: https://legal.paretoppc.com/Subscribe to the Answering Legal Channel so you never miss an episode of Everything Except the Law! Check out audio versions of the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Anchor. Learn more about the show here: http://ow.ly/Eni250LekLgInterested in learning more about Answering Legal? Book an appointment to speak with us here: http://ow.ly/LSUq30sjviNYou can also give us a call at 631-400-8000 or go to www.answeringlegal.comThis podcast is produced and edited by Joe Galotti. You can reach Joe via email at joe@answeringlegal.com.

Look, who wouldn't want to hit the Hot Topic or H & M or Aeropostale at every available opportunity. You gotta stay on trend. But how far would you go? Would you actually move into a mall? Before you answer we have two words for you: Spencer's Gifts.https://trummerkind.com/mall/What_Happened.htmlhttps://trummerkind.com/theone/Home.htmlhttps://99percentinvisible.org/episode/the-accidental-room/

Meet Danielle, CEO and Founder of Lefty's Right Mind, a bespoke creative studio. IG: @leftysrightmind Topics include: Starting a career at Aeropostale, Hanes, Champion, Nike, Walmart Discovering your identity through motherhood and balancing career Lefty's Right Mind is a full-service, bespoke atelier brings a clients' vision to life through creative consulting, hand-crafted on-site activations, and more. Learn here: https://www.leftysrightmind.com/meet-the-lefty Connect with Danielle: danielle@leftysrightmind.com https://www.instagram.com/leftysrightmind

In this episode of the Build and Bloom photography podcast, I (@jessicawhitaker) am joined by Celebrity Photographer Krissy Saleh (@krissy). This episode is a little different. The format of this episode will feel like you're sitting at coffee with us. You're seriously going to be in for a venerable conversation about comparison and humility. Krissy Saleh is a celebrity photographer and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. Primarily known as “Krissy” online, she has created visual content for a number of globally recognized fashion brands, including Brandy Melville, Pacsun, Aeropostale, Forever 21, and Pull & Bear. FOLLOW KRISSY: http://krissysaleh.com/  https://www.instagram.com/krissy/  https://www.tiktok.com/@KrissySaleh  WHAT'S NEXT: Join The B+B Facebook group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildandbloomjessicawhitaker/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Jessica on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jessicawhitaker⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow the Podcast Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/buildandbloom/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast has been made possible by: Business Basics:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.jessicawhitaker.co/photography-business-basics-course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Honeybook, the ultimate client management program:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.jessicawhitaker.co/photography-tool-honeybook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Narrative, the $6 photo culling software:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.jessicawhitaker.co/photography-blog-tool⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Contractista, reliable lawyer-drafted Photography Contracts:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://www.jessicawhitaker.co/photography-contract-template

Danielle Becker has a degree in graphic design and had a successful career in the fashion district of New York City, designing for brands like Hanes and Aeropostale and then as an Art Director at Macy's and Bloomingdales. But in 2017 Danielle left to pursue her own dream gig. Her business, Lefty's Right Mind, was initially graphic design focused and then the “Aha!” moment came when a friend asked her to hand paint her bridesmaid's denim jackets for her wedding. The custom jacket concept catapulted her young company and soon she had customers asking her to paint all sorts of designer goods. Danielle's  craftsmanship skills are still her differentiator and Lefty's Right Mind is experiencing year-after-year success in the bespoke, hand crafted market! Hear more about this founder's recipe for success!  

Danielle Becker has a degree in graphic design and had a successful career in the fashion district of New York City, designing for brands like Hanes and Aeropostale and then as an Art Director at Macy's and Bloomingdales. But in 2017 Danielle left to pursue her own dream gig. Her business, Lefty's Right Mind, was initially graphic design focused and then the “Aha!” moment came when a friend asked her to hand paint her bridesmaid's denim jackets for her wedding. The custom jacket concept catapulted her young company and soon she had customers asking her to paint all sorts of designer goods. Danielle's  craftsmanship skills are still her differentiator and Lefty's Right Mind is experiencing year-after-year success in the bespoke, hand crafted market! Hear more about this founder's recipe for success!  

Color Palette, led by principal songwriter/vocalist Jay Nemeyer, is an indie dream pop band from Washington, DC. Color Palette creates lush auditory landscapes that feature shimmering, pop-sensible vocal and guitar melodies, and the band has shared the stage with world-renowned acts such as Charli XCX. "Color Palette takes experiences like heartbreak and love, and together turns them into something mystical and inviting." – DC Music Download. Color Palette's music has garnered placements with NBC Universal, ESPN, MTV, Vimeo, Volvo, Aeropostale, and Monster Energy. In July 2020, they received a Wammie Award (Washington Area Music Award) for Best Pop Song ("Marrakech to Bombay"). Color Palette released a new EP on April 14, 2023 via Enroute Records. Social media / others links: https://linktr.ee/colorpalettedc

Being the one hundred and eighty-ninth episode in which we're getting the musical again, Test Drive is the best piece of cinematic score, and we would cry if Hillary Duff told us off in an Aeropostale.    That's What I'm Tolkien About is a proud member of WBNE. For more information, go to https://wbne.org/     The Show: Twitter - www.twitter.com/tolkienaboutpod Instagram - www.instagram.com/tolkienaboutpod  Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/3043311089030739/  Merch - https://bit.ly/3yELYc3  Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/tolkienaboutpod/  Cover art by Vashaun Brandon - https://www.instagram.com/vashaundesigns/    Mary Clay: Twitter - www.twitter.com/mcwattsup  Instagram - www.instagram.com/mcturndownforwatt TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@mcwattsup     Ali: Twitter - https://twitter.com/msalicenutting  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/msalicenutting/  Resources, Articles, Etc. - Bored of the Rings (free digital version) - https://archive.org/details/boredofringsparo00harv  LOTR Musical? - https://deadline.com/2023/03/lord-of-the-rings-music-stage-adaptation-watermill-theatre-jrr-tolkien-matthew-warchus-1235276555/  New LOTR Movies? - https://variety.com/2023/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-new-movies-warner-bros-1235533672/  Potterless: Anti-Semitism in Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Fantasy w/ Eric Silver - https://www.potterlesspodcast.com/episode-161  Fan Organizer Coalition - https://fandomforward.org/coalition  Race in LOTR and Tolkien's Works: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ExziJbBteK8eJn9xgrjm17P23Vg_Ucm8rAyYAkm9yc/edit 

This week Abby gives you a huge dose of weird with her story of two mysterious children from 1100s England. Ashlyn tells the tragic and horrible story of Virginia's Colonial Parkway Murders.  This episode has everything: Second-grade tae kwon do, an Instagram Live seance, an Aeropostale tangent, neon rave clothing in 1100s England, children who forgot where beans were, a college sweatshirt that says “Agartha”, a highly requested story, and a mouthful of a professional title. Support the show

It's 2007: Harry Potter is ending, the iPhone is born, and Joe and Andrew take their very first steps into middle school. Today's episode is all about the trials and tribulations of SIXTH GRADE, including, but not limited to: Thursday afternoon fights at Gino's pizzeria, body odor, rainbow rockets, Webkinz, Aeropostale, milk for every meal, the birth of cell phone culture, Miley's pregnancy rumor, giving sixth graders power tools, Axe body spray, and more nauseating experiences from one of the worst years of our lives.

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into mental health, being candid, and sharing our own thoughts. Topics covered in this episode include: - Our own takes as mental health as a whole - tips on managing your own mental health - mental health within the modeling industry - career + mental health balance - our personal self care priorities ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into adapting to change, accepting the moment, as well as change within social media. Topics covered in this episode include: - What change is to us - tips on accepting and coping with change - how trends change throughout the years and how we shouldn't feel obligated to change with them - life transitions as a woman and how to face it Our favorite books on change: Becoming by Michelle Obama The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest 101 Essays that Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into control as a woman, self control, owning your power, women supporting one another, and more. Topics covered in this episode include: - What control means to us - breaking the mold - how expressing your individuality is important - how women representation has evolved through the years - owning your own legacy - the topic of women supporting women - understanding that growth takes time ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into society's present day era of social media- the good, the bad, and all the above. Topics covered in this episode include: - social media throughout the years and its power among society -social media's effect on beauty standards and body image - the modeling industry via social media - Pros/Cons of social media usage and culture - mental health among social media usage ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into the past and the present of beauty standards within society and how they have contributed to mental health, self image, as well as self control. Topics covered in this episode include: - our definition of beauty standards - social media's effect on beauty standards - comparison to others online - the modeling industry via beauty standard evolution - beauty standards via mental health The Dove Evolution Campaign for Real Beauty: https://youtu.be/iYhCn0jf46U ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Welcome to the new branch of Raw Talk, RAW TALK: MODEL TALK! Host Nikki Gal and co-host Shashi Watters will be covering everything from the modeling industry to beauty standards to mental health over the next few weeks. We hope these episodes lead you down the route to self discovery, unraveling yourself, as well as being in control of your own life as a woman! In this episode, Nikki Gal and Shashi Watters dive into the modeling industry as a whole. Topics covered in this episode include: - Modeling agency experience & advice - Acknowledging red flags within the modeling industry - Booking clients + casting attire - The breakdown of a comp card & portfolios - Self awareness as a model - Support systems - Managing mental health as a model - Addressing the stigmas - Photographer dos & don'ts - Freelance modeling ABOUT OUR CO-HOST Shashi Watters is a fashion model. She has worked as a professional fashion model for years and has been published in Vogue, Elle Arabia, Jeremy Scott, Aeropostale, Kohl's, Nike, Adidas as well as other fashion companies. She has carved her own path within the modeling industry through self love, embrace and believing in herself. Her legacy is not only an inspiration, but a MOTIVATION. Shashi's Instagram: @shashiox

Interview with Michael Dueñas Michael Dueñas never set out to be a celebrity hairstylist and photographer. Growing up surfing and spending time at his friend's salon, he realized a true passion and gift for hair. While his career has been anything but laid back, his charming personality and unique talent have been attracting top-level clients from the beginning. Michael is a curly hair specialist, after training at DevaChan in Soho and becoming a master stylist and educator for them, his love for textured hair grew. Michael has been on the fast track, working with numerous celebrities, and also —has been fortunate to have been the consulting celebrity stylist for Garnier, the brand ambassador for Schwarzkopf Professional, and the brand ambassador for Aloxxi International. After several years working in New York, Michael moved his career out west and is currently based in Los Angeles. He has had the pleasure of shooting for editorials including Elle, Allure, Jalouse, FLAUNT, C Magazine, and Nylon and works with advertising clients including GUESS, Aeropostale, L'Oreal, and Got2B. Michael has turned his passion for beauty into much more.  Learning skills that benefit a brand from start to finish. He has helped brands launch unique and revolutionary products, designed packages to further their brand, and create stunning stand-out imagery and video series.  He is truly a one-stop shop. https://www.instagram.com/michaelduenas/ (https://www.instagram.com/michaelduenas/) https://www.veluercreative.com/ (https://www.veluercreative.com) https://mduenas.com/about (https://mduenas.com/about) About Kimi's Hair Designs and Rio's Rainbow https://www.facebook.com/KimisHairDesign/ (https://www.facebook.com/KimisHairDesign/) https://www.instagram.com/kimis_hair_designs/?hl=en (https://www.instagram.com/kimis_hair_designs/?hl=en) News from TheTease.com https://www.thetease.com/master-stylist-jean-claude-on-the-realities-of-being-a-salon-owner/ (https://www.thetease.com/master-stylist-jean-claude-on-the-realities-of-being-a-salon-owner/) https://www.thetease.com/curiouser-and-curiouser-sigmas-alice-in-wonderland-collection-will-leave-you-grinning-like-the-cheshire-cat/ (https://www.thetease.com/curiouser-and-curiouser-sigmas-alice-in-wonderland-collection-will-leave-you-grinning-like-the-cheshire-cat/) https://www.thetease.com/andis-companys-new-cordless-revite-clippers-offer-ease-and-convenience-for-creators/ (https://www.thetease.com/andis-companys-new-cordless-revite-clippers-offer-ease-and-convenience-for-creators/) More from TheTease: Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/readthetease/ (readthetease) Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/kellyehlers/ (KellyEhlers) Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/eljeffreycraig/ (eljeffreycraig) Web: http://www.thetease.com/ (TheTease.com) Email: VolumeUp@TheTease.com Credits: Volume Up is a Tease Media production. This episode was produced by Monica Hickey and Madeline Hickey. Brian Daly is our editor and audio engineer. Thank you to our creative team for putting together the graphics for this episode.

An ode to Houston Summers with Cool Cups and Short Skirts and Aeropostale polos. I give you, To Pat, an erotic story where I was laid on my back with style and grace. In honor of the first eclipse of 2020! As we know, eclipses are when light is obscured, so I hope this story aids in your ability to invite rest and nourishment in your body! Happy Eclipse Season!

This week, we're joined by our new friend Paul, who runs one of our absolute favorite meme pages, @xripped_girl_jeansx! Like us, many of you sowed some wild oats in a mosh pit at a church basement show, two-stepping with 14 other people in a rented out American Legion, or just loitering around a Hot Topic talking about the band tee you were saving up for because your mom wanted you to buy school clothes at Aeropostale like the normal kids. If you spent time around “the scene” in any of its many forms, you know that there is a very unique culture to it, and in our opinion, few things express that culture better than @xripped_girl_jeansx on Instagram! Paul grew up a church kid, and really threw himself into the metal and hardcore music scene. We talk about the good old days of youth group shows, the fun idiosyncrasies of that world, and where his faith took him as he grew up. It's a fun episode, and if you're not following Paul already, you've never had a better “breeeee-son” to check out @xripped_girl_jeansx on Instagram!

Brooke and Katie discuss the fact that lunch is a lost art and brunch flops, dorky men not knowing how to brand themselves, and Taylor Swift's original hair being a cultural reset. We talk about a dear, dear friend getting too high he got scared, Aeropostale monkey tee culture, and the stories of our first periods. For our NTBABBs we talk about sneakers being falsely marketed as comfortable shoes and grandparents who refuse to just be called grandma or grandpa.

Billy and Adam cover a topic of timely national importance, 20 Christmas Gifts Every Millennial Woman Wanted in 2006. Referencing an article they found from 2017, Billy and Adam discuss iPods, Aeropostale, American Girl Dolls, Zac Efron and more. Plus, new hype, old hemp and a mispronunciation of Abercrombie! Theme: Send Medicine - Way to the Sea Follow Billy Scafuri: Twitter: @BillyScafuri // Instagram: @BillyScafuri Follow Adam Lustick: Twitter: @AdamLustick // Instagram: @AdamLustick See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today is Monday, June 13, and we're looking at American Eagle Outfitters vs. Aeropostale.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we are revisiting Michelle “Shelly” Lynn Watson Rivardo Long Knotek. She's a piece of work who committed some seriously awful crimes against not only her children but also, three people in which she took full advantage of, manipulated and also murdered. She is set to be released in two short months. This episode features voice talent from JT (of many podcasts including Brew Crime and Crime Trials), CJ from Beyond The Rainbow Podcast, and Kevin from The Jury Room Podcast. MISSING - Katauna Nateya Whisenant was born November 29, 2007 and is from Crescent, california. She has Light Brown hair, brown eyes and is of Native American descent. She is approximately 5'3" to 5'5" and 150 pounds. Katauna has ties to Santa Rosa, Sebastopol and Windsor in Sonoma County, California. The San Francisco Division of the FBI and the Crescent City Police Department in California are seeking assistance from the public to locate Katauna. She left her residence around 6 p.m. on Friday, July 23, 2021. She has not been seen or heard from since her disappearance. Katauna may be traveling with a man who left the Santa Rosa, California, area on March 30, 2022, in a 1993 Toyota sedan with California license plate 3 F K R 6 9 8. She was last seen wearing a maroon Aeropostale brand hoodie, black Calvin Klein brand sweatpants, and white Crocs brand shoes. If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Field Office: San Francisco.Promos -Sweet and Sour Nuggies PodcastCause of Death True Crime Cat LawyerOur Linktree - LINKTR.ee/anefariousnightmarepodcastWe haven't forgotten Jason Vukovich - linktr.ee/Jason.VukovichSOURCES -https://murderpedia.org/female.K/k/knotek-michelle.htm https://allthatsinteresting.com/shelly-knotekhttps://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/876416/shelly-knotek-abuse-daughters-serial-killer/https://nypost.com/2019/11/30/kids-of-murderer-michelle-shelly-knotek-warn-their-mom-could-kill-again/https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2003/08-14/228867_couple_charged_with_murder_in_d.htmlBook - If you tell - Gregg OlsenMISSING - https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/fbi-san-francisco-seeks-help-in-search-for-missing-14-year-old/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In continuation of celebrating International Women's Month, Kip & Dana review Fear Street Part 2: 1978. Dana raves about director Leigh Janiak while Kip expresses her annoyance with the film's soundtrack. They discuss past and present drinking habits, club days & lying on physical examinations.  They share their childhood camp experience. Dana reveals that she was in pep squad in middle school and scolds Kip for not being caught up on Stranger Things when it was filmed in their hood. Kypria teaches a mortified Dana pooping etiquette in National Parks with outhouses and tin foil bags to carry your poop in. They both appreciate how far they have come in their social media skills. Questions raised: How do you pronounce Aeropostale? What decade did the word "neato" come from?

keep the conversation going in the comments and share your thoughts by tagging us on IG @dewlessbloom 00:00 - april 9th, 2021 06:08 - meet Rae Hanes 09:44 -questioning life for clarity 16:55 - inner child explained 20:52 - thoughts on aiming for better 26:34 - why did we all want AEROPOSTALE so bad!! 32:21 - Rae's life updates 40:59 - maintaining a relationship with self 52:25 - reflection prompts: what's my biggest takeaway from this chat? if I had to pass one message along to a friend from this chat what would it be? how can I be proud of where I am right now? Mentioned in Today's Episode: listen to our last chat here | https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wQdEodSaZsfvnVAXxQChI?si=e69c42c0212e45e1 The Dip by Seth Godin Connect with Rae Hanes, Student & Teacher Instagram @el.raehanes I am a senior at Western Carolina University studying Spanish and Elementary Education with a concentration in TESOL. I hope to move out west in the next year and teach ESL, as well as freelance writing. My ultimate goal is to gain a Ph.D. in TESOL and help reform ESL education. I have learned a lot from self-reflection over the years and pushing myself outside of my comfort zones completely. A lot of these realizations have come to a head this year, and I have received rapid growth that I never even imagined possible! I've learned to recognize what is healthy for me and what isn't, whether it be from me or from the relationships around me; and this knowledge changes and grows every day.

#blackwomenpodcasters #wonderyears #celebrityinterview Ernest Owens is a multi-sport athlete who played quarterback for Oklahoma Baptist University. He is from Arlington, Virginia. After majoring in sociology and theatre in college, chose to play professional basketball in Germany for the Westfalen Mustangs. He's also a TV actor who's starred on BET's hit tv show “Boomerang” and is also known for starring on VH1 Love and hip hop Atlanta episode 4 of season 9. Ernest Owens is a free agent in the National Football League, and when he's not on the field, he does well out of his sponsored deals. His endorsement portfolio includes McDonald's, Old Spice, Aeropostale, Marc Jacobs, Papa Johns Pizza, Moes Southwest Grill, What-A-Burger, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more companies. Ernest quoted “ I'm excited to be endorsing fast food. If you look at the majority of the top brands in the world, they all have one thing in common, an athlete. “Athlete Endorsements, when used effectively, will boost a company's overall brand, identity and increase their public image. Other athletes who endorsed McDonald's were Charles Barkley, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and many more. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ernez540/

Jamie Salter is one of the founders of Ride Snowboards along with Tim Pogue and Jason Ford. He is one of the key money guys of early snowboarding, rubbing shoulders with the founders of Burton, Sims, Kemper (Jamie's involvement in the early days of Kemper is huge!), Barfoot, Mervin, Nitro, and many more. In 1995 Ride Snowboards made headlines by going public, Jamie tells the story behind the hype and lets us in to a world of financial decisions that lead him to own a lot of companies. Today Jamie Salter's company ABG owns brands like Reabok, Above The Rim, Aeropostale, Airwalk, Elvis, Forever 21, IZOD, Juicy Couture, Nine West, Sports Illustrated, Tapout, Vision Street Wear, and Volcom.Support the show (https://paypal.me/fnradfoundation)

The Principles of Tomorrow with Patricia Goodwin PetersHow do we ready ourselves to figure out what the workforce of tomorrow looks like? In today's episode, Jeanie talks with Patricia Goodwin Peters, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. Patricia shares her firsthand experience on what it's like to switch industries and bring a people centric mindset into an organization where it wasn't necessarily something that was second nature to them. Jeanie and Patricia also discuss what disruption can mean to your bottom line and how it can have a very positive effect. If you're in HR or a business leader, you're sure to gain a fresh perspective around what tomorrow can bring. Patricia is a strategic business partner and adviser with a deep experience in fast-paced, dynamic, global, and entrepreneurial environments within aviation, luxury retail and brand-oriented industries. She has worked with brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Aeropostale and Kate Spade & Co. Patricia drives business results through the creation of Centers of Excellence in all areas of HR that contribute to accelerated growth. Enjoy today's episode! 3:56 Introduction to Patricia Goodwin Peters5:36 Patricia shares about her personality traits that enable her to be an incredible leader9:19 Patricia breaks down her personal HR philosophy13:47 Critical moves that Patricia has made to improve her team16:52 The mindset Patricia started her role in to the mindset she has now19:55 Patricia reflects on the team embracing the talent mindset she's been working to implement 23:30 The meaning behind “The Principles of Tomorrow” 31:10 Patricia shares her honest concerns about leading during the pivot the pandemic is bringing to the workplace34:03 What Patricia is doing for her own self development36:43 Jeanie shares how's she's learned to deal with her own inner critic and feel more confident 38:43 Patricia shares her best ideas and practices to implement Connect with Patricia Goodwin Peters:https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-goodwin-peters-0672664/Subscribe: Warriors At Work PodcastsWebsite: Jeaniecoomber.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/986666321719033/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanie_coomber/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeanie_coomberLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanie-coomber-90973b4/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbMZ2HyNNyPoeCSqKClBC_w

On Episode 6 of the Semi-Americans podcast, we're joined by a special guest. Lily R shares some of her perspectives on growing up as a Salvadoran in America. She discusses her expectations and impressions of traveling to El Salvador for the first time at the age of 13 and how she remains strongly connected to her roots. Her passion regarding giving back to El Salvador shines through easily.Check out the pics from her trips to El Salvador and the Aeropostale shirt that changed Salvadoran style forever! jajajaIG: @semiamericanspodcastTwitter: @semiamericansLVR: @lilyvanessa__ABS: @theabyssinian_93EAR: @_ededddneddie

Claire's thoughts on Space Jam 2, fly fishing, and anime. Credit to Jeremy for producing this show.

This one might upset the thrifty or nostalgic people in our crowd. But sometimes you just have to know when to let the old things go and embrace something new. Let's do lunch and talk about the parables of Jesus.

In this episode, Sarah interviews her co-host Bob about his decades of experience in marketing and brand strategy. His consumer experience working within different product industries, including those in the health and wellness space give him insight into the current world of social media and social commerce surrounding the CBD and Hemp industry. Sarah and Bob discuss what consumers are dealing with right now and how things have changed in the last 10-15 years. Tune in as Bob and Sarah discuss how to navigate creating an authentic business opportunity with products that can be trusted online.   IN THIS EPISODE: [00:35] Sarah introduces the topics for today's interview with Bob.  [02:00] Sarah talks about her passion for the consumer experience, buying habits and all things involved with the movement of goods and services. [03:00] How the shopping industry used to be a consumer experience, and how it has completely changed in the last 10-15 years.   [04:50] Bob talks about his experience working with Aeropostale as a mall-based brand.  [08:46] How social media has replaced a lot of social interactions and experiences.  [17:00] Bob talks about the new need for social commerce.  [25:00] It is important to align your cause and purpose with your core values. [34:15] Bob and Sarah get nostalgic about brands and products that were established in their childhood.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: There's a need for social commerce, connectivity and personalization in business today.  Physical stores are turning into flagships for consumer experience, where you can sample, see, try, touch, and feel products.  Big brands are turning to social-cause marketing to affect consumer perception.  Bob and Sarah are creating an authentic business opportunity with CBD products that actually help people, which support the cause and mission they care most about.   Links: The Experience Economy Book: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Economy-Updated-Joseph-Pine/dp/1422161978

Situada no sul da França, Toulouse é a capital europeia da aeronáutica. Na cidade, foi construída a aeronave supersônica Concorde. Por lá está a sede da Airbus e a prestigiadíssima Escola Nacional de Aviação Civil, referência na indústria aeronáutica e em pesquisas espaciais. Após a primeira guerra foi de Toulouse que saíram os voos da Aeropostale que depois virou Air France. Entre os pilotos estava Saint-Exupery, autor do livro "O Pequeno Príncipe". Nossa convidada Giovanna Franklin foi cativada pela cidade e é lá que faz seu doutorado.

Awwww shit y'all... Taylor here. I'm writing the description this week, so you know shit is gonna get WEIRD! First, I tell you the tale of a desperate mother, Aeropostale tote bag circa 2008 (allegedly), and richie rich newborns with fancy security bracelets. Then, Shauna describes a cryptid that just won't stop wildin' out with those spindly arms and Slenderman-esque legs. Listen in as she gives us the scoop on Wetzel's Riverside Monster and a sexy man from the 60s with the nicest face cakes in town. It's short and sweet this week — minus the sweet… So, buckle the fook up, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Content warning: Attempted kidnapping [Episode guide] bit.ly/badtrip040 [Website] badtrippod.com [Twitter] twitter.com/badtrippod [Instagram] instagram.com/badtrippod --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/badtrippod/support

Should stores remain open when the supervises themselves are the motivation behind racial crimes? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/drkingyaspeaks/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drkingyaspeaks/support

WE ROCK! It's time to soak up the sun, take a dip, and chat all things Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. Jill makes her case for Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer to date IRL, Annie yells about basically everything, and the lyrics to "Introducing Me" are spoken in a dramatic reading. Do YOU think the moon looks like a toenail??? Check out the pics, vids, and links we mentioned in this episode: https://andurwatching.weebly.com/episodes.html Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/andurwatching TW: death by bike/car accident: 9:27-10:11 racism/cultural appropriation: 23:24-23:28, 26:46-26:56, 34:16-34:53 eating disorders: 27:51-29:41 classism: 29:49-30:48, 55:43-56:43 neglectful parents: 31:43-31:55

Season 2; Episode 4: Leaders Don't Always Have the Answers with Christina Callas Christina Callas is a dynamic digital-retail leader who drives rapid, profitable growth for iconic omnichannel retailers. She especially enjoys growing and maximizing the operating performance for challenging business environments. She is currently the EVP and Chief Digital Officer at Total Wine & More which is known as the country's largest independent retailer of fine wine and spirits operating in over 200 super stores across 23 states – and scaling rapidly. She's worked previously at Children's Place, Hudson's Bay Company and Aeropostale. She has her MBA from Columbia Business School. Key Takeaways from this Episode: You Don't Have All the Answers · Sometimes you need to acknowledge that you don't have all the answers.  · You can give people a path forward without having all the answers.  Authenticity and Vulnerability  · People want to be authentic about who they are at work. · If you are going to ask people to be vulnerable, you must be vulnerable even if it's not your most comfortable state. Leading During the Pandemic  · Learning to respect the ways the pandemic impacts people differently and yet also being fair and equitable across the organization.  · People have demonstrated tremendous strength as people have navigated their lives during the pandemic. This strength needs to be acknowledged. · In this environment, leaders need to stop and slow down. Leadership Lessons · Ask the next question, listen, let people talk, see what they have to offer.  · “Be brief, be bright, be gone”; distill the complexity into that big idea, communicate it well and then go make it happen. · Translate your ideas into a language that the audience can understand. You can't just do good work you also have to sell that idea too.  · What's the story; tell the story if you want people to change their behaviors and do business differently. And then model that behavior. Women in Business  · We need to ensure that women in businesses are being represented in the workplace, and that everybody has an equal opportunity at mobility within the organization. · Unconscious bias is real and it's pervasive. Don't think you're top of mind for somebody because the work you've done has been great or they complimented you in a meeting. Tell people I'm interested; I want to move up.  · As you become more comfortable with yourself you will embrace your unique voice and unique point of view. · When getting feedback that's not helpful, ask questions, find out what they're really trying to tell you. Career Guidance  · Raise your hand and say yes. · Find out where you can be helpful, think about what motivates you, seek out pockets of opportunity and then figure out how to fill them.  · Let people know you're there and you're interested and ready when the opportunity arises. It's all about timing. · Consider interesting opportunities that pop up even if they might be flawed. · Don't be afraid of lateral moves.  · When there's disruptive change in business, some people say, stay the course, we know what we're doing. Other businesses say, the landscape has changed, we've got to go figure out how to meet these new challenges. Think like the second business throughout your career. To learn more about my work in executive coaching, leadership development and team effectiveness check out my website, connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at winnie@winnifred.org.   Reach out and tell me what was helpful about today's episode or any suggestions you have for my show. Please leave a review and tell someone else about this show; look below for some instructions on how to leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I look forward to sharing another transformative conversation with you next week! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to leave a rating or review in Apple Podcasts (on an iOS device) 1. Open the Podcasts app. 2. Choose “Search” from the bottom row of icons and enter the name of the show (i.e., “Transformative Leadership Conversations”) into the search field 3. Select the show under Shows (not under Episodes) 4. Scroll down past the first few episodes until you see Ratings & Reviews 5. Click “Write a Review” underneath the displayed reviews from other listeners. You'll then have the option to rate us on a 5-star scale, and write a review if you choose (you can rate without writing, if you'd prefer)

David and Jessica review the pilot episode of Starz's new series 'Run the World,' discuss TV streaming apps and if there are 'too many,' and dive into why a picture of an Aeropostale shirt went viral on Twitter. -- Married and Having Fun Couples Retreat: https://www.marriedandhavingfun.com/marriageretreat Married and Having Fun IG: https://bit.ly/3sDMLqy -- Support: Cash App: https://bit.ly/3s65Qlx​ — Connect w/ Rush'd Vibes: Website: https://bit.ly/3s2TY3Z​ Facebook: https://bit.ly/3rZD3zd​ Instagram: https://bit.ly/35esgY6​

The crew discusses Kwame Brown versus everybody, the internet turning on Ubers and AIrBNBs, wearing Aeropostale on a date, Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin new song and more. Follow on instagram @brazybunchpodcast and submit all comments or topics to brazybunchpod@gmail.com.

The hilarious Rachel Scanlon (Two Dykes and a Mic podcast) joins us to talk about growing up at the Mall of America, aka the biggest mall in the United States. We cover going to Camp Snoopy as a kid, hanging out at Hooters as a teen, hitting up Southdale Center for quick errands, working as a door guy at the mall comedy club, a big moment in an Aeropostale fitting room and of course, her time as a character performer at the amusement park in Mall of America, Nickelodeon Universe. JOIN THE MALL TALK PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/malltalkpod/ BUY MALL TALK MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/malltalkpodcast FOLLOW RACHEL: https://www.instagram.com/rachelsafety/  FOLLOW MALL TALK: https://www.instagram.com/malltalkpod  https://twitter.com/malltalkpod 

Sarah and her dear sister discuss clothes--shopping trends, what used to be in style, and what is important to spend money on. Got any questions for Sarah? Email the show: sarahsloanshow@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us today to hear our comedy origin stories! In this episode, success isn't linear, Aeropostale fashion contributes to comedy's problems, and Phylicia doesn't like ice cream.

The Beatles told us that All You Need Is Love. Howard Tiersky says the same thing — but he’s talking about brands, not the whole of human existence. Howard is the CEO of FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency, which has helped brands such as Mattel, Barnes & Noble Education, Mall of America, NBC, Avis-Budget, and more transform to compete and win in a new digital world — and they succeed by getting customers to love the brands and everything they offer. Whether you’re a shiny new ecommerce start-up or a legacy brand with decades of history behind you, getting a consumer to actually love you is a multi-step process that is getting harder and harder as the digital landscape evolves. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, we dig into what the pyramid of brand love looks like and how companies should be working to climb their way to the top. Plus, he reveals the biggest mistake he sees companies making that causes potential customers to shop elsewhere, and he gives some strategies to rectify that situation and improve your bottom line. Enjoy!Main Takeaways:The Switching Cost is Zero: On the internet, it’s easy for a customer to move from one brand to another and it costs them nothing to do so. That means a brand’s first duty is to explain very quickly and clearly that it can and will solve a consumer’s problem. This is the area where most brands fail because they don’t have clear, simple messaging or content that tells their story and delivers their value prop instantly.Keep It Simple: Doing customer research is the best and easiest way to find the kinks in your website and processes. Setting up a simple focus group to watch how customers are using your site to see where their pain points are or where they are getting stuck can reveal the most basic and easy-to-solve problems that could increase your bottom line.Pyramid of Love: Creating a brand that people truly love is a challenge that has to be tackled in stages. There are specific levels of customer affection that you need to build up and that eventually culminates in love. But reaching those levels takes work and requires a brand to take specific actions. What are the levels and how do you reach them? Tune in to find out.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Hey everyone. And welcome back to Up Next In Commerce. I'm your host, Stephanie Postles, CEO at mission.org. Today on the show, I'm chatting with Howard Tiersky, the CEO of FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency and the author of The Wall Street Journal bestselling book, Winning Digital Customers, The Antidote to Irrelevance. Did I do that justice Howard?Howard:Perfect. Stephanie, thank you so much. And thanks for having me.Stephanie:Thanks for coming on the show. So I wanted to start with something that we were chatting with a little bit before this, that your whole company is about reverse engineering love, which I actually really liked that saying. And I think I'm going to start using it in my personal life now, but I want to kind of start there to describe what is FROM and why do you say that?Howard:Sure. Well, what FROM is, is a kind of a combination between a consulting firm and a digital agency. We work with large brands like Avis, AAA, NBC Universal, Airbus, and our mission is to help them create a better customer experience that ultimately generates more customer love. Because in our experience, the companies that have customers that feel passionately about them, that feel appreciated by them, and appreciate those brands, those are the brands that do the best in the marketplace by all the most common measures of business success, revenue growth, profitability, and share price.Stephanie:Awesome. And a lot of the brands that you're working with they've been around for a long time. I mean, I was looking at, let's see, some of them. You said Airbus, Barnes and Noble, Facebook, Verizon, Spotify, Amazon. And I think I even saw it was like American Girl, which I used to have back in the day. And it seems like you catered towards the brands that have been here for a while and are now kind of seeking help on like how to get to that next level, how to find new customers.Howard:Well, that's exactly right. I mean, we have worked with some, what you might call sort of pure digital brands like Amazon and Spotify and different things. But the majority of what we do is really working with great classic brands that are faced with a real challenge because they need to transform to be relevant in a new age. And particularly when a company is large and has been around for a long time, that's not an easy thing to do. And so this is really our area of expertise, is how do you... Everything from the vision and the design concept of a future customer journey to dealing with the politics and resistance to change that you find in most large organizations.Stephanie:Yep. So when you're initially approaching some of these brands, I mean, how do you even go about finding out what the issues are? Because especially with the company size, it seems hard to go in and be, there's probably a thousand things going wrong, or everything feels like a fire in a larger company. How you start pinpointing, here's some of the things that are maybe not up to par right now, and that we need to start evolving and here's the game plan going forward?Howard:Sure. Well, the good news is most companies ultimately want the same things. They want more customers, they want more revenue, they want increased profitability, they want increased share price. So at the very top level, it's usually not too hard to figure out what the company's after. And one of my fundamental philosophies of everything I've done in business for 25 years is this idea that most business value is derived by influencing human behavior. If you can get people, people like customers, employees, shareholders, if you can get them to do what you want them to do, you're going to have a great business. And if you aren't able to get, for example, your customers to do what you want them to do, then you're probably going to be in big trouble, no matter what ERP system you've implemented or what other kinds of things you may be doing.Howard:So the first question is, all right, you want more customers, you want more revenue and profitability? Great. What behaviors do you need by customers, employees, et cetera, in order to get that business outcome? And in my book, I talk about many of the most common behaviors, but you can imagine what they are getting customers to buy more, to buy more frequently, to upsell to more expensive products, to refer you to their friends. And also there's some behaviors that are sort of value destroying behaviors. For example, customers calling you on the phone every day and spending hours with your support desk getting help, right? And so getting clear on, okay, well, if we can drive these behaviors, then that equates to business success.Howard:And then from there, the question is, all right, well, what drives behavior? I mean, how do you get people to do what you want them to do? And the answer is their thoughts and feelings. People behave in a certain way because of their thoughts and feelings. And then lastly, the question is, all right, well, how do we control people's thoughts and feelings? Where do those come from? And the answer is from their experiences, your thoughts and feelings come from experiences. So our job is to help conceive what would be the next generation set of experiences, a customer journey, that will drive the thoughts and feelings that will drive the behavior that equate to business results. So a very often it's research, doing a lot of ethnography, task analysis, different types of interviews, surveys, looking at existing data, for example, funnels on sites, things like that to understand well, to what degree are these things happening today? Because of course, no doubt, there is some degree of success in almost any business. We don't do often a great deal of success. And what's holding back the increase in that? For every customer that buys, there's a bunch that don't buy. Why not? For every customer that buys at level A and never comes back, why don't they come back, et cetera?Howard:So once we understand those things, well, then it's just a question of figuring out well, okay, how do you start to remove those barriers? Are we confusing them? Are we frustrating them? Are we annoying them? Are we just not offering a compelling enough value proposition, et cetera, et cetera?Stephanie:Yep. Are there any themes when it comes to the barriers within all these brands, were you have seen this come up time and time again, because maybe they have not thought digitally first because there are similar theme around customer barriers to buying?Howard:There are a number of very common themes. That's really a great question, actually. I would say one common theme is being failing to make it really clear, really fast, exactly what you can do for somebody. Anytime a customer is coming to you, they probably don't care much about you, that's just the way it is. Maybe they do if you've already inspired customer love. People really care about Apple. They really care about The 49ers, they really care about, I don't know, Aeropostale, or some fashion brand. Maybe they care about Rolex. But those are a very small percentage of brands that have inspired customer love. But before you get to that point, most of the customers that come to you, they really only care about themselves. What is it that they're trying? They're there to solve some kind of problem, right? Their kid is having a birthday party and they need to find an entertainer. Or their car is broken down and they need to get it fixed or whatever.Howard:And so how quickly do you make it really clear what you offer them? And it's fascinating to me how often brands don't do that clearly. They have different messages, they make it too hard for someone to really answer the question, can you help me solve my problem right now? And because the internet in this environment where it's so easy to just go back to Google, go to another website, it's like when you walk into a store, if you don't get clarity within the first 10 seconds that they're going to have what you need, the switching costs of getting in your car and driving to another store is at least a little bit high. But when you're on the internet, the switching cost is zero or so close to zero might as well be. So that means you've got to make sure someone understands right away they have a high probability of you being a solution to what it is that they need.Howard:So I think that's one thing. And if I were to just mention one more, it's just making it easy for people to transact. Sometimes I like to think of ecommerce as being basically about two things, persuasion and transaction. First, you got to get them to decide yes, on whatever it is you want them to do, and then you've got to get from there to the point that you have their money in your Stripe account or whatever, and that screwed up along the way. And how many times, Stephanie, how many times have you gone on a website and gone, I want to buy this thing and then started the process of checking out, but for one reason or another, you never wind up buying it?Stephanie:Or you go back to your cart, a day late and you're like, why is my stuff's not in there anymore? Why don't you just save that for a little bit. I'm ready to buy but now I give up. I give up easily though, that kind of stuff.Howard:And there's so many things that can confuse somebody about the checkout process, about the sales tax calculation, about the terms and conditions, about, I mean, it's about the promo code, why didn't the promo code work? So just really getting compulsive about asking what is everything that holds people back? How can I make sure that in addition to doing my very best to persuade people that they should say yes to whatever I'm offering, that I lose none of them between their intention and the completion of the transaction. So we do a lot of analysis and research to try to understand how many people are you really losing in that process. And of course, most people do that, right? They study abandoned shopping carts, things like that. So most people have a fairly high percentage of people, but of course not every abandoned shopping cart was somebody who had an intention to buy, some aren't right? There's various reasons people might be putting things in their shopping carts.Howard:But what percentage of those people are you losing? And then again, it goes back to a simple, what's holding them back? What is happening to stop them from completing what was their intention? And, I mean, I'll give you one tiny example. My company is from digital. Our domain is from.digital. My email address is ends in an at from.digital. It's a little bit of an uncommon first level domain, right? Many more dresses and in .com. And I would say a good 25% of ecommerce sites, when I check out, if I have to enter my email address, tell me that my email is invalid. It's not. Now, and I have a solution to that. I don't always abandoned because I have some other Gmail address, I'll give him something else. But these little problems along the way can very often add up.Howard:And the analogy I like to use sometimes is it's like if I had taped an extension cord across a hallway, let's say I was setting up a Christmas tree and I just had to run an extension cord across the hallway and I duct taped it down, so hopefully no one would trip on it, 50 people might just walk by and step over that duct tape, just fine. And 60 people and 70 people, but eventually, maybe it's the hundredth person, they trip on that tape down duct tape cord, and then another 50, 100 people and another person trips. It's a very small percentage of people. The vast majority of people deal with it just fine. But if you're running a billion dollar ecommerce site, and 1% of your customers are getting caught up by something like that and not purchasing, how do you feel about giving up 1% of your revenue? And for some of our clients, the answer is that 1% is a lot of money. And then if you have six, eight, 12, 15 things along these lines that don't affect everybody, but affect a few people and you start to remove those obstacles, all of a sudden you unlock a whole bunch more sales.Howard:And that's the optimization side of, if you will, digital transformation. And then of course, there's more of a envisioning, a dramatically different journey. But I think so often, and I guess this is my long answer to your question about what are the common themes, one of the common themes I see is the lack of what I call hygiene in ecommerce experiences. And by hygiene, I mean, most digital experiences are being constantly adjusted, tweaked changed. And of course, browsers are changing and iOS, operating systems are changing. And unless you're continuously looking through that saying, have I unintentionally planted a confusion bomb somewhere? Have I added a new feature, but it has a label or has a button that distracts from my main button or whatever? I've just added a cool new feature, but it pushed down something on the page, and now my checkout button is below the fold or whatever it might be, unless you're continuously looking for those problems, they'll creep in like weeds and they'll pull down your conversion. And that hygiene process is something that I find as a common theme, many of the largest brands in the world fail to do often enough.Stephanie:Oh, that's good. So, I mean, how do you go about identifying, I guess more like behavioral issues or how people are actually thinking? I mean, it's one thing to solve the tech and the UI aspect of it and make it easy to check out, but what about trying to figure out going deeper with the customer to really understand why didn't you check out, why didn't you follow through if everything else is there tech wise?Howard:Well, one of the things that I go into in some depth in my book is how to do customer research. And actually because at a certain point we had to start taking stuff out of the book because it was so crazy long, we were afraid of someone would drop it on their toe, they would injure themselves and we have a lawsuit on our hands for publishing such a long book. So we started to put stuff on the supplemental website. So I actually published for people to buy the book and additional PDF and a bunch of videos and all kinds of stuff. And the reason I mentioned all that is because research in customers to really understand them is foundational to being able to do all the things I'm talking about. You can't guess, and you probably can't figure it out even by looking at the site. I mean, you can look at a site and sometimes see some things that are probably problematic, and I do that all the time.Howard:But to really know, you use various types of customer research, such as bringing customers into an office or a lab or on Zoom and giving them tasks and saying, okay, great, go on my ecommerce site, here's the story. Your aunt's birthday's coming up. She's 62 years old. You need to find her present or birthday's in two days, you need to make sure you can get it to her in time. And and then you observe how that person uses that website. And as they do, you can ask them questions or we like to ask people to actually speak out loud, kind of verbalize their stream of conscious thoughts. And of course you record it, and you're studying and understanding, okay, well, what's easy, what's problematic, what's confusing, what's frustrating? And you can learn so much.Howard:And you do that for a few dozen customers and you start to see patterns and you start to see themes. And depending on how many different customer segments, a given website targets, you might do even more than that. But even still, it doesn't take that long, a week, two weeks. And in that time alone, you can learn what many of those issues are. You're observing people and then you're having the option to ask questions. If all of a sudden someone's using a page and all of a sudden they get that look on their face, they're fused or whatever you say, "Oh, what are you thinking right now?" They can say, "I'm thinking I can't figure out what the next step is." "Well, what were you expecting to see?" "Well, I figured there'd be like a next button, but I don't see one." Okay, well, and of course there might be a next button right there in front of their nose, but maybe it doesn't say next, maybe it says continue, right? And for whatever reason, that's not what they're looking for.Howard:So, and if a bunch of people are saying that maybe you should relabel the button. And as simple and obvious as something like that is it's shocking how often we find problems that are that simple. Then of course not all problems are that simple to solve, but very often that kind of low-hanging fruit. Can you imagine rewording a button and getting an extra $600,000 a week in sales? I mean, we've seen things like that repeatedly, of course, assuming the site has very, very high volume. So it's really, customer research just is many companies do some forms of customer research, of course, but my experience it's way, way under utilized. And then it's also about how you do the research. And so we've tried to be very detailed in the book and in the supplemental materials, suggesting some of the key things to do to make sure you're getting, you're really getting the insight and you're getting the most accurate. If you take a customer and say, "Hey, take a look at this website and tell me how you think we should improve it," you're not going to get a good information. You have to approach it in the right way.Stephanie:So what things didn't make it into the book that you wish made it in? What's not in the supplemental material is not in the book and you're like, man, knowing what I know now in 2021, I wish we would've had this in there.Howard:One is, I've done since then analysis on this idea of customer love and shown a bunch of examples. We have actually a scale of customer love from love down, sort of like what's the range from? It starts with love then it goes down to resonant, then it goes down to relevant, then it goes down to relevant and ultimately non-existent. And so this idea that companies exist in terms of the mind of any one customer at any time along this continuum. In subsequent to that, we talked about some case studies that show let's look at Apple, let's look at Disney, but let's look at some companies at each level, let's look at companies that are resonant, like Verizon, for example, great brand. A lot of people like them. They love them? No, probably not quite. Exactly.Howard:And then you go down from one from there, maybe now you're at Citibank and then you go down another one and maybe you're at Radio Shack. I don't know. So looking at them and then looking at their financial performance and really being able to show how this correlates. And then the other thing that isn't in the book that probably should have been, is answering the questions, how do you know what level you're at? And we actually have different tools we use, but one of them is a very simple test. We ask one simple question. And based on the answer to that question, we're able to say whether it's a brand that you love, or that's only resonant, or that's relevant, or that's irrelevant or non-existence. And the question is very simple, if this brand disappeared tomorrow, how would you feel? How would you feel Stephanie if Apple disappeared tomorrow?Stephanie:Oh, that's a good question. I'd be super sad because I own Apple everything.Howard:So if you'd be super sad, if you'd be distraught, if you'd be ah, really emotional, then that's a brand you love, that's a brand you love. That's the sign of love. But if you say, well, I be kind of bummed. I'd be like darn.Stephanie:[inaudible].Howard:Exactly. Well then that's a brand that's resonant for you. It's you care about it. I mean, you don't care about it like that much, but like, you'd be like, oh, rats. That's a disappointment. And then the next level down, if you're, well, I need to know that. I've no emotional response, but thank you for telling me that that brand is gone because gosh, I usually get my gas from Chevron. And I guess if they're gone, I'm going to have to go to British Petroleum. So thank you mental note. At least it mattered to you, it affected you, but not in a way that you're emotional about it. That's what we call a relevant brand. It matters, but you don't have an emotional connection. And then below that, if it's like, you're like, who's gone. Who are they? I didn't even know they were still around. Well then now you're down in this sort of irrelevant type range.Howard:And we do surveys like that all the time to try to understand which other brands that really people do love because a key question is, well, what are those brands doing? How are they inspiring love? And one thing that is in the book then is we showed the pyramid of how do you inspire love? What are the three things you need to do to get your customers to have that feeling of love? And that's in the book.Stephanie:And so what are the things to do? Because I'm thinking about a brand like car insurance, whoever's cheapest, don't care Travelers, Geico, whatever it takes, I'll just go with whoever. I don't feel myself ever feeling loving towards those kinds of brands. It doesn't really matter what they do. So how would a brand like that go about inspiring love when you're compared to someone like Apple?Howard:Right, right. So I'll answer your question and it's really not just for car rental, sorry car insurance, but for all brands. And I'll tell you the formula, which is a pretty straight formula. But before that, I want to tell you this, I've worked with a number of auto insurance companies over the years, including Allstate, Farmers, Mercury, a little bit with State Farm, CNA, so a lot. And I've done a lot of research over the years with customers of car insurance. And I will tell you this, there are without doubt people who love their car insurance companies.Stephanie:Oh, this is not me.Howard:I realize it's not you. And I'll be honest. This is not me, it's not me either. But I have been in customer research sessions and I have interviewed people who they are with the same car insurance company that their parents used, and they will never switch no matter what.Stephanie:Why?Howard:They are applying for life.Stephanie:Why are they so committed?Howard:Right, exactly. Why? So let's talk about why, but let me talk about it in the context of the recipe. So how do you get someone, how do you get a customer, how do you inspire a customer to love a brand? Three, just sort of show up in the book, a diagram of the pyramid, three levels. The bottom of the pyramid is to consistently meet their needs. And that is not enough to inspire love, but it is required. Whatever your area of, whether you're delivering pizza or whether you're a place that they buy power tools, or you're hotel or whatever it is, what are their needs, you are consistently meeting those needs. That's your base.Howard:Then the next level up is to periodically delight the customer, to do something above and beyond what you have to do and what you're expected. And then the top level, and that will get you farther up that continuum, but probably not to love. In order to love a brand you have to feel that they stand for something, they have kind of a value system that you reflect, that you see in yourself, a value system that you resonate with. In fact, to that last point, that's why we see some brands now that have taken a strong political stand, and by the way, a value doesn't have to be political. But like when Nike did the thing with Colin Kaepernick and demonstrated their support for Black Lives Matter, that had a massively positive impact on their standing in the market and their share price, and then their sales, because they were taking a stand for something that a lot of people believed in.Howard:And even though that also meant that they were taking a stand that some people believe the opposite and said, I'll never buy another Nike shoe in my life. And that did happen. And there are some people who won't buy Nike shoes because of that, the net impact was enormously positive because the love that they inspired meant so much more business than the people that turned away from them. And you can say the same, see the same thing on the opposite end of the political spectrum. There's a Chick-fil-A not too far from my house. And Chick-fil-A of course has taken strong stands on extremely conservative right wing social values. And I got to tell you there's police at that Chick-fil-A every day to manage the drive through lane, because there are so many people who want to buy Chick-fil-A sandwiches.Howard:And I have been told, I think I might've had one like years and years ago, but I'm not going to Chick-fil-A for the same kind of reasons, but I don't think there's anything that's special about what Chick-fil-A sells. And I think part of the reason of their popularity is because people... Like what they stand for. And you could say the same thing on the right of someone like a Hobby Lobby or other. And by the way, I'll just close this answer with one thought, which is why, why, why do these three things together create such an emotional reaction? And the answer is because they push the three levers, the three emotional levers that really inspire love.Howard:And what are they? When you demonstrate, when you consistently meet someone's needs, you're demonstrating to them that you understand them because you can't meet the needs if you don't understand. So that when someone's always there for me, I'm like, "They get me, they understand what I need, or they understand, I want that coffee hot when I get it, or they understand that I need whatever it is." When you delight someone, when you go above and beyond periodically, but you demonstrate another emotional thing, you demonstrate they care about me. They didn't have to do this extra thing, right. I was going to give them my money anyway. And they went and they did this extra thing. And that demonstrates that they care about me. So many brands they're constantly saying to their customers, "Thank you for your business." And all that kind of stuff.Howard:And man, that just goes right past people, right? How often do you believe when you get a bill from your utility company at the bottom, it says, "We appreciate you as a customer."Stephanie:You are like, "[inaudible 00:25:09]. You're welcome."Howard:Yeah, that's printed on the form, right? Come on, how stupid are we? We might as well not bother. I mean, it doesn't hurt or anything, but come on, people are very cynical. But when you make a genuine gesture that they knew took money, took effort that demonstrates. When someone at Zappos shoes goes out of their way to help you with something, or I was at an Avis Rental Car yesterday, and I observed somebody helping someone on the phone because they had a problem with the car for like 15 or 20 minutes and they were clearly doing everything they could. Way above and beyond what you would expect. When you get that, that demonstrates to someone that not by telling, but by showing that you care about them.Howard:And then the third level, when you express values that they resonate with, that makes someone feel that they are like me. There's a humanity there, not just a business. And that they share something about my belief or my values about the world. And when you combine those things together, and by the way, many companies don't do this. Many people, if we said, what does Ben & Jerry stand for? What does Whole Foods stand for? What does Apple stand for? I think most people would say something that is sort of [inaudible]. But if someone said, what was the auto insurance company that you were talking about?Stephanie:Travelers. Yeah [inaudible].Howard:Travelers. What is Travelers stand for? What does GEICO stand... You could say, well, GEICO stands for saving your 15%. But that's not a value, right? I mean, it might be a value in the sense of a discount, but it's not a human value, right? There's nothing wrong with saving people 15%, but it's not the kind of value that Nike stands for, or the kind of value that Apple stands for. We believe in you, we believe in unlocking your personal creative freedom and capabilities. What is Citibank stand for? There's so many brands. What is United Airlines stand for? And that's a great example. And by the way, I like United Airlines. I fly them all the time. fly the friendly skies, does anyone believe that United Airlines is the friendly skies? It's just words.Stephanie:I believe it. But I mean, I think that just shows that I don't think brands are able to tell their stories very well in a way that connects. I mean, like a political stance, I think that's an easy thing to jump on because it's like newsjacking. Something's going on. I'm going to take a stance on it. I think that's easy. But to actually tell your story without an event going on, to try and get news around it, I mean, that is still think is hard for large brands. I was just reading Warren Buffett's shareholder letter. I don't know if you also read that for fun like me.Howard:No, I don't.Stephanie:Maybe now you're like, "Nah."Howard:I probably should.Stephanie:It's great. I mean, he was going through the companies that they acquired and why he's going to bet big on America and he'll never bet against it again. And he went through the backstory of these companies that he acquired. I think Ikea was one of them. And it was just very interesting to see how he could storytell better for these very, very large companies. And going through why he even was interested in investing in them in the first place. I'm like, "That is what needs to be told." That startup story, yes, a huge brand now, but how did they get there and how you instill that message around your company without just having to newsjack or jump on politics.Howard:Right. Well, and actually it's funny because you asked about things that weren't in the book and one of the other things that's not in the book, but I did a live cast on Subsequent is the answer to that very question. How do you figure out? Well, actually there's sort of two questions. One is how do you figure out what your brand really stands for? Because some brands were birthed standing for something. Toms Shoes or something like that. And so the people that were attracted to that brand, both as customers, but also as employees, they understood what the brand was about. So you wind up with a bunch of people at that brand who believe in that mission, because that's what it was when they came. But when you start with a company that doesn't have that, then the question becomes, okay, so how do you achieve it?Howard:How do you come up with what it is? How do you figure that out? That's a challenge. And then also, and I did a live cast on that, but then also, and to your question, then how do you express that? How do you get the world? Newsjacking is one way or taking a stand on a political issue. But so anyway, so I did another one on what I call the seven Ps, which are just seven different ways. And you don't have to do all seven, but you probably want to do more than one of how you take the value that you're about, whether it's wholesome food, like Whole Foods, or whether it's personal, creative tools that unleash your creative potential. What have you like Apple and how do you actually get that to be something real in the world that people believe in and really see that you are standing for those values.Howard:And one of those Ps is positioning, which means basically telling people, right, which is what a lot of brands do. This is what we stand for. But if you only do that... What I always say is positioning serves only one purpose, which is to create cynicism, to create doubt, which is good. It's good to do that. Because if you tell people what you stand for, they're going to not believe you. And then they're going to look for evidence. And if you have the other Ps or some of the other Ps, and the evidence is there, and then they start to look for the evidence, then they'll start to see that it's true. Brands that are really strong at standing for something don't even need positioning necessarily because people experience it and they know what it is. But if you position, you better make sure that you've got some of the other things, because you're going to create doubt from your positioning.Howard:People are going to, if they're interested, test your positioning, to see whether it's really true in their experience. And if it is, then you're great. Then you've used the positioning as a lens to get them to evaluate whether it's really true, or if it's BS. But of course, if it's not really true, you've accomplished the negative thing, which is you've lied to them and you've allowed them to spend their time and energy proving that you've lied to them. And now, of course, no doubt, unless your positioning is that you're a lying company. It's harmful rather than helpful.Stephanie:Yep. That makes sense. So this kind of takes it way back to earlier in the interview, but a lot of brands right now, I see focusing on here's my mission and the company's starting around the social impact or causes or things like that. And a question that I've talked with quite a few companies about is, how do you balance the mission behind the company, but then also the product value? I mean, you mentioned that, so one of the big themes was that customers would come to a company's website and not know if it could help them right away. And it feels that's a newer thing where every new DTC company right now has some kind of mission, and I do see some of them struggling with, do you put it on your front page, do you sell with your mission, do you sell with your product, how do you think about that? So what are your thoughts on having a good balance there while not making the customer journey get harder?Howard:I think it depends who you're selling to. I think it goes back to what I said about understanding your customer. I know especially with millennials and younger we definitely see something that we generally don't see with older customers, which is a willingness to actually make a choice and spend money for a social reason, because of some sort of charitable connection or something like that. Usually with older consumers, they like it, we'll do tests like this. We'll say, this brand gives 10% of the money to the American Red Cross and this brand doesn't how do you feel about the fact that this brand gives them money? And people say, "Oh, I'm all for it. I think it's wonderful that they do that." And we say, "Okay, great. This brand's product costs $12, and this other brand that doesn't give them money, their product costs $11. Which one are you going to buy?" And very often they're like, "I think the $11 one."Howard:It's like they like it, but they're not really willing to spend more for it. Whereas with younger consumers, we find increasingly they say, "Oh no, I spend another dollar for the company that gives the money to the cause that I believe in." So I think part of it's understanding who you're communicating to, but also I think part of it's understanding that building a relationship is about a number of different thing. And you don't start a relationship usually by focusing on your values. Usually the first thing, I mean, if I said, "Hey, there's this restaurant that gives 50% of all the money to Greenpeace. Do you want to have dinner there?"Stephanie:And that's it?Howard:Do you want to have dinner there? What's that?Stephanie:If it's good food.Howard:Well, right. And you might want to know what kind of food is it? Is it Chinese? It's not enough, right?Stephanie:Yes.Howard:You kind of want to start with, well, what's the value proposition for me? It's like what I said earlier, people care first and foremost about themselves. So I think there may be exceptions to this rule, but I think by and large, you have to do a good job first of being crystal clear about... It's like that pyramid I talked about, right? You can't jump to the top of the pyramid. You got to start by consistently meeting their needs and demonstrate that you understand them, and that at a very basic level, you can deliver what it is that they need. And then you can go to delighting and then you can focus on values. And so I think the answer is it's probably not your first message, and it's probably not the thing that's going to attract them to you, but what's going to happen is they're going to be attracted initially by what's in it for them.Howard:And then you can start to build a relationship and help them understand, most people didn't buy their first car in a Ben and Jerry's because they were protecting grassland in Vermont or whatever environmental stuff. They looked good. They heard all Chunky Monkey, that's good stuff, and let's try and diet. But then they might've fallen in love with the brand over time because they realized that not only is that bottom of the pyramid, not only are they consistently meeting my needs really well, but that they're also doing things that resonate with my values. And then that keeps me coming back again and again, it makes me more loyal and less likely to jump to the next brand of ice cream that has something that sounds appealing.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah. I completely agree. So get them in the door with good products, showcase your value, and then you could probably upsell in a way, once someone knows this is a good product, and now maybe I am willing to spend that extra dollar now that I've already had a good experience with them versus trying to do it the other way around.Howard:Yeah. Or be less likely to switch or be willing to try new products from that same brand, et cetera.Stephanie:Cool. So the last thing I want to of touch on was content strategy. I saw you working with Aéropostale and American Girl around getting these brands to start creating content, making it more organic, getting customers to create their own viral content. How do you think about brand should be approaching their content strategy right now?Howard:Well, in this day and age, everybody's a content creator. And as you look at the ages of your customers, I mean, I'm a content creator and I'm over 50, but as you go down in age, it becomes everybody, my kids are all creating all kinds of content all the time on obviously Tik ToK and Instagram and everywhere. And so I think first of all, it's easier than ever. And I think that one of the best ways to inspire people to create content is to give them a platform. Because what every content creator cares most about is what, likes, whatever it is on the given platform, right? Subscribers, followers, likes all this kind of stuff.Stephanie:There you go, it's wrong.Howard:So I mean, there are many strategies of course, to inspire people to create UGC around your brand. But I think that the number one strategy to say, okay, how can I give someone a sense that if you create something you're going to get my platform, obviously if you're a brand, you want to make sure you have a good sized platform, which means simply how many people you can reach, how many followers, et cetera you have. And then if you can help someone see that by creating content around your brand, that's going to get that content more exposure than if they just create content and post it on their own personal Instagram account or whatnot. Then that's valuable. And then of course...Stephanie:What's in it for me? That's the same thing that we've kind of talked about this whole time, the whole time.Howard:Understanding your customer, 100%. And in this case, the customer is they may be your customer in the traditional sense, they may be buying your product, but they may not even buy your product, but it's, again, it's like what I said about human behavior, you want to influence people to create content about you online. Great. You have to make sure you understand those people and understand what drives them. And there are going to be some different personas, right? To get my daughter to create content is takes one thing, to get someone who's already a YouTuber with 15 million followers, now it's something different. It's called probably going to an influencer platform and writing them a cheque. And that can be a very viable and smart strategy to do as well if you do it correctly and you pick the right influencers and you make sure that it's organically integrated into their content and not feeling like something they just slapped on, like an ad. But that can be a very powerful marketing tool as well.Howard:So that's what they want. My daughter, they don't need your platform because they have an even bigger platform probably depending on, I mean, if your platform is big enough, if you're Coca-Cola, maybe you even have a bigger platform than them. In which case maybe the influencer is willing to do it for less or for free. But anyway, but it all comes down to that. Anytime you want to motivate someone to do anything, you want to make sure you understand, what do they care about, what are they trying to accomplish? That's right.Stephanie:Cool. Well, let's jump over to the lightning round. The lightning round is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I'm going to ask you a question and you have 30 seconds or less to answer.Howard:Okay.Stephanie:Are you ready?Howard:I'm ready.Stephanie:All right. First one, what one thing will have the biggest impact on ecommerce in the next year?Howard:The elimination of a third party cookies.Stephanie:Okay. Expand a little bit more on, because I've had another guest say it doesn't matter and we have solved that and it's nothing to worry about.Howard:Okay. Well, I'll have to watch that episode because I would love that to be true. But essentially what's happening is between things that Apple is doing and things that Google are doing, Google is doing and frankly, things that may also happen from a legislation perspective, the ability to cookie somebody on one site and display ads to them on a different site is being no longer permitted or they're rolling out changes, which will mean that, if you're familiar with going on overstock and looking at a sofa, and then that's sofa is on every site you see around the whole internet, they're not going to be able to do that anymore. And it has the biggest impact on smaller or medium-sized ecommerce players, because that's a key strategy. So I think that's going to have a huge impact and require everyone to come up with different ways of attracting buyers. I think it's going to have a huge impact.Stephanie:Yep. When does that go into place? [inaudible]Howard:Well, some of it is already in place, certain browsers are already blocking third party cookies and other bots, but I think we're already in the middle of a transition.Stephanie:Okay. Got it. Onto a happier subject then, what's up next on your Netflix queue?Howard:My Netflix queue? Well, I think I want to watch this show about [inaudible], I think just started. Is that? I think it's Netflix or if not, it's one of the other services.Stephanie:On of them.Howard:All about how this [inaudible] thing got started and how so many people were hypnotized into being crazy.Stephanie:Interesting. Tell me how it is. What one thing do you not understand today that you wish you did?Howard:Women, and why they do what they do.Stephanie:Oh my gosh.Howard:I've got two teenage daughters and a wife and man, I don't understand a single thing about why they do what they do.Stephanie:Oh, that's great. I mean, I don't even understand myself sometimes. So that's a valid answer. What's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you?Howard:Well, I guess I have my children, I've got five children. That could be [inaudible].Stephanie:Five. Wow. That's great. That's a good answer. What's the last ecommerce purchase you made that you maybe would not have made pre-COVID?Howard:Well, that I would not have made pre-COVID? I have been buying more gear for at home, stuff we're doing now because I used to do that all at our offices in Manhattan, where we had more of a studio. So I don't know the very last one, but a lot more lights and microphone stands and all this kind of a side monitor, an extra small minor like I've got over here to show me these slides, if I'm talking about things. So I've been buying a lot more Gadgets & Gizmos, did I say that? Gadgets & Gizmos.Stephanie:Whatever you say works for me.Howard:To make it easier to turn my office into a kind of a studio for all the content that we produce.Stephanie:Very cool. And the last one, if you were to have a podcast, what would it be about and who would your first guest be?Howard:Well, I do have a podcast.Stephanie:Oh, well, what is it about?Howard:It's called Winning Digital Customers. And it is about how you most effectively win as a brand in an age where so many of your customers are living with digital at the center of their lifestyle. And the first guest on my podcast was a great friend and client of mine, Michelle McKenna, who's the SVP and chief information officer of the National Football.Stephanie:Oh, nice. I saw she wrote... Didn't sh write a foreword in your book?Howard:She did. She also wrote that. Well, that's kind of why we kicked off the podcast, which kind of connects to the book, same name. And she also was kind enough to to do that. And she's awesome and has driven a lot of innovation and transformation at the NFL, everything from the new way they do instant replays to stuff that supports player health and safety, to drones at Superbowls and sensors on players shoulder pads and helmets and the ball, so they can track with motion capture everything that happens in the game. So many cool things. And so she's always got great things to talk about and also a lot of stuff she can't talk about.Stephanie:We need to bring her on our IT visionaries podcast, which Hillary also produces. So we get her on there Hillary. Awesome.Howard:He is definitely an IT visionary.Stephanie:Yeah, we'll have to bring her on. Cool. Howard, thanks so much for joining the show. It was a pleasure chatting. Where can people find out more about you and your new book?Howard:Sure. Well, thank you so much for having me. If they want to learn about the book, there's a website for the book, which is winningdigitalcustomers.com, just like all one word. And in fact, if you go there, you can also download the first chapter of the book for free as a PDF if you want to just get started on it. Obviously it's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, Apple books, all those types of places, and in bookstores, possibly near you if you go to bookstores. And as well, if you want to learn more about me, I'm on social media. I publish a lot on LinkedIn and other places. You can find me by my name, Howard Tiersky and my company is FROM, The Digital Transformation Agency and we are at from.digital.Stephanie:Amazing. Thank you so much, Howard.Howard:Thank you for having me, it's been a blast.

Today I'm speaking with the incredible Erika Naranjo while making some bleach dye facemasks Erika is from Long Island, NY. She's always had an endless love for dance & since moving to NYC and fully engulfing herself in the industry in 2017, she's been blessed with some amazing opportunities. These include the MTV Vma's for Rosalia 2019 & Maluma 2020, SNL for Coldplay, the Jonas Brother's Only Human MV, Nike x NYFW show, & campaigns for Aeropostale, Google, NY & Company, and more! Erika is in love with life & hopes to inspire others & spread positivity & smiles! Follow Erika at @erikalnaranjo on also social media and don't forget to check out her clothing company @edjgirl The Dancers Doing stuff podcast comes out every Friday with mini-episodes every Sunday! Our live show happens on YouTube every Wednesday at 7:30 Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss any episodes.

Chris Eckert began his professional career as a photographer after graduating from Duke University. His passion for imagery and easy going manner have made Chris the choice photographer for a wide range of clients. His powerful point of view and ability to tell the client's story have made him a leader in the event, technology and corporate sectors and his discerning eye has let him to create content for some of the world's leading fashion brands and magazines. Some of  his Clients over the years include  Uber, Bollinger Motors, Rolls Royce,  Micheal Kors, Aeropostale, Avon, Macy's, Target, Lands End, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Virgin, Esquire, Marie Claire, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Harpers Bazaar, Facebook,   TIME STAMPS [00: Links http://www.chriseckertphotography.com/ (http://www.chriseckertphotography.com) Links to Russ on YouTube and his Websites https://linktr.ee/russcamarda (https://linktr.ee/russcamarda) Russ Movies https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2137381/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2137381/) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2414886/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2414886/) http://www.russcamarda.com/ (http://www.russcamarda.com) http://tagstudiony.com/ (http://tagstudiony.com) Production partners https://idunleashed.com/ (https://idunleashed.com) Support this podcast

Our worry over clothing drives us to buy too many clothes at too low a price and for all the wrong reasons. All of this inadvertently sustains an industry involving 1.5 billion underpaid workers and tens of millions of slaves. But how do we move forward as followers of Jesus? How do we buy clothes in today's complex world?  Positive Mentions: GORUCK, Redwing Shoes, Darn Tough Socks, Prana, Everlane, Patagonia, Adidas, Columbia, and a long list at: truecostmovie.com. (forgot to mention Levi’s, Calvin Klein, IKEA, and others!) Negative Mentions: Walmart, American Eagle, Abercrombie, Macie’s, Aeropostale, Carter’s, Nike, Nordstrom’s, Gymboree, Costco, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Bed Bath & Beyond, and of course many others as well. Learn more at: truecostmovie.com 

Zach and Lexi revisit the hallowed halls of the malls of their youth. They bounce from store to store, stop by the food court, and maybe snag a graphic tee or two.

This week's episode features Julia Kong, a rising model and actress. Within just 2 years of her modeling career, she has become a prominent figure in the modeling industry and has modeled for notable campaigns for brands such as Dickies and Aeropostale. As a rising actress, she has starred in multiple short films, including "American Wedding," which is set to premiere in January 2021 on YouTube. Tune in to hear more about Julia's story working in the entertainment industry and tips she has for future models and actresses. Follow Julia on Instagram @juliaakong for updates on her modeling and acting projects. The trailer for "American Wedding," is also available on her Instagram page!

Let's have a little blast from the past! We're throwin' it back to junior high! I'll be bringing back some memories you didn't even know you had by talking about which styles we regret from my junior high years. Uggs, shade shirts, and Aeropostale were all crucial parts of teen fashion from 2009-2011 and as a basic, Utah, Mormon, shy girl I went along with it. While the Justin Bieber movie midnight premiere was the pinnacle or my junior high career, crocheted headbands and graphic tees were a close second. Let's relive these moments shall we? Follow along @sideeyewithmadeye and submit your own stories! Announcement! I'm now accepting sponsors! If you want your business or page to be featured, DM or email me at sideeyewithmadeye@gmail.com. I will feature you on my podcast, link you in the show notes, and send followers your way via Instagram. No product exchange or paid work necessary. In return I simply ask that you share my podcast on your stories. I can't wait to feature businesses and accounts I love! Email or DM @sideeyewithmadeye with questions! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sideeyewithmadeye/support

J'ai l'immense plaisir de recevoir Dorine Bourneton, la 1ère femme pilote de voltige au monde et handicapée. Comme elle le dit si bien « voler, c'est sa façon de marcher ». Dorine a une pêche, une joie de vivre incroyable ! Elle a choisi de regarder devant, de ne pas s'apitoyer sur son sort.  A 16 ans, elle est la seule rescapée d'un crash d'avion. Elle perdra l'usage de ses jambes. Mais la vie continue, elle va passer son brevet de pilote, et se battre pour que les personnes handicapées puissent être pilotes professionnels. Un combat qu'elle gagnera grâce à un ministre, Dominique Bussereau, des amis et beaucoup de sueur. Dans ce magnifique épisode, Dorine nous détaille :  son enfance, son crash, le 12 mai 1991, où elle est la seule rescapée, sa passion pour l'aviation, et plus particulièrement l'Aéropostale sa nouvelle passion : la voltige sa vie en fauteuil, et le regard des autres. Le 09 novembre 2020, TF1 diffusera un film avec Alice Taglioni sur la vie de Dorine Bourneton, qui est l'adaptation de son livre « Au-dessus des nuages ». J'ai beaucoup aimé cette rencontre, cette leçon de vie, sa détermination et son credo :  « Rien n'est impossible ». Bonne écoute

In this episode of Becoming an Influencer Podcast, Amanda Jewell talks about self-care! She catches you up on life updates, leveling up, achievements, and how you can practice self-care. Skincare, journaling, manifestation, and more! Amanda rejoices on exciting things like being reposted on Aeropostale's Instagram and getting to go to the penthouse of The Joule hotel in Dallas. Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening! Leave a review if you're feeling up to it. YouTube Journaling videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LRmc_P0CH8&list=PLQRZOeUMogdsfzqRu_U6Avf2eBVPVTb0M Get 15% off LiquidIV with code THEAMANDAJEWELL https://glnk.io/koyv/theamandajewell My ebook "Becoming an Influencer": https://theamandajewell.com/ebook Amanda Jewell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theamandajewell/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theamandajewell YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/amandajewell --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/amanda-jewell-saunders/support

Guest: Dan Klenkar, Vice President – Enterprise Sales Radial, Inc. It’s still holiday planning time for shopping centers, and what the holidays will look like this year is still a little fuzzy.  This week we’ve got Dan Klenkar from Radial, Inc. and we’re talking about what is happening with retailers, brands, and stores.  As the market-leader in Omni channel commerce technology and operations Radial,Inc. helps premier brands around the world like Aeropostale, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ralph Lauren, and UNTUCKit, respond to industry disruption and compete in a rapidly evolving market. Needless to say Radial, Inc. is staying very busy these days. https://www.radial.com/   Give a listen to find out what’s happening with apparel and beauty retailers, Black Friday 2020 and more….

EP229 - NRF NXT, Google Commerce, Big Commerce S1  Jason recent events: NRF NXT Tuesday, July 21 11:45am–12:30pm EDT “Future of Platforms” Forbes Article “Retail’s Great Pivot: How The Pandemic Has Changed Stores’ Criteria For Success From Traffic To Efficiency“ Jason Upcoming Events CommerceNext July 29th 4:10 pm EE “Lesson Learned and Thoughts for the Future” Industry News NRF NXT was this week, a digital commerce show from the National Retail Federation (the successor to the Shop.org tradeshow). You can still register for free, and watch all the sessions on demand. Google has eliminated commissions for it’s “Buy on Google” feature on google shopping, as well as offering PayPal and Shopify payments. Goldman Sachs equity research published: “Global Internet eCommerce’s steepening curve: Raising global forecasts & identifying new winners” July 20,2020. Scot breaks it down. eMarketer publishes “US ECOMMERCE BY CATEGORY 2020” July 22, 2020. Jason breaks it down. Big Commerce files it’s S-1. (Keep an eye on RetailRoadshow for their roadshow video). Don’t forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 229 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded live on Thursday, July 24th, 2020. http://jasonandscot.com Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, and Scot Wingo, CEO of GetSpiffy and Co-Founder of ChannelAdvisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing. Transcript Jason: [0:24] Welcome to the Jason and Scott show this is Episode 229 being recorded on Thursday July 23rd 2020. That’s a lot of two’s I’m your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and as usual I’m here with your co-host Scott Wingo. Scot: [0:40] Hey Jason and welcome back Jason Scott show listeners well it starts in this episode we are going to focus on some news because last week we just couldn’t jam it all in and then more news has happened since then so we have a lot to talk about Jason before we jump into that you’ve had a busy week educating the world on some very various topics tell us how that went I think you spoke it in RF next. Jason: [1:05] That’s that’s right so for people that might not be familiar there’s been a longtime digital show about e-commerce arguably the first treat you about e-commerce called Shop dot-org you and I were both board members when it was independent organization it got bought by NRF, and overtime shop dot org has morphed into this digital conference called NRF next which of course was canceled this year because of covid so Monday Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, they hosted the virtual version of NRF next. I got to give a presentation about the future of platforms. Scot: [1:46] The future of platforms we don’t tell us much about it because these are the kind of things we love to turn into deep Dives but give us a teaser so what’s something that’s going to blow people’s minds but without telling us what it is. Jason: [2:00] Monoliths are dead. Scot: [2:04] Mmm the end of the model. Jason: [2:07] Just say no to monoliths and if you either listen to a waiter deep dive will do or you watch the segment the the digital version is free so you can still go register and all this stuff is available on demand so if you’re interested you can still go watch it, and I Unleashed a new web architecture for future e-commerce sites on the world and it’s called Jason secret web architecture hashtag, Jay SWA and it got a lot of play on Twitter after my presentation so just saying, you could you could be on the ground floor of Jess wha if you view either catch our Deep dive or watch the the segment. Scot: [2:46] What do things better just swallow or J-1. Jason: [2:49] Jay Watts way better. Scot: [2:51] Okay got it I saw some Jo Lighting in a when some protesters broke into an Amazon store. Jason: [2:58] Yeah that’s called the woo. Scot: [2:59] Joe what the heck oh okay that’s Mia well they did just walk out someone was like the Amazon apps going to charge their phone as like yeah I think it works that way. Jason: [3:11] Yeah I mean was it Amazon ghost or looted I didn’t see that that would have been like ironic I guess. Scot: [3:17] I don’t know if they get in but it was pretty clear they were working at it so the one I like Street I think there’s one on Pike Street I saw there was video of them smashing in a window and jumping in so. Jason: [3:26] I saw a lot of anti Bezos graffiti on some Amazon go stores in Seattle as well. Scot: [3:32] Controversial I’m sure Jeff’s up late at night worrying about it. Jason: [3:37] Yeah I’m sure his security detail is all over that, so slightly off traffic so in honor of next was three days it was really well attended there was a pretty good diversity of topics and sessions and yeah so if you have some spare time and you you didn’t watch it live you should totally go register and watch some of the content and especially watch the future of platforms and make sure. That you you stay till the end and give it a five star review because former ghost guest and friend of both of ours Rob Smoltz did another presentation and we’re having a friendly competition about who gets better ratings. Scot: [4:17] Yeah can I just skip to the reviews if I can I like that okay. Jason: [4:20] In fact I’d appreciate you should both do that and hit pause right now in the podcast and go give the podcast of five star review on iTunes while we’re talking about reviews. Scot: [4:29] Asking for a friend you think Dave that they would stop a little script from going and doing that a million times. Jason: [4:35] Yeah I think you can only you have to like log in and then you can only vote once. Scot: [4:39] Gosh that’s no fun. Jason: [4:42] Yeah I don’t I so I historically have done well in those ratings. I think the bar must be really low but I. Scot: [4:53] Let’s Rob Schmaltz. Jason: [4:55] I hold the all-time record for an RF event ratings because I did a, a session about mobile usability and my last example I did an evaluation of the mobile rating system for the NRF, so I finished the presentation by having everyone go to their phones and go through the process of giving me five stars I thought, smart yeah yeah I felt very proud of myself. Scot: [5:24] And then you just Savaged it after that you’re like was that the worst experience ever. Jason: [5:27] Exactly yeah but yeah so I tricked enough people in the voting for me that I got a good score. Scot: [5:33] Nice did you get to see Rob session. Jason: [5:35] I did watch Rob session I didn’t get full disclosure I did not watch it live because it was, right before mine and they’d like you to be on in their dream room and and all that sort of stuff so I didn’t get to watch his session live but I watched it later and it was good even though I’m not I’m kind of cynical on the topic so he was talking about Ai and you know he had some interesting use cases and stuff but I’d feel like AI is just so overused that I my guards go up as soon as people start pitching me on AI solution for anything. Scot: [6:13] Yeah I was this is a kind of a wacky sidebar but I’m sure you’ve seen this GPT 3 stuff that’s come out, which is this natural language platform from this open to AI initiative but it’s got kind of a you know but significant like a factor of 30 more words that it’s been fed and that its knowledge so people are feeding it all these past things they’ve done and then it spits out stuff and I was I was gonna talk about this offline but we might as well do it on the podcast here I was thinking we have what 29 now episodes that we could feed this thing and then maybe it could just do the podcast going forward so little little side project for you look at. Jason: [6:54] Yeah it could be vastly better. I’m in a much more narrow scope Adobe has this cool really scary app where you feed it audio samples and then you can get it to say anything you want in that person’s voice and. Scot: [7:07] Yes I think we can marry those together and we can have a Jason bot an ascot bot and then you and I could just go to the beach and retire from this whole thing. Jason: [7:13] Yeah well obviously there’s. Scot: [7:14] They’ll be our Mastermind project for. Jason: [7:17] Way more audio from either of us than you need to train this engine but like think about all the guests we have to Ike we have this beautiful repository we could have a lot of fun in this industry. Scot: [7:25] Yeah all right sounds good what other what other talks did you catch that were interesting. Jason: [7:31] Yeah I tried to catch a bunch of them in and if they were pretty diverse. You know depending on your area of interest you could lean different ways but there. Was one of the original VCS behind Salesforce talking about like investing in the cloud and how. Difficult that was at the time and they were rolling The Rock uphill and obviously that investment worked out pretty well for them so I found that interesting there’s a variety of. Sessions about you know how to deal with the crisis and leadership in the crisis and some of those things. On my day on Tuesday there there was an interesting session about the death of the cookie so several of the browsers have already. Block third-party cookies so Safari and Firefox don’t allow third-party cookies, Chrome is the most popular browser in at least the u.s. right now and they still allow third-party cookies but they’ve announced that they’re going to phase them out over the next two years so. Fundamentally changes a lot of advertising tools that you can use on the internet if third-party cookies don’t exist and so there was an interesting conversation about. What would change and what what and What alternative means people might use and just you know sort of thinking how you prepare for a world in which there’s no third party cookies. Scot: [8:59] Yeah yeah that’s worthy of a deep dive right there. Jason: [9:02] Yeah I mean there’s that’s that’s like the livelihoods of a lot of people so I get that yeah so. Scot: [9:11] But you want basic stuff to work right you want as a user I hate logging in all the time so. Jason: [9:17] Yeah and so part of it is. Scot: [9:18] It’s going to drive me to apps because that’s why I like apps they look keep me logged in and websites now are less frequently keep me logged in. Jason: [9:24] So that’s a again we won’t Deep dive in the platforms but part of my conversation of platforms was, you know what are the priorities right now in picking a platform and one of them is obviously mobile and I talked about the apps versus Naval native mobile web thing quite a bit so there’s there’s interesting. Topic they’re the there was a good session from Dollar Shave Club talking about how, they’re they’re heavy users of split path testing a/b testing and how they do a lot of them behavioral experimentation on the site and so they shared some of their learnings and winnings from that and then I think Spotify was the last session on Wednesday and sort of talking about how voice is the future and podcast like the Jason and Scott show will rule the world. Scot: [10:15] I like that did you talk to them about selling for a hundred million getting some Rogan Rogan money. Jason: [10:21] I’m trying to play hard-to-get so we could surpass Rogan money. Scot: [10:25] Sounds like a good strategy. Jason: [10:26] So I did that by not not approaching them at all I thought that was pretty clever of me. Scot: [10:29] Well it’s better when they when they come to you so will I will keep waiting. Jason: [10:34] Yeah so that was interrupt next that was maybe more time than we allocated for that top. Um but let’s jump into the week’s news. Scot: [10:42] Yes so this week you know I love to say it wouldn’t be a Jason’s got show without some Amazon news but today this time we’re probably going to skip him as on news because we’re really holding it for next week so a week from today when we’re recording this Thursday of next week they are going to have Q2 earnings and everyone’s watching that with with bated breath because there’s a lot of interesting data we’ll talk about the rest of the show that’s got people there’s a camp that feels like you know expectations of Ronald Billet ahead there’s another camp that says no they’re just going to just destroy the numbers that are out there so it’s going to be really there’s really a pretty big split on where the not only Wall Street but other pundits feel like Amazon’s going to come out so we’re not going to cover that this week but there was some pretty interesting news today from Google shopping and, Jason why don’t you walk us through some of the highlights of that. Jason: [11:33] Yeah so before I talk about today’s news I’m going to go back in the Hot Tub Time Machine 2 April and they. We have the highest quality sound effects on the Jason and Scot show. Scot: [11:46] That’s the hot tub fair enough. Jason: [11:48] Exactly I like it I. Scot: [11:50] Oh I could do this too. Jason: [11:55] That was substantially better that some some legitimate fully work right there. Scot: [11:58] Okay okay que me up again go. Jason: [12:03] Let’s jump into the hot tub time machine and go back to April. [12:10] Awesome so back in April Google made an announcement about Google shopping that they would essentially let anyone that wanted to provide a feed have free ads. On the Google shopping platform and so at the time it was there was this it was really unclear whether they that. You would show up in Google shopping for free but that you would still be obligated to share at a crate with. Google if someone acted on that ad and there was a lot of conversation about that and Google was a little vague about their answer so then fast forward to July and today Google made an announcement, that they are discontinuing, taking a commission or a take rate on all of Google shopping so if you have an ad on Google shopping and someone checks out, directly on that that platform you pay no commission to Google so presumably the only way they’re going to monetize Google shopping is with embedded ads that they sell in the Google shopping experience. Scot: [13:15] Yeah it’s it’s interesting because there’s a new so not only do they have a new leader for Google shopping but there’s this one change where. The shopping count of Commerce team in the ads team have been separate and that’s you know allegedly when. Apparently that’s made it hard for the Google Commerce team to gaining traction because you know it’s very easy to look at any Google result I’m sure and say well if you put this thing out there you’re going to lose this many dollars from from the ad platform because ad platforms are robust right so so another change they had made I think earlier this year is there’s one executive that that owns both, and then they made it a yeah priority for him to really accelerate the Commerce said so one reading of this is finally Google there’s all this data we’ve talked about it by a thousand times on the show that shows that that more and more consumers are not going to Google to start their shopping journey and learn about products are going to Amazon you may have some updated stats but for you know for the longest time you know Google was ahead and then Amazon surpassed and and yeah I’m sure that’s still the case I think the last data I saw showed like 65% of people started an Amazon 35% of Google do you have any new data on that Jason. Jason: [14:36] Kind of so I have to debunk the whole thing we the real answer is we don’t know most of that data is published from surveys and originally most of it came from this Bloom reach survey and all these surveys are of 2,000 people. So they asked 2,000 people when you go shopping what website do you go to First and 65% of the 2,000 people said I go to Amazon and so spoiler alert, people are never right when they tell you what they do why give I go look at the data from their browser that’s not what they do and so even if we try to use panel data there’s some big panels out there of millions of users it’s impossible this is to Define what a. [15:19] A a shopping mission is versus some other search mission right so you you you have to come up with some huge definition of what searches constitute a Commerce search versus an informational search and nobody’s just done that satisfactorily so so the real answer is we don’t know what the percentage is if you wanted to have a conversation about a particular product category you could probably do that but. But it’s really hard to know but directionally it’s for sure true that traffic, is going up on Amazon search engine and presumably that is at the expense of Google and we certainly have seen Google do a lot of things that seem like defensive moves against Amazon. Scot: [16:06] Yeah perhaps more importantly the dollars are moving right so to you probably know more about this than I do but you know Channel visor we’ve seen people kind of go through this life cycle of testing a little bit on Amazon ads and then kind of like really ramping it up and then taking a lot out of the the other obviously offline budget spend also you know I think the Google budgets get starved out from that too. Jason: [16:29] Yeah no for sure and and you know Amazon’s collected 10 billion dollars in advertising fees and and presumably that wasn’t all incremental like a bunch of that even very likely came from from Google and Amazon it is ironic we talked about this a little bit offline but. Well Amazon collects 10 billion dollars in advertising fees for the Amazon pep platform they actually pay for 11 billion dollars of Google ads they’re Google’s largest Advertiser and so there is this funny thing they’re like buying eyeballs from Google and then they’re monetizing them on their site and it’s it’s actually a clever Arbitrage because even if they break even if they buy an ad and sell an atom break even that causes all that those eyeballs to fly by all these Amazon products on the Amazon platform that they get to sell to for free basically. Scot: [17:19] Yeah and sign up for Prime and all that good stuff yeah so. Jason: [17:23] I was just gonna one last point on that that’s kind of humorous you you talked about like the old days at Google where the ad team was at odds with some of the product teams, there are all these new products Google has launched that are white clearly you know intended to be direct competitors with Amazon and it has to be awkward that Amazon is their largest customer that they’re trying to compete with. Scot: [17:44] Yeah there’s a lot of interesting stories about the early days where you know Amazon’s pulled products in and out of Google shopping a lot because they there’s this argument of having their products in their actually makes it better to this day they’re pretty limited on what they put in there I haven’t done it a forensic check but they have some Kindle stuff Zappos the Quincy guys we’re still in their last I looked but the whole Amazon catalog is not in Google shopping um yeah and even then early on there was a famous Bezos story where he told you know and it was actually an angel investor in Google I think to so but he told the Amazon team to share No data with them at all and so they would go buy ads but they would never. Like install the pixel or give Google Google analytics or any insight into where it what was going on behind the firewall which I think. Jason: [18:31] Yeah I think there’s a Jeff Bezos quote that they’re in the information collection business not the information dissemination business. Scot: [18:38] So then the big picture is you know so I felt for very long time google has this existential crisis kind of facing with Amazon, you know it’s not gonna be the end of Google but by all accounts. Kind of Commerce related terms is a really big chunk of their revenue some estimates say 30 percent 40 percent 20 percent whatever it’s not immaterial and Amazon has been siphoning that off pretty relentlessly so it is interesting to see them make some news and moves here the other one that you didn’t mention is so the buy on Google program where you actually check out on Google which I think is a better experience for mobile, previously you could only do Google pay so then it ended up being super restricted because you said you know well we’re only going to really show the ads on Android and you have to do Google pay or Android pay or whatever that’s called these days and this that and the other and then suddenly you know and then Merchant has to go through this complicated thing what now in addition to making it free they have opened it up to PayPal and then Shopify as payment platform, well so you know some of these moves kind of make me think Mmm they’re definitely someone at Google has woken up and said we need to do something about this it definitely does feel like you know too little too late and then where I kind of end up. [19:58] Getting to is to really fight Amazon someone’s gonna have to step up and build a lot of fulfillment centers because you know if you really started the customer experience that you have to match Amazon’s customer experience there’s no way around that. And this is a huge challenge with all these these other experiences right Collins Sebastian who’s a Wall Street analyst who’s been on our show he was talking about in a either a note or a tweet he ordered something from instacart Instagram for the first time and you know the shipping was like it gave this window of, two weeks from now or six weeks from now was kind of like the window is like a three-week window two weeks away it felt like. 1999 kind of shipping levels so so it’s good to see Google chip away at this but I think the got to get like yeah someone needs to go out and start spending in 10 billion dollar chunks if they really want to counteract the Amazon customer experience. Jason: [20:56] Yeah no I agree and it does so you alluded to this but Google hired this guy Bill ready to be the president of Commerce at Google and he was formally like the CEO at PayPal so an experience Commerce guy he the the memo that it was now free to list your products on Google shopping in April came from Bill ready and then the memo that we there were no longer charging a commission to be on Google shopping, today was from Bill ready so he obviously has his fingerprints on on these moves and you look at them together and you say oh man. [21:34] Google is doing everything they can to get people to list their products in Google shopping they’re making it easier to list their making it less costly to last because per your point, they’re trying to make that that platform attractive enough and useful enough to Consumers to compete with Amazon. The in addition to those two big moves they’ve done some other interesting things so one very subtle thing they did is, you can now send your Amazon feed in the Amazon merchant center format to Google for listing on Google shopping so they’ve, reduce the friction to list your products if your listing on Amazon you already have a fee that you could choose to send to Google so at the very least I feel like, they’ve made Channel advisor job easier which I know we always want want that to be the case. You mentioned they’re accepting PayPal and Shopify they also will let you Syndicate your product straight from Shopify on to Google shopping so there’s this interesting thing, and let’s keep talking about o Shopify is the potential competitor to Amazon, and I hate that narrative I don’t think that’s true I think Amazon Shopify are super complimentary and don’t really compete with each other and you know part of the reason is because. [22:53] Shopify doesn’t have in his likely never going to have a multi-vendor Marketplace experience but almost by default. Google could potentially become the multi-vendor version of Shopify right like that if it’s. Completely frictionless to Syndicate your products if Shopify encourages it because Shopify will actually make money on everyone that buys from Google shopping because, they’ll use that that Shopify payment system and Shopify you know a lot of their revenue comes from having their own own payment processor now so. [23:28] Roll that up and it’s it’s kind of interesting to watch I totally agree with you the Achilles heel of all these plans is. That shipping experience that there’s some new features and Instagram that came out this week as well they’re not that interesting so we weren’t going to cover them but but. In a nutshell. Instagram has elevated shopping to a button on the homepage now so there now is a shopping tab on the homepage of Instagram that’s rolling out as we speak and some some journalists were asking me if I thought that was going to make a big difference and and I had the same thing, experience is Colin I pointed out Target with like 3,000 products on Instagram shopping that you can buy and so I looked at a candle on target side and that same candle on Shopify site and it’s the same price. I said shop if I meant on Instagram site it’s the same price but if you buy the candle from Target it comes with free one-day shipping and if you buy it from Instagram it will ship sometime in the next two weeks. Scot: [24:26] Yeah yes we are click on our stand like it’s going to be injecting in the same system so I don’t know. Jason: [24:32] I just don’t I don’t think they have a live OMS so I think they just have this like you I suspect if I ordered that candle from Instagram I’d get it in two days from Target but I think they just don’t have a way to give real time shipping information. Scot: [24:45] Or goes to someone they print it out it passes through six people’s hands. Jason: [24:51] Fax it to the store. Scot: [24:52] Data they fax it to a store someone data entered is it a trained pigeon uses the keyboard to data enter it and then your two weeks are up and now you get your package in a day. Jason: [25:02] You could be a product designer for publicist that was pretty good. Scot: [25:04] The things we’ve seen in this world of e-commerce Jason those are actually not that crazy, so we’ll be watching that really closely one thing you know to shopify’s crack I know you hate this this analogy so I’m just going to use it a lot they are compete with Amazon because they are the only people that have kind of the guts to go build a fulfillment center right so they’ve got this what they call it a dick fulfill by Shopify. Yeah and it’s best I know they’ve actually built a fulfillment center so and you know since they’re Canadian. Tape I have to imagine that one in candidate and one here I don’t know do you know. Jason: [25:44] I don’t I thought there was speculation that it was more than one like I think they are it’s complicated because I the speculation I’ve seen is that it’s Blended like that they have some 3pl partners that they’re relying on help fulfill but they own more than one of their own facilities and they did by a robotic picking company so like they have some of their own technology. Scot: [26:07] Another thing that was interesting that got a lot of noise on Twitter was a Goldman had any report and this was interesting because a lot of these Wall Street analyst they’ll have a retail analyst and Amazon analyst a online offline us and then just kind of thing and this is for the first time Goldman really comprehensively got all their teams together globally and the the. Impetus for this was to understand the covid-19 impact on everything and it was pretty interesting so so lets you know let’s cover the us first so the way they formatted this was they said here’s kind of like the old kind of thinking and here’s our updated, post pandemic kind of so pre-pandemic post so let’s look at 2020 so in the u.s. pre-pandemic they were thinking e-commerce and then I know we’d like to be really specific this excludes travel and others so but it would include tickets and events of those kinds of things but no autos and no travel so so they had the u.s. growing at 14 percent year-over-year of from 19 to 24 13 point 6. Jason: [27:23] Ecommerce growing at fourteen point six. Scot: [27:26] Ecommerce and then 20-22 2021 kind of flat 14.4 and then 20 twenty one to twenty twenty two fourteen percent so they’re now saying covid has effectively doubled the growth rate so they’re expecting, 29% from 2019 to 2020, then you know what’s really interesting is there’s this big debate amongst folks in the e-commerce landscape imagine if you had been physically at a in RF event this would have been the the kind of the the back alley, the hallway talk you know everyone’s in the online world is excited we’ve gotten the surge of activity the big question is how much is going to stick well they kind of took a shot at this which is kind of interesting so they’re saying we’ve got the Surge from unexpected 15.6 to 29 percent and then I should also say they, they go out they grab all the data we talked about on the show so they take the Commerce data the comscore data the emarketer data. [28:24] I think they have like Forrester data in the mix and then they also have access to a lot of data um you know from these credit card receipts and all these things and all that they say in the note was kind of inputted into this this model which is interesting so it’s this amalgam of all these things that they look at but then what they’re saying is it actually is going to stay pretty elevated not at this 29 percent growth rate but you know next year for example instead of the 14.4 they were thinking pre-pandemic they’re going to they’re saying it will grow 17 percent your year, that’s really impressive coming off of a 29% year a lot of people were like wow I thought it would be more, the kind of unit is going down your ear but no it’s actually to do Seventeen percent on top of 29 is pretty impressive most times if you had this blip you would actually go negative the next year because you know you would you would effectively. [29:17] Be comping against this really really big previous year number so that was interesting and I thought yeah it was pretty. I hadn’t seen anyone really take a shot at it so I, I thought I was cut thought provoking the think through how much of this is going to stick and be sustained and build new habit sources kind of receding to previous habits. What insights did you gather. Jason: [29:40] Yeah I mean well so it’s super interesting in my biggest takeaway is, we don’t know and smart people disagree you’re right because I consume this as soon as it came out and then two days later emarketer published what they call there 20/20 us category level forecast so they had they had previously published an updated covid forecast for the top line numbers. And and this week they published this much deeper dive that like they forecast what they think is going to happen in e-commerce in the u.s. category by category. And so, it’s a very similar methodology like they say in the front of the report we have a hundred and seventy-nine data sources which include all the same ones you mentioned and so we consume over 10,000 individual metrics we synthesize all those to build this like complicated forecast model and in some ways directionally similar but in some ways, meaningfully different so the the top line from emarketer is. And and what what makes this hard to be perfect apples-to-apples is of course emarketer and golden and don’t have the same definition of retailgeek. [30:58] Um so by the strictest definition of retailing comscore which excludes food restaurant tickets Auto and gas. Um they’re they’re saying that e-commerce will grow 18 percent this year versus last year which was I want to say their previous forecast was like 12 or 13 percent so, um a meaningful uptick they unlike Goldman they also forecast retail and they actually forecast brick-and-mortar retail would be down 14% which is. Historic drop and so that all Nets out to us retail online and offline will be down a little over ten percent for the year so that’s the Debbie. Debbie Downer top-line what’s interesting to me is. [31:47] The shape of their forecast is also different than the golden one so they’re basically saying. They give three forecast they give the strict definition of retail that excludes food and gas and they can see that that’s, when you’re talking about e-commerce that’s not really fair because. You know people are buying a meaningful amount of food online now right gasps their argument is no one buys gas online and so that’s why you would exclude that but they say like if you want to take cars and and gas out, we’ll give you this this bigger number and if you want to take car’s gas food and beverage out will give you an even bigger number so the one that’s most similar to Goldman is the excluding cars and gas so that’s going to be, twenty percent growth in 2020 and then they’re predicting 20.7 percent growth in 20 21 and 22 percent growth in 2022 so they’re actually. [32:46] Intuitively the Goldwyn Moon one makes more sense right that you’d see a big spike this year when the brick-and-mortar stores are closed for a long time, presuming that’s not going to be the case next year you would expect some of that to come back but the the E marketer forecast has them growing every year which is. Interesting and and they do have a pretty granular forecast that makes it more credible so they do show like food having that same shape that Goldman’s predicting where it went way up and then it goes down, but they show other things like apparel, is way down this year online and in-store and it starts to creep back up online in the next year’s and intuitively. That kind of makes sense so they aggregate all those categories together and they get this this different snapshot what’s interesting to me is, just looking at those sales as a percentage of total retail since they’re estimating brick and mortar you can you can see how big a chunk e-commerce is and again by the strictest definition of retail 20/20. 14% of all 14.5 percent of all sales are online to put that in perspective, 20:19 was 11% by that definition so that’s a big jump. If you pull the car and gas out twenty percent of all sales are online and just for fun if you pull grocery cars and gas out 29 percent of all retail sales are online this year so that’s. Scot: [34:15] Say a u.s. number or that’s Global Jessica. Jason: [34:19] Yeah. Scot: [34:20] Because Goldman has eighteen percent this year and they don’t have gas her Autos but they do have grocery so I guess it would be higher if you took grocery out and then because that’s a small. Yep it’s had a huge growth but is still under index compared to like electronic or something obviously but then you know last year they had fourteen point eight so you do see this like huge step function where we’re kind of like ticking along at 1% and then we just like surge 4% and then they show it going to 21% 2427 by 2023 the other thing I like is they have a table that has all the different countries and you kind of think well what’s are you know what’s the high water mark can you look down this chart and you see South Korea 45% you’re like wow you know that’s that’s pretty crazy and then, they have China at 36 percent I was thought China would be higher than that but. Jason: [35:13] Yeah I’ve seen Pre-K covid that and again everybody has a different definition so it’s really hard and data from China, is harder but the numbers I see tend to be that e-commerce in China pretty covid-19 38 and now it’s in the 40s. Scot: [35:29] The just a super I Louisville thought a framework I found useful in we employed this the in the last episode in a way we do this every year with our prediction show when you have these different opinions. Instead of arguing in the timeframe of now I found it is I have historically found it this is true for, my own companies and stuff it’s interesting to make predictions track those and then learn from that experience of oh gee I was really wrong why was I wrong what was I looking at it was wrong what did this other opinion look up so so it’s kind of cool to have the gold mini-com in marketer kind of off a little bit so then we can kind of see you know which of these is a better you know predictor and what can we learn from those predictions that we can feed back into our models of how we think about these things. Jason: [36:16] Yeah for sure and and both are super thorough methodology so these are not like you know just just throw away forecast that people whipped up right like. Scot: [36:31] Then they had the last one last little tidbit on the Goldman I wanted to highlight as they do have some Trend data, they look at kind of how did things do kind of pre-pandemic and then post pain to me so the categories that over-index to do the pandemic our furniture and appliances that’s kind of that nesting or cocooning thing going on, cpg which you know you follow closely is largely people switching their grocery habits Home and Garden is interesting so a lot of people are because they’re Sheltering in place or like you know I could use some fresh paint in here with or you know fixed that thing that’s been. I don’t know what else do you have a lot of categories there are kind of neutral to- like we’ve talked a lot about apparel and accessories, biggest losers event tickets and then toys and this was weird because I’ve seen all these other articles that, toy sales are surging so I couldn’t reconcile the toy when do you have a point of view on toys. Jason: [37:25] I don’t the emarketer showed toys were one of the fastest gainers online so they said 36 percent of toys is were sold online pretty covid so this is February 2020 their estimate was 36% and may 2020 they said 47% of all toys were sold online so that’s one of the biggest jumps. Scot: [37:46] Goldman’s shows toys going from kind of a in line growth of six percent before the pandemic to a 45 percent decline so that that is where I think they probably differ the most and where I would kind of circle this one’s and say hmm, that smells a little weird you know I’ve read all these you know like Hasbro I think he was Hasbro was saying they just haven’t been able to keep up for the demand of coming direct to their website and target has been sung through toys at a pretty good clip so that makes more sense to me if your kids are I don’t have toys age kids but you certainly do and I imagine you’re buying toys at a frenetic Pace to keep your son occupied. Jason: [38:25] I don’t because Uncle Scott just keep sending him new Star Wars stuff so that’s actually. Scot: [38:29] One of us yeah yeah between the two of us we do yeah. Jason: [38:33] He’s very appreciative you and he are very aligned on interest which either means he’s very mature for his age or there’s another hypothesis that I won’t share. Scot: [38:42] He is super mature young man unlike his father. Jason: [38:44] Exactly yeah the bar. Scot: [38:47] Cool unfortunately another news item was another bankruptcy and you know you keep a slide that has been following these bankruptcies in that is a very full slot. Jason: [38:59] Yeah my designer is pissed because like every time they redesign it I’m like can you squeeze everything together a little bit more to throw a scene on there and yeah that’s rough. Scot: [39:10] Yeah so Cena file Chapter 11 and remind us what all them. Jason: [39:16] Yeah so a Cena is a big house of Brands and Taylor would be one of their big Brands Catherine’s dressbarn is a brand they actually closed a little earlier this year but that was one of their big brands they also Own Lane Bryant which is a plus-size brand so yeah and they probably have 30 brands in the portfolio and they’re mostly Mall based apparel, and they were significantly distressed before covid and so that it had been a family-run business the jaffrey’s like grants the son of the founder of dressbarn was the CEO for a long time and he stepped down earlier this year and so they were trying to do a turn around you know facing a lot of head winds as a mall based apparel retailer and then you know covid just made that impossible so so they had to declare bankruptcy they expect to do a reorganization they’re definitely going to you know Coulson Brands and Cole some stores and and try to reopen and we’ll see how that goes. Scot: [40:25] So I saw another report that we are year-to-date at 7432 foreclosures which is more than half of last year which I guess we’re at half of the year last year was twelve thousand three hundred and seventy so we’re pacing it prior to the 20%. Jason: [40:43] And if you just count flags that went bankrupt like we’ve had 25 this year we had 20 all of last year so there’s more more brands that closed as well her bankruptcy. Scot: [40:55] Yeah and a lot of times these beasts or had the sequence of the bankruptcy there’s a period of time where they have to go through a process that’s also down due to covid and then they closed the store so this is the store number should lag the bankruptcy number Out imagine unless they don’t start counting those upon announcement they wait for the actual date in a store to come in I think that has to be kind of a you know a known thing. Jason: [41:20] And of course retailgeek tin or ma get in or whatever you want to call it is bigger than just those bankruptcies so a lot of healthy retailers are taking the opportunity to dramatically close stores right so Nordstrom is closing 17 Mainline stores there’s what I’ll call some hidden bankruptcies Microsoft had a hundred stores and they’re closing all of them they’re getting out of brick and mortar retail right and so that’s not a bankruptcy because, the rest of Microsoft is pretty vibrant but but there’s a awful lot of stores closing. One that is bankrupt that had a big announcement today was Neiman Marcus so they’re in bankruptcy we knew they were going to close some stores but the and one that was speculated to be on that list and was confirmed today is they’re closing what their newest flagship store in Hudson yard that literally just open Grand opened a year ago. Scot: [42:12] Yeah that’s that’s crazy that’s like a big anchor like the whole thing is designed around that. Jason: [42:17] Yeah it’s the top floor of this entire mall so it’s a huge deal to Hudson yard and now is an awesome time to find a new tenant. But unlike the cost to open that strike they can’t they couldn’t have come close to recovering the cost to open that store and sort of close it is just like it’s, it’s crushingly heartbreaking and then here like a a slight little bitter irony as all these doors were closing in miles before covid the big play of you are a mall owner was let’s get more mixed use let’s open condos but most, of all let’s open gyms and restaurants so guess what the only two categories to do worse than retail is in. Scot: [43:06] Yeah Jim’s and. Jason: [43:07] Exactly so it’s pretty pretty rough. Scot: [43:10] Yeah tough times one thing I wanted to ask you about in this topic of Mulligan is one of the mall operators Simon properties is buying a lot of these these kind of chapter 11 retailers who are essentially their customers their kind of buying their customers and the thing that kind of as an e-commerce guy that blows my mind is there’s a his cap physicality here that is much more complicated right so let’s say you end up with three or four of these retail these fashion brands the effectively compete with each other so how do you reconcile that and then also now don’t you own properties and other malls who are your competitors and you’re paying rent to your competitors what’s your what’s your thought on that whole incestuous mix. Jason: [43:54] Yeah so my perception and I’m far from a real estate expert is these are not strategic Investments on the part of Mal operators that say like oh man, Eros ball could be super profitable and and we want to own it and turn it around and run it at a huge profit there, protecting their rent and they’re protecting their tenant agreements with other other tenants like one of the problems is when vain vacancy start opening up and particularly when anchor start opening up a lot of these other tenants have these Co tenancy agreement so you’re paying expensive rent and all kinds of extra fees to a mall because there’s a ton of traffic in the mall right and when the Apple Store we use them all there’s way less traffic and everyone makes less money and so a lot of the we Siz have Clauses that when the the anchor stores closed or when two men are too much of them all is vacant that they don’t have to pay rent or have to pay less rent or can break their ridiculous 10-year lease and. [44:59] I think it’s less like Simon saying like man this is a super Strategic investment and we’re buying it because we think we know how to run retail and more that some of these retailers that have a big footprint in their moms they need to keep those those stores occupied even if they’re not. Operated profitably so this this first one back in 2016 Simon got together with Brookfield then they said hey together we have most of the are spot I always say it wrong do you. Aeropostale sorry. Scot: [45:35] Aeropostale e. Jason: [45:37] Yeah it’s a bad news when you’re when you’re turning to the guy from North Carolina for pronunciation help. Scot: [45:43] Aeropostale Aero pistol. Jason: [45:47] Arrow pistol yeah you guys turn everything into a gun there that’s crazy. Scot: [45:51] Sur La Table. Jason: [45:52] Exactly also bankrupt yeah. So I think they bought them to sort of protect that that we stand I haven’t seen a lot of data that they’ve like dramatically turned it around or change the operational model and so then this year. Forever 21 like is an anchor for a bunch of these malls and so there was a lot of speculation and and it seems like they made an investment to try to keep some of the Forever 21’s open but I feel pretty your point, the more they they do that that the returns become diminishing right like you know, if they’re not profitable and you own it it’s a anchor on on your overall Enterprise profits, and you’re you’re buying these properties that are you know potentially competing with each other right and so it’s now the big thing whenever a big mall brand is at risk of closing. The rumor is that the mall owner is going to invest in it because there they have. The most interest in keeping it as a growing concern and so that’s a ongoing rumor about JC Penney stores that are closing or if JC Penney is enable the to reorganize out of their bankruptcy. [47:05] It also comes up a lot I’ve lost track of the names of all the entities but you know there was this big fight about, the Victoria’s Secret Brands and when a bunch of them were going to close their actually like the second largest tenant in most of the malls in the US and so that would be a big hit so there were rumors about that, but the economic analyst I have read, I feel like they’re not going to make a lot more of these Investments because it’s going to be increasingly challenging for them and their point was there’s no way they could absorb JCPenney like it UI. It just it just wouldn’t work so well. Scot: [47:44] I find it interesting though that they’ve got a much better balance sheet than than any of their customers so I don’t know how the mall operators escaped this Hina kind of high leverage kind of thing but the apparently they did but the Retailer’s didn’t so. Jason: [47:58] My my original retail Mentor Wayne huizenga was a big fan of buying something once and renting it forever turns out to be a pretty profitable model. Scot: [48:07] Yeah sounds good then was at Blockbuster. Jason: [48:10] That was yeah so you buy a movie for for 30 bucks and you rent it 30 times for 3 bucks it turns out that’s a good business. Scot: [48:17] And then you get late fees. Jason: [48:18] Yeah we don’t have. Scot: [48:19] And then you ignore Netflix and they crushing. Jason: [48:22] Nope okay so now I gotta defend Blockbuster we. We started, seven years later we sold it to Viacom for 9 billion dollars in 1994 which would be 15 billion dollars today Netflix wasn’t worth close to 15 billion dollars in there for seven years of operation so, started the company hugely monetized it got the heck out and some much later owner-operators screwed the pooch on Netflix but like to be clear the entrepreneur that started Blockbuster was brilliant and did quite well. Scot: [48:59] Okay the other big news that we want to cover is Bigcommerce so they release their s-1 so they’re going. Jason: [49:06] I see what you did there with the big big by the way. Scot: [49:08] I’m not going to get into the debate over Netflix and Blockbuster that’s we’ll save that one you can you can rest that Blockbuster one the. Jason: [49:24] You can see how large I’m living on my Blockbuster money. Scot: [49:26] Yeah this this probably has some DVDs in Price Hill and return the, the good news is no one’s there to collect late fees the so the Bigcommerce s-1 dropped and that’s ones as you know one of my weird Hobbies is I love to read these things and this was a good one the shame here is become urse appears to be a great company when you read through it and if they had gone public in the in a world where Shopify didn’t exist then it would be much easier for them but everyone’s comparing them to Shopify and you know, not only that they’re comparing them to Shopify today when they’re really should be compared to Shopify like 2014 so I pre-ipo Shopify because you know when you go public it really, can add a lot of fuel to the fire because you’ve got this access to Capital that’s a lot you know. [50:21] Bigger deeper than kind of private Capital so, so just some highlights so Bigcommerce is doing annualized a hundred twelve million. Growing 22 percent year-over-year this is all 2019 numbers and then you know what you have to do in a in an s-1 is keep updating out with amended numbers I’ll get to those in a second. One one Stand Out is their gross margin is 76% Shopify 2014 was 59 percent gross margins and then now those have actually gone down to 55 percent which is kind of interesting but it kind of indicates maybe there is a yeah so I think payments the more payments you do the lower your gross margins because you’re kind of skimming so you’re running like 3% through but your cogs is like 2.5 so that can put a lot of pressure on the gross margins things like that so but anyway it feels like much more of a SAS business at some kind of 76 percent gross margins they are still losing money but you know they’re clearly on this path to profitability just like Shopify was in 2014 and ultimately got there and it’s been quite profitable so the the most private most interesting thing is everyone’s using it as a re to the Shopify. [51:37] So for example you know because they’re not public yet and they have to update their s-1 we have this view into March April and May which is very it was very curious about how Shopify did in those we know March but we don’t know April May so it’s a view into Q2 and March they again they’re they’re kind of prepayment growth rate was 22% a Bigcommerce March it bumped up to 33% April a hundred and six percent May 86 percent so a lot of people are taking that you’ve probably noticed shopify’s stock has gone on a bit of a run it’s kind of ironic because I think a lot of people are using this s-1 and they’re reading in and saying well if. [52:20] Big Commerce did a hundred and 686 for April and May let’s say June was a step down at 75% that’s like 90%, growth analyzed that would just like blow people’s minds so so it’s gonna be interesting to see what kind of happens shopify’s growth rate is about 54 percent so so a lot of people are kind of reading into the Bigcommerce s-1 that Shopify is going to have a quarter where they effectively double their growth rate and so that’s going to be really interesting to watch and see what happens as that plays out are they over reading that or not so then a couple other the other thing I would mention to folks is it’s really good to read these things because the, the way to read an s-1 is unless you’re a financial like a Warren Buffett he always starts at the back. [53:09] The boring Financial disclosures and the audit and then Works forward I like to read the Management’s discussion and Analysis called the md&a section so unfortunately the way. The way the lawyers want you to write an S one is kind of what I would call it poop sandwich so you have to start out and you essentially say, in a very boring way his or her business and then you kind of almost have to say here’s kind of like why it sucks and then you did you have to say but here’s some good little pieces to think about and then again you have to kind of come and then this is the risk factors and you have to kind of say yeah and again it kind of sucks and what you’re doing there is your you’re protecting yourself from making any forward-looking statements or anything that an investor could see you for down the road so you have to kind of like. [53:52] Reading these things can be very boring if you start at the front because you’re going to the kind of the, cover your butt side of it so getting to that md&a is really good and I was like to hear. [54:03] Because actually you know haven’t been one of these you actually write that and yet goes to refinement but you really kind of need to write it because no one else can write that for you so it’s really the management team really putting down on paper they’re words how they’re they’re doing the business and I thought the Bigcommerce one was was very good the other thing that I love to do is, you know when Enron and play ODed it caused all this new regulations to come out one of those is regulation FD which is full disclosure so ever since then everyone’s Roadshow actually gets published out there in a video um now this is weird because I find most people don’t know about this and they don’t they don’t know to watch these the the thing that’s tricky though is the video has to be out there while you’re on your road show and then most companies take it down because you don’t really want that artifact so there’s this window of usually, a week sometimes two weeks sometimes three days where that road show is up and I’ve been watching every day for Bigcommerce it usually will start to we’ll update this one with some new data and then start I imagine next week or the week after I’ll let I’ll try to bring it up on the podcast but I’ll definitely tweet when it goes up. And it’s at this really Arcane website called retail Roadshow where you can go watch these things so so I’m eager to watch this one because it’s going to be kind of interesting to see some people do kind of a like the Uber one was really good it was kind of like hyper if I like a Super Bowl. Jason: [55:25] Some have very high production. Scot: [55:27] Yeah yeah some have high production and then some you know most of the ones in the e-commerce category are super low production where you know they’re they’re almost like, Shark Tank VC level pitch which I, I prefer because you kind of get to the meat and potatoes so I’m going to watch for that and and see how they present on that and see what that looks like so so that was my takeaway is did you have anything from becoming she wanted to. Jason: [55:52] A few other equipments first of all I feel like Warren Buffett probably starts at the end because he’s a very old man and he doesn’t know how much more time he has. Scot: [56:00] Who could be. Jason: [56:01] It’s just a theory and I also like to read them but I’m weirder than you I like to start at the risk factors because I feel like there’s just so much positivity in my life right now that. Scot: [56:11] You’re such an Eeyore. Jason: [56:14] Yeah that I just I just need to bring it down and. You tell me if I’m wrong but unlike the the the sections that like each each entrepreneur clearly does write for themselves I’m pretty sure the risk factors are a popular boilerplate item. Because they tend to have like all ten plagues in them for example. Scot: [56:33] Yeah you’ve got to talk about cybersecurity you can have an internet outage you’ve got a lot of competitors you’re not profitable. Jason: [56:40] And then nowadays they’re just one one bullet called like Amazon right. Scot: [56:44] Yes you got to have an Amazon bullet in there. Jason: [56:46] Exactly so a couple of things are interesting to me and looking through the s-1 so like, you didn’t mention it but so they are tiny compared Shopify today they’re like 117th the size of Shopify but, their business is more different than Shopify than people might realize so one thing the revenue per account is much higher so there’s a. You know a common narrative that they’re there, more mid-tier Brands tend to use Bigcommerce and there are little closer to Enterprise and Shopify tends to be along like the long tail and a lot of startups. And the this s-1 kind of bears bears that out like the there they have far fewer clients they’re making more Revenue per, client but also the mix of the revenue is quite a bit different you alluded to it a little bit in the payments but what’s interesting is. [57:45] There’s there’s recurring Revenue which are the fees they collect for hosting right like that the fundamental charge is you have for using their platform and then there are these variable fees which are, not guaranteed to be recurring but for things like fulfillment in the payment fees when you you shopify’s echo system and the overwhelming majority of shopify’s Revenue come from fees not recurring so, the despite the fact that there are SAS company their recurring revenue is a menorah T of there, their revenue and that’s way less true on Shopify shop the bulk of shopify’s Revenue is coming from. Scot: [58:26] You mean bad Converse. Jason: [58:26] I’m sorry yeah the opposite strip Bigcommerce the bulk of their revenue is coming from charging rent for this platform SAS platform that you’re getting and they seem to be making a lot less from, from supplement they think they have much less supplemental services so that’s that’s interesting the thing we always we never know about Shopify that were always really eager to tell and the Bigcommerce doesn’t give us any insight is like what’s the churn, like they have all these clients but you know how many of them are are economically meaningful and how many are still active, but in some ways the Bigcommerce model feels so although much smaller safer because they have these clients that are more locked in and it’s a you know more more material to their to their business. Um Scot: [59:17] You know you know you just did a talk on this and I don’t want to do any spoilers we’re going to Deep dive but Magento just really doesn’t come up in the conversation where it’s like they just fell off the face of the earth I don’t know if that’s just me or have they have these hosted platforms just really displace them. Jason: [59:31] Yes and no they still come up a lot with me like so they’re owned by Adobe and so you know you’re starting to hear people say Adobe instead of Magento the analyst. So Forrester just published their wave and and adobe’s a weed or in the wave which is Magento, and Gardner is about to publish their wave and I can’t confirm or deny that I’ve seen it but you’ll probably see them in that too. The I would definitely say like. [1:00:06] A lot of Magento is at the moment feels to me like our past their Prime like they they were the long tail solution before Shopify, and nobody’s successfully moved a bunch of those, those clients up Market or to newer products and so it does feel like they’re losing momentum in that regard Adobe has a lot of juice so maybe you know Adobe will be able to turn them around what we’ll have to see but for sure the future is. Cloud native platforms and I’m saying Cloud native as distinct from like just putting your product on the cloud. So Magento is an example of adobe and others have put Magento on the cloud. By just you know running a private instance of Magento on a on a virtual server instead of a an on-premise server. It’s not really service-based and it’s it has a lot of problems whereas Bigcommerce Shopify, and and Salesforce are our Cloud native Solutions and a lot of the newer platforms that are in the market are all Cloud native nothing everything is service-based and. I feel like there I wouldn’t if magenta where step is stock I would not be buying. Scot: [1:01:17] Yeah alright anything else on become worse. Jason: [1:01:22] Nope nope I think that’s going to be a good place to wrap we have used up more of our time given that we have two shows this week then I had expected to but as always if there’s something that piques your interest let us know on Twitter or Facebook. Please please please jump on iTunes and give us that five star review. Scot: [1:01:42] Thanks everyone and… Jason: [1:01:45] Until next time happy commerce.

SHOW NOTES About Today's Episode What would it take for you to go to a brick and mortar, say clothing store.  Would you browse through the clothes on the hangars?  Would you try stuff on?  Stuff that other people might have tried on?  And what would THAT be like?  In a small change room that someone else had just left?  Being all breath-y and everything?   While a year ago you may not have given it a thought, today, it might set off all kinds of alarm bells for you.  What we look for in a retail experience is fully, and perhaps forever, transformed.  These are historic times. In Today's Episode We Discuss: What brands need to do TODAY to stay competitive in the new post COVID-19 economy. What does the future of retailing look like? The key approach that's allowing retailers to deepen their relationship with their customers. Today's Guest Ann-Marie Clendenin is a top leader of some of N. America’s most iconic brands, with a solid track record for driving massive retail growth globally through traditional expansion, as well as Omni channel (which basically means connecting meaningfully with your customers on every channel possible – brick and mortar, online, social, heck – graffiti on the side of a wall if that’s how your customers want to communicate).  Ann-Marie’s career spans 30 years, and if anyone is poised to think retail, outside of the box, it’s our guest today. Ann-Marie's leadership extends to The Limited, Ann Taylor, Aeropostale and most recently, holding executive roles as Global Head of Retail and eCommerce Operations for Kate Spade and President US Retail for Aritzia. At Kate Spade, Ann-Marie drove physical store expansion, tripling the business from 68 stores to 225 stores in North America and from 445 to 680 stores internationally, while scaling volume from $300M  to $2.1B. With responsibility for 3 brands and 6 channels in Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday, she Architected and drove a 13 pronged Omni Channel Solution with more than $350M in sales. Ann-Marie is also an expert on "clientelling" – which is kind of like how it sounds.  Rather than subjecting your “customer” to individual transactions, clientelling is about creating retail clients, which means a much more profound relationship than the individual, and often forgettable, transaction at the cash register, and the result is lifelong brand relationships and phenomenal, individualized customer experiences.  You can just imagine that this is a disruptive force in traditional retail.  So who better to re-envision and disrupt retail today than someone who’s been doing it for 30 years. For Further Listening on the Importance of Brand Reputation Click here to listen to my interview with Stephen Hahn-Griffiths from The Reputation Institute on the importance of safeguarding the Brand Reputation. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on this podcast! Thank you! If you want to leave a rating and review on iTunes, that's always helpful for people to find the podcast. Click here to leave a rating / review on iTunes Contact Pat Perdue on Twitter I always love hearing from folks on Twitter. Click here to send me a Tweet: @PatPerdue Thank you for listening.

SHOW NOTES About Today's Episode What would it take for you to go to a brick and mortar, say clothing store.  Would you browse through the clothes on the hangars?  Would you try stuff on?  Stuff that other people might have tried on?  And what would THAT be like?  In a small change room that someone else had just left?  Being all breath-y and everything?   While a year ago you may not have given it a thought, today, it might set off all kinds of alarm bells for you.  What we look for in a retail experience is fully, and perhaps forever, transformed.  These are historic times. In Today's Episode We Discuss: * What brands need to do TODAY to stay competitive in the new post COVID-19 economy. * What does the future of retailing look like? * The key approach that's allowing retailers to deepen their relationship with their customers. Today's Guest Ann-Marie Clendenin is a top leader of some of N. America's most iconic brands, with a solid track record for driving massive retail growth globally through traditional expansion, as well as Omni channel (which basically means connecting meaningfully with your customers on every channel possible – brick and mortar, online, social, heck – graffiti on the side of a wall if that's how your customers want to communicate).  Ann-Marie's career spans 30 years, and if anyone is poised to think retail, outside of the box, it's our guest today. Ann-Marie's leadership extends to The Limited, Ann Taylor, Aeropostale and most recently, holding executive roles as Global Head of Retail and eCommerce Operations for Kate Spade and President US Retail for Aritzia. At Kate Spade, Ann-Marie drove physical store expansion, tripling the business from 68 stores to 225 stores in North America and from 445 to 680 stores internationally, while scaling volume from $300M  to $2.1B. With responsibility for 3 brands and 6 channels in Kate Spade, Jack Spade and Kate Spade Saturday, she Architected and drove a 13 pronged Omni Channel Solution with more than $350M in sales. Ann-Marie is also an expert on “clientelling” – which is kind of like how it sounds.  Rather than subjecting your “customer” to individual transactions, clientelling is about creating retail clients, which means a much more profound relationship than the individual, and often forgettable, transaction at the cash register, and the result is lifelong brand relationships and phenomenal, individualized customer experiences.  You can just imagine that this is a disruptive force in traditional retail.  So who better to re-envision and disrupt retail today than someone who's been doing it for 30 years. For Further Listening on the Importance of Brand Reputation Click here to listen to my interview with Stephen Hahn-Griffiths from The Reputation Institute on the importance of safeguarding the Brand Reputation. Leave us a review on iTunes I really appreciate all the support I've been receiving on …

Flipkart Group has purchased a minority stake in Arvind Fashions Ltd's (AFL) newly created aid Arvind Youth Brands for ₹260 crores. The corporation, which owns denim brand Flying Machine, intends to create the brand online and in India's minor markets. Flipkart Group will influence the brand's popularity that has over the years shifted to India's smaller cities. Arvind Fashions organizes international and local fashion clothing brands in the nation. Such as US Polo Assn., Arrow, GAP, Tommy Hilfiger, Flying Machine, Aeropostale, The Children's Place and Ed Hardy. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/latestnewssuno/support

On this episode, Camryn and Autumn deep dive into advice they would have given their younger selves. Along with some tangents on looking good in Aeropostale shirts, heavy eyeliner and being popular. So grab a drink and lets get into it.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Selena Leong has worked her way up from production associate, to product development, to technical design, to apparel design. Along the way she’s worked with brands on both coasts including Aeropostale, Forever 21, and even Ralph Lauren. And she did it all without ever going to fashion school.  For the complete show notes, including links to the resources mentioned, head over to Successful Fashion Designer!

Saint-Exupéry, qui fut en 1929 directeur de l'Aéropostale d'Argentine, raconte la vie menée par le chef d'une compagnie aéropostale, Rivière, et par son équipe de pilotes. Fabien, un de ces pilotes, ramène de l'extrême Sud le courrier de Patagonie vers Buenos-Aires, mais pris dans une tempête, il ne parviendra pas à rejoindre son port d'attache. Fabien affronte la mort parce qu'il a fait de son devoir le sens de l'existence. Dans sa préface, Gide met en avant les thèmes principaux du livre : le surpassement de soi et le sens du devoir, à l'époque où « Il s'agissait, pour les compagnies de Navigation aérienne, de lutter de vitesse avec les autres moyens de transport ». Choix musical de Bertrand Coty : Ray Charles"Georgia on my mind" et The Doors "Riders on the storm"

This week, Rohini takes you back to middle school. Don your ugg boots and Aeropostale tee's and get ready to hear the terrible tale of her MOST embarrassing moment. In this episode, she also reads all of your most embarrassing stories- and boy are they BADDD! Hiding sh*t in a trash can, getting walked in on doing the nasty, period problems, throwing up in the hallway! The works! Let's all giggle and cringe together

Billy and Adam grab their shopping bags and head to the mall. In this episode, they discuss the indoor malls they grew up in and the outdoor malls they go to now. Why are the food courts so fun? Why is the music so loud? And why are malls becoming bowling alleys and escape rooms? Plus, more Beg-A-Thon, Adam's December deal making and music by Wheatus!Theme: Send Medicine - Way To The Sea

On BIV Today... Retail Insider’s Craig Patterson joins the show to talk about the influence Black Friday is having on Canadian retailers, the closure of dozens of Lowe's outlets, the return of clothing retailer Aeropostale to almost 100 stores across the country as well as changes going on at Brentwood Town Centre. Tyler Orton hosts, see more at https://biv.com/.

From the Simplr studios in San Francisco, this is your daily briefing.  IntroductionWith your E-Commerce Retail Briefing for today, Monday, October 21st, I'm Vincent Phamvan.The future of Barneys still remains unclear, but a bid from Authentic Brands Group could see the luxury retailer end up in Saks Fifth Avenue stores. The plan would entail licensing the brand to Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks would install Barneys departments in some of its stores, as well as run its website.  First, here are some retail headlines.Venmo Partnering with Synchrony to Launch Credit Card  Mobile payment service, Venmo, is partnering with Synchrony Financial to launch a credit card in 2020. Venmo’s parent company, Paypal, announced the new partnership in a press release. The deal deepens PayPayl’s 15-year relationship with Synchrony and allows the bank to diversify outside the retail space. Synchrony has also co-branded credit cards with Amazon, Lowe’s, Banana Republic, and JCPenney.b8ta Announces New Conceptb8ta announced a new concept called Forum that pushes its focus beyond electronics and devices and into fashion and lifestyle. Its first Forum location opens November 15th on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles according to a company press release. The company, which calls itself a retail as a service platform, is letting each brand partner design its own space and curate its brand experience, including product launches, community, and VIP events. b8ta leverages store design and data to showcase goods, many from little-known makers, in its own stores and in other retailers' spaces, notably at Macy’s which invested in the company last year. b8ta said it chose its Forum partners based on their focus on ethical and sustainable production, including Just Human, Tact & Stone, Poplinen, and PROCLAIM.Five Below Led Series A Funding Round for Nerd Street GamersFive Below led a Series A funding round for esports infrastructure company, Nerd Street Gamers. Five Below, along with Comcast, SeventySix Capital, Elevate Capital, and George Miller, invested $12 million in the company. As part of the deal, Five Below and Nerd Street Gamers will build 3,000 square foot Localhost spaces connected to Five Below stores and will host live, in-person events with professional-level equipment. For Five Below, the move appears to be about attracting more younger customers. The retailer’s funding of Nerd Street Gamers isn’t the only investment the company has made recently. Earlier this year, Five Below worked with BRP on revamping its in-store tech capabilities. The retailer is performing well and in the second quarter, CEO and President, Joel Anderson, said the company could open as many as 150 new stores this year.Authentic Brands Group Bids On BarneysAuthentic Brands Group, the licensing company that owns Aeropostale and Juicy Couture, has put in a $271 million bid to buy Barneys out of bankruptcy, according to court filings. The plan would entail licensing the brand to Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks would install Barneys departments in some of its stores, as well as run its website.  In bankruptcy, Barneys has whittled down its size from more than ten namesake stores to five. While experts have said Barneys’ brand in the luxury space remains strong, the future of its remaining stores has been in question. Authentic Brands would still try to renegotiate the leases for some of its best properties as part of the deal, including staying in Madison Avenue but downsize its presence. Barneys filed for Chapter 11 protection in August and a bankruptcy auction is scheduled for later this month.  Putting Barneys inside Saks would echo a move it and other department stores, including Macy’s, have taken to add variety to their shopping experiences. Saks experiments with its stores in recent years include creating wellness centers. The brand is one of the brighter spots within parent Hudson’s Bay Company’s portfolio.  ClosingWant to stand out? Simplr can help you deliver wow moments for your customers through unparalleled customer service support. Visit simplr.ai to learn more. That’s S-I-M-P-L-R.ai.Thanks for listening to the latest episode of the Retail E-Commerce Briefing. See you tomorrow. 

EP189 - Code Commerce and Grocery Shop This episode was recorded right after Jason & Scot received their iPhone 11 Pro Max's.  Jason mentioned a new iOS feature to take full page screenshots.  Here is how to take full page screenshots in iOS 13. Event Recaps: Code Commerce - Sept 9 and 10 in New York City Groceryshop - Sept 15-18 In Las Vegas Amazon News Amazon orders 100,000 electric vans from Rivian Amazon Changed Search Algorithm in Ways That Boost Its Own Products Other News BDO reports more than 7k stores already closed in 2019, which is already more than any other year Some contreversy over store closure numbers. IHL disagreed with Coresight methodology and findings.  Coresight store closure tracker IHL score closure study Don't forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 189 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Sunday, September 22nd, 2019. http://jasonandscot.com Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, and Scot Wingo, CEO of GetSpiffy and Co-Founder of ChannelAdvisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing. Automated Transcription of the show Transcript Jason: [0:24] Welcome to the Jason and Scott show this episode 189 being recorded on Sunday September 22nd, 2019 I'm your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and as usual I'm here with your co-host Scot Wingo. Scot: [0:39] Jason and welcome back Jason Scott show listeners. Jason it was we got a lot to cover tonight we'll see what get a couple trip reports before we jump into that I'm dying to know did you get your iPhone 11 on new iPhone day was September 20th. Jason: [0:58] I did I was traveling during the week that it was an out so I was like at code Commerce secretly listening to the announcement. In the audience and then that Friday I was still in New York so I super convenient for my Apple they made it 5:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. East Coast time so I got to pre-order. That that Friday and I my phone arrived this is Sunday my phone arrived on Friday. Scot: [1:30] Look at it all moved over and everything's rocking. Jason: [1:33] I did I think. Scot: [1:35] Pictures senior pictures. Jason: [1:36] So I suspect we got similar if not exactly the same models I got the 11 Pro Max screen. Scot: [1:46] I got the same thing yes you have impeccable taste sir. Jason: [1:50] Yes twinsies and I would say the upgrade experience continues to get smoother and less glitch free so, in general it was super easy one wrinkle I was using a unpopular feature of the 10 which is dual Sims. And so the way in the the US they don't have two SIM ports so one of your Sims is virtual and one of them is a physical Sim so I had to a work phone account in a personal phone account and in the upgrade Apple convert your former esim to a physical Sim so now I have two physical Sims and I can't fit them both in my phone so I'll have to go back to an AT&T store and get a new esim. For all those people that want to have have a new definition for first world problem. Scot: [2:47] Watches get two phones. Jason: [2:50] Yeah not a fan I've carried a lot around a lot of phones and it's much easier to have to I mean I have one in the to send feature actually works quite well. Articulated there different carrier. Scot: [3:01] How to upgrade. Jason: [3:03] Except for this week I mean I'm still fine I'll I'll still be able to travel with the with the once a mint I can swing by and AT&T store last time I did this no one in the AT&T store never heard of any ECM but I have a feeling they've got it all I'll Donald in by this time. And so I don't think we need to cover a lot like it's you know mostly well-known, new features like you know why she related to camera but there is one secret e-commerce TV feature that I'm I'm kind of happy about 4 maybe only be relevant to his nerves of the show. Scot: [3:40] I'm trying to block what is it. Jason: [3:43] So in the the Safari screen capture so when you you do the combination of buttons to take a picture of your screen. You can now and now gives you the option to grab not just the visible part of the screen but the entire webpage all the way to the bottom. Scot: [4:05] Nice so you can get your lung checkouts. Jason: [4:09] Yeah yeah and so when you're taking pictures of mobile experience is to illustrate two teams or clients or things like that which is something we do a lot in the old days what you had to do is take a bunch of pictures and Stitch them together. And so now this is super seamless in it actually works in Safari and male and a couple other programs that weren't as relevant but they're for web pages that's a handy little feature. Scot: [4:33] If I'd call that an e-commerce feature as much as it Chief digital strategy retail officer feature. Jason: [4:39] Fair enough fair enough a ux, u.s. benefit I guess and on the flip side I feel like the last three years I've been waiting for the stupid true vision camera to go in the back so that we can finally get our shoe size right but I'll have to wait at least another year for that was. Scot: [4:55] Did to get the little pixels and also that we can. Jason: [4:59] So that front camera that does your your face recognition has it's an advanced measurement device that measures in 3D in it in the few retailers that are they use that for clever e-commerce experiences like Warby Parker will measure your face and recommend frame specifically for your face and it it it's like millimeter accurate so we're there to be a camera like that on the back of the phone you could imagine measuring a space to make sure that the refrigerator would fit the opening in your kitchen or the sofa would fit in your living room or exactly what size shoes you should order from a particular vendor Nike watch that feature without the fancy camera but it would be much better with this this hyper accurate camera. Scot: [5:47] Yeah he agreed and while you were traveling will you get a pretty cool recognition. Jason: [5:52] We did we did that must have been you because I was busy not focusing on the podcast. Scot: [5:57] It was snot me I think it was it was so it was just people someone out there likes our content. Jason: [6:05] Are the Luminous body of work. Scot: [6:07] What is a if you know how many hours that people have to listen to us. Jason: [6:11] We we yeah we're about 200 hours. Scot: [6:16] That's a it's a lot of us out there in the universe. Jason: [6:21] Yes yes so if you ever have The Misfortune of hearing me speak in person I usually open up by saying in the highly unlikely event you don't get enough of me in the next 30 minutes there's 200 more hours of me on the interweb. Scot: [6:31] Google I got a lot to cover let's jump into it first when I get a trip report from recode decode that was held in beautiful New York City September 10th how's the show. Jason: [6:46] Yeah it was awesome so we waited to that in the last segment but this is code recode the the publication which is now owned by box them a very fancy show that I went too early in the year that they call code conference and Jason Del Rey there has been enough that show a couple times is the Commerce correspondent for them and he is started the series of events called code Commerce so used to be, like an evening event on top of other shows where he would have like three speakers and now for the, third year in a row he's had his own Standalone two day event in New York city so this is the third annual code Commerce, and I like it it's a conference more than a trade show so there there's a few exhibitors but. [7:38] It mostly is a single agenda of speakers everybody sits in the room with since to the same speakers, there are no presentations that are all interviews with journalist mostly Vox journalist interviewing the the gas so it's a pretty dynamic. Dialogue and you know sometimes people you know that stuff out that maybe they didn't plan to, the audience is allowed to ask questions and so I got a little fired up at some point and ask some some questions and some of the speakers, and so I just really like it they get a really good collection of speakers. And I feel like the format lends itself to getting really useful stuff it's small and intimate so the networking was great I got to meet and talk to a lot of. Listeners on the show I got to meet a couple of guests that we've had on the show that week we did not have in person so. That was fun so all-in-all a good thing that one other thing I should say is in addition to that, that's her speaker format they also have a half-day of off sites where you pick one and let you choose your own adventure of these I ate different offsides and they take you behind the scenes of a of a retail or e-commerce business. And know that those can be cool to I had a complex so I didn't get to do that this year but in. [8:57] Let's see what's hot in 90 seconds or less there's probably 18 speakers at the event so there, there's a guy Kim Downing used to be the chief creative officer at Neiman Marcus he moved to a mall of group in the New Jersey called triple five and they're they're famous for having taken over this mall development in New Jersey called The American Dream It's At Nigam all owned by the same folks that own Mall of America I've been trying to open it for 20 plus years it's supposed to open next month don't hold your breath based on their past track record openings and not doing it and I have to be honest like like these guys seemed totally disconnected from reality like there just talking about what a great experience it is and how everyone in Manhattan is going to want to go to New Jersey to escape Manhattan and you know go shop for other necessities at this this giant mega mall and it's you know it's the anchor tenant in the mall is Barney's who's already bankrupt you know all the other tenants are tenants that have eight other stores in Manhattan and it just it just seems like, yeah he came up there pitching a small development like half an hour after Scott Galloway did 45 minutes on why malls were dead. [10:14] So not super exciting. They we had Jason Drogi who's the vice president of uber everything so that's all the services at Uber besides the car-sharing so he does all the restaurant delivery that you know food is a particularly interesting area for me it was an interesting interview at the end I got up and asked him if his service was good for the the restaurants because I like, there's a lot of evidence that. That all these delivery services are disaster for the restaurants cuz the margins are super low the customers are super opportunistic and the restaurants can't sell liquor in most cases which is where they make most of their profit so I had a premise that. That these services are a disaster for the restaurant and the services are not 20% of all restaurant consumption so that's a pretty big. Inflection points and Jason did not have a kid a very good satisfying answer for why he was he was good for the restaurant business. Scot: [11:15] Do you lease disagree with you. Jason: [11:17] Like she did not make a strong argument we were talking about that after the fact he kind of like pivot away from the question. And talked about you know what like you know how they could be good for restaurants but not like the underlying economics of it being tough. Scott Galloway did a couple things he recorded a podcast the final episode of Land of the Giants with Jason Del Rey and he did a 45 minute presentation I most enjoyed it I've sometimes been critical I think Scott is super funny and has a lot of insightful things to say, but he has a tendency to be highly repetitive so if you seen him once and then you see him a bunch of other times. [12:01] It's a lot of the same content which is maybe something all I'll public speakers struggle with but I would actually say most of the content in this show. Mabon thoughts I'd heard of his before from Twitter or what. That was the first time you put them together in a presentation so I thought that was good and interesting and he was. You know he's been super negative on the wework IPO and you know so we spent a lot of time talking about those guys. He's eating a kind of a bullish on breaking up Amazon so he shared his POV on. And that whole thing and you know just. Had some sort of interesting controversial povs which is what he's he's usually known for he also pointed out. That light from his perspective the mall business is just totally dead and the specialty apparel business is next to go after that. That voted poorly than for the American dream project which is a mall full specialty apparel. [13:04] So next up Jennifer Hyman from Rent the Runway so that's, awesome story she's one of the three really well-known female entrepreneurs in our space and that was an interesting conversation talking a lot less about the the original model and more of their. Their monthly rental model and and you know some of that the new competition that's emerged in the rental space so that was an interesting conversation. David Kahn the CEO of Birkenstocks Scott you'd be familiar with him because he's he's had he's been one of those outspoken controversial positions on Amazon they were selling a ton of shoes on Amazon. Century pulled off the platform completely because they felt like they couldn't protect their intellectual property. Now they're they're back on Amazon in a very conservative mild way they've authorized a few resellers to sell an Amazon but they don't sell Direct. And David was prominently featured in the episode of Land of the Giants that focused on. Why Amazon could be bad for companies and potential should be broken up so is interesting to hear from David and I was joking with you before the show. You know what brand like Birkenstocks you you kind of expect that hippie would like long hair and Birkenstocks to walk on stage and he can't you know he's like a witch I could bank or in a in a like custom suit so it's kind of funny. [14:25] So then we had your favorite brand on a BofA Steph Korey and Jen Rubio from away until they talked a lot about their. There a growth strategy and and you know some of the success they've had in their retail strategy moving forward and that was all. [14:45] Someone interesting Max Webb Gin who's the founder of a firm which is an interesting payment model that a lot of e-commerce sites use their. Sort of an interesting financial model they're there like a no fees lending system so you get charged no late fees. There's some really interesting novel things about it and he he was sharing that we had Marie. Myrna Levine who's the VP of global Partnerships at Facebook and so she was mostly talking about Instagram and in Instagram checkout which is. Something near and dear to do e-commerce smokes and a little bit about the Facebook Marketplace. And again you know she painted a pretty Rosy picture I got a chance to get up and ask her a couple questions I asked her you know if. I said hey there's a bunch of from my perspective yqx problems with Instagram check out that make a not very appealing to Brands like most notably you can only sell one product at a time. And ask if they plan with all of that and she she said that yeah they still consider Instagram check out a real early beta and that they would expect it to evolve a lot before General release, and I said you know bigger picture you talked about how important it is for consumers to have stored payment information to make things like this work. [16:08] You know is it realistic that customers are going to ever trust Facebook with their payment information by giving your your track record and she totally dodged that question and talked about like all the great security features they were using for payment. Which was not the point right like obviously I'm sure Facebook is using the best. Encryption technology in tokenization but it's at the point is there there a damaged brand when it comes to trust in. It's going to be really interesting with it I can get a bunch of consumers to give him payment information and give her a chance to answer that and she she was not a very compelling enter answer. [16:45] And then wrap it up probably the big Marquee interview was Mark Lori who's the president of digital at Walmart Jason did written, that's somewhat negative article that was like super popular a few months before so. How to take props to mark 4 for coming into the lions den and facing him. And I not shockingly well polished Walmart exec did not break a bunch of news in the interview. But it was interesting to see him there and you know there are few questions where would say like. He did not seem as enthusiastic as you would expect someone to be that was, I'm super fired up about the role like I think Jason you know like tried to grill them on whether he was going to leave Walmart at the end of five years and you know Marge answer is it like absolutely I live like committed to be there and she seems like wait are you staying because you love it or because you made a commitment. [17:44] So that that was really interesting generators one of the co-founders of Harry's that's a great idea to see story Julie rain Wainwright is the CEO of Rio Rio was. One of the most colorful interviews of the show so that was cool and then Tara walpert who's the VP of agencies that use Google who's mainly focus on YouTube and so she talked a lot about like how how there, they're expanding influencer marketing and expanding Commerce features on YouTube so pretty rich robust lineup that had a in a bunch of different stuff for different people and I thought it was well worth the time. Scot: [18:27] Code to seems like Lori had bet a lot on grocery kind of going to show with the pickup and then also all those Acquisitions they did on digitally native brands for loose stool kind of your gear just harder or had the blue kind of come off that Rose. Jason: [18:44] I think the answer is yes or no so I think they're Walmart is Super Bowl champs grocery part of Jason's article was Mark tends to get a lot of credit for digital Grocery and apparently that's creating some conflict because most of the digital grocery work actually happens in the stores and you know Mark was like hey it like that's totally fair like this the stores are killing it on digital Grocery and yeah we probably do get disproportionate amount of the credit totally understandable that digital groceries going awesome so he like I would say he had a good answer and double down on digital grocery digital native Brands if it was a little bit like yeah I originally we bought some Brands and that's no longer the strategy that were much more bullish on incubating brands from scratch in house then we are buying Brands and he confirmed the rumor that Jason Delray had heard that. One of the Acquisitions ModCloth that they're there might even be discussions going on to sell it back to someone else. [19:42] So I think Mark like with Express that he was still bullish on the space, but that's why you know they had to learn at Walmart that like buying a brand and integrating it was was probably a challenge so he pointed out he pointed till I come all is well home which is a de jure need a brand that they incubated in house and then there was kind of a third category that they were talking a lot of a little bit about and you may have seen some news sort of you know turning up the the focus on the marketplace which is probably near and dear to your heart and I think they've announced the pilot of fulfillment by Walmart which for the first time there duet they're not that helpful products for some of the third parties and that they have an interest in dramatically improving their tool set and you're improving the experience for third-party sellers so. Scot: [20:33] Seems like a one theme with Rent the Runway and maybe a way would be diepio Market to that come up because diepio Market's been somewhat open with Chewie getting out and, real real and a couple of other folks and those guys are kind of both could be on in the pipeline the Jason drone to a month. Jason: [20:54] He did yeah yeah so there was in the pre-ipo companies were mostly pretty koi which You is kind of what you would expect the date you know they're open to it in aren't you know I'm close but that they don't need to go public and that's not that you know they didn't start the pump the company to necessarily go public Julie Wainwright you know who's at the real real and they they finish their offering already right am I. Scot: [21:20] Yeah they been out for all the done really well. Jason: [21:23] Yeah and so she you know she had a lot more sort of insight about what either the the pros and cons have been on the other side and. And you know how there was some interesting conversation about. [21:40] The impact of competitors and their successful IPO you know bringing more people out of the woodwork she also has a totally fair an interesting POV about being a, female entrepreneur and some of the challenges raising money and she's like you know she talked a lot about how like. Should have been a lot of time convincing every male investor why, that the business use case was even appealing to women and she's like you don't know nobody that we work at Uber ever had to explain to an investor, that white small businesses need office space or people need a ride right but but she often would have to convince someone that that. You know that women would benefit from buying these used luxury goods and that often authentication was a super important thing in so she she told some funny stories and, I felt was a sort of appropriately cocky she talked about 1 BC that like. So I didn't get the pitch and like felt like all the money they were investing in in selling authentic products was was a waste of time and now that they've had the successful IPO that VC has funded a new competitor and is like publish blog post talking about the importance of authenticity, and I think she's like whatever dude we were here before you and will be here after your death which is kind of nice in both. Scot: [23:07] Yeah I've heard the Rent the Runway and the Stitch fix lady's house somewhere story where a bunch of mail DC's wouldn't invest because they didn't understand the concept or they would say I don't know if I don't think my wife would use this. Jason: [23:18] Yeah and I think that sounds like the common Trend right is that everybody's market research as they go ask their wife and that you know that's pretty small sample size. Scot: [23:26] Yeah cost of the new zip from there had a mini Starbucks and went to Vegas for grocery shopper. Jason: [23:33] I did I would load it up on Starbucks order my phone and Jen it out to grocery shop which is in Las Vegas so is reminder this is the second year of grocery shop grocery shop is a a show by the folks Miss founded, shoptalk that's focused primarily on grocery in cpg and so. Drew really fast it was maybe 1,500 people last year was 3,000 people this year that it was at the Venetian and felt a lot like shop Taco Shop talk and grocery Shopper moving to Mandalay Bay next year for people that care about their Las Vegas venues there Starbucks at both so it's kind of neutral to me. [24:17] The end it was also a good show I'd say it in a different way so most of the the Keynotes at this show were Marquee brands, but the content was less interesting to me because for the most part their brands aren't allowed to come up and just give a commercial for their, their business and that you know there weren't like critical questions or necessarily new content so well. You might have been interested in a lot of the companies in the Keynotes there are folks like Target and, beyond meat and honesty and ortado in Procter & Gamble that were giving key notes Coca-Cola Sam's Club. [25:04] Either wasn't a ton of like interesting new useful takeaways in that contents but the the 3,000 + people that attended the show where all industry insiders there a lot of the breakout panels that were where super interesting and they were just that I just had a ton of useful conversations, at the cocktail parties and you know at the Starbucks between sessions and just felt like that the networking was super valuable for me so. Kind of the opposite of a recode it was less about content and more about networking. [25:43] I did host a couple of panels so I was the MC for two panels I did. A panel called preparing for grocery Commerce that was kind of targeted at people grocer that are just getting into e-commerce and I had three panelist on that session I had to, a Stephen Raymond who's the VP of e-commerce at Hain Celestial which is a house of brands most notable for their Celestial teas, I had Wayne Dewayne who's been on this podcast he's the VP of e-commerce at constellation brands. Which is a bunch of alcohol and Spirits brands, so we actually drink some Coronas on stage while we were chatting so that was a big hit. And then I had to Dan Bracken who's the VP of consumer Insight at Church & Dwight which is a. A big cpg so they each kind of gave their their learnings and best advice for new people entering the e-commerce grocery space I got good feedback that that was useful. [26:38] And then on the second day I did a more advanced panel on connecting customer data points so far this one we had kind of to Keynote panelist. We have to bring in a retailer so the retailer is a Steve Henning who's the VP of digital. For Wakefern Food Group which is a big Co-op of of Grocers. And talked about where they are and in data and what their customer data strategy is and got an all the bits and bytes of, add emps and. All those sorts of things and then for the brand perspective we had Doug stranton who's the chief digital Commerce officer at the Hershey Company so got got his perspective and Doug has a bonus that was also the chief digital officer at Unilever for number of years so so it was kind of their in a lot of their formative so a lot of interesting insights from both of those guys you know when you're getting into the hardcore management of data and activating that data for customer experiences. Scot: [27:43] The so. What's kind of the meta Topic at grocery is it still curb versus home or is it Amazon jump the shark with Whole Foods or more. Almost feels like maybe Brands going direct his kind of. Jason: [28:03] So this show like so it is. Like there's a lot of groceries at the show but there's a lot of cpgs at the show so one big thing is the whole disruption of cpgs right that the there's a lot of digital native brands that have lines that are like competing with income in cpg, and you know I'd say a year ago the dialogue was like this is a huge disruption in this year like there's more evidence that those brands are, you can achieve a certain level of success but then are really sort of plateauing, the the incumbency Bee Gees have not successfully launched a new a lot of new products and so there's a lot of dialogue, about how those companies are doing things to get more customer intimacy and get better connected to the customer and watch products that are more relevant to customers and then they're there was an awful lot of talk about the sort of third approach in this whole thing which is retailers launching brands, and how those those retail brands have been successful and how they've evolved a lot from the original, start a private label and in fact one of the the Keynotes Stephanie winquest use the EVP of food at Target. You know they launched a major new grocery brand for Target but basically at the show so. [29:24] So her keynote was a lot about this new food brand in that. The that the Retailer's sort of competing with the the incumbent and Challenger cpgs is was a big conversation at the show. Scot: [29:37] Yeah and then I'm watching your Twitter feed it seems like there is some interesting Target kind of talking going on there with what did we learn from Target. Jason: [29:46] Well I talk about that you like so Target is maybe the poster child for being the most successful at that strategy so they want to strike 5 brands. Now sell over 2 billion dollars but one place where they haven't been big as in grocery and so in fact, like grocery was a newish strategy for target maybe we'll call it seven or eight years ago and well a lot of categories at Target or any kind of known for surprising and delighting customers and having these. You know premium products that that the customer wouldn't expect. Grocery was always sort of the me to category for Target like like if you needed something that they may have had it but it wasn't something. [30:24] You were excited about acquiring. Inside out you know a lot of this conversation was about Target doubling down on Grocery and you know trying to get to the point where they're surprised is. And Delight for grocery in the same way that they they are four other categories and they said they launched a new owned brand for food called good and gather they kind of retired a lot of their older brands. And you know this is a a focus on. Simpler products fewer ingredients non-GMO mostly Organics in so it's not so much a knock off of a of a national brand but you know what a set of products that they think I'm particularly targeted at the. Target guest and they're forecasting this will be the the biggest. I'm on brand that Target has which is pretty big because you know some of that apparel brand cell cell 2 billion dollars each a year so. [31:27] So if they hit that forecasts that that will be somewhat impressive so that was a lot of the the target conversation I would also say you like shipt. You know there is a lot of conversation about curbside pickup & Home Delivery Target owns the company in that spaceship. And there's a lot of talk about how successful that's been for Target but ship still is in the business of providing the services for other party so shipped had a big. Presence on the trade show flooring was a big sponsor and said there's there's a lot of talk about Last Mile in the Bears pros and cons of the different meth. Scot: [32:00] Code for their highlights from grocery. Jason: [32:06] For me those were a bunch of big takeaways I got to sit sit down with a couple bucks and record a couple podcast that will get out of here in the weeks to come so I mentioned Doug Stratton who's the chief digital officer at Hershey you and I are both chocolate Advocates so like we wouldn't miss the chance, to get a podcast with him and then I also got to sit down with a zebra car while who's the VP of Shopper marketing at the Coca-Cola Company in, can I talk about how coke is thinking about digital and what what they're doing in in digital which is interesting you know it is interesting like we are now. Grocery is a very low margin business, the average sale price for a lot of these products or the Brand's is super low and so historically these have not been very digital categories you you don't think of. A big digital investment to sell dollar candy bars or cans of soda, but you know now these guys are you know front-and-center focusing on digital because it's really starting to impact their business. Scot: [33:09] Wrinkle in the other Megatron to uncover before we jump into some news. Jason: [33:13] Nope nope I think that's a ton but if you're in that space I would definitely think about putting that on your on your wrist for next year and come visit us at Mandalay Bay. Scot: [33:22] I forgot to ask when you're in New York did you get to see the new Apple store or did you miss me. Jason: [33:28] I didn't sit at the Apple Store at you open this Friday so I've done some video walkthroughs you and I are going to be back in New York Knicks next month together so maybe if schedules permit would be super fun we should go visit the store together. Scot: [33:43] Awesome I look forward to that Coldwell wanting to lose last couple minutes to talk about some news and it wouldn't be a Jason Scott show without some Amazon news. Jason: [34:00] Amazon news new your margin is there opportunity. Scot: [34:10] To a lot of news out there on Amazon some of it I was going to put into the political bucket before we talk about that though you're one of the things that kind of hid in my world it was interesting was they made a big investment and Order of electric vehicles Tesla has competitor called rivian, and ribbons coming out with trucks with electric platforms so Amazon announced not only they invest an undisclosed amount that they were part of a $700 round and they were listed first which kind of flies are the largest but they ordered a hundred thousand electric delivery vehicles from Caribbean and they're saying they should have prototypes in 20/20 start volume out in 2021 and have them all on the road by 2024 this is kind of interesting because Amazon has not really said much about a green lot of Amazon employees have been. [35:09] Rallying internally Jason Del Rey has written about this so it was kind of a pretty big vote for our insert limit their carbon footprint as a company and then it's also interesting because they are propping up a big rival to two, Tesla in the form of rivian and you know Elon and Jeff are going at it as latest Rockets So Alive people kind of said this is kind of another way for Bezos to really kind of get under a Elon Musk in by supporting a competitor. Jason: [35:41] Interesting so we might see some Amazon high speed trains in the near future to them. Scot: [35:49] Whatever the Rival to boring could be. Jason: [35:55] Exactly the thing that toy strike me about this which seems like Amazon's exact Playbook is I want to say they made this huge announcement the day before there was a big scheduled like green demonstration and a bunch of Amazon employees were planning on walking out to Tess art of advocate for Amazon embracing adrenal footprint and so do I get Amazon has historically been very good at these like proactive PR moves and it seems like this was they were totally able to leverage that this time. Scot: [36:29] Yeah yeah. They have a picture of the Prototype van will link to it and show notes it looks really good so it's going to be interesting that the big question is really the range on these things so, you know the I don't know how much it typical Prime band drives a day but I see him on the road constantly so be interesting to see if they have to come up with some clever way of rapidly charging these things are or they're going to ship them in a different way or something. Jason: [36:54] They each do half a day's delivery so that's why they had to get so many. Scot: [36:57] Yes it could be it could be part of it so I don't I don't know the ranges. Jason: [37:00] Quick clarification question for me so like obviously Tesla makes a bunch of electric vehicles and I know they've talked about business vehicles and trucks but as far as I know they don't they don't have a, like a van form-factor I feel like Amazon's about Sprinter vans in the past which is the big, Mercedes V8 like is it obvious that this is a trivium's a direct competitor with like is this worse news for Tesla or is it worse news for Mercedes. Scot: [37:26] I think it's probably worse news for Mercedes Elon if this is a tweet or live interview I've seen him talk about how he really likes the Mercedes Sprinter and they should work together on the electric one he always has little twinkle in his eye and you can't tell if he's just basically crazy or if there's something going on there I think Mercedes a Tesla have crossed licensed a lot of technology to I wouldn't be surprised if this doesn't Force something go on there between Tesla and Mercedes to get the Sprinter platform Electric. Jason: [37:59] Got you and I assumed that like the Des customer will then be FedEx. Scot: [38:05] What FedEx use it so UPS actually has a big electric thing going already and I don't know who they are platform is on that it's, maybe I don't know I don't know what UPS uses but I've seen them them talk a lot about getting to carbon-neutral pretty quickly and they have some electric fans out there. Jason: [38:30] That's going to be an interesting space to watch if only to a podcast about that kind of stuff. Scot: [38:34] We will will keep track of it here and then also on the vehicle to podcast where it's been even more time talking about that Scot vehicle Trends going on how about on the political side there's been a lot of negative stuff out there on Amazon and so I'll turn to you for this the highlights on that. Jason: [38:51] Yes I know. Scott loves talking about the political stuff it's his favorite thing to do so it's a big big, generosity on his part time to pass it over to me. [39:05] So you know there continues to be a bunch of Niger negative sentiment you got all these Democratic candidates talking about breaking up Amazon without. [39:16] Necessarily obvious reason why the last couple weeks there were some actual that government announcements about like looking into antitrust issues in the one that affect an Amazon was that the FTC was talking about probing some of the 3p practices and in the one that comes with the most is, Amazon, disadvantaging third-party sellers in favor of their own practices so essentially like the The Narrative goes you can't both play in the game and be the referee it's not fair, that you're selling products in competition with your Marketplace Sellers and you, control things like whose product shows up in Search and how visible every product is and so, that's a big narrative like the counter narrative is like this is in a remotely new idea retards have been selling their own products for over a hundred years they always put their own products and favorable positions and they charge brands in order to have have good positioning in the store said that like there's, there's nothing particularly new that Amazon's doing that Walmart and Woolworths before then, didn't do but it is getting a lot of visibility and one of the the big articles that came up there was kind of interesting is Wall Street Journal. [40:46] Actually like ran an article where they they talk to some Amazon Engineers that like, confidential confidential admitted that Amazon had changed their search engine to intentionally by us their own products and so again debatable whether that's, illegal or immoral in any way and I'll leave that to others to decide but one way it's interesting is Jeff has always talked about being the most customer-centric company in the world and wanting to have the best experience for customers and it's super controversial if you search for Energizer batteries like pretty obvious what your intent is and you would imagine the best experience would be too quickly get you to Energizer batteries but when amazonbasics batteries have higher visibility on that search term then Energizer batteries, like arguably like you're trying to boost your own profits at the expense of being customer-centric and so it's kind of a. [41:49] A pretty tangible example of of where Amazon might be drifting from their their idealistic morals, and so that that's been a little interesting to follow that, that exact issue is one of the episodes of Land of the Giants and a former guest on the show Charlie Cole who's the the chief digital officer at to me and Samsung by cheat he very explicitly said it is like look, I don't mind competing with Amazon that's totally fair they can make products to compete with me that's totally fair but when people search for my product on Amazon and they intentionally put their products in front of them that's not a good customer experience and just don't lie and say you're trying to be customer-centric when you're doing stuff like that was gonna as blunt as Charlie put it so an interesting space. Scot: [42:39] Yeah I guess cleaners and go to watch them navigate through this stuff and you have the counter argument would be well retailers for doing it for years and. Old Roy, dog food in a Walmart is in front of the Purina dog food that kind of thinks sometimes you know these the physical arguments don't really translate to to the digital where you know it customer is clearly expressed a brand new you should get them their quickie soap to be a lineman. Jason: [43:08] Yeah yeah like a little less controversial but like you know there's some labels like Amazon choice and and some new labels that they're testing and people are like is Amazon gaming nose and I I may have made a smart a tweet at some point where I showed like staff picks from Trader Joe's and I'm like oh my god do you think some of these might not actually be stabbed pics. Scot: [43:29] Go in any other needs any other Amazon usually cover. Jason: [43:36] I think those those were the big things I know we're running short on time so let's let's get to our last genre. Scot: [43:46] We haven't talked to her about Mulligan lately but I was reading some reports that a we've already had over 7,000 store closures heading 7300 as of September 1st I think that's more than we've ever had in any previous year and we still got three to four months ago, another world retail you kind of if you can make it through October you you're probably not going to close for December that thing's going to be pretty pretty bad if you're going to close for those two months so I think it will slow down but I think we have a chance of hitting 8 or 9 K hear some of the this is based on data from video so some of the top store closures are Payless with 2,300 stores Gymboree with 750 Charlotte Russe. And then on the watchlist they have several companies that are our kind of they look at this kind of load of ducks to assets and then also are they losing money making money in kind of protective time when there may be a chapter 11 events Forever 21 is on there a JCPenney at send a Pier One in Francesca's chokes, I'm surprised this didn't include more mattress worse cuz around me you know we still have like eight thousand mattress stores just in Raleigh-Durham and they're pretty much all closed all the sudden I wonder if this is under-reporting a little bit and I was kind of surprised that mattress stores weren't one of the big contributors. Jason: [45:15] We'll see that's a great point because it's something funny came out about all this so I think the macro points are totally true like that we are seeing more store closures in a single year than we ever seen before there are actually like we'll see if they come to play or not but like that on that watch was the one that they're like strong rumors are really preparing for a a bankruptcy which would be somewhat surprising at this point is Forever 21 because prove your point like. You know you really wouldn't want to go in a bankruptcy right right before the holiday season and there are there rumors that, if they did that the malls might be a potentially bail them out as they have, I've done for at least one of their apparel retailer in the past Aeropostale so that's kind of interesting but I I see the inside baseball I found an interesting study also, so this instead of you just said it is from video and they did a bunch of their own research so most of their store closure information came from, public disclosures so it's public companies that said in a 10K or an investor call that they're planning to close X number of stores. [46:28] And so that's that was their data source for the store closings and like I'm sure all the stores are closing video also cited the source that we see most commonly for tracking these store closing closings and openings which is core site which is a research firm that does this really useful can a weekly tracker on how many stores are closing and how many stars are opening a bunch of stores have open this year not enough to offset the closings and that that would also be a first so while there been a lot of closing in the last couple years that I've actually been more openings than clothes XO, this could be the first year we had a net negative and course I may have had a net negative last year even that now that I think about it but. Here's what's interesting about that so all of these companies are arbitrarily picking a list of well-known retailers in tracking. [47:20] The opening and closing and said there's another market research firm out there IHL that does a bunch of retail research. And they conducted a lot more comprehensive study and they said hey we are going to look at every retailer that operates 50 or more stores in North America and track how many they've opened and closed. And we're going to estimate where they don't have public disclosures or we're going to call them and ask and we're going to use real estate records and so instead of just kind of. Tracking press releases we're going to really do the math on all this and, they not surprisingly they found more store closures then then video or. [48:02] Coresite but they found way more store openings than either of these companies so pretty this IHL research that came out, there are still more stores opening then closing it just interesting to think about like I, I think our macro points are totally true that retails not going away that were way over stored in the US that we we do need to be closing stores in our closing stores in there that's a a necessary adjustment but it is interesting I feel like in the Echo chamber of our space like this coresight research gets its reported and recited and blended into other people's research on the time and was kind of funny to see this I shall study come out and explicitly point out that. Coresight research is not particularly rigorous and somewhat random so it was like a little inside baseball research fight. Scot: [48:56] Yeah and I wish square footage is what really matters right because you know Closing one JCPenney is is like I don't know. Jason: [49:04] Yeah you have to open off a lot of the way stores to make up for a JCPenney. Scot: [49:07] Yeah yes that's what really matters and I've never seen anyone really be able to track that very well unfortunately. Jason: [49:12] No no and I unfortunately like we've all seen the summaries of the IHL I'll confess it's inexpensive study to buy so I haven't actually. Bought the research but I don't think they have the the net square footage in there but just anecdotally if you look at the list of stores that are open and closing you're absolutely right like in general there's there's more bigger stores closing in smaller stores open. Scot: [49:37] One one last thing to make sure you put on your your calendar the Disney plus subscriptions it opened up so you can go ahead and pre buy that so on November 12th, and they have exciting new Star Wars TV live action show called The Mandalorian that off and up is pretty excited about to make sure you sign up for that Jason. Star Wars fan listeners. Jason: [50:02] And before any listeners Panic Scott and I promise to pre-record a podcast so that we don't have to skip a week while Scott is binging the Mandalorian. Scot: [50:12] Yes sadly I don't think they're going to do a bench so I think they're going to do it's hard for traditional TV people to get their heads around it but they're going to have kind of really someone a week or something so I have time to podcast. Jason: [50:25] Good news good news in like slightly related there is this interesting thing Target in Disney have announced that they're opening these permanent shopping shops and so you're going to see a bunch of unique Disney merchandise at Target I think that is potentially going to be beneficial to you Scott but I seen speculation that the Disney plus service could be one of the things that's heavily merchandised in that. In that assortment. Scot: [50:55] Cool hopefully I'll have more Star Wars Target exclusives those are those are the good ones. Jason: [51:00] Exactly what was in that is a great place to wrap up this new show cuz we've come out perfectly use the a lot of time as always if if I wasn't Earth have a question or comment feel free to hit us up on our Facebook page or on Twitter as always if you have time we sure would appreciate if you go to iTunes and finally give us that five star review that we've desperately been begging for but we have a we sure appreciate your time today and we have a bunch of great shows in the pipeline so appreciate you keep listening. Until next time happy commercing.

We are hearing all kinds of warnings about a slow down in the economy and signs of an upcoming recession. Today,  Peter and I will be talking about possible conflicting economic indicators, from a lay perspective. As part of our conversation, we will be discussing the Yield Curve; what it is and what does it mean? We will also be discussing other economic indicators, including wage growth and  retail bankruptcies.  This show was live on August 29, 2019 at 4:00 pm, PST. SHOW TOPICS THERE ARE CONFLICTING ECONOMIC SIGNALS INDICATIONS OF A RECESSION IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE HAVE SEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR A RECORD, MORE THAN 10 YEARS A Recession is inevitable INVERTED YIELD CURVE What is referenced as the Yield Curve? “A yield curve is a way to easily visualize this difference; it's a graphical representation of the yields available for bonds of equal credit quality and different maturity dates”. https://tinyurl.com/fidelity-yield-curve “A yield curve is a way to measure bond investors' feelings about risk and can have a tremendous impact on the returns you receive on your investments.” https://tinyurl.com/fidelity-yield-curve “The one you'll probably hear referred to most often as "the yield curve" reflects the short, intermediate, and long-term rates of US Treasury securities. The Treasury yield curve is often referred to as a proxy for investor sentiment on the direction of the economy.” https://tinyurl.com/fidelity-yield-curve Generally, a normal yield curve is when short-term bonds and treasury notes yield lower returns than longer term bonds and treasury notes What is an “Inverted Yield Curve”? Generally, when long-term bonds and treasury notes yield lower returns than short-term bonds and notes. What does it mean? May evidence investor’s lack of confidence in the economy Focus is on liquidity THE RICH AREN’T SPENDING See CNBC Article https://tinyurl.com/Rich-rnt-spending A sudden pullback in spending among the wealthy could cascade down to the rest of the economy and create a further drag on growth. High-end real estate is having its worst year since the financial crisis. Luxury retailers are struggling while discounters like Walmart and Target thrive. At this month’s massive Pebble Beach car auctions, the most expensive cars faltered on the block. In the first half of 2019, art auction sales were down for the first time in years. How accurate is the data? CONTINUING RETAIL BANKRUPTCIES FOREVER 21 RUMORS Forever 21 has 815 Locations CNBC reports that "Forever 21 is Simon’s seventh largest in-line tenant in terms of how much rent it brings the landlord, with 99 stores across Simon’s portfolio. CEO David Simon had told analysts in July that he would consider infusing more capital into distressed retailers, not naming names specifically, in order to guarantee keeping stores open. Simon helped buy teen apparel retailer Aeropostale out of bankruptcy court roughly three years ago " https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/forever-21-reportedly-preparing-potential-bankruptcy-filing.html Yahoo Finance reports that "A bankruptcy filing would help the company shed unprofitable stores and recapitalize the business, said the people, who requested anonymity discussing private negotiations. Representatives for Forever 21 didn’t respond to a request for comment. Co-founder Do Won Chang had been focused on maintaining a controlling stake in the company, which limited its fundraising options. A faction of Forever 21 officials, without the approval of Chang, had asked its biggest landlords to consider taking a stake in the company amid a disagreement within its leadership, Bloomberg previously reported." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/forever-21-prepares-potential-bankruptcy-201802375.html b. ANNE TAYLOR and DRESS BARN https://tinyurl.com/Retail-Rumors The New York Post has reported that “Mahwah, NJ-based Ascena, which also owns Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant and tween retailer Justice, has not returned the lenders’ calls and emails for at least a month, raising concerns about whether the publicly traded company is preparing to file for bankruptcy protection”. The Post noted that there are no reports that payments to the lenders have not been missed. A telling story might be whether rent payments have been missed. A bankruptcy strategy can be to hold off on rent payments to bankroll a bankruptcy. Is keeping count of closings, only an accurate indicator of the health of retail? CONTINUING ECONOMIC EXPANSION AND STRENGTH ECONOMY IS STILL ROARING UNEMPLOYMENT AT RECORD OR NEAR RECORD LOWS WAGES ARE GOING UP There is a push to increase minimum wage. See Bisnow article at https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/economy/minimum-wage-increases-putting-pressure-on-hotel-retail-and-industrial-businesses-100509 Conflicting reads on rise of wages/minimum wage People spend more money, which in a consumer economy raises prices (inflation) but continues a strong economy May put downward pressure on profits by increasing costs

Hey Guys, welcome back to another Episode of Celeb Talk Girl Talk.On today's episode we have our first guest joining us, Tamika Flores! She's Jaanais's Best friend and the God Mother to her son! She is a 27 year old Puerto Rican from the Bronx, a Retail Manager for Aeropostale, and like most ladies figuring out how to date in this concrete jungle! Our Girl Talk Includes:Traditional ways of meeting a guy versus the new ways of dating through Apps. such as:Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Bumble, and Hinge. We Give a Shout out to Sconex, Meebo & Aim!We tell the story on how our parents met,We give our thoughts on how we feel about PDA, andWe talk about a few Celebrity love stories!We talk a little about Ghosting & Sliding into DMs (stay tuned for more in another episode)Lastly, make sure to stay until the end for an enticing game of would you rather!Interested? Grab a Cup and Join the Talk!!!!!Follow @celebtalkgirltalkpod @natasha_fig @jayrosexoxo on Instagramand our guest Tamika @xii_xci @celebtgirltalk on Twitter and don't forget to Rate, Review, and Subscribe!Music by WordSmithCover Art by Ria

TisaKorean drops by the No Jumper studios for his first interview with us! Enjoy 30 loving ihop and having great energy On Instagram 6:23 history of the strut the woah and other Houston dances 7:10 story of how Tisa coming up dancing 10:02 Tisa beats being inspired by Pharrell 12:35 loving Nelly 13:42 meeting chance the rapper 17:16 importance of greeting everyone and having positive energy 19:30 not doing drugs and eating cliff bars 21:37 girls 23:16 soapy movement 25:48 having a hard work ethic and being a social media genius and writing a book 30:55 Ian Connor looking out for him 32:20 rocking Aeropostale 33:53 whats next for Tisa 35:35 Tisa Korean rap name and actually being Korean --- FOLLOW OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST! https://spoti.fi/2vi9lsD CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ SUBSCRIBE for new interviews (and more) weekly: http://bit.ly/nastymondayz  Follow us on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/nojumper and iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/no-jumper/id1001659715?mt=2 and follow us on Social Media: http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm follow Adam22 as well: http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 and follow adam22hoe on Snapchat

In this episode of OffStage Spotlight, we spoke to photographer and content creator Sam Dameshek (@samdameshek). Offstage Spotlight is a series where we highlight those in the industry that make an impact outside of the spotlight. Sam has shot superstars like Shawn Mendes, Bazzi, Miley Cyrus, Madison Beer, Post Malone, and more. At only 15 years old, he started to get tapped by corporations like Pac Sun, Aeropostale, and Tommy Hilfiger to take photos for their campaigns that would ultimately represent these global companies. Now 4 years later, Sam has cemented himself as one of the most in-demand photographers in the entertainment industry. From an outside perspective, it might seem like Sam has the perfect life of photographing beautiful people, hanging around rockstars, and living the absolute dream. But the path to his current level has not always been smooth. Jealousy from others, anxiety, and the normal struggles of adolescence all played a part in Sam’s story as he entered the spotlight as a sophomore in high school. His bio says he failed photography class in high school, but we’ll get into that later. A photo can say much more than words ever could, and there’s a lot more to Sam than just the man behind the camera. And none of this would have happened if he hadn’t first picked up the camera and taken photos of some friends who were skating and surfing. So, without further ado, here is our deep conversation with Sam Dameshek. Sam's website: https://samdameshek.com/ Sam's shop: https://shop.samdameshek.com/ The Aux: https://www.auxoro.com/theaux Episode Art: Sam Dameshek (@samdameshek , @filmbysd) Jeep and Ibiza Photos: https://postimg.cc/gallery/3cjgwc63o/ Song: 'Wasteland' by Tierra Whack Intro/Outro Music: Produced by David Grossfeld Mixed and Mastered by Dbsound on Fiverr Sound Design: Matt Grossfeld Auxoro main site: https://www.auxoro.com/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/auxoro/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/auxoromag/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Auxoromag

EP168 - Bombas founder David Heath     David Heath is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bombas (@bombas), a fast growing, energetic e-commerce apparel company, focused on making the most comfortable socks in the history of feet, while helping those in need. Founded because socks are the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, for every pair they sell, they donate a pair to someone in need. In this interview, we cover a wide range of topics including the Bombas founding story, their SharkTank experience, the DTC business model and growth challenges, social marketing, innovation, the brick and mortar. If you’re inspired by the Bombas story, they are hiring!  FREE SOCKS included. https://boards.greenhouse.io/bombas Don’t forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 168 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Friday, February 22, 2019 from the eTail West tradeshow in Palm Desert, CA. http://jasonandscot.com Join your hosts Jason “Retailgeek” Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, and Scot Wingo, CEO of GetSpiffy and Founder and Executive Chairman of Channel Advisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing. Transcript Jason: [0:24] Welcome to the Jason and Scott show this episode is being recorded on Friday February 22nd 2019 live from the etail West trade show, here in semi Sunny Palm Desert I’m your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and unfortunately Scott is trapped on a plane so we’re going to talk about him and assign him a bunch of action items. One of the top trends we always cover on the show is direct to Consumer Brands and so we’re excited to have on the show one of the top DTC companies in the apparel industry, so joining us from bombas we have the CEO and co-founder Dave he. David: [1:01] Thank you. Jason: [1:02] Hey Dave thanks very much for being on the show a long time listeners will know we always like to get things started by getting a little bit of the background about how you came to your current role can you tell us a little bit about your bio. David: [1:13] Yasso born and raised in New York and I don’t think we need to go back that far, but I so actually my dad’s not to renew are so very early on it I knew that entrepreneurship was something that I wanted to do was very inspired by him and watching him build a business from, the basement of our house to you know something that I think we’re all very proud of I need to go to school for entrepreneurship at Babson College and then upon graduation. I always found that every job I had I can end up working for a smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller company ultimately landed at a media company where I was the seventh employee Rana clean up where I ended up meeting one of my co-founders Randy Goldberg, it’s been 6 years there we developed our relationship and kind of always shared his mutual passion for wanting to start a business together one day. We developed business plans for numerous ideas ranging from services to pack the product, ultimately it was kind of one of these moments of Fate that I think let us to where we are today I have Andre scrolling on Facebook back in 2011 I came across a quote that said that socks with the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters in. I immediately wasn’t like oh my God there’s some business to be had here I just kind of stopped me in my tracks and I was like what you said something that. [2:38] I’ve never spent more than a second of my life or day thinking about is perceived as a luxury item for somebody else, so I remember walking over to Randy’s desk and I remember sharing the quote with him and then over the next couple weeks we both found that we just couldn’t shake this idea, obviously followed entrepreneurship and the other Trends were happening in the startup World in, Tom’s was in there 50 or business and growing incredibly fast where we park her just announced that they had launched about six months prior and kind of bug and reinvigorated the conversation around the one for one business model cuz when more be first launched. They were one for one I wear that was kind of their remains take they’ve more position to be a fashion brand these days babe. That’s some kind of the light bulb went off and we were like, what if we created a company where we donated a pair of socks for every pair of socks that we sold to help him solve this problem in homelessness. Remember like okay well what type of socket we integrate how are we going to create, no carve out our place in the in the market and so we spend the next two years looking at your doing research and development trying every pair of sock on in the market and ultimately landed on was. [3:55] I’m much more comfortable and Innovative kind of everyday casual athletic sock so at the time Brands like happy socks and Paul Smith we’re coming out with these brightly colored dress socks and your funky dress socks for men wear a trend Randy and Iraq start of guys we were jeans and sneakers to work everyday. Jason: [4:14] And you are tube socks up till then right. David: [4:16] Oh yeah totally totally you know Walmart all packed everything, and so what we ended up realizing was that there was this large gap in the athletic Market where you guys are. 12 pack from Walmart or you buy these individual premium price products that were really aimed towards the runners and cyclists and basketball players and hikers that were costing 15 1820 $38 a pair and so I was like what did Linnaeus a $38 pair of socks from a $2 pair of socks. So all of this technology and Innovation seamless toe arch support comfort footbed you know high-quality fabric new articulation in the heel. Amounted actually a lot more Comfort just an everyday wear but I was realizing that all of these sock companies are marketing all of these Innovations just towards the enthusiast. [5:04] I’m kind of waiting our light bulb moment our our our our our moment way so what if we took all those Innovations and marketed towards the mass Market consumer and, pitched in a while seamless toe is better for standing on your feet every day as a nurse or a firefighter or a baker or you know, mom chasing after her kids or a school teacher. And that’s bombas was born and we launched the company back in August of 2013 and here we are five and a half years later we’ve just donated I believe our 15 million pair of socks. Team has grown significantly we continue to double your over here and sales yeah it’s been a wild ride. Jason: [5:47] That’s awesome I put your key like there’s some pesky details that might have stopped some people from pursuing that like expertise in like design or Manufacturing, Jane or a bunch of stuff I didn’t hear you mention having a having a rich background in. David: [6:04] Did not did not at all. Jason: [6:06] Yes I’m sort of curious was bombas able to happen because, those things are now easier to Outsource in your able to leverage that or did you guys just jump in and learn how to do stuff and make some mistakes and kind of grow the expertise organically. David: [6:20] Yeah I think it was I think it was a mix of luck and the fact that we didn’t have any expertise that allowed us to create a product that was I think far superior than anything that we had, ever experienced it say the lock portion of it was so when I sat down. [6:36] Early early days of the idea I sat down with my dad and I was like I got this idea for a sock company, yeah expecting him to be like that’s one of the worst ideas you’ve ever had but do you think I’m leaving your godfather was in the sock business for 40 years and I know that you did really well by himself can’t go talk to him, so I called him up and it turns out that in the late eighties and early nineties use presidency of Gold Toe, I’ve been left Gold Toe to start a private label stock manufacturing company which ended up being one of the largest private label stock manufacturing companies in the world so. Falling into kind of expertise and somebody who literally knows every single supplier of socks in the world and knows how to manufacture any type of sock in the world, was a massive advantage and something that I totally totally a tribute to lock, the component that wasn’t luck that I think once we started the R&D and design phase, with the fact that we had no bias and no snow we weren’t skewed by any preconceived notions in manufacturing and I remember. Very vividly talking with one of our manufacturing Partners I said to them I said I want to put a seamless toe on this athletic sock. They’re like why would you want to do that like that’s wildly expensive you only find seamless toes, ano Italian made dress socks because they’re so thin you can actually feel the same they’re like on athletic socks you can’t feel the same cuz they’re cushiony was like I can feel the same like I want to go to see what’s the weather like. [8:06] Do you know how expensive that is on a per pair of socks be so it’s like I don’t know you know how much and they’re like $0.10 a pair and I was like. [8:13] 10 senses like I can makeup 10 said that my godmother was like no I used to make socks for less than a penny a pair whose like this is why they’re pushing back on this but I think the fact that we were. Truly designing this coming at it from a consumer’s perspective, and not coming out of her manufacturing or you know resellers perspective of oh well we need to create a product that has this much margins that weekend we didn’t think about it we were just like let’s create the best product possible, and see if people like it and so that’s how we came to me. Jason: [8:42] That’s awesome and I feel like in some ways that’s not an uncommon story that the disruptors one of their their core advantages as they don’t have the bias of all these preconceived notion of the the people that did them before in some ways II, I feel like I’ve heard similar iterations of that story from like the Tommy John guys or you know a bunch of other even Dollar Shave Club like where, if you would come from Joe at it probably would have been harder to imagine Reinventing the. Product like that exactly so early on the model was that we’re going to put the socks on a website and sell them direct-to-consumer and was that, the the idea why did you guys ever kick around being a wholesale supplier of socks or. David: [9:30] I mean so rainy and I came out of the online media business so the online space was I think what we knew and I think we were the most comfortable I believe we also thought that you know early days we, United States early days when 2013 doesn’t exactly feel like early days of the internet when you think about it it’s only e-commerce is only been around for you 20 + years or so yo it’s still relatively early days I think we thought that you know. For building a brand around another wise commoditized product like a pair of socks we we need the, the unlimited landscape and palette by which the internet affords to tell deep and enriching stories and produce really great content which is ultimately what builds great brands are at least we believe build brick builds great brands, and similar let you know it’s like the Dollar Shave comes over all that you know I think having. The ability to use things like video and deeply Rich photographic content and copy in a way to talk about a really small product that on a store shelf, would only got you know what to in of packaging space to tell a really how do you tell a deep story like that and so I think. [10:48] Are whole thesis early on was, let’s see let’s put our content in a brand that’s why we launched an Indiegogo we created a 3-minute video about the socks I only like I don’t know if you’re going to sit through a 3-minute video about Sox ultimately they did and I think the product in and our brand resonated, with the customer base and I think that’s kind of sad our path and I think we always talked about. [11:14] Wholesale at some point we just launched a small wholesale Partnerships last year with Nordstrom’s Dick’s and QVC. But I think it wasn’t I think we felt like there was so much room and still believe they’re still so much room to grow, online where you kind of really got to have that one-on-one relationship with the customer around and otherwise. Forgotten or not thought about product like a pair of socks. Jason: [11:41] Yeah and Sumter is one of the things a lot of DTC companies talk about as one of them obviously, is your name higher margins when you’re selling direct to Consumer but a big thing is customer intimacy and you get like the immediate feedback what what’s tough customers like what they didn’t like you hear directly from the voice of customer inside there’s always this hypothesis we can iterate our product faster we can make our product better because we’re directly connected to the customer as opposed to just turn feedback from the Walmart by or something curious if that’s marketing speaker that’s true why are your sock the same as they were the day they want or have you have they evolved in integrated based on customer feedback. David: [12:21] I mean I think for us I mean it’s it’s not marketing-speak I think a lot of the. The ways that the company is involved and you know I wouldn’t say that we we changed our core product in a whole lot of ways. I mean without without any sort of you guys think we’ve nailed it I think we got it pretty right but things like. Jason: [12:44] He’s doing a little dance while he’s saying that just so you know. David: [12:46] I remember one one very distinct moment through customer service we kept getting a lot of Outreach from people saying why don’t you make socks that are size 13 to 15. Or like extra large that’s got to be a small market for us you know who’s really going to buy them. And we were like now is put it on hold us but I’ll hold it like customer service to be like we keep getting request for extra large socks when I okay fine will produce a small number of extra large socks, in kind of summer are course I also, and it ended up representing 10% of our overall business I mean in the in the industry on a whole I think it represents someone like three to 4%. But I didn’t because we were there listening to the market and then serving that market where owning a much larger share of that because we’re producing a product. Foreign otherwise probably over over seen part of the demographic it’s that was one instance and then another one in the incense is wise we, earlier cuz I’m sure you hear from a lot of other d2c brands or Scrappy so like all of our photo shoots for basically like. Me and my other co-founders we happen to be for white males and we got a lot of feedback from from customers of color being like. Yeah why don’t you give him. Jason: [14:07] Why can we get a good looking feet in that yeah yeah. David: [14:09] Baphomet why don’t you representing African-American feed or or or more people of color and we were like you’re absolutely right we should you know it wasn’t something that. We had really thought about but we took that feedback and then immediately our next photo shoot we have wide range of diversity and and now it still continues to be one of the pillars of all of our photo shoots and content going for is it we we always learned from an eye of inclusive inclusive and diversity which I don’t leave our socks around ass or shelf I don’t know if we would ever, if we ever would have gotten that feedback all the way back to us but listen to our customers and having that relationship with them we can react and say like yeah. We talked up on that one we oversaw it like shame on us will fix it but we can’t we have the ability to fix it pretty rapidly going forward, and the response we get back from those customers is like, the extra large like I can’t believe you listen to me you were going to buy a ton and then you know the people who are proactive on the photo shoot stuff, they wrote back at me and be like wow thanks for listening to me and and implementing change. Jason: [15:13] Yeah you know it that’s interesting cuz again I feel like I’ve heard that similar story for my Andy Dunn bonobos and it’s like the exciting take away from that for me is. The because we never had the relationship with that brand that was sitting on the shelf to even care. And said they tasted like that a better connection with you give you feedback might have started off as a negative that it turned into this this positive opportunity to get closer to the customer. So first place I can buy this oxygen to go go I’m guessing you’re going to tell me you were oversubscribed and that was a wildly successful launch. And so the back in 2013 you got all right now I got to stand up a website to sell these things and in 2013 it might not have been totally obvious what the best way to do that was so I’m just I know you’re not the CTO but I’m just curious. Did you guys decide to build your own site from scratch did you find Shopify back then and you remember what you did. David: [16:09] Yeah so I actually had the fortunate nature of two of my co-founders were former creative agency guys so. Jason: [16:17] Hold that against him as a creative agency guy. David: [16:20] It’s been a it’s been a massive massive advantage that have them on our team so they both built design number of websites for clients in the past so it wasn’t. It wasn’t that foreign to us and I think that having worked at this Media company we put a lot of microsites and kind of manage that aspect for four different clients as well, so at the time we were like well we want to be an Enterprise company one day so you know obviously going to go with Magento because Magento runs out of the enterprise software and they had Magento community in Shopify was, not I mean they didn’t have + when we started and it’s amazing to see how how much they’ve grown over the years but. Probably one of the worst mistakes we made was not launching on Shopify to begin with you have a Gen 2 ended up being a bear super resource-intensive you know, from all of this press bike so we got on Today Show Good Morning America Shark Tank every time our website would crash and it wasn’t until we got on Shopify eventually, that we’ve never experienced any of that pain going forwards I’m a big big big Choppa by fan. [17:33] But yeah I mean it wasn’t signed up we would put up with magenta community site within about 30 days post our Indiegogo campaign we really wanted to capitalize on queue for sales that year and yeah I was Bruce. Relatively easy against again again borrowing against some of the. [17:54] Bumps along the way I think managing managing the site was not something that was super foreign to us. Jason: [18:00] Sure sure and don’t beat yourself up I feel like the path forward was very much not clear in 2013 if you like them I feel like the options of four for the incubation stage of clear. David: [18:12] I couldn’t afford demandware and so. Jason: [18:14] Fast forward your next problem what you should be on when you’re selling a billion dollars a year and socks like the answer is unclear at the moment to buy, but that’ll be a first world problem I think to solve so then remind me how far along you were when you went on Shark Tank. David: [18:30] I so we were fourteen months at 11:13 months old so we launched in August of 13 and R episode. Aired September of 2014, they did reach out to us in April that it’s our Indiegogo campaign I think one of the things most people don’t know is that there is an actually there is actually an active casting department at Shark Tank which is. After being on it an hour and I watch the show pretty regularly I now see you there like yeah we had a successful Kickstarter I’m like they found them. Jason: [19:09] Fishing they weren’t that what they didn’t stumble upon. David: [19:10] So so what are the tips of your they want to get on Shark Tank have a really successful Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaign cuz that’s where they look to reach out to us an April kind of thought of it as like a laugh to begin with her like really like we want to do that like, like I guess what’s the harm and went to the went to the interviewing process and you created the videos and flew out there and film and then you fill him in there like. [19:36] Cool with you may or may never hear from you may or may not ever hear from us again if you do will let you know like a week or two before your episode airs, don’t plan on anything basically in the meantime run your business is normal and so we were in the middle of fundraising at that time and so, no I was like man if we are going to be on Shark Tank like, I want to be able to like use this as leverage to like raise a better valuation but ultimately we closed the round about four weeks before the episode aired we got the call and then I cure episodes good are in 2 weeks not a whole lot you can do at that point we staffed up significantly on customer service cuz we just did it now luckily I talked to my friend over Nick over at plated who been on and he was like Overstock customer service he’s like that’s the one thing like that you can actually do before you, go on air everything else is he can’t buy more inventory can’t fix the website you know just going to kind of cross your fingers and hope it all goes well, so yeah we hired I think 30 customer service people and ended up I think’s going up to like 50 that weekend cuz it was just so overwhelming. Jason: [20:51] It’s in his crazy that you get so little notice there’s an earlier iteration of that phenomenon like Oprah’s West Wendover used to be on and literally by the the end of Oprah’s run she had a full-time team that just helped those aren’t for entrepreneurs like Harden their business to get ready for the show airing because. She put them out of business. David: [21:13] Yeah yeah you can actually crush a business. Jason: [21:15] Intermountain my senses shark tank is a lot more there now then it sounds like like I do like that you get more notice than 2 weeks now is that not true or okay. David: [21:23] I think so I mean at least not from what I what I hear look at the end of the day ABC is trying to reduce the television show. I think they obviously have interest set you know they want to see their their entrepreneurs succeed but at the end of the day they have to protect. They’re their IP and make sure that nothing leaks in advance and yeah they really want to control you know. What businesses are going to be on in and in the messaging around then I think, there’s probably too much liability on there and 4 if they tell you too far in advance is probably going to lie that you’re going to tell somebody and then it’s going to end up in the Press somehow like I think the Press would really give a shit about, like cool your man with long with nine other brands but. You know I hope you know I hope no like ill will against them and neither our interests are two different things but we’re trying to run a business and they’re going to reduce television show. Is partner’s past Shark Tank ABCs been incredible I mean you really do become part of the ABC Family when you when you close a deal with a shark in, you know you got on Good Morning America you get on The View and they put products in you know the Bachelor and dancing with the stars and they do a lot of cross-promotion across their platforms. [22:43] So they’ve been they’ve been really fantastic since them but in the early days they’re just like you got to run your business. Cuz I also think they don’t want it cuz I’ve also advised the number of other. Jason: [22:54] Oh yeah don’t ramp up like you’re going to die. David: [22:57] And I have to say that like I’ll say you have to prepare for the best-case but expect the worst. Because I’ve seen people who bought hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of inventory and then they do like $10,000 and say us. It’s no telling what it’s not like Oprah where I think it’s a little bit more Oprah endorses it it’s probably going to go through the roof if you go on Shark Tank with. Alarm clock that fries bacon how many of those are really going to sell. Jason: [23:26] One right here but I take your point. David: [23:27] I volunteer. Jason: [23:31] Yeah I tell you I tell you get it I know you’re in the ABC family so feel free not to, but like I feel like early on there were some entrepreneurs they were smart enough to say hey this is a great customer acquisition opportunity and I don’t really care if I get a deal and I feel like one of the the secret things that that ABC is done to combat that is they now like they charge a piece of equity just to be on the. David: [23:53] They don’t actually anymore now so they did that for the first five seasons but actually, Mark I think threatened to walk off the show because he felt like it was to turn good businesses from coming on the show right cuz if you got a, 10 or 20 million dollar business you’re not going to walk on this phone and give up Equity car blondes without knowing really what the outcome is going to be in so. Look I think the way that they try to combat that. [24:22] I think anybody will realize and admit I mean I could M you even being on it yeah it’s a great obviously exposure opportunity but what I will tell you in the research that I did going on to the show. From the like six or seven brands that I talk to. The people who ended up getting deals ended up having higher success rates from immediately you know airing the episode than those that don’t I think there is a little bit of that Oprah effect where the customer validates. The product or the business if a shark actually invest in it versus if they down is a truss a month, I’m sure there’s probably a number of cases where people have seen Monumental success Following the show just from the exposure from our standpoint we were really like we want to create it we want to do a deal because we know that all kind of guarantee higher degree of success once we are and then also say following that being a part of the ABC family and then kind of the value that we’ve gotten since then and obviously having a shark in our corner, yeah I certainly certainly paid for itself. Jason: [25:29] That’s awesome and I just wanted something which I truly appreciate so remind us you were funded and who who was your. Daymond John who sort of in the space so that was, probably an aspirational shark to get I always chuckle in this particularly I feel like comes to play with like Robert and Mark is. I have a sentence that like in general the sharks are looking for good deals right like inside other very often is an argument that that you should give away more Equity than you might to. Traditional funding source and part of their argument is always we’re going to bring all this support and expertise and technical help and and Mars always oh and I’ll take care of all your website and all that stuff and as we now know from falling a bunch of these usually what that means is on the throw you on shopping and I’m like. That could be good advice I’m not sure how much Equity I would want to give away for that advice alone so I’m always curious to hear from sharks that they feel like they’re the they got more value than just the cash from there, there shark. David: [26:35] I mean in our case it’s really been a level of mentorship you know I think Damon will be the first to admit and he always says he gives us a ton of accolades he’s like let these guys understand e-commerce way better than I do you know he understands the wholesale and brand-building side of the world but, there were moments where you’re we were talking about going in the new product categories are going into wholesale and having him as a sounding board. And I think that that’s why each of the relationships are super unique thing in our relationship it’s been. Mutually beneficial because it we were two business guys that come from startup world would come from the online background can we knew how to build a brand. We need to kind of build and scale online we had to do digital marketing so we weren’t there calling him every step of the way being like how do we do this how do we do this how do we do this how to do and in some instances you know I think there are. More inventors are than entrepreneurs or like I came up with this really cool idea and think of my garage. Are the first thing about starting a business and for them the advice of go on top of eyes like they wouldn’t even know which I was I was so it’s hard to. Argue you know somebody doesn’t know something and they got to a path of there with the path of least resistance. Yeah what is the value. Jason: [28:01] It’s a view from an expensive mistake like absolutely, and I think it’s so a I sit there with a box of popcorn and risking no personal Capital heckling that show all the time and one of the things I feel like is really involved is all of their perspectives about, the value of various channels right now if you like early on it was like oh you might do direct-to-consumer until you could get a wholesale but whole sales only way to get scale and I feel like more recently and I’m like damn John in particular he’s reference did he learn from you guys and I feel like like I said there was at least one show where he mentioned like as a result of my experience with people like you, I’m now a lot more weary about that wholesale model and a lot less excited about it and I think it even says he’s liked it at his own business, based on some of this morning so that’s it like you should be getting some Equity back I think that’s when he calls I’ll tell him. [28:55] Yeah so so that is totally awesome. One of the things that we see with a lot of direct-to-consumer companies is based on your value proposition there’s a certain Market out there that’s really easy to acquire right in. That’s says the market could while they vary between different kinds of businesses. Whatever it is you launch you grow really fast you get to that point like we’re in the old world if you’re opening Gap stores it might have taken you 5 or 10 years to acquire all the customers that were predisposed to love you today you get all those customers in the first 6 months and so you get this nice first Spike but then most companies, hit this Plateau where the new customers stop being quite so easy to acquire and so I’m always curious for for folks like yourself of kind of, in my perspective gone by that first raunch like like did you go through that and then what what if you had to do and how do you think about things differently about acquiring customers today than you did back in your Indiegogo Shark Tank like. David: [29:59] Yeah so how how much time do I have okay. Jason: [30:03] The recorder will be out for 12 hours. David: [30:05] It’s a great question I think I think it’s obviously something that any d2c brand is constantly thinking about right when is this is when is this going to run out I think for us you know. There are there are number of levers that we continue to Paul that allow us to continue to acquire customers profitably on first purchase and that’s always been our kind of marketing. Principal and guidelines from day one is a we were never going to chase LTV you saw what it did other companies you know you saw that over paying on customers early on that you thought we’re going to repeat didn’t repeat yo ended up tanking the company sue you are always thinking okay as long as we can focus on some of the core metrics that will define success in the business which are. [30:52] Produce a high margin products as long as you got high margin then you can you’ve got a lot of dollars to work with then contribution margin on on aov so if we start to reach a plateau in terms of being able to acquire that customer how can we raise a OVI you know one of the key things that we did for the beginning we used to be a singles only company that we moved the packs the day that we moved to pack sorry you if you went from $36 to $60 since then we’ve introduced higher-priced product so we’ve got Merino wool and you know ski socks and bar product mixes as is grown from a merchandising perspective than our aov is like $86 so we’re constantly finding ways to combat, yo the inevitable growth of cost-per-acquisition on a customer base is so this year when we introduce a new product categories that all have a much higher price point hopefully will raise its over the $100 mark, simultaneously we’re always looking to optimize channels and I think one of the things that people are people under value, or they don’t think about and it’s one of the things I constantly advised some of the early-stage startups that I either investing or mentor. [32:03] Is the power of creative. Really really really good creative can actually lower CPAs sum when we introduced to our our million pair video campaign original you’re like okay this is just me a thank you to our customer base will produce this video not really expected to go anywhere and then our CMO is like, I want to test this in marketing or like okay fine potestas in marketing but it’s always like a 2 minute long video or like no way this thing is going to work online, it’s scaled so rapidly we were getting like CPAs in like the $9 for a few months were getting like low team CPS, are the time when we are averaging a thing you are average CP is probably 40 or 50 bucks the time significantly drop that campaign ran. Over a year until it started to see fatigue I think that videos to date is over a hundred and fifty million views probably attributable to close to, 10 to 15 million dollars of Revenue off of that one single piece of creative and so. [33:10] That was that was a real eye-opener for us we’re like how we need to constantly be reinvesting in in creative and sweet built out this. Full basically internal agency model which is nice cuz two co-founders from Regency people you have a lot of that skill-set internally but we develop. So much creative more constantly pumping it into the marketing field you know and 90% of it. [33:35] This garbage you know it doesn’t work but the 10% that does well you kind of start to distill down and distilled down into still down to the power I think of e-commerce is that, are being able to see when you put money behind an ad be able to see what performing and why it’s performing in on what audience base is it performing well then you can try to replicate that across similar audiences and then tweaked it, and as long as that engine and you start to build you know that engine up and start a leopard the data you can start to become really really smart about the way. We also have to be willing to take risks is one piece of creative that we came up with last year our laundry back guarantee we’re basically said. Never lose it one of a pair of bombas in the laundry will replace it for free did horribly on Facebook. And our CMO is like well I think this is such a great campaign I got such great press coverage like let’s put it on TV. And I was like why are we spending any more money on this piece of creative it did terribly on Facebook why do you think it’s going to do well on TV, and miraculous agents really really well on TV so you know I think the ability to kind of create content tested iterated but also be able to take risks on where you’re publishing that content, with an eye again towards those metrics. [34:52] Is for us would what is allowed us to continue and also diversifying channels I think that was the other thing I think realizing. Early on it take 90% of all of our spend was on Facebook, our budget continues to double every year on Facebook by Facebook I think represents 40% of our overall spend today. [35:13] TV represents a large power podcast audio direct mail I mean every single of these channels add up. Yeah direct Mills great CPAs hard to scale it you know it doesn’t scale like TV in Facebook, but it gives us a really really competitive CPA is so having the overall mix bring the overall cost for a cost for a position. Facebook is higher these days but as a blended mix that’s all we really care about while we also in one of the other advantages of our businesses, kasaks a replenishment item, naturally and we have a very very high repeat Ray and repeat is what ultimately drives the profitability of the of the company, Zack gives us the ability to reinvest into new channels and. Yeah I got not every businesses as fortunate or set up the way that you know our margin structure is or some of the repeat rates but. What’s a lot of Cisco. Jason: [36:09] That’s why you would spend some time picking the right product categories suicide note that that seems like one path to success has to be really smart about your Performance Marketing and and do great executions and really agonized unlock trade even try lots of different things and learned that’s one way to go is to just spend like a drunken sailor and then I hope to get a choir to go public before anyone notices so I’m just saying for listeners to pads you choose. David: [36:39] I would recommend against the ladder pass. Jason: [36:41] I would too but like more. David: [36:42] Super super stressful yeah I think those are fewer and farther between I think if you look at the Acquisitions that Walmart made by mod fast forward 70 million dollars and they raised 75, I don’t know I don’t think anybody really did well on that deal. Jason: [37:00] I think the only one that wasn’t a value acquisition was yet for sure. David: [37:04] Yeah I mean I owe dark bonobos was was in there somewhere. Jason: [37:07] I think it was close to like One X Revenue. Which it like I would argue I’d like to get a lot more but that’s where you may not be closed yet what we shall see. Once I take you didn’t mention but I feel like I have not been in a in a car in the last year and not have you remind me about the seam in my socks is it is radio or really affected part of the. David: [37:33] Killer yeah yeah podcast Radio audio serious all the way across the board that continues to be one of our largest growing, are fastest growing channels by spend I think we tripled, tripled spending audio over the last two years represent probably 15% of our overall spend now. Yeah we can meet at 8 it’s a little bit more hit or miss I think it’s like TV and then you’ve got to find the channels that resonate for you and there’s not, unless we will find a podcast that does really well for us and then I think we saturated over time and then it stops performing so it’s kind of move on audio two kind of mining for gold tonight might find you know one that does really well you dig really deep and then the other one the other mine dries up and you got to find something else but across-the-board audio does pretty well but it’s time-consuming for sure cuz you got him that it you know it’s you got to create the spots. Jason: [38:35] Podcast in particular one thing that podcast from notorious for his like the attribution model is kind of tough. You Tennessee products that are like really fast direct sell direct all the action and it’s usually you’re cracking attribution based on like a URL or promo code is that how you guys look at podcast or do you feel like you have some sense for. Building in that kind of thing. David: [39:00] Like if anybody I think I think if there was anybody who figures out how to do multi Channel or multi-touch attribution in e-commerce well I think they would. Yeah I think they would be the next multibillion-dollar company honestly we were lying on a pretty easy. [39:18] Way we do we do how’d you hear about us surveys and yeah we cross metric that against the data coming through the coupon codes for the sights but, what you’re fine and yeah I think the big maybe it’s not a big secret but I think, what most companies do is the same offer that you’ll get by Just landing on their website is the same offer that the promote within a podcaster on a radio show. So what we end up getting is a lot of people just type in bombas. Com and see the promo offer 20% off your first order and then they just go through that. What we find is we got probably, a four times after bution on the how did you hear about a survey when we overlay that data so if it was $100 CPA office specific podcast will come down about 25 bucks. Once we kind of overlay that how did here but you know we’re in so many channels now it starts to become really challenging like did they first learn about us some podcast was that the last one touch point of entry into how many times today you know see us on Facebook or television or you know Direct Mail which was the channel that ultimately got them over the hump this is why were I think. [40:32] Monitor Channel by Channel acne or cost-per-acquisition to look at efficiency I think the thing at the end of the day that we really really care about it’s just overall cost per acquisition across all channels that’s that’s truly the one metric that allows us to know whether we’re on the right path or not. Jason: [40:48] Got it so that ends up being your sort of next best dollar calculus is is customer acquisition cost with that makes perfect sense that’s a perfect to my next question you mentioned earlier in the show that you’re just starting to pile at some some wholesale partners and I’m curious. Are you thinking of that is a separate channel in separate piano and just evaluating the ROI from that channel on its own or are you thinking about, that exposure in those those high-traffic retailers as a customer acquisition marketing tactic as well. David: [41:20] Yeah I think it’s I think it’s a mix of both I think that when I. You know when I eat when I look at the future of the company and we have plans to be a billion dollar company in the next 10 years. I don’t think that the rate at which e-commerce is growing, will we be able to necessarily do be able to do a billion dollars of Revenue just online and look if you like fashion over or proving that you know you can do seven hundred million dollars of Revenue online cuz I got things up first for a, branded only retailer Nan Marketplace retailer to be doing those kind of numbers I think I think more and more brands of get there but. When I look at our strategy and kind of diversifying where we’re going to get growth probably need to be a little bit more strategic about it and not going to put all my eggs in one basket and so I still see you, a large opportunity and also assume there’s a lot of other brands that are in our space I look at Stan’s you know. [42:21] Over a hundred million dollar your company predominantly at wholesale so when I look at that I’m like okay well apart of the market share you know can I take you know how big can bombas be not necessarily competing against ants and when we interview our customers the majority of our customers are coming from Brands like Hanes for the loom your jockey there they’re buying up rather than buying over. And so when I look at how big of a market share those brands have at retail, Mike well if we’re doing this online we surely should be able to carve out a nice little business for us at wholesale that will just add to the revenue stack over all but. [43:00] Interesting lie enough when we launched at Nordstrom’s dicks at Nordstrom’s and Dick’s specifically, we were over indexing pretty significantly against every other sock in the category, and remember I was like I can’t believe you know I knew that we were confident that we were going to be successful at at retail or wholesale but, I didn’t think that we would be two to three times the sell through rate of of the next best-selling sock in the category and I remember sitting out with our private Equity partner and they’re like. Will you realize there’s not another sock brand on the Shelf spending $40 a year on marketing and I was like, all right so I think that we’re benefiting at wholesale from a lot of the radio ads and TV and stuff that we’re thinking is all direct response what is actually having a lift at wholesale as well because there’s brand recognition if you’ll rocking through the store is there yeah maybe they’re listening to us in the car and then they get into a Nordstrom’s like alright that’s the brand I just heard about I’m going to buy a pair of those I don’t think we ever kind of really thought about the the overlap effect. Are online or online marketing I just did Eric Woods would have in the offline world. Jason: [44:14] I’ll put their clothes in the show notes so people can see him, you know you talked about hitting that like billion dollar threshold and you say like how many direct-to-consumer like native brands have gotten a billion dollars and it’s it’s pretty small right, and then you go all right well what about the traditional House of brands that dominate the retail shelf the VF Corp sayings like how many billion dollar brands of a built in the last 10 years smaller so you know where all the new 10 billion billion dollar run rate brands are coming from the retox. It’s cat and Jack its lights to Target to lunch 5 billion dollar brands in the last 2 years Kroger has billion dollar brain is crazy. David: [45:03] Gary Wright coming out of Aeropostale. Jason: [45:06] Yeah so there is this to me there’s something to like. And I don’t like using private label cuz I actually think these new brands are our evolution of private label it’s not just a cheaper version of the national brand on the show. David: [45:20] They put like brand thinking and jolly. Jason: [45:23] Microcytes they do all these things but you think about it what the common denominator of those Brands is. That retailer has the same customer intimacy that our direct-to-consumer brand has they know the customer to have a direct relationship and then they have us the scale visibility and low customer acquisition cost. Retail some you know if or do I give all that infrastructure has already been amortize somewhere else and so it is like I do and I say you like man, part of the equation for digitally native Brands to get to billions of dollars probably means some you know some blend of that that brick-and-mortar presence is. So this is all been great I do just in case I was stupid enough not to ask any of the right question is there anything that you feel like you’ve learned in this run that would surprise new entrepreneurs are new direct to Consumer brands that, that you’d care to share with us. David: [46:21] Yeah I think I think one of the biggest piece of advice that I got really really early on for one of my friends who worked at Tom’s was the. The ability to focus our main focus on a relatively small product set. When I remember when we had done like $500,000 in sales those like we’re killing it Riley sales in her first six months we need to be producing shirts and underwear and sweatpants and sweatshirts and he sat down and he was like. [46:52] We at times is that we sold the first we sold one silhouette in five colors for the first I think like four years I am built like a multi hundred billion dollar company off of that he’s like don’t underestimate. [47:05] How small you are or don’t overestimate how small you are. Compared to like the larger population and we’re over a hundred million dollar brand today and I still and now I’m not surprised by you no bite as much when I meet people in there like oh I don’t know I’ve never heard of bombas before I cuz I was it just like more humbling at this point where I’m I have to assume that nobody else has heard of us despite our size and even though I think that puts it in respect that you can be a brand over a hundred million dollars, go to the middle of the country and ask people at Warby Parker is our guarantee most of them are like I never heard of Warby Parker I think I remember of somewhere and I was like oh Casper mattresses, what’s a Casper mattress and I like right you live outside your like New York in LA and you know some of the bubbles that we live in and yeah these Brands don’t penetrate quite as deeply as you as you may think there are that’s what brands are thing like Target or able to you know it’s been up brands in a much easier it cuz they owned those customer bases across every single Geographic and demographic, Physicians I would say don’t like don’t overestimate. [48:18] Your size and stay focused on the one thing that you do really really really really well and frost I was producing socks and selling them online that’s why we didn’t get distracted by going to wholesale we didn’t get distracted by producing other products here we are five and a half years later we still just sell socks, and I still think that we’ve got hundreds of millions of dollars more Justin our core product category just online. Jason: [48:42] That that is awesome and don’t forget to get out of the New York l a bubble sometimes figure out what the customer in Muskogee wants Muskogee is in Oklahoma, people Walmart frequently talked about like that’s the prototypical Walmart customer at Muscogee random facts on the Jason and Scott show so we’re running out of time I want to get one last question in when you and I are back at the show five years from now you have any sense for how the the market in the world might be different if you have a view for the future of, of Brands and like do we have the same assortment of direct-to-consumer and wholesalers and things that we have today. David: [49:25] I think there will be a might have been anything there’s going to be some consolidation I think I think it would be great if, I think there’s so much efficiency to be had by rolling up some of these e-commerce Brands together by centralizing marketing centralizing back office operations, I think Andy at Walmart that was kind of their you know what he was charged with I’d love to see him pull it off. If not him I think there’s I think somebody should should come into the space and and kind of wrap up a bunch of these big Brands to make them even bigger. [50:02] So that’s what I’m kind of hoping for over the next five years and, I bet you will also start to see I’d like to hopefully see some more Acquisitions in the space that aren’t that better, not billion-dollar Acquisitions right I think you know a hundred million two hundred million dollar Acquisitions for the small the native deodorant company right I think those are, in the end the next round of entrepreneurs that I’m meeting interesting Lee enough are all in the product categories that they’re all developing. Are not sitting down being like I’ve got the next billion-dollar idea I think they’re saying that I mean like, I see an opportunity to carve out a 40 million dollar you know Market in this direct-to-consumer space and hopefully somebody will hire us for a hundred hundred twenty million dollars and I think that’s the right mindset of this next round of entrepreneurs you don’t need to go out and raised 50 to 300 million dollars of capital to build this Behemoth or and that’s going to take oatmeal a world domination and be the next P&G, yeah I think I think we’ll start to see a little bit more of a fragmented space and smaller smaller fundraises and smaller a relatively smaller acquisitions. Jason: [51:13] Interesting in that lights up. I think we talked about the fact that I got our business can be a great business for a bunch of employees I can solve a consumer problem and the challenges, which businesses in that size is they don’t offer the return on investment for the traditional VC model and so if you build your company based on that VC model like that BC does not want you to see. David: [51:38] We could have a whole nother podcast about vcu’s and where I think their place is in building direct-to-consumer Firenze versatile. Jason: [51:45] So that’s that’s kind of what I was like in the short version of that like you talked about raising less when you say raising less do you think that’s raising last from the traditional funding sources or do you think that’s a newer funding sources. David: [51:59] I mean, you know I use us as an example we were we raised $2000000 to seed funding in 3 million in our and haven’t raised a single dollar ever since we raised four million dollars and total and built a hundred billion dollar company in 5 and 1/2 years at Super profitable. It can be done right you don’t need to go out and raise $50 hundred million dollars to build a hundred billion dollar company is like that that’s like to me is like asinine thing k, answer this next wave entrepreneurs I think they’re looking at margin or looking at cost-per-acquisition they’re looking at contribution, they’re looking at the financial is in a much more surgeries way and they’re also not just looking at online they’re looking at omni-channel they’re being a lot more strategic about how they’re bringing products to Market and you know how they’re acquiring customers and realizing that, there’s a subset of Angel Investors and there’s a new wave I think of you to see entrepreneurs like myself and Andy and you know Jeff reiter and all these other due to see CEOs that are now investing in this next wave of companies and saying you don’t need to go raise 20 million dollars from you no first-round or any of these other big you know no knock on them I just think that. [53:06] They serve a great purpose in writing in funding Technology based companies that require massive amounts of capital that don’t have 90% margin profiles that shouldn’t you know that that don’t generate cash in the first year but like if you’ve gotten retail brands have been being built for the last hundred years without. Massive amounts of VC funding because if your business is set up correctly. [53:31] As a consumer business you should generate profit on your product like it it sounds crazy to be like stating that as a fact today but like your. Fundamentally if you have the right model setup your business should generate cash and that cash at scale should be able to fund growth I don’t know. Jason: [53:50] That’s a wildly controversial position I’m sarcasm fully intended totally agree and I that’s a great place to leave it because we’ve done it again we blown through are a lot of time making some people stay at the gym a little extra long for this episode which I like. David: [54:05] Look at this excerpt Rhapsody. Jason: [54:06] Exactly I got nose I need them if folks have some comments or questions about the show feel free to jump on our Facebook page will continue the conversation there as always. If you really enjoy this episode we sure appreciate if you jump on iTunes and get us that five star review Dave if folks want to connect with bombas or follow some more of your thought leadership is there a place on the internet that it’s best to hang out are you a Twitter guy. David: [54:31] I’m not at it I’m actually not a social media user much to my communications Apartments Chagrin but. Jason: [54:38] I can put your mobile phone number in the show note so that would be better. David: [54:40] Founder it’s out there somewhere I get a lot of random phone calls from. Bender’s but no I mean by myself, we’ve got to buy me something on Instagram that’s what the kids are using these days but I’ll plug that we’ve got 55 open positions the company right now, incredible company culture so if you’re interested in a job in New York go on our career pages and definitely. Jason: [55:07] That is awesome and that that best Pat there is the Gear Page on bombas.com will put that in the show notes as well Dave really appreciate your time and really enjoyed our conversation until next time happy commercing.

We are joined by author, brand expert, entrepreneur, motivationalist and thought leader Mark Pilkington to talk about his new book "Retail Therapy". Almost weekly, the news is full of stories about disappearing retail chains--some of which have been around for decades. From Toys'R'Us, Aeropostale and A&P, recognized names are vanishing overnight. While many people will point a finger at the "Amazon effect," this is an oversimplification. Deeper forces are at work that are changing people's relationships with brands, the balance of power between producers and consumers, and the whole nature of the supply chain that has existed since the industrial revolution. Find out more: [Retail Therapy: Why the Retail Industry is Broken – and What Can Be Done to Fix It](https://www.amazon.com/Retail-Therapy-Industry-Broken-What/dp/1472965108) [Website](http://markpilkington.net/)

Talking with Nick Woodhouse, President & CMO of Authentic Brands Group (ABG). We discuss his early business experience, the company culture his team is building and growing the celebrity entertainment fashion brand ownership company.  "When you’re green you're Growing & when your ripe you’re rotting. Be Green" - Nick Woodhouse Authentic Brands Group owns such consumers brands as Juicy Couture, Jones New York, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson (manages), Nine West, Nautica, Hickey Freeman, Aeropostale, Airwalk & Prince.  www.authenticbrandsgroup.com YouTube Link to the Culture Show w/ Nick Woodhouse: https://youtu.be/zpQ5qUJgWWw   

9/3/18 - Recent road trip with my son Michael, who helped me with today's lingo and then tries to write me a theme song! Topics include swol, Getting Jiggy With It, the Invisible Man toy, Casper, grocery store words, Abercrombie, and Aeropostale, extra consonents, and sometimes Y, is your iPhone listening to you, and drafting a theme song. v2

Is it "aero-pas-tale" or "aero-pos-tul"? This topic becomes surprisingly prevalent in the 20th installation of the podcast.

It's always fun when Bret and North Shore Turtlebabe come on the program, and as usual they did not disappoint. Tons of fun shit to get to today, from the rabbit hole we went down with Maggot 125's squatting roommates, Worcester stripper rap videos, Aeropostale jizz whistles, Kevin Perry posts on Facebook from jail again, Ginger Gumby going full cheesehog in Lowell, and the Milford Stepdad who's 15 year old mail order stedaughter is getting railed by a 32 year old. Good times as always.

As an award-winning and innovative thought leader in the talent-acquisition field, Tangie Pettis has spent over 19 years as a strategic recruitment business partner within some of the most well-known companies and organizations across the nation including Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Home Depot (RPO), DaVita, Charlotte Russe, Aeropostale, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has a dynamic approach to candidate sourcing, process design and implementation. She is also an active speaker and author in the recruiting community, often called upon for her expertise in candidate and hiring manager engagement. TOPICS -So what’s it like recruiting dentists? -How do you pitch a potential dentist to joining Aspen? -How does one source for them---tools---sites? sync.me -What’s your current ATS? -You spoke at Sourcecon this spring about to to win over hiring managers...lets dive into that for a bit -How to work with a difficult hiring manager -How to build solid partnerships with hiring managers and turn them into one of your biggest advocates -- go from order taker to trusted advisor -Any tips for improving the intake meeting? -What’s your most creative sourcing story that you can tell us? -Tip someone gave you recently about recruiting

How Retail can Rebound by Building Brand Love with the NRF's Cristina Ceresoli In Episode 21, Cristina Ceresoli, Senior VP or Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation, elaborates on retail and eCommerce marketing and the path it has taken over recent years. Cristina shares insight on the effect of building brand love, personalized pricing, and dishes on retail and agency partnerships. Cristina starts off by talking about her background in the retail industry at brands like Express and Aeropostale before and joining the NRF in 2017. She later discusses the plight of shopping malls and where retail marketing is headed. Cristina also speaks on personalized pricing and how small improvements in your marketing campaign can create future growth. Tyler and Cristina also discuss retail and agency partnerships and the importance of Brand relationships. She also brings up the challenges in the retail industry and how successful retailers are overcoming these obstacles. Cristina shares some big opportunities for marketers in 2018 and what to expect in Q4 from the retail industry at-large. Cristina ends the conversation by giving her key advice on how retailers can benefit greatly from gathering data and use of advanced analytics. Join Tyler and Michelle in this conversation on the state of retail and eCommerce marketing and an expert outlook at the retail industry in 2018.   Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:26 – What’s in the News | Death of Traditional Display Ads? 06:09 – Featured Guest | Cristina Ceresoli 06:42 – Cristina’s Role at NRF 07:44 – Path to Senior VP 09:20 – Has Retail Really Changed? 11:35 – Building Brand Love at Express 14:30 – How Do We Save the Shopping Malls? 16:55 – Shop.Org Recap 20:28 – Personalized Pricing 22:44 – Consumer Pricing Discrimination 24:20 – Retail and Agency Partnerships 26:37 – Opportunities for Marketers in 2018 27:29 – Importance of Brand Relationships 29:23 – Challenges of the Retail Industry 31:56 – Balance & Growth of Online Presence 34:55 – What to Expect in Q4 from Retail 39:16 – 2018 NRF Big Show 40:39 – Key Take Away 44:17 – Outro   Featured Guest Cristina Ceresoli | Senior VP of National Retail Federation LinkedIn  Twitter   Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast Learn More About Tyler & Kyle Music Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes

  90s heartthrob, Devon Sawa, and his ragtag team of early 2000s Aeropostale-wearing superstars manage to avoid fiery death when the plane they are kicked off mysteriously explodes. However, doom and gloom continues to follow them and picks them off one by one? What could possibly be going on?  Plus, Kat gets a headache watching any Star Wars films, the 20th anniversary of John Denver's death, the conspiracies behind TWA Flight 800, Frankie Muniz's hot dance moves on Dancing with the Stars, Aaliyah, Skecher brand shoes, and a deficit of UFO sightings with modern technology. Also, Patrick and Kat dream of having lunch with the lovely Laurie Metcalf.  We have some great stuff coming up, so don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us on Apple Podcasts. Website: http://www.averyspecialpodcast.com Twitter: @VeryPodcast Starring: Patrick M. Dunn and Kat Halstead

Over the last few years, there has been a significant entrance of fast-fashion retailers in the Chilean market including Aeropostale, Top Shop, and Zara. These brands have quickly been able to obtain immediate success in the country due to their already well-known names. Chileans are actively looking for new products to match their fashion and budget, and these stores have filled a market gap in the country. 

Topic: Genius Zone: Set Trends I invite you to join me on a journey of inspired self-discovery, join me and learn how to stop living in your fears & learn how to have courage. www.howtohavecourage.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------- P R O D U C T - A F F I L I A T E - L I N K S By clicking these links and buying the products you are helping to support my channel The Genius Zone and there are no additional costs to you. I appreciate any support! :) Bring your iPhone 6 or 6s Plus and activate a new line on Verizon & get waived activation plus a $200 Visa Prepaid card when you switch to Verizon Wireless! http://www.pntra.com/t/SENIT0xIR0lDR0tISUxLQ0dKTklMTw Extra 30% off Clearance + Free Shipping Over $75 or $5 Flat Rate Shipping with code EXTRA30 at Aeropostale http://www.gopjn.com/t/R0JHTktHTUdCRkpHSEtKQktFTUtF Shop Branded Gear http://www.redbubble.com/people/yourgirlgenius Best Books for Entrepreneurs Think and Grow Rich http://amzn.to/2kNXxfm The Law of Success http://amzn.to/2me28V3 How to Stop Worrying and Start Living http://amzn.to/2kNYdkU The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People http://amzn.to/2m9wCe9 Ego Is the Enemy http://amzn.to/2kO0KeM Before Happiness http://amzn.to/2lHjagz -------------------------------------------------------------------------- S H O R T - V I D E O - D E S C R I P T I O N Entrepreneurship is like skydiving, it takes everything you have to get on the plane and a leap of faith to make the jump. You know those choices in your life and business that make your palms sweat and your stomach feel like its filled with butterflies? Yeah I help you get rid of this, and replace it with the power to stand on your own. Have you ever wanted to be more bold, extraordinary, and stand out in a crowd? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make decisions that scare you just a little, but in a good way I promise! I am a catalyst of change, a shifter of minds, a courageous speaker of truth. With me by your side, I will lead you on a path that can help you develop the mindset that will enable you to make bold, more confident decisions. Join me with my empowering coaching, courses, and retreats. I will show you how to let go of what is familiar and develop the courage & mindset you need to expand your business, income, & life. Learn to test your limits without sacrificing or having that utterly helpless feeling that makes you want to give up. I will guide you in shifting the belief & mindset that make you constantly second-guess yourself. Stop sabotaging your success so you can finally create a profitable business you love! Let's talk more about pursuing dreams, and ultimately, how to rid yourself of the emotional chains and self-imposed obstacles that limit growth. ​ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- L E T' S - C O N N E C T ! W E B S I T E visit www.girlgeniusinventors.com P I N T E R E S T https://www.pinterest.com/g_genius/ Instagram www.instagram.com/thegeniuszonepodcast/ F A C E B O O K www.facebook.com/The-Genius-Zone-1663540490572600/ I N S T A G R A M https://www.instagram.com/thegeniuszo... --------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's what Dale Carnegie said about fear and courage, "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it." I invite you to join me on a journey of inspired self-discovery, join me and learn how to stop living in your fears & learn how to have courage. www.howtohavecourage.com ----------------------------------------------------------

Michael Stricker, our STL guest this week, is an international digital marketer and agency consultant with hundreds of campaigns delivering millions of impressions to brands such as 2Modern, Aeropostale, BET, Dell, GolfSmith, JG Wentworth, Job.com, Johns Hopkins University, RE/MAX, Toshiba, SEMrush and Herringtons. He’s been called “a creative mind with a fearsome grasp of analytic skills”, and we can’t help but agree. Now at BeyondROI, Mike marries exhaustive research and analytics with actionable strategies, creative concepts, scalable processes, and doable tactics achieve tangible business results.

Michael Stricker, our STL guest this week, is an international digital marketer and agency consultant with hundreds of campaigns delivering millions of impressions to brands such as 2Modern, Aeropostale, BET, Dell, GolfSmith, JG Wentworth, Job.com, Johns Hopkins University, RE/MAX, Toshiba, SEMrush and Herringtons. He’s been called “a creative mind with a fearsome grasp of analytic skills”, and we can’t help but agree. Now at BeyondROI, Mike marries exhaustive research and analytics with actionable strategies, creative concepts, scalable processes, and doable tactics achieve tangible business results.

The holidays are upon us, and with them a shopping season that can make or break a struggling retailer. Yet bankruptcy doesn't always mean the end. Many struggling chains linger well past their expiration dates and others find second lives under new ownership. The deciding factor is the strength of the brand. Join us as Lindsey and Jenny explain the bankruptcy process -- and why some brands survive while others don't. Jamie Salter tells us why he bought Aeropostale, the teen apparel chain, four months after it filed for bankruptcy in May. Bazillion Points book publisher Ian Christe describes his conflict with Borders, the bookseller that went out of business in 2011. Ryan Cotton, a managing director at Bain Capital Private Equity, explores what sets successful brands apart, while Bloomberg's Lauren Coleman-Lochner breaks down the mechanics of filing for bankruptcy.

Nadia Asencio's professional sound reel, radio spot for Aeropostale.

Nadia Asencio's professional sound reel, radio spot for Aeropostale.

Lyric Lewis ("MadTV," "Supermansion") chats with Cole and Vanessa about Hiddleswift, the Ladybusters, James Bond, Jurassicverse, Aeropostale jeans, a pubic dress, meeting Jeff Goldblum, Tarzan, Beyonce, Game of Thrones and going through the program at The Groundlings. Leave your answer to the firsts question (the first article of clothing you loved and wore the crap out of) on our website for a chance to win a comfy Pop My Culture T-Shirt!

Episode 25 - Retail Apocalypse, NY Store Visits, and Other News   NY Store Visits: Ralph Lauren - Magic Mirror (Oak Labs) Barney’s - Chelsea Macy’s One Below (and Etsy) Samsung 837 LuluLemon Lab Retail Apocalypse TSA filed bankruptcy and is liquidating Aeropostale filed for bankruptcy, closing 5 stores asap WSJ Article: Retail is overbuilt WSJ Article: Free shipping crowding out small businesses Mall traffic is down Promotions driving a race to the bottom Misc News: eBay Enterprise rebrands as Radial Paypal onetouch working well Target inventory tracking robot, Tally Target and lancome first snapchat ecommerce ads Bonobos - guideshop is working!  Upcoming events: We’ll be both be at shoptalk May 15-18 in Vegas   Episode 25 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Thursday, May 5th, 2016.   http://retailgeek.com/podcast Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, SVP Commerce & Content at Razorfish, and Scot Wingo, Founder and Executive Chairman of Channel Advisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing.

Microsoft announces a $40 billion buyback plan, Pandora announces a secondary offering, and Aeropostale rises on hopes of a buyout.