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2 episodes with athletic apparel
2 episodes with athletic apparel
2 episodes with athletic apparel
Michelle Wahler is an entrepreneur, business leader and mother. In 2005, she co-founded the active lifestyle company Beyond Yoga, where as CEO, she built the product and brand from the ground up. What started as a mere concept led to a global wholesale business, e-commerce site and opening of six retail stores, selling tens of millions of units around the world over the course of nearly 20 years. Michelle built a female-focused organization with an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, diversity and empowerment among both employees and customers. She skillfully navigated negotiations and led her team through the brand's acquisition by Levi Strauss & Co. in 2021. Post-acquisition, she continued her role as CEO of Beyond Yoga and joined the Executive Leadership Team of Levi Strauss.Michelle was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young in 2021 and as a DEIA Visionary by the LA Times in 2023.Michelle is originally from Maryland and began her career while living in New York City. She lives in Los Angeles and is married with two children and two dogs. Michelle is active in several philanthropic causes through the family foundation she created with her husband. She also finds joy in painting, reading, and exploring through travel.***The Founder Hour is brought to you by Outer. Outer makes the world's most beautiful, comfortable, innovative, and high-quality outdoor furniture - ALL from sustainable materials - and is the ONLY outdoor furniture with a patented built-in cover to make protecting it effortless. From teak chairs to fire pit tables, everything Outer makes has the look and feel of what you'd expect at a 5-star resort, for less than you'd pay at a big box store for something that won't last. For a limited time, get 10% off at www.liveouter.com/thefounderhour. Terms and conditions apply.Customers are flocking to your store—do you have a reliable point-of-sale system? Shopify POS is your retail command center, handling payments, inventory, and more. Choose from hardware options like smartphone, tablet, or Shopify's POS Go device. With award-winning support, Shopify helps you succeed every step of the way. Get started with a $1/month trial at www.shopify.com/founderhour.Still using your personal phone number for your startup in 2024? OpenPhone makes it easy to get business phone numbers for your team with an app that works on both phone and computer. It integrates with CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, and offers AI-powered call transcripts and summaries. Plus, your whole team can access the same number. Start at $15/user/month, but The Founder Hour listeners get 20% off for 6 months. Visit https://www.openphone.com/founder to start your free trial! ***Follow The Founder Hour on:Instagram | www.instagram.com/thefounderhourTwitter/X | www.x.com/thefounderhourLinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/thefounderhourYouTube | www.youtube.com/@thefounderhour
Joe Kudla is the visionary founder and CEO of Vuori (pronounced VEE-YOUR-EE), a brand that's redefining activewear. Joe's path to success is anything but ordinary, including a career in fashion and modeling that took him to the fashion capitals of Italy and also, accounting.However, his entrepreneurial spirit led him back to the U.S., where he faced the challenges of launching his own business ventures, including two failed clothing businesses. Interestingly, the second one was Vuori, but not the Vuori we know today.In this episode, Joe shares a fascinating story about a random encounter with a lady who predicted his future life and business success with uncanny accuracy. This bizarre yet prophetic moment set the stage for Joe's next steps.Around that time, Joe took up yoga. When he developed a passion for it, he saw a gap in the market for high-quality, versatile men's activewear that seamlessly transitions from workouts to casual wear. This insight catalyzed Vuori, a brand known for its premium, innovative apparel embodying the active California lifestyle.Joe talks about the significant milestones in Vuori's growth, including a $45 million investment from Norwest Venture Partners in 2019 and a staggering $400 million investment led by Softbank in 2021, which catapulted the company's valuation to $4 billion.Beyond the numbers, Joe delves into his core values of clarity, well-being, and the power of the mind, emphasizing the importance of community and how Vuori aims to bring people together. He also shares his belief that "product is everything" and how this philosophy drives every decision at Vuori.Tune in to hear Joe Kudla's incredible journey, the lessons he's learned, and how he's building a brand that stands for more than just clothing.***CHA-CHING! Customers are rushing to your store. Do you have a point-of-sale system you can trust or is it (ahem) a real P.O.S.? You need Shopify for retail.Shopify POS is your command center for your retail store. From accepting payments to managing inventory, Shopify has EVERYTHING you need to sell in person. Get hardware that fits your business. Take payments by smartphone, transform your tablet into a point-of-sale system, or use Shopify's POS Go mobile device for a battle-tested solution.Plus, Shopify's award-winning help is there to support your success every step of the way.Do retail right with Shopify. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at www.shopify.com/founderhour. Once again, go to www.shopify.com/founderhour to take your retail business to the next level today.***The Founder Hour is brought to you by Outer. Outer makes the world's most beautiful, comfortable, innovative, and high-quality outdoor furniture - ALL from sustainable materials - and is the ONLY outdoor furniture with a patented built-in cover to make protecting it effortless. From teak chairs to fire pit tables, everything Outer makes has the look and feel of what you'd expect at a 5-star resort, for less than you'd pay at a big box store for something that won't last.For a limited time, get 10% off at www.liveouter.com/thefounderhour. Terms and conditions apply. ***Follow The Founder Hour on:Instagram | www.instagram.com/thefounderhourTwitter/X | www.x.com/thefounderhourLinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/thefounderhourYouTube | www.youtube.com/@thefounderhour
Integrating a mobile app with community engagement can aid in providing early access and gated launches. Mobile apps provide repeat awareness and a more direct and engaging relationship between brands and consumers.In this episode, Jordan West and Sam Barati from Tapcart, a leading mobile app company. Get ready to dive into the world of mobile apps for ecommerce as we uncover the power of motivational messaging, subscription management, and app incentives in driving customer retention and increasing purchase frequency. Learn how LSKD, an athletic apparel brand, leverages motivational messaging in push notifications, and how Tapcart's technology helps manage and customize subscriptions, leading to upsell opportunities. Discover the impact of mobile apps on customer lifetime value and the convenience they offer to the fast fashion demographic, specifically Gen Z. Plus, explore the importance of peer-to-peer engagement, push notifications, and app-exclusive promotions in building strong relationships with customers. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:Motivational messaging in push notifications can increase user motivation and purchase frequency.Subscription brands can use mobile apps to manage and customize subscriptions, leading to increased retention.Tapcart's technology allows for subscription management within the app, creating upsell opportunities.Mobile apps contribute significantly to total sales for brands, emphasizing the importance of retention and convenience.Mobile apps can lead to higher conversion rates, average order value, and purchase frequency compared to websites.Gen Z and female fast fashion consumers find convenience and quick purchasing through mobile apps appealing.App incentives, such as exclusive products, discounts, giveaways, and gamification, can drive app adoption.Push notifications can be used to build relationships with customers through non-transactional messaging.Today's Guest: Sam Barati, is a key figure at Tapcart, a leading mobile app company that has been revolutionizing the ecommerce landscape for almost a decade. Sam's expertise lies in crafting cutting-edge e-commerce strategies for mobile apps, with a focus on app extensibility similar to websites, and offering exceptional service to their 2,000-plus customer base. As an esteemed expert, Sam Barati has a deep understanding of the pivotal role mobile apps play in driving retention, customer engagement, and unlocking significant sales potential for premier Shopify brands.Growth Plan: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growMillion Dollar Offers: www.upgrowthcommerce.com/growIn this episode's sponsor is Tapcart - Integrates seamlessly with Shopify, making it easy for store owners to manage their mobile apps alongside their online stores. It aims to leverage the growing trend of mobile shopping by providing a dedicated app experience that can lead to higher customer retention and increased sales. Learn more here: Tapcart
Today's #podcast I had the pleasure of speaking to @dom_strebs22 a #studentathlete at @stjoesny where he plays for the @sjli_golf & @sjli_rollerhockey teams. He was diagnosed at the age of 11 with #langerhanscellhistiocytosis and went through three years of #chemotherapy due to brain tumors. Growing up he loved playing #soccer & #hockey but after going thru chemo he found a love for #golf which was a great distraction and got his #competitive juices flowing again. His experiences at a young age motivated him to found @betterdaysgolfco lifestyle brand whose mission is to spread strength and resiliency to impact the world in a positive way through the creation of athletic apparel. A portion of the proceeds goes to @taylorshopefoundation which creates memorable and exciting experiences for chemotherapy patients to make their days brighter. Dominick says every day is a blessing and better than the day before. A great piece by @n12jamiestuart sheds light on his love of golf. He is a Junior at St. Joseph's University and wants to be a middle school #history teacher after graduation. The sky's the limit for him. #cancersurvivor #rollerhockey #mentalfortitude #toughness #compassion #fight #heart #workethic #strengthAll sports. One podcast. (even hockey) PODCAST LINK ON ITUNES: http://bit.ly/JDTSPODCAST
In today's FittBite, we dive deep into the world of closures for athletic apparel. From zippers and buttons to drawstrings and elastic, we discuss the pros, cons, and applications of each closure type. Tune in to discover how to create functional and stylish sportswear that stands out from the competition!Let us help you design, prototype, manufacture and sell an apparel brand that is worthy of your unique vision: https://fittdesign.com/full-service-production?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=FittBite187Book a 1 on 1 with our host, Shadi for personalized advice on how to create and grow your fashion business: https://www.fittdesign.com/services/consultation Design your own collection with our instantly downloadable factory ready tech pack templates: FittDesign Tech Pack Templates Follow our host on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shadiadada/ https://www.instagram.com/fittdesign/ Got any other questions, email us for an instant response at: studio@fittdesign.com Subscribe to our weekly fashion design podcast (New episodes every Thursday at 4pm CST): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-fittdesign-podcast/id1454410683 Visit our website:https://www.fittdesign.com/ Follow us on:https://www.linkedin.com/company/fittdesign/ https://www.facebook.com/fittdesign https://www.pinterest.com/fittdesign/ https://www.behance....
Short, curvy, tall, fat, slim, brawny: Whatever size or shape you are, you'll find this conversation with size-inclusion advocate Andrea Kelly enlightening. Andrea details to Sarah and Britany: -why apparel sizing is so inconsistent; -a surprising statistic about the clothing size of female consumers; -ways to better navigate the shopping experience; -the importance of size-acceptance in running + the outdoors; and, -why size charts should be your friends. Sarah shares some college-search details before Andrea jumps on around 9:20. When you shop our sponsors, you help AMR. We appreciate your—and their—support! Get a free colored watch band with purchase of any watch. Use code motherrunner at coros.com Find the right ring for you + get $15 off at OuraRing.com/AMR Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Legends Brand Co-Founder Scott Hochstadt and President Tim Santye join us for the 11th episode of Founders Church. Scott comes from the lacrosse industry and speaks on his transition to creating a modern performance fashion apparel brand with iconic investors such as Quavo, Baker Mayfield, Steve Nash, and Matt Barnes. Scott shares what the day-to-day is like behind a big time clothing brand in the sports industry and Tim informs us about his role in the company. It's great to see how Scott and Tim collaborate to build a brand for the culture and have an amazing time doing it! To support Legends Brand you can follow there social media outlets @legends and visit their website.Legendswww.legends.comHustle Cleanwww.hustleclean.com
This week I interviewed Tiffany of @rgnsport As a black woman and former soccer player with thick thighs Tiffany loved working out but hated having to constantly pull down and unroll her shorts mid-workout. That's what spurred the idea for a new type of short: one that was made to stay put and had pockets. Her & her Fiancé were determined to solve apparel problems we've all faced. They don't want to just make your workouts easier, they want you to feel more confident, whether you're running errands or walking the dog, in apparel you know was made to suit you. Hope you enjoy! This weeks episode is sponsored: @Six20style is sportswear made with a joyful spirit. It effortlessly weaves together fashion and functionality with threads of bright color and bold statement pieces. “We don't just want to be part of your special day; we want to be part of your everyday” @neisha.starz.esthetics is a one stop shop for all your skin care and self care needs. With close attention to different skin types. Neisha has mastered several different formulas. I am a client for life. From my facials, vajacials, waxing and massages, she is the best. Check out our new segment "The Black Note" Need advise, tips or just want to vent? Send your notes and we will share perspective. Email blacknfashionpodcast@gmail.com Join " I am BNF Champaign" By summiting your videos and sharing what being black in fashion means to you. Email blacknfashionpodcast@gmail.com Keep up with me on all social sites! @LeneseCalleea @LC_ApparelConsulting @CalleeaVateinInc @blackgirlzdesignerclub www.lenesecalleea.com Stay Black! Peace Out! #EducateNCreate
This week Dave and Joe, Chasing Tomorrow podcast co-show hosts, interview Terry White, founder, and CEO of Wolaco the makers of award-winning compression gear. Terry, an All-American lacrosse player from Harvard and a lifetime competitor tells his story of frustration with exercise clothing and the journey to making the first-ever sweatproof pocket in compression shorts. Terry is pushing at both ends with exercise and work and tells us all what it is like to start and scale a company and what he is planning to do in the years to come.
#007 Heidi Parker joins us today to share the journey of starting Vai Athletica, a woman sports apparel company that makes high quality apparel to serve the Central Coast. With a unique sports bra that fits every lifestyle, and strives to exceed expectations while bringing function and a hands free lifestyle. Listen in on the lessons she has learned along the way, and how she is making an impact in the community, and what she is doing today. She can be found on vaiathletica.com or instagram @vaiathletica.
We're pulling from the vault this week and going back to our TENTH episode with Michelle Watson, the Founder and CEO of Athletic Apparel brand, Michi NY. She tells us how she ditched her career in corporate finance and advertising to create a brand unlike anything else on the market, fashion-forward sophisticated women's athletic wear that's Canadian made, eco-friendly, sustainable and sexy. We hope you love it! xx Anis + Tabs -- Episode Sponsor: Onderbroeks Luxury Robes and Loungewear - Ethically sourced fabrics, handmade in Ontario, get 15% off with code: AFTER30 at onderbroeks.ca Support our work on Patreon at www.patreon.com/theafter30podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-after-30-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-after-30-podcast/support
In this episode, Dan and Albert breakdown Lululemon. Lululemon Athletica is an athletic apparel retailer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. It was founded in 1998 as a retailer of yoga pants and other yoga wear, and has expanded to sell athletic wear, lifestyle apparel, and accessories. Lululemon sells its products through more than 500 company-owned stores in 17 countries, e-commerce, outlets, and wholesale accounts. Check out our Substack Newsletter! Sent straight to your inbox, it's a great way to read our breakdowns in 5 minutes. Leave us a Review! If you enjoy listening to the podcast, we'd love for you to rate us 5-stars on iTunes / Apple Podcasts. Here's a link to leave a review right now :) In this episode we cover: What is Lululemon (4:00) Consumer shift to athletic leisure wear (6:55) Lululemon's proprietary materials (8:54) How Lululemon's price their products at a premium (14:00) How Lululemon's foundations as a women's brand separates it from competitors (17:15) What is Lululemon's retail playbook (22:50) What is the future of Lululemon (e.g. home workout equipment with Mirror, international expansion) (29:17) Take our survey and let us know how we're doing. Follow and subscribe to our content. All information contained in this podcast is for education and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional financial, legal or tax advice. The hosts of Fresh Capital are not financial professionals and are not aware of your personal financial circumstances. Any opinions expressed herein are not recommendations or advice. Please consult a licensed financial professional before you invest. For more information visit our website at https://freshcapital.show/ Got feedback or suggestions? Send them to freshcapitalpodcast@gmail.com
Everything you put out as a brand should be interesting, it should be relevant to your consumer, and you and your employees should be proud of the final product. So why then are so many brands finding that the people who work so hard on and actually create the marketing materials aren't sharing the end result? Max Summit is a marketing consultant who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world — Adidas, Lululemon, Athleta, the list goes on — and regardless of the brand, whether they sell online or in brick and mortar, Max knows that true connection with customers start with the connection to the internal employees. On this episode of Up Next in Commerce, Max discusses all the ways that brands should be doing internal pulse checks and reinventing their mission in order to make their marketing materials hit home with consumers. Plus, she explains how brands should be thinking about ways to become resources for customers beyond just being a provider of goods and services, and she gives examples from her days at Lululemon that any company can learn from and where VR and AR can come into play. Enjoy this episode!Main Takeaways:Who's Sharing What?: To gauge the health and success of your company's creative, doing an internal pulse check is necessary. Are employees sharing the work they have produced? Are they proud and willingly talking and posting about the latest project they are working on? Do a post-mortem to gauge how a project went, what aspects were wins and where things could have gone better and allow everyone to share freely and openly how they really feel.Who Knows What?: The boots on the ground at retail stores are often the people with the most knowledge of the consumers and what they want. Brands need to create a more connected communication structure that allows everyone in retail to interact with HQ and the ecommerce team to paint the most holistic view of the customer and then create products and marketing content for them.Who's Engaging with What?: One of the biggest struggles brands face is getting consumers to engage both initially, and long-term. So brands have to hook a consumer quickly, and keep bringing them back with an interesting, exciting, and valuable experience. Virtual and augmented reality experiences are a recent way that brands have been solving this problem, and the creativity and utility that VR and AR offers sets the table for it to be a major way that brands and consumers interact for years to come. 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. This is Stephanie postles, CEO at Mission.org and your host. Today on the show we have Max Summit, who is a brand marketing consultant. Max, welcome to the show.Max:Thanks Stephanie, I'm really happy to be here.Stephanie:I'm happy to have you too. So with you, I want to start back in your personal story. Growing up in Brazil, you have a very interesting story around medical issues and growing up in this very creative household, very intriguing household. So, I want to hear just your background before we dive into what you're doing today.Max:Sure. Absolutely. Let's see, the elevator pitch here. So I was born in Boston, but actually raised in Brazil. I am the proud daughter of a ballerina turned designer my mother, and my father was very musically inclined, he had a lot of passions around art and music even though eventually he really poured I think the majority of his time into tech and entrepreneurship. But my upbringing in Brazil I think was anything but traditional.Max:My stepbrother and I, we used to spend our summers down in the beach barefoot on the sand, falling asleep to the stars at night. My granddad would sometimes pick us up after school on a Friday, we would drive down to the beach and we'd spend the weekend on the boat, which was awesome and really lovely. I think as a child, you take in these experiences as they come but when you live as an adult, you oftentimes, I think, look back and reminisce and you think, "How can I also provide that for the next generation or for myself and my own kids?"Max:So yeah, I think it was a very interesting upbringing, very dynamic, I think absolutely it was not traditional by any means. I think that existence and that relationship that I was taught at a young age to be embracive of nature and be embracive of human experiences I think ultimately led me down to this path in brand marketing unknowingly, but that's where I am today is just really embracing, I think, storytelling and identifying the unique patterns and behaviors of organizations that can really communicate something to the world and to the people around them in a way that I think makes sense for today's audience and today's consumer.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah. I love that. I'm just having an entire movie playing out in my head, imagining you on the beaches also now I'm like, "I need to go to Brazil. That's the next step for me?"Max:Yeah, it's funny. I'm definitely painting a more poetic existence, I definitely think my brother and I, we were quite mischievous as well as I think that playful character and that playful nature, I think also lends itself well for a role in marketing. Although sometimes in a leadership position, you can't be as playful as you like to be, but it's definitely I think helped me get to where I am today, for sure.Stephanie:I love that. And tell me a bit about, I know you had a medical scare I think it was around 15 or something. And I was reading a quote where you're saying, "That changed the way I thought about everything," and I wanted to hear a bit about that because I'm sure it's impacted even where you're at today.Max:Yeah. Absolutely, as I said I grew up in Brazil, sports I think is very much a part of the culture and the DNA there. I did everything from soccer, to swimming, to [inaudible], and eventually I think I really found my place in volleyball. That was really the sport where I felt most comfortable. Again, I had great mentors and great coaches who identified long-term potential and I think saw an ability for me to do it even professionally at some point in my life and my family and I really invested a lot of time and energy going to games, getting the proper coaching, the proper training. And I was in a final match, a pre-qualifier for you to be on the national team.Max:And I came down from a jump serve and I remember hearing this massive, shattering pop that went from my ankle all the way down to my hip. And essentially I ripped six ligaments on my leg, my achilles, my hip tendon, my ACL and my MCL, you name it and eventually it was just one go. And it was in that recovery phase where in post-op I went through surgery and I was recovering, and we're flying back from Brazil where my leg really began to swell and the pain intensified over the course of the plane ride.Max:And when we landed back in Boston, it had really gotten to a place where it felt extremely uncomfortable and my mother and I, of course back then there wasn't a lot of research and knowledge around clotting and how that happens postoperatively and how flying can sometimes intensify that. So, I think we were really uneducated around some of those medical complications that you can face, so we shrugged it off as it was a 13 hour plane ride, your leg is probably swollen from the compression or decompression.Max:We didn't really think much of it and we went to bed, and I woke up in the middle of the night really screaming, had really intensified pain, not really understanding what was happening. And I remember my mother was really rushing up upstairs because I was calling for her, I was yelling like, "Mom, mom, mom, something's wrong." And when we pulled the sheets over, my leg was gangrene. It was blue, black, every color that you can imagine I think all the capillaries were just exploding subcutaneously.Max:And one of the last things that I remember was actually my mother grabbing me by my shoulders to try to calm me down. And this feeling of almost, I would say I think I'll use this on the interview as well, like a champagne cork when it explodes, it just happens in an instance. And when that sensation happened, everything just melted away and what we found out weeks later when I woke up in the hospital, was that the expansion of the leg was really what's known as a DVT, a deep vein thrombosis.Max:And the clotting had literally originated from my ankle and had gone all the way to my knee and a piece of it dislodged and went into my lung. And when that happens, your body's deprived of oxygen and it shuts down, and I experienced all of this at age 15, which I think for a normal 15 year olds everyone is planning prom, everyone's playing around their first boyfriend. If they're lucky, maybe they're celebrating their one year anniversary with their high school sweetheart. And for me, I spent the majority of my 15 years in a hospital bed at Mass General in Boston.Max:I think the realization of life and how fragile it is and how limited our time is, and it can be on this planet, I think was reintroduced to me at an age where most teenagers aren't thinking of that. And I think it's allowed me to move through the world a little bit more intentionally, and in a way I think I've been seeking a greater sense of purpose since so that if I were to find myself in another hospital bed hopefully I won't have as many regrets or as desires as I thought I had at age 15.Stephanie:Wow. Wow. I have goosebumps with your story right now. I feel like we could just make that the entire episode, talking about how to live an intentional life. Oh my gosh, that's wild. Yeah.Max:Definitely. I think if anything too, COVID has in a way, I think shed light for a lot of individuals. I think a lot of families, a lot of my close friends and even professional mentors, I think everyone has used this as an opportunity to self-assess and to reevaluate and really measure the scales of lifeStephanie:That's amazing story. So, I want to dive into the brand aspect of things. You said an interesting quote early on before the interview, that you stumbled into it, you did not plan to get into this world, but when you look at your roster of brands that you've served, it's wild. So, first talk about how you got into this world and also some logos just to show people you know obviously what you're doing.Max:Sure. I'm definitely lucky, I'm going to say I think luck is a big aspect of it. But yeah, essentially I studied philosophy and English in college which is so bizarre to think that someone who studied those two fields would eventually end up in marketing. But I think the way everything cascaded and fell into play was really at the root of it was just having fantastic leaders and mentors who identified my potential, who I think understood the reward that comes with molding someone and bringing them into the process and giving them the right opportunities that I think really shed light on their personal aspects, but also their professional aspirations.Max:And the way I fell into this industry was, so actually I started in non-profit worlds, really volunteering, taking gigs as they came mostly in the creative parts. I did a lot of pre-production post-production work then I eventually went into graphic design, I did a graphic design residency for about two years and then eventually got pulled into copywriting then from copywriting I did video. So, doing the gamut of all the art functions and I realized in that process it actually sucked at all of them. I was like, I was good enough to have a general understanding at introductory level, but I very quickly on realized that I was never going to be the director of copywriting or the director of photography-Stephanie:Which is a beautiful thing, because it answers a lot of questions for you. I've had many of those experiences where I'm like, "Well thank you life for showing me that's just not my thing and I can move on now know."Max:Yeah, and also it takes a lot of vaping gut too, to tell yourself, "I suck at something."Stephanie:I'm going to own it, I suck.Max:And I need to find something else that I enjoy, but I knew that I wanted to be in a creative function. But I think ultimately what was missing, I think from all those experiences was the afterthought. So, the strategic side of it and I got my foot in the door actually as a freelance graphic designer working at Adidas. And the way that happened was really through networking. So, when I said that I was really hustling and trying to get gigs on the side, that's literally what I was doing, I was identifying meet and greets that's right. I used meet and greets, which back then was meetups.com at work in my local community.Max:I would raise my hand, any volunteer opportunities for races or local community events. At the time I was living in Boston, and Adidas was a big sponsor for the Boston Marathon. And again, I raised my hand and said can I do any graphic design work? Do you guys need help as a volunteer, it was just saying yes until someone and something was willing and ready to bring me on board. And I started as a volunteer graphic designer and from there that role quickly became a little bit more robust in nature. So, one project led to another, it went from being freelance graphic design to, would you like to support us at a photo shoot? Would you like to do some post production work for us, some casting?Max:And things just fell into place, and it took a very wonderful mentor and a very lovely boss like I said, to really identify that potential in me and tapped me on the virtual shoulder and said, "Hey, I think your place is actually in brand, it's not in creative," which like I shared with you guys I knew that already, I sucked at all four fields. But I hadn't yet gotten that golden offer, that golden ticket to come in full time and he offered me a job. He said we're starting a new division at Reebok.Max:At the time he was moving over from the Adidas side onto the BU classic side I'll be overseeing the division there and we need a brand manager would you like to take a chance on life and take a chance on this opportunity? And needless to say, I said, yes. And things really cascaded and fell into place after that. And just to throw some logos out there like you asked from Reebok, I went to lululemon, from lululemon I then joined a much smaller, but reputable brand in Canada called Lolë. And then from Canada, most recently I was the director of marketing over at LA Athleta, which is a [inaudible] company.Stephanie:Wow. Yup, yup. Awesome logos of course, which is why I was like, "You have to name drop them." That's a really fun story about getting that invite and having someone bet on you before you even knew if you could enter into that world. I want to talk about brand in general and defining a strong brand, because you've worked at some amazing companies now who have done just that and they've been able to develop this following and stay true to brand. And you just see the cohesiveness when you look at what they're doing everywhere, you get it instantly. So, what do you think defines a strong brand today? How do you go about building that?Max:It's a great question and it's definitely evolved. I think when I first started my career in this journey working in performance sports, endurance sports, I think it was very much benefit led marketing. So, it was really about the best shoes takes you on the longest run. Sometimes you got the occasional, this is the shoe that was designed by Michael Jordan. There's a little bit of that celebrity persona aspect of it, but when I really began this journey, it was very product marketing. It was very benefits led, it was a very simplified message.Max:I think there were very little brands that understood and promoted, I think mission driven content and purpose led communication. Nike, I think was one of the first in the industry to package that up and present it in a way that was digestible to the consumer. I think where we're at now today is most brands if not all, I think need to have a purpose led message or at least a mission driven DNA aspect of their brand. I think consumers are demanding more out of brands, I think that now more than ever they're equipped with knowledge and the tools to actually do the research.Max:Which I think before, oftentimes again, the brands really held that power. They could really decide if and when to release messages around sustainability, messages around diversity, equity inclusion everything was very much calculated I think 10, 15 years ago in marketing. Now, if consumers can't find that information on day one on your website or through your social channels, they'll walk away and they'll go to another brand whose mission and purpose is more overtly available on site as well as in their social channels.Stephanie:So, when you're approaching brands that maybe don't already have this, how do you go about it in a way that keeps it authentic? Because, throughout all the things that have been happening in the past year or two, maybe you see brands quickly trying to lean into something and be like, "Oh, we're in that space too, we're doing that well." And then a lot of them end up one week later, two weeks later or whatever it is it's gone and that can actually do more harm probably than not having anything at all. So, how do you approach that, because it feels like a tricky space to play in?Max:It is. And I think it's definitely a hard question that you have to ask yourself and your organization, what are you as a company uniquely qualified to give to the world? Because, I think it is that unique nature that me as a brand marketer can package up and I can create a strategy behind and a communications and really elevate that and present that to the rest of the world. I think the brands that are struggling like you mentioned some were having to pull back.Max:Other brands that aren't having those honest conversations with themselves, I think their desire to want to jump on something that is currently mainstream but not necessarily an element that trickles down back to their DNA and their structure and their organization. It doesn't take long before it's a domino effect. It doesn't take long before you see all of the pieces falling at the same place. But I think really identifying what you as a company are most uniquely qualified to deliver to the world and to your customer, I think that is the hardest, if not the most important conversation that you can have and you can also give to your marketer.Stephanie:Yep. Yep. How do you go about measuring how a brand is doing? So, I'm thinking about what consumers say versus how they really feel, a good quote, maybe not a quote, but a summary from the CMO of UPS, they came on another show of ours and they said that they had really good brand recognition, people trusted them, but a lot of their consumers saw them as an old and stodgy company so they had to rethink their marketing because of that. But I'm like, if you would've just heard the first piece of oh, we have a great brand, recognition and trust, I'm just going to stop there, I'm good. Versus, getting into the details of, and it's a yes and they also think this, how do you go about measuring a brand's performance or how the consumers actually view them?Max:I love that quote too, taking a soundbite and turning it into an actionable insight. I will probably say something's that's a little bit more controversial, but that's in my nature.Stephanie:Yeah, I love that.Max:I love internal employee pulse checks. I think for me, the true measure of whether your work is adding any value or is exciting people is whether or not your employees are naturally promoting that work. Very often it does not happen, you would be shocked how many times even sitting in a marketing function living it day in, day out going through the blood, sweat and tears will team members refrain from posting. I think it's just there's very little work that I think is being put out into the world today where employees take pride on wanting to showcase it and really wanting to advocate for it.Max:So, my way of measuring success is if you can take a head count around the table, and if every member from your team posted, shared it, communicated, was proud to wear it as an emblem, I think you've succeeded in your role first and foremost, if you're just relying on that customer, if you're just relying on that external feedback again, I think you failed as an organization and as a mentor and as a leader internally.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah. I love that. That's really good. I'm thinking about different types of companies that probably definitely have an easier time. I'm thinking the non-profit world, people go there, maybe not always getting paid the highest, but they are there for a mission versus maybe other companies where people are there for the money or it's a trend. How do you think about actually getting that feedback? Are you literally going around the room being like, "Did you share, did you share?" Or how do you do it at scale if it's a team of thousands?Max:It's so great, I love internal surveys. I think anytime I always loved doing postmortems after a campaign or after we deliver an action, because sometimes it doesn't have to be a piece of creative content. It could be a public commitment, that you as an organization decided to make and that structurally made sense. And I've actually found that oftentimes employees are more willing and ready to share public commitments than they are with pieces of content, but anyway to answer your question, I'm a really big advocate of doing postmortems and in those postmortems, I think an internal employee pulse check with a survey I think is most often the best way to conduct that type of review process.Max:I also found that allowing employees to share feedback anonymously, I think helps exponentially and I think people are always more hesitant to put their name behind the feedback, but I realized very quickly in my review process that the moment I allowed people the freedom to actually say what they really thought without having to put their name behind it, I think the amount of feedback that we got was just astronomically higher, I think by nature.Max:I also really love when we are speaking about obtaining external feedback, I think social media has done a great job with that. Depending on which channels your organization is most active in, for me Athletic Apparel socials the epicenter right now, over all the community activities happening. I love doing pulses and customer surveys on Instagram. I think it's such a great way for you to get feedback in real time, which can also be very eye-opening right. Max:So, when you capture your audience's attention, you have a brief second to really engage with them. And if they've already made that first move, I think that to me is a lot more telling for a brand and organization than if you were to conduct customer insights and this extensive six month interview process where you're most likely bringing in individuals that aren't actively engaging with your brand. But on that aspect, I will tip my hat to Instagram I think for introducing that feature a thousand times over again, I've actually used it numerous times, not only for feedback on creative and campaigns that we've brought to market, but also as a way to guide our strategy.Max:So, I love doing polls where we basically ask our community what content would you to see us produce more? And sometimes the answer doesn't have to be very philosophical, it can be very direct, it can be very simple. And the responses that you get can actually dictate the course of almost an entire season. And I definitely have done that before.Stephanie:Yep. So, are you doing that for some of the brands like Athleta, and how did you structure the polls to get actionable feedback?Max:Yes. I think Athleta is a great example, especially during COVID right. It's hard to think back where I was a year and a half ago, but I remember having just moved to San Francisco for the job. I think I was in the office for a total of seven and a half days. The city just shut down and no one knew what to do. The organization didn't know what to do. I think as employees, I think everyone was in a standstill, but again, the community and our audience demanded responses, they demanded actions. And I think our social media team, I think definitely held the grunt of that work, they're at the battlefields, every single day whether it's delivering good news or tapering and bad news.Max:And so, I think there was a lot of immediate and actions that we took and we really utilize social, I think, to dictate the course of how we would, I don't want to use the word market, but really communicate where we were as an organization, because everything was at a standstill for 30 days. And it was really through that engagement and those backend DMs, those poll surveys, and I think we really found power in the voice of our community and we also understood what it really meant as a brand to show up for your community.Max:So, one of the things that quickly became evident as the city started shutting down was that the majority of our members at Athleta were business owners, female owned businesses, which some of that meant that they own their own studios, yoga studios, gyms studios, and those were the first to be impacted by COVID. And so, how do you as a brand support that community in a way that isn't related to product and I think for Athleta, being under the umbrella of Gap Inc we decided to really create a financial resource for a lot of these female owned businesses, where as a member of the Athleta community, you could apply for a grant or a funding that could really for some moms and for some women could really help keep their business afloat for the foreseeable future, which is where we were at the beginning of COVID.Stephanie:I love that. And did you find out more about who needed that help or what help they needed through social media, like you said, through those DMs?Max:I would say a combination of social media and our retail teams. I think especially working in the Apparel industry, we forget that retail is not dead. And if you have a retail structure that is highly connected to your community, they oftentimes know more about your consumer than you do sitting at HQ. And it's really that share-ability from the boots on the ground, I hate using the word bottom up, but I think that's really the mindset.Max:So, let's [inaudible] this top-down mentality and really about what are you hearing? What are customers saying when they're coming to your door? What's the feedback that you're receiving in store? I think that's really pivotal and I think that was really the feedback that was necessary for us to translate that into actionable insights as I call it.Stephanie:It seems there's still going to be so much work around getting those insights and incentivizing the employees to share that, but now consumers are basically coming to any retail shop expecting the same thing that they can get from online. It's like, yeah, of course I should be able to have this. Of course, I should be able to see inventory, talk to you quickly get what I want, but I see there's that catch up to even just going in different stores around Austin right now and being like, "Oh, this still feels like 2019 right now. What are we doing here?" How do you see that evolving?Max:It's also fascinating too, because you bring that up. Your store experience in Austin will probably be much different than a store experience in San Francisco. And even under the context of COVID, I think that's going to feel a lot more amplified as well in today's industry. I think what that touches on is really what I love to refer to as a decentralized model, where I think what we're witnessing in marketing and in omni-channel experiences and retail experiences is these little pockets, these little hubs of community oriented messaging and team structures.Max:So, a retail store is no longer just a retail store, it's actually a space for you to welcome members of your community, I think it's a space for you to engage with local businesses. That was actually an aspect that I love the most about working at lululemon was just how they really understood, I think the power of community and how a retail store could actually be an extension of that local market or that local demographic. And it didn't have to just be a place for business transactions, it didn't have to be a place just for you to go in and buy stretchy yoga pants as everyone likes to say.Max:For some, it could be a resource. I took a trip down to Key West Florida, of course this was before the pandemic happened. And I wanted to know what yoga studio to go to, what coffee shop I should go to, and the first place I went was to a lululemon store and ask their community members, 'Where do you go to work out? Where do you go to get coffee?" And it's just amazing how I think retail environments have become a source of information for a lot of members of the community. And I think the brands that are adapting to that mindset, I think are the ones that will really in the end come out winning and will be stronger I think in today's industry.Stephanie:I love that, such a good example. How does a company do that though? How does the brand pull a piece of the playbook from lululemon and create that community, do it in a way that people actually want to engage with, they trust it where they'll go and ask advice like where's the best coffee shop and buy from it. You essentially nailed every aspect of what every brand probably wants, but what do they do differently to get all of that?Max:I think it comes down to the original question that you asked me, I think a few minutes ago, which is, I think it's just having that honest conversation as an organization as to what are you most uniquely qualified to give to your audience? And I think for lululemon, again, I'm probably not in a place to speak about this because I wasn't there in its inception, but I can only imagine that when the founder sat down and analyzed that exact question, I think they knew that the power rested in community, so they made a conscious choice to really embed that in the organization's structure, as well as their brand DNA.Max:And I think from that brand values the mission statements evolved and it serves as a filter, as you grow and expand, I think for a brand that maybe is not rooted in community and is wanting to maybe shift into that world, I will continuously say that, I think you need to ask yourself are you in a place that you can authentically play in that ecosphere, because if you can't be authentic then I really don't think you should invest the time. I think you should really, really embrace what makes you unique and what it is that you can deliver to a customer in a unique way.Stephanie:Yep. Yep. I love that. So, earlier you were talking about Instagram is where it's at, it's got all these amazing features that can help a brand learn about their audience, answer all the questions they need. What else are you betting on? What other platforms are you bullish on right now?Max:VR, virtual experiences augmented reality. I am so excited for that future. I think if anything, COVID and remote living and brands having to force themselves, how else can we engage with brands that is interested in ecommerce platform and think have really forced us to reconsider other ways to bring customers along the journey and the creative experience. And I think augmented reality has certainly put us in a place I think of a lot of excitement.Max:My favorite to date has really been the Billie Eilish and the Moment Factory partnership, they created an out of this world, no pun intended experience where they really transported her audience and her fan base into this imaginary world. And the question was really what happens to you when you fall asleep? So, it was really this dream like state and it was just, I think, a beautiful representation of what the future of content can look and feel like. And at the same time, I think it really challenges this archaic notion that digital experiences don't create meaningful connection.Max:Which I actually think having VR and having augmented reality has really challenged that way of thinking, because it can absolutely transport you into a different world. It can absolutely create an emotion and it can also create an action. And I think that universe excites me tremendously, and if I could shift my focus and my attention, I think it would really be in a place where I'm playing day in and day out with that type of environment, for sure.Stephanie:Oh, I love that. This is something I've been looking into more from the crypto side and the cities, same, same though. I was learning all about these digital land sales and getting in there early, they're building this entire world and people go and interact there and do essentially commerce in this world, but to think about it from a brand perspective, how can a brand play in VR because Billie Eilish, I get it concert go somewhere to a different land, I love the idea, but if I'm a brand, what opportunities do you see right now?Max:Well, I always think back to yoga of course, because I worked for one of the best yoga brands in the world, but I think again, not wanting to go back to COVID, but I think COVID really shed light on our inability to go outside, and again, be in studio and being in environments that felt very natural to us. And again, I'm speaking in these terms assuming that you're probably the athletic person who does yoga, but if it's not yoga, it could be you wanting to go to a restaurant or a concert or whatever it is.Max:But in the context of yoga I think there were a lot of studios that were actually introducing this notion of virtual reality in which that even though you couldn't physically be present in the yoga studio, you could absolutely be transported there. And I think, again, it was a way to just create that connection and create that meaning and really bring people into one digital world that really felt physical visually.Max:And I think the brands that understand and harness that power, I think they'll start using that as a mechanism potentially to either create content. So, one way that I could think this coming to life, and actually it was one of the first big projects that I worked on at Reebok. At the time Google and YouTube had just started partnering on VR experiences and we did an entire documentary campaign experience, where we brought audiences basically along the ride for four emerging athletes.Max:And it was really a way again, for you to be transported into the physical spaces in which they train day in and day out. And I think for a customer to have that behind the scenes look, it's really one of a kind. If you can imagine this in an era of a Michael Jordan, to have that unfiltered access to an athlete before or after, or even during experience, I think that's a great place to be in, in terms of VR experiences and building that digital world and that digital infrastructure for at least athletic brands, which is where I operate in.Stephanie:Yeah. I can imagine so many different experiences to leverage [inaudible] not just from shopping, that's just the after effect of bringing in customers from all over the world and at the same place, instant way to build community, meet people. I think that's what COVID taught everyone, is we were in our own little bubbles and we'd gotten to this place where the only time you maybe saw people who didn't live near you, was in work meetings. And then all of a sudden you're like, "Oh, but now I need more community."Stephanie:And now it's actually my work friends I need. And so, starting to broaden that, going into a whole different world and being able to have an experience together, you vet your community and then you can also shop while you're there and maybe even change the experience as well, where it's, try that on for me. Oh, I'd like to see a model showing me this outfit who looks like me, this entire thing of shaping where you're at and be able to control it too.Max:I love that. And I think Warby Parker did that.Stephanie:Oh, did they?Max:Yeah. I think before any other brand caught onto that, the idea of essentially creating a virtual experience in which you could try on the products. And I think that notion that you, and I think you actually said something that gave me goosebumps, that idea that you could in real time see the product on someone that looked and felt like you, I think that's really important as well. And I think that's a shift that we're seeing more and more. And I think if anything, I would give credit to VR for building that and putting that at the forefront of conversations and marketing, for sure.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah. We're going to be looking back and be like, why did we just look at, oh, this model is 5'4 and 100 pounds. And me being like, okay, so that's not me. So if I was much taller and bigger, how would it look on me? How would it flow? We're going to look back and be like, "Why did we ever buy things based off of one picture? I want to see how it moves and fits and looks on someone." And I should be able to choose that experience if I'm not going in the store and trying it on every time there should be no return rates from our products.Max:I love it, do you want to work in marketing?Stephanie:Let's do it, I'm down. So many ideas I realized on the show, I'll just give everyone ideas and maybe someone will implement one of them. Every one of a thousand is an okay idea of mine. Super fun. Yeah. I love thinking about that stuff. All right. The last thing I want to touch on was what brands are you watching to keep an eye on the industry? Who's doing a really good job when it comes to branding where you're like, "I keep tabs on them every week to see what they're doing?" Maybe someone you've worked for.Max:Oh my God, that's such a hard question. It's interesting, I think I'm going to go outside of my respected industry. I'm really fascinated by what Spotify and Netflix have done, I think to the industry. I think Netflix has really capitalized on an audience-based as well as on a perpetual habit that I think we as consumers are starting to have more and more of in this digital age, and they've just managed to build this empire that I am so in admiration of, I also love what they're doing as a platform in terms of exposing younger audiences to different types of content with documentaries being at the forefront, I am a huge advocate of documentary.Max:In fact, one of my first experiences was working in post-production for documentaries. And I think I give them so much credit for just having that vision, having that ambition. When I think back from where they were 12 years ago or [inaudible] first heard their name and where they are today being nominated for Oscars and just the amount of insights and data that they have on us as an audience and as a viewership and how they translate that data into building out specific content programs and building out specific platforms on their channel, everyone else is chasing them and I think that was a gift.Max:To me, they're the Kleenex of the, they're probably going to hate hearing that, but they've defined online streaming. The idea and the notion of online streaming did not exist before Netflix came into the picture, and all brands now are chasing them and they want to compete. And I think that's a brand that I go to, I think, as a source of inspiration, which is weird to say, maybe it wasn't what you were hoping to hear.Stephanie:Oh, actually, when you said that I'm like, oh, obviously you're watching Formula 1. You're seeing the brand and the content angle and then you can go to the whole platform play, which also equally is inspiring. We've written entire stories of mission around Netflix and how they basically killed off their entire revenue stream to bet on another big one and inspiring all around. So, I love-Max:I agree. It's thinking big, bold and audacious and just watching the ripple effect happen. And I think they're definitely a brand that I go to inspiration. And another one is Spotify, again, I think the brands that excite me are the brands that understand their customers and they're catering their business decisions based on that understanding. There's no better brand that exposes and showcases that as Spotify, even the types of content and the marketing campaigns that they're putting out there all originally from their customer insights comes from data. And you got to give credit, I think, to a tech company like Spotify, where they're consistently operating in this multi dynamic world.Max:Because, if you can only imagine between licensing music rights and managing talent and branching into podcasts as well as music, it's got to be a living nightmare. Every time they have the opportunity to put a piece of campaign out there, a piece of content it's so powerful and you can see it from a share-ability aspect, from an engagement aspect, people are excited, people are waiting for it. Again, it's so simple their marketing but it's so effective and it's done in such an authentic way. Again, it comes back to that topic that you and I were talking about. It's authentic in nature to who they are as a brand, as well as a business. And I really admire them for that.Stephanie:Yep. Yeah. I love it. Anyone who wants to hear more about Spotify, we had their old CMO on, he's not their CMO now, but Seth, it's a good marketing trends, the podcasts it was really good. I think we did two parts with him and he was epic and you're like, now I know why the company is where it's at now and all of the decisions that were made to get them where they are now. Cool. All right. Well, let's move over to the lightning round. Lightning round is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud, this is where I ask a question and you have a minute or less to answer. Are you ready?Max:Yeah, I'm prepared.Stephanie:Okay. Get amped up. First one. What's up next on your reading list or your podcast queue?Max:Oh, great. Where the Crawdads Sing.Stephanie:Where the crawd... I have not actually heard of this one, I'll have to look at that.Max:I have it right there on my shelf. Yes, I bought it two years ago, It's collected dust, but I've made a commitment to finish it before the end of August. So, that is on my reading list for sure.Stephanie:Wow. Good reads a million votes, 4.8 stars. That's very good one. Cool. All right. If you were to have a podcast or show, TV show, movie, whatever you want it to be, what would it be about, and who would your first episode or guest be?Max:I think I'd have to do a podcast that is centered around people, places and products and how each of those define the course of your existence and how they really shape who you are as a human. And I feel anyone could speak or relate to any one of those elements and [inaudible].Stephanie:I like that. Who should be the sponsor for that? You already probably have a couple in mind.Max:I don't know, I've actually never been asked as a question. I don't know, maybe something will originate here.Stephanie:Yeah. There you go. Here comes the show, anyone who wants to sponsor it, Max is ready for you. What is the biggest disruption coming to ecommerce over the next year?Max:Hands down, virtual experiences.Stephanie:Love it. We already know your love for VR, so that makes sense. Next one, what is the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you?Max:I've had a lot. I was working at Reebok, I had a really tough day, it was the first time I cried in a bathroom. You know when you just want to hide your tears, you go to-Stephanie:I've been there, corporate life.Max:And I stumbled across someone who worked across from me and she asked me what was wrong. And I said, "Nothing everything will be okay," as we usually do. And the next day when I showed up, she bought me daisies, which she knew were my favorite. And she had a little bouquet of daisies there, and with a little note, and I had only interacted with this person once. And I thought it was just such a genuine kind gesture, and I've carried that moment since.Stephanie:I love that. That shows how such little things can literally impact someone's entire life. And this person listening, I hope they're out there so they can realize well-Max:[inaudible] bad-ass now, so you snagged a good one.Stephanie:I love that. That was great. All right, Maxwell, thank you so much for coming on the show, sharing all your brand knowledge, where can people find out more about you and maybe even hire you?Max:So, they could visit me at maxsummit.com. Yes, that's right. I've basically bought out everything that has my name on it.Stephanie:That's a good brand.Max:It was my little own brand marketing.Stephanie:Love it.Max:Yes, and my website you can visit at maxsummit.com. I'm also on LinkedIn again, Max Summit you can always find me. If you Google Max Summit, I'm probably Max Summit, Instagram, Max Summit LinkedIn, Max Summit Twitter, Max Summit at Yahoo, Max Summit at Gmail.Stephanie:There you go, Myspace, all the things.Max:Yeah. I'm Max Summit everything, but I love connecting with people, I love building stories. Even for virtual connects or coffee, it doesn't have to be business related, I'm open and I'm here.Stephanie:I love it. Thanks so much.Max:Thank you.
RYU Apparel Inc (TSXV RYU) (OTCQB:RYPPF) COO Rob Blair tells Proactive the Vancouver-based apparel company's focus will be to build a digital backbone to the RYU brand as it focuses in on its e-commerce strategy. Blair says the group, which recently re-opened its brick and mortar locations in Vancouver, Toronto, and Williamsburg, New York is anticipating the optics for its e-commerce strategy change over the next few months.
Join us this week as we dive into the story of how these two phenomenal coaches turned the athletic apparel industry upside-down. Not only have Kelley and Sarah created a line of products that are sustainably sourced and environmentally friendly, but they have also added COLOR and COMFORT into the design of workout gear. The magic didn't happen overnight, but has been a process of create, test, gather feedback, test again, create a better product. At Sisters Talk Shop, we are all about supporting small local businesses like Spandits! If you'd like to learn more about their products and apply to be an ambassador, head to www.spandits.com and enter the promo code SPANDITSLOVE for 10% off your first order when you tag Sisters Talk Shop/Lisa Hartung! You can also find them on Instagram and Facebook as Spandits!
This week Adam Johnson (@the_creative_explorer), a Senior Graphic Designer at Nike, talks about the balance between branding and appeal in apparel graphic design and how that ties into the overall narrative story. We discuss working two years ahead of real-life and how he designs outside of trend while using the combination of cyclical fashion and innovating performance technology to be on-trend in the future. He explains the collaborative ecosystem between the roles that make a piece of apparel happen and how he allows himself to explore new ideas within its boundaries and restrictions. Adam reminisces on feeling completely unprepared right before graduating college, how exhausting applying for jobs is, and his strategy on faking it to land a job. Lastly, we dig into his creative process, abandoning the idea of perfection and how hard it is to let a side project be a thing instead of trying to make it A THING. Show notes Fishing Jersey projectShoe Dog, by Phil KnightCamp Mug Supply Co.
**This episode is brought to you by ATTN Agency and Omnisend.** In the second part of this Feature, we sit back down with Daniel Shapiro, CEO, and Founder of Fourlaps. Fourlaps is a quality athletic apparel brand made to be just as fashionable as it is comfortable. With tons of experience with major fashion brands and a love for working out, Daniel realized what he wanted in an athletic brand and decided that he had the perfect way to do it. Now Daniel runs Fourlaps, a brand dedicated to giving customers the best athletic experience without jeopardizing their everyday look. Join Ramon Vela and Daniel as they breakdown the inside story on one of GQ’s favorite athletic apparel brands on The Story of a Brand. In Part 2, we hear Reaching a high point with GQ; COVID impacts the brand and marketing strategy; Moving past obstacles; Integrating sustainability into activewear; Creating athletic clothing with highly functional fabrics; The future of Fourlaps; and much more. For more on Fourlaps, visit: https://www.fourlaps.com/ * OUR SHOW IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF ATTN Agency. ATTN Agency is a full-funnel growth and performance digital marketing agency with proven strategies to scale and optimize direct-to-consumer brands through tactical media buying, data-driven analysis, and unrivaled creative services. If you are looking back on this year wondering what went wrong or what could have gone better, or if you're starting to put together your game plan for 2021, I have one piece of advice: you need to talk to ATTN Agency. I’ve interviewed several of their clients, and I can say that they are the best in the business. ATTN represents some of the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brands, delivering month-over-month results. For a comprehensive, no-obligation, 14 point audit of your social, search, shopping, email, and SMS channels, visit: https://www.attnagency.com/storyofabrand/ * This episode was brought to you by Omnisend. Omnisend is an e-commerce marketing platform that goes above and beyond regular email campaigns - so you can start increasing your sales, not your workload. With Omnisend, you’ll be launching pre-built e-commerce automation in no time, as well as intuitively segmenting customers and even trying out SMS or push notifications - all from the same platform. The best part? Omnisend provides an immediate boost to your revenue while staying as comfortable as drag & drop email building - with automated emails averaging up to 40% of total email revenue. Join Hallmark, Duke Cannon, and 50,000 other high-growth brands choose Omnisend to grow their e-commerce businesses on autopilot. Start your 14-day free trial today. No credit card is required. Visit https://www.omnisend.com/sob/
Tune in on this episode with Mandi Kerr and Megan Eddings who is a creative chemist, entrepreneur and lover-of-life who focuses on sharing encouragement, positivity and creating. Megan has created an Antibacterial Prema Fabric which is patent pending in 120 countries. Megan is a dynamic entrepreneur, 40 under 40, Investor and Positivity Enthusiast. I'm excited to have her on our show today to discuss what she is working on next and how Hemp might be the next opportunity in Athletic Apparel and Uniforms.
Tune in on this episode with Mandi Kerr and Megan Eddings who is a creative chemist, entrepreneur and lover-of-life who focuses on sharing encouragement, positivity and creating. Megan has created an Antibacterial Prema Fabric which is patent pending in 120 countries. Megan is a dynamic entrepreneur, 40 under 40, Investor and Positivity Enthusiast. I'm excited to have her on our show today to discuss what she is working on next and how Hemp might be the next opportunity in Athletic Apparel and Uniforms.
The race for esports assets is officially on. So far in 2021 we have Adidas partnering with G2 and now PUMA grabbing the Kings Pro League. Both are massive properties. We look at the size of Honor of Kings, what PUMA is reaching with this deal and how the race currently stacks up. Watch The Gamer Hour - Esportz Network's new show hosted by Chris Puckett from Times Square. This week's guest was NFL RB Nyhiem Hines (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGSLEPlNgNUNfeo_FeYnGng) If you are interested in being a sponsor for the Esports Minute, Esports Network Podcast, College Esports QuickTake or The Gamer Hour, please reach out to Esportz Network CEO Mark Thimmig by emailing mthimmig@esportznetwork.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate and subscribe, it helps us out a ton! New episodes Monday through Friday. For more in-depth news check out our feature show the Esportz Network Podcast The Esports Network Podcast (https://www.esportznetworkpodcast.com/). If you are interested in learning more about college esports, subscribe to the College Esports QuickTake. (https://esportzcollegequicktakecom.fireside.fm/) Follow Mitch on Twitter @Mitch_Reames (https://twitter.com/Mitch_Reames) Follow Esportz Network on Twitter (https://twitter.com/EsportzNetwork), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/esportznetwork/), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EsportzNetwork) @EsportzNetwork Or visit our website esportznetwork.com (https://www.esportznetwork.com/) for updates on what's to come!
This week on Acta Non Verba Brian Nabavi shares his journey through adversity, leaving a six-figure position to hit financial rock bottom before building his own successful company. Listen in as Marcus and Brian discuss being unafraid to make mistakes, helping others through authenticity and sharing his story, and how to use adversity as a reason to expand instead of shrink. Brian Nabavi is the founder of and CEO of Til You Collapse athletic apparel. He has been in the fitness industry for 23 years and quit his 6 figure job as the GM of sales for a franchised gym back in 2014 and took the huge risk of pursuing business/entrepreneurship. He now helps others through coaching and sharing his story. You can learn more about Brian and his company via his website: https://www.briannabavi.com/ Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, Laleh Hancock introduces Chrissy Dorn, founder of Chrissy Dorn – Sustainable Brand Development. With over 30 years of brand development through sales, product management and marketing, Chrissy learned from powerful industry mavericks and crazy rebels and from true visionaries with clear values and a strong sustainable & ethical "why". “Be the difference that creates change! What if there were way more possibilities you ever imagined if you asked for them?” About our Guest: Chrissy began her career in 1983 in renowned 5-star hotels, spending eight years working abroad in France and the UK. She speaks several languages (German, English, French, Italian, Spanish). Her many foreign travels enabled her to quickly understand different cultures and the diverse clients she works with. In 1987, Chrissy followed her love for nature and rock-climbing and switched to the outdoor & sports industry, contributing to major expansion for reputable outdoor brands, amongst which Patagonia and Timberland. She later ran her own wholesale agency across the UK and the Benelux, with brands like Wild Roses and Lowa. In her role as EU sales manager for Mountain Hardwear, Chrissy made a particularly strong contribution to the brand's presence across Europe. In the early 2000s, when Puma became the world's most desirable sports lifestyle brand, as one of three International Product Line Managers, Chrissy increased turnover in her categories “Women's Athletic Apparel” and “Men's & Women's Performance Apparel” in double-digit growth rates up to a yearly volume of 60 Million Euro. In 2007, Chrissy founded her independent PR and business development agency. Her portfolio includes innovative leaders and industry mavericks with a strong ethical and sustainable ethos, amongst which Nikwax, Páramo, Rab, Lowe Alpine, Timbuk2, Hydro Flask and Ticket to the Moon. In 2019/20, Chrissy has had the great honor to work with world class guitarist duo Café del Mundo. Her forever existing love for music expanded Chrissy's view on all the many things that the word “sustainability" actually includes: one of which is the enduring joy that authentic music brings to our hearts and the way it connects people sustainably. The commitment to the conservation of our planet, and the question what every single one of us can contribute, has inspired Chrissy to focus her consultancy work on sustainable brand development. What if there was a different way of growing a business? For enquiries or an individual quote, please e-mail: contact@chrissydorn.com FOLLOW US: Facebook Instagram Youtube Pinterest Spotify Telegram Official Website
New COED performance apparel available at coedpulse.com These Guys are so professional and detailed. That's what makes COED so great. They taught me a new word “antimicrobial” please watch until the end. From Antwan and David Thank you again Judah for having us on The Rise!!! Music Credits @tidwavstudios Don't Rush - Young T & Bugsey Some Media Credits: @ Court_of _Roses Photgraphy Tshirt by: @kimkennedywashington
In the midst of a pandemic, businesses and consumers are prompted to hurry up and wait. Meanwhile, the definition of essentials is governed, retail locations are ordered to close, and more and more people are out of work. While a period of in-between can feel stagnant, Rhone founder Nate Checketts decided to take action. He recruited 20 brands to join BRANDS × BETTER — a new coalition of companies that have pledged to donate a portion of their funds to COVID-19 relief organizations. This not only supports to relief efforts, but keeps businesses up and running. From "Not another coronavirus email" to unwavering product launches, Nate and his team at Rhone have opted for action instead of reaction and adapted with solutions that are right for their business and their customers.Links and images on the Lumi blog: https://www.lumi.com/wellmade
Featuring founder of rnnr athletic apparel Kate Arsenault by
Alyson Neel visits the studio to share her inspiring story of how and why she started this great Athletic Apparel company, Blyss Running, geared toward women over 40.
Nate Checketts is the co-founder and CEO of Rhone, a men’s performance lifestyle company founded in 2014. Prior to Rhone, Nate worked for and consulted with some of the biggest technology and entertainment properties in the world including Cisco, the NFL, Legends, FanVision, and Sport Radar.In this episode, Nate joins Pat and Posh to share his story of growing up in Connecticut and always having an entrepreneurial bug in him. His father was a successful business executive in the world of sports (former GM of the Utah Jazz and CEO of NBA International) and Nate always felt pressure to be a success as well, in his own way.While in college, he started a technology company which was a mobile app that allowed fans in a stadium to order food directly from their seats, and the company was sold the San Francisco 49ers after 3 years. While selling a company in your mid-twenties may cause people to believe you’ve reached a point of massive success, Nate ultimately felt like a failure. Things just hadn’t worked out the way he had planned and he was eager for more.After a brief stint working for the NFL, Nate left his job to launch Rhone. He had seen a gap in the men’s activewear and lifestyle category and was on a mission to create a brand that made an impact. He also noticed that the behavior of men was changing when it came to their relationship with clothing, and he was compelled to do something about it.Today, Rhone is one of the fastest-growing brands in the activewear category and is the #1 men’s brand sold at Equinox and Peloton.During this conversation, Nate also sheds light on the valuable business lessons he’s learned throughout his career, what takes an idea from zero to one, the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur, fundraising, “athleisure” vs. performance lifestyle, and the challenges as well as benefits of Ecommerce vs. Retail.SUBSCRIBE TO TFH NEWSLETTER & STAY UPDATED > http://bit.ly/tfh-newsletterFOLLOW TFH ON INSTAGRAM > http://www.instagram.com/thefounderhourFOLLOW TFH ON TWITTER > http://www.twitter.com/thefounderhourINTERESTED IN BECOMING A SPONSOR? EMAIL US > partnerships@thefounderhour.com
Our second feature for the month of October is the talented Tranise Wimberly of @Wimberly_Sports! In one of our most emotional interviews yet watch as she tells us how her growing pains made her the strong individual today. The blessing of meeting her husband and her childhood passion which turned into a full blown business! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/untapped-media-group/support
Guest and Shirt Lab Washington DC instructor Gary Ficken with Bimm Ridder Sportswear drops by to chat about selling value in the Athletic Apparel market.
Marshall Atkinson and Tom Rauen talk to Sandlot Sports owner Adam McCauley about the benefits of selling athletic apparel and gear.
Meet Erin Falter, up-and-coming athletic apparel empress. After graduating from Notre Dame in 2014, Erin moved to New York and held down strategist roles at Razorfish and VaynerMedia while helping to build Way of Life Athletic Company (or WOLACO) on the side. This summer, she abdicated agency work in favor of entrepreneurism, joining her two co-founders as Marketing Director at WOLACO and throwing herself fulltime into the startup. Their mission? To inspire the idea that being active is about more than fitness – it’s integral for cultivating your most potentiated self.
Nate Checketts founded Rhone, a premium active men’s apparel company that makes honestly the best workout gear in the world. I say that not as Nate’s friend - I say that as a repeat customer. What makes this episode special is some of the vulnerability that Nate shares about the challenges of his journey, including a literal life changing moment where he almost died due to his type 1 diabetes and how he prioritizes family. I also loved hearing how his leadership team kicks off their weekly meeting talking about their company principles on a rotating basis. I know you will enjoy this conversation, as it is a really unique view on two founders on parallel roller coasters.
For the first episode of Founder’s 15, we have a guest who is not only a great business leader but a friend. I’ve been fortunate to spend a fair bit of time with Simon, including most recently a week around Asia. I love every minute of time I get to spend with Simon, and after listening this podcast, I think you’ll know why. He is the embodiment of a humble leader and as the co founder of Sweaty Betty with his wife and creative visionary, Tamara, he’s changed how the UK looks at not only active apparel but fitness itself. After seeing a very unique market opportunity 20 years ago, the same time lululemon launched, they started selling active apparel. After many years, they realized they needed to launch their own brand, and Sweaty Betty as we know it today was born. From his Friday breakfasts with the boss to how they continue to evolve as a 20 year old business, I think you’ll have several genuine takeaways and be inspired to be a better leader, spouse, and parent. I know I was. For full show notes visit founders15.com
An 18 year old in the UK goes from idea to action with his fitness-meets-fashion athletic brand in just over a year. Side Hustle School features a new story EVERY DAY of someone who started a hustle without quitting their job. You’ll learn how they got the idea, how they overcame challenges along the way, and what the results are. Share: #SideHustleSchoolShow notes: SideHustleSchool.comTwitter: @chrisguillebeauInstagram: @193countries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the latest episode of the College Athletics Corridor Podcast, Micah and Rex discuss the newly-inked athletic apparel agreements within college athletics. Hint: there is a lot of money involved. They also take a deep dive into the college athletic apparel industry as a whole, such as the future of Nike's dominance (or lack thereof) and much more.
We talk about going from prototype to manufacturing and validating the market and also cover Tim's tips for launching on Kickstarter.
In this episode, Peter Ott discusses the University of Virginia’s recent extension of its athletic apparel deal with Nike with David Teel, an award-winning columnist for the Daily Press, an newspaper that covers the Hampton Roads metro area of Virginia. Interestingly enough, neither Nike nor the University of Virginia seemed eager to publicize the deal much, which provides an interesting contrast to past agreements between universities and athletic apparel companies. Mr. Teel provides an interesting and informed perspective into this current deal and how these deals have evolved over time. You can follow Mr. Teel on twitter here or order his book “Press Pass: Thirty Years of Bylines, Headlines and Deadlines” here. Mr. Teel was able to learn about this detail through his reporting work.∼ Continue Reading ∼
Lyst gets more funding, Sears closing its Chicago flagship, Instagram sales conversion study, Menswear and Chanel Couture 2014 and more. Listen up!
Pinterest updates its terms & conditions. Adam Levine goes back on his tweet and launches a fragrance (and so did a few others apparently). Also some news on athletic apparel in China, Britain and beyond! This is Speaking Of Fashion; listen up!
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