Podcast appearances and mentions of kevin lavelle

Kevin Lavelle is the CEO & Cofounder of Harbor. He's also the Founder and Chairman of the Board at Mizzen+Main, where he invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt, ultimately driving it to hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. He successfully raised a growth round from L Catterton and established partnerships with athletes like Phil Mickelson, JJ Watt, and dozens of others. Today, Mizzen+Main has more than ten of its own stores with 1,000 retailers also carrying its products. We discuss: - Starting and growing Mizzen+Main - The intricacies of celebrity-equity deals - The inspiration for founding Harbor - The realities of building physical products vs. software - Stories with Phil Mickelson and J.J. Watt We'd appreciate you filling out our audience survey, so we can continuously work on providing relevant content to our listeners.  https://www.thefortpod.com/survey Links: Mizzen+Main - https://www.mizzenandmain.com/ Harbor - https://harbor.co/ Kevin on X - https://x.com/kevinslavelle The Phil Mickelson Commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45xF1C76I88 Support our Sponsors: BetterPitch: https://bit.ly/42d9L0I Fort: https://bit.ly/FortCompanies Follow Fort on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fort-companies/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:49) - Kevin's early career and inspiration to found Mizzen+Main (00:07:25) - Building the prototype (00:11:38) - The early days of building the brand (00:15:16) - The impact of sponsoring the Tim Ferriss Podcast (x) (00:21:35) - Choosing the name “Mizzen+Main” (00:23:50) - Inventory Management  (00:26:55) - Starting today, what would be your hiring order? (00:28:32) - Celebrity partnership stories: J.J. Watt & Phil Mickelson (00:48:17) - The inspiration for founding Harbor (01:03:17) - Bringing on a Co-Founder and building hardware (01:17:19) - Marketing approaches (01:14:56) - How celebrity equity deals work Chris on Social Media: The Fort Podcast on Twitter/X: https://x.com/theFORTpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/45gIkFd   Watch The Fort on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3oynxNX Visit our website: https://bit.ly/43SOvys Leave a review on Apple: https://bit.ly/45crFD0 Leave a review on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO  The FORT is produced by Johnny Podcasts

In the latest episode of the Dads with Daughters podcast, we had a heartfelt and enlightening discussion with Kevin Lavelle, co-founder and CEO of Harbor. Kevin shared his experiences and reflections on raising two healthy children—an 8-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter—while managing the demands of a thriving career. Kevin emphasized the importance of being present for his children despite the time constraints of being an entrepreneur. He has found fulfillment in volunteering as a soccer coach for his son and accompanying his daughter to gymnastics. His philosophy of being "appropriately selfish" underscored the necessity of self-care to be effective in caring for one's family. The Fleeting Nature of Childhood Both Kevin and our host, Dr. Christopher Lewis, resonate on how quickly time passes with young children. Recounting poignant moments like the birth of his son and profound moments in his entrepreneurial journey, Kevin appreciated the urgency of cherishing every moment with family. He shared a personal anecdote about working on a term sheet in the delivery room, highlighting the blend of work and personal life that many modern parents experience. This understanding deepened after a personal loss—his wife's mother—which reinforced the irreplaceable value of family time. Dr. Lewis echoed this sentiment, encouraging fathers to prioritize building strong relationships with their children over work commitments. Challenges of Modern Parenting Kevin tackled the complex challenge of raising respectful and capable children in today's world. He discussed the necessity of discipline, the influence of external factors such as peers and media, and the struggle of maintaining different parenting standards than others. Kevin and his wife take pride in their children's respectful behavior in public, yet they find themselves constantly correcting behaviors influenced by their environments. Dr. Lewis and Kevin also explored the concept of “deprogramming,” or correcting behaviors developed when children are outside the home. This underscores the dynamic landscape parents must navigate to maintain their values. Promoting Healthier Families Through Better Sleep A significant portion of the podcast focused on Kevin's venture, Harbor, which aims to improve parental well-being through better sleep. Inspired by his own experience with sleep deprivation, Kevin developed a product integrating professional guidance and innovative technology. The system offers a reliable baby monitoring solution, avoiding common issues with existing products, and introduces a concept of a remote night nanny service. This service is designed to be affordable and leverages professionally trained nurses to help parents manage nighttime challenges, ensuring better sleep for all family members. Fatherhood's Essential Bonds Kevin concluded by sharing his views on fatherhood—emphasizing a connection, love, and support as the bedrock of raising well-rounded children. He credited his own parents, his wife, and his children as his inspiration, and he offered advice to fellow fathers: Enjoy spending time with your children and cherish the fleeting nature of childhood. Parents today face numerous challenges, but as Kevin's journey illustrates, with mindfulness, appropriate self-care, and innovative solutions, the joys of parenting can indeed be balanced with professional success. For those seeking additional support, the podcast encourages engagement with resources like the Fatherhood Insider and the Dads with Daughters community. For Fathers, By Fathers: A Beacon of Support Dads with Daughters remains committed to helping fathers navigate the beautiful complexities of raising daughters to be strong, independent women. Tune in for more inspiring stories and practical advice from fathers like Kevin Lavelle.   TRANSCRIPT Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:05]: Welcome to dads with daughters. In this show, we spotlight dads, resources, and more to help you be the best dad you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:15]: Welcome back to the Dads with Daughters podcast where we bring you guests to be active participants in your daughters' lives, raising them to be strong, independent women. Really excited to have you back again this week. As always, every week, I love being on this journey with you. You and I are walking on this path to help our daughters to be those amazing women that we want them to be as they get into their adult years, and it's a process. It's definitely a process that we walk through to be able to be that dad that we wanna be and to be engaged and to be present and to be there for our daughters as they get older. And you don't have to walk that alone. That's why this podcast exists. It's here to help you to walk alongside other fathers that are either going through the process right now, have gone through the process, or other individuals that have resources that can help you again to be that dad that you wanna be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:12]: Every week, I love being able to bring you different guests, different people with different experiences that are fathering in different ways. And today, we got another great guest. Kevin Lovell is with us today, and Kevin is the cofounder and CEO of Harbour. It is a company that we're gonna learn more about today. But I love their tagline, we create happier parents and healthier families one restful night at a time. And how many of you remember, especially those young first few years when you felt like a zombie? I'm just going to put it plainly, and you felt like you were not getting any sleep, and probably you weren't getting a lot of sleep. But we're going to talk about this venture that he has been on for the last few years and what he's doing. But first 1st and foremost, we're gonna learn about him as a dad. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:58]: So I'm really excited to have him here. Kevin, thanks so much for being here. Kevin Lavelle [00:02:01]: Thank you. A great opportunity. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:02]: Well, Kevin, it's my pleasure having you here today. And one of the things that I love doing first and foremost is turning the clock back in time. And I know you've got 2 kids. We're gonna focus on your daughter today, but I know you've got a son as well. You got an 8 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. So you had your son first. Now I wanna go back to that first moment that you found out that you were going to be a father to a daughter. What was going through your head? Kevin Lavelle [00:02:26]: Really fun memory. My my wife and I, our son was a little over I don't know. He was maybe 16 months old when we found out we were going to have another child, and we both did that thing. And and I think we meant it. Then we said, you know, whether it's a boy or a girl, it doesn't matter. We're just gonna be so happy that, you know, have another. And to each their own, I wasn't into a big gender reveal party, but I did think it would be fun to learn together. And so we had her doctor email the results to someone on my team at Mizzen and Maine, and I asked him to go get flowers, you know, pink for a girl, blue for a boy, and put them in our garage so that when I came home, I was traveling, I could bring the flowers covered in a trash bag into the house and we could look at them together because my wife loves flowers. Kevin Lavelle [00:03:14]: That was the way that we were gonna learn together. And right as I was about to pull into the garage, I just had this overwhelming thought, god, I hope it's a girl. And, you know, I didn't I hadn't said anything. And right as I went to pick the flowers up in our garage, they basically kind of fell open, and I saw it was pink. And I was just overcome with joy, and I had to pretend that I didn't know. But I walked in and I opened it up, and my my wife was, absolutely overjoyed as well. And at the time, my my first company was an apparel company, so my my colleague had also put a pink shirt in there, one of our pink shirts as a company. So that was a fun way to tie that together. Kevin Lavelle [00:03:54]: And shortly after she learned it was a girl, she said, I really wanted it to be a girl. And I was like, I did too. And by the way, I found out in the garage. And so, a very fond memory, not just learning that it was going to be a girl and and, you know, knowing that we now had a son and a daughter, but, a very memorable time in our lives. And it was a very rough pregnancy for my wife. And I don't know how true this is or an old wives tale that, you know, when it's a girl, they they suck all the pretty and all the life out of you because they're they're bringing it into themselves. And we were joking because it was a much rougher pregnancy with my daughter than my son. So we we we kind of felt it might have been a girl. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:30]: Now I talk to a lot of dads, and a lot of the fathers talk about the fact that they are that there is fear going into being a father to a daughter. Whether found or unfound, it's there. So as you think about the years that you've had with your daughter thus far and you think about your own experiences, what's been your biggest fear in raising a daughter? Kevin Lavelle [00:04:53]: The most direct fear as she gets older, women are more vulnerable in society and all of history than men. That's just the nature of humanity and the nature of life. And so, higher fear that she could have something terrible happen to her than to my son. Although, as parents in an ever crazier and changing world, certainly, the fear exists, for both of them. But my focus, and my wife and I have the same belief, is help our kids there's a phrase, prepare the child for the road and not the road for the child. And I see it so often, especially in some of the schools that we have been in. Whether it's parents or teachers or both, they want to make sure that everything is perfect for their child rather than, how do I make my child resilient and capable of addressing whatever it is that life will bring to them. And so, everything that we can do to make them more resilient and just prepared and understand the risks that exist in the world while not being afraid of the world. Kevin Lavelle [00:05:52]: You could hide out real easily and miss out on a lot of the wonderful things that life has to offer. And and we want them to face the world with head held high and and know what they're capable of. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:02]: Now you're a busy guy. You're a CEO, entrepreneur. You have been involved with a couple of ventures and a couple of companies in your time as a father. And it not only takes time, effort, but it takes balance. So talk to me about what you've had to do to be able to balance all that you're doing in starting and creating a new company, but also in trying to be that engaged father that you wanna be. Kevin Lavelle [00:06:30]: There are lots of people much more smarter and accomplished than me than that probably have lots of specific tips and tricks. But I'll say the thing that has resonated or or stuck with me the most is accepting that I will never get it all done. And I could work round the clock and miss out on life in front of me. We lost my wife's mother now about a decade ago. And that was very young to lose her. And just understanding that life is very short and very precious. And so don't miss out on don't miss out on what's in front of you. And the age old adage, the nights are long, especially when it comes to sleeplessness in those early years, but the years are short. Kevin Lavelle [00:07:10]: And I had quite a few people say that to me when my kids were, you know, 6, 9 months old. And you're not sleeping. And it is a level of exhaustion. Even if your kids are doing well sleeping through the night, it's just so all consuming and difficult and everything is new and stressful. Sometimes, when people tell that to you in that time of life, you're like, thanks. That's super helpful. I'm barely making it in a given day. But just continuing to come back to how fortunate we are. Kevin Lavelle [00:07:35]: We have 2 healthy kids. That is in and of itself a miracle. And then, prioritizing as much as I can. I've been volunteer soccer coach for my son, taking my daughter to her gymnastics classes, and just trying to soak up the time with them because it's moving very quickly. And there's never going to be enough hours in the day to do all the things that I want to do. But making sure that when I'm with them, try to be as as present as possible. I could talk about this for hours, but those would be the biggest things that that really stand out to me. And then, I think I'd also just add, with that said, I heard a Naval Ravikant years ago podcast with somebody was saying that he does a good job of, I think in his own words, he said being appropriately selfish. Kevin Lavelle [00:08:18]: And it comes down to this analogy of put your own oxygen mask on first. If you're not sleeping and eating and taking care of your body and your mind, then you can't take care of your family. You can't be there for them. You can't be a leader. And so, I think some people end up losing sight of that and forget that they still need to have some fun. They still need to take care of themselves. They need to get sleep. Then they need to be able to sit down and read a book or chat with friends. Kevin Lavelle [00:08:44]: And and you it is very easy to lose sight of that, especially in the days of of of young kids. And ultimately, looking at some of my friends whose kids are a bit older, and they're starting to adjust to the fact that they don't spend much time with their kids anymore even though they still live at home. And so that window of time is is very short. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:02]: It is very short. And as your kids get older, you look back and say, dang it. Because, hopefully, you have taken the time to be able to build those really strong relationships, spent the time, and not focus on work or not focus on the things that you think are important at the time to be able to provide for your family, but what you come to find. And I see that even though I've been a very engaged father throughout my entire kids' lives. But as you get into the teenage years and they start pulling away, and you're not able to have as many opportunities to be able to connect and engage on a regular basis, you treasure the moments that you do have to be able to create those opportunities and have those opportunities. And they look and feel a little bit different, But you definitely want to grab them, hold them, and keep doing those things with them when they give you that opening to do it. Now I asked you about if there were any things that you were afraid of and fear in that regard. But being a parent is not always easy. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:10:07]: We just talked about and we'll talk more about the fact of sleep and the importance of sleep. But it's not always easy to be a father to a son, a father to a daughter. What would you say has been the hardest part for you in being a father to a daughter? Kevin Lavelle [00:10:21]: If I had to sum it up, I think overall, I would pick up 2 different angles to this. And I can hone in on it being daughter specific and also being a father specific. It's not specifically daughter related, but it is very much a central struggle to being a parent. And it's something that I see, I don't say this on a high horse, but it's something I see a lot of other parents neglect. And I can see it coming back to bite them, which is raising good, capable kids who are respectful and that you want to spend time with is there's a pretty significant amount of time that is frustrating and you have to be, you have to be the parent. You have to be the adult. You have to be the rule enforcer. You have to constantly give feedback and it's frustrating and it's challenging. Kevin Lavelle [00:11:03]: But when you don't do that, each passing day, week, month, and year, it's harder to raise good, respectful kids that are capable and, you know, you want to spend time with. Jordan Peterson, I think it was in his 12 Rules For Life, talked about you don't let your kids do things that make you like them less because you love them more than anyone else in the world. And if you let their bad behavior go, their obnoxious behavior, even annoying tendencies, if you don't help them correct those, well, guess what the rest of the world's gonna do? They're not really gonna like them either. They're not gonna want to engage with them. They're not gonna want to be friends with them. They're not gonna wanna help them, mentor them, etcetera. And so I think about this a lot, especially when I have those frustrating conversations or interactions that I have to work very hard to help them grow and flourish. And that means I'm bearing a lot of the brunt of that so that they, in the rest of the world, have people like them and want to be around them. Kevin Lavelle [00:12:01]: And one of the things that my wife and I are most proud of on an ongoing basis is when people are around our kids, they are genuinely surprised at how wonderful they are to be around. They're very respectful. We can go to very nice restaurants with them without an iPad. And they do great. And that I don't know how many times we went to a restaurant where it wasn't awesome before it started to be good. And now, it's great. And so, you know, I think with that, that is not necessarily daughter specific. I'll go with now daughter specific. Kevin Lavelle [00:12:33]: And the other key piece here is you don't raise your kids in a vacuum. And our kids go to school with other kids whose parents are fine with different approaches to language and respect and electronics and vanity and spending. And there's a when our kids spend time with certain kids, they come home with very annoying or inappropriate kind of phrases or responses. And it's getting a little bit better because they know what, they tend to understand more of what's right and wrong and what is and isn't acceptable. But when they are in school all day or they spend time with certain kids, they come home with things that we have to then work to correct. And it's not a huge problem. But, you know, when you send your kids out into the world, you have to remember they're out in the world without you. And that's why it's so important to build those innate characteristics. Kevin Lavelle [00:13:25]: And especially on the little girl front, some parents have no problem with makeup and music and things that are just not appropriate for my daughter's age. And then she's struggling with this back and forth of, well, I see my friends do it and their parents are okay with it. And you have to say, while being respectful, you can't really say, well, those are not good parents in our view. Because there's a way to say that that inspires better decision making. And there's a way to say that that could make them look down upon or feel differently about folks. That's that's not not helpful. People can parent hard, but they want to parent. My job is to take care of my kids. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:14:03]: Well, and the other thing that I think that all of us have to understand is that each of us come into parenting without a rule book, without a guide book. And depending on the model that you saw in your own experience as a child yourself, the other parents that you surround yourself with, you start to identify and create ways in which you parent based on those. And sometimes parents don't realize what they're doing or are not doing, and unless someone points it out to them as well. But I completely understand what you're saying because sometimes you do have to do that deprogramming with your kids when they get back into your home or if they've spent time even when they go to grandparents and they come home, and the rules are different there. And then they come back and are like, well, grandma and grandpa said it was okay, so why not here? And you have to deal with that as well. So I completely understand what you're saying in that regard. Now we've been talking and kinda hinting about the importance of sleep. And as I mentioned at the beginning, you are the CEO and cofounder of Harbor. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:15:11]: It is a organization company that is working to create happier parents and healthier families, as I said, one restful night at a time. And I remember those days with both my kids feeling like a zombie when you're trying to go to work, and you're coming home, and, you know, you're getting a few hours of sleep. And, you know, those things are very challenging, and those those days and nights can be long. And that being said, I wanted to ask you about Harbor because, like you said, you spent quite a few years at Mizzen and Main, which is a clothing company. And you pivoted after this to open your own organization and create your own company in that regard and beyond what you did at Mizzen and Main to something completely different. So talk to me about that origin story of Arbor. And what made you decide to move away from clothing and move toward something that we're talking about in regards to helping parents to get better sleep, to be able to stay connected with their children, and be able to create this new product? Kevin Lavelle [00:16:17]: So when my son was born, it was a very memorable time in my life. Also, similar to that very visceral memory of finding out my second was gonna be a girl. We were in the throes of fundraising for Mizzen and Maine. We were assigned the term sheet with our private equity firm in the delivery room for my son. And I remember pieces of that very vividly. And one of them was, I'm not the person who's going to decide the car seat or the stroller. I was helpful with my wife there where she wanted me to. But I'm more of the tech person, and I did a lot of research. Kevin Lavelle [00:16:49]: And there was a company called Nanit that had a lot of recognition and press about their very innovative baby monitor. It's a Wi Fi camera with an app on your phone. And I thought, oh, that's really neat. I like apps on my phone. That's convenient. But while someone was a couple, I don't know, weeks or months old, I can't remember the exact date that it happened. And he was in his own room. And I woke up one morning and the app on my phone, because you have to sleep next to your phone, which I don't like doing to begin with, but you have to sleep next to your phone so the app audio runs in the background. Kevin Lavelle [00:17:18]: The app had just crashed. And look, apps crash. They're not a 100% reliable. And I panicked and ran across the house. And, of course, he was fine. Kids are more resilient than we give them credit for. But it was a very alarming realization that this thing that I'm supposed to be able to rely on, you I can't. And so we went out that day and bought an old school Motorola camera and an old school Motorola monitor that was direct local only communication. Kevin Lavelle [00:17:46]: It does not use the Internet in any way, shape, or form. But we kept a Wi Fi camera. I got rid of the Nanit and ended up just using a Google Home device, a Nest camera, because my wife and I worked together at Mizzen and Maine. And when she came back to work, we wanted to be able to check-in on the nanny with a babysitter. You just you wanna be able to know. And not that I wanna be monitoring 20 fourseven, but technology is supposed to make our lives better. And there have been a lot of promises that have largely failed to deliver for parents. So this idea of why do I have 2 separate systems to be able to just know that I'm monitoring my kid and record and rewind and check out from outside the house? I talked to a lot of parents over the last 8 years and just sort of getting feedback and wondering what they were using. Kevin Lavelle [00:18:32]: And I found out that 20 to 30 plus percent of my friends did the same thing that I did, was have multiple systems. And in an industry and in a time of life when parents want the best for their kids, baby registries are between $3 and probably $15,000 worth of products as a first time parent. Cribs and strollers and car seats and multiple strollers and formula and and pumps and on and on and on and on. The best that parents have to offer or the best that parents have accessible to them is hacking together multiple systems that don't communicate with each other and blah blah blah. So I wanted to solve this problem since my son was born. And so what we've built is a camera and a 10 inch monitor that connect directly to each other without Internet. And both devices also connect to the Internet. So you get the best of both worlds. Kevin Lavelle [00:19:29]: It's a dedicated device that alerts you if you lose connection. And everything connects to the Internet when it's available. So we have an app. You can record. You can rewind. You get all of those benefits and features as well. I've got one right over here. I should have had it right next to me. Kevin Lavelle [00:19:44]: But it is a 10 inch monitor. So you can actually watch up to 4 different streams on one screen. You can control the zoom and the volume of each independently. There's nothing like that that exists today. And I can tell you, however bad the experience was with a Wi Fi camera with 1 child with 2, it's it's almost impossible on a tiny little iPhone screen. And we can watch up to 4. And then we put privacy first. So our camera and our tablet are both built outside of China. Kevin Lavelle [00:20:10]: They're both built with non Chinese silicon. The chips inside the device is basically the thing that powers it from a processor perspective. And then the chip in the camera is able to do all of the advanced analytics and kind of signal to noise sorting that makes our product really unique on the device locally. Meaning, it does not go through our cloud to process your information. And the the best way to think about that is like on a self driving car on a Tesla, they have cameras that process everything locally. Because if you had to send to the Internet, is that a red light or a green light? Obviously, that's not very safe from a decision making time frame. And then we also put a memory chip in the camera. So all of your memories are stored locally on the device itself. Kevin Lavelle [00:20:52]: If you wanna use our app, obviously, if you're outside the house, you will access it, and that will be remote. We're not storing it. We're not processing it. Unlike every other Wi Fi camera that exists, you are paying them to store your footage on their cloud. And in many cases, third party clouds that may not have the same level of security that you would expect. So very unique device, very unique monitor. We've really positioned ourselves as something that does not exist today for parents and started shipping mass production units to customers in September of 2024. And it's going great so far. Kevin Lavelle [00:21:24]: We've shipped thousands of devices in just a few months. And then the other thing I'll touch on very briefly for framing is that's exciting and and we think a game changer for parents. And it's been very well received. But we are using it as the foundation for what we have called a remote night nanny. So if you can afford it, an in home night nanny or night nurse is one of life's greatest blessings. It's also unaffordable for almost everybody. And a lot of people who can afford it don't want someone else in their house, or they heard a horror story and they don't feel comfortable with it. Or even if they can afford it, they can't really find someone that they would trust to come in and help take care of their child. Kevin Lavelle [00:21:57]: And the main purpose of an in home night nanny is they will listen to your baby monitor in another room, and they will go in when it is necessary and appropriate to go in. So if your child starts to fuss or cry a little bit, they'll look at the monitor. Okay. Nothing's wrong. And they basically start a timer and they wait 5, 10, 15 minutes depending on age and stage. Because if you hear a child cry and immediately run-in, you delay their ability to learn how to sleep because sleep is a skill. Just like talking and walking, you have to kind of fumble through it and you and you find your way and you develop the skill of sleeping. There's a lot of really bad information out there on the Internet about sleep. Kevin Lavelle [00:22:36]: And sleep experts, legitimate ones, know you have to help the child learn how to sleep. And so, the challenges in home night nannies, if you can find 1, are $300 to $700 a night depending on where you live in the country. And it's very hard to find them as well. So, what we're doing is because we have built the hardware, after you onboard into our system, you can hire our professionally trained night nurses remotely. You press a button on the monitor, sort of like arming an alarm system, and that turns over the controls of your monitor to our professionally trained night nurses. We turn the volume on your monitor down to 0 all night long and only wake you up when a professionally trained night nurse says it's time to go in. So if something is wrong, like something falls in the crib or the baby's arm gets out of the swaddle and gets stuck in the crib slot, we're gonna wake you up immediately. Otherwise, we're gonna start the timer and we're going to wait until it is time for you to go in. Kevin Lavelle [00:23:33]: And what we have found is the 1st night, parents are adjusting to, okay, this is a little different and a little a little new. But the 2nd night, parents are telling us they've things like, I haven't slept this well since my 1st trimester. And that's because it's not just that I'm not hearing something. Because you may not go in all night long, but your child is going to make noises all night long. Kids make a lot of noise. And if you don't remember it, good for you. That's fortunate. But kids can fuss and cry off and on for hours. Kevin Lavelle [00:24:03]: Now, they're still getting sleep in between, but you're not as a parent. But what we're finding is parents are telling us, especially moms, to have a professional be the one that is helping me know when to go in rather than that anxiety and that guilt and that shame that comes with being a parent and not knowing what to do, It allowed me to really actually get deep, restful sleep for the first time in a long time. And because we have built the hardware, we have a lot of fail safes built in, the system just turns itself back on if it loses connection, And we're hiring professionally trained nurses so that we can have 1 nurse work with multiple families at the same time and bring the cost down to about 5% of the cost of an in home night nanny. So that's Harbor. A lot more to talk about there, but that's a good good roundup of what we've built here. No. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:51]: It sounds like an amazing product, and I have not used it, and I don't need it now. And my kids would be really weirded out if I was using it at this point in their lives. But that being said, when they were very young, this sounds like a game changer. Now one question that I had when you were talking about the technology and, you know, how you had your app and that you were trying to keep it on a phone and and that it was running and then lose power and you you know, all of that story that you told. With your system, are you running off of your Wi Fi in your home, or are you running off of the Wi Fi off your phones? Because if the power goes out, then, you know, how does that all work? Kevin Lavelle [00:25:31]: Yeah. So a couple of points on the technical side. The camera and the monitor or multiple cameras are going to run off your home Wi Fi when it is strong and available. If you don't have Wi Fi, so as a point of comparison, if you have one of these Wi Fi baby monitor systems and you travel to a hotel, you can't use it because hotels will not let you tap your devices onto their Wi Fi. You can put your phone on it, but you can't run your devices on their networks from a security perspective. So the message boards online are full of parents who said, you know, just got to our hotel and realized I can't use my Nanette. I can't use my Owlette. And I had to run to Walmart to get a baby monitor because, you know, get adjoining rooms. Kevin Lavelle [00:26:11]: You gotta be able to look in. And so the camera and the monitor, one camera and one monitor, creates its own Wi Fi signal to communicate directly with each other while not requiring a separate Wi Fi network. So it has direct local communication that doesn't require the Internet. But when you're at home and your your routers are appropriately configured and and everything is running, it will just run through your home home Wi Fi. And one of the benefits there is home Wi Fi tends to be stronger. You've got it across the entire house. And our that feed does not leave your home. So if it's running on your home WiFi, it does not leave your home. Kevin Lavelle [00:26:50]: Again, we are not swearing or processing anything. If your router goes down, if your Internet goes down, then your camera will fail over to direct local communication. So when it's running through your home WiFi, it's saying, okay. I'm running through home WiFi. I've got good signal strength. All of that's measured. When it can't find that home WiFi or it's not working, then it says connect directly to the monitor. Now with a power outage, at that point in time, if you were running an app on your phone, the camera is going to fail because no baby monitor cameras come with batteries. Kevin Lavelle [00:27:23]: I'll say none. Virtually none do because batteries are a severe fire risk, especially if it's running 247. And that's why, generally, you will not see batteries in cameras in homes. And so if there's a power outage, you wouldn't necessarily be notified if you're just using a WiFi camera. But our monitor would know, hey, I've lost connection with that camera because the cameras no longer has power. I'm going to alert the parents that there's no longer a connection. Now, that doesn't mean you can do anything about it because you don't have power in your house. But now you know, and you can choose to maybe open the doors so that you can still hear, maybe bring the crib into your room. Kevin Lavelle [00:28:02]: That's then a parental decision on what happens next. But the important thing is we empower parents to know what's actually happening. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:09]: And about the night nurses, tell me about how do you identify these individuals? What type of background do they have? How are they trained to be able to provide that kind of service for families? Kevin Lavelle [00:28:18]: So we're recruiting actual nurses who have worked in pediatrics, whether in offices or hospitals. And then in some cases, they have in home night nursing experience where they have worked with families and homes. And in other cases, they just have pediatrics medical experience. And then we are training them from our professionally trained night nursing staff. So, our director of nursing has worked for years in hospitals. She was a pediatric oncology nurse. She worked as an in home care manager and as an in home night nurse. She's a Hmong herself. Kevin Lavelle [00:28:49]: And so she is working with one of our advisors and our team on training those nurses that we're bringing in. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:56]: And as you said, those in home nannies or nurses that you might have inside your home can be very expensive. What's the price point on not only your system, but having this type of monitoring with night nurses to be able to assist parents? Kevin Lavelle [00:29:09]: To buy our camera and our monitor and all of our features, we do not require subscriptions or additional payments. You buy a camera and a monitor, you get everything forever. It's $599, which puts us as roughly price comparable to all the other leading systems on the market today because they require annual subscriptions. And then the remote night nanny experience, right now, is about $30 a night. You have to buy kind of packages of nights, and it works out to about $30 a night. And our long term vision is to get the cost down to $20 a night. Once we have enough people in the system and we can hire the staff and have the systems capable of working with many more families at the same time, we will continue to pass those cost savings on to our customers. And it's kind of cool. Kevin Lavelle [00:29:51]: At $20 a night, you could do 3 months of the remote night nanny for the same cost of about 1 week of an in home night nanny. And so we like to say 95% of the benefit and 5% of the cost of an in home night nanny. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:06]: Well, it's a great value for families and definitely gives families peace of mind in regard to being able to be if you are sleeping and you get that good sleep, you're going to be able to be more present and be able to be much more attuned to what your child needs versus trying to struggle through with the lack of sleep that many parents get, especially for the 1st 6 months, 8 months, year, or more, depending on your child, that sometimes you run into. Kevin Lavelle [00:30:37]: Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of different studies and research, but very significant percentage of couples who get divorced say sleeplessness in the early years of childhood was a major contributing factor. The reality is a lack of sleep contributes to or exacerbates postpartum depression. It has very significant immune system impacts, durability, even to be a safe driver. When you are sleep deprived, whether you have a child or not, sleep deprived drivers can be even more dangerous than drunk drivers. And so, there's a lot from the adult side. And then on the child side, we make a big difference for parents. But on the other side, our monitor system is the kind of help parents and kids get more sleep. Kevin Lavelle [00:31:14]: That's the fundamental nature of our system relative to everything else. The single best thing that you can do for your child is obviously make sure they have appropriate nutrition in those early years, in early months weeks years. The second best thing that you can do for them is make sure that they are getting the appropriate amount of sleep on a consistent basis. And that is really hard to do for most parents for a whole host of very obvious reasons. And so, when you think about a well rested child, certainly, we can imagine they are more pleasant to be around. But from a mental development perspective, from a dysregulation perspective, from an immune system perspective, from a physical health development perspective, all of those, you have to have the right nutrition and you have to have the right sleep. And if you are not supporting your child's ability to sleep through the night, you are very much hampering their health and well-being and development. And I'll say one final note on sleep. Kevin Lavelle [00:32:11]: There are some very bad influencers and sleep gurus that will tell you the minute your child is crying, you need to be in there holding their hands and they will feel abandoned. Science has disproven this again and again and again. And similar to this idea of put your own oxygen mask on first, when moms don't get sleep, the propensity for postpartum depression absolutely skyrockets for all the obvious reasons. And when a mom has postpartum depression, it has a very significant impact on her ability to feed her child, nurture her child, love her child. It's a very difficult thing to go through. Obviously, there's no way that I could go through it, but it is a very understandable position that moms find themselves in. And so, these influencers and sleep gurus who, you know, propagate very bad sleep ideas, they're really harming parents' ability to get the right information and support their their families. And so, our focus is how do we help parents who want help? I'm never going to tell a parent, you're doing it wrong. Kevin Lavelle [00:33:15]: Every parent is responsible for raising their own child and we all have our own way. However, most parents are struggling and need some help. And we are here to provide very clear, unambiguous, science backed information. And we do that for free. At our website, harbor.co, we have a ton of free resources. And our mission is happier parents and healthier families. And so, we have a lot of free resources on our website. If you don't want to buy our baby monitor for any number of reasons, that's fine. Kevin Lavelle [00:33:41]: There's still a lot of great resources that you can find. And we have opportunities for parents to sign up for text based sleep coaching. If they just want to text a nurse and get some help, it's a very affordable $30 a month. You don't have to sign up for big hour long sessions or sign up for our full system, although we offer those as well. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:58]: Well, Kevin, I wanna say thank you for sharing all of that. If people wanna find out more about your system, the night nanny services, or anything else, where should they go? Kevin Lavelle [00:34:10]: Harbor.co. And you can find us on on the socials at harbor sleep. And we have so many great resources there. We have very robust sleep guides for infants and also toddlers. We have also formed a harbor council of pediatric sleep doctors, postpartum counselors, pediatricians, OB GYNs that have written many articles for us. And our goal is if you have a question as a parent, we don't have all the answers yet, but we have pushed a lot of great content for free online to be a great resource for parents as they need it. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:45]: Now we always finish our interviews with what I like to call our fatherhood 5, where I ask you 5 more questions to delve deeper into you as a dad. Are you ready? Yes. In one word, what is fatherhood? Kevin Lavelle [00:34:55]: Joy. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:55]: When was the time that you finally felt like you succeeded at being a father to a daughter? Kevin Lavelle [00:35:01]: I don't think I could point to, like, we were at a theme park or we were at a restaurant. To me, it's those moments where my daughter would look at me, come home from work, come home from traveling, I'm tucking her in at night. And I just see that look in her eye that says, you are my safety, you are my home. The level of connection and love there, that success is a dad. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:24]: Now if I was to talk to your kids, how would they describe you as a dad? Kevin Lavelle [00:35:28]: I believe they would say fun, strong, great. And those are the things that that I hope that they would say at their ages with their vocabulary. Some of the kind of underlying things would be that I'm supportive, that we have a lot of fun together. We laugh, chase them around the house, and that they still really want to spend time with me. They've got friends, but generally, they'd rather spend time with my wife and I than anyone else. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:54]: Now let's go 10 years down the road. What do you want them to say then? Kevin Lavelle [00:35:57]: As I think about this phase of life, we no longer have little kids. They're not toddlers, and they go to school full time. And my wife and I have talked about, like, we did it. We got out of the the infant and toddler and very young kid phase as best as we possibly could have. We have wonderful kids. They're respectful. They're resilient. They like to learn. Kevin Lavelle [00:36:22]: They like to have fun. They're great kids. Now, we need to prepare them to be teenagers. And so, what would I hope to feel like at that point in time? That whatever it is that our kids want to do, whether they want to go to college, whether they want to pursue a sport, whatever it is. That they are ready to go face the world and they are as prepared as they possibly could be. As I said, prepare the child for the road. And that they truly understand, as best as a, you know, 18 year old can, what it means to be happy. That they will not chase the superficial. Kevin Lavelle [00:36:54]: That they will chase the core, the meaningful, the spiritual in whatever way that is for them. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:37:00]: Now, who inspires you to be a better dad? Kevin Lavelle [00:37:03]: Certainly, I feel like I won the parent lottery. My parents raised me right. And I felt my whole life the appropriate balance of support and safety, but also go forth and conquer. My wife, she is an absolutely incredible mother, and I think a better mother than I am father. And, you know, as cliche as it is, my kids. When they show me that they want to spend time with me and that they want more of me and that they're truly grateful for the life that we have as best as young kids can, that, okay, keep going. I want to do more of it. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:37:34]: Now, you've given a lot of piece of advice today, things that people can think about and look at ways in which they can incorporate some of those pieces into their own experience as a father. If you are talking to a father, what's one piece of advice you'd want to give to every father out there? Kevin Lavelle [00:37:50]: So for the dads that have kids older than me, I'm not sure how much advice I could give. But for those coming up behind me with with younger kids, I think it's a big part of what we talked about. Raise kids that you want to be around and that they love you. Like, that they are the kids that other people want to spend time with and that they want to spend time with you. That that kind of full circle. And if you do those two things, then you're doing all the other things right. And that's a good kind of metric or or baseline to seek. And as cliche as it is, it goes by really fast. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:38:27]: It definitely does. Well, Kevin, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for sharing your journey today. And as Kevin said, if you wanna find out more about him or about his company, go to harbor.co to find out more information about this amazing new technology and resource for you as you are working to be the best dad that you wanna be. Kevin, thanks so much for being here today. Kevin Lavelle [00:38:51]: Thanks for the opportunity and and for the inspiring work you do for dads. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:38:55]: If you've enjoyed today's episode of the Dads with Daughters podcast, we invite you to check out the fatherhood insider. The fatherhood insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most dads are figuring it out as they go along, and the fatherhood insider is full of resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, interactive forum, step by step roadmaps, and more, you will engage and learn with experts, but more importantly, dads like you. So check it out at fathering together dot org. If you are a father of a daughter and have not yet joined the dads with daughters Facebook community, there's a link in the notes today. Dads with daughters is a program of fathering together. We look forward to having you back for another great guest next week all geared to helping you raise strong and powered daughters and be the best dad that you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:39:54]: We're all in the same boat, and it's full of tiny screaming passengers. We spend the time, we give the lessons, we make the meals, We buy them presents and bring your AK. Because those kids are growing fast. The time goes by just like a dynamite blast. Be the best dad you can be. You're the best dad you can be.

Wish you and your littles could get more sleep? Kevin Lavelle from Harbor joins me to talk about revolutionizing infant and toddler sleep, so parents get rest, be their best self and raise amazing little humans. Kevin Lavelle, the CEO and Cofounder of Harbor, brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main. Learn more about Harbor and the Remote Night Nanny! Are you dealing with meltdowns? Manage your own emotions and triggers so you can help your child return to center faster inside the meltdown moment. Get my free guide- with audio files! 5 Mindful Mantras for Conscious Moms managing toddler meltdowns. January 13, 2025 Episode 214 Safe Sleep Tools for Infants and Toddlers with Kevin Lavelle from Harbor About Your Host: Cara Tyrrell, M.Ed is mom to three girls, a Vermont based Early Childhood Educator and the founder of Core4Parenting. She is the passionate mastermind behind the Collaborative Parenting Methodology™, a birth-to-five, soul and science based framework that empowers toddler parents and educators  to turn tantrums into teachable moments. Through keynotes, teacher training, and her top-ranking podcast, Transforming the Toddler Years, she's teaching the 5 Executive Functioning Skills kids need to navigate our ever-changing world. Ready to raise world-ready kids who change the world? Visit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.caratyrrell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to begin your Collaborative Parenting journey!

Kevin Lavelle, the CEO and Cofounder of Harbor, brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main.   Kevin invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt and built Mizzen+Main to hundreds of millions of dollars in omnichannel revenue, and transformed the menswear industry.  Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two.  His second startup, Harbor, is revolutionizing sleep for families with young children with a groundbreaking baby monitor and Remote Night Nanny platform.

Kevin Lavelle's got a knack for big ideas and starting fresh. First, he took on menswear with Mizzen+Main, bringing performance fabric to dress shirts and making them a hit with pro athletes and office rebels alike. Now he's back with something new—a baby monitor. Yep, from dress shirts to baby tech. In this episode, he breaks down the whole journey: the wild beginnings, early mistakes, and how he built a brand from scratch, twice. It's a sharp take on the wins, the losses, and why some ideas just stick around until you finally make them happen.Episode Highlights:How Kevin's “aha” moment led to Mizzen+Main's success.The surprising lessons from scaling a DTC menswear brand.Transitioning from clothing to tech: Why Kevin started Harbor.Kevin's experience with early product mistakes and customer trust.The power of influencer partnerships and wholesale growth.How a Tim Ferriss podcast ad skyrocketed Mizzen+Main's sales.What it takes to launch a product parents trust with their kids.Mentioned in This EpisodeBrands & BusinessesMizzen+MainHarborShopifySage 50 PeachtreeEpicor ERPHawk SearchFairePeople MentionedTim FerrissJJ WattPhil MickelsonDamon JohnSimon SinekSponsorsZipifyCleverificOmnisendHelp the ShowAsk a question in The Unofficial Shopify Podcast Facebook GroupSupport the show by leaving a review and subscribingWhat's Kurt Up To?See our recent work at EthercycleSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelApply to work with Kurt to grow your storeNever Miss an EpisodeSubscribe wherever you get your podcastsJoin Kurt's newsletter

What does it really take to scale beyond the early wins? For founders who've already seen a degree of success, reaching the next level means facing new challenges, and Keven Lavelle, founder of Harbor and Mizzen + Main knows all about it.He's taken both companies to impressive heights, from securing a spot on Time Magazine's 2024 Best Inventions list to hitting hundreds of millions in revenue!Together, we dive in:How joining a founder forum can offer you unmatched support & accountability– and where to find them!The differences between founding your first and second startup—and why experience doesn't always mean an easier road ahead.Lessons learned in building a peer network that challenges you to make better decisions, see blind spots, and avoid common scaling mistakes.Stay updated on Kevin's journey of building Harbor by following him on LinkedIn.More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

One of the most significant challenges parents face is sleeplessness and navigating sleep training. With the overwhelming amount of information available, finding the right approach for your family's unique needs can be daunting. This week, we're excited to welcome Kevin Lavelle, CEO and co-founder of Harbor, a startup that is transforming sleep for families with young children through its innovative baby monitor and Remote Night Nanny platform. As both a parent and entrepreneur, Kevin launched Harbor with the support of sleep experts to develop solutions and education aimed at helping families achieve a restful night's sleep for both children and parents alike.To learn more go to harbor.co

This week, I talk with my friend Kevin Lavelle, founder of Mizzen+Main, a company that revolutionized the dress shirt industry. We talk about how Kevin built Mizzen+Main into a successful brand, and why he ultimately decided to step back and bring in a CEO. We dive into Kevin's early career in management consulting and the journey to his prior role at Stand Together, a nonprofit backed by Charles Koch, including how he navigated the challenges and opportunities that came with that. We also explore Kevin's new venture, Harbor, and the lessons he's learned as a second-time founder. Kevin has a lot of insight into what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and how to become the kind of leader capable of building deeply meaningful companies where people love going to work. Let's get to it! In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (04:20) - A Valentine's Day story (07:10) - Kevin's early career and experiences in the Middle East (22:01) - Global Shapers and Stand Together (32:13) - Complexities of societal issues and solutions (36:00) - The importance of nuanced conversations (39:10) - Building bridges across political divides (45:52) - The power of personal engagement in business (50:30) - What Kevin is doing differently as a second-time founder (01:01:45) - The art of storytelling in business (01:09:23) - Marketing and educational content at Harbor (01:12:34) - Innovating baby monitors (01:22:58) - Competitive positioning and market strategy (01:31:34) - Kevin's beautiful future Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.

CLICK HERE to reserve your seat at the 2024 Strive to Impact Conference on November 1! Kevin Lavelle founded Mizzen + Main, the first performance dress shirt for men, and is currently the co-founder of Harbor, a baby monitoring service unlike anything on the market today. Kevin has experience building two global brands and shares leadership lessons from his two different entrepreneurial journeys that we can all relate to currently. Take next steps with Kevin by: Following him on X or LinkedIn Check out Harbor to learn more about their product & order one for your family. ___________________ Continue building your Competitor Mindset after today's episode by clicking HERE.

"You are not helping them set up for success and you're not helping your own anxiety as a parent." In this conversation, Joel Evan interviews Kevin Lavelle, the founder of Mizzen & Main and the co-founder and CEO of Harbor. They discuss the disruptive nature of Mizzen and Maine in the men's dress shirt market, as well as the problems with existing baby monitors and the need for innovation in that space. Kevin shares the vision behind Mizzen and Maine, which combines classic style with performance fabrics, and how they were able to overcome initial skepticism to become a successful brand. He also explains the shortcomings of current baby monitors and introduces Harbor as a solution that offers a dedicated, reliable, and secure monitoring system. The conversation touches on the importance of sleep for parents and the impact of anxiety on parenting, as well as the need to create a more supportive and less anxious environment for raising children. The conversation explores the concept of gentle parenting and the importance of allowing children to experience some level of adversity and struggle. The guests discuss the balance between being emotionally available for children while also setting boundaries and expectations. They also touch on the significance of sleep for both children and parents, and how Harbor Sleep is providing remote night nanny services to help parents teach their children healthy sleep habits. The challenges of launching a startup and raising venture capital are also discussed. Takeaways ☑️ Existing baby monitors have significant shortcomings, including low quality, unreliable connectivity, and anxiety-inducing false alarms. ☑️ Harbor offers a dedicated, reliable, and secure baby monitoring system that connects directly between the camera and monitor, without relying on the internet. ☑️ Improving sleep for parents is crucial for reducing stress and anxiety, and Harbor aims to provide a solution that helps parents sleep better and be more present for their children. ☑️ The current culture of overprotection and anxiety in parenting has long-term implications for children's independence and self-confidence, and there is a need to create a more supportive and less anxious environment for raising children. Children need some level of adversity and struggle to develop resilience and succeed in life. ☑️ Harbor Sleep offers remote night nanny services to help parents teach their children how to sleep. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Disrupting the Men's Dress Shirt Market 03:13 Addressing the Issues with Existing Baby Monitors 06:49 Reversing the Declining Birth Rate 26:11 The Importance of Adversity and Struggle in Parenting 27:01 Balancing Emotions and Setting Standards 30:11 The Significance of Healthy Sleep Habits 37:27 Harbor Sleep: Remote Night Nanny Services 44:47 Challenges of Launching a Startup and Raising Venture Capital

I love disruptor stories, and Kevin Lavelle, the founder of Mizzen+Main (and now Harbor), has an overlooked but incredibly inspiring one.Kevin revolutionized the men's dress shirt industry with performance fabrics. Under his leadership, Mizzen+Main grew from a great product idea into a company that has sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of shirts and is now available in 500-600 stores, including 10 Mizzen+Main stores.Now, he's tackling a new challenge by creating a more secure and stress-reducing baby monitor solution with Harbor. His journey provides a blueprint for innovative product design and successful company building.Here are a few key takeaways from the interview:Kevin Lavelle shares his entrepreneurial journey of founding Mizzen+Main and the inspiration behind launching Harbor, an innovative baby monitor solution. Discover how Mizzen+Main leveraged influencer marketing, including a highly successful sponsorship on the Tim Ferriss podcast, to scale the business rapidly. Learn valuable lessons about building and managing teams, giving feedback, and recovering from mistakes as a first-time founder. Harbor's unique approach to creating a more secure, reliable, and stress-reducing baby monitor system with remote night nanny services. Understand the importance of building genuine relationships and providing value to your target audience when launching a new venture.

Kevin Lavelle is the CEO and Co-Founder of Harbor. He brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main, having invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt. With a successful growth round raised from L Catterton, partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and a background in omnichannel retail, Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two.In This Conversation We Discuss:[00:44] Intro[00:55] Building a secure and reliable baby monitor[02:24] Creating a performance-fabric dress shirt[03:23] Debunking "if you build it, they will come"[04:11] Seeking technology to enhance family life[05:01] The unreliability of phone apps for monitoring[05:54] Striving to improve early parenting years[06:39] Improving novel ideas into successful products[07:16] Validating demand through actual sales efforts[08:48] Generating awareness with creative marketing[09:41] Building customer bonds with thoughtful gestures[10:33] Navigating incorrect assumptions confidently[11:04] Electric Eye: Your true Shopify expert[12:01] Finding customers where they are[12:38] Acknowledging the flaws of initial products[13:14] Valuing friends' early support in business[14:15] Benefits of membership-based relationships[15:57] The cost of building quality products[17:56] Prioritizing innovation and customer experience[18:42] Marketing challenges of one vs. multiple products[19:36] The constant influx of new customers[20:59] The power of parent-to-parent endorsements[22:16] The evolution of influencer marketing[24:53] Engaging with celebrity moms and influencers[25:36] Acknowledging the value of wholesale partners[26:29] Maintaining organic audience engagement[27:37] Cutting through the noise with authentic content[28:45] Connecting with Kevin and HarborResources:Subscribe to Honest Ecommerce on YoutubeReliable baby monitoring system harbor.co/Follow Harbor on socials instagram.com/harborsleep/Follow Kevin Lavelle on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/kevinlavelle/Follow Kevin Lavelle on X x.com/kevinslavelleSchedule an intro call with one of our experts electriceye.io/connectIf you're enjoying the show, we'd love it if you left Honest Ecommerce a review on Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge impact on the success of the podcast, and we love reading every one of your reviews!

Kevin Lavelle, the CEO and Cofounder of Harbor, brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main. Kevin invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt and built Mizzen+Main to hundreds of millions of dollars in omnichannel revenue. He raised a successful growth round from L Catterton, secured partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and transformed the menswear industry. His second startup, Harbor, is revolutionizing sleep for families with young children with a groundbreaking baby monitor and Remote Night Nanny platform.Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two. In today's episode we dive into Challenges Linked to Infant Sleeplessness and Potential Solutions.Here's where to find Kevin:https://twitter.com/kevinslavelle?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/harborsleep/

Kevin Lavelle is the Co-Founder and CEO of Harbor. Kevin brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+ Main, having invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt. With a successful growth round raised from L Catterton, partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and a background in omnichannel retail, Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two. Kevin joins me on the show to discuss his brand-new venture, Harbor.  Kevin shares his frustration with current baby monitoring technology and why he wanted to design a dedicated device without an internet connection that was completely failsafe in helping parents keep an eye on their baby. He talks about how the Harbor smart baby monitor allows parents to check on their children without disturbing their sleep and shares details of the personalized, supportive advice from experienced pediatric nurses that Harbor offers to help the whole family get more rest.  "We are democratizing access to sleep expertise”  - Kevin Lavelle “Keep showing up.” - Kevin Lavelle “We need to live our lives, and kids need to be able to learn and thrive.” - Kevin Lavelle This week on The Wow Factor: The lightbulb moment when a baby monitor app crashed, causing concern for Kevin's son's safety. Why Kevin wanted to create a baby monitor with a direct connection to a tablet for reliable and secure monitoring. How Harbor allows people to directly connect with their baby, eliminating internet dependence and providing a dedicated device for monitoring. How the camera and tablet communicate directly without Wi-Fi or the internet, using a direct communication protocol. The importance of having a reliable monitoring system and why it makes parents' lives easier How Kevin and the Harbor co-founders and parents tested the device. How Harbor has helped change lives with its sleep expertise and coaching for parents. Kevin Lavelle's Words of Wisdom: Just keep showing up and know that if it wasn't the day you wanted, you get another day tomorrow. But at the same time, not every day is guaranteed, so value everything as you go through life. Connect with Kevin Lavelle: Harbor Baby Monitor Website  Kevin Lavelle on LinkedIn  Connect with The WOW Factor: The WOW Factor Website Connect with Brad Formsma via email Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter

In this episode Kevin and Jeff discuss his lead up to becoming an entrepreneur, including living in Dubai, his ultimately getting the itch to do his own thing, endless searches for perfect fabrics, the difficulty of getting good sleep as a parent, and so much more! Watch this episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/FSwf_RSbvhI Learn more: Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker Producer: Kait Grey Editor: Nick Case Recording date: 4/2/24 Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinlavelle https://kevinslavelle.com/ https://www.instagram.com/kevinslavelle/ https://twitter.com/kevinslavelle Harbor: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harborsleep/ https://harbor.co/ https://www.instagram.com/harborsleep https://www.facebook.com/HarborSleep/ https://twitter.com/harborsleep Other resources: https://www.mizzenandmain.com/ Bio:  Kevin brings a wealth of experience from his role as the Founder and Chairman of Mizzen+Main, having invented the world's first performance fabric dress shirt. With a successful growth round raised from L Catterton, partnerships with world-renowned athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt, and a background in omnichannel retail, Kevin is not only a dedicated entrepreneur but also a loving husband and father of two.  Chapters:  0:00 - Intro  11:00 - What Motivates You?  18:10 - Early Life  21:17 - Giving Back  23:17 - Early Career  32:53 - Mizzen + Main 48:27 - Stepping Down  58:29 - Stand Together  1:03:57 - Harbor 1:21:57 - Future of Harbor 1:27:54 - When Work Affected Change  1:31:06 - Most Grateful 1:34:56 - Snap Your Fingers  1:37:45 - How to Support 

In our conversation with Kevin Lavelle, he shares his ingenious approach to building his company, Mizzen+Main, into a fashion industry success. Initially, Kevin recalls the brute force marketing efforts that shaped the early days of the brand, from going door to door to attending events to get the product in people's hands. As their digital marketing and PR strategies matured, Kevin leveraged the power of strategic partnerships and influencer collaborations. Specifically, he cites the company's visibility boost through sponsorship deals, like the one with Tim Ferriss's podcast, and endorsement deals, like with athlete J.J. Watt.Looking into the future with his new venture, Harbor, Kevin discusses the strategies his team is taking to enter the market of baby monitors and pediatric telehealth.Episode brought to you by More StaffingJoin 15k founders and marketers & get our pod highlights delivered directly to your inbox with the DTC Pod Newsletter!On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. Influential Partnerships for Brand Growth2. Sustainable Growth Strategies3. Influencer and Celebrity Collaborations4. The Tim Ferriss Effect5.  Retail Strategy Insights6. Prelaunch Strategies and Inventory ManagementTimestamps02:13 Transitioning from Mizzen+Main to Harbor07:20 Lessons from building a customer base for Mizzen+Main12:42 The Tim Ferriss Effect, how a podcast propelled Mizzen+Main14:15 Signing an endorsement deal with J.J. Watt16:36 The necessity of authenticity and passion in successful partnerships20:06 Making personal connections for business success26:00 Creating technically complex, life-critical electronics29:03 Growing Harbor by creating valuable content for parents32:36 Wholesalers and their impact on business growth37:11 Preparing for the pre-launch of Harbor38:45 Building a waitlist with a refundable deposit to gauge demand42:17 Harbor's vision to transform sleep and wellness for parentsShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTok  -----Kevin Lavelle - CoFounder and CEO at Harbor, Founder and Chairman of the Board at Mizzen+MainBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

Kevin Lavelle, Co-Founder & CEO, Harbor joins David Johnson on this episode of CEO Spotlight.

Don't miss this informative episode of Beyond The Story, hosted by Sebastian Rusk, featuring the CEO of Origins Copy, Kevin Lavelle. Together, they dive into the importance of origin stories in branding and marketing and how to make an emotional connection with customers. Kevin shares his personal journey from London to Los Angeles, and his passion for helping businesses feel more human by discovering the unique story behind their brand. Find out how storytelling can create a transformational experience for customers and learn the process behind creating an effective origin story. Subscribe now and leave a review to hear more from Sebastian and his incredible guests!Timestamps[00:00:05] Kevin's Journey to Discovering Origin Stories[00:04:11] Importance of Business Origin Stories[00:08:15] The Power of Storytelling for Brands[00:11:58] Connecting with Clients through Origin StoriesBest Quotes[00:04:22] For me, it was always about stories as what you know, it was my refuge[00:06:14] helping them to write their origin stories really helps connect them with the people that they're trying to attract[00:08:54] And I think that's the power of a great story for a brand. Is doing those 2 things. When you can do those 2 things well, I think a AAA person will feel like a client will feel like, you know what? This is more than just a transaction. I'm investing in a in a chain in change[00:14:00] Understand that your story some people say that their story isn't big enough or important enough or tragic enough. There's always something. No matter what you've gone through, it's yours, it's unique, and it will connect people the people who need to find you will connect you through itAll Quotes[00:12:18] The beauty of what I do is that seeing that moment of realization sometimes on the on my client's kind of faces when they put the I help them put the connect the pieces and they kind of understand something more about themselves and their business[00:07:06] I want to know who they are, why they do what they do, and what makes them kinda like special[00:01:10] I spent my life trying to understand my own[00:04:22] For me, it was always about stories as what you know, it was my refuge[00:10:46] Because here's the thing, like, if they if the client knows that you or your family has gone through the through the thing that you're gonna help them with, they'll trust you more[00:08:24] Let's take your clients or your potential clients on the journey of your business? What's it like to work with you? What changes will they expect to experience?[00:08:54] And I think that's the power of a great story for a brand. Is doing those 2 things. When you can do those 2 things well, I think a AAA person will feel like a client will feel like, you know what? This is more than just a transaction. I'm I'm investing in a in a chain in change[00:14:00] Understand that your story some people say that their story isn't big enough or important enough or tragic enough. There's always something. No matter what you've gone through, it's yours, it's unique, and it will connect people the people who need to find you will connect you through it[00:06:14] helping them to write their origin stories really helps connect them with the people that they're trying to attract[00:13:05] It kinda just creates this wonderful kind of feeling of warmth, connection, and inclusion. And I think that's what it's all about. Like, you know, it's about warming up a business into something that feels a bit more human[00:01:59] I used to grow up kind of feeling neither English nor Irish[00:11:32] It's crazy how our experiences can really shape, you know, our potential future too[00:10:33] So it's about taking them back to that moment when they may have forgotten, they may not. But it's about fleshing out that moment where that sparked a seat for them becoming who they are[00:07:40] It's about telling that little unique piece of their history that connects them to the job that they do, that will connect them to the people who are trying[00:00:43] I saw that you worked with brands in their origin story. I thought I wanna know more about that[00:03:06] Suddenly, there was a film industry, and an American film production company landed there. A TV station opened there. And so suddenly, I was there a film industry in my backyardBlog PostArticle 1: Kevin Lavelle's Quest for IdentityIn the latest episode of Beyond The Story, Sebastian Rusk interviews the founder of Origins Copy, Kevin Lavelle, about his origin story and the importance of finding one's identity. Kevin shares his unique journey from being born in London to Irish parents and spending summers in Ireland on his cousin's farms. Growing up, Kevin struggled to feel rooted in either England or Ireland, often feeling like he didn't belong in either country.Here are three tips from Kevin's story that might help you find your own identity:1. Embrace Your Background - Kevin learned to celebrate his unique background and use it to his advantage. Instead of feeling like he didn't belong anywhere, he used his dual citizenship to his advantage and started building a brand that caters to both the US and UK markets.2. Write Your Own Story - Kevin's passion for writing comes from his search for his identity. By putting his story down on paper, he was able to explore his feelings and figure out where he truly belonged.3. Follow Your Dreams - Despite having a successful career in TV editing in Ireland, Kevin had always wanted to move to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of building a successful brand. It took him 20 years to make that move, but his persistence paid off in the end.As Kevin says in the podcast, "identity is a journey." We all have unique backgrounds and stories that make us who we are. By embracing our own stories and following our dreams, we can build a life that is true to who we are.If you're looking for an inspiring story about identity and perseverance, make sure to listen to Beyond The Story's latest episode with Kevin Lavelle.Article 2: Kevin Lavelle's Journey to Building a Successful BrandIn the latest episode of Beyond The Story, Sebastian Rusk interviews Kevin Lavelle, the founder and CEO of Origins Copy, a performance menswear brand. Kevin shares his journey of building a brand that combines style and performance, and how he found success in a competitive industry.Here are three tips from Kevin's story that might help you build a successful brand:1. Look For A Gap In The Market - Kevin saw an opportunity to create a unique product that was missing from the market. He identified a need for performance menswear that combined style with functionality, and Origins Copy was born.2. Build A Strong Team - Building a successful brand requires a team that shares your vision and values. Kevin credits his team for Origins Copy's success, saying "It's not just me, it's every person that's a part of this team that's allowed us to achieve what we have."3. Adapt And Evolve - In today's fast-paced business world, it's important to be adaptable and evolve with the times. Kevin has adapted his business model to include e-commerce and direct-to-consumer sales, which has helped Origins Copy thrive in a changing industry.As Kevin says in the podcast, "success isn't the finish line, it's a moving target." Building a successful brand requires hard work, dedication, and the ability to adapt to change.If you're looking for an inspiring story about entrepreneurship and success, make sure to listen to Beyond The Story's latest episode with Kevin Lavelle.Social Post1)

In today's episode, Kevin Lavelle joins us again to tell his story. We had trouble with some parts of the recording when he joined us about six months ago. Kevin was born in London to Irish parents. When he was young, they moved between London and Ireland. As a child, his accent and upbringing made Kevin feel he didn't fit in where he was; he was either too Irish or not Irish enough. It took a while, but eventually, he learned to be himself and became a storyteller.Fast forward to today, Kevin is having a house built, and the process has been going on for about three years since he bought the lot. He was finally able to see the rooms that were previously just drawings. This development is a massive milestone for Kevin, who moved from Ireland 9 years ago. Kevin shares that there was a time in his business when things didn't seem to be going right. He decided to pivot and focus on what he knew best and enjoyed doing, and then things started to click. He found freedom, and it was like someone flipped a switch. Kevin says that we're all looking for a little bit of fun, a little bit of happiness, a little bit of joy, and a little bit of growth, and sometimes we make it hard on ourselves. However, when we let things go and just do our thing, we find that's when things fall into place.Who is Kevin Lavelle  Kevin Lavelle is a master storyteller & copywriter. He is also a screen and fiction writer. From award-winning TV and films to fiction writing, he has had the privilege of creating and editing some of the most memorable stories. Now, he shares his knowledge and experience with others through his storytelling services. Kevin is helping people tell their origin stories.Kevin is the inaugural recipient of the Writing by Writers Hemingway House residency with The Community Library.Kevin is the Chief Writer and Creator at ORIGINS Copy, which helps brands tell their story, make an impact, and increase sales. He is currently working on several screenplays, a novel, and short stories. Check out Kevin:Email: kevin@originscopy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-lavelle-b094b974/ Website: https://www.originscopy.com/  and http://kevinlavelle.tv/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/kevin_lavelle_origins_copy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinLavOrigins Connect with Chad:Strategy Call: https://calendly.com/mrtenacity40/pgi-coaching-consultWebsite: https://mrtenacity.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-osinga-b62a08b1/FB: https://www.facebook.com/108630534048340IG:https://www.instagram.com/mr._tenacity/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrtenacity40

Kevin Lavelle joins the show

Kevin Lavelle is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main transformed the apparel industry by creating a comfortable dress shirt out of high-performance fabric. Kevin is now a Senior Vice President at Stand Together, a non-profit organization that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives.   Kevin joins me on the show to discuss where he got the idea for the Mizzen + Main performance dress shirts and why it took several years for him to progress to developing the garments. He shares his career trajectory and why he never envisioned being an entrepreneur and the moment that finally made him take the leap.    "If you have a good idea, someone else has it too. The question is, are you taking the right steps to actually make it happen?” - Kevin Lavelle   “if I tried to write the business plan to account for all of the eventualities, I might have missed those opportunities. Trying to stay focused is exactly what we're trying to do.” - Kevin Lavelle   “When you're driven by something as your core ideology on how the world can be a better place. It's a really inspiring thing to do.” - Kevin Lavelle    This week on The Wow Factor: The early years of Mizzen + Main and the steps he took to set up the company How he came up with the name that embodied a classic American East Coast brand Whether there was ever a moment that Kevin thought the company wouldn't make it How he set up the partnership deal without bankers and ended up signing the final papers in the delivery room How Mizzen + Main has weathered the COVID-19 pandemic How he got engaged with Stand Together, a non-profit organization that is committed to creating a society where everyone has the chance to succeed Why he decided to work with an executive coach and what he learned about adding value to organizations How Stand Together is funded and managed and their aims and visions for solving challenges in society   Kevin Lavelle's Words of Wisdom: Gratitude ties a lot of things together as a leader. It also helps drive how I try to function as a leader, both as the Founder of Mizzen + Main and as a leader of a big team at Stand Together. I'm grateful for people wanting to be a part of the work that we do.   Connect with Kevin Lavelle: Mizzen and Main Website Stand Together Website Stand Together on Facebook Stand Together on Instagram Stand Together on Twitter Your Life in Weeks Chart   Connect with The WOW Factor: I Like Giving: The Transforming Power of a Generous Life by Brad Formsma Words of Wisdom Website Brad Formsma on LinkedIn Brad Formsma on Instagram Brad Formsma on Facebook Brad Formsma on Twitter    

Kevin Lavelle joins us on this week’s episode of the podcast. Kevin has done a lot in a short amount of time, and he is a young guy trying to make an impact and a dent on the world. He is the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Mizzen + Main, and he was the CEO before stepping down to take on the Chairman role. Mizzen + Main is an innovative company transforming the apparel industry by making the world’s most comfortable dress shirt. Kevin has been innovative and creative with how they market the product, and has used creative ways to get people’s attention. The company has been featured in the New York Times, Esquire, The Wall Street Journal, and Men’s Health. Today, he is a Senior Vice President at Staying Together which is a non-profit that aims to help social entrepreneurs supercharge their efforts to help people change their lives. In this episode, we discuss what life was like for him as a kid (5:40), what it was like going from SMU to the Middle East (10:00), his reaction when he started on a different path (14:30), if he had an entrepreneurial bug from a young age (20:30), how being a generalist helped and hurt him as a consultant (22:20), his experience at the Hunt Companies (24:00), why he decided to start his own company (26:00), job security and values (32:10), how people felt about him making work changes (34:30), what it’s like going from being a consultant to an employee to a boss (37:20), how to work with confrontation (42:30), if he felt he was someone that always wanted to work for himself (44:30), why he got help with executive coaching and EO to build his business (46:40), his experience with an executive coach and the Hogan assessment (54:10), when he got interested in politics (1:02:50), why he stepped into the non-profit space (1:06:30), what he loves about media types (1:13:40), and what he does to make sure he’s at his best (1:18:10) We encourage you to find him on Twitter and check out @MizzenandMain on all forms of social media. Kevin now works for Stand Together https://standtogether.org/ and at this organization, he works with Youth Entrepreneurs, Urban Specialists, and Café Momentum. Lastly, if you liked this episode and/or any others, please follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @Intentional_Performers. Thanks for listening. -Brian

Making Marketing is making some changes. Starting with our very next episode, we'll be the Modern Retail Podcast, bringing you conversations with people innovating in retail, including the oh-so-buzzy world of DTC. But before that, this episode rounds up a few highlights from Making Marketing's interviews in the past year: Kevin Lavelle, the founder of menswear brand Mizzen and Main "I’ve spoken with a couple VC firms. We had positive feedback, but one VC said she couldn’t see how we could [make] 10 times our revenue over the next 12-18 months, so they’re not interested. And it stuck with me. She was absolutely right." Rachel Drori, founder of the subscription frozen food company Daily Harvest "I have such issues with what I call the cycle of torching cash. What’s happening is that there’s so much VC money out there — anybody can raise — and then they can throw money at their problems." Joe Kudla, founder of athleisure brand Vuori "If you go straight to the VC community pre-revenue, they’re going to dictate terms often terms. You don’t want a VC running your business." Jed Berger, CMO at Foot Locker "I think that it’s an interesting time, and in many companies, there needs to be a redefinition of the role of the CMO, or marketing within the organization, or how it reports, or what its accountabilities are. The marketing industry is in for an evolution."

EP174 - Web Smith of 2PM  Web Smith (@web) is the Founder and Editor-in-chief of 2pm, a curated, subscription-based media company.  We cover a wide variety of topics around digitally native vertical brands, including the recent Harry's acquisition, and Away investment. Don't forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 174 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Wednesday, May 16th, 2019. 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 is episode 174 being recorded on Wednesday May 15th 2019 I'm your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and as usual I'm here with your co-host Scott window. Scot: [0:38] Hey Jason and welcome back Jason Scott show listeners Jason one of our favorite topics on the podcast is the Mega Trend that has several names that that we talked about our favorite is DMV because it just rolls off the tongue but there's Brands going direct to Consumer and I'm sure there's others in there and tonight we're excited to have on the show one of the top experts on this Trends both from being in the trenches but also the Strategic level we have with us tonight web Smith web is founder of 2PM DTC e-commerce newsletter that is published at wait for it to p.m. everyday full disclosure for listeners both Jason and I are fans of the letter end of the executive membership enjoy reading. And prior to starting to peel web was a senior executive investor founder and many well-known DTC Brands and he also as part of his whole portfolio what he does he advises and invest in lots of these Brands as well welcome to the show web. Web: [1:44] It's my honor guys for having me. Scot: [1:48] Call someone one kind of fun topical thing I just saw that the luggage company had no idea they call themselves a travel lifestyle company but I think of them as luggage company away, just raised over $109 and I think they're in the the definitely the Unicorn club which is valuation over a billion dollars but I think they're closing in on a billion dollars and I hear you have a fun away store. Web: [2:13] Oh yes well you know I know that, one of you guys is a fan of Jen Rubio and she certainly on my good side a long story short I think it was maybe for 4 weeks ago for 5 weeks ago and I was joking about wanting to go to the Masters and everyone wants to go to the Masters but, but I don't have a joke that I would want to go one day but I also want to be able to afford my kids college education. [2:36] DaVinci respond she says you know do you want my tickets and I'm like well. Yes yes of course I want your tickets she's like to meet up in you get to Georgia I confirm that I can get to Georgia and in the next, 3 hours is a really interesting sequence of events happens she responded she has one ticket it's a very special ticket, but in that time I told my dad who's always wanted to go that I was going to take him, buying two regular price ticket regular price tickets for the Masters for Sunday with Tiger In Contention cost $2,400 per, okay so I buy these tickets which is a huge sacrifice and long story short. My dad fly so maybe go to Augusta, and I end up selling those tickets aside all together because Jen got me two of those special tickets, so I can honestly say that that time gesture is responsible for probably a top 15 or 20 day of my life with my dad it was a bucket list item for him, and we got to see you know the Masters and style. Scot: [3:50] Yep and tiger sounds like you're a tiger fan is really awesome to watch him kind of make a comeback I thought it was a pretty interesting moment. Web: [3:57] On that day every everybody was a tiger fan that was really spectacular to watch. Scot: [4:02] Awesome, Aiken South Carolina and the guy that runs all the concessions at the Masters lives in my neighborhood I don't live there anymore but my old neighborhood and we all would get jobs at the concession so I worked at the Masters for 6 years. Web: [4:17] How many elements are cheese sandwiches have you sold. Scot: [4:20] A lot. The with Aaron Works their way up to the Beer tent because a back 10 beers were like a dollar 75 or something like that and then all these quarters would fight with her so I get tips which is exciting and second of all are there so many quarters swing around it that you could help make an extra like 5 or 10 bucks from falling quarters. Jason: [4:43] I just wanted to an awesome fact about stuff that I didn't know that. Spence I don't where you able to liquidate the the general admission tickets to you invest in in. Web: [4:54] So I did not and that was very painful that was a lot of money for me but again it was my dad and he's no 63 and he's always wanted to go so I did it, at the end of the day I still ended up net positive I got two of the most special, tickets in all sports and I got to watch Tiger In Contention on Sunday and obviously ended up winning for the first time in 14 years so. I got over that expense for the sake of how wonderful of the time it was my dad. Scot: [5:25] If it happens again don't forget your favorite podcasters. Web: [5:29] I will never forget you guys. Jason: [5:33] Yeah that is awesome and I'm pretty confident on your hundredth birthday one of the things you're not going to regret is is your investment in going to that Masters. Web: [5:42] I agree with you I'm a piece of it. Jason: [5:46] So speaking of things you might regret one of the things we offer to do on the show is is get kind of the, brief background bio of Our Guest so that was nurse can kind of understand for the how you came into your your current role and knowledge base can you can you come, walk us through your high level of career progression. Web: [6:08] Sure long story short I would say that I got my my first big boy job my real beginning e-commerce back at Rogue, Rogue is a sporting goods and Equipment Company manufacturer and a consumer brand here in Columbus Ohio I was responsible for auditing and, running paid search and so on and so forth or time there I learned a lot about you know frankly high tension, advertising company was still growing at that time it was it was maybe a hundred people if it's now it's six hundred people, it's one of the most underrated e-commerce companies in America my opinion. [6:52] I think it's actually run so I learned a lot from a group shortly after that, I cook pounded missing the name of Kevin Lavelle that company's doing really really well now it's Consolidated in Dallas and the team is strong, having to step down as CEO himself and a gentleman from Stitch fix is now running the show, from there I sort of switch gears and went on the publishing side so, I was at unpaid for a little bit I was there director of gear Patrol director of e-commerce or e-commerce platform on top of the existing publishing structure first, real ghost experiences are my first real contact Commerce or what I like to call them to your Commerce operations understanding how, audience & N Supply meet in the middle. [7:48] I consulted for a little bit and finally I decided to go all-in on 2 p.m. and it's been almost almost three and a half more years now, and I'm loving every minute of it. Jason: [8:01] That's awesome and for listeners who might not be familiar with, the 2 p.m. news that are let's let's break that down a little bit so this is a email newsletter is a freemium model right like you have a free subscription and you have some premium content, that you can pay for do I have that right. Web: [8:19] Yes yes so you know I started the letter, because I wanted a place to go where we could just focus on her industry without any distractions keep in mind this letter came about when every publication Under the Sun found a way to talk about politics, whether it's National or recode or whatever they found a way to talk about champagne I just wanted a place to go or like you only focused on. On the issue at hand how to understand the industry that we are in and how to be able to better operate on that on that intelligence it's always started for group of a couple dozen Allegiant obviously it expanded and, but the letter itself fully monetizing the beginning of 2018 and it's it's been no looking back ever since it's, the structure that business is 3 folds we have, pay subscription we have a Consulting arm and then we invest in direct to Consumer brands with some of our cash flows. Jason: [9:27] Yada interesting and the primary Topic in the newsletter is all things direct-to-consumer native brand is that. Web: [9:36] Well I would say it's a little broader than that it's it's e-commerce in general but it's a combination of, digital publishing data branding and and traditional Commerce my belief is that you won't understand one vertical, unless you understand how they all interact together. And the executives to understand how all of these articles are interacting with one another are the best computer to operate in this ever-evolving space. Jason: [10:05] Awesome in in so like what's the profile of the ideal subscriber. Web: [10:10] Shirk so here's a great test that I I do maybe once every 6-8 weeks I opened the list to come to my event we I host a dinner it's fully paid for by my myself and Dory, sponsor partner. And I first come first serve we usually hosts 24 people at a round table an amazing dinner always amazing always an amazing time everyone that shows up is always director VP level and above. So I don't dig through to figure out how many Executives I have in the executive membership what I'm finding is that it's heavily skews in that direction, these are people that are actually making the decisions actually implementing the products and the positioning. And I like that that's where the focus is and I'm hoping to never have to expand beyond that. Jason: [11:09] Got it got it and Scott mentioned that both he and I are executive members in so short of mine ocean for the kind of content you publish in this will be a good test you can tell me about, I'm wildly off-base are by have it is is you really have sort of three kinds of content that I've found useful, you do these memories which I kind of news curation and I think you know they say that in the coming couple times a week, you write a bunch of original content in your own sort of povs which are these sort of weekly reports and then you also have this executive Library which are these really useful, list like the the jewel need a vertical Brand Power with sore with small that investors in the space or agencies in the space stuff like that Dua, do I have the sort of content types roughly right. Web: [12:02] You do and one of the last, inside added in the last several weeks is a member research Series where I will pick two companies against one of them and expect and explain its excuse me explain how these companies are which company is better positioned to take the market, so the first one was stockx vs goat. That that research document actually influence a and upcoming investment round that's all I'll say about that. And the most recent one was Peloton versus tunnel. Pelton's obviously be on demand cycling Hardware / platform, and tunnel is the functional fitness, mirror / digital weight apparatus that you that you attach to your wall so I explained, based on both empirical data and some anecdotal evidence which which company I feel like to take the majority of the marker moving forward nothing that's been really interesting for my executive member. Jason: [13:12] Awesome and then if I have it right here last. Weekly report the topic was direct-to-consumer Playbook is a trap maybe you could tell us a little bit about what with your POV was there. Web: [13:31] Yes so one of the one of the most frequent questions that I did is from investors at asked me to help build a Playbook. Or direct to Consumer Brands what to do in the situation which agencies to go with. Choose a copywriter you know key terms that you want for SEO depending on the industry what song is this, the notion of that of that particular report is that any company that's been successful in the DTC space space whether that achieving unicorn status or below or right below it or are you asking me got there. By being antitetico to what was written before then. So instead of following what someone else is what another business is doing right write your own path if that's really what you want if the debt exit is really what you want to achieve That's the basis of the record. Jason: [14:34] Yeah that's so like I sent you a you like there is no point buck or at least there there's not one Playbook that works for multiple play brands. Web: [14:45] Correct everything that Harry's did. Was Waze was antithetical to what was going on in the Market at that time if you remember them going to Target with soft, you know I thought we saw that you were supposed to be a direct consumer brand why are you giving up why are you giving up Margin for wholesale. Or were they open their pop-up shop in New York there their Barbershop why would you go into retail that's a that's a poor investing why not just invested ads. So on and so forth are five examples that I mentioned in that document and one thing is clear they they achieve a unique outcome because they were a unique company that was well run by there to Founders. Scot: [15:32] So so it sounds like the Playbook is rip up the Playbook. Web: [15:37] That's that's that's exactly right. Scot: [15:38] If you can be a disruptor Fila disruptor you can't follow Playbook. Web: [15:43] Correct correct I'm going to ask you to put someone on the spot there's a quote. There's a quote in the actual lab report and it says embarrassed it's hard only the disruptors will survive I will survive, and it says Anonymous founder that was actually a quote by Kevin LaBelle who co-founded business name with me, and he made a good point the whole Spirit of the document itself was to remind Founders that they have to continue disrupting if they want to succeed they can't follow what everyone else is doing and expect that unique outcome. Scot: [16:17] Brickell let some so it's that's good let's take out of it this thirty thousand foot level you're the timing of the show here is really good because you mention Harry's and they just required for 4 is a record for one of these to join in Africa brands at 1.4 billion by folks that operate shit and then we just talked to her about even since I've I kind of put our little strip together we had the away investment do you feel like, taking the Playbook piece of side you feel like we're kind of super early in this space or is like this 1.4 billion dollar sale almost like a sign that work on towards the end game. Web: [16:56] Oh I definitely think they were early you know I was talking to Alex at Lightspeed earlier today and one thing that he added was that that you know there will be more there will be more stories like what we've seen from Harry's in a way, it's just a matter of time and companies are finding out what it takes and they're they're finding their stride and they're moving towards profitability a lot earlier and omni-channel operation. Omni-channel operational success earlier and it sits and dividends. Scot: [17:29] It seems like invest yet these exits typically actually get more and more investors calling in this is that kind of what you're saying is the investor interest is still on the rise. Web: [17:40] Stoner eyes. However I tend to be biased I believe that companies should take as little money as possible. So hopefully these companies are being Savvy about who you know they invite to their capital. Scot: [18:01] Yeah but if some is the ones that are scaling up or having to do omni-channel and break the Playbook and you mentioned like opening a barber shop that's all that just kind of feels like. The need to raise more Capital daddy how you reconcile those two things. Web: [18:19] That's your question I mean listen going back to our days at missing mizzen is in over 700 stores right now I'm not even including the Nordstrom deal so that's 700 + independent retailers around the country. We did that because we were hoping for more cash flow and it worked out well. The team bear did a successful job well beyond my time they're digging into that model and really developing strong relationships with these retailers, sometimes these operations are less capital-intensive than you would think it will all depend on the demand for the product. In the hope that the products the sell of the product will pay off. That's that's what I'm saying from a lot of the companies I mean from all reports Harry's was profitable. And I'm hearing that that away was profitable or very very close. Scot: [19:20] Yep this is kind of an aside but it kind of came to me that you probably got a really nice portfolio of these things have you ever thought of starting an angel list for people could invest alongside of you. Web: [19:34] No I haven't listened I'm still figuring out. How to build a strong Media company in 2 p.m. And until I understand the ins-and-outs of of consistency over time II can't go all in on the investment side like I would want to. What is an interesting idea the problem is the more the more opinions that you have at that stage of growth. From investors the more viewpoints on it so forth I think the more convoluted you're going to be as a founder. Nice guys rescue much but one of them one of the more bullheaded Founders that I know is it's been what he have a recessed you can't tell that kid anything, it really believes what he believes and it's paying dividends for him so my fear was getting a lot of investors involved early on is that the goal often for early-stage investors is to, I guess in for some influence on the strategy or the model and you know I tend to believe that you're supposed to listen to your gut and do your own thing and then and operate with a few strings as possible, so I would actually say that we strapping to a certain point and then seeking investment what you have some social life. Traction would be your social proof rather would be would be the play. Scot: [21:03] Cope with assignment Jason with sign up for mini mini Millions if you heated Angeles thinks I'll just put him on Spotify. Jason: [21:12] You talk about Annoying opinions that investors don't want mine would go right at the top of that list. Scot: [21:19] I was searching on Google for shoe and you did not come up. Web: [21:24] Yes please. Jason: [21:26] Why are you here yet exactly yeah I'm actually at the other end of of, that that chain like I'm always getting the call because my client you know just got some goofy request from their investor so. Yeah I feel like I have great great empathy for the, the management team in that regards but the interesting thing is, you mentioned what kind of in the first Inning on the DMV bees it does feel like they've done a lot of Buzz and they get a lot of mind sharing our space and a lot of people are talking about, it seems like the number of entrances really balloon it wasn't that long ago that you know there was a you know you could name all of the these digitally native brands in or you know, probably less than 10 minutes I mentioned you you have a, Visa executive databases on your site your your power ranking for digital native brand has a 316 companies on it, is like what's your what's your POV like in the market support 360 companies and can they all have a great exit and is it going to jump to thousands or you know is there going to be a reckoning. Web: [22:51] There will certainly be a reckoning it clear I'm not a fanboy I'm actually quite bears. I'm very bullish on the companies that have it figured out. So I agree with you that the volume will go up I personally think that the volume is ridiculous but it's really easy to raise 3.5 million dollars out of the gate right now no to specially if you went to Wharton, or one of those schools and you just have like that that direct-to-consumer sort of prestige that those schools offer at this point. It's too easy and I don't think that the companies that have raised money easily are the ones that are most likely to succeed. So yes there will be a reckoning and it will be sad but I do think that building a direct-to-consumer brand a digitally native brand is the best way to launch a company that is it in this day. Jason: [23:51] Interesting yeah I want to drill down a little bit more but I do think it's funny like you mentioned earlier that like, companies that are looking for a Playbook to Simply follow or probably wrong and I can agree with you I get the moment there's like this, this specific Buzz that does have a. Seemingly A playbook attached to it and in it you know we haven't seen a lot of phenomenal exits from that play book yet but that's the whole like, Warden student hires red antler raises 3.5 million dollars spends it on a branding kit, invest in some huge huge cock and like it does seem like there's this sort of. Traditional play that that you know you're you're starting to see a bunch of of Brands follow and it is interesting cuz there's not necessarily a lot of evidence that. That there's a strong exit at the end of that tunnel. Web: [24:52] I can't agree with you more if so it's frustrating for me partly because we have such a hard time raising money ourselves, I don't think that you did Russell retire match of the time or that type of growth Capital but that's not bad for the side. You know whenever there is ease and a low barrier-to-entry you're going to have hundreds if not thousands of competitors I think those competitors or false the Wayside especially as, Facebook continues the whole tight they're their inventory of as the bill self. That means that cost is going to continue rising and it's going to wash my to be friends out it's unfortunate but it's true. Jason: [25:36] Yeah so you bring up the Facebook CAC tactics and it's funny you know you significant number of the well-known DMV bees have now shown up on Shark Tank, and I I miss having a fascination with a show we've had a bunch of gas on the on the show that that are are DMV bees, that had a shark tank experience, and they're all there's a number of wisdom's that the Shark Tank investor share some of which I like wildly disagree with but one when it comes up a bunch on that show is there really negative on companies who like, have primarily grown through Facebook marketing and you know there's a there's like a strong perception that there's, there's not like that that customer acquisition through Facebook isn't Portugal a scalable for these brands that there's a small amount of, audience that you can buy really cost-effective way that it starts getting really expensive really fast and I do tend to agree with that so it is, it is funny to see some of these brands with a over-dependence on on a couple of these digital marketing Tech. Web: [26:44] Absolutely into that point you know I hear the other way I believe that the brands have the best organic audiences are the ones that have the best, long-term opportunity to succeed. It's at that point ironic and I said this had a recent speech in San Francisco the companies that are the most likely to have successful direct-to-consumer operations are existing Media Company. Jason: [27:14] Interesting for example. Web: [27:17] The best example right now with some is an example that that will probably be scoffed at but Arsenal sports or so we'll probably do 40 million in e-commerce in 2019. That would put them in the top 2004 online retailers. Scot: [27:35] Glenda what is Barstool song I'm not from Earth that is it just it kind of pulled in some affiliate sporting good stuff or is it private label stuff. Web: [27:44] No this is I mean they they have in their store they have something along the lines of 1700 1800 skus. Apparel knick knacks so on and so forth, in addition they have Behr Premium media subscription that I want to say this something like. 15 million since March and November 2018 so baby are moving in a recent article with biggie day. Your CEO Erika nardini. Mentioned by two digit is editor-in-chief she believes that there is there going to be a 150 million dollar beer company. A lot of that is Commerce and and commerce except for Commerce feeds into successful advertising but that point to side, I've noticed that it's easier for companies like that to ramp up without that's where I can just jump off exorbitant customer acquisition cost any news to companies that are purely there to sell a product to a consumer. Scot: [28:51] Yep cuz I already have the audience it's just kind of kind of matching the products already to the pre-established cap that they stay. Web: [28:58] Correct they already have the audience so when you so in that context, the reason why I carries a successful or an away is successful or a glossy a successful is because they already have the audience in their own way away is done a great job of tree sticks with them, company to launch a new product they have tens of thousands of people in the CRM to sell to. Agua CA she's a referral traffic is from into the Boston is dead they just recently went on to buy Facebook ads in the last 2 or 3 months. There are nine figure annual revenue company this morning so that's the common thread and I I'm surprised that more. Drive to Consumer brands on understand that. Scot: [29:44] Yeah yeah there's some of the media companies have tried this stuff and kind of failed miserably to kind of the big guys don't seem to get right. Web: [29:52] What's what's up with the top one in your mind because I I feel like Community first and then I'll give Mike solution. Scot: [30:00] So they're worse the guys that rebranded to the terrible brand Tribune company and then like in there they tried to do some e-commerce stuff and it got lost, steel I get AMC anyone that kind of has newspapers inside of there has just been kind of challenging. Web: [30:20] I think it's always thrown out is probably in your throat list and jackthreads. I actually think that Jack threads was succeeding. It was exceeding Jason Ross is a Columbus guy used to advise me early on with Ms in, when do we need salt to throw away I actually think that it was it did it that the company can be complementary I think that that that that girl Weston that ordered that media organization want to. Raise capital on a media valuation on the timer salutation obviously there's a premium on being in the evaluation and that affected that relationship. But, she's doing really well under that system it's a shame that they shut it down and made it seem that that Thomas was not exceeding. Scot: [31:13] Cool we'll be watching that closely let's give it a little bit it wouldn't be a Jason Scott show if we didn't talk a little bit about Amazon and what what do you make of Amazon just generally and are they this Unstoppable Force I would love to hear yours a rock with you that I'd love to kind of feather and how you think some of these brands should think about Amazon are they they friend or frenemy. Web: [31:39] That's a lot of questions yes they are an Unstoppable Force they cannot be broken up. I'm going to Weis you want but that's my that's my summary, they are both friend and foe to Brandon's I think that brands have to be extraordinary really Savvy when they decide to partner with Amazon. Otherwise they won't end up getting burnt but as you saw this week with the recent development Amazon is partnering with Adobe. It's one of those Magento Strikes Back situation where that partnership will allow consumer Brands early-stage direct consumer Brands to build stores. On top of Amazon's logistic structure instead of having to you build a store. Pasta market and recruited 3pl issued to move the product. Yes I feed the Amazons continuing to find ways to show me entire ecosystem and as long as they make consumers happy and they are. Scot: [32:49] Gold and then you kind of hinted that you know you have to be kind of prudent this are you talking about Amazon you are kind of taking a bunch of data and coming out with a competing products I've noticed they're they're being very aggressive and the mattress base review. Web: [33:04] Yes that's exactly what I mean there's always a chance that if you have a product that can that can be easily knocked off your you're going to pay for your participation. Scot: [33:15] Yes it's a how do you know when someone comes to you for advice on that is the answer if it's easily knocked off don't sell on Amazon or is it you know a more nuanced kind of thing or how do you advise books on it. Web: [33:29] It's the 41 stye eye tend to say that you should you should have a category of product that you're comfortable selling on Amazon whether it's your your your shell products or or maybe like you're cheaper. Your cheaper skews beings that do not cannibalize your existing audience and your own platform. Jason: [33:53] Yeah that makes sense and I think we've heard from some of the some of the brands that are both direct-to-consumer and having a successful presents on Amazon like a tuft and needle that there's, sort of a product delineation strategy what are there you know there's a arrangers use that they'll only sell direct to Consumers and then there's the rain just use, the doll maker available on Amazon and now there's even Amazon exclusive. Web: [34:22] Correct I think that's the way to do it. Jason: [34:25] Yeah I know that's seems like that makes a lot of sense of night they at least make that strategy what pretty, pretty robust I want to touch on one thing you mentioned cuz we haven't covered in on the show yet and will probably do a little deeper dive in a in an upcoming new show but you you reference, announcement that I think was yesterday that, Magento which is not owned by Adobe is launching a new partnership with Amazon where I sent you a you can run a, your own URL Magento sites, that it's pre-integrated to all the Amazon infrastructure so you can leverage fulfillment by Amazon and Amazon payment and it is essentially a way to have your own destination on the web, I'm for sellers that are primarily been using using Amazon and it's for real Old-Timers like Scott and I don't want to our age, Amazon actually offered a product like that themselves called Amazon webstore that they discontinued in 2015 so this is a interesting play to see. [35:29] Adobe facilitating that now, you know cuz one thing is if they also announced that sitting on Amazon web services and you know that if that ends up being the the hosting strategy for Magento in the cloud, that that's going to be an interesting conundrum you know there are a lot of retailers that are going to want to operate their their e-commerce site on Adobe web services the more I agree with you I found that to be an interesting, news this week. Scot: [36:01] What will the floods concerned about you know these Brands seeing just your Amazon sales presumably now Amazon can see everything your shipping and I don't think they would look inside of your AWS pull and see what's going on inside their but they'll definitely you know they can see wow you sold you know, 80 widgets a day on Amazon and worshipping 300 seems like there's a pretty big Direct business here so you don't have to run your whole infrastructure, how many people adopt. Web: [36:38] I'm anxious to see myself it's going to be a test for a lot of companies especially if they hope to streamline speed and availability from the logistics tampon. Scot: [36:48] Yep and it feels like they're shooting it's a fire shot over shopify's bad because shopify's been mopping up Webbie be done any research of like the platforms are these companies choose it just anecdotally it feels like Shopify is got like 80% or something. Web: [37:04] Without a doubt I just it's one pole vault I've worked with several of these companies, I I've consulted Bigcommerce I'm very close to photoshop 5 have a lot of fix my inner circle. Love what a Dobies hoping to do with Magento whole body issue. I want to say was 6 weeks ago. I said. If you are directing superbrand today which platform do you use to launch on Shopify webflow eCommerce a big Commerce or Magento it was 96% shop. With over 400 boat. Jason: [37:49] Yeah that I hadn't seen that, that skewed by that that's early Echoes my own antidotal impression is it just it feels like Shopify is totally one that face so it makes sense that, Magento Adobe had to do something big to try to disrupt that that pattern, on a side note you know Walmart has now lot like they've acquired some did you need a Brands but they'd actually launched a couple of their own he wants to abetting brand Caldwell House when I'm home but this week they wants to another one that's a premium bicycle brand called by Athens, and what would I find fascinating about those two Brands you can't buy either of them on Walmart.com you can only buy them on their own websites and these two, Brands websites that are owned by Walmart and invented by Walmart are hosted on Shopify Plus so you. [38:42] Despite the fact that Walmart owns you know their own proprietary you know multibillion-dollar e-commerce platform they that they also are turning the Shopify for these, these sort of a Nation brand self to watch on a, slightly Gigi note the Adobe announcement seemed to imply that these stores could do everedge fulfillment by Amazon and map was particular interesting to me I'm eager to learn more because, it wasn't Euro in Amazon was encouraging you to use them for all your fulfillment whether it was sold on Amazon or not but in the in recent times it feels like, they're Amazon's capacity has been so constrained that they really like curtailed your ability to to ship goods from fulfillment by Amazon for orders that weren't collected on the platform so so it's going to be interesting to see whether, whether this is a pivot back or not but. [39:41] Putting them on the shelf or second and turning back to the the broad direct-to-consumer topic one of the things that's frustrating to me as a consultant is, that the DTC companies have so much Buzz that I I frequently like go to these digital days and you know all these sort of, multi consultant events and I share a lot of my counterparts, sort of talking about deceiving the future and then one has to move Daddy to see you and that's going to be the model that winds, and you mentioned that you're sure a little barishan on a lot of these companies I'm equally bearish and the thing that I keep noticing is, me and you talked about the incumbent then in particular you'd like the cpg space like the Procter & Gamble in the universe and there's a scary stabbed that none of them have invented, any, no billion dollar brands in the last 10 years I know three, companies and you know she hear all these people talking about how it's all these Challenger Brands brands that are eating the, the incumbents lunch. [40:51] But none of these DLC brands have hit 3, as yet either you know for your point they've all raised a ton of money from investors that that need them to hit three commas, in order to have a successful exit so they're in this weird space where where do they have to get to a billion dollars and sales at least, and embrace you of any have ever achieve that, and I've noticed there's a third category that seems wildly more successful than either of the other two and this is what I'm curious about your thoughts. [41:24] It's these new brands that are being launched by the retailer Target in the last 5 years has watch five brands that have sold over a billion dollars. And you know Kroger has some of the most successful brands in the world that they've created themselves that's it's some of the interesting like the DTC brands are, are having a lean into whole wholesale distribution for Tech but the guys are really winning are these retailers that are kind of falling, some of the the components of the DDC Playbook but they're but they're leveraging the the huge audience that they already have in terms of Shoppers that are coming in their store if you. You think I'm wrong there if you seen that as what. Web: [42:03] I don't think that you're wrong at all I think it just goes back to the conversation you're having earlier but you're having great success with these private label Brands because they have an audience. Allow these directions to Consumer brands have underestimated how difficult it is to develop an audience that you're not paying. And that's where the advantage shifts The Leverage ships back to the incumbent. Jason: [42:33] Yeah no for sure and then I eat I do think when your return you have a portfolio of ways to monetize that same audience it's a huge advantage and in that way I think some of these DDC native companies that are a category like glossy a that you know is doing really well in the entire category seems like they have an intrinsic advantage over, a lot of these d2c companies that still feel like single Product Company. Web: [43:00] I would agree wholeheartedly one of my most one of my recent post was about the importance of these direct to Consumer brands that are essentially products companies. Converting or or I guess graduating to becoming category Brands the only way that you'll succeed is if you are a category brands. Can you name can you name one of these to record one of these directions to my brands that stayed in one lane sold one product all the way through you can't. Bonobo started his pants I mean that's not the best example because they simply sold for life. Every word they raised through in a million + 8/330. So I never use bonobos as an example but but there are others even even the Dollar Shave Club became of a category brand before they before they, before the accident carries category they owned half of half of the target. Away becoming a category brand obviously glossy the category brand allbirds is Shifting in that direction Evelyn is Shifting in that direction it's only a matter of time in the company that aren't prepared to do that are going to be left behind. Scot: [44:12] Let some, it's coming up soon to kind of play the chessboard out and when you do you what do you think happens to to kind of retailers and then we're super barishon malls here on the Jason and Scott show so where do you see balls also in the hole by Future. Web: [44:32] Yeah I haven't I got a nuanced answer you want the answer to that I'm not barisan almost embarrassed on the middle class. Embarrassing the middle class in general. I believe that that subset of America consumer is struggling the most to maintain their to their place in society. And you're seeing it reflected in every every retail marker malls the malls in a middle-class are struggling. I've been to some wonderful cheer animals in Columbus you have Easton. You know obviously Hudson yards will have to be exactly does New York needed to be a success in Miami you have Bal Harbour. Not like there are numerous examples of of malls that cater to the upper middle class and higher that better almost invulnerable. Obviously there are the numerous Bargain Bin sellers that are appealing to you know economy buyers, what is the middle class in all of those retailers are getting eaten up at warp speed, that's where you're bullish this comes from or saw your tears just comes from with respect balls that's, yes there are stores closing because they're closing after after months and years of dwindling demand from The Middle. Jason: [46:01] Yeah know and we've actually kind of hit that topic several times on the show, Casey will MBA from Deloitte talks a lot about this and a great consumer bifurcation in that you don't essentially is is the same thing that you know there's, increasingly affluent consumers on there's a you know a lot of successful businesses that cater to them and there's importunately. Increasingly financially distressed consumers and there's there's businesses unit value based businesses that are doing really well catering to them but it's the. [46:33] People stuck in the uncomfortable middle that you know don't seem to have a great future. [46:39] I did have one other like start a question about how some of these days you'll need to Brands Play In traditional retail mall or otherwise we started off the show talking about Harry's and some of the, other clever things that they've done and I don't know we mention on the podcast but I know you mentioned that in your report there's a lot of speculation that carries with predominantly, sold the retail so I think between J.Crew and Target like you know the the number is I've heard or like 80% of their revenue came from those, does retail stores versus their their direct consumer e-commerce presents and there's a, like from customer acquisition standpoint you you could totally understand that like you know obviously that if they're selling those razors at wholesale to Target and J.Crew that would be you Julie margin iroso, but the the interesting thing I have heard and I'm curious if you've heard the same thing is that because Harry's built a really desirable premium. [47:40] Brand before they went to these retailers and they didn't use these retailers to build a brand that use these retailers to amplify the brand that they already built. The dude actually able to negotiate terms with the retailers that were not traditional wholesale economic terms. And so I've been led to believe that that Harry's was much more profitable for Harry's in Target than a nutritional consumer goods at Target with cell. Web: [48:09] Target benefited greatly from cherries from Harry's involvement, what are the what are the prime directors of Target management over the last 10 years just to get more Millennia since the store, need more younger Millennials to buy more products in Target and it's certain jump-started. Stop Target 2.0 with respect to their their continued Revenue growth. So yes Harry's probably had some leverage that other companies didn't but when it comes down to it Harry's get exactly what they're supposed to do baby, that they can compete in traditional retail boundaries are within traditional retail boundaries against the incumbent, the brand was strong enough to do that in over that time they they threw the guy was that that was the case there were there have been a few companies I won't name them unless you want me to that I have gone into Target and not succeeded, so so Harry's. Yo it should have been an early marker for a lot of analysts see that because they were succeeding there eventually they were going to exit in some way shape or form. Scot: [49:23] Has been a great discussion and kind of your very topical with current time and I know we're up against time so it would love for you to whip out your crystal ball and look 10 years into the future it's 2030 time frame what's what do you think retail and e-commerce look like it at that. Web: [49:46] Remind me of the Year again 20:30. Scot: [49:48] Its 2029 but I added one cuz it sounds more futuristic. Web: [49:54] Are you not have a pretty positive person but may I may I just get dark for a second. Scot: [50:04] Let's go dark. Web: [50:06] Okay I think that as the years progressed the middle class will continue to pleading. So a lot of the products and services that we see for through Amazon to Target and Walmart are all appealing to higher consumer I hire a consumer. Those products and services and retailers both digital and physical will continue to thrive over the next 10 years. But I don't think that retail in general will Thrive with it and I do think that that that we're going to see a retail induced recession in the next five seven years it will probably stagger into that from your mother. But that's that's turning the future that I'm prepared. Scot: [50:58] Go to the counter argument was we need to kind of solve the middle class problem to have a prosperous view of the world in 10 years is kind of your underlying thesis. Web: [51:05] 100% And is it very clear that no one cares about that right now. Scot: [51:10] I think we do. Web: [51:14] I I care about it. Scot: [51:14] 3 out of 300 million Americans. Web: [51:17] Sure I guess what I'm saying is that the people that have the ability to make changes now don't seem to care enough about making changes now. Scot: [51:27] Those guys yep you're right. Jason: [51:29] It is as if you look at the big history if you can and get out of our kind of Iran and look at the all spectrum of human existence so I get every time this happens it eventually gets off like you just have a revolution you Lop off the heads of all the rich guys and and you know you start to develop a middle-class again for a little while so. Web: [51:47] Problem with this is a problem with this iteration of that story is by the time that can happen either we're going to be on another planet or the rich guys are going to be another planet, material are harder to Lop off an Intergalactic head. Jason: [52:05] Yeah you are going dark you are a happier follow-up question in 20-30 has Tiger surpass Jack Nicholson Nicholas remastered. Web: [52:14] Gosh me and you're putting me on the spot listen I've never read against tiger I will root against them now the kids, he said his mind when he was 7 years old that he was going to be Batman you have to believe that he's going to fall. Jason: [52:32] Yeah I I for one I hope he does it I didn't even watch the web we are really pressing up on time so if folks want to contact you what's what's the best way to find you online. Web: [52:46] Just WEP web on Twitter or you can email me at web web at the number to p.m. l.com. Jason: [52:56] Awesome I appreciate it and it is obviously happen again we've used up all our allotted time so if folks have further questions or comments about today show we encourage you to jump on our Facebook page or hit us up on Twitter. Scot: [53:10] And what we really appreciate you taking time out of your super busy schedule doing a 8000 things you make us look like Slackers is actually pretty easy to do so we really appreciate you have being on the show. Web: [53:23] It's my other guys thank you for having me. Jason: [53:26] Until next time happy commercing.

There is no lack of success stories in the direct-to-consumer markets. But there are also questions being asked of how long the industry can sustain itself. With a plethora of new brands launched every day, built on VC money with tall growth targets, it's fair to ask if a shakeout is coming. Kevin Lavelle, founder and CEO of Mizzen and Main, a brand that sells men’s performance wear dress shirts, thinks a carnage is it's on the cards. Lavelle talks about building a brand, advertising on platforms versus TV and what’s in the future of the DTC space.

When starting your own product business, it's easy to tackle a million and one problems at a time. Starting on the simplest problems first sets you on a much better path. In this episode, Kevin Lavelle, founder of Mizzen+Main, shares how he made “the best damn dress shirt for men” that's now worn by men across 50 states. We uncover how Kevin built credibility through a crowded market, boosting immunity through making mistakes, and the risks of scaling too early.

Kevin Lavelle (@KevinSLavelle), Founder & CEO of men's dress shirt company Mizzen and Main (@MizzenandMain) joins us to discuss how the company is cleverly parlaying relationships with high profile athletes like Phil Mickelson and JJ Watt into increased visibility for the company. The TV/digital/social media campaign featuring Phil Mickelson and another campaign around "Textile Dysfunction" have gone viral and lead to big sales for the company.  Lavelle also discusses how the company was started, how he came up with the Mizzen and Main name, the unique deal structure with his athlete ambassadors, why the company handles its ad campaigns in-house, the advantages of being a small and nimble company, advice for entrepreneurs, how to make yourself relevant with high profile people and why he chose to launch his own podcast - Founders 15 (available on iTunes).   Listen to the Sports Business Radio podcast on iTunes, Spotify, AudioBoom, Tunein and Stitcher. Follow us on Twitter @SBRadio and on Instagram @SportsBusinessRadio.

When starting your own product business, it's easy to tackle a million and one problems at a time. Starting on the simplest problems first sets you on a much better path. In this episode, Kevin Lavelle, founder of mizzen+main, shares how he made “the best damn dress shirt for men” that's now worn by men across 50 states. We uncover how Kevin built credibility through a crowded market, boosting immunity through making mistakes, and the risks of scaling too early.

Kevin Lavelle and Jenna walk through Mizzen+Main's founding story, from storing inventory in their bedroom to partnering with Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt and being sold in over 450 retailers across the U.S.. Kevin shares how gratitude helped him survive early challenges, like days when no sales were made, and navigate growing pains when customer demand outpaced the team's ability to scale processes. He opens up about his personal evolution as a leader, how vulnerability directly influences and accelerates our growth, and why the path of self-improvement is much better traveled with others. We close chatting about two of the tactics - the Memento Mori and The Tail End framework - that help Kevin live and lead with gratitude, and the importance of detaching from things that take you away from living a fulfilling life.

This week on G&E The Podcast, we had Kevin Lavelle, founder of the industry disrupting brand, Mizzen + Main. The apparel company famous for their performance fabric dress shirts that are moisture wicking, wrinkle-free, and as they put it, Comfortable AF. When he first started out, people thought his idea was crazy. He was basically laughed out of his first trade show and told by supposed industry experts that no one would wear the shirt. Five and a half years later, the business has grown by 400% YOY, has partnerships with iconic athletes such as Tim Tebow and J.J. Watt, and has plans to become the next great American brand.

On the 23rd episode of the Loose Threads Podcast, a show about the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, I talk with Kevin Lavelle, the founder of Mizzen + Main, a company bringing performance fabrics to the workplace. Kevin founded Mizzen + Main after growing tired of the perils of cotton dress shirts. As he saw performance fabrics take off in the athletic space, he figured they could also take hold in the workplace and launched the company to fill this void. Kevin and I had a great talk about the founding story behind Mizzen + Main, why the company is focusing on all of America, not just the coasts, the benefits of manufacturing domestically, and the company’s growth trajectory going forward. I really enjoyed talking with Kevin, especially around how and where the company is looking to grow. We often pay the most attention to products that are growing in our own communities, which are often on the coasts of the country. But Mizzen + Main is building the company from the middle of America, and capturing all of the opportunities that come with it. — Show Notes — Mizzen + Main https://mizzenandmain.com/ Edited by George Drake Jr. — About Loose Threads — http://LooseThreads.com Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/buLQY9 Twitter: http://twitter.com/loosethreadscom The Loose Threads Podcast explores the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce. Hosted by Richie Siegel, an entrepreneur and writer, each episode features an in-depth conversation with one guest that spans a range of topics. The guests range from being fashion-focused to technology-focused to somewhere in between, but the unifying thread is always the rapid change facing the industry and how entrepreneurs are responding. You can listen to the podcast on any player of your choice, in addition to on http://LooseThreads.com

Kevin Lavelle takes us through his incredible journey of building and scaling a business from the ground up. Kevin is an entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder and CEO of Mizzen+Main, which is a men's clothing brand focusing on performance fabric dress shirts. He was named to the 40 Under 40 list by Dallas Business Journal in 2013 and was also named to Men's Fitness list of Game Changers in 2014. Kevin was repeatedly laughed out of the room when pitching his idea to create a dress shirt that would not only look great, but would feel great too! After being rejected over and over and being told nobody would want to buy what he was selling, he decided to go out on his own, push the fabric boundaries and carve out an entirely new clothing category. Despite what the traditional menswear big shots said, Kevin knew what the market wanted and made it his mission to turn his dream into a reality. The company has since skyrocketed, being sported by people all around the world, including many super athletes and online influencers.  Click Here to Receive Special Offer From Mizzen + Main  Show Notes: http://bradleyjohnson.com/22  

Listen to The Top if you want to hear from the worlds TOP entrepreneurs on how much they sold last month, how they are selling it, and what they are selling - 7 days a week in 20 minute interviews! Join the Top Tribe at NathanLatka.com/TheTop   The Top is FOR YOU if you are:   A STUDENT who wants to become the CEO of a $10m company in under 24 months (episode #4)   STUCK in the CORPORATE grind and looking to create a $10k/mo side business so you can quit (episode #7)   An influencer or BLOGGER who wants to make $27k/mo in monthly RECURRING revenue to have the life you want and full CONTROL (episode #1)   The Software as a Service (SaaS) entrepreneur who wants to grow to a $100m+ valuation (episode #14).   Your host, Nathan Latka is a 25 year old software entrepreneur who has driven over $4.5 million in revenue and built a 25 person team as he dropped out of school, raised $2.5million from a Forbes Billionaire, and attracted over 10,000 paying customers from 160+ different countries.   Oprah gets 60 minutes or more to make her guests comfortable to then ask tough questions. Nathan does it all in less than 15 minutes in this daily podcast that's like an audio version of Pat Flynn's monthly income report. Join the Top Tribe at NathanLatka.com/TheTop  

Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Mizzen+Main, a company revolutionizing the apparel industry by bringing advanced performance fabrics to traditional menswear while keeping things American made and giving back to veterans.

Episode 064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500% Kevin Lavelle is an incredibly intelligent leader.  He truly understands the importance of possessing three qualities as a leader: An overwhelming amount of optimism, an intellectual curiosity, and persistence.  We are extremely fortunate to have Kevin share his knowledge with us, the loyal listeners of The Learning Leader Show.  Kevin Lavelle is an American entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder of Mizzen+Main, a men's clothing brand where he serves as the company's CEO. Kevin was named to the 40 Under 40 list by Dallas Business Journal in 2013. He was also named to Men's Fitness list of Game Changers in 2014.  Investors in the company, which makes its products in the United States, include Zappos founder Tony Hsieh's Vegas Tech Fund and Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell.  They have grown 500% year over year! And most recently, he has partnered with NFL star JJ Watt on an endorsement deal that gives JJ an equity stake in the business.  Episode 064: Kevin Lavelle – CEO of Mizzen+Main: Intellectual Curiosity Leads To Growing 500% Subscribe on iTunes  or Stitcher Radio The Learning Leader Show “I want to build the next great American brand.” – Kevin Lavelle Some Questions I Ask: What are the common characteristics of high achievers? What is unique about Mizzen+Main? How did you initially fund your company? What effect did it have on your brand when you advertised on a podcast? (Tim Ferriss) What do you say to critics who claim you should make your product outside of America? Take us into your pitch meetings… What specifically did it sound like in those meetings? What was it like negotiating with JJ Watt? Why is the name Mizzen+Main?   In This Episode, You Will Learn: The importance of: Optimism, curiosity, & persistence  Pitch meetings (to investors) and the specific verbiage used in them The power of advertising on a podcast Working with JJ Watt Getting started… Specifically starting to sell immediately (prior to quitting day job) Mentors and how they’ve helped The importance of taking a complicated message and making it clear “The best business decision for us is to make our products in America.” – Kevin Lavelle Continue Learning: Go To Kevin’s website: com Read the article Kevin wrote about the power of advertising on a podcast: com/@kevinslavelle Follow Kevin on Twitter: @kevinslavelle You may also like these episodes: Episode 001: How To Become A Master Connector With Jayson Gaignard From MasterMind Talks Episode 034: Jimmy Hatch – Shot While Searching For Bowe Bergdahl And Sky Diving With Gabby Giffords Episode 004: How Todd Wagner (and Mark Cuban) Sold Broadcast.com To Yahoo! For $5.7 Billion Episode 010: Shane Snow – How To Accelerate Success Using Smart Cuts Did you enjoy the podcast? This was a jam packed episode full of great content.  Kevin is leader who is constantly learning in order to help us all live a better life. Who do you know that needs to hear this?  Send them to The Learning Leader Show! Episode edited by the great J Scott Donnell Biography Kevin Lavelle is an American entrepreneur and business executive. He is the founder of Mizzen+Main, a men's clothing brand where he serves as the company's CEO. Kevin was named to the 40 Under 40 list by Dallas Business Journal in 2013. He was also named to Men's Fitness list of Game Changers in 2014.  Investors in the company, which makes its products in the United States, include Zappos founder Tony Hsieh's Vegas Tech Fund and Navy SEAL Marcus Lutrell.  And most recently, he has partnered with NFL star JJ Watt on an endorsement deal that gives JJ an equity stake in the business.

Kevin is the Founder and CEO of Mizzen+Main, a company revolutionizing the apparel industry by bringing advanced performance fabrics to traditional menswear while keeping things American made and giving back to veterans.

Kevin Lavelle has spent his career dealing in numbers, strategy, and technology and never expected to start a fashion e-commerce company. The idea for this revolutionary product has stayed with him since that hot summer day in Washington many years ago, and after studying the market and finding no such thing as a moisture wicking dress shirt, Kevin decided to do something about it. After that ahha moment on that hot summer day Mizzen + Main was born. Learn how he took his company from start-up to barely keeping up with demand! The post BBE 048 – Kevin Lavelle | CEO and Founder Mizzen + Main | Business Buff Entrepreneurs appeared first on Business Buff Entrepreneurs.

The "Tim Ferriss Effect" is REAL according to Mizzen+Main's founder Kevin Lavelle. So real in fact, that sponsoring Tim's podcast has been the single greatest decision he's ever made to grow the company. Kevin Lavelle is the founder of Mizzen+Main, which manufactures American made, moisture wicking, wrinkle free dress shirts. Happy customers include pro athletes, successful CEO’s, and notable celebrities such as Tim Ferriss. Mizzen and Main received $1.2 million in funding last August and Kevin says he plans to use the new funding to raise brand awareness and grow sales of Mizzen+Main clothing online, via select retail relationships and creative pop-up shops and trade shows, amongst other things. Kevin’s joined us to tell his story and teach us what he’s learned from his experiences buying ads in Esquire, getting $1.2 million in funding, and sponsoring The Tim Ferriss show. Key Takeaways from the Show What to do if you're considering raising money for your ecommerce company. Why the "Tim Ferriss Effect" is real and how to test the waters of podcast sponsorship to see if it makes sense for you. What he's doing to grow his ecommerce business to $10mil+ Links / Resources Mizzen and Main website Kevin on Twitter Kevin's Articles on Medium Tim Ferriss Podcast Subscribe & Review To get more awesome Ecommerce Influence content sent directly to your device and into your ears as they become available, you can easily subscribe. Also, ratings and reviews on iTunes (hopefully 5-stars!) help us tremendously a we’re very grateful for them. We do read all of the reviews and we’ll answer your questions or comments on future episodes.

Is there an idea for a product that seems to be burning inside of you, but you don’t know where to start? That is exactly the situation that this episode’s… read more →