Podcasts about ModCloth

In this episode of Add To Cart, we sit down with Grant Arnott, Executive Director at Global Marketplace, home to retail powerhouses Click Frenzy, Power Retail and GrabOne. With over a decade driving peak online moments for brands like Woolworths, Big W and Adore Beauty, Grant brings sharp insights and unfiltered takes on where ecommerce has lost its edge. He unpacks why most sites are blending into the background, the real role of top-of-funnel traffic and what Australian retailers can learn from global innovators like ModCloth. Whether you're buried in attribution models or stuck in template land, this episode challenges you to think beyond best practice and start building with personality.This episode was brought to you by: Shopify PlusKlaviyoAbout your guest: Grant Arnott is the Executive Director at Global Marketplace, where he spearheads initiatives to transform the e-commerce landscape across Australia and New Zealand. With a passion for retail innovation, Grant has successfully driven the development of a dynamic marketing engine, exemplified by key events such as Click Frenzy and influential platforms like Power Retail and GrabOne. Since joining Global Marketplace in 2012, he has played a pivotal role in shaping marketing strategies and overseeing impactful e-commerce events. Prior to this, Grant served as Managing Director of Click Frenzy, Australia's premier online retail festival, and was instrumental in establishing Power Retail as a crucial resource for the online retail community. About your host: Nathan Bush is the host of the Add To Cart podcast and a leading ecommerce transformation consultant. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.Email hello@addtocart.com.au We look forward to hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Adil Wali, CPO at Klaviyo, to break down the future of consumer marketing and why Klaviyo is launching a new category: B2C CRM. Adil, a former ecommerce entrepreneur, shares his unique perspective on how brands can shift from chasing transactions to nurturing high-LTV customer relationships using first-party data, smarter segmentation, and product-led retention tools.We cover the key insights from Klaviyo's new “Future of Consumer Marketing” report, talk about why repeat customers are more important than ever, and dive deep into how marketers can drive loyalty without relying on constant discounting.Key Takeaways:Why B2C CRM is the missing layer in modern DTC marketingHow brands can use first-party data to fuel loyalty loopsThe strategic pivot from acquisition-heavy tactics to retention-first thinkingTactics for building long-term customer value without eroding marginsHow Klaviyo's roadmap is evolving to meet the biggest challenges DTC brands faceTopics Covered:Adil's journey from ecommerce founder to CPO at KlaviyoThe core idea behind B2C CRM and why it's built for DTC brandsThe shift in consumer behavior from transactional to relationship-drivenActionable ways to drive retention and build repeat customersWhat Klaviyo is building next to support this new marketing realityWhether you're a growth marketer, brand operator, or founder, this episode gives you a playbook for building stronger, longer-lasting customer relationships in a world where CAC is rising and loyalty is everything.Timestamps:00:00 - Why Klaviyo is a data company at its core02:05 - Adil Wali's journey from ModCloth to Meta to Klaviyo06:10 - What B2C CRM really means and why it matters now09:15 - The convergence of marketing, service, and analytics13:00 - Building long-term customer relationships with data16:30 - Loyalty beyond discounts: What brands are missing19:20 - How Klaviyo helps brands tackle rising CAC22:30 - Real-world wins: Klaviyo success stories from top brandsHashtags:#DTCMarketing #KlaviyoCRM #EcommerceStrategy #CustomerLoyalty #B2CMarketing #ShopTalk2025 #MarketingPodcast #RetentionMarketing #EmailMarketing #AdilWali #DirectToConsumer Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 1! Happy New Year everyone! The Gregorian New Year, to be specific because the Lunar New Year is right around the corner… A new calendar year means a new season of our podcast. For our first episode of the new season, we want to highlight one of our favorite publishers, Third State Books. To do that, we've invited the Co-Founder and CEO of Third State Books, Stephanie Lim.  Prior to leading Third State Books, Stephanie spent many years in digital marketing and operations, first as a strategist for advertising clients at Google, then leading e-commerce teams and managing multi-million-dollar advertising budgets for retail brands that include ModCloth, Bebe, and S by Serena (Serena Williams's eponymous fashion label). She loves literary classics, guilty-pleasure genre fiction, fanfic, and children's books.  Third State Books is the first publishing house that's 100% focused on bringing Asian American voices, stories, and issues to audiences. They do that through a variety of books that encompass fiction and non-fiction. We highly recommend all of their current publications that include  Fighting to Belong! (written by Amy Chu and Alexander Chang and illustrated by Louie Chin), Edison (written by Pallavi Sharma Dixit), Pride and Preston Lin (written by Christina Hwang Dudley), as well as What in the World is Ezra's Art (by Shay Fan and Eric Toda), and we can't wait for the 2025 books that they've planned.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

These show notes were written at a time before LLMs were available to the public, if that's any indication of In this episode from 2017, we covered:WILL WALMART BE COOL AGAIN?Lord and Taylor started selling on walmart.com with their own special homepage.Also, remember how Walmart acquired Bonobos and Modcloth? The world has changed, people.THE DIGITAL DIVIDE:Walmart's upmarket aspirations clashed with the working-class market. Perhaps this is still true?Brian's unfailing optimism about the future of technology and the working class, with technology enabling efficiency and providing better products and better services.Robby Berman posits that AI will serve and make life better for humans, but only the top 1% of humans.A Princeton study on bias in bots explores how AI has the problematic ability to target people for committing potential crimes based off the bias and prejudice of the bot creators.AI ENABLING JOB ELIMINATION?Chris Gardner from Forrester predicts that automation will eliminate 9% of jobs in 2018."These jobs are not low-end jobs, they're white-collar jobs being replaced."Brian is again optimistic: a whole new host of jobs will be created for creating and servicing AI.Reuters reported that a son used data to recreate his dad as a chatbot. 

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Cari Jacobs-Crovetto about soul retrieval at work. Cari Jacobs-Crovetto (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/) is an executive coach and advisor specializing in leadership development. After an advertising career working with Levis, P&G, and Lexus, and work with startups Sunrun and ModCloth, she pivoted towards personal growth. She is certified by UC Berkeley and coach at Stanford." Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network! Check out the ⁠HCI Academy⁠: Courses, Micro-Credentials, and Certificates to Upskill and Reskill for the Future of Work! Check out the LinkedIn ⁠Alchemizing Human Capital⁠ newsletter. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Future Leader⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership⁠. Check out Dr. Westover's book, ⁠The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership⁠. Check out the latest issue of the ⁠Human Capital Leadership magazine⁠. Each HCI Podcast episode (Program, ID No. 655967) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Each HCI Podcast episode (Program ID: 24-DP529) has been approved for 0.50 HR (General) SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCPHR recertification through SHRM, as part of the knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™). Human Capital Innovations has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. Each HCI Podcast episode qualifies for a maximum of 0.50 points.

Tye DeGrange is the founder and CEO of Round Barn Labs, a performance and affiliate marketing company that has worked with companies like Oculus, thredUp, ModCloth and Nextdoor. Prior to that he had career stints at Amazon, eBay and Commission Junction. He grew up on a horse ranch in Northern California!  He's also a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed: What life was like growing up on a ranch and the work ethic that instilled in him Tye's parenting philosophies and the books they're rooted in His relationship with social media and its influence on his kids How he met his wife -- possibly my favorite story yet! The importance of consistency, simplicity and a well-structured day — Where to find Tye DeGrange - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedegrange/ - Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/TyeDeGrange - Round Barn Labs: https://www.roundbarnlabs.com/   Where to find Adam Fishman - Newsletter: https://startupdadpod.substack.com/ - Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ — In this episode, we cover: [1:58] Welcome [2:33] Tye's professional background [5:57] Work ethic from ranch childhood; the story of round barns [10:24] How Tye met his wife [12:07] Tye's kids [14:11] Their decision to start a family [20:13] His earliest memory of being a dad [21:32] Most surprising thing about being a dad [23:15] Advice that resonates with Tye [25:35] Parenting frameworks [33:29] Where Tye and his partner don't align [36:18] His kid's relationship to technology [42:38] What did Tye give up to be a dad? [45:33] A mistake Tye made as a dad [47:47] Balance work/life [50:34] Follow along with Tye [51:20] Rapid fire — Show references: How To Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results by Esther Wojcicki: https://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Successful-People-Lessons/dp/1328974863/ Yellowstone: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4236770/ Bob Feist invitational: https://bfiweek.com/schedule/ Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco Hardcover by Gary Kamiya: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Gray-City-Love-Francisco/dp/1608199606 National Lampoon's Vacation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085995/ Fountain Grove, Ca: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_Grove,_California Oculus: https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/ ThredUP: https://www.thredup.com/ ModCloth: https://modcloth.com/ NextDoor: https://nextdoor.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/ Commission Junction: https://www.cj.com/ Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/ Bowflex: https://www.bowflex.com/home StubHub: https://www.stubhub.com/ Baby Bjorn: https://www.babybjorn.com/ Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting (now with Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting) by Pamela Druckerman: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-B%C3%A9b%C3%A9-Discovers-Parenting/dp/0143122967 Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids Paperback by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross: https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Parenting-Extraordinary-Calmer-Happier/dp/0345507983/ Lion King: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/ Sing 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6467266/ The Goonies: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/ Daniel Tiger Potty Episode: https://pbskids.org/video/daniel-tigers-neighborhood/2328918496 — For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com. For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com  Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Tye DeGrange is the founder and CEO of Round Barn Labs, a performance and affiliate marketing company that has worked with companies like Oculus, thredUp, ModCloth and Nextdoor. Prior to that he had career stints at Amazon, eBay and Commission Junction. He grew up on a horse ranch in Northern California!  He's also a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed:* What life was like growing up on a ranch and the work ethic that instilled in him* Tye's parenting philosophies and the books they're rooted in* His relationship with social media and its influence on his kids* How he met his wife -- possibly my favorite story yet!* The importance of consistency, simplicity and a well-structured dayListen or watch Startup Dad on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Overcast.—Where to find Tye DeGrange- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedegrange/- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/TyeDeGrange- Round Barn Labs: https://www.roundbarnlabs.com/Where to find Adam Fishman- Newsletter: startupdadpod.substack.com - Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/—In this episode, we cover:[1:58] Welcome[2:33] Tye's professional background[5:57] Work ethic from ranch childhood; the story of round barns[10:24] How Tye met his wife[12:07] Tye's kids[14:11] Their decision to start a family[20:13] His earliest memory of being a dad[21:32] Most surprising thing about being a dad[23:15] Advice that resonates with Tye[25:35] Parenting frameworks[33:29] Where Tye and his partner don't align[36:18] His kid's relationship to technology[42:38] What did Tye give up to be a dad?[45:33] A mistake Tye made as a dad[47:47] Balance work/life[50:34] Follow along with Tye[51:20] Rapid fire—Show references:How To Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results by Esther Wojcicki: https://www.amazon.com/How-Raise-Successful-People-Lessons/dp/1328974863/Yellowstone: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4236770/Bob Feist invitational: https://bfiweek.com/schedule/Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco Hardcover by Gary Kamiya: https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Gray-City-Love-Francisco/dp/1608199606National Lampoon's Vacation: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085995/Fountain Grove, Ca: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_Grove,_CaliforniaOculus: https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/ThredUP: https://www.thredup.com/ModCloth: https://modcloth.com/NextDoor: https://nextdoor.com/Amazon: https://www.amazon.comEbay: https://www.ebay.com/Commission Junction: https://www.cj.com/Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/Bowflex: https://www.bowflex.com/homeStubHub: https://www.stubhub.com/Baby Bjorn: https://www.babybjorn.com/Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting (now with Bébé Day by Day: 100 Keys to French Parenting) by Pamela Druckerman: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-B%C3%A9b%C3%A9-Discovers-Parenting/dp/0143122967Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids Paperback by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross: https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Parenting-Extraordinary-Calmer-Happier/dp/0345507983/Lion King: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/Sing 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6467266/The Goonies: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089218/Daniel Tiger Potty Episode: https://pbskids.org/video/daniel-tigers-neighborhood/2328918496—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Cari Jacobs-Crovetto is an executive coach and advisor specializing in leadership development. She built a career at ad agencies in the 90s, working with prominent brands like Levi's, P&G, and Lexus. She then moved into the entertainment industry with NBC and CBS and contributed to Bay Area startups, including Sunrun and ModCloth.   In the early 2000s, Cari pivoted towards promoting personal growth, earning mindfulness certifications from Google and UC Berkeley. She eventually founded The Force Majeure, offering executive coaching to startup CEOs and founders, including clients from LinkedIn, Coinbase, and Twitch. Additionally, she is an active coach at Stanford University and regularly published in Forbes, as a Forbes Council Member.   Cari's personal achievements are equally impressive. She spent three months in silence in the Himalayas and accumulated over 5,000 hours in silent meditation. She was part of the founding teams of two solar startups and played a role in launching a new category of co-investing.   Cari has attended Burning Man 17 times and was actively involved in organizing the LA Burning Man community in her 30s. She is also a published poet and has lived in diverse global locations like NYC, London, and India, which further enrich her holistic approach to coaching and leadership.   If you're looking to enhance your leadership skills and learn how to lead with presence and empathy, you won't want to miss this episode. ***Cari is offering you a FREE 1-hour chemistry and coaching call + 10% off by mentioning the BriteVibe podcast! Use the link below to schedule now: https://calendly.com/cari-jacobs/intro-to-coaching-call Connect with Cari Jacobs-Crovetto Website: https://www.carijacobs.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cari_jacobs_sf/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CariJacobsSF LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/   Follow the BriteVibe podcast Instagram: @britevibesonly Facebook: @BriteVibe TikTok: @britevibe YouTube: @BriteVibe   00:02:01 - Managing Passion and Its Challenges 00:08:29 - The Current State of Leadership Post-Pandemic 00:10:51 - Personal Growth and Leadership Development 00:13:00 - Practical Tips for Leaders 00:16:00 - Slowing Down to Improve Leadership 00:17:55 - The Power of Presence in Leadership 00:18:40 - Integrating Practices into Daily Life #BriteVibe #BusinessEmpowerment #EntrepreneurMindset #BossMentality #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #Shorts #Podcast #CariJacobs #Passion #WorkPlaceCulture #Empathy #Mindfulness #Presence #Practice #Goals #Abundance #Communication     

Have you ever wondered what is really on the mind of an ambitious startup founder? For this episode, we turned to the incredible Cari Jacobs-Crovetto, CEO and founder of The Force Majeure and a Stanford University Graduate School of Business executive coach and T-Group facilitator. Based in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, Cari has been a part of multiple startup teams and today is on a mission to ensure that leaders are tapping into the human side of business goals and relationships while on their path to success. When talking about the realities of begin a founder we touched on: - Loneliness at the Top: Cari shares how many young CEOs, especially those under 40, grapple with the loneliness of leadership and the challenges that may come from guiding a company without a personal support system. - The Fear of Being Found Out: Unveiling the second layer of vulnerability, Cari discusses the fear many CEOs harbor—the fear of being found out for what they don't know. Learn how young CEOs navigate the pressure of knowing everything and the unknowns they grapple with in private. - Transitioning Team Dynamics: Building and evolving teams as the business needs change is a significant task for a less experienced founder. From hiring super horizontal talent in the early stages. to the pivotal shift toward specialists as the business grows is an area many fail to address early enough in the startup lifecycle. - Navigating the Red Zone: Cari introduces the concept of the "red zone," a challenging phase where startups move from the green zone of endless possibilities to a constrained and stressful environment. - Gender Bypassing: Reflecting on gender dynamics and differences between make and female founders, Cari touches on the concept of gender bypassing and the deeper work required for gender equality in the startup community. Cari Jacobs-Crovetto is an executive coach and advisor specializing in leadership development. She built a career at ad agencies in the 90s, working with prominent brands like Levi's, P&G, and Lexus. She then moved into the entertainment industry with NBC and CBS and contributed to Bay Area startups, including Sunrun and ModCloth. In the early 2000s, Cari pivoted towards promoting personal growth, earning mindfulness certifications from Google and UC Berkeley. She eventually founded The Force Majeure, offering executive coaching to startup CEOs and founders, including clients from LinkedIn, Coinbase, and Twitch. Additionally, she is an active coach at Stanford University and regularly published in Forbes, as a Forbes Council Member. Connect with Cari: Website: https://www.carijacobs.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CariJacobsSF  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cari_jacobs_sf/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/  Connect with Allison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/  Website: DisruptiveCEONation.com Twitter: @DisruptiveCEO   #digitalmarketing #branding #socialgood #Bcorp #CEO #startup #startupstory #founder #business #businesspodcast #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Work With Amy Elevate Your Life With The SQ21 AssessmentJoin me, Amy Lynn Durham, with Cari Jacobs-Crovetto an Executive Coach and Advisor specializing in leadership development as we explore the art of turning frustration into leadership serenity.Be a part of this thought-provoking and transformative conversation with us as we explore the realms of leadership serenity, soul retrieval, and a live exercise where we release challenging energies such as frustration.WHAT TO ANTICIPATE:▪ Assertiveness vs. Aggressiveness: Discover effective communication strategies, understanding the fine line between assertiveness and aggression.▪ Mindful Living: Learn techniques to slow down and genuinely experience your daily encounters, fostering a heightened awareness of your surroundings.▪ Soul Rewiring: Explore the profound connection between leadership and soul fulfillment, with insights into rewiring for long-term satisfaction.▪ Live Exercise: Immerse yourself in a live exercise designed to release frustration and cultivate a sense of peacefulness.Let's commit to embracing a deliberate pace, savoring each life moment rather than hurriedly moving on to the next.If you love the episode, please leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast or Spotify, and don't forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date on any future episodes.Quote"We get so fixated at work on where we're getting to next that there are times when I think we actually lost touch with why we began the whole journey in the first place." - Cari Jacobs-Crovetto Connect with Cari Jacobs-Crovetto:Website: https://www.carijacobs.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CariJacobsSF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Cari_Jacobs_SFLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/Cari Jacobs-Crovetto is an executive coach and advisor specializing in leadership development. She built a career at ad agencies in the 90s, working with prominent brands like Levi's, P&G, and Lexus. She then moved into the entertainment industry with NBC and CBS and contributed to Bay Area startups, including Sunrun and ModCloth.In the early 2000s, Cari pivoted towards promoting personal growth, earning mindfulness certifications from Google and UC Berkeley. She eventually founded The Force Majeure, offering executive coaching to startup CEOs and founders, including clients from LinkedIn, Coinbase, and Twitch. Additionally, she is an active coach at Stanford University and regularly published in Forbes, as a Forbes Council Member.Cari's personal achievements are equally impressive. She spent three months in silence in the Himalayas and accumulated over 5,000 hours in silent meditation. She was part of the founding teams of two solar startups and played a role in launching a new category of co-investing.Support the showConnect with Amy: https://msha.ke/createmagicatwork

We're excited to share this conversation with Cari Jacobs Crovetto, an executive coach and advisor specializing in leadership development who has coached leaders from LinkedIn, Coinbase, and Twitch. In addition, she is an active coach at Stanford GSB and regularly publishes in Forbes, as a Forbes Council Member. ⭐️ How to change your perception about your life, story, and what identity you give yourself ⭐️ Deciding to quit her job, sell her Santa Monica condo, and journey to India ⭐️ Going on a silent retreat About Cari: Cari rose up through the ranks of the ad agency world in the 90s working on brands like Levi's, Intuit, P&G, Lexus, General Mills, Honda, Coca Cola and more. I was a marketing leader in the entertainment industry with NBC, CBS and FoxSports and spent three years building a customer experience-led Marketing Practice for Slalom Consulting in San Francisco, servicing clients like Gap, Athleta, Sephora, Salesforce and Atlassian. But she's most known for her work building five Bay Area startups in executive marketing roles, including two solar companies one of which was Sunrun, now the largest consumer solar company on wall street; one retail women's fashion brand, ModCloth, which sold to Walmart; a fintech company called Unison that is changing how we buy and own homes; and a software platform called Torch for coaching and mentoring that seeks to create more conscious leaders. Reach Cari

In part two of now THREE, Amanda explores fast fashion 1.0 and 2.0 through the lens of her career.  In this episode we will break down all of the acrobatics brands did to bring their customers more and more newness, faster and faster.   How fashion got faster with some help from social media and the normalization of shopping online. How retailers began to commodify every holiday and occasion, creating products we didn't really need for every and any "event." Why fast fashion retailers started to carry a lot of new things that weren't clothing. How small online-only retailers like Modcloth, Nasty Gal, Lulu's, and Dolls Kill were able to offer even more steady newness without a huge in-house design team. Get ready to learn about the San Pedro Apparel Mart. How fast fashion 2.0 brands like Fashion Nova and Boohoo could keep prices low while creating product faster than anyone else.  Additional reading:"Barnardo's calls for people to think 'pre-loved' before buying new clothes"Planet Money, Episode 765: The Holiday Industrial Complex"Is Urban Outfitters Phasing Out Its Indie Athleisure Brand?," Adele Chapin, Racked."From the San Pedro Wholesale Mart, a Brand Rises," Kari Hamanaka, WWD."Boohoo's business model is as cheeky as a bikini paired with chaps," The Economist."Inside the lavish lives of the billionaire family behind Boohoo, the fast-fashion giant called out in an investigation into workers being paid just $4 an hour at suppliers' factories," Mary Hanbury, Insider."Boohoo booms as Leicester garment factories are linked to lockdown," Archie Bland and Annie Kelly, The Guardian."Dark factories: labour exploitation in Britain's garment industry," Sarah O'Connor, Financial Times."Boohoo opens first owned factory in ‘new chapter' amid international market challenges," Emily Hawkins, City A.M."Three graphs revealing how Fashion Nova disrupted the fashion industry," Edited."Fashion Nova's Secret: Underpaid Workers in Los Angeles Factories," Natalie Kitroeff, The New York Times.FTC Announces Refund Claims Process for Fashion Nova Customers Affected by Deceptive Review PracticesSpecial thanks to this episode's sponsors:Soft Work, intuitive garment construction for beginners. Registration open until 9/22!Osei-Duro! Find them on Instagram as @oseiduro.Use promo code CLOTHESHORSE20 to get 20% off your order!If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it's a typed out message or an audio recording:  amanda@clotheshorse.worldOr call the Clotheshorse hotline: 717.925.7417Find this episode's transcript (and so much more) at clotheshorsepodcast.comClotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:St. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you'll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month.  New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.Gabriela Antonas is a visual artist, an upcycler, and a fashion designer, but Gabriela Antonas is also a feminist micro business with radical ideals. She's the one woman band, trying to help you understand, why slow fashion is what the earth needs. If you find your self in New Orleans, LA, you may buy her ready-to-wear upcycled garments in person at the store “Slow Down” (2855 Magazine St). Slow Down Nola only sells vintage and slow fashion from local designers. Gabriela's garments are guaranteed to be in stock in person, but they also have a website so you may support this women owned and run business from wherever you are! If you are interested in Gabriela making a one of a kind garment for you DM her on Instagram at @slowfashiongabriela to book a consultation.Vagabond Vintage DTLV is a vintage clothing, accessories & decor reselling business based in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only do we sell in Las Vegas, but we are also located throughout resale markets in San Francisco as well as at a curated boutique called Lux and Ivy located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jessica, the founder & owner of Vagabond Vintage DTLV, recently opened the first IRL location located in the Arts District of Downtown Las Vegas on August 5th. The shop has a strong emphasis on 60s & 70s garments, single stitch tee shirts & dreamy loungewear. Follow them on instagram, @vagabondvintage.dtlv and keep an eye out for their website coming fall of 2022.Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used rock, country, and soul and offer affordable vintage clothing and housewares. Do you have used records you want to sell? Country Feedback wants to buy them! Find us on Instagram @countryfeedbackvintageandvinyl or head downeast and visit our brick and mortar. All are welcome at this inclusive and family-friendly record shop in the country!Located in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a "velvet jungle" full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet.Find us on Instagram @shop_velvetunderground or online at www.shopvelvetunderground.comSelina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts.  Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one's closet for generations to come.  Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon Footprint.Salt Hats:  purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.Republica Unicornia Yarns: Hand-Dyed Yarn and notions for the color-obsessed. Made with love and some swearing in fabulous Atlanta, Georgia by Head Yarn Wench Kathleen. Get ready for rainbows with a side of Giving A Damn! Republica Unicornia is all about making your own magic using small-batch, responsibly sourced, hand-dyed yarns and thoughtfully made notions. Slow fashion all the way down and discover the joy of creating your very own beautiful hand knit, crocheted, or woven pieces. Find us on Instagram @republica_unicornia_yarns and at www.republicaunicornia.com.Cute Little Ruin is an online shop dedicated to providing quality vintage and secondhand clothing, vinyl, and home items in a wide range of styles and price points.  If it's ethical and legal, we try to find a new home for it!  Vintage style with progressive values.  Find us on Instagram at @CuteLittleRuin.Thumbprint is Detroit's only fair trade marketplace, located in the historic Eastern Market.  Our small business specializes in products handmade by empowered women in South Africa making a living wage creating things they love like hand painted candles and ceramics! We also carry a curated assortment of  sustainable/natural locally made goods. Thumbprint is a great gift destination for both the special people in your life and for yourself! Browse our online store at thumbprintdetroit.com and find us on instagram @thumbprintdetroit.Picnicwear:  a slow fashion brand, ethically made by hand from vintage and deadstock materials - most notably, vintage towels! Founder, Dani, has worked in the industry as a fashion designer for over 10 years, but started Picnicwear in response to her dissatisfaction with the industry's shortcomings. Picnicwear recently moved to rural North Carolina where all their clothing and accessories are now designed and cut, but the majority of their sewing is done by skilled garment workers in NYC. Their customers take comfort in knowing that all their sewists are paid well above NYC minimum wage. Picnicwear offers minimal waste and maximum authenticity: Future Vintage over future garbage.Shift Clothing, out of beautiful Astoria, Oregon, with a focus on natural fibers, simple hardworking designs, and putting fat people first.  Discover more at shiftwheeler.com​High Energy Vintage is a fun and funky vintage shop located in Somerville, MA, just a few minutes away from downtown Boston. They offer a highly curated selection of bright and colorful clothing and accessories from the 1940s-1990s for people of all genders. Husband-and-wife duo Wiley & Jessamy handpick each piece for quality and style, with a focus on pieces that transcend trends and will find a home in your closet for many years to come! In addition to clothing, the shop also features a large selection of vintage vinyl and old school video games. Find them on instagram @ highenergyvintage, online at highenergyvintage.com, and at markets in and around Boston.The Pewter Thimble Is there a little bit of Italy in your soul? Are you an enthusiast of pre-loved decor and accessories? Bring vintage Italian style — and history — into your space with The Pewter Thimble (@thepewterthimble). We source useful and beautiful things, and mend them where needed. We also find gorgeous illustrations, and make them print-worthy. Tarot cards, tea towels and handpicked treasures, available to you from the comfort of your own home. Responsibly sourced from across Rome, lovingly renewed by fairly paid artists and artisans, with something for every budget. Discover more at thepewterthimble.comBlank Cass, or Blanket Coats by Cass, is focused on restoring, renewing, and reviving the history held within vintage and heirloom textiles. By embodying and transferring the love, craft, and energy that is original to each vintage textile into a new garment, I hope we can reteach ourselves to care for and mend what we have and make it last. Blank Cass lives on Instagram @blank_cass and a website will be launched soon at blankcass.com.

This week, Kate starts with some classic BTIF tangents, namely the 8 Passengers/Ruby Franke/Jodi Hildebrandt arrests and their “mental health” organization/cult, then interviews two podcast listeners about topics of their choice. First, Shea opens up about her experience getting back an NPE (not parent expected) result from an Ancestry DNA kit and her search for the truth of her identity ever since. Then, she talks with Emily to dissect the 2000s “Twee” aesthetic in all its ModCloth manic-pixie glory. Enjoy!SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSPre-order my book, One in a Millennial, here!Listen to the podcast on Amazon Music!-If you want to take ownership of your health, try AG1 and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 Free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase. Go to drinkAG1.com/BETHEREINFIVE. That's drinkAG1.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Check it out.-Right now, BÉIS is offering our listeners 15% off your first purchase by visiting BEISTRAVEL.com/BETHEREINFIVE. Go to BEISTRAVEL.com/BETHEREINFIVE for 15% off your first purchase.-Helix is offering 25% off all mattress orders AND two free pillows for our listeners in honor of Labor Day! Go to HelixSleep.com/BeThereInFive and use code HELIXPARTNER25. This is their best offer yet and it won't last long! With Helix, better sleep starts now.-Right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code bethereinfive when you register. Just go to the App Store or Google Play store and download the FREE Ibotta app and use code bethereinfive.

The incredible Tawny Newsome joins Jess and Zach this week for a new musical that is legitimately out of this world. With songs like "It's Gossip In Space", "That Is Dragon Ball Z", and "You're Not A Robot", you'll be moonwalking and singing along to more Pokemon facts than you ever dreamed you would. This episode is brought to you by Mack Weldon (www.mackweldon.com code: OFFBOOK), Leesa (www.leesa.com/OFFBOOK), Third Love (www.thirdlove.com/OFFBOOK), and Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: OFFBOOK15).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast king Matt Gourley (I Was There Too) joins Zach and Jess this week for a new musical filled with pickled eggs, libations of the cocktail sort, and crime jobs. With songs like "Tingle Jingle", "Vodka & Whiskey" and "Good Times Are Forever", you'll be tipsy from hearing all these off-the-cuff hits. This episode is brought to you by Squarespace (www.squarespace.com code: OFFBOOK) and Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: OFFBOOK15).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jon Gabrus (Raised by TV) starts the 2018 OFF BOOK musical season off right with an insane new show filled with cops, mozzarella sticks, and even the birds & the bees. With songs like "Pump the Brakes", "Janette Woman" and "Just Say Yes", you won't need to put salt on these songs to add any flavor! This episode is brought to you by Leesa (www.leesa.com/OFFBOOK) and Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: OFFBOOK15).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt Kaness has an extensive retail background with a heavy focus on e-commerce, having worked as the CEO of Modcloth and, for eight years, URBN's chief strategy officer. Since late last year, he's zeroed in on retail's booming resale sector, as CEO of the new online marketplace GoodwillFinds.  “We're a technology venture,” Kansas said on the latest Glossy Podcast, explaining GoodwillFinds' business model. The company's tech focus includes building out proprietary tools “for sellers to be able to list [products] quickly, for customer acquisition and retention, and for [partner] Goodwill [store owners], in support of their packing, shipping and outbound logistics.”  What drove Kaness's interest in running GoodwillFinds was, in part, timing. “Coming out of Covid, the Gen-Z consumer has said that there's no stigma on secondhand,” he said. “That, coupled with a lot of advancements in technology, has allowed resale to scale profitably.”  GoodwillFinds, itself, has also impressively scaled. According to Kaness, the marketplace is currently attracting value-driven and trend-driven shoppers, with sustainability-driven shoppers being a target demographic. Since its launch, it's built up an email database of 250,000 subscribers, plus it's en route to offering 1 million products on its e-commerce site by the end of the year. It has 20 full-time employees, with 20-30 more set to come on board by the end of 2023. 

On this episode of #WeNeedToTalk, Malynda chats with Comedian, Actor and Filmmaker Anastasia Washington. they talk about her journey being bi-racial, using comedy to get through hard times, and being a multi-hyphenate.   Anastasia Washington is the comedic voice of the future. The ‘bi-racial boss lady with curves, curls and sass' is utilizing her many talents for good by breaking down barriers and giving a voice to those who need it. As a Los Angeles native, she began professionally acting and singing at just 3-years-old and has since done everything under the show biz sun. Her lengthy list of award-winning talents have given her many titles including: Actress, Comedian, Podcaster, Writer, Director, Singer, Curvy Model, Comic Con Panelist, and Dance Hall Queen. She's seen the industry at its best and worst throughout her career, and is now working to be the change she wishes to see in the world.     Anastasia utilizes her platform to educate her audience about topics such as Police Brutality, Eating Disorders, and Colorism. She incorporates her advocacy into her award-winning shorts including “What are you?” which touches on the struggles of expressing one's identity as a person of mixed races, and “He Said, She Said” which tackles the topic of sexual assault. Anastasia constantly strives to take on these difficult topics and make the big changes needed through creative expression.   Her work can be seen on-screen in productions such as The Addams Family Movies and Die Hard 2, as well as previous hosting opportunities for WonderCon, San Diego Comic Con, LA Comic Con, Red Carpet Report, and more. She has also modeled for big-name brands such as: Nordstrom, NYDJ, Dickies, Mod Cloth, and Marvel. Throughout the pandemic alone, Anastasia was able to produce, write and star in a one-woman-show that played at the Black Voices Festival and Solo Fest called “50 Shades of Mixed: Confessions of your Ethnically Ambiguous Best Friend” and a web series called “Disordered”.   Currently, Anastasia is working on creating more stand-up specials, podcasts, feature films, and a self-help book. With the hopes of furthering the conversation of colorism, discrimination, and even bring attention to true crime stories. Noting, she is a member of SAG/AFTRA, WIF, and WOC Unite.

In this episode, Belle chats with her former FIDM instructor and Technical Designer, Meredith Petro. Meredith is a fellow FIDM alumni based in Los Angeles, and has worked as a technical designer in the fashion industry for 15 years for brands like ModCloth and Lucky Brand. Belle and Meredith talk everything from her experience in the industry, to the importance of company culture, the challenges of manufacturing overseas, how retailers transitioned into e-commerce and why size charts should not be trusted. Stay tuned for Pt. 2! - FOLLOW - // Meredith on IG https://www.instagram.com/minniemere/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/afterthought_studio/?hl=en // // Belle on IG https://www.instagram.com/bellebarreiroseiden/?hl=en // // Flavor of Fashion on IG https://www.instagram.com/flavoroffashionpodcast/?hl=en // - MENTIONED IN EPISODE - ModCloth https://modcloth.com/ ModCloth Pop-Up Shop / ModCloth IRL (Washington DC Store) https://www.washingtonian.com/2016/06/10/check-modcloth-irl-pop-now-open-georgetown/ Lucky Brand https://www.luckybrand.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/flavor-of-fashion-podcast/support

EP300 - GoodwillFinds CEO Matt Kaness In this interview, we cover the sale of ModCloth to Walmart, Matts's subsequent work at Lucky Brand and Afterpay, and his new role as CEO at Goodwillfinds. Goodwillfinds.com is an e-commerce site, which sells previously owned merchandise, which has been donated to Goodwill. We cover many of the tactical challenges (onboarding SKUs, product content, fulfillment, and curation), as well as the opportunities of this new "CircularCommerce" space. We also get some of Matt's predictions about what's coming next in digital commerce. Episode 300 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Wednesday January 4th, 2023. http://jasonandscot.com Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, and Scot Wingo, CEO of GetSpiffy and Co-Founder of ChannelAdvisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing. Episode 300 is an interview with Matt Kaness, CEO of Goodwillfinds.com. Matt was formerly on episode 79, when he was CEO of Modcloth, which later sold to Walmart. Transcript Jason: [0:23] Welcome to the Jason and Scot show this is the much-anticipated episode number 300 being recorded on Wednesday January 4th, 20:23 I'm your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and as usual I'm here with your co-host Scot Wingo. Scot: [0:41] Hey Jason and welcome back Jason and Scot show listeners Jason not only is this the first show of 20:23 it's a big milestone for us with episode what better way to celebrate than having one of our oldest friends for both you and I personally but also to the show back for an update Matt kaness he was last on the show back in episode 79 I think many listeners will remember that one and certainly your mom who's one of our biggest fans and back then he was CEO of ModCloth, a lot has changed since then so we're looking forward to getting an update some of the highlights Matt help sell ModCloth to Walmart he was exact chair and interim CEO at Lucky Brand he's on several boards yeah I've been advisory to several companies and since September of 2022 he has been CEO of goodwillfinds.com Matt welcome back to the show. Matt: [1:35] Great to be here guys thanks for having me. Jason: [1:38] Oh my gosh Matt we are really excited to catch up it seems like if you factor in the pandemic your last episode was about 15 years ago if I'm and so happy I'm happy to report we've added a bunch of listeners since then so before we jump into it can you kind of remind the listeners about your background and how you got in e-commerce. Matt: [2:02] Yeah have you too I like to think about my career or having two careers to date the first one was, very foundational for what I'm doing now but very quantitative, process-oriented mechanical engineering patent law Manufacturing, Ops Consulting things that had nothing to do with retail or fashion or e-commerce and then I. [2:32] Fell into the category when I was a full-time consultant at Burton Snowboards about 16 17 years ago, and fell in love with lifestyle Brands and have, try to stay in that lane for the majority of that time period since, from Burton Snowboards I went onto Urban Outfitters was there for close to eight years up sensibly and I had a growth roll my last title there was Chief strategy officer and then from there I went to ModCloth, where I was the CEO for three years and was running the company when we sold it to Walmart I will say that, I've been in hindsight found myself attracted to these amazing consumer lifestyle brands, that are experiencing inflection points either in their business or in the industry when I was at Burton snowboarding was really for the first time finding a mass audience crossing over into, the Olympics the next games and, when I was at Urban it was the rise of Web 2.0 and I got to ride that wave my entire time there and really, I'll be on the Forefront of pioneering you know what everybody know of calls omni-channel. [3:59] ModCloth the founder of their Susan Koger was one of the pioneers of inclusive fashion and so I felt personally accountable to try to scale that and I think we, if once the industry specifically plus size women's fashion and you know today you look around and it's become pretty normative, for Brands to design into extra extra small to 4X and I'm really proud of the work we did at ModCloth being on the front end of that and then. I do some Consulting work at after pay where buy now pay later was really just becoming a thing, we're younger consumers were focused more on debit versus credit products so with really fortunate to get connected with that team and enjoyed, partnering with them and being an advisor and then you know what I'm doing now at Goodwill where secondhand is really having a moment, in the culture and getting a chance to come in and lead a ground-up startup for the Goodwill Network and helping them to. It's a digitized so to speak and you bring this new Marketplace into the world, it's just for me it's like the next chapter in that really fortunate career second career that I've had. Jason: [5:23] Very cool and I know some of those roles were Bay Area based but you are a Philly guy correct. Matt: [5:29] Philly guy born and raised I'm probably on the short list of people who have moved back to Philly twice. I was in Boston the first time when my wife became. Preggers with our oldest and we wanted to be closer to family and then the second time was when we were in the Bay Area after I left Walmart, we had a break in the action and our oldest was about to start high school and we decide we want to be back here. For the high school years but we've lived all around and I'd obviously travel a lot for work so I have an affinity for the bay area as well as some other places around the country but but Phillies the hometown. Jason: [6:14] Yeah but I'm assuming it's Philly sports teams most importantly. Matt: [6:18] I have been an eagle season ticket holders 2000 yes. Jason: [6:23] Awesome and for people that don't know Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as a whole is a is is a weird e-commerce concentration Point like there's a lot of e-commerce kind of was born or gravitated in the area so I think of like Mark Rubin and Dick's Sporting Good and in Pittsburgh and urban obviously was a huge player there was Urban your first like hardcore e-commerce experience or were you doing a lot of e-commerce at Burton. Matt: [6:56] I was not at Burton Urban is really where I started to cut my teeth on e-commerce. Direct to Consumer more than e-commerce it was really about this when I got there this billion dollar Consolidated Enterprise across there are three main brands, Urban Outfitters anthropology and Free People and the business had started as a catalog, division of what was you know let's call it 95 percent of the sales came through their store Channel. For retail versus direct to Consumer and so when I got there or there was a there was a. [7:43] 100 million Consolidated direct-to-consumer business which was split between catalog and e-commerce, but it was nascent it was not a strategic focus and then you know the founder of their dick ain't really had. This put a natural understanding of consumer behavior and where the industry was going and he had a vision for how to scale the business multi-channel and so we were all, trying to make that that future reality every day for the eight years I was there and we had a lot of success going back to your point about Pennsylvania and Philly first round capital, one of their there I believe their original headquarters and then one of their major offices, is in Philly and so I think I think a lot of it stems from their presence as well not just decaying and Reuben and some others, but also Philly from a talent perspective is kind of like a six suburb or borough of New York, where you get a lot of folks in New York and then they realize that. It's just the standard of living the cost of living is so much better in Philadelphia and so you get a lot of transplants to come down to Philly as well working in e-commerce. Jason: [9:11] Yeah and I want to say I met you I think we all met on the shop dot-org board when you were at Urban later in your your tenure Urban and some of my Fondest Memories another good friend of the show Billy met who at the time was at Abercrombie is the two of you like heckling each other about like your two brands. Matt: [9:34] Yeah like that was that was really fun for me because you know Urban. Um was pretty insular you meaning that we were so obsessively focused on the customer, and on the fashion trends and on what we were doing internally, that we never really thought about competition so we didn't spend a ton of time looking around the industry, so for me that was that was kind of a an introduction to what else was happening across the industry and then Billy occasionally would call me and say. Hey you guys make me look bad because you just had another great quarter ecomp rowing and you know your your results are now The Benchmark that I have to deliver against. But you know what I what I found in that shop or Community which is now part of NRF, is that it was not very competitive it was very collaborative I couldn't believe. [10:46] How much everybody support each other and wanted to share strategies and ideas and Etc and I think that's one of the things that really drew me into this career path on the digital Commerce side, versus pursuing merchandising or. We're kind of the brick-and-mortar offline space is it's just how, how great that the digital Community has been in the US that I've experienced so that's one of the one of the things that I try to do now is to make sure that. Making myself available I'm kind of giving back and spending time with folks and helping them along and sharing ideas because I know that you guys and others certainly do that for me way back in the day. Jason: [11:32] Yeah I feel like we all have done that for each other and I feel like we've all obviously benefited greatly from that community, and so then you leave the Eagles behind and you go join what at the time was a Founder led a venture back pure-d to see is that, a fair characterization for Vermont cough if when you. Matt: [11:58] Yes my father my father is a pure pointy Taylor yeah. Like 10,000 uniques on the site all third party. The company was vertically integrated so homegrown Ruby on Rails codebase e-commerce. Order management system warehouse management system all the way down to the call center and the warehouse it was, um pretty pioneering on the web services side as far as. [12:35] Look it was an early social commerce player as far as leveraging Pinterest and things that you could do with. Facebook and some of the other platforms Tumblr to engage customers and get them to participate in the shopping experience we were one of the first to integrate, ugc from customers into the shopping experience into the carousels on the website, um we had personalization that was driven by customer reviews that were captured in the website versus outsourced to a bizarre Voice or the like so it was the technology is pretty pioneering, the business was was very underdeveloped and the brand I felt was. Had a lot of opportunity to broaden its appeal when I got there so it was a little bit of a turnaround, financially what I'm joined which having now done this a few times there's always a reason they bring in an outside CEO. Jason: [13:44] It's not because things are just going awesome and they just want to share the awesomeness. Matt: [13:47] Yeah I can't I can't think of a single time that CEO in a business that's humming and doing great he says you know what let's bring in somebody else to do this so I. Jason: [13:57] I think Andy jassy is saying that about Amazon right now by the way. Matt: [14:02] Yeah yeah yeah what I mean there's there's a there's a lot of chatter about looking at. It was on the Facebook and Tesla and what those Founders were doing the last couple years selling stock so I think they kind of all knew what was about to happen. But you know just quickly on ModCloth I'll say that you know we were able to quickly come in. [14:32] Turn around the business financially but more importantly we pivoted it to what then was called a DM BB model, a digitally native vertical brand model which was just meant that the vertical piece that you were procuring designing selling your own product or exclusive product versus, third party which you know in the world of Amazon it's really hard to scale a business that you know what you're selling you can find on Amazon or other larger marketplaces, so we build out a design studio and sourcing operation weary platform the entire Tech stack we developed, a showroom concept similar to what we're being bonobos had developed and tested that and rolled that out and had a really aggressive growth plan against that we went out to raise money and her wound up, getting an offer from the team at jet.com that 6-month previous had, I've been sold to Walmart and they came in and made an offer and the board accepted it and so we sold it. And and I stayed on at Walmart for a year and oversaw our integration into that that ecosystem. Scot: [15:51] Cool the that was kind of a chain reaction right where you guys several companies they Acquired and did you play a role in kind of that roll up. Matt: [16:01] We were like the third or fourth of six or seven Acquisitions and they did within a year and a half two year period. And then as part of my year there I did get involved in some of their business development MMA, conversations and and I did spend a little bit of time helping them, on one of the further Acquisitions but you know they what I learned about Walmart when I was there is. They have such a strong culture they have a real clear view of who their customer is and why they're serving them and you know I would tell you that. The Acquisitions that spray that they went on those two years was really a catalyst for. Something that W Mellon said at a meeting that I attended where he talked about convenience. [17:03] Being valued as much as low-cost in the kind of the online or multi-channel retail environment versus pre-internet, and so they had to find a catalyst under Mark Lori to accelerate their the cultural change, to understand how customers writ large were valuing convenience as much as low-cost when their Heritage had been, Yoda Point technology to make improvements in supply chain and sourcing and Merchandising so that they could always win on price now they had a win on price and convenience, and so though the individual Acquisitions You could argue whether there was an Roi on them or not against the purchase price. I would say that. Internally it was a massive success in creating that kind of cultural change that Doug. Mandated from. Mark and and then you know I was only there a year and I left but just watching what progressed and if you look at the moldable on Walmart stock I think it's hard to argue that it wasn't a success. Scot: [18:18] Yes tricky with Acquisitions you can't just look at the you know the interior ModCloth business you have to look at the whole halo effect and the stock price yeah there's a multi-faceted way to look at these things that's kind of complicated. Matt: [18:32] Yeah I think any business that they could grow if you could grow organically in definitely I think most businesses would do that there's a reason why companies you know use MMA to your point. Scot: [18:46] Did some point I think I saw a ModCloth working to the stores where you there for that. Matt: [18:53] No no that I left before any of those kind of process integration initiatives occurred. Scot: [19:03] Yeah and then didn't they do they sell it back out do they spin it. Matt: [19:08] Yeah they sold it back out there were some after I left there were some further leadership changes that occurred and and they wound up the best thing it and selling it to I want to say it was a fermented New York. Scot: [19:23] Like a private Equity Firm or another. Matt: [19:24] Yeah I think so yeah. Scot: [19:28] Did you didn't want to jump in there and take it over again usually they call the previous CEO I bet there's an 80% chance you got a call. Matt: [19:37] No comment. Scot: [19:41] All right we found something you don't want to talk about good it's part of my goal on this show is to see if we can we can find that you have any family safe Mark Lori stories I've spent a fair amount of time with him he's a he's a pretty wacky dude. Matt: [19:56] I mean I didn't spend that much time working for him but I mean man like talk about somebody who just has total belief in himself and the team and what's possible, and so much energy for. For Commerce for startups for Innovation so I mean it's it was contagious working for him, um working for his team's I wanted to takeaways I had for my time at Walmart and my time working with. [20:32] With Mark and his jet team is I just didn't have that kind of passion for the mass-market the way that, you had to have to be successful working at a Walmart or working at a jet before the acquisition, yeah I love the specialty space I love you know the Branded premium space I love, Yoda kind of the Middle Market where it's not based on price and it's not luxury it's somewhere in between. I just find that that it's super creative there's lots of opportunities for differentiation. There's always new things that you get to learn but you know Walmart I got there was a camera don't quote me on the exact number but. [21:27] Like there was a conversation about like how many millions of American flags are they going to sell between Memorial Day and and. And Fourth of July. [21:38] On one of their promos and I was just like I couldn't even fathom the scale of having to move that many units and so, yep so for me it was kind of a validation of the lane that I've been in and and enjoyed being in and so when I left. Eventually wind up going to Lucky that was kind of part of the calculus on my part was to get back into the into that that category that Wayne of specialty. Scot: [22:07] My one of my first Mark Laurie experiences I was at Jet and he was telling us how the Company motto was billions or body bags and I was like that's kind of a weird way to motivate, and then I talked to several employees I was like how do you like it here and there like billions of body bags that like they were just like it was a mantra like you know that they were just so focused on it was either going to be 0 or this huge outcome and sure enough it was billions. Matt: [22:31] Yeah there's there's definitely I mean I think think he was a successful High School athlete so there's definitely a lot of rah-rah with with him in the team it's that's not my personality I. ModCloth one of the investors accused me of being two column in the boardroom. They said you know Matt if you had slammed on the table a little bit more you know and I'm sitting there like like. That's the that never crossed my mind trying to make an argument to do something required me slamming my hand on the table. Scot: [23:14] A tantrum yeah. Matt: [23:15] My voice yeah but maybe that's Versa tween you know a founder and yeah an operator. Jason: [23:23] Scot was definitely a table Slammer. Matt: [23:25] I don't believe you. Scot: [23:26] Like man I have an engineering background and they drummed that out of us in those four years. Matt: [23:33] Totally yeah I think you're right I think the scientific method does not allow for that that level of emotion that come into into the argument. Jason: [23:44] Yeah but I will say a lot of mechanical things can be fixed by hitting them with a hammer I will, the so I'm super grateful that you guys didn't throw Mark Glory under the table because I at the moment have to totally pandor to him because his new business he has Starbucks trucks that will drive to your house and deliver coffee to your house, so I like I feel like I need to stay in his good graces, but so so the sale happens you transition out of ModCloth you've you've got kids in college and or in school and no source of free clothing so I'm guessing that's what drove the, you're interesting lucky brands. Matt: [24:28] Yeah well I got to say. When I worked at Urban my wife definitely took advantage of the anthropology discount. [24:43] And I act funny funny and true story, when I was considering the opportunity at ModCloth I was having a couple other conversations in the in the fashion space. And I showed my daughter who at the time was probably about seven or eight I showed her the apps for the shopping apps for, the three businesses that I was talking to and I won't say who but there was one in particular based in La that she was like Dad no way she was like you cannot work selling that fashion. But she approved of ModCloth and so so I got her endorsement so yeah when I went to Lucky it's really I wasn't necessarily looking. You're back into fashion as much as I really thought that there was this route there's a unique opportunity with lucky they were. Over a billion in gmv which is to say the direct to Consumer wholesale and the value of their licensing business in the market was over a billion dollars. So brand revenues and net revenue is like call it 650 million and it was independent. [26:08] And there were not a lot of businesses at that scale. In the u.s. that still were independent versus part of a conglomerate. [26:21] And we're had already gone public and so I had been friendly with one of the partners at Wintergreen. Who called me about the opportunity and after spending some time with them talking about it I said. You really need somebody in LA full time in the arts district where they were headquartered and I'm not moving to LA and moving actually back east and they said. Hey would you come in and manage the company to get us through holiday while we won for somebody. And also give us a strategy like a like a financial model a business case three-year strategy. And so that's how I initially got involved there was more as like a board advisor interim manager and then. By January of twenty I'd really seen this amazing Lane. For an older Millennial younger Gen-X. That we could reposition Lucky Brand to be a cause marketer the company did a tremendous amount of good work in Downtown LA taking. Old Denim and. [27:50] Giving it. Nonprofits that work with the homeless population there for clothing to for installation. And then other other efforts to help that population, and so I felt like we could reposition lucky to not mean like going to the casino getting lucky but meaning gratitude. Like I feel lucky I made it I have the ability to spend a hundred dollars in a pair of jeans and I want to support. [28:27] This this amazing company that does all this good work and so. That I had this vision for how you could reposition the brand the business was running like it was 2005 as far as. Go to market so there was a lot of heavy lifting that had to be done around digital transformation around merchandising around. Rationalizing the stores there was way too much discount so there's a lot of work to do, but I got really excited about the opportunity and wound up agreeing to stay on as exact chair in January 2020. And part of my remit would have been to hire a CEO and partner with that individual and I had to kill people in my network that I thought would be great for it who be willing to move to LA. But two months later the covid walk down start. And then it turned into something you know completely different than we were just trying to survive we lost ninety percent of our revenue and that April. And we wound up. [29:43] Making it through to July August that summer but at that point yeah the damage had been done and the private Equity Firm decided to. Sell it to a party that had been interested in the business for a number of years which was authentic Brands group out of New York so I stayed on to oversee that process and then once the deal is done I. Said that was a lot of work I'm exhausted and wound up turning down the opportunity to stay on with a b g and left but, I got to say I'm really grateful thankful for the team that I had there because they were amazing, to work with during such a difficult period that that Q2. And early summer of 2020 it was it was really really challenging to be in the market and I learned a lot about myself as a leader from it. Jason: [30:46] Oh my gosh I I am sure you did I'm laughing though because you think about all the work involved there and so you decided to do something easier in your next gig like oh I don't know like starting from scratch business in the middle of a really old non-profit. Matt: [31:08] Well I gotta say you know after after the lucky experience. Um I really felt drained I didn't have. The passion for retail for e-commerce digital for. Brands for fashion like I had for the previous you know well 15 years and. I was fortunate that I have the ability to do this but I basically gave myself 2021 off. I've been sitting on a few boards I did some Consulting work I had been Angel Investing for a few years so I had a number of startup Founders and CEOs that I was mentoring and Advising, and I just said to myself I really need to get re-inspired I need to like, get back out in the market broadly see what's happening see where the Innovation is occurring and and, get excited but also get lucky because a lot of these things from a career perspective is based on timing I was really fortunate that. [32:27] I went to Urban when I did I was really fortunate to be part of, ModCloth the journey during the years that was there the year that I was at Walmart was a really critical year in the Amazon the Walmart Battle. Um amazing timing too. Be available to do Consulting work with the after pay the exact summer that the founder moved from Australia to San Francisco. So you know I'm acutely aware that you can't control timing and, and yet the kind of put yourself out there so that was my plan last year and in doing so what I realized was I'm like I get the most energy and I do my best work when, back in the phase of a company where it's. [33:22] Focused on growth and Innovation and so no more turnarounds the end of Lucky business was a turnaround. ModCloth was a pseudo turn around, so I just said you know I want to get back to you know that stage where it's really about solving for customer needs and Market positioning and Prague service Innovation and deploying technology, and then a couple that with also wanted to get in a part of retail where I can learn. And you know secondhand what's happening right now the this whole cultural phenomenon around thrifting, and you're the pioneering work of a thread up and a real real Poshmark deep op-ed see ya the last decade, that was the that was the heavy lifting you know those Founders you know basically creating the category, but now there's a critical mass now there's a consumer acceptance so I don't see it as it as a, as hard as maybe it looks like from the outside it's I think it's the timing is great for the Goodwill Network to Rally around this new platform for us. As a separate entity to stand up this new company to launch this new Marketplace. [34:48] There's definitely engineering challenges to figuring out how do you successfully profitably scale. Um second-hand and vintage when you know every item is unique and we have a distributed model where our sellers are. Various. Goodwill members across the u.s. so we're not centralized so there's definitely some some challenges but to me that's part of the fun that's part of the learning. Jason: [35:18] I can imagine I want to take just half a step backwards to make sure the listeners are tracking with exactly what you're doing now because I think it's super interesting so, formal title is CEO of goodwillfinds and goodwillfinds is a new offering from Goodwill that is selling Goodwill Merchant previously owned Goodwill merchandise via a website is that the in my clothes. Matt: [35:44] Yeah yeah so I think it's worth kind of spelling out the context a little bit because it took me a little bit honestly to fully understand it and grasp it. Goodwill has been around for over 100 Years everybody knows Goodwill it's an amazing nonprofit franchise. There is a I call it a holding company I don't know that that's the right. Firm but there is a parent company that owns the Goodwill Master license in Metro DC and they have. License out the brand to I believe the numbers 155, individual territories across the u.s. and each of those territories have, Goodwill organization with their own leadership team their own operations around treasury their own board of directors obviously they vary in. Size and location and specification and you know mix the revenue and all those things but they all share the same Mission and the mission a Goodwill is. [36:57] To enhance lives for the Dignity of work, and it's my older brother was born with a disability and I've watched him go on and off disability a few times in his life and I tell you, that he's his best self when he's working. So when I first got connected with the folks at Goodwill earlier last year it really touched my heart like I really. I wanted this to be successful for them because I know how important their mission is but as I got to learn more about the network. [37:37] Of 155 Goodwill's and more about the opportunity and there are six founding. Good we'll see EOS that came together to organize this new separate entity called goodwillfinds where a virtual Delaware company. And those six are the ones that are the board that I report to and they've been working on this for years they were, ready to watch this last year and decided that they needed to hire a CEO, to come in build a team set up the company oversee the launch so I joined pre-revenue and we're now in our fourth month of selling, the consumer response has been. Unbelievable sales are more than doubling month-over-month it's it's really. A unique opportunity to build something that is not only. [38:39] In a part of retail that is innovating and growing and scaling rapidly but it's also doing it for this amazing Mission and you know really trying to redefine what does. Nonprofit in the circular economy look like to deliver social impact at scale so I feel like that's the Mandate that I signed up for and the team that I'm building. And the business model that we're designing right now to go with the marketplace are the is the execution of that but the bigger Vision here is to create this platform that not only. [39:24] Overtime all 155 Goodwill members will have access to be on as sellers but that. For the first time we'll have decentralized marketing funnel brands. Strategy content messaging 1p data and then. [39:48] But technical roadmap that were able to deploy that will integrate with the store operations and the back of house operations that will allow for scared investments in technology that all the good wolf can take advantage of. On the consumer side I think all the players and secondhand have the same goal which is to make the. [40:10] The option to buy second-hand versus new so compelling and so convenient and so exciting and cool. That more and more consumption dollars go towards second hand and move away from New and by, doing that, it has this incredibly measurable impact on the environment in creating sustainable. Impact and then in our case you add to it. The fact that every net dollar that we collect from our sales go back to the location where the Goodwill was the item was donated to fund the Goodwill programs I mean it's I feel like we're pioneering, this new this new kind of business model for circularity and so all that to me is like super compelling super interesting, and I'm really fortunate that this opportunity found me. Scot: [41:19] Cool hearing you talk about it I can tell you like to build stuff the channel visor we had a lot of customers that were kind of in this General space the challenge with this use Consignment World Is You Gotta you know I'm sure these Goodwills are getting, they're only going to sell online a fraction of what comes in so you got to figure out what what things do you want to sell in the store versus online you gotta create digital assets which are the descriptions and the pictures and then you gotta you know imagine you're not going to send them to a central location so then you've got to create a shipping method that works down at the store level how are you guys solving all those problems at scale. Matt: [42:00] Yeah well I'll tell you a couple of things and you're exactly right there's a ton of operational challenges we have a couple things going for us one. These Goodwills already have the physical infrastructure they already have, donation centers they already have Micro warehouses that are already selling online as a three-piece seller through Amazon and eBay and some other Regional marketplaces, so they have a lot of these physical operations setup, so we're leveraging that and we're not having to deploy Capital to do it. That's 12 there's a there's a maturity in the technology vendor Market you'd be surprised at how many. Providers are in the space to automate. We have a partner that we work with that leverages Google Lens technology and Leverage is the Einstein a I was Salesforce that allows us to, take a lot of the heavy lifting out of item creation we have vendors that we work with that. [43:15] Take images of items three-dimensional scans that send it to and Outsource in India where descriptions are being written for these items you know so there's, and I'm learning this right but you'd be shocked at how much software deployment automation deployment already exists. [43:38] So we're managing that to deploy in a way that integrates into these existing operations at and. The other thing that we have an advantage of is because we are nonprofit. [43:53] We're selling primarily me exclusively right now but overtime will be primarily selling donated items which have. Is this not a zero cost of goods but it's a near zero cost of goods. So we have room in the margin line to play with value-added services on each item, if we feel like there's a lift that we can justify with that you know with respect to photography with respect to. Metadata on each of the items with respect to Howard thinking about tagging, there's a lot there's a lot of players out there that we're evaluating right now and we watched with. [44:42] Over 100,000 unique items back in the first week of October. Mid-December we were at nearly 200,000 items. And our roadmap is to have a million unique items in our active. Catalog by October of this year so this entire endeavor. Has been from the start designed for scale. So we feel like that's giving us an advantage because we're able to do some things that, other startups that are venture-backed that are having to start from scratch with a lot of that infrastructure that have a cost of sourcing and and Supply acquisition that we don't, it would be financially prohibitive for them to make some of the Investments that we're making right now. Scot: [45:43] Yeah it's interesting to hear you say you're using some of the AI Jason's not a believer in AI but I'm a big proponent. Jason: [45:50] Haha I haven't said a word on this whole podcast I've just been using my AI Avatar. Scot: [45:57] Ugh. Matt: [45:58] For the record this isn't Matt talking this is Matt's chat TPT talking. Jason: [46:04] Yeah we tested both in the shed she'd Beatty was much more Salient so we went with that. [46:17] Yeah so it's interesting to me mad because, you mentioned a lot of the early Pioneers in our e-commerce and by the way just from buzzword Bingo like are you re Commerce person or you like do you have a favorite label for what you're doing now. Matt: [46:34] Yeah I'm. I'm back in the the interview circuit right now trying to get the word out about what we're doing and promoting the Goodwill Mission so I'm still trying some phrases on I mean yeah RI Commerce is definitely. [46:50] What. The buzzword but I think what we're doing at goodwillfinds and and in partnership with the Goodwill network is really about circularity you know in my mind's eye. Getting a Marketplace standing up a new Marketplace from the zero. You know it's the old Beezus flywheel the back of the napkin that I think about every day and in my version of it their supply demand admission and without the mission we don't get supply. And the better job we do partnering with our members sellers in acquiring the right Supply and and listing it. In a high-quality way, you know then that allows us to be able to meet demand in the market which the proceeds from those sales go right back to the Goodwill where we got the donation and there's the kind of the flywheels complete, and one of the stories around that and this is what we have to do a better job. [47:52] This year versus last year's to get these stories these amazing stories about the Goodwill Network out into the world, the more successful we are Google finds meaning the more that we're able to sell and scale demand. The more people each of the Goodwill sellers have to hire in their e-commerce operations. Because they're doing the listings they're doing the pick pack and ship on the on the outbound but those jobs are higher skill and they and they pay better. And so it actually accelerates the local mission. [48:27] The more successful we are because they have to hire more people and bring more people and train them into these higher value jobs that then they go get placed somewhere else they can go work within. The digital economy you know the digital retail industry and so we really I really think about what we're doing as pioneering circularity. We also are talking to some retailers and Brands you want to partner with us on they're both on the demand and supply side and part of it is because we're a nonprofit that there's a tax, right up Advantage for them but it's there's also this, PSG component to the large corporates that they have to think about especially in, in apparel where they had to think about you know what is their end to end environmental impact and. [49:27] It's it's really I can't believe the timing of this but it's really a moment right now not just with consumers but in the industry and so that's another aspect of circularity where you have. Yeah it's not Nike so but I'll just use them as an example to speak of Austria of Lee imagine Nike telling their full price customers. That they can buy second-hand Nike at goodwillfinds.com. Or imagine a Chanel it's not Chanel so I'll just use them electrically but imagine them. [50:04] Wanting to use us as their authentication partner so that when you find second-hand should now at goodwillfinds.com versus a real real or somewhere else, you can you can you know that you have this objective third-party authenticator that you can partner with to control, the the brand experience in the second hand market so it's, I'm really excited about the possibilities and and we have a really big vision for what we're doing I don't I think we Commerce to me feels, like a term that soap a little bit Limited. Jason: [50:41] Totally fair so maybe circular Commerce its, it's interesting to me though like so we've had a bunch of those Founders from the circular Commerce. Brands on and like their fundamental problem is not your fundamental like their biggest problem is sourcing, the goods by getting people to send them stuff and then when they curate it they're mostly interested in, luxury designer so they end up with a relatively poor yield and they don't have. [51:13] Any monetization or you know frankly like a ecologically redeeming way to deal with, all the goods they get that aren't they don't meet their criteria so it's like you you seem like they're like through the Goodwill Network you've got all these stores to put Goods in you've got a bunch of you do have luxury consumers that are searching for vintage and value but you also have more pure value consumers you it just seems like it's a really interesting fit because you saw some of the, problems that are endemic to the re Commerce guys you've got the first gen, Val you guys like the you know the fast fashion guys who are you know of course making stuff cheap but it's a psychological disaster and they only sell like half of it and the other half ends up in a landfill and all that and then you've got the, discount guys who I think is the funniest of all I don't know if you follow this but Burlington Coat Factory, right before the pandemic shut down their e-commerce and they shut it down because they fundamentally couldn't solve what you're doing like they couldn't figure out how to cost effectively make, product detail pages for all the super thin inventory that they had and so it just interesting like, because you built this business on top of the Google Network it feels like you got a nice sort of Head Start in the in all three corners of that problem if you will. Matt: [52:36] Yeah Jason so first off I know a lot of the players the founders execs at those other places and, again I want them all to be successful because the more successful the category is it's a tide that will lift all boats and I think we're all being led by the consumer who is voting yes yes yes, I also think that the consumer, um is not just the the deal Seeker the value Seeker but it really is a trend ribbon, style driven younger consumer who if you think about you know the. [53:19] Tick Tock and Instagram and this this viral social world that we live in where you nobody wants to look the same, wearing the same things that shopping vintage and second-hand is actually a way to differentiate yourself and show your, your individual style so it's there's a really interesting marriage there between second hand and kind of social morality, and what's happening there and then there's also a tell you a more affluent customer or aspirational customer who could Shop full price and does Shop full price but they really care about, about the impact in the narrative and they want to talk about the story, where they bought it not just what they bought and so there's it feels like there's this really. [54:15] Great timing of all three customer segments and then the last thing I tell you is compared to the Discounters. Do I have read about some of them struggling, with figuring out e-commerce and I think I've read the rational rationalization was that it's hard to do Discovery online versus in the store. What I would tell you is that what we're doing augments the in-store thrifting experience at goodwillfinds, now if you're shopping Goodwill at your local store. The assortment is very limited it's what just showed up that week or that month as far as donations go but, you can do that because there are certain categories of people like to touch and feel or try on because fit matters or Texture and finish and, and material matter you know how home goods and furniture and the like one of those big bulky items that you know are easier to buy and store but to be able to couple that with. [55:29] Now shopping you know I don't want to say the best but the that e-commerce. Assortment of other Goodwills across the country. We're now you're getting access to donations from New York to LA Seattle to Miami, Chicago to Austin and I mean wow like what a treasure Trove to be able to shop your Goodwill store and go online and get access to all these thrift stores in one place, in our case I think it's a massive value add and. Given the fact that the Goodwill brand has been around for 100 years and already has tens of millions of customers shopping their stores you know our primary focus to start is how do we, how do we complement the in-store shopping experience to those tens of millions of customers to convert them to be multi-channel customers with the brand, and at the same time how do we compete in the market too. [56:38] Solicit this this these other two audiences that I mentioned the style and Trend driven younger consumer that's looking for vintage that's looking for. For differentiated as well as this this aspirational and more affluent customer who loves the loves the purpose loves the mission loves the story of circularity and wants to participate. Scot: [57:03] Cool sounds like your you're fired up and it's going to be exciting to watch the progress we're running up against time but while we have you you've been that this over 15 years the whole e-commerce retail thing what are some of the other Trends you're watching other than this circular kind of recycling element anything anything interesting on your radar for example do you think the digitally native vertical brand thing has played out or is that still got legs any other trends that are interesting to you. Matt: [57:36] Yeah well on DM BB which just a an iteration of DTC. Did you see to me was always a go to market strategy was never a business model. Scot: [57:47] Yeah. Matt: [57:49] The the early players the first movers in that space who did the, you know go to the source and sell an item at the wholesale price versus the retail price because you're cutting out the middleman Zappos is kind of one of the one of the pioneers of that, um That was a momentum thing I've always viewed and again kind of sticking to my knitting here in this specialty premium you know Market space. I've always viewed, yeah the brand equity which is what we're all striving to create and grow and maintain. It gets generated by picking an attractive customer, that you want to obsess about and I don't and attractive I mean somebody that you think is a viable there's enough of them and they're viable to have a long-term relationship with. [58:56] And obsessing about them to the point where you understand their needs better than they and you can create differentiated product and service, where, they fall in love with your Solutions with your customer experience and they want to tell their friends and then you couple that with the right distribution, so that you can find more people like them which allows you to scale in an efficient manner and direct-to-consumer now going back 15 years, was just the new go to market to find more like-minded customers to ones that you already had so urban urban already had amazingly strong brands with a lot of brand equity, so what we did writing the Web 2.0 wave was really just figuring out you know how do we, how do we reach the same or similar customers and give them a better experience a different experience online than what they experience in store, and then Mark what was the opposite I got there and we had no physical experience and so the exercise was how do we take this brand love that exists. [1:00:07] At this website and and translate it into a three-dimensional experience that, the existing customers would love but would allow us to expand our market and introduce the brand and more people so I yeah so I don't I never saw DM BB by itself as a sustainable business model. [1:00:27] As far as other Trends in the market today I when I left Walmart I did a talk. [1:00:37] Where I said I felt like it was an amazing time, to start a brand and I really meant it and I really believe that the market was was so like there's so much sameness in the market that. That there's a huge opportunity for four new brands coming to the market Leverage The technologies that have matured and and really differentiate against the incumbents I tell you sitting here right now after. I feel like consumers. [1:01:12] Have now accepted the fact that their multi-line store is where they shop for everything. The whole idea of this retailers essential and that one's not and those shutdowns for a year plus I think really changed consumer. Perception of where's viable to shop the where it's not and I and so I think the bigger players, have a massive advantage in this market especially this year with inflation continuing going into a recession I think it's I think this year is going to be really hard, for smaller players to differentiate and survive so that's more from a consumer lens. From a technology lens I'm sorry to say Jason but I'm a big believer in AI, and I think it's early days and what I counseled a lot of folks who are earlier in their career is find a mega technology trend, in the market that you can get passionate about learning that you think is early Innings and ride it. [1:02:17] I certainly did that with e-commerce I was. They're early with the that whole Social Mobile Local, moment you know that was existing after the iPhone and Facebook launched, I'm I feel like marketplaces are like halfway up the s-curve I feel like there's still a lot more room to grow and so I'm working on that technology curve right now with goodwillfinds. But I would say that I don't I'm not a Believer it in web 3.0 today it feels like, the.com in the late 90s where it was five years too early, there just weren't enough participants to make it viable I think web 3.0 in whatever form it takes is five years out before becomes something that you could commercially work on. And then you know I'd say I think the subscription in. In a lot of categories is having a lot of success right now which is less about technology and more about, business model but that's that's that's an area as well that I think is worth exploring for a lot of businesses that are trying to figure out ways to monetize Their audience. Jason: [1:03:40] Matt that is awesome, basically we're mostly aligned I'm 100% with you on a I I'm also with you on web 3 / metaverse being too early the one thing I'm gonna just for the record disagree on is I I can't public admit that marketplaces are thing because that'll that'll go to Scott said too much if we admit that. But, it's going to surprise no one mat that has happened again we've used slightly more than our allotted time so we're gonna leave it with those words of wisdom from you as always if listeners found value from this show we sure would love it if you'd jump on iTunes and leave us that five star review but Matt, so awesome to reconnecting and congrats on everything you're doing it's it's fun to watch and and put your point like it's also adding a heck of a lot of value to the world. Matt: [1:04:33] Guys I really appreciate the time always great to reconnect congrats on the pot I'm a huge fan and let's do it again at number five hundred. Scot: [1:04:44] Sounds good Matt if folks want to find you online or you on the on MySpace where do you hang out. Matt: [1:04:52] Yeah have you heard of Tumblr no. Um yeah I would just say if anybody needs to get ahold of me reach out through Linkedin and my contact information is there. Scot: [1:05:06] Sounds good we really appreciate taking time and good luck with the new Venture sounds really exciting. Matt: [1:05:11] Thanks guys. Jason: [1:05:12] And until next time happy commercing.

On this week's episode of GIRLS ROOM, Gawker editor and StraightioLab co-host George Civeris joins Drew and Julia to recapping Season 1, Episodes 7 & 8 of HBO's Girls. The delusional girls discuss indie sleaze partying, Adam's toxicity, getting slapped by a gay guy, and Modcloth. Join us next week with another extra special guest! Follow Drew on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Julia on Twitter and Instagram. Follow George on Twitter and Instagram. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crisis-twink/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/crisis-twink/support

Jacob Ross is CEO of PebblePost, a pioneer in the practice of programmatic direct mail. Once the leading channel in sophisticated direct marketing, many cast print mailers aside in favor of shiny new digital channels. Jacob explained why this thinking is flawed and how you can embrace a smarter approach to integrated and impactful direct mail during this week's episode of the On Brand podcast. About Jacob Ross Jacob Ross brings 20+ years of adtech experience to his role at PebblePost, which invented an entirely new marketing channel: programmatic direct mail. The platform combines online signals and offline data to reach current and prospective customers at home with personalized mail. Current customers include Mejuri, Lulu and Georgia, ModCloth, and Parachute.   Episode Highlights We opened our conversation talking about the brand of direct mail. “Direct mail is both sophisticated in terms of data and modeling but it's also been labeled as junk mail.” “Advertising is eating us alive,” Jacob notes. “That's why we're seeing traditional channels like direct mail being reborn in a digital-first way.” Where to start with digital-first direct mail? “Everything has to be about the customer—what are they interested in?” Jacob also noted that successful, personalized programmatic direct mail needs to be pulled into the digital suite where its impact can be measured accordingly. Jacob shared a powerful stat: Direct mail sits in the home for an average of 17 days. That's a powerful connection to make with customers. What brand has made Jacob smile recently? Technically, Jacob mentioned Dyson earlier in the show as well but he revisited them again as we closed thanks to a new vacuum that he purchased at the brand's flagship Midtown store. To learn more, check out the PebblePost website.   As We Wrap … Listen and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon/Audible, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, iHeart, YouTube, and RSS. Rate and review the show—If you like what you're hearing, be sure to head over to Apple Podcasts and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show. Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you'd like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network. Until next week, I'll see you on the Internet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This one's for you, artists! This week, we are joined by the incredibly talented artist and illustrator, Susie Ghhremani. Susie is also known as BoyGirlParty -  an illustrated stationary and gift collection, where she is one of the top-selling designers on stores such as Etsy, Urban Outfitters, ModCloth, and more! ⁠Purchase Susie's Journal: https://bookshop.org/lists/scbwi-podcastsLearn more about BoyGirlParty: https://boygirlparty.com/Follow Susie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boygirlparty/Follow Susie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/girlboypartyFollow SCBWI on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scbwi/Follow SCBWI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scbwiFollow SCBWI on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealscbwiJoin SCBWI: https://www.scbwi.org/join-scbwi/Support the show

ModCloth Patchwork Perfection Halter Dress in FloralShop Now: Patchwork Perfection Halter Dress in Floral

Ann Miura-Ko — The Path from Shyness to World-Class Debater and Investor | Brought to you by 80,000 Hours free career advice for high impact and doing good in the world, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and GiveWell.org charity research and effective giving. “The main difference was that I was willing to outwork and outdo every competitor who walked in through that door.” — Ann Miura-KoAnn Miura-Ko (@annimaniac) has been called “the most powerful woman in startups” by Forbes and is a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Stanford. The child of a rocket scientist at NASA, Ann is a Palo Alto native and has been steeped in technology startups from when she was a teenager. Prior to co-founding Floodgate, she worked at Charles River Ventures and McKinsey and Company. Some of Ann's investments include Lyft, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Refinery29, JoyRun, TaskRabbit, and Modcloth.Due to the success of her investments, she was on the 2017 Midas List of top 100 venture capitalists. Ann is known for her debate skills (she placed first in the National Tournament of Champions and second in the State of California in high school) and was part of a five-person team at Yale that competed in the Robocup Competition in Paris, France. She has a BSEE from Yale and a PhD from Stanford in math modeling of computer security. She lives with her husband, three kids, and one spoiled dog. Her interests are piano, robots, and gastronomy.Please enjoy!This episode originally aired in 2018. You can find the show notes here: https://tim.blog/2018/08/02/ann-miura-ko/*This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. Right now, Athletic Greens is offering you their Vitamin D Liquid Formula free with your first subscription purchase—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones. Visit AthleticGreens.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive the free Vitamin D Liquid Formula (and five free travel packs) with your first subscription purchase! That's up to a one-year supply of Vitamin D as added value when you try their delicious and comprehensive all-in-one daily greens product.*This episode is also brought to you by 80,000 Hours! You have roughly 80,000 hours in your career. That's 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year for 40 years. They add up and are one of your biggest opportunities, if not the biggest opportunity, to make a positive impact on the world. Some of the best strategies, best research, and best tactical advice I've seen and heard come from 80,000 Hours, a nonprofit co-founded by Will MacAskill, an Oxford philosopher and a popular past guest on this podcast.If you're looking to make a big change to your direction, address pressing global problems from your current job, or if you're just starting out or maybe starting a new chapter and not sure which path to pursue, 80,000 Hours can help. Join their free newsletter, and they'll send you an in-depth guide for free that will help you identify which global problems are most pressing and where you can have the biggest impact personally. It will also help you get new ideas for high impact careers or directions that help tackle these issues.*This episode is also brought to you by GiveWell.org! For over ten years, GiveWell.org has helped donors find the charities and projects that save and improve lives most per dollar. GiveWell spends over 20,000 hours each year researching charitable organizations and only recommends a few of the highest-impact, evidence-backed charities they've found. In total, more than 50,000 people have used GiveWell to donate as effectively as possible.This year, support the charities that save and improve lives most, with GiveWell. Any of my listeners who become new GiveWell donors will have their first donation matched up to $250 when you go to GiveWell.org and select “PODCAST” and “Tim Ferriss” at checkout.*For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim's email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Antonio Nieves (Interior Define, ModCloth, Bonobos) is the CEO of Interior Define, a rapidly expanding digital custom furniture brand. Interior Define is a venture-backed startup based out of Chicago, IL that is changing the way people shop for high-quality furniture online. In this episode of Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital, Antonio joins Catherine Jhung to discuss how his background as CFO at major digital brands helped him transition into the role of CEO. Nieves reveals the keys to being an influential leader, discusses the importance of empathy, argues that investing in staff is a defining feature of a successful business, and much more.  Topics Include:Antonio's transition from CFO to CEO. The importance of narrative when leading an organization. Selling people on your company as a CEO. Creating structure and agency within an organization. Delegating as an executive. How to foster talent and invest in staff. And other topics...Antonio Nieves is the CEO of Interior Define, based in Chicago, Illinois. He is the former CEO of ModCloth. Antonio was the COO and CFO of Bonobos during their sale to Walmart. Throughout his career, Antonio has held senior positions at major companies including Logitech, Gilead Sciences, Blue Coat Systems, and Johnson & Johnson. He graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Accounting. Want to Connect? Reach out to us online!Website – https://www.htgc.com/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/hercules-capital/

Every Thursday, hosts Tamara Davis and Deni Todorović update you on what you need to know in the world of fashion and answer your style questions. And today, we're talking about dressing for bad boy boyfriends and the rules of wearing colour. Also, WTF is going on with sizing? This week we're joined by a member of our collective, Katie Parrott to talk about Australia's problem with sizing.   Content warning: This episode deals with mental health, eating disorders and body image. Listener discretion is advised. And if you need to speak to someone, reach out to The Butterfly Foundation for support.   Check out everything we talked about today on the Mamamia Style Instagram. You can also join our Facebook group, What Are You Wearing?  The list of clothes and accessories mentioned in this episode is below: BOUJIE Deni Gabriel Waller Personal Shopper  Tam Alias Mae Sonda Slides    BUDGET Deni Maison Femalien Ella Dress Tam VRG GRL Beach Locals Shirt   KATIE'S RECOMMENDATIONS Suk Workwear (Size 30) (some stockists, online) Vagary the Label (sz 26/28) (online) Golden The Label (Size 28) (online) Made590 (4X) (in store Sydney and online) Peach the Label (Size 26) (online) Bohemian Traders (4XL) (in store central coast nsw and online) Little Party Dress (Size 22) (online) Commonry (Size 22) (in store and online) Isla-Maree (Size 24/26) (in store NZ and online)   International Brands Selkie (5X) Universal Standard (US Size 40) Lucy and Yak (size 32) Eloquii (US 28) ModCloth (size 28/30 depending on brand) Big Bud Press (Size 6XL coming November 2021)   Activewear Empress Athleticus (Size 26) (made in Australia) Girlfriend Collective (6XL) (online) Hine (6X) (online) Lululemon (US 20) (gradually rolling out instore and online)   Lower cost options You+All (Size 24, instore some locations and online) Cotton On Curve (Size 24) (in store, select locations) Shein (Size 24/26, online) ASOS (Varied sizes, online)   CREDITS This podcast is produced by Rose Kerr Mamamia's head of podcasts is Elissa Ratliff   hm.com (Fashion and quality clothing at the best price | H&M AU (hm.com)    GET IN TOUCH: Got a fashion question you want answered? Email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au or call the podphone on 02 8999 9386. Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is extra special because various members of the Clotheshorse.world staff have recorded short audio essays about their personal style.  Elise shares her journey from vintage vibe to actual vintage/super unique personal style (with a cameo from Modcloth). Iris tells us why she refuses to believe that beauty is pain.   Phoebe finally buys a parka. Karrie discusses the intersection between a changing body and her wardrobe. Emma explains how her tattoos are a window into her personal identity. Kelsey sets us straight on piercings. And Amanda talks about her hair.  And please...go check out all of their essays related to personal style over on the blog (and follow @clotheshorse.world on instagram because it's super cool)!Want to support Clotheshorse *and* receive exclusive episodes, a weekly newsletter, and some swag? Then become a patron!You can also make a one-time contribution via Venmo to @crystal_visionsDo you have some feedback?  An episode idea?  Do YOU want to be a guest on Clotheshorse?  Drop us a line at amanda@clotheshorse.world. Don't forget The Clotheshorse Hotline! The phone number is 717.925.7417.  Call us!If you want to meet other Clotheshorse listeners, join the Clotheshorsing Around facebook group.  And don't forget to check out The Department!Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable brands:Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from tea towels, linens, blankets and quilts.  Sustainably crafted in Los Angeles, each piece is designed to last in one's closet for generations to come.  Maximum Style; Minimal Carbon FootprintSalt Hats:  purveyors of truly sustainable hats. Hand blocked, sewn and embellished in Detroit, Michigan.Gentle Vibes:  We are purveyors of polyester and psychedelic relics! We encourage experimentation and play not only in your wardrobe, but in your home, too. We have thousands of killer vintage pieces ready for their next adventure! Picnicwear: a slow fashion brand made by hand in NYC from vintage and deadstock textiles. Picnicwear strives for minimal waste but maximum authenticity; Future Vintage over future garbage!Shift Clothing, out of beautiful Astoria, Oregon, with a focus on natural fibers, simple hardworking designs, and putting fat people first.  Discover more at shiftwheeler.comNo Flight Back Vintage:  bringing fun, new life to old things.  Always using recycled and secondhand materials to make dope ass shit for dope ass people.  See more on instagram @noflightbackvintageLate to the Party, creating one of a kind statement clothing from vintage, salvaged and thrifted textiles. They hope to tap into the dreamy memories we all hold: floral curtains, a childhood dress, the wallpaper in your best friend's rec room, all while creating modern sustainable garments that you'll love wearing and have for years to come. Late to the Party is passionate about celebrating and preserving textiles, the memories they hold, and the stories they have yet to tell. Check them out on Instagram!Vino Vintage, based just outside of LA.  We love the hunt of shopping secondhand because you never know what you might find! And catch us at flea markets around Southern California by following us on instagram @vino.vintage so you don't miss our next event!Old Flame Mending helps you keep your clothes intact through clothing repair, visible mending, and tailoring. Through extending the life of textiles, Old Flame Mending makes your pieces not only wearable and functional again, but also unique and beautiful. This mending duo is based in Pittsburgh, but they take mail in mending orders from anywhere in the US. For more information, visit them at oldflamemending.com or follow them @oldflamemending on Instagram!Gabriela Antonas is a visual Artist, an ethical trade fashion designer, but Gabriela Antonas is also a radical feminist micro-business.  She's the one woman band, trying to help you understand, why slow fashion is what the earth needs.  The one woman band, to help you build your brand ! She can take your fashion line from just a concept, and do your sketches, pattern making, grading, sourcing, cutting and sewing for you. Or the second option is  for those who aren't trying to start a business, and who just want ethical garments! Gabriela will create custom garments for you. Her goal is to help one person, of any size, at a time, including beyond size 40.   For inquiries about this serendipitous intersectional offering of either concept DM her on Instagram to book a consultation. Please follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and Clubhouse at @gabrielaantonasDylan Paige is an online clothing and lifestyle brand based out of St. Louis, MO. Our products are chosen with intention for the conscious community. Everything we carry is animal friendly, ethically made, sustainably sourced, and cruelty free. Dylan Paige is for those who never stop questioning where something comes from. We know that personal experience dictates what's sustainable for you, and we are here to help guide and support you to make choices that fit your needs.  Check us out at dylanpaige.com and find us on instagram @dylanpaigelifeandstyleLocated in Whistler, Canada, Velvet Underground is a "velvet jungle" full of vintage and second-hand clothes, plants, a vegan cafe and lots of rad products from other small sustainable businesses. Our mission is to create a brand and community dedicated to promoting self-expression, as well as educating and inspiring a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle both for the people and the planet.Find us on Instagram @shop_velvetunderground or online at www.shopvelvetunderground.comBlank Cass, or Blanket Coats by Cass, is focused on restoring, renewing, and reviving the history held within vintage and heirloom textiles. By embodying and transferring the love, craft, and energy that is original to each vintage textile into a new garment, I hope we can reteach ourselves to care for and mend what we have and make it last. Blank Cass lives on Instagram @blank_cass and a website will be launched soon at blankcass.com.Caren Kinne Studio:  Located in Western Massachusetts, Caren specializes in handcrafted earrings from found, upcycled, and repurposed fabrics as well as other eco-friendly curios,  all with  a hint of nostalgia, a dollop of whimsy, a dash of color and 100% fun.  Caren is an artist/designer who believes the materials we use matter. See more on Instagram @carenkinnestudio St. Evens is an NYC-based vintage shop that is dedicated to bringing you those special pieces you'll reach for again and again. More than just a store, St. Evens is dedicated to sharing the stories and history behind the garments. 10% of all sales are donated to a different charitable organization each month. For the month of June, St. Evens is supporting Last Prisoner Project, which works to redress the harms of cannabis criminalization through legal intervention, education & criminal justice reform advocacy. New vintage is released every Thursday at wearStEvens.com, with previews of new pieces and more brought to you on Instagram at @wear_st.evens.Thumbprint is Detroit's only fair trade marketplace, located in the historic Eastern Market.  Our small business specializes in products handmade by empowered women in South Africa making a living wage creating things they love like hand painted candles and ceramics! We also carry a curated assortment of  sustainable/natural locally made goods. Thumbprint is a great gift destination for both the special people in your life and for yourself! Browse our online store at thumbprintdetroit.com and find us on instagram @thumbprintdetroit.Country Feedback is a mom & pop record shop in Tarboro, North Carolina. They specialize in used rock, country, and soul and offer affordable vintage clothing and housewares. Do you have used records you want to sell? Country Feedback wants to buy them! Find us on Instagram @countryfeedbackvintageandvinyl or head downeast and visit our brick and mortar. All are welcome at this inclusive and family-friendly record shop in the country!

The online buying experience is always evolving, so it’s table stakes for companies to be on their toes and ready to adjust when the market tells them to. Especially when the company we are chatting about today was founded in 1948! But being prepared to adjust and actually making it happen are two different things. At DICK’S Sporting Goods, its customers, who are referred to as “athletes” are truly running the show, and Scott Casciato, who serves as the VP of Omni Channel Fulfillment & Athlete Service at DICK'S, is the man who takes their needs and delivers a seamless experience to them via DICK’S ecommerce platform and throughout their 700 retail locations. And with their ecommerce sales increasing by 100% in 2020, Scott and his team have had to rethink many things like: how to scale up operations during peak seasons, why testing every iteration on the website is key, how to perfect the buy online pick up in-store experience, and determine how to take their athlete's feedback and transform it into a funnel for change. This episode brought back a lot of nostalgia for me, thinking about the days of wandering the aisles of Dick’s in my high school days looking for a new lacrosse stick or soccer shoes. So it was fun to hear about how much has changed, and  what investments the company has been making lately in creating the best customer experience possible for its athletes. Also, tune in to the end to hear Scott discuss the importance of great vendor relationships, how to future proof logistics, and the new in-store experiences that Dick’s is betting big on. Enjoy! Main Takeaways:The House Don’t Fall When the Bones are Good: Having a strong foundation is the most impactful thing a company can do to prepare for surges in traffic that might come during peak seasons or after highly-successful campaigns. You have to do the work, go through the load tests and constantly be improving the technology stack because there are no shortcuts when you are creating a scalable platform that can withstand anything you throw at it. With last year being a perfect case study to reflect on, dive into the data and pivot if needed so you’re ready for the surge!Bet On It … Then Test It: Building out an online experience that works requires constant testing. You can plan for outcomes and bet on how you think people will react, but until you test it, you can’t ever be certain. As Scott mentioned, following the path the data reveals can be surprising and sometimes opposite of what your intuition is telling you.Experiences For The Future: The shopping experience is going to continue to change, and the strongest companies are planning for the future by paying attention to trends and then creating experiences — both in-person and online — that will drive engagement with consumers and build trust and confidence in the company’s authority in the space. By investing early into an experience or a specific market, you set yourself up as the expert in that specialized vertical and become the retailer of choice for consumers.For an in-depth look at this episode, check out the full transcript below. Quotes have been edited for clarity and length.---Up Next in Commerce is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. Respond quickly to changing customer needs with flexible Ecommerce connected to marketing, sales, and service. Deliver intelligent commerce experiences your customers can trust, across every channel. Together, we’re ready for what’s next in commerce. Learn more at salesforce.com/commerce---Transcript:Stephanie:Hey everyone and welcome back to Up Next in Commerce, this is your host, Stephanie Postles, ceo@mission.org. Today on the show we have Scott Casciato, vice president of Omni Channel Fulfillment & Athlete Service at DICK'S Sporting Goods. Scott, welcome.Scott:Thanks for having me. It's great to be here.Stephanie:I'm really excited to have you. So I have this deep love of DICK'S Sporting Goods because there was a location in my hometown, eastern shore of Maryland, which I feel no one even knows where that is on a map. But back in high school, I would go almost every week and just kind of peruse through the aisles and look for new lacrosse sticks and shoes. And I didn't really have much money, but I remember just loving the experience and being there probably for three hours with friends, just kind of hanging out. So I was so excited when I saw you guys on the lineup where I was, "Yes, something I know well."Scott:Was that your sport growing up, lacrosse?Stephanie:Lacrosse and soccer.Scott:Nice, nice. That's great.Stephanie:Deep love there. So I'd love to hear a bit about how you got into this industry, because you had a funny quote where you said, "I don't know how I really ended up here," and I'd love to start there, how did you become the vice-president of Omni Channel Fulfillment & Athlete Service at DICK'S Sporting Goods?Scott:It goes back... I spent the early part of my career in software, supply chain software, and kind of even on the sales side, then moved into the operational side and then got into management consulting and did a tour duty in the management consulting ranks. And I got introduced to the founder and co-founder of a company called ModCloth that I was with previously. And they were looking for somebody to run fulfillment and customer service. And I just said, I don't know anything about, I mean, I know supply chain, but I don't really know anything about direct consumer fulfillment at the time. And the founder of that business was, "Yeah, I know, but you're smart enough to figure it out." Right?Scott:So and I have a bent for really high growth, high speed businesses, and it just kind of the way I grew up in my career and that was a really great opportunity. So I did that and I spent five years there scaling that business really significantly, hyper growth phase and it was awesome. I learned a ton about fulfillment and service. And then about five years in, I had this great opportunity to come to DICK'S. And the thing that was really interesting to me is, the question was how can we build a great service organization for DICK'S Sporting Goods? I'm like, "Wow, if I could do it at a much smaller company, what would it be like to come to such a great brand and try to do it here?" And and we did, right?Scott:And so we spent a lot of time building that for the first four years of my time at DICK'S and then had an opportunity to take fulfillment on. So it's interesting that I have some of the aspects of that, that previous role that I had only, a scale that is much larger and just been very, very fortunate to be with such a great business. And it's been awesome to work with the team at DICK'S.Stephanie:Okay. So you are leaving ModCloth, I mean, that's like strictly ecommerce and then you're coming to this, I would say very omni-channel company. I mean, you have over 700 locations across the US, quickly moving to digital, at least over the past couple of years. Tell me a bit about what that transition was like?Scott:I mean, and at the same time we were really building... We were just starting our transformation to building our own technology. So it was a massive... It was basically rebuilding what we had already had from an ecommerce business perspective. And I think fundamentally a lot of the things that I came in and the tools that I had were relevant, right? How you scale a business. I mean, that stuff is somewhat the same. I think one of the biggest changes was or a few of them were one, just having more teammates that knew a lot of stuff that could really help and drive the initiatives and the progress forward, whereas in a much smaller company, right? It's you're wearing so many different hats and you're doing so many different things here.Scott:It was a shock to me to say, oh, there's somebody that can help with reporting or data analytics and help us with these answers. So that was awesome. And then I just think we were all learning, right? So we were learning what we needed. We were learning what we wanted to be in customer service, we were learning what we wanted to have in terms of digital capabilities. We were learning how to run that business as we were deploying new technology, right? So how do you do pricing online appropriately? I remember a lot of conversation. How do you display things? What's the right... How do you check? What's the right checkout flow? And then we had, as all businesses do, you have to make a lot of trade-offs because it may not be the most elegant thing right at the beginning, but we just got to get it up and running, right?Scott:And so having those conversations can be tough, right? Everybody, and especially our business, we just have this DNA where we just relentlessly improve, right? And so it's tough to launch something and know that it's not the perfect solution, right, and then making sure that you go back and you iterate and you keep going, right? We just did that for a long time. But it was a lot of fun and it's really tiring, but it was a lot of fun.Stephanie:So that's amazing. What was one of the maybe projects or things that you felt most strongly about that you got maybe the most pushback on that people are like, nope, that's not a good idea?Scott:I would say, well, we had a lot of conversation about how we were going to set up, for example, in my world, we were going to set up customer service. And we continue to evolve that. I think it wasn't that people were saying it's not how we want to do it, I think it was really more what I was saying about, we want to own more of that customer service experience, right? So we had always been outsourced. And as we moved, as we did the transition, and our previous outsourcer did a great job. And as we move to the next wave of that evolution, we decided we really need to keep an outsourced view in some form or fashion of customer service, but we really wanted to try to start to build our own, right, because we were, "Wonder what we could do on our own?"Scott:So this conversation about, [inaudible] how do you scale for the hockey stick effect that we have at holiday, right, while maintaining the great experience that we have? And we want to in source, but then we want to scale a holiday. We just had a lot of spirited debate about that. So that was part of that conversation.Stephanie:Very cool. And so are you guys kind of now balanced approach when it comes to customer service, depending on what's incoming and how to route it?Scott:Exactly. Right. So we have a team of internal service people that take various types of contacts, and then we have a few outsourced partners that we work extremely closely with. And we balanced the volume across there. And then at holiday time, we scale up across all. And so it's turned out to be... And we're measuring that experience relentlessly. So it's been a great symbiotic relationship, I think, across all three of those.Stephanie:Well, now that you've touched on holiday, I do kind of want to go into peak season and maybe talking about, I mean, you mentioned that you went through this big technology evolution and implementing new things to try and get to where you are now, what did that look like, especially when it comes to preparing for big surges? I mean, I saw your ecommerce I think went up 100% in 2020 or something, so you guys have had massive growth. What did it look like behind the scenes to prepare for that plus peak demand?Scott:I think it's been this... We're very happy that we started when we did, right? when you think about what happened over the past 12 months and what has happened in the ecommerce world and the growth that everybody has seen, we're fortunate that we started four years ago down this path. Because the foundation that we built really allowed us to scale this year really quickly. We've been through all the load tests dynamics that you go through at holiday, we've built the technology stack that can support the traffic that we knew that we were going to get. We've been through the trials and tribulations of how to test, what to test, where to find the failure modes, and we've got really talented people that work on that stuff every day. We've built controls internally to manage where things might not be working appropriately and to be able to balance that.Scott:And as you think about what happened last year, specifically with curbside, it is the example of, it took us four years to become an overnight success type of situation where [inaudible].Stephanie:[inaudible].Scott:Right.Stephanie:[inaudible]. Who knew?Scott:Totally. So I think it was scaling for holiday. We scale every year for holiday. I think last year was one that we didn't quite know, nobody knew what was really going to happen. But I think we over-prepared, and we executed an extremely successful holiday because we just had every... It was so great to see everybody so engaged in solving that challenge and really thinking through every aspect of what might happen in holiday from fulfillment through the web traffic through customer service. And we really came together as a team and figured out all the ways that things could go right and wrong and covered it all. And we had a great holiday season because of it.Stephanie:That's great. So what areas do you think businesses are maybe under-prepared? Is it in the fulfillment piece? Is it in customer service? What are some of the top pillars that you guys covered down on that maybe some people might not be fully prepared for?Scott:I think that we do a great job in measuring and really paying attention to the athlete experience across all measures, right? I think we've pivoted from, I think historically in most businesses have been in a place where you manage internally, right? You're managing things like conversion or traffic or speed to athlete and things like that, and to be the customer, traditional service levels and customer service. I think those are all important, but I think if you take the outside in view, right, and you're looking at things like how are we measuring the experience, what's happening to that customer when they're out there and they're buying from us? But are they buying from us again, right, as an articulation of their commitment to the brand?Scott:And then how do we influence that purchase behavior? And how do you think expansively about that in terms of not only the shopping experience online that they have, but the post-purchase, the delivery experience, the customer service experience, how are you really measuring that data and getting good information and causal information to figure out how you can drive really great lifetime value? And I think we do that and we're really starting to do that really well across our business. And we've gotten so much support for that outside in view, across our leadership team as well that it's become a real engine of thinking across our teams.Stephanie:I mean, it seems like that holistic view is really hard for a lot of companies to get to though. I mean, I hear about a lot of companies trying to consolidate their tech stack, marketing stack, put it all in one area that things actually are connected and you can have attribution and you can see the LTV. How do you guys think about having that view that allows you to make decisions?Scott:I mean, I think that it's philosophical at some level and don't get me wrong, it's hard because I think when you look at the business on a day-to-day basis, all retailers, right, especially those that are public are driving towards hard goals. We take a much longer term view of things generally across the business, which is really refreshing and great. And so it allows us to really make good decisions. When you think about what we're measuring, how we're investing, we're not investing, I mean, obviously we care about the quarter and we care about the year, right? Don't get me wrong, but I think we're making investments that are in the long-term interest of this brand and our customers. I think, we're a really large small business in that regard. And I think we've been able to energize our teammates to deliver that experience on the front line, but also make the investments on the back end of the house that allow us to do that.Stephanie:And I see you guys have been making some big tech investments. I saw, I think Commerce Hub, you did a multi-year deal with them. And I saw something about the vendor partner program that you have. We can kind of plug and play into a bunch of vendors and have an endless aisle. And I was, wow, that could be game changing to be able to pivot quickly and offer, get to the consumer, right, wherever they are, whatever they need, especially in times right now where it's very uncertain. So it seems tech is a big piece of that, towards that investment philosophy right now.Scott:It is.Stephanie:How are you figuring out what you need and how to put the proper pieces in place?Scott:I think we have over 500 vendors in our drop-ship program. And connecting to it has them, and understanding what the inventory is, and getting them to send us the right inventory, and then order information back and forth in real time is incredibly important, which is why we made the investment in Commerce Hub, it has been a great partner for us for a few years now. And it's easy to use. So I think that's that was great for that aspect of our business. I think our vendor relationships are super strong and we're fortunate that we have them because it allows us to be really creative in the way that we go to market. Scott:And I think we're also continuing to build great brands internally, right? And so if you think about, we just recently launched our first brand and it's been a great success so far. It's great stuff. We had got our [inaudible], if you haven't tried it, you should.Stephanie:I haven't. [inaudible].Scott:That's awesome. It's a partnership that we did with Carrie Underwood about six years ago, and it's quickly become our number two selling women's line.Stephanie:Wow. That's awesome.Scott:And then we launched our DSG brand a few years ago, or a year and a half ago, which is really a value-driven brand and with very high quality, right? So when you think about the continuum of our brands, we have very specific and different strategies and they're complex depending on what we're trying to achieve within a given brand or category within that brand. But I think we're fortunate that we've built such great lasting relationships, because again, I think it gets back to, we take a longer term view of things and we really, I think we treat our vendors as partners.Stephanie:Yep. So key, especially in this industry where so much is happening, so much is changing quick and people can get burned really quickly too.Scott:Right, right, right.Stephanie:It also seems being able to plug into a vendor system like that is important, especially around... It seems a lot of companies are doing private label type of things and launching their own brands. I mean, it's not fully reliant now on the big brands and being able to have that flexibility to pull people into your ecosystem that maybe could have never sold at a DICK'S Sporting Goods before, that seems amazing and really allows access in a way that wasn't here maybe five years ago.Scott:It really does. We're always looking for those bets to make with new and upcoming brands. And our vendor director job channel is a great way to sort of test some of these things. So that's definitely, you hit the nail on the head for us. It's a strategy that we actively have and it's nice because my team who manages that part of our business we'll work with our merchants to say, "What could our strategy be with the supplier or partner X?" Right? Some of these folks are small businesses that can't handle our volumes. So if we buy a little bit more, we can test some of them or we can test it in the vendor direct channel. So it's been a real tool for us.Stephanie:Testing's interesting too. I could see kind of doing AB test quickly and see if people like this product and if they like this one more, okay, here's what we're going to go. Maybe we'll circle back with you next year in a much less risky way to bring people in.Scott:We've gotten really good at testing and specifically on the site with how we're thinking about the experience online. And we test almost everything these days, right? I mean, there's some stuff that I think is just go do things, some go do things that we do. But I think generally speaking, we've really developed a muscle around building an experience and testing it and iterating on it to figure out what's really resonating with the athlete most. So everything from shopping experiences on our site all the way down through the conversion funnel to fulfillment, right? And speed and how we're communicating with our athletes.Scott:So I think we've learned so much, and I'm like constantly reminded when we get these, we all kind of make bets, right, when we launched these tests like what do think's going to happen? And I think I'm wrong so often, it's so important to test.Stephanie:Yep.Scott:Good. Because what you think the consumer is going to do they just don't. And even when you think about surveys, I think there's this everybody lies concept, right? And it's true...Stephanie:And depends on what state they're in or where they're at in the day.Scott:Right, right. So I think it's just so invaluable to us.Stephanie:And we do surveys on the show sometimes just to see who do you want on, and how am I doing? And it's, well, it's depends on probably where that person is, if they're happy, if they're sad, it could be different depending on the place that they're in.Scott:For sure.Stephanie:So what's an example of a test that you ran where you were so sure, you're like this one's going to win, everyone was kind of on board with one scenario winning and then the results come back and everyone's wrong?Scott:That's a good question. We just ran one recently that I did win on, which is the one that was top of mind for me coming into this. Let me talk about that one for a second. So the one we launched on same-day, we're trying to figure out what are our athletes appetite is for same-day services. And we did definitely get a lot of engagement on the test. I kind of thought it was going to be more than it was, but it was still interesting, right? So I think that's something that we're going to continue to have conversation on.Stephanie:They wanted it, the majority of the [inaudible]?Scott:I think they did. It wasn't as much as I would've thought, really.Stephanie:Because that's an interesting one that some people on the show said, people just want to know when it's getting there, they're okay if it's not same day, versus if it's more of a commodity product, you better get it to them the same day. And to kind of seems it depends what it is and how much delayed gratification someone can have on it, it depends, it seems.Scott:Yeah. Some of the tests that I think that we've run that have been less intuitive, I just think how products are set up on the site and how people search, right, and find products like you would think that sometimes when you put the best or most visible sort of notable product of the top search results, that's going to create a better conversion and sometimes it just doesn't, right? So it's really people come in I think with a lot of intent around how they're shopping and sometimes what you think is going to happen just doesn't because I think there's so many different ways that people shop.Stephanie:Yep. How do you think about shifting the website either, from what you learned from last year or when you're approaching peak season, are there certain key elements that you adjust knowing that maybe the consumer's are in a very different mindset than they were at any other time in history probably?Scott:Yeah. I think I can speak more to the way that we think about fulfillment in this regard. I always, I historically had thought, that's another example of what I thought was going to happen. I historically thought that during, for example, Black Friday weekend speed was really important, right? I need it, I want to get it fast. And it turns out that weekend in particular speed is not the most important, getting what you want is the most important, right? So getting the deal is the most important. I think it makes sense because most people are thinking, I've got three or four weeks that this thing can get to me. I'm not super concerned to get it next week, just to make sure that I get it, right?Scott:So that's one that we adjust in terms of making sure that we're really being honest with how we're going to fulfill. Thankfully we've got an extraordinarily resilient fulfillment network and we do really well in speed and but historically had been surprised as we've really measured that one over Black Friday weekend. It's really about getting the deal, not the speed.Stephanie:Versus Christmas when everyone's probably last minute shopping, it's probably opposite.Scott:Very different.Stephanie:Okay.Scott:Very different. And as you get into December and you get through towards the ground cutoffs and you get, depending on what's happening, the speed becomes a real issue. Last year was was nuts. I mean, FedEx was running commercials, right? They talked about the speed or buy early. And we definitely saw a little bit of a shift in terms of how people were thinking about buying.Stephanie:So how are you building up that resilience fulfillment network that you mentioned to be able to basically say I can offer anyone the endless aisle, we have unlimited of these, in one moment and then be, okay, now next month got to go, got to be there in three days or less type of scenario?Scott:I think you mentioned it when we kicked off the show, it was we've got over 700 fulfillment locations when you think about our store network, which is a blessing for us because it allows us to really, not only be closer to our athlete and get things there faster, but also allows for a lot of flexibility when... It's just load balancing, right? When you think about a business that has a couple of three, in my past one fulfillment center, when that thing gets backed up, or you have a labor problem or you have whatever the case, would be trucks that don't show up on the receiving dock or the outgoing dock, you're kind of backed up, right?.Scott:And so while that definitely happens across everybody's network, including ours, having all of these different nodes that are moving product out each and every really helps mitigate the risk. And so it also helps us, at peak time, it helps us staff up and get stuff out. And we have we've built a really sophisticated way to manage the way that orders are routing. So we're able to identify where we might have congestion points, for example, and try to proactively avoid those as we see those things happening, right? So we can move orders to one node or another, or block a node if we've got a weather issue or something, or we've got, in the fall when you have hurricanes in Florida, right, or in the Southeast, we're able to really change the way that our orders route to get product out of different places that aren't having those issues.Stephanie:And is that kind of done in the background where it's looking at all these different inputs and then kind of making decisions that you can come in and adjust if you need to, but it's already routing it for you in the background?Scott:Yeah. So part of it's automated part of it's people, right? And it's still a lot of people, right, washing the switches each day. But we've got a great team of people that are communicating, we're communicating out of our stores to my team and fulfillment. We're communicating from my team into stores and we're using the technology that we've built to really manage the capacity and the inventory across the entire network.Stephanie:It seems that is so important too you when you essentially have two business units when it comes to fulfillment, you've got your store locations with one set of data, inventory is probably very hard to track because it's always getting grabbed, it's always getting shipped out, and then you have just maybe a fulfilment center that's a whole different beast probably. How do you get to that consolidate view? Is that part of the backend tech that's kind of looking at it at a higher level, treating it all as one?Scott:It is and it's definitely complex for the reasons that you noted. And it creates, sometimes it can compromise how close we can get to the athlete if we think we've got a unit in Austin, Texas and we actually don't. The fortunate part is instead of canceling that order on you or that unit on you, it's going to go to maybe it'll go to a Dallas store, right? And we can still stay pretty close to you and get it to you. And we're also trying to look at things like, how do we keep packages together? Of course, anybody that's listening to this that manages freight will say, yep, really important from a cost perspective. And frankly, even from, as I mentioned earlier, that athlete experience, people want to get one box, right? I don't want to order three or four different things and get three or four different boxes. And sometimes that's unavoidable, but we're trying everything we can to not let that happen.Stephanie:Oh, blessing.Scott:Totally, right?Stephanie:I get, one company I'm not going to mention their name, they will send a can of soup, anything a bone broth. I mean, it's in these little bags and they just come one at a time. I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I just would have rather just gone to the store and picked it up myself than getting random of one item at a time."Scott:It's so wonderful when the customer experience need and the business need align, right? So when you think about, nobody wants to ship more packages to you, right? We want to get it to you, we want to get to you fast and we want to get it to you in one package. And that's also a great experience for you. It's the same thing we talk about with customer service, which is a traditional metric that people manage as average handle time, right? How long are [inaudible]? And I'm so careful, we collectively are so careful with this metric because it can be so disastrous to the teammate that's on the other end of the phone if they think they're being managed to a handle time, right? I don't want to just get you off the phone, however, and you need to use it for all kinds of different scheduling and making sure you have enough people on the team.Scott:But what's really aligned is generally people want to get to an answer pretty quickly also, right? I want to have an efficient, valuable use of my time. I want to get to an answer and then I want to move on with my day. So that's another example of where if we can do it right and align those desires, we're going to create an awesome experience.Stephanie:The unintended consequences, pizzas is such a tricky thing with thinking about designing roles and KPIs. I mean, I'm doing it right now. I'm thinking about sales and building a sales team and being like, oh wait, this might incentivize bad behavior.Scott:You got to really think about it, right?Stephanie:You just think really strategically about it.Scott:The outcome or the impact is very different than the intent in some cases.Stephanie:Yep. Are there any external inputs right now that you think companies aren't preparing for? I'm thinking about the algorithms that are kind of running everything behind the scenes when it comes to your fulfillment and things like that. Is there anything that you guys are watching now that maybe you weren't watching a couple of years ago and letting it help influence how things are routed or how things are kind of being redirected, anything like that?Scott:I mean, I think we're constantly trying to get to be more precise, and we're very fortunate that if everything goes right, we can get you an order really, really quickly. So we're really trying to pay attention to, where are things not going perfectly and we've called this thing the perfect order, what's our perfect order, right? And how do we get more of those? So we're spending a lot of time thinking about how we can perfect our fulfillment network. And I mean, it is, as you can imagine, just an infinite number of variables that dictate how this thing goes. But we're working a lot on that. I do not think that...Stephanie:[inaudible] like local stuff, because that's something that kind of came to mind. You're paying attention to weather and higher level things are you down in the weeds of, okay, well there's a festival this week here so that means... Is it that [inaudible].Scott:It can be. I mean, for example, when we're doing a hot market event, so Super Bowl, NCAA Tournament, they're national events, but their inventories largely local, right? So we're really paying attention to what the traffic is doing and the inventory is doing it at those local levels for sure.Stephanie:I'd love to talk about events a bit because I know that's a focus is the athlete experience online and in person as well. And I saw that you guys are opening more retail locations. You're opening, I think I saw a golf center, I soccer center, I mean, these full on experiences. And I'd love to hear how you guys are thinking about that.Scott:I'm glad you mentioned that we're really proud. We just opened recently the House of Sport up in Victor, New York, which is an expression of what we think the future can be for DICK'S Sporting Goods. And it's really an experiential retail location. So you can go in there, obviously we've got golf simulators and we've got fitting in there. We've got rock walls to climb. We've got an outdoor fitness field where we're doing things and we're engaging the community in different ways. So we're running clinics and figuring out how we can get local teams into their... Engaging in the community in this way has been a part of our brand since 1948, right? So I think, if you read the story of DICK'S and how we were involved in the Binghamton New York community, when the business was founded, it'll give you a sense for why this is important to us.Scott:And we just believe that, we say it all the time, we believe that sports makes people better. So how do we think about engaging in the community where we're at? We've done this forever in community marketing, and you see how we donate equipment to local teams and so forth. This is kind of another evolution of that, where we think we can make a big impact, we can change the way that people think about retail. And I think it'll quickly get to how do we merge the online and the brick and mortar or traditional retail experience? So I think that's a place that is really exciting to us right now.Stephanie:I was just thinking about, how do you create, you have a view where you know this person came in to this event and they were using the golf simulator, and they really liked this club. And then they either bought in store or maybe four weeks later they ended up online and bought the one that they were using? Do you feel you're moving in a direction where you're going to have that viewpoint? And it's not a hard time to get there.Scott:Yeah, I think we're getting there. I think we're really focused on data and analytics, right? And so I think our ability to stitch together these experiences, we're building that muscle. I don't think that we're totally there yet, but we've got really smart people that are thinking about this. And I think we're moving in that direction because that's the key. We're not really worried about what channel you buy in, right? I think it's more about, are we the retailer of choice for you, right? And however that experience, the experience that we can build for that, it's important to measure it because then I think it unlocks the investment in the targeted areas that are going to drive more of that for our athletes. So I think that's where we're really focused.Stephanie:Have you thought about creating essentially kind of a guide shop, but you have the soccer experience or something, and then just a small shop where maybe you can look at a few other things, but then essentially you're going back online to order whatever you played with and got to experiment with, or are you doing full on retail location as always, and then often this area we're doing our experience center?Scott:We haven't done really pop up experiences, guide shop experiences like that. We're moving more towards, how do we create a more scaled experiential experience in store and then how do we measure that in terms of who might go online to buy.Stephanie:Mm-hmm (affirmative). I love that. I'm excited to see... I need to visit one of those stores, especially the soccer one. I mean, I don't know what it's going to be happening there, but I want to be there.Stephanie:I want to hear, which I feel you'll have a great answer for is what are you all most excited about right now over the next one to two years? What are you most passionate about?Scott:We're excited about a lot of things. And as usual, we have a very full plate. So I think things that we've already deployed that we'll continue to refine, things like our curbside program or a buy and pickup in store program for online, we're really excited about that. That's got a long runway of improvement, enhancement, and creativity that's going to be placed into that program. We are really excited about this merger of... I'm really excited about the merger of stores and online specifically around becoming a trusted advisor to our athletes. So if you think about the breadth of the teammates that we have, and when you walk into our stores or you talk to our people online, everybody's got a passion, right? Your passion is lacrosse and soccer.Stephanie:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Scott:How do we think about unlocking that potential, right, in terms of then being able to help our customer, whether that customer is buying first player pair of soccer cleats for their son, to getting ready to play club soccer, to getting ready to go off and play soccer at a D1 level or beyond, right? So how do we look at that continuum of expertise and really become that trusted advisor, both online and in our stores? And I think that is incredibly exciting venture. And we do it well today. I think there's an opportunity to do it even better. So we're really excited about that. We're really excited about the assortment, right, that we're going to continue to launch online. I think it's going to be differentiated. I think it's going to keep our position in the market really strong.Scott:So I think the product that we put in there, the expertise that we put in there is going to be differentiated in the market, right? And that I think is probably more incremental and more incremental expression to the core business. And then we're going to continue to press. Game Changer has been a great business for us for years. And that team is great. And they continue to build a technology that service the baseball market. But we're always looking for different ways that we can expand or innovate across the industry.Stephanie:I love that, you know what? We need like, what do you do after college? I always think about that and I'm like, I loved playing sports. But then you start working, and then you have kids, and then you're, I still want to play, but how do I get back into it? And something is missing there, Scott. [inaudible].Scott:No, but I love... So that's who we want. That's another sort of persona that we really want to love to serve in our stores. Because I'm one of them.Stephanie:I'm your person.Scott:Right.Stephanie:We're the people.Scott:We're the people. And I think what we want to be able to do, I love talking about this. I think in our stores and online, our ability to listen and inspire, right, how do we help you meet that goal, right? "Hey, I'm doing a couch to 5k first time. I'm starting to get active." Or, for me, the 5'8 guy that always had a dream of the NBA that never came to fruition because my vertical is about that high. I still play. I want to make sure that I can get all the gear that I need to be competitive, right, or to achieve my personal best.Scott:So I love the fact that we can really positively impact people's lives in that way. And I think we want to make... I would love to make sure personally that anybody that walks into our store and knows that we're not just a sporting goods retailer, right? I think we want to make sure that we're helping, we want to facilitate you achieving your dreams. And then we talk a lot about that internally. So if we can translate or transmit that feeling to our athletes, I think that's really powerful.Stephanie:And also makes me think about creating custom leagues too, where it's, this is a different kind of league. It's not the traditional school. It's not even people creating their own volleyball leagues. It's we are a part of this. We're making sure that this can happen for people who struggle to even find those networks. I mean, I know back when I was in DC, I looked for where's some other women who play lacrosse? I don't really want to play with guys who are going to be checking me and I count find it, super hard to find. I mean, it's easy to find some sports in a community setting, but it's very hard to find people in certain other sports settings.Scott:You're right. There's a social, I don't want to, careful to say social network, but there is this idea of how do I plug into people that are me within a certain geographical area, right? That would be interesting. That's really interesting. Thanks for that one. Let me...Stephanie:Take it back to leadership. We just need a parenting kit. It's, here's everything you need so that we can go play our sports and then your kids are entertained. They get many lacrosse sticks. You go there and then I'll go off on my own so I can actually play, give me the kid.Scott:I love that idea.Stephanie:I want to think like such parents. Anyone who's not a parent is probably, "What are y'all talking about right now?"Scott:What are you talking about? Yep.Stephanie:Yep. All right. So let's shift over to the lightning round. Lightning round is brought to you by Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This is where I ask a question and you have a minute or less to answer. Are you ready?Scott:I think so.Stephanie:Okay. So I'm sad, I haven't asked this yet and don't know this, but what is your favorite sport?Scott:Basketball.Stephanie:Oh, nice.Stephanie:And who's your favorite sports team?Scott:It's always been the Chicago Bulls since back in the day, which is probably blasted me because I live in Pittsburgh. So to not say football and the Pittsburgh Steelers is a problem.Stephanie:You'd probably get egged.Scott:Probably. But they're close second.Stephanie:That's good. What is the nicest thing anyone's done for you?Scott:Oh, wow. I'm going to struggle. I'm going to go to my kids. I think my kids being, this is going to sound so cheesy, but it's so serious. The way that my kids treat other people with respect and kindness, I think is the thing that comes to mind for me first. And I know that's probably not the answer that you would normally get.Stephanie:Nope, I like it.Scott:To me that's pretty important. So I'm really proud of them. And I think that's probably the best thing that somebody could do for me.Stephanie:I love that. There's so much you can learn from kids. I think about that all the time. So I'm the person who is here for those cheesy kind of kid answers. You're in the right space. What's one thing you don't know that you wish you understood better?Scott:American history comes to mind?Stephanie:That's a good one.Scott:I don't think that's on topic, but that's the first one that comes to mind.Stephanie:When you want to feel more joy, what do you do?Scott:It's going to sound crazy. I tell people, thank you.Stephanie:Mm-hmm (affirmative).Scott:Right. So I just believe that there's a lot... I get a lot of energy from being grateful, right? And so that's what I do. If I'm really feeling a little down or if I'm really stressed or some of the times the way that I work out and I get the endorphins mode going, that's one way to do it, and the other way is to be grateful for things. So I feel that's the way I get a lot of energy.Stephanie:I love that. All right. And then the last one, I mean, it seems you guys are very much ahead on a lot of things within the ecosystem. What do you do to stay on top of the trends? Are you watching other companies? Are you reading things, what are you doing to stay on top?Scott:I think it's a combination of experiencing and reading. I don't read nearly enough, it's hard, right? There's so much the content that comes out and not enough time. So I'm trying to just experience things out in the wild right? I'm talking to a lot of people, whether it's parents at a game or if it's just my own experiences online, and I'm trying to translate that to what's happening and why companies would do things a certain way. And then my team is doing the same thing. So I think we're trying to stay close. We're trying to stay close that way and certainly reading and engaging in conversations like this also kind of help.Stephanie:Good. That's awesome. Well, cool. Well, Scott, thank you so much for joining us. It was really fun to hear all about what you guys are up to. Where can people find more about DICK'S Sporting Goods and find you?Scott:I think www.dickssportinggoods.com. For the story of Public Lands and Golf Galaxy, and you can find me at LinkedIn, on LinkedIn.Stephanie:Amazing. Thank you so much.Scott:Thank you so much for having me. It's been a great time.

Each Friday I share a curated selection of calls from the All Hallows Hotline and letters from the EEEEKmail bag! This week we hear of a caper through a cemetery, we get a new Halloween party idea, and we get the scoop on more cozy Halloween food! Plus, one Lantern tells us about their Devil's Night experiences. Mentioned in this episode: Modcloth's Halfway to Halloween Collection Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call into the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram Shop the It's Always Halloween RedBubble store

It’s almost summer! That means beaches, oceans, nature, and THE HORRORS OF BATHING SUITS AND OCEAN CREATURES. Bethany is telling you about a handful of the nightmarish goblin monsters that live at the bottom of the ocean and could grab you while you least expect it. Then, Kathleen comes up to the surface to give some great advice on how to feel much more confident in a swimsuit while you’re frolicking on the beach or running for your life from a Humboldt squid.------Check out our merch! —> https://store.dftba.com/collections/an-acquired-taste-podcast  ------ Stuff we talked about:Bethany’s Modcloth swimsuit recs - https://modcloth.com/collections/one-piece-swimwear Kathleen's Summer 2021 Swimsuit - https://www.target.com/p/women-s-ribbed-one-piece-swimsuit-shade-shore-black-and-white-stripe/-/A-77387112Make your Venmo more secure than Joe Biden's - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/we-found-joe-bidens-secret-venmoGreat sites to find bathingsuits:https://modcloth.com/https://www.bodenusa.com/en-ushttps://www.summersalt.comhttps://albionfit.com/https://athleta.gap.com/------Please support the companies that support us! OUAI Haircare - When you’re ready to undo some damage, hit the reset button with the OUAI Detox Shampoo. Go to THEOUAI.com and use code TASTE to get 15% off your entire purchase. Liquid IV - Get your Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier PLUS Immune Support in bulk at Costco or order online and get 25% off when you go to LIQUIDIV.COM and use code TASTE at checkout. AUrate - Aurate “hacked” the jewelry market, making real gold accessible. To get 15% off your first Aurate purchase, go to AurateNewYork.com/taste and use promo code “taste." Boll and Branch - These are sheets designed and manufactured for maximum comfort and durability. No cutting corners. To experience an entirely new standard of comfort, visit bollandbranch.com and use promo code “taste” to get 15% off your first set of sheets!Chime Financial - Chime is an award-winning app & debit card with no hidden fees or monthly minimums. Join the millions on Chime. Signup takes two minutes, and doesn’t affect your credit score! Apply now at chime.com/TASTE ------BETHANY’S SOURCES:https://www.bustle.com/articles/113059-15-terrifying-things-in-the-ocean-because-jaws-has-nothing-on-these-scary-sea-creatureshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barreleyehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_shark#Feedinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_squidhttps://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/see/story/68950/8-strange-creatures-in-the-mariana-trenchhttps://bestlifeonline.com/scary-ocean-facts/KATHLEEN’S SOURCES:https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi7VlMHnaub/?utm_source=ig_embedhttps://theeverygirl.com/how-to-feel-confident-in-a-swimsuit-when-you-have-body-image-issues/https://megababebeauty.com/products/thigh-chafeChange your social feed:@jazzmynejay@fittybritttty@NoelleDowning@bodyposipanda@katiesturino

We've got a crime ring to kick things off this week. ModCloth has a new owner (again), Valentino and Zara are both launching beauty, and brown is truly having a fashion moment again. Are fashion magazine internships a thing of the past? Plus: We announce our 7th anniversary microgrant recipients! Come hang out!

Pandemic fatigue is FOR REAL, we're all feeling it. This week real life experiences lead us to look up some coping skills from the experts. Join us for a casual talk about what we've been feeling and how our coping skills stack up against the advice we found. Spoiler: French tutors are saving our lives and we've been buying way too much stuff on ModCloth.

It's Thanksgiving! The moms talk favorite recipes, apple pie contests, and their family members' love/hate relationships with turkey. PLUS a forgetful mom fail, and a tasty fan question. This episode is sponsored by: Homeschool Magnet (https://www.homeschoolmagnet.com/) ModCloth (https://www.modcloth.com/) (Code: MOM) Usual Wines (https://usualwines.com/) (CODE: MOM) Be sure to follow Because Mom Said So on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/becausemomsaidso4/) , Twitter (https://twitter.com/becausemomsaid1) , and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/becausemomsaidso4) ! 

This week on FAM: Elizabeth Hunterton (https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth.hunterton) returns to share her scary experience giving birth to her first son who had congenital heart disease. This encounter was the inspiration for Badges: A Book For Little Heroes (https://www.amazon.com/Badges-Little-Heroes-Elizabeth-Hunterton/dp/0692773347/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1606254521&refinements=p_27%3AElizabeth+Hunterton&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Elizabeth+Hunterton) . This episode is sponsored by: Homeschool Magnet (https://www.homeschoolmagnet.com) ModCloth (https://www.modcloth.com/) - Promo code: ALLMOMS for 20% off your order of $75 or more! OxiClean (https://oxiclean.com/tryme) - Visit for a FREE stain-fighting sample *while supplies last* Connect with FAM: YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/c/forallmoms) | Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ForAllMomsChannel) | Sharzad (https://www.instagram.com/sharzadkiadeh/) and Susan (https://www.instagram.com/susanyara/) on Instagram

With the heaviness of 2020 weighing on so many moms, I thought this week we should share a few laughs. My assistant Sarah-Jane Menefee joins me to share some funny mom stories we've experienced and stories that listeners submitted.  We've got everything from simple misunderstandings to funny church stories to the ever-popular and unavoidable poop stories. I also share a tip on one way to remember the fun stories for each of your kids that doesn't involve trying to write things down in a book.

A night of food, libation, and bidding on all sorts of items you don't need --that's what school auctions are all about. So how does one maximize fundraising to best support our schools? Join us with a special guest, Dabney Lawless, to discuss the most effective way to solicit donations, maximize bidding, and run a successful auction. ----more---- About Deb and Wes' guest: As an experienced public relations professional with a 20-year track record of creating successful communications programs for consumer and technology start-ups, Dabney Lawless has mastered the ability to tell a story that resonates with media and target audiences alike. As the founder of Lawless PR Dabney's clients have included top-tier Silicon Valley start-ups such as Instacart, Eventbrite, ModCloth, Newsela, MyFitnessPal and most recently Outschool.  Prior to founding Lawless PR, Dabney was the vice president of communications for Nextdoor, and prior to that she worked at an integrated marketing agency for nearly eleven years as the VP of Consumer PR. Dabney has a BA from Connecticut College and an MA in Communications from The University of Texas at Austin. She has a nine-year-old child just started a travel blog for her upcoming road-schooling adventure with her family: www.thisboholife.com This show is brought to you by K-12 Clothing. K-12 Clothing is a PTA-Dad created business focused on providing high-quality school apparel while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Learn more at k12clothing.com The Multipurpose Room is made possible by support from SquadLocker.

Joseph Aaron Segal is the founder and designer of the knit development studio World of JAS and ready-to-wear line Pretty Snake. He earned his BFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and launched his companies after graduating from RISD (MFA Textiles 2009). His Pretty Snake line is known for its original textiles and unique prints that go “viral” and is sold in boutiques around the world as well as by larger retailers Urban Outfitters and ModCloth. Segal’s unconventional apparel earned him the opportunity to be a contestant on Project Runway season 11, where he created memorable knits for the season’s winning designer. His World of JAS studio is a recipient of Rhode Island’s STEM Wavemaker Fellowship and continues to create prints, textiles and technical knits for fellow designers’ runway shows, artists, footwear companies, celebrities, drag performers, music videos, television shows and commercials.

My guest for Ep116 of The Startup Playbook Podcast is Mina Radhakrishnan, the co-founder of :Different. Mina started here career at Goldman Sachs, before transitioning into the Associate Product Management (APM) Program at Google. From there she jumped into startups, initially joining ModCloth as it's first Product Manager, before moving to a small 20 person startup (at the time) Uber. She was the first product manager at Uber and later ran the company's product team for three years, leading initiatives such as new driver onboarding and the addition of other types of car services. She is also one of five inventors who jointly hold Uber's 2013 patent on surge pricing. After leaving Uber, she served as an entrepreneur in residence at startup investment firm Redpoint Ventures, and as special adviser to Cowboy Ventures. In 2017, Mina Co-founded :Different, a full-service property management platform, for just $100 a month. :Different is already managing over $1B worth of residential properties across Australia, has grown to over 50 staff and has recently closed a $7.1M series A funding round, backed by PieLAB, AirTree, Spring Capital and Warburton Group. We covered a range of topics in this interview including: Her experience as Ubers first Product ManagerFrameworks for decision makingHow to find and hire great Product ManagersHow to build relationships with investors& much more! Full interview below! Show notes: Google APM programModclothTravis Kalanick Redpoint VenturesCowboy VenturesMarissa MayerLarry PageSergey BrinInklingCraig BlairCraig Blair podcast interview (Episode 81)AirTreeVenture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson (book)Elicia McDonald podcast interview (Ep 113) Join our next live podcast interview with Fred Schebesta, the Co-founder of Finder.comDate: 23rd June 2020Time: 8-9am (AEDT)Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/Ep117Finder Feedback/connect/say hello:Rohit@startupplaybook.co@RohitBhargava7 (Twitter)/rohbhargava (LinkedIn)@rohit_bhargava (Instagram)My Youtube Channel Credits:Music: Joakim Karud – Dreams Other channels:Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Soundcloud & Stitcher Audio Player and now also available on Spotify. https://youtu.be/zpXkguj0IsA The post Ep116 – Mina Radhakrishnan (Co-founder – Different) on frameworks for decision making appeared first on Startup Playbook.

Free 30 day Audible Trial including 1 audiobook of YOUR choice and 2 Audible Originals.  MODCLOTH.COM use code CARLA30 for 15% off    SHIT YOU SHOULD KNOW The US Government Will Be Scanning Your Face At 20 Top Airports In March 2017, President Trump issued an executive order expediting the deployment of biometric verification of the identities of all travelers crossing US borders GENTRIFICATION What is Gentrification? How does it affect US? Buying and selling real estate because of gentrification. Our personal experiences due to gentrification. UNSOLICITED ADVICE Ex-GF wants to drive by new address to see if it belongs to the new girlfriend. MESSY! SH*T TAAALK Do you have to talk about what is going on in your household and explain yourself?  

In episode 202, ModCloth CEO Antonio Nieves tells us about how his background in Finance has helped him excel in the marketing space. How does Antonio's family and well-traveled upbringing impact his role as the head of a popular online retailer? Listen in to find out!

Jackie sits down with Michael Rapaport to discuss Kanye's new album, housewife all stars, and how to handle internet trolls. Show Michael some love and check out the I Am Rapaport podcast over on iTunes. Click here to listen.  This episode of The Bitch Bible is brought to you by the following: Thrive Market. Get $60 worth of free organic groceries, free shipping & a 30 day trial today by going to thrivemarket.com/Bible. Mod Cloth. To get 15% off your purchase of $100 or more, go to Modcloth.com and enter code BitchBible at checkout. Hurry this offer expires on September 1st, (2018)!" Ritual Vitamins is reinventing the experience of vitamins with 9 essential nutrients women lack the most. If you're ready to invest in your health go to www.ritual.com/BibleSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ann Miura-Ko is co-founding partner at FLOODGATE, an early-stage venture capital firm. As the child of a NASA rocket scientist Ann grew up, literally, surrounded by emerging technologies in California's Silicon Valley. And as a young champion debater (she placed first in the National Tournament of Champions and second in the State of California whilst at high school), Ann forged a considerable skill set which has since helped her complete a PhD at Stanford (a place where she now a lecturer in entrepreneurship), serve on the Yale Corporation Investment Committee, as well as become a well-known and celebrated pioneer investor in the AI space. In 2017 she made her Forbes Midas List debut at number 77 among the world's top venture capitalists for investments which include: Lyft, Ayasdi, Xamarin, Refinery29, JoyRun, TaskRabbit (recently acquired by Ikea), and Modcloth. She was also named “the most powerful woman in startups” by Forbes. This far-reaching discussion with Ann touches on a number of valuable career topics, including: - How to get over your fear in pursuit of a goal - Managing and maximising your luck - The power and potential of persuasion when debating effectively - How to welcome 360 degree criticism - How to ‘dial-up' optimism and find new opportunities - How tapping into your childhood curiosity is the key to success The key values of successful entrepreneurship including: - Hacking value as opposed to hacking growth - Truth seeking to achieve successful customer development - Seeking out the underdog/misfit And don't miss Ann's three key career pointers – skills which which she says once mastered, will come back to support you time and time again: - Figuring out how to speak up - Focusing on your ability to learn - Effective storytelling Follow Ann on Twitter: https://twitter.com/annimaniac Check out more about FLOODGATE: http://floodgate.com/ Thanks to our patrons for this episode: Anna Caroline who coaches leaders in Berlin: http://truthcircles.com/ Caoimhe Keogan http://twitter.com/caoimhekeogan Johannes Kleske http://johanneskleske.com Emma Rae Harris If you want to help us create The Role Models Podcast in the future, become a patron and chip in $1, $3, $5, or $10 per episode. Read more about the different tiers and rewards on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rolemodels

Fran Gillespie (SNL, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later) stars in this new musical of bridal proportions. With songs like "Hell Yes (Because of the Dress), "A Little Bit Bad" and "When Your Dad's John Cena", you'll be dancing down the aisle in no time. Plus, stay tuned til the end for a new segment: "Deep Cut"! This episode is brought to you by Modcloth (www.modcloth.com code: OFFBOOK) and Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com/OFFBOOK).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

D'Arcy Carden (The Good Place, Broad City) and Paul Scheer (How Did This Get Made?, The League) star in a new musical about sexy night hikes, wolves disguised as little girls giving relationship advice, and wolves taking over a Home Depot. Recorded live at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles, theater-goers will be entranced by such stand-out hits as “Let My Wolf Out Tonight,” “Corporate Animal,” “Find the Wolf Man,” and many more. Stick around for a behind the scenes discussion about the production with the cast and crew!This episode is sponsored by Spice Islands (www.spiceislands.com/offbook), Leesa (www.leesa.com/offbook), and ModCloth (www.modcloth.com code: OFFBOOK).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we stand on a mountaintop, shading our eyes from the glare of the sun, looking back on all that we have endured together over these last 22 episodes. The second chapter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has some high highs and some LOW lows, and we're discussing our favorite moments as well as some truly painful ones. You'll also hear from Gaby Dunn, Joanna Robinson, Brittani Nichols, and of COURSE Kate Leth! This is our Season 2 Wrap Up! Jenny Owen Youngs is @jennyowenyoungs on twitter, and you can check out some of her non-Buffy songs at jennyowenyoungs.com/buffering. Kristin Russo is @kristinnoeline on twitter. Learn more about the resources she creates for LGBTQ individuals and their families at everyoneisgay.com and mykidisgay.com. Get to know Buffy Fashion-Watch correspondent Kate Leth better at kateleth.com, or give her a shout on twitter (@kateleth). Twitter it up with our special guests Gaby Dunn (@gabydunn), Brittani Nichols (@bishilarious), and Joanna Robinson (@jowrotethis). Follow Buffering the Vampire Slayer on twitter (@bufferingcast) and on facebook (facebook.com/bufferingcast)! Thanks to this episode's sponsors! -RXBAR: For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/BUFFY and enter promo code BUFFY at checkout. -Book of the Month: Go to bookofthemonth.com/BUFFERING and get your first book for $10. -ModCloth: Shop on ModCloth.com and enter promo code "BUFFY" at checkout to get 30% off your order of $100 or more. -And remember to check out the new LeVar Burton Reads podcast! Try Stitcher Premium for an ad-free experience, and to access oodles of exclusive content from a variety of podcasts & creators. Stitcher Premium is offering our listeners a free month-long trial, and $5 off the first year of an annual plan - just visit stitcherpremium.com/buffy and use promo code buffy. We've got NEW MERCH, including a wolf-y AWOO shirt designed by Isabella Rotman, an ADORABLE "even a werewolf is better than misogyny" tee designed by Cameron Glavin, and the JUST KEEP FIGHTING tee in a new color! We've also got CDs ready to order - limited quantities of both SONGS FROM SEASON TWO and SONGS FROM SEASON ONE. Visit bufferingthevampireslayer.com and click on SHOP to check out our little shop of WONDERS. If you prefer your music in non-corporeal form, Buffering the Vampire Slayer: Songs From Season One is available now on iTunes, or wherever you get your digital music. You can now support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/bufferingcast. Logo: Kristine Thune (kristinethune.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yaaay! I can't believe it's already been 5 episodes. In this ep we talk about how over the top and sometimes mysteriously offensive "promposals" have become. Also some suggestions for essential weekend streaming. What shows should I be watching? Always feel free to recommend things! Chinese Laundry use code: REFUND for $15 off orders of $75 http://www.kqzyfj.com/click-7994604-12561041-1460735381000 Modcloth: $20 off for new customers! No code needed! http://shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=307756&m=43745&u=1232573&afftrack= Amazon Luxury Beauty: http://amzn.to/1MyhZtd

Susan Koger, co-founder and chief creative officer of the online retailer ModCloth, shares lessons that transcend the fashion industry. Reflecting on her startup's early years and challenges along the way, Koger explains how emotion not only connects customers to a brand, it connects a team to the work.

Contents:   1. Firsts - How I started crossdressing   2. Crossdressing in the News   Tacoma police seek crossdressing partner http://mynorthwest.com/11/2329683/Tacoma-police-seek-crossdressing-bank-robber   How do people who change gender choose a name http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-23790148   3. Positive message in the world The Awesome Foundation Great video describing the organisation - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23469438 Website - http://www.awesomefoundation.org/   4. Fashion - ModCloth http://www.modcloth.com/   Shiny bubbles dress - http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/shiny-bubbles-dress   Opine and dine dress - http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/opine-and-dine-dress   About the Artist Dress in Red - http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/about-the-artist-dress-in-red   5. Male Suffragettes Meghalaya India: Where women rule, and men are suffragettes - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16592633   Email: genderqueeruniverse@gmail.com

It's a clip show-palooza this week, also known as an outtakes or "lost footage" episode! The 76th episode of How Was Your Week features all-new content from Julie, and things that you loved from past episodes as well as things you never heard from these wonderful guests! Therefore enjoy.... -PATTON OSWALT, who has things to say about THE GRADUATE! -CAROLE RADZIWILL, who tells us about Sonja Morgan's Little Edie impression! -EDDIE PEPITONE, who shares his ideas about a blue collar guy's acid trip! -NATE HARRIS, who reminisces with Julie about the time they watched a video about female ejaculation together! -SARA SCHAEFER, who has a disturbing story about an encounter with an actor whose work only children enjoy! -and DAVE CULLEN, who has pearls of wisdom to dispense about Columbine and beyond. Also in this episode, Julie discusses an ambiguous and unusual experience she had on the subway with a guy who may have been a pick-up artist, shares a story about an upsetting thing she learned about a self-help author way too late into her book, threatens ModCloth.com with something gross, ponders "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and the politically incorrect thing all TLC stars have in common, and reviews Hope Springs. A fun episode for fans of the show both new and old!