Podcasts about Nordstrom

Rated #1 for the past three years on Forbes annual list of companies with the “Best Customer Service” – a list formed by surveying 158,000 customers over a period of 12 months – The UPS Store has consistently proven an authentic and thoughtful commitment to the improvement of all things most valuable to their customers. And, as you know by listening to the Nordy Pod, improving Customer Service is the top priority for Nordstrom. So, in an attempt to further that pursuit, we felt strongly that Sarah Casalan, President of UPS Stores – a leader who has established and maintained a level of customer service that is considered to be "the best" across all industries – would have more than a few nuggets of wisdom to aid us in our journey. As presumed, insights were gained, and notes were taken. Sarah herself actually has an impressive background in retail, and coincidentally shares a handful of mutual acquaintances with Pete. But the gap between her past and her current role in the world of shipping, printing, and supply chain is not as vast as you might think. In her own words, “we get to serve a profoundly human population in any way”. In their conversation, Pete and Sarah talk about the incredible importance of simplifying your business, innovating from within, and meeting the customer on their terms. Selling clothes or delivering packages, the path to success looks the same: It's all about making customers feel good. Thanks for tuning in to episode 111. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

In a first for That's Not What Mom Said, Amy and Tim welcome Dr. Angela Casey, a double-board certified Dermatologist and her husband, and girl-dad of three daughters, Michael Casey to the podcast. Dr. Angela and Michael share some of their experiences in creating Bright Girl (www.brightgirl.com).From their website: Bright Girl was created to ensure that every girl can get a smart start with quality skin care. As the mother of three daughters, Dr. Casey is passionate about educating and providing girls a daily routine for a lifetime of healthy, glowing skin.The discuss includes what basic skin care should include and how it doesn't have to be complicated, that consistency is key to taking care of your skin and how often should someone see their dermatologist. Michael nails it stating that "Self care is health care" and Angela affirms the adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"Located in Ohio, the question arises, is Ohio a part of the Midwest? Of course there is one question that we asked that may have settled it directly! If you have any questions or comments please email us at Thatsnotwhatmomsaid@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and helping us to continue the growth of our podcast, we truly appreciate it!!!!Along with the Bright Girl website (link above), Bright Girl products can be found on Amazon, at Nordstroms, Macy's and Beauty Space.

This podcast is powered by Klean Freaks University.com — where real cleaners build real empires. From mop buckets to million-dollar systems, we teach you how to clean smarter, lead stronger, and scale faster.The La Perla LessonWhat does a $750 bra have to do with pricing a cleaning business?More than you think.In this episode of Cleaning Business Life, Shannon shares the unforgettable moment she learned one of the biggest lessons about value, pricing, and scarcity thinking while working at Nordstrom selling La Perla luxury lingerie.At first, the pricing felt unbelievable.Who would spend that much on a bra?Then a vendor said one sentence that completely changed the way she viewed business forever:“Let them decide.”This episode dives into:emotional pricingscarcity conditioningunderchargingpremium buyersconfidence in salesperceived valueand why so many business owners unknowingly sabotage their own pricingBecause people are not always buying the cheapest option.They are buying certainty, trust, professionalism, reliability, and peace of mind.And sometimes the biggest thing holding your business back isn't the market —it's your relationship with money and value.Chaos is expensive. Support the showThanks for tuning in to Cleaning Business Life — the podcast for cleaning business owners who want to build a profitable, sustainable company without burning out.Hosted by Shannon Miller and Jamie Runco, each episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to start, grow, and scale a cleaning business — covering pricing, systems, leadership, boundaries, and the real conversations most people avoid.

In this episode, Dr. Corey Malnikof discusses:  Scaling from one clinic to 24 locations  Building a patient-focused clinic culture  Marketing strategies that work for doctors  AI, SEO, and social media marketing  Advice for growing a successful practice    Key Takeaways:    “Marketing works best when it comes from authenticity. If you truly love helping people, then marketing simply becomes sharing that passion with your community.” – Dr. Corey Malnikof    “Scaling a practice requires systems, leadership, and the willingness to step into uncertainty before growth happens.” – Dr. Corey Melnikov    “Doctors don't always need bigger budgets to grow. Many of the best patient acquisition strategies are free and relationship-driven.” – Dr. Corey Malnikof Connect with Corey Malnikof Email: drcorey@palmercare.com Business: palmercaregroup.com Twitter: @palmercaregroup @coreymalnikof Connect with Barbara Hales:   Twitter: @DrBarbaraHales Facebook: facebook.com/theMedicalStrategist Business Website: TheMedicalStrategist.com Email: info@TheMedicalStrategist.com  YouTube:@barbarahales LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/barbarahalesBooks: Content Copy Made Easy 14 Tactics to Triple Sales Power to the Patient: The Medical Strategist TRANSCRIPTION (241) Building a Patient-Focused Chiropractic Brand    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “Welcome to another episode of Marketing Tips for Doctors. I’m your host, Dr. Barbara Hales. Today, you’re in for a rare treat. We have Dr. Corey Malnikov here with us. He is the CEO of Palmer Care Group, a healthcare organization operating 24 chiropractic clinics across the whole United States. He is an entrepreneur, speaker, and leader known for building high performing teams, scalable systems, and world class patient experiences. Today we’re going to dive into what actually works when it comes to marketing for doctors, how to attract the right patients, grow your practice, and build something that truly scales. Welcome to the show.”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Thank you for the introduction. Always fun to hear all of that in 111 share. Thank you.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “When you first started out, did you see patients at that time?”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, no, I was a.. I’ve been in practice for 21 years. I saw patients probably up to about seven or eight years ago, I had about 10 clinics at the time, and so I was a full-time guy. I loved seeing patients that they literally had to kind of rip it out of my hands for me to stop, but I kept cutting back. I kept.. I went from full-time to Monday, Wednesdays, and then just Mondays, and then I think I got to the point where I had a patient laying down, I was listening to what my doctors were saying, I was listening to the front desk, I was thinking about the other clinics, and I just felt bad for not being there 100% for the patients, and so, yeah, it’s been probably seven eight years, and I’ve been running the clinics instead of in it, but is there a long time?”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “What made your practice unique in compared to other chiropractic offices around? Did you have multiple streams of income? Where were there additional services that others didn’t provide? Were there products that you felt your patients could use? Like, what is it that made you different,”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “yeah. And I will say, you know, with 24 clinics, you know, when doctors are into different things, we do have all sorts of different techniques and instruments and things that we use on patients, but really, what makes us different is I always tried to create this atmosphere, you know, I was a big Starbucks junkie in the beginning, you know, and I was trying to open a practice, and you know, I thought I’d graduate, put a shingle up, you know, the Red Sea would part, patients would line up, I’d take care of them, and the reality, like most, most entrepreneurs find out, is you open up, and then you know nothing. So I studied a lot, I studied Amazon, I studied Nordstrom, I studied the Ritz, I studied Disney, and I studied Starbucks, and Starbucks talked about how Starbucks was meant to be the third home, right? You had home, you had work, and then Starbucks,”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “but no, I thought no drive-through, right?”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Right, exactly, no drive-thru, but I thought, you know, a chiropractic clinic, a wellness clinic, should be the third home, not Starbucks. And so I kind of wanted to create this atmosphere, and I was always really big into personal and professional development for my doctors, for my staff, and even for my patients. So we tried to build a place, and we always talked about when patients come into our place, if their anxiety is high, we’re going to lower their anxiety to peace, and if their energy is low, we’re going to bring their energy up. And so for us, it was all about the experience, the second you walked through the door, the way you were greeted, the way you were treated, the way your case was managed, and how we kind of had an impact on every aspect of your life, emotional, physical, chemical, and treatment. And so that was the goal, and for me, that’s what’s made us different. It’s just the culture and the place we created,”    Scaling From One Clinic to 24 Locations    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “that’s wonderful. Now, before you had your first offshoot, you must have been a little bit nervous about doing that. Would opening up another location divide my patients, or would I succeed? You know, walk me through that, and how, and how you did succeed.”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, I had no intentions of having 24 clinics. I had every intention of opening one clinic and trying to make it as successful as humanly possible, being a big part of the community and making that who I was. The reality was I opened a clinic, didn’t know what I was doing, figured out what I was doing, and then very fast grew it. I had been renting a room while I was waiting for my clinic to get built with from another chiropractor, and when he kind of saw how fast I built it, he said, “You know, my friend is selling a practice, I’ll go buy it, I just need you, you can be 5050 partners, no money, and you just fix it, and so that second clinic. Was just kind of like I couldn’t do anything else in my current clinic. My wife was about to join me, so we couldn’t, we couldn’t fit any more patients there. So the second clinic was like literally completely unpredicted, but man, it was fun. You know, I got to drive down, I was about 45 minutes away, go to this clinic that was, you know, pretty much failing, and then take it from where it was and grow it up, and so, yes, it was scary, but I’ll tell you, the scarier step wasn’t that second one, because the first one was successful, the second one was just fixing, but I went from two clinics to four clinics in a blink, and the scary part of that was, you know, I had no money, and then I started to make a little bit of money. Then we got the second clinic, and then I started to make a little bit more money, and I got four clinics, and I have negative money. So that was where I learned about the scariness of expansion. You know, when you, when you want to expand and you want to scale, you just, you have to be willing to step into this world of fear, where you’re going to take a few steps backwards before you step forwards, and that’s kind of been not to go off subject, but that’s been the whole thing, right? I went from money to no money, and then from four clinics to 10 clinics, where I went way backwards, and then got caught up, and then from 10 clinics to 20 clinics, and every time we make a massive growth, now I have to expect that fear and expect that, and just be willing to make that jump and be prepared.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “What’s really interesting is, I think many people hearing your story would think, well, by the time you got to the second or third one, you had, you had it down, and it was just going to be gravy after that.”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, yeah. No, you know, it changes, you know. Five clinics is you right? I can see patients full time and still have my fingers on everything, but it’s not me anymore, right? There has to be a C suite. There has to be an infrastructure that I built and pay for for people to run our systems and run our marketing and run our HR and to run our everything, so with every clinic you add, you are limiting your ability to accomplish the job that you would normally do, and now you have to replace yourself with somebody who is paid and trained by you, so it’s a learning curve, because none of us, you know, on this podcast, I think your listeners, the doctors, none of us are trained entrepreneurs, trained businessmen, trained business women, we just have to learn as we go and study as hard as we can, and all of it’s a learning curve, but it’s a fun ride if you take”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “it, when you started realizing that other people would be taking over the roles that you once were actively doing. Did you feel bad about it, or were you just so excited that it didn’t matter?”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “No, no, you know, you don’t want to let go of those. You grip them, death grip those. Not only do you not want to give them up, but then you know you have to learn very quickly that you can’t micromanage, right? So, like, I’m going to allow you to do second interviews and decide if this person has the ability to do the job, and I have to be able to, like, not give my approval on every employee that gets hired, and that is a very difficult thing to do, so no, every step along the way, every time you hand something off, you know, yes, you watch it a bit in the beginning, but you have to have the ability to not watch it if you want to grow, and that’s very difficult.”    Marketing Strategies That Actually Work for Doctors    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “So, what would you say to them about that?”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, so there’s so much, it’s never ending. I mean, you know this with all the people that are on this podcast, there’s just so much great stuff out there, but it really, for me, becomes very dependent on geography, because digital marketing is absolutely amazing, and it is so deep now. I mean, yes, you can do Instagram posts, Facebook posts, LinkedIn posts, Twitter posts, YouTube posts, there’s Google post, there’s Google ads, and all that stuff works amazingly. You’ve got to learn all of that and use all of that, but there’s some geographies, like I have some geographies in Texas, that are, have such a congested digital footprint, like so many people in that congestion, that the ROI and the responses for that, you know there’s no way I could scale clinics there if that was what we did, so like in Northern Virginia, I’ll spend a lot of money on Google Local and Google Ads, and on boosts on some of our social media, so that would become very well known in the, in the neighborhoods, versus you know, in Texas, what works very well is being out in the community, meeting all the professionals that I can refer to, and that can refer to me, that are doing health screenings at different health fairs, that are doing lunch and learns in different companies, and so we use all kinds of tactics. Now, do I also do some digital marketing in Texas? Of course, but I don’t spend a lot, and do I also do all the other things in Northern Virginia? Yes, but I don’t push it a lot, you know. You’ve got to figure out what’s working. I think you know when I talk to people on the phone and they’re trying to get their marketing to work. I think part of the problem is they’ve got 15 different things going, and then these don’t work, so they try this and this doesn’t work, so they try this. You know, you got to focus in, and if, if, if somebody else can get this marketing to work in your area, so can you. So, instead of quitting it, dive into it, you know, learn why, why it’s not working, what you can do to make it work.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “Absolutely, and you know people are, so you know, scrambling for AI in their practice, without realizing that some of the old school techniques really work the best, and that it’s not something that they should forget about. People, after all, want to have a relationship with you, they want to actually see you, talk to you and hear what your views are, so you know, getting out there and introducing yourselves to people, both you know, prospective patients, but also to physicians in the area that can refer to you.”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, doctors and professional referrals. I mean, we talked to this about our doctors all the time, if the only thing you did was have two lunches a week with referral partners, and you did that every week, you’d have 104 lunches a month, and if 10% of those people like you, that’d be 10 people sending you patients every month. So there’s professional referrals, is one of the most amazing things. I will say old school is kind of funny, because we just started doing some postcards again. Now that’s from like a decade ago. I’m going to tell you, the response, the response in some of our areas on like these postcards is insane. So, there is some old school stuff.”    AI, Social Media, and Modern Healthcare Marketing    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “And AI, I right now, by the way, also, I mean, I know everybody wants to dive into it, and I think they should. AI, right now, is the wild wild west, because there’s nobody knows for sure, but we do know that feeding it, and doing, you know, AI, oh, doing, doing the search engine optimization, which is now for AI, is absolutely amazing. I think if I can give one piece of advice on something like AI, and even, you know, social media marketing, and things like that, I think that doctors, because we were, we want to be doctors, and that we don’t want to be the professional marketer. Too many times, doctors will go out and find this is the best company to do AI marketing for me. This is the best company to do lead generation for me, and they like hand it off and forget it. So, the one thing I would say is you’ve got to learn it right, and it’s not that hard. You can jump on YouTube and say, you know, put in a video, teach me how to do AI SEO, you can go into Chat GPT and just say, “Tell me the top 100 things I need to know. You really have to learn how to do it. So, I always like lead generation AI. I learn how to do it to the point that I’m dangerous enough that I could do it, and then I don’t. And then I hire a company, because then I can watch what they’re doing, and I can make pivots, and I can give suggestions, and I don’t just take the results for what they are. So, so get into AI marketing, get into all this stuff, but for the love of God, know what you’re doing first.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “Absolutely. How actively involved are you in creating videos for your patients on the sites”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “I I’m actively involved in, and by that I mean like maybe twice a month I get with our social media people, and they shoot videos with me, so that’s about as active as I am. And then they do all the editing and posting and everything for group, which is kind of the umbrella. The individual clinics is me giving them what I want them to record and do right, and then I have a separate crew that then edits and posts those, but at the end of the day I’m really just looking at how many posts are we doing, when are they going up, what are the statistics, what are the results. So I’m all KPI driven.”    Advice for Doctors Growing Their Practice    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “That’s great, so what advice would you give to our, you know, physicians and chiropractors that are listening today? You know, like two pieces of advice that they could implement right away.”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, well, number one, you know, when I talk to chiropractors and they’re like, I don’t have enough new patients, or I talked to functional medicine, I talked to any of these guys, and I don’t have enough new patients, right. And then it’s, I don’t have the budget for it, because there’s, there’s so much stuff that’s free. You can right now shoot videos and post it on six different platforms. You can right now go stop by an office and drop your cards and meet a professional. You can right now go bring bagels and coffee to a bank before they open. Introduce yourself and tell them about your clinic. There’s so many free things you can do right now. If you don’t have enough new patients, it is just because you are not trying hard enough. It exists. You just have to do it, and no one can make you do it. But you could post 50 posts on social media right now, if you wanted to, right, and talk about who you are, you know, talk about what you do, and your community will absolutely love it. And then, you know, the only other thing I would tell you is, you know, have a goal, like, okay, I don’t have enough new patients for the love, like, what is enough new patients, and why did you pick that number, like, and if that’s your number, give me the action steps of how you’re going to get it. So, there’s a million ways to get new patients, right? If you, if you’re stuck and your brain is like, I can’t come up with one, then go on Chat GPT, Chat GPT, and say, give me 25 ways to get new patients right now that cost me nothing, and then you can do it, but work towards a goal, right? Say, I want 27 new patients this month, and here’s the action steps I’m going to do. You do those two things. I just don’t know how you can’t have enough new patients.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “Do you have a program yet on how to instruct physicians to follow in your footsteps?”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Yeah, that’s good question. No, right. So we have all the programs for all of our doctors and CAS, you know. For me, right now, it’s just that there’s so many people that reach out about what we’re doing. My thought process was, let me just give it out for free, let me answer any questions. There’s really nothing for me to gain from this, except for, hey, doctors are helping a whole lot of people. I want you to help a lot of people. I want you to do more, and if I can be of any help for you to do that, then do it. Use me.”    Dr. Barbara Hales:  “That’s wonderful. So, what else would you like to tell our listening audience that maybe I haven’t touched upon lately, you know? Yet,”    Dr. Corey Melnikov:  “Well, you know, your podcast is marketing. You know, the only, the only other thing I’ll say about. Marketing is this. I’ve always looked at marketing is, you know, if you love what you do, if you absolutely love what you do, then marketing is just your extension of your love for what you do out into the community. And how many different ways can you come up with doing that? And if that’s what you’re doing, if the only thing you’re really doing is sharing what you love with the community, because you know it will make an impact. Then all of the negative things that we think of when it comes to marketing, the sales process, the I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to do that, all that goes away because the second you are locked in to all I want to do is help, then that’s all you’re ever doing, you’re just offering your value, and because it’s coming from such an authentic place, it works. It just works, you know. I used to go out to health screenings, and my goal was I wanted to meet one person that I could show them an alternative to maybe a surgery they were doing, and because the only thing I was doing, they were sitting there talking to people about health and wellness. I ended up with all these new patients. It just has to be authentic. You just have to figure out why this means so much to you, and then all you have to do is share that, and that’s all marketing is. It’s just you sharing who you are with the world.”    Dr. Barbara Hales    “That is wonderful advice. And with that, I would like to thank you for coming here. And listeners, this is, you know, a great guy, as you have seen and heard, and his company is called Palmer Care Group, and you can reach out to him at Palmer Care group.com We’ll also have that in the show notes, in case you don’t know how to spell it, or you probably forget it, as I have said it, but you know this guy has some great moves, and you need to see what he’s done and follow along. If you do that, you’re sure you’re sure there’ll be bumps, but you know what, you’re sure to meet with success. So, thank you so much for being on the show today with us, Corey”    Dr. Corey Melnikov    “Thanks for having me.”    Dr. Barbara Hales  22:10    “This has been another episode of Marketing Tips with the Doctors, with your host Dr. Barbara Hales and Dr. Corey Malnikof. Till next time,” The post Scaling the Patient Experience first appeared on The Medical Strategist.

Julie Colombino-Billingham In the wake of Haiti's 2010 earthquake Julie left behind everything she knew to answer an impossible call.  What she found was heartbreak and a new beginning.  Her book From Loss to Legacy, tells the remarkable true story of how compassion, courage, and creativity built a fashion brand from the rubble, proving that hope and dignity can outlast disaster. She is the founder of Deux Mains, a fair trade fashion company in Haiti creating sustainable jobs and lasting impact.  Julie is a humanitarian entrepreneurand her company, Deux Mains haspartnered with Nordstrom, the United Nations, and Eileen Fisher. A former aid worker, she is recognized internationally for her innovative leadership and holds an MBA from Rollins Crummer Graduate School of Business. 100% of the Profits from her book are being donated to REBUILD Globally, a non-profit organization she founded to provide programs for fighting poverty in Haiti.  

As we work on some new episodes for you, please enjoy this past interview with Alex Faherty, CEO and Co-founder of the awesome family-owned clothing company, Faherty Brand.Summary: Alex and Mike Faherty built a clothing brand inspired by their origins as surfer kids on the Jersey shore, and their later years living in Manhattan. And even as the company has grown, they've always tried to stay true to that original vision, and the values that have made them a beloved brand for so many. Alex Faherty is the co-founder and CEO of Faherty Brand, a family-owned lifestyle apparel company. Since its founding in 2013, he and his twin-brother have built a nine-figure omnichannel business, with nearly 80 stores, a large e-commerce presence, and a robust wholesale business with partners like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and numerous specialty stores across the country. Alex joins us to discuss the origins of Faherty, their plans for international expansion, and how they plan on growing while remaining authentic to who they are. Highlights:Faherty origins (1:46)Alex's PE Background (5:06)What is Faherty Brand? (7:21)Faherty Customers (8:51)Fashion Innovation (10:16)Embracing Wholesale (12:06)Faherty's Retail Strategy (14:01)Authenticity (16:35)Sustainability (18:34)Technology and AI (20:49)New Product Offerings (22:23)Competitive Landscape (24:58)10-year Vision for Faherty (26:34)Links:Alex Faherty LinkedInFaherty Brand LinkedInFaherty Brand WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR Website Feedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, joe@lowerstreet.co

In this episode of The Retail Pilot, Ken sits down with Pete Nordstrom – Co-CEO of the 125-year-old fashion retailer – to unpack the eight-year journey to go private, the strategic partnership with Liverpool that made it possible, and what's actually changed since May 2025. They explore why the Saks-Neiman Marcus merger created an opening Nordstrom is now seizing, how the Rack is scaling toward 25+ new stores a year, and where AI is genuinely moving the needle. Pete is candid about the failed 2017 take-private attempt, the Canada expansion that became his generation's "biggest black eye," and why no department store has ever successfully exported its model abroad. This is a conversation about staying relevant across generations, competing with Amazon and Walmart, and the unglamorous discipline of just trying to be the best Nordstrom you can be.In this episode you'll learn:Why Nordstrom went private in May 2025, and why the 2017 attempt failedHow the Liverpool partnership came together: 51% Nordstrom family, 49% Liverpool, zero pressure to merge or exitThe real downsides of being a public company: morale, distraction, governance overhead, and a stock price tied to a struggling sector narrativeWhat's actually changed day-to-day since going private and the one thing Pete misses about public-company rigorWhy Pete sees the Saks-Neiman's merger as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Nordstrom to capture market shareHow Nordstrom is winning brand partnerships, top talent (like Yumi Shin from Bergdorf Goodman), and customers from struggling competitorsThe Rack expansion strategy: 25 stores this year, with capacity to potentially open 50 annuallyWhy Nordstrom Rack competes more with Macy's than with TJ Maxx—and what that means for store growthThe competitive reality of Amazon and Walmart in beauty, marketplace, and replenishment, and why Nordstrom can't get left behindWhy Nordstrom's marketplace (launched 18 months ago) is one of the company's biggest untapped growth leversThe Canada lesson: Why no department store has ever succeeded outside its home country – and what Pete learned from tryingWhat Pete hopes will be true at Nordstrom's 150th anniversary – and why agility matters more than any specific planDon't forget to subscribe to The Retail Pilot podcast for more conversations with retail industry leaders and visionaries shaping the future of commerce.If you missed our last episode, where Mickey Drexler tells all on how he operates with startup intimacy and five decades of wisdom, be sure to tune in.Connect with Ken:-Follow Ken Pilot Ventures on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What really is the role of a leader at Nordstrom? What are the inherent qualities of a good manager who promotes a healthy work environment, and ultimately builds a better business? Well, it's not about having all the answers, and it's not about bossing people around. You've heard us mention before on the podcast the concept of the inverted pyramid. We didn't invent the idea, but it's something that the third generation of Nordstroms adopted, and something that we swear by to this day. At Nordstrom, we believe that the most important people in our company are the ones that interact with customers every single day, and we expect our leaders to support them, remove obstacles in their way, and to empower and enable them to be accountable for great results. We encourage managers to lift people up, to bring their best authentic self to work every day, to sell more, to treat customers great, and to take advantage of the opportunities that are inherent in our business. For Part 6 of our 125th Anniversary series, we're exploring the management philosophy that's built our company, brick by brick – from Department Managers to Store Managers, Regional Managers to executive team members – mentors, and service gurus that share hard-earned lessons gleaned from years of experience in stock rooms, sales-floors, and beyond. None of it is too complicated, but it all culminates in a place where we can develop people to help make the business better – and that starts with valuing them, trusting them, enabling them, and allowing them to make an impact. Thanks for tuning in to episode 110. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupKatie Sturino built Megababe with 60,000 followers, two co-founders who'd never had chafe, and an MOQ of 20,000 units stacked in her parents' garage. Eight years later it's profitable, in Target, Walmart, CVS, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and on Amazon. Never raised a dollar. Never grew less than 33% year over year.In this episode Katie walks through how she built a category that didn't exist. Manufacturers didn't know what chafe was. Press didn't know what chafe was. The Today Show hit on June 30, 2017 and they sold out every unit by July 1. Then the real work started.Inside: why retail is when the grind begins (not when you've made it), why she still ranks "people just dealing with it" as her biggest competitor, the husband-given marketing fix that solved deodorant aisle confusion in one sticker, the accidental Amazon Super Bowl ad placement, why their hemorrhoid product is a top seller on Amazon, and the moment her sister convinced her soap was worth doing.Plus the new "I'm Not Fine Index" campaign, why NYC taxi ads outperform every digital channel they run, and the one piece of advice Katie has for anyone shipping a product in 2026.Catch the DTC and Pilothouse crew at The Whalies May 19 in LA.Timestamps:0:00 Building a brand around chafe2:58 How Megababe started11:00 Selling out after the Today Show14:10 Retail growth at Target and Walmart20:05 Why Megababe started advertising27:10 Building a real brand voiceSubscribe 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

Designer Christie Wu shares more thoughts about Clockwatchers (1997), talking about iconic, memorable, and funny scenes. Starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach, Clockwatchers tells the story of four female temp workers struggling to get through each day of their 9 to 5 job. -Christie Wu is a concept-driven designer working at the intersection of culture, design, and technology. Specializing in digital and interactive design, she crafts playful interactions and inventive visual stories that reverse expectations and bring joy to everyday experiences. At DEPT, she has designed for Twitch, eBay, Nordstrom, E*Trade, and Ariana Grande Fragrances. Her work has been recognized by PrintMag, Loadmo.re, and WeDirectory. Her personal project, Wandering Wombs, rebrands menstrual health visually, conceptually, and culturally. Launched in November 2024, it weaves together education, innovative design, and community engagement to empower individuals and spark meaningful conversations about the menstrual cycle.https://christiewu.design/https://christiewu.fun/index.html-Clockwatchers (1997)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118866https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHACMZl4ud0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taf5HhMAmOI

Starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach, Clockwatchers tells the story of four female temp workers struggling through the challenges of their 9 to 5 job. But when a new, full-time permanent hire comes on board suspicion and competition set in, made worse by a patronizing boss and thievery that brings about a witch hunt. Designer Christie Wu talks about how Clockwatchers impacted her, and explains why its well-composed cinematography is so rewarding to watch.-Christie Wu is a concept-driven designer working at the intersection of culture, design, and technology. Specializing in digital and interactive design, she crafts playful interactions and inventive visual stories that reverse expectations and bring joy to everyday experiences. At DEPT, she has designed for Twitch, eBay, Nordstrom, E*Trade, and Ariana Grande Fragrances. Her work has been recognized by PrintMag, Loadmo.re, and WeDirectory. Her personal project, Wandering Wombs, rebrands menstrual health visually, conceptually, and culturally. Launched in November 2024, it weaves together education, innovative design, and community engagement to empower individuals and spark meaningful conversations about the menstrual cycle.https://christiewu.design/https://christiewu.fun/index.htmlhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/christie-wu-13031a181/https://www.printmag.com/web-interactive-design/wandering-wombs-a-lifeline-for-reproductive-rights/ -Clockwatchers (1997)https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118866https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHACMZl4ud0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Taf5HhMAmOI -Other movies and shows discussed:Big Love (2006-2011)The Office (2001-2003, UK)The Office (2005-2013, US)Office Space (1999)Playtime (1967)

The Remarkable Retail Podcast hits a major milestone with its 300th episode—and Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc mark the occasion with a conversation they've been looking forward to: a rare, candid sit-down with Pete Nordstrom, one of the most respected executives in modern retail. As Nordstrom celebrates its 125th anniversary, Pete offers an inside look at what has allowed the business to survive—and by most measures, lead—through dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, technology disruption, and industry consolidation. He traces his own journey from working the stockroom as a teenager to running one of North America's most iconic retailers, and reflects on the culture, customer obsession, and early omnichannel bets that continue to define the company. The conversation covers the future of department stores, the role of physical retail, Nordstrom Rack's continued expansion, the evolution of luxury partnerships, and hard-won lessons from the Canadian market. Before the interview, Steve and Michael dig into the week's biggest retail and macroeconomic stories. Rising oil prices, stubborn inflation, weakening consumer confidence, and shifting savings rates all raise questions about the health of the North American consumer—and what it means for retailers heading into the back half of the year. From there, the duo breaks down Amazon's latest earnings, where cloud, advertising, grocery, and AI-powered shopping tools continue to drive outsized growth. They examine early signs of operational momentum at Starbucks and debate whether Wayfair can convert market-share gains into something that actually looks like sustainable profitability. In the back half, Steve and Michael turn to TikTok Shops' explosive growth, the rising momentum of European resale platform Vinted, and the evolving economics of hybrid retail modell, including Bed Bath & Beyond's latest attempt at reinvention. Closing out the show, both hosts share what's on their radar: U.S. consumer savings trends, retail spending pressure, and the looming review of the North American trade agreement and what it could mean for retailers, brands, and cross-border commerce. Join us at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York June 23rd and 24th with this exclusive discount code for 10% off general admission tickets and FREE retail tickets: Your code is "REMARKABLE" . See you in the Big Apple! About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Shop Talk Las Vegas always delivers. The energy, the speed meetings, the creative themes. This year, Isaac Morey hit the floor with a camera and came back with a compilation of sharp, focused conversations from some of the most interesting people at the show. These interviews are a great example of what Content Cucumber's conference video service produces for brands. Show up with a booth, leave with months of marketing-ready content.00:26 Nicolas Bailliache, eStreamly06:13 Amit Patel, MyFitnessPal11:17 Vincent Declercq and Ward Van Laer, Dalton13:24 Zach Bricker, Supermetrics19:38 Tarun Chandrasekhar, Syndigo24:12 Jay El-Kaake, Osello26:47 Anshuman Jaiswal, OnePintAI29:00 Jason Grunberg, Forter34:44 Aditya Jain, PassionfruitHere's a quick look at who Isaac talked to and what stood out.Nicolas Bailliache, Co-Founder of e-StreamlyVideo commerce drives over 20% of all e-commerce in Asia, but the US sits around 1%. Nico makes the case that brands need to connect video directly to checkout, especially on their own channels, as a retention play in a world where 80% of internet consumption is already video.Amit Patel, Chief Revenue Officer at MyFitnessPalMyFitnessPal is launching its own ads business, giving brands a way to reach 5.7 million monthly active users who log in five times a day. For CPG, retail, and health and wellness brands, that kind of engaged, habit-driven audience is hard to find anywhere else.Vincent Declercq and Ward Van Laer, Co-Founders of DaltonDalton uses AI to remove the friction from A/B testing and CRO. You connect your shop, get test ideas generated automatically, and Dalton shifts traffic toward winning variations on its own. The self-improving web shop concept is a compelling pitch for brands that know they need to test more but never find the time.Zach Bricker, SupermetricsSupermetrics released new research showing that 89% of executives are pushing for AI adoption, yet the people using AI daily feel their companies lack a real strategy. The stat that only 8% of e-commerce professionals say they're adopting AI was a surprise, and the takeaway is clear. AI won't fix marketing problems without a solid data foundation and a plan.Tarun Chandrasekhar, SyndigoSindigo powers product content from creation to syndication to performance measurement. The agentic commerce angle is fascinating. For a hundred-plus years, brands influenced shoppers through ads designed for human eyeballs. AI agents don't care about visuals. They care about complete, contextual product data. That shift changes the entire game for product content strategy.Jay El-Kaake, OselloOsello automates marketplace listings on platforms like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Target using AI agents. No rules to configure, no spreadsheet templates. Connect your Shopify store and the agents handle everything. Jay's hot take landed well too. If a company has been claiming they do AI for longer than a year, the models they started with are already outdated.Anshuman Jaiswal, Founder of OnePint.aiThe number one mistake in inventory management? Everything floating around in Excel and Google Sheets. OnePint replaces those manual processes with AI-powered demand forecasting, replenishment, and allocation for mid-market brands.Jason Grunberg, CMO at ForterForter uses a massive identity data network to prevent fraud, optimize payments, and protect the customer experience. The insight that everyday consumers now use tools like ChatGPT to fabricate product damage claims is a wake-up call for any merchant thinking fraud prevention is only about stopping professional attackers.Aditya Jain, Co-Founder of Passion FruitPassion Fruit helps brands win search across both SEO and AEO. Adi's biggest observation is that too many companies treat SEO and AEO as completely separate activities when the data and strategy overlap significantly. One of their clients grew revenue 10x after connecting at Shop Talk the previous year.These Interviews Didn't Happen by AccidentEvery conversation Isaac recorded at Shop Talk was planned, filmed with professional gear, and edited into marketing-ready content. That's what Content Cucumber's conference video service does for brands.You're already spending serious money to exhibit. Booth, travel, hotel, swag, team time. We help you leave with more than badge scans.We show up at your booth, film sharp guided interviews, capture B-roll of the full event experience, and deliver polished video assets. By the time you're home, your content is already working. One three-day conference becomes three months of marketing.No scripts. No awkward teleprompter reads. Just real people talking about what they know, captured by a team with 30+ years in e-commerce and hundreds of interviews recorded.Book Your Live Event Content →

We never really tire of telling stories of satisfied Nordstrom customers. And if you've listened to the podcast for any amount of time, you'll know this to be true. You've also likely heard either Pete, or any number of our incredible people profess, with unwavering certainty, that improving customer service is the key ingredient to our long-term success. Now, we don't always get it right – and we hope that we've made that abundantly clear — but when we do, when we learn about someone in our company who's completely laser-focused on customer satisfaction and exhibits the characteristics that bring that to life, you can bet we're going to light that billboard up internally for all of our people to see. So, as we continue this year's celebration of Nordstrom's 125th Anniversary, for Part 5 in our series, we've put together a highlight reel of service stories directly from our people, past and present, who've woven their own thread into the tapestry that is our service reputation. If anyone listening is curious about what makes for a satisfied customer, don't reach for the handbook, because there isn't one. At Nordstrom, we let the stories speak for themselves. Thanks for tuning in to episode 109. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

SUMMARY In this engaging conversation, Jeremy Lesniak chats with Master Jesse Bernal and explores the evolution of martial arts, the challenges of product development in the industry, and the transition from IT to full-time martial arts. They discuss personal experiences with martial arts gear, the importance of community, and the joy of teaching martial arts. Master Bernal shares his journey of opening a karate school and the impact of 2020 on his business, highlighting the balance between passion and entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Master Bernal shares his journey from working in IT at Nordstrom to pursuing entrepreneurship in martial arts. He discusses the importance of support from family, the rebellious nature of entrepreneurs, and the intersection of martial arts and technology. The conversation also delves into the impact of AI on marketing and employment, emphasizing the need for martial artists to embrace change and understand AI's role in their field. He concludes by highlighting the realities of entrepreneurship, including the challenges and the importance of staying focused on one's purpose. TAKEAWAYS Quality martial arts gear can last for years without degrading. Product development in martial arts requires good communication with manufacturers. Transitioning from a stable IT career to martial arts can be challenging but rewarding. The importance of community in martial arts is paramount. Opening a martial arts school can be a fulfilling venture. Finding the right gear for different martial arts styles is essential. Passion for martial arts can lead to a successful business. Support from family is crucial for entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs find ways to execute their dreams. Martial arts and technology attract similar mindsets. Balancing innovation with stability is key in business. AI is transforming marketing strategies. Self-defense training often seeks to build confidence. Understanding AI is essential for future success. Entrepreneurship involves facing tedious and frustrating tasks. Staying focused on purpose helps navigate challenges. To connect with Master Bernal: https://coloradomartialartsacademy.com/ jesse@aurorakarate.com

Tim Conway Jr Show Hour 3 (4.30)

H&M just listed on a US online marketplace for the first time, and they picked Nordstrom. Rick Watson and Nick Kaplan break down what that signals about both brands, and why marketplaces with no inventory commitment keep working when standalone marketplaces keep dying.Next up, GLP-1 hits the bridal industry. 10% of couples planning weddings this year are on a GLP-1, and more than half started the medication specifically for the wedding. Some users drop a clothing size every two to three weeks, which is a problem when a wedding dress takes nine months and costs five figures. Bridal shops are now asking buyers to sign waivers. Rick and Nick widen the conversation into plus-size assortments, the longevity boom in CPG, and why protein and creatine are having a moment.The Watson Weekly Weekend edition is sponsored by Avalara - the agentic AI platform automating global tax and compliance for leading eCommerce brands. For more details: https://avalaratax.watsonweekly.comThen the big one: the e-commerce organization of the future. Unilever cut from 3,000 agencies to under 800, saving half a billion dollars. P&G in-housed media for $750M in fee reductions. A retail "season" is now two weeks. Where does the merchant sit in all of this, and is ChatGPT a better buyer than a human? Nick argues the merchant role contracts but never disappears. Rick pushes on whether the 2026 merchant is really just one person editing algorithms instead of product.Subscribe to the Watson Weekly newsletter at watsonweekly.com.

Welcome to Styling Matters podcast, in today's episode - if you're thinking about shopping at Nordstrom right now, this episode will save you time and probably money too. (Well I like to think so ;) )I've gone through the latest Spring 2026 pieces and pulled together items I actually believe are worth buying - the styles that feel current, wearable, and genuinely useful for your wardrobe.So instead of scrolling endlessly, I'm breaking down the standout pieces across a few key items to help you shop smarter.And if you enjoy this kind of edit, make sure you're following the show because I do these regularly - and they'll make your wardrobe decisions a whole lot easier.Don't forget to:Follow the show for episodes Check out my Styling Matters substack for more style tips and curated editsSee my own everyday styling by following @lizzi.richardson on Instagram

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin, Chris Walton reconnects with Jose Gomez, Chief Development Officer at ETAM, to discuss how the global lingerie and fashion retailer approaches international expansion, franchise strategy, and navigating today's nonstop retail disruption. With nearly two decades of World Retail Congress experience, Gomez breaks down how ETAM's international development strategy has evolved, including how the company evaluates franchising, consignment, and joint venture models across different global markets. He also shares insights into ETAM's expanding US presence through Nordstrom partnerships, the challenges of operating amid tariffs and economic uncertainty, and why adaptability has become essential for modern retailers. The conversation also touches on the realities of entering competitive international markets, why brands can only learn so much before launching, and where Gomez sees ETAM's biggest future growth opportunities around the world. Key Topics Covered: • ETAM's global retail expansion strategy • How ETAM decides between franchise, consignment, and joint venture models • Why joint ventures work best in high-potential strategic markets • ETAM's US growth strategy and Nordstrom partnership • The operational realities of tariffs and global retail uncertainty • Why resilience has become critical in modern retail leadership • Lessons learned entering the US fashion retail market • How global retail development has evolved over the last decade • Why international retail expansion still requires “learning by doing” • Markets ETAM sees as future growth opportunities Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from World Retail Congress 2026 in Berlin. #WRC2026 #WorldRetailCongress #OmniTalkRetail #ETAM #FashionRetail #RetailExpansion #GlobalRetail #RetailStrategy #Franchise #LuxuryRetail #RetailInnovation

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Duvo and Mirakl.In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:Target asks 150 remote merchandising employees to relocate to its Minneapolis headquarters or accept severance, as new CEO Michael Fiddelke bets on in-person collaboration to rebuild the retailer's merchandising authority and execute its turnaround strategy.Albertsons expands its DriveUp & Go curbside program to include eligible pharmacy prescription pickup at more than 1,700 locations nationwide, deepening its omnichannel health and wellness proposition.H&M debuts its first curated U.S. retail marketplace storefront on Nordstrom, part of the fast-fashion brand's broader push to reach shoppers across stores, e-commerce, and digital marketplace platforms.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights.

Nick Stenson: Cancer, Clarity, and What It Really Takes to Build a BrandHe left one of the most powerful jobs in the beauty industry to bet everything on himself. Then he got cancer. This is that story.Recorded live at ABS Chicago with co-host Geno Chapman, Corey sits down with Nick Stenson, celebrity hairdresser and founder of Nick Stenson Beauty, for a conversation that earns every minute of your time. Nick has been a creative director at Matrix, rose to Senior Vice President of Salon Services and Store Operations at Ulta Beauty, and spent seven years quietly building his own hair care line before leaving corporate life entirely. Months after walking away, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin Lymphoma. This episode covers all of it.Seven Years to a BottleNick started developing his product line before he even accepted the job at Ulta. The brand, built around a three-step philosophy covering what you do in the shower, out of the shower, and before you walk out the door, currently sits at 12 SKUs. Every product was designed to be a hero. Nick spent 19 formulations on his hairspray alone. His goal from the start was to create a brand complete enough that he'd never need another one. The line is now available in Ulta, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Amazon, with more retail partnerships coming. He put his name on the bottle because he wanted his reputation attached to everything inside it.Building a Brand in the WildNick breaks down what marketing a hair brand actually looks like from the inside. TikTok rewards hooks and speed. Instagram builds community and brand culture over time. Google runs differently from both. He's learned that most founders pull the plug on a marketing channel too early, before the algorithm has had enough time to respond. Six months is the minimum before you can evaluate whether a platform is working. Each retailer also operates in its own ecosystem, and breaking through to their consumer requires its own strategy layered on top of your own.The DiagnosisNick had been in pain across his chest and back for months. Chiropractors, x-rays, adjustments three times a week, up to 20 Advil a day. He wrote it off as a workout injury. The fatigue he attributed to stress. Then a lump appeared on his collarbone and a doctor friend spotted it at a weekend trip. Four weeks later it had doubled in size. He found out through his patient chart, sitting in a car with that same friend, who started to cry. By Monday he was in a doctor's office. By Thursday he was in surgery. He had cancer in his lymph nodes around his shoulder, vocal cords, chest, armpit, and back. His doctor told him clearly: we are going to cure you. Those five words changed everything.What It ChangedNick describes going public with his diagnosis as a deliberate choice to be a safe place for people who didn't have his network, his doctors, or his support system. He spent hours in bed responding to DMs from strangers going through cancer. He calls that healing. On the other side of treatment, he is calmer, more generous when things go wrong, and quicker to celebrate his team instead of spiral. He also got clear on who belongs in his life. Some people who showed up during the hardest moments were removed not because they did anything wrong in that moment, but because their access to him had already expired. Cancer just made it easier to see.Presence, Meditation, and the Hard ConversationThe episode ends somewhere unexpected. Corey opens up about experiencing suicidal ideation every day of his life until two years ago, and the realization through meditation that it was never really about wanting to die. It was about pressure. Seeing it for what it was made it stop. Nick picks up the thread and talks about learning to separate the hard moments he created in his own head from the ones that are actually real. Both men land in the same place: the world is happening for you, not against you. Doing the hard things now is the only way to earn the easy later.

In this week's repeat episode, we're joined by the undisputed queen of B2B positioning: April Dunford. April is the best-selling author of the seminal book "Obviously Awesome" and the new hit "Sales Pitch." She has spent 25 years as a startup executive and consultant, helping companies stop guessing and start winning. If you have ever struggled to explain exactly why customers should pick you over the other guy, this episode is a masterclass. In this episode, April talks about: Why Positioning is a Product Problem: How undefined positioning leads to wasted roadmaps, "not good enough" feedback from Sales, and engineering teams burning out on features that don't win deals. The "AI Washing" Trap: Why saying "We have AI" is no longer a strategy—and how to articulate the specific value your tech unlocks that the competition can't. Why she loves when competitors lie: How to ethically trap competitors who over-promise features (and the one question sales should tell your prospects to ask them). And finally, Vision vs. Reality: How to sell the "glorious future" without losing the deal you need to close today. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ April's website: https://www.aprildunford.com/ April's books: https://www.aprildunford.com/books Resources (Ethically) cheat your way to $250M+ | Mikal Lewis, Product Exec. (Whole Foods, Nordstrom): https://youtu.be/5txeT2U_YQo Chapters 00:00: Introduction 01:45: April's journey from engineering to marketing to product positioning expert 05:00: The shifting lansscape: Position from COVID to the AI era 10:45: Moving beyond "AI washing" to find differentiated value 15:30: Defining your true competitive landscape 20:30: How to be worth your customers' migration risk 23:45: Why April likes when competitors "lie" about their capabilities and features 32:00: Why positioning is critical for product and engineering alignment 35:00: April's new book details Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: April Dunford.

5pm - Unsticking the “Late 8” bus: Wilson will add 13 blocks of red lanes // Washington won't pause its gas tax. Here's why // John responds to critics of his Katie Wilson interview // Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson sparks ‘Nordstrom’ name debate // The Southern Poverty Law Indictment // LETTERS

In this episode we're pulling back the curtain on a part of our business that we haven't spent much time talking about on the podcast—which is ironic, because it has everything to do with how we talk—and that's Communications. Specifically, we're talking about how we here at Nordstrom think about developing and refining a unified “voice”, so to speak, for the company, and the decisions around how and when that voice gets deployed to our various different audiences, internally and externally—which includes the people that work for us, our brand partners, and of course, our customers. To help us unpack this subject we'll hear from two people who speak the Nordstrom language better than just about anyone. First, you'll hear from Brooke White, who previously led our Corporate Communications for over 30 years and who played a huge part in shaping the necessary conversations in and around our company. After that I'll sit down with Grace Stearns, our current Senior Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, who has actually herself made a handful of cameos on the Nordy Pod. She's been an incredible addition and asset to the team, and continues to be a trusted sounding board for Pete, Erik, and the rest of the corporate office. Together they'll discuss the essential role our Communications team plays in telling the story of our brand, lessons learned through pivotal moments in our growth, and some of the challenges that arise for our PR professionals as they attempt to filter the many voices of Nordstrom down to one. Thanks for tuning in to episode 108. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Today, we're chatting with Nica, the founder behind FashioNica — a live-streamed marketplace for curated pre-loved designer handbags, jewelry, and watches that has built one of the most devoted communities in the luxury resale space. Every Thursday at 7 p.m. Pacific, Nica drops a new collection, but the real magic happens in the thirty minutes before that, when she goes live on Instagram to show off what she found that week — it's basically a FaceTime call with a few thousand of your most handbag-obsessed girlfriends to see what Nica found this week. Each drop, her bags routinely sell out in under two minutes. Nica grew up thrifting, scanning the racks at Goodwill and Salvation Army for the trends she'd clock at Forever 21, where she worked after school. She developed a sharp eye early — and, as it turned out, an even sharper instinct for which pieces were worth holding onto. A Nordstrom employee discount and a Chloé backpack were her gateway into designer pieces. After that, there was no going back — though she's never really considered buying new when pre-loved exists. What started as a passion project filmed on an iPhone, with bags laid out all over her apartment, has grown into a full operation with a team, a warehouse, international sourcing trips, and a major pop-up event — FashioNica Fest — that drew hundreds of community members to a studio full of bags she'd personally sourced in Japan.  On today's episode, we get into all of it — how Nica sources the pieces that end up in your cart, the art of the Thursday night drop, and why she believes a bag with a little wear is always going to be more interesting than one that's never left the store.  Let's dive right in! DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [6:04] Nica got into thrifting at the Goodwill and Salvation Army in high school. [9:45] How she got into designer handbags during her time working at Nordstrom. [12:40] How she landed styling work on celebrity cover shoots by sliding into DMs.  [17:10] Why she started creating fashion content on TikTok.  [22:31] Investing $15,000 into an early inventory buy. [27:08] Prepping for a weekly bag drop. [34:25] Growing the team behind FashioNica.  [34:25] Growing the team behind FashioNica. [37:21] Designer bag sourcing trips in Paris and Japan.  [39:15] Planning FashioNica Fest: the first major pop-up, born from a sourcing trip.  [44:24] Nica's personal bag collection.  [48:47] Watching Jane Birkin's original Birkin sell at auction for $10 million.  EPISODE MENTIONS:  FashioNica.com @xofashionica FashioNica on TikTok Nica's YouTube Jenn Im - Youtube Aya Kanai @fashionica.shop - "behind the bag drop" secret Instagram LET'S CONNECT: 

Dentistry is full of big-ticket purchases, but many clinicians overlook the most expensive and valuable “equipment” they own: their body. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Dr. Uche Odiatu to reframe the equipment conversation around physical health, and to lay out practical, sustainable habits that protect performance over a long career. You'll learn why sleep and light exposure are foundational, how consistency beats extremes, and which nutrition “bottlenecks” can quietly undermine energy, cognition, and longevity—so you can keep practicing (and living) well for decades. listen to Episode 1035 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:The most valuable and expensive piece of equipment in a dental practice is the dentist's physical body, and it requires intentional investment.By midlife, poor sleep and food habits stop being sustainable and begin to show up as chronic pain, fatigue, and reduced capacity to perform.Sleep is the bedrock habit because it impacts hormones, recovery, cognition, and long-term health outcomes.Getting outside shortly after waking (even briefly) supports circadian rhythm, daytime energy, and deeper sleep later that night.Consistency with simple habits beats “all-or-nothing” health plans that are hard to sustain long term.Nutrition basics matter more than supplements, and common nutrient shortfalls can impact decision-making and overall health.Clinicians can model wellness-based leadership by taking care of themselves and guiding patients with a broader view of health.Snippets:00:00 The “most valuable and expensive equipment” in dentistry.02:00 Why dentists invest in tech but not their physical health.04:10 The health cost of delaying self-care until “later.”05:30 Why the conversation should focus on solutions, not just problems.06:10 Sleep as the foundation habit.07:10 The “six doctors”: exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, light, and hormesis.08:20 Morning light exposure and why going outside matters.11:00 Kirk's daily weighted-vest walking routine.14:20 Why consistency beats extreme routines.17:10 Nutrition bottlenecks: choline, omega-3s, vitamin D, and fiber.21:40 Practical fiber sources and simplifying food choices.23:10 A simple daily baseline: sleep, light, eggs, and avocado.26:00 What dentists can notice about health by observing faces and mouths.27:10 Kirk's “Nordstrom suit” moment and making a change.28:10 Dr. Uche's “gray face” moment and rethinking work habits.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Uche Odiatu has a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). He is a professional member of the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), a Certified Personal Trainer NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), and the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals (canfitpro). He is the co-author of The Miracle of Health and has lectured in Canada, the USA, the Caribbean, the UK, and Europe. He is an invited guest on over 400 TV and radio shows, from ABC 20/20, Canada CTV AM, Breakfast TV, to Magic Sunday Drum FM in Texas. This high-energy healthcare professional has done over 450 lectures in seven countries over the last 15 years.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitspeakers/Website: https://www.druche.com/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Michael Malinsky's 6-year-old brand Wonderskin could have easily become a one-hit wonder.  Wonderskin launched in 2020 with a peel-off lip stain that immediately went viral on TikTok for its metallic blue formula and social media-friendly reveal. Since launch, the brand has sold more than 6 million units of the $22 Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel-Off Mask, according to Malinsky.  “The unique visual ‘wow factor' helped us tremendously in capturing attention, but just standing out is a small part [of success],” Malinsky said. “Delivering curiosity, entertainment and ultimately the desire to try a product is what we spent the first two years of the business really honing in on.”  In fact, Wonderskin's viral success took years to build. “Our virality curve wasn't instant and up into the right; it was a slow-building momentum while we figured out the right messaging, the right visuals, the right branding, the right communications, the right packaging, the right pricing,” he said. “Only when we were very, very confident in the complete package were we more comfortable in activating the bigger partnerships and shouting a little bit more loudly about our product.”  As early adopters of TikTok Shop and live selling, Wonderskin leveraged seller tools to grow an online community and saw a 328% increase in return on ad spend, plus a 182% increase in click-through rate, according to a TikTok case study on the brand.  “The digital entrepreneurs' anxiety is always there, because whenever something is working well in digital, there's always the concept of the half-life, because at some point, it will be less efficient. At some point, it will be less viral,” Malinsky said. But what happened next could be considered the more novel part of Wonderskin's rise: The brand successfully launched into several more categories, including eye and complexion; took on $50 million in funding led by Insight Partners; and launched into traditional retail with Sephora.  This growth is partially fueled by Malinsky's data-first approach to performance marketing, including a test-and-learn philosophy to new product launches. "We are confident and comfortable enough to move away from things that don't work," he said. Wonderskin's sales revenue grew by 300% in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025, the brand did more than $125 million in revenue, according to Malinksy. Today, Wonderskin sells DTC and through Amazon and TikTok Shop, plus Sephora, Boots, Nordstrom and Revolve.  Malinsky joined the Glossy Beauty Podcast to discuss the challenges in turning a viral product into a full-fledged beauty brand, including learnings along the way and advice for fueling the fire behind a viral product. 

This week Steve Dennis and Michael LeBlanc bring listeners a high-energy live episode from Shoptalk Las Vegas — Part 1 of the inaugural Retail Rumble. The episode opens with the week's most important retail news. Levi Strauss delivers strong revenue growth driven by its expanding direct-to-consumer business, underscoring how its pivot away from wholesale dependency is unlocking margin and brand control — an increasingly critical playbook in modern retail. The department store sector remains under pressure. Saks Global's bankruptcy exit signals stabilization, but also highlights the structural challenges facing legacy luxury retail. With store closures, ownership restructuring, and vendor confidence still rebuilding, the hosts examine whether Saks can regain lost ground as Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom move to capitalize on the disruption. Additional analysis covers early warning signs in mall traffic, with Placer.ai data pointing to a potential slowdown, and Wayfair's continued push into physical retail despite broader category softness — raising pointed questions about the evolving role of stores in an omnichannel world. The second half shifts to the Retail Rumble stage, where industry heavyweights debate two of retail's most pressing questions. Michael LeBlanc and Anne Mezzinga, founding CEO of Retail Field Report, referee the action. Round one: Is eCommerce entering a new phase of accelerated growth? Neil Saunders argues that demographic shifts, infrastructure investment, and AI-driven discovery will fuel acceleration. R.J. Hottovy counters with the realities of market saturation, the enduring importance of physical retail, and the law of large numbers limiting growth upside. Round two: Does retail media improve the shopper journey? Kiri Masters argues that retail media enhances relevance and subsidizes pricing through high-margin revenue streams. Rachel Tipograph challenges the model as increasingly pay-to-play — one that risks distorting product discovery and eroding the customer experience it claims to enhance. Join us at the CommerceNext Growth Show in New York June 23rd and 24th with this exclusive discount code for 10% off general admission tickets and FREE retail tickets: Your code is "REMARKABLE" . See you in the Big Apple! About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

You grew up playing with them. You've shared them with your kids. And now, the brands we all know and love are flying off the shelves and into our hearts through every form of entertainment imaginable. Because Mattel isn't just making toys anymore—It's building worlds. Worlds shaped by brands like Barbie, Hot Wheels, Uno, Masters of the Universe, and so much more! Ynon Kreiz, CEO of Mattel, has led the charge in transforming this 80+ year-old, iconic company into a modern and culturally relevant behemoth, by reimagining the narrative and elevating the possibilities of play for all ages. In this episode Pete and Ynon discuss the persistent power of Mattel's legacy brand portfolio, the role of world-class partnerships in building a bigger future, and the growing field of physical play potentially expanding the wanting toy aisles of Nordstrom. Thanks for tuning in to episode 107. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

I'm joined by Isabel Alysa, founder and CEO of Dolce Glow and celebrity spray tan artist. She opens up about growing up in foster care and the challenges she overcame to build her brand into the success it is today. Dolce Glow's sunless self-tan is now available at Sephora, Nordstrom, and Ulta. Her story is truly inspiring—proof that you can follow your dreams no matter where you start. Follow Dolce Glow: https://www.instagram.com/dolceglow/ Follow Isabel: https://www.instagram.com/isabelalysa/ Visit https://highnoonspirits.com to find a pack near you Head to https://Wayfair.com April 25th through the 27th to shop Way Day. We're All Strong on This Planet™. Join today in-club, online or in the free PF app ------- #businessowner #ceomindset #girlboss #womeninbusiness Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planbriuncut/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@planbriuncut?lang=en Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/planbriuncut Our Merch: https://store.barstoolsports.com/collections/planbri-uncut?gad_source=1&gadid=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5OfqyMXOhAMVIWtHAR0ywwSVEAAYASAAEgLvMvD_BwE&utm_campaign=18065118167&utm_content=&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=google&utm_term=You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/planbri

Interview with Nancy Hudgins, author of children's book Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom (Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2026), Editor of Extraordinary Children's Books, Abrams Books for Young Readers" (March 24, 2026). Our wonderful interview intertwines between Nancy and Ursula's lives, their love of children's books, breaking in, and thoughts on opening doors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Before you dive in, grab your free spot at my SWEEP Workshop on April 9th, the marketing framework that makes everything you're about to hear actionable for your own business. REGISTER HERE.What does it actually take to grow an audience, get press, and scale a business, without a massive team or a marketing budget? In this episode, Lindsay Pinchuk pulls back the curtain on the exact system she used to build her first company, Bump Club and Beyond, from a $500 idea into a 7-figure brand working with Target, Nordstrom, Huggies, and Unilever. The real founder story behind the framework? She didn't know she had a system until after she sold the company.That system is SWEEP, and in this solo episode, Lindsay breaks down how she's applied it, on purpose this time, to grow Dear FoundHer… from a passion project podcast into a full community, events platform, and mentorship program. This is a masterclass in founder visibility, growing an audience without paid ads, managing rapid growth as a solo operator, and building a publicity strategy from scratch.If you're a woman startup founder who feels like you're doing all the things but not getting the traction you deserve, this episode is the one you've been waiting for.In This Episode, You'll Learn:The real founder story behind SWEEP, how Lindsay built a 7-figure business while serving as her own marketing department, with little more than a couple of contractors by her sideWhy SWEEP was born out of necessity: what bootstrapping, scrappiness, and zero budget actually looks like in practiceHow Lindsay leveraged press relationships from her first company to land TV segments and build immediate credibility when launching Dear FoundHer…The intentional decision to launch with interview-only episodes for an entire year, and the audience growth strategy behind itHow listener demand for real-life connection led to live events, and how those events became the catalyst for expanding into workshops, an online community, and mentorshipThe five-part SWEEP framework: Social Media, Website, Email, Events, and Partnerships + Publicity, and how to apply it to every piece of content you createWhat managing rapid growth actually looks like when you're a founder who is also your own marketing teamHow to build a publicity strategy that doesn't require a PR agency or a big budgetWhy company messaging and consistency across every touchpoint is the real driver of scaling challenges, and how to solve itIf You Loved This Episode: Share it with a woman startup founder in your life who needs a real marketing system, not another hack. And if you haven't yet, scroll down and leave a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. It's the single biggest thing you can do to help other women find this show.Everything you just heard in this episode? It's SWEEP in action. Join me on April 9th for a free live SWEEP Workshop where I'll teach you the exact framework that makes marketing simple, consistent, and effective for women business owners just like you. Register for free, and I'll see you there.Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram This episode originally ran on April 18, 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Before you dive in, grab your free spot at my SWEEP Workshop on April 9th, the marketing framework that makes everything you're about to hear actionable for your own business. REGISTER HERE.What happens when a burned-out startup employee discovers jigsaw puzzles as her stress relief, and then decides to completely reinvent the category? You get Jiggy, one of the most creative and scrappy real founder stories we've featured on Dear FoundHer.Kaylin Marcotte is the founder of Jiggy Puzzles, a multi-million dollar brand that transformed the humble jigsaw puzzle into a lifestyle product, a wellness tool, and a platform for emerging female artists. She launched in November 2019, just months before a global pandemic turned puzzles into the hottest product on the internet. She landed in Anthropologie before COVID hit, struck a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, and built a three-channel business with a team of three.But here's what makes Kaylin's story so compelling for every woman startup founder listening: she did almost all of it without a marketing budget, without paid ads, and without a playbook. Just creativity, partnerships, and a relentless willingness to do the legwork.In this episode, you'll hear:How Kaylin identified a gap in the market and built company messaging around elevating puzzles from a toy aisle product into a lifestyle and wellness brandThe scrappy manufacturing process that got Jiggy off the ground, including negotiating her way onto the end of a factory run to meet impossibly low minimumsHer early publicity strategy, pitching herself, leveraging HARO, and doing her own PR long before she could afford to outsource itHow she grew an audience from day one by baking a built-in partner network into the business model itself, her artistsThe partnership with Anthropologie that changed everything, and how it came directly through Instagram before she'd spent a dollar on adsWhat founder visibility looked like for a one-woman show, and how leaning into organic social and authentic partnerships drove real growthHer Shark Tank experience from start to finish, how she got scouted, what the process was really like, and what happened to her business the night it airedThe real scaling challenges of going from DTC startup to a multi-channel brand in Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Macy'sHow she has managed rapid growth and built a B2B custom business, including a puzzle collaboration with Kacey Musgraves, with a team of just three peopleWhy she believes getting press and building partnerships is a more powerful and sustainable growth strategy than performance marketing will ever beThe honest truth about managing teams as a solo founder, and how freelancers, contractors, and a scrappy mindset have kept Jiggy lean and profitableThis episode is for every woman startup founder who is building something from nothing, trying to figure out how to get press without a PR budget, and wondering if it's really possible to grow an audience without throwing money at ads.Kaylin's answer is a resounding yes, and she gives you the exact roadmap in this conversation.Connect with Jiggy:Instagram: @jiggypuzzlesWebsite: jiggypuzzles.comEverything you just heard in this episode? It's SWEEP in action. Join me on April 9th for a free live SWEEP Workshop where I'll teach you the exact framework that makes marketing simple, consistent, and effective for women business owners just like you. Register for free, and I'll see you there.Subscribe to The FoundHer Files Follow Dear FoundHer on Instagram Loved this episode? Share it in your stories and tag @lindsaypinchuk and @dearfoundher. And if you haven't already, subscribe and leave us a five star review, it's how other women startup founders find real stories like this one.This episode originally ran on April 18, 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it really take to build a business from nothing… scale it to seven figures… sell it… and then have the courage to start all over again? In this powerful episode of The Sisterhood of S.W.E.A.T., Linda Mitchell sits down with powerhouse founder Lindsay Pinchuk—a woman who didn't just build a brand, she built a movement. After leaving corporate America, Lindsay bootstrapped Bump Club and Beyond from just $500 into a nationally recognized company reaching over 3 million women each month. Through community-first marketing, strategic partnerships, and relentless grit, she scaled the business across 30+ cities and worked with major brands like Target and Nordstrom—before successfully exiting through acquisition. But what came next might surprise you. Lindsay opens up about the emotional reality of selling her company, the challenges that followed, and how that experience led her to create Dear FoundHer—a thriving community helping women over 40 step into their next chapter with clarity, confidence, and powerful storytelling. This episode is about reinvention, resilience, and realizing it's never too late to build something meaningful.

From swinging hammers on a six-unit deal during the Great Recession to building a vertically integrated real estate firm, Erik Strom and Erik Nordstrom share how discipline, operational excellence, and patience have driven consistent returns in multifamily investing. They break down today's market cycle, why underwriting conservatively matters more than ever, and how true wealth in real estate is built through execution, not hype.   Key Takeaways To Listen For Why going through tough market cycles builds well-rounded operators The power of lender relationships in unlocking off-market and distressed deals One market focus vs. chasing multiple "hot" locations Main advantage of mastering every part of the business How conservative underwriting protects downside and drives long-term wealth   Resources/Links Mentioned In This Episode AppFolio  Poor Charlie's Almanack by Peter D. Kaufman | Hardcover  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius | Kindle and Paperback The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard Ph.D. and Spencer Johnson M.D. | Paperback and Hardcover   About Erik Strom and Erik Nordstrom Erik Strom is a principal at Ironridge Capital with over 18 years of experience in syndication, property management, asset management, and commercial investment brokerage. He previously brokered more than $175 million in multifamily and land development transactions and founded Ironridge Investments in 2010, building a $53 million portfolio in the Seattle area before transitioning to Ironridge Capital in 2018. With a business administration degree from the University of Washington and a hands-on background in construction, Erik combines practical experience with financial expertise to lead acquisitions, fundraising, and strategic portfolio growth.   Erik Nordstrom is the president of Ironridge Capital with over 18 years of experience in project management, operations, and team leadership. His background includes real estate lending, small business investments, and managing teams of over 200 employees in the health and fitness industry, where he was also a founding partner in a fitness franchise. A University of Florida attendee and licensed real estate professional since 2011, Erik oversees daily operations, property management teams, and capital improvement projects, emphasizing strong communication, teamwork, and operational excellence.   Connect with Erik and Erik Website: Ironridge Capital's  LinkedIn: Erik Strom | Erik Nordstrom Phone: Erik Strom (425) 466-5681 | Erik Nordstrom (352) 278-0415   Connect With Us If you're looking to invest your hard-earned money into cash-flowing, value-add assets, reach out to us at https://bobocapitalventures.com/.   Follow Keith's social media pages LinkedIn: Keith Borie Investor Club: Secret Passive Cashflow Investors Club Facebook: Keith Borie X: @BoboLlc80554  

One of the most remarkable, and in the minds of many, most shameful, developments in North Carolina public policy over the last three decades has been the failure of state leaders of both parties to fulfill their constitutional duty to provide all children in the state with access to a sound basic education. It's now been over thirty years since the state Supreme Court clearly established the existence of such a right in the landmark Leandro case, but since then, elected leaders have found one excuse after another for ignoring it. Thankfully, a cadre of dedicated researchers and advocates continues expose and push back against this unconstitutional inaction and this past week, Newsline caught up with one that group's most persistent voices – North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom. Click here to listen to the full interview with North Carolina Justice Center senior policy analyst Kris Nordstrom.

What does it mean to be the person responsible for AI ethics inside a 30,000-person company? Shelby Tallent lives this every day. As the leader of AI ethics, responsibility, and compliance for Alaska Airlines, Shelby works at the intersection of technology, governance, and human trust. Her career across Amazon, Nordstrom, and TeleSign has shaped a perspective that blends policy rigor with product execution. In conversation with host Shannon Peavey, Shelby shares why AI ethics is not about slowing innovation but about guiding it. She explains how ethical value systems become practical decision frameworks, how individuals can hold their ground when goals conflict, and why keeping humans in the loop is not optional. AI should not be looked at as a way to “get us out of things,” she said, rather, we should let it expand our capacity to do what once felt impossible.00:00 Introduction 01:49 How Alaska Airlines structures the AI Safety & Compliance role02:18 The ways responsibilities map to company values04:45 Where foundational principles for AI implementation originate05:50 Navigating different AI rules per country07:32 The “9-to-5” of AI Responsibility13:02 Types of risk and how we mitigate16:30 A path of many hats23:00 Keeping humans in the loop29:30 Why we should be optimistic33:00 Shelby's challenge to your thinking and approach

As AI makes it easier than ever to reach a global audience, is it also making it easier to fail on a global scale? Agility requires more than just speed; it requires situational awareness. For global brands, this means having the cultural intelligence to understand the nuances of local markets and adapt your strategy in a way that builds trust, not erodes it. Today, we're going to talk about a critical paradox facing modern marketers: as technology and AI make global expansion seem easier than ever, the risk of cultural missteps and brand damage has never been higher. We'll explore why cultural intelligence is becoming the most vital, and perhaps most overlooked, asset for building brand value, and how getting it right is the key to unlocking sustainable growth in a world that is both interconnected and deeply, culturally distinct. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Katherine Melchior Ray, UC Berkeley, co-author of the new book, Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures About Katherine Melchior Ray Katherine Melchior Ray lectures on international marketing and leadership at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, CA. With twenty-five-years spent building the world's best consumer branding across continents, she brings expertise from her time as a senior executive at Nike, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hyatt, Shiseido and Babbel. She has guest lectured at Stanford, Wharton, Brown and Portland State University.She has been interviewed and featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous media internationally. She also has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal in an article entitled, "Hyatt Executive Has a Spare Evening Gown in Her Bag," and was voted one of the "Most Compelling Women in the Travel Industry" by Premier Traveler magazine. She can be heard on various podcasts and blogs related to global marketing and leadership, culture and diversity, women's empowerment, and the future of work. Katherine Melchior Ray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinemelchiorray/ Resources Get a copy of Katherine and Nataly's book: Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures: ⁠https://amzn.to/481wUJm The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

As AI makes it easier than ever to reach a global audience, is it also making it easier to fail on a global scale?Agility requires more than just speed; it requires situational awareness. For global brands, this means having the cultural intelligence to understand the nuances of local markets and adapt your strategy in a way that builds trust, not erodes it.Today, we're going to talk about a critical paradox facing modern marketers: as technology and AI make global expansion seem easier than ever, the risk of cultural missteps and brand damage has never been higher. We'll explore why cultural intelligence is becoming the most vital, and perhaps most overlooked, asset for building brand value, and how getting it right is the key to unlocking sustainable growth in a world that is both interconnected and deeply, culturally distinct.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome, Katherine Melchior Ray, UC Berkeley, co-author of the new book, Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures About Katherine Melchior Ray Katherine Melchior Ray lectures on international marketing and leadership at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, CA. With twenty-five-years spent building the world's best consumer branding across continents, she brings expertise from her time as a senior executive at Nike, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hyatt, Shiseido and Babbel. She has guest lectured at Stanford, Wharton, Brown and Portland State University.She has been interviewed and featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous media internationally. She also has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal in an article entitled, "Hyatt Executive Has a Spare Evening Gown in Her Bag," and was voted one of the "Most Compelling Women in the Travel Industry" by Premier Traveler magazine. She can be heard on various podcasts and blogs related to global marketing and leadership, culture and diversity, women's empowerment, and the future of work. Katherine Melchior Ray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinemelchiorray/ Resources Get a copy of Katherine and Nataly's book: Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures: ⁠https://amzn.to/481wUJm The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703 Drive your customers to new horizons at the premier retail event of the year for Retail and Brand marketers. Learn more at CRMC 2026, June 1-3. https://aglbrnd.co/r/d15ec37a537c0d74 Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://ratethispodcast.com/agileConnect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're going back to the widget factory with a discussion of OBM research related to public posting. But don't worry: You can use this feedback technique anywhere and everywhere! From the classroom to the auto plant to the bicycle track, we review the research to see if this visual feedback technique is worth the tape needed to hang the data on the wall. And, even more important, if the folks whose behavior you're hoping to change are ok with having their performance out where everyone else can see it! This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Nordstrom, R., Lorenzi, P., & Hall, R.V. (1991). A review of public posting of performance feedback in work settings. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 11, 101-124. doi: 10.1300/J075v11n02_07 Miller, B.G., Livingston, C.P., Zerger, H.M., Valbuena, D.A., & Miltenberger, R.G. (2023). Evaluating public posting, goal setting, and rewards to increase physical activity in children. Behavioral Interventions, 38, 105-117. doi: 10.1002/bin.1902 Ayvazo, S. & Naveh, M.E. (2024). Self-monitoring and public posting improve competitive youth cyclists' training performance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57, 394-407. doi: 10.1002/jaba.1058 Perrin, C.J., Frederick, A., & Klick, S. (2016). Effects of public posting and goal setting on team performance in a residential setting. Behavioral Interventions, 31, 300-308. doi: 10.1002/bin.1451 If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

Air travel may seem like a far cry from the retail world, but as it turns out, Southwest Airlines and Nordstrom have a lot in common in the ways that matter most. For anyone interested in learning about the essential building blocks of a great customer experience, this conversation—between two CEOs who have built their entire businesses around customer service—crosses industry boundaries and brings humanity to the forefront. Pete and Bob discover remarkable similarities in their leadership styles and approach to measuring customer satisfaction, evolving to meet ever-changing customer expectations, and nurturing a healthy internal culture that empowers and cares for the people working at all levels of the organization. Bob describes the incredible attention to detail Southwest gives to each and every touchpoint of the customer journey—from the most tactical and transactional to the most human and personal—because to the customer, it all matters. Thanks for tuning in to episode 106. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

Her computer was hacked and now she is hearing from long lost friends, My Chromebook Device Code errors, Documents that I scan are too big, Caller just want's to talk AI, How can I hide from my AI Questions? FBI is buying location data, 100,000 North Koreans are working for western businesses, My AI can edit my pictures? Seems we helped someone, NIMBY datacenters in Ohio, Raspberry Pi what can I do with it? Nordstrom business email compromise to sell you Crypto.

In this powerful Business Mastery conversation, Tony Robbins sits down with Anastasia Soare — founder of Anastasia Beverly Hills — to break down what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand from nothing. Anastasia escaped Communist Romania in 1989 with no money, no English, and a three-year-old daughter. She arrived in Los Angeles at 31, started her business at 40, and went on to build Anastasia Beverly Hills into a $3 billion global company while creating an entirely new category in the beauty industry.  In Part 2 of this conversation, Tony and Anastasia go deeper into the mindset behind that success — the 12 years she spent traveling to Nordstrom stores every weekend to prove her concept, the Golden Ratio technique that revolutionized eyebrow shaping, and the relentless commitment to quality that allowed her brand to stand out in a crowded market.  They also discuss how to survive market shifts, adapt during crises like COVID, compete when others copy your success, and why the problems you face as an entrepreneur are often proof that you're growing.  The episode concludes with a powerful live Q&A where Tony is joined by both Anastasia and Spartan founder Joe De Sena. Together they answer raw questions about grit, leadership, raising resilient children, and staying hungry even after you've achieved success.  This isn't just a beauty story. It's an immigrant story. It's a story about starting late — and refusing to quit. As Anastasia says: "If you believe in your product, don't you ever give up."  If you've ever thought, it's too late to build something extraordinary — this conversation will change your mind. Want to experience transformational growth for your own business? Join Business Mastery, happening virtually and in person from August 12–16, 2026, to learn directly from Tony Robbins and world-class faculty.  Secure your spot to Business Mastery here: https://tonyr.co/4cB5IkU 

Check out this exclusive interview with Kamila from White Lotus Beauty on the Ash Said It Show, where the conversation dives deep into the legacy of the recognized industry expert in Traditional Eastern Cosmetic solutions. Since 2004, White Lotus has been the leading pioneer in introducing the concepts of cosmetic acupuncture, holistic microneedling, jade rollers, cosmetic cupping, and gua sha to an international mainstream audience. The founders, Anthony and Kamila, are both best-selling authors and speakers in the field of Traditional Chinese Cosmetic Medicine, bringing a combined 11 years of university-level study in TCM and pharmacology to their curated range of premium holistic beauty products. With demonstrated clinical experience and professional training courses in White Lotus Signature Techniques, this award-winning brand is crafted from BioActive ingredients and the finest ethically sourced, vegan and cruelty-free organic products. In the time since its inception, White Lotus has earned its place in high-end global retailers such as Nordstrom, Harrods, Jemoli, and Planet Organic, backed by over 3,500 independently audited positive reviews. Founded on the wisdom of practicing acupuncturists, the brand delivers outstanding products rooted in millennia of knowledge, ensuring every formulation meets five key criteria: a history of safe traditional use, rigorous scientific research, whole plant extraction, independent certification, and a strict "no nasties" policy. White Lotus is a dedicated ethical and conscious beauty brand led by a female Director of BAME origin, emphasizing ethnic diversity and inclusion. The company is committed to environmental restoration, working to remove over 2,500 kilograms of plastic from the sea and supporting Ecosia in reforesting sections of India, Kenya, and Brazil. Their offices are paper-free and run on 75% renewable energy, while their skincare remains 100% edible, healthy, and packed with powerful adaptogenic benefits. From peace silk produced without harming silkworms to chemically-free, ethically sourced crystal products, White Lotus provides a genuinely authentic holistic experience that supports and balances the body while delivering proven cosmetic wisdom to the Western world. Web: https://whitelotusbeauty.com — Looking for that extra spark to level up your life? Say hello to Ash Brown—your go-to American powerhouse, motivational speaker, and the ultimate hype-woman for your personal and professional growth. Ash isn't just a voice in personal development; she's a trusted friend who brings real-talk wisdom and contagious energy to every conversation. Whether you're stuck in a rut or ready to scale your dreams, Ash is here to fuel your journey with a mix of heart and hustle.

Jessie Randall is the cofounder and chief creative officer of the global lifestyle brand Loeffler Randall. Before she started her company, Randall began her career in advertising but, after a few years, made the leap into the fashion industry. Starting from scratch as an intern at Katayone Adeli, while also taking fashion classes, she then transitioned to Banana Republic, working as a junior designer. However, in 2005, alongside her husband, she decided to start her own footwear company, which quickly garnered recognition and expanded beyond shoes into the global success it is today. In 2007, she was awarded the CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessory Design, and in 2022, British Vogue dubbed the brand's Camellia heel “one of the best-selling bridal shoes in the world.” Currently, Loeffler Randall products are sold worldwide across retailers such as Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman as well as in its own digital and physical retail stores.

Retail today looks a lot different than it used to. Customers can shop on their phone from their couch. They can compare us to the entire world in about five seconds. They expect personalization. They expect overnight, or even two-hour delivery. And honestly? That's fair! If we want to stay relevant, we have to evolve and grow to meet the customer's changing needs. But one constant that's anchored us through our entire 125 years is that we don't define what good service looks like—customers do. In parts 1 and 2 of our 125th anniversary series we took a look back at our history, and how our culture has spread and grown along with the company. For Part 3 we're bringing the focus to the present—to pay attention to what a modern customer is looking for, to meet them on their terms, and to empower our people to seek out new and better ways to serve. To help tell this story you'll hear, once again, from my brother and Co-CEO, Erik Nordstrom, as well as our cousin and Chief Merchandising Officer, Jamie Nordstrom. You'll also hear from a few current Nordstrom employees in varying roles—from the physical sales floor to our digital marketplace. No matter where our customers wish to shop with us—in a store face-to-face, or in sweatpants under a blanket in bed—we'll be there for it. Yes, the business has become more complex, but the mission is simple: Make customers feel good, and look their best. Thanks for tuning in to episode 105. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

What does it actually take to generate $22 million across multiple creative businesses over 30 years? In this raw, behind-the-scenes solo episode, I pull back the curtain on the real highs, the hard lows, and the identity shifts that made all the difference.From leaving my Nordstrom job with a dream and a prayer, to scoring a $4,000 fax order from Twist in Portland, to experiencing bankruptcy and rebuilding with a completely new mindset. I map out the through-line that connects every pivot, every plateau, and every quantum leap I've taken as a creative founder. The secret? It was never just strategy. It was always identity first, sales rhythm second.I also share the 4V Founder Frequency (Vision, Voice, Visibility, Vibration) and explain why founder-led branding is not just a trend. It is the most powerful business asset you can build in an AI-saturated world. Plus, I share how The Launchpad (my daily audio coaching program) is helping creative founders step into iconic brand status every single day.In this episode, you'll discover:[00:00] The Launchpad intro: what daily alignment actually does for your sales[02:10] My 30-year journey: from jewelry designer to $22M founder across 5 businesses[08:17] The $4,000 Twist fax order that changed everything, and what hustle really means to me[11:32] Why sales is the lifeblood of your business (and how each pivot required a new rhythm)[15:00] The 4V Founder Frequency and why founder-led brands win in the age of AI[20:12] The bankruptcy moment at Whole Foods, and the identity work that rebuilt my confidence[25:00] How to become a vibrational match for the sales and income you desire[27:30] The Obsessed challenge and how to join my free 5-day sales eventHere are the resources mentioned in the show:The Launchpad, Daily Audio CoachingObsessed Challenge ( starts March 9)Desire AI (for jewelry designers)Are you enjoying the podcast? We'd be so grateful if you gave us a rating and review! Your 5 star ratings help us reach more businesses like yours and allows us to continue to deliver valuable content every single week. Click here to review the show on Apple podcast or your favorite platformSelect “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review”Share your favorite insights and inspirationsIf you haven't done so yet, make sure that you subscribe to the show wherever you listen to podcasts and on Apple Podcast for special bonus content you won't get elsewhere.xo, Tracy MatthewsFollow on Social:Follow @Flourish_Thrive on InstagramFollow @iamtracymatthews  InstagramFollow Flourish & Thrive Facebook

How do you get people to share a good thing? In our last episode, we spent time talking with a few Nordstrom family members about how the company started, the values that shaped it early on, and the establishing of a culture and reputation that's propelled this business through the last 125 years. But there's one lesson—or fact—that's been essential for us to understand and embrace as the business has grown. Yes, the family can set the tone—but what sustains us is “resonance”. It's the adoption of our philosophy by tens of thousands of employees across the country. It's the constant nurturing of our culture by the people who've joined our company and found something familiar that reflects their own character. Something that they can be proud to participate in and share with others. For Part 2 of our 125th Anniversary series we'll be taking a closer look at what makes Nordstrom so sticky. How is it that we've earned such loyalty and passion from our people? You'll hear from a handful of current and former Nordstrom employees to help paint a picture of what it feels like to be welcomed into—and become part of—the extended Nordstrom family. Thanks for tuning in to episode 104. We hope you enjoy it! Did you know that YOU can be on The Nordy Pod? This show isn't just a one-way conversation. We want to hear about what Nordstrom looks like through your eyes. Share your Nordstrom experience, good or bad, by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail at: 206.594.0526, or send an email to nordypodcast@nordstrom.com to be a part of the conversation! And, be sure to follow us on Instagram @thenordypod to stay up to date on new episodes, announcements and more.

What are you willing to repel in order to attract the right people?In this episode of At The Table, Patrick Lencioni and Cody Thompson challenge the idea that businesses should try to appeal to everyone. Instead, they argue for being intentionally extreme in two areas: core values and strategic anchors. When organizations are unmistakably clear about how they behave and how they succeed, they naturally repel the wrong employees and customers while attracting the right ones. Through examples like In-N-Out, Dutch Bros, Costco, and Nordstrom, they show how clarity and conviction create a stronger culture, cleaner decision-making, and more loyal teams and customers.Topics explored in this episode:(00:00) Why Great Organizations Repel the Wrong People* How strong values naturally filter out misaligned employees and customers* Why trying to include everyone weakens culture(04:11) Extreme Culture as a Competitive Advantage* How distinctive companies become “weird” on purpose* Why noticeable culture creates loyalty and differentiation(07:46) Strategic Anchors and the Power of Saying No* How a clear strategy eliminates distractions and opportunistic growth* Why discipline matters more than chasing every opportunity(11:33) Attracting the Right Customers by Design* How strong strategy repels misaligned customers* Why businesses grow faster when they stop trying to serve everyoneThis episode of At The Table with Patrick Lencioni is brought to you by The Table Group: https://www.tablegroup.com. We teach leaders how to make work more effective and less dysfunctional. We also help their employees be more fulfilled and less miserable. At The Table is a podcast that lives at the connection between work life, leadership, organizational health, and culture. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4hJKKSL), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/6NWAZzkzl4ljxX7S2xkHvu), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/At-The-Table-YouTube). Follow Pat Lencioni on https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth, http://www.youtube.com/@PatrickLencioniOfficial, and https://x.com/patricklencioni. Be sure to check out our other podcast, The Working Genius Podcast with Patrick Lencioni, on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/4iNz6Yn), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3raC053GF5mtkq6Y1klpRU), and YouTube (https://bit.ly/Working-Genius-YouTube). Let us know your feedback via podcast@tablegroup.com. This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co.