Podcasts about One Kings Lane

A veteran of One Kings Lane, RH, and Ralph Lauren Home, Day Kornbluth stepped into the top job at West Elm in 2023. Since then, she's been leading a quiet transformation—retooling the brand's product mix, sharpening its visual identity, and rethinking how it shows up, both online and off. That work came into full view this month with the launch of a sweeping collaboration with LA design duo Pierce & Ward.On this episode of the podcast, Kornbluth speaks with host Dennis Scully about striking the right balance between mass appeal and design credibility, why AI might become a surprisingly useful tool for creatives, and how the meaning of home has evolved from utility to something far more personal.This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Hartmann&ForbesLINKSWest ElmDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

In the world of logistics, automation is no longer a future concept—it's happening now. But rolling out robotics in high-volume warehouse environments isn't as simple as plugging in a machine and walking away.In this episode of Building Better, Brandon sits down with Jim Liefer, CEO of Ambi Robotics, to talk about what it actually takes to build and deploy robotics solutions that work at scale. With more than 35 years of operational leadership experience at companies like UPS, Walmart, and Kindred AI, Jim brings a pragmatic lens to the promise and complexity of AI-driven automation.They dig into the challenges of stacking, sorting, labor dynamics, and change management—and what it looks like to lead with humility while driving real impact.About Jim Liefer:Jim is the CEO of Ambi Robotics, where he's responsible for leading the company's vision and operations. He previously served as CEO of Kindred AI, COO of One Kings Lane, VP of Operations at Walmart.com, and VP of Technology at UPS. Throughout his career, Jim has focused on scaling systems, reducing cost-to-serve, and empowering frontline teams with better tools and processes.About Ambi Robotics:Ambi Robotics is an AI and robotics company developing advanced automation systems for ecommerce and logistics. The company's solutions—including AmbiSort and AmbiStack—leverage simulation-to-reality (Sim2Real) technology and advanced AI foundation models to perform high-speed sorting and stacking in warehouse environments. Founded in 2018 and based in Berkeley, California, Ambi Robotics helps customers scale fulfillment operations while empowering human workers.About Building Better:Building Better with Brandon Bartnick focuses on the people, products, and companies creating a better tomorrow, often in the transportation and manufacturing sectors. The show features real conversations about what leaders are doing, why and how they're doing it, and what we can learn from their experiences.Key Takeaways:Ambi Robotics is solving real-world logistics challenges with robotics that work at scaleTrust and change management are essential to successful automation rolloutsAutomation isn't about replacing humans—it's about removing repetitive tasks and letting people focus on higher value workAI and machine learning enable robots to adapt to dynamic warehouse environmentsSustainable success depends on low cost to serve and solving specific problemsLinks & Resources:Company Website: ambirobotics.comAmbiSort: ambirobotics.com/ambisort-a-seriesAmbiStack: ambirobotics.com/ambistackLinkedIn: Ambi RoboticsShow Notes: brandonbartneck.com/buildingbetter/jimlieferListen to the Episode:Apple PodcastsSpotify

Today we discuss the intersection of architecture and interior design, finding a common ground for both aspects to complement each other. Ian Mills and Becca Roderick, Executive Directors of Architecture and Interiors, respectively, at Morris Adjmi Architects. They delve into the concept of hospitality, the collaborative process within their firm, and how they align their visions to create contextually relevant and impactful projects. The conversation covers notable projects like the Wythe Hotel and The Forth, emphasizing how thoughtful design can redefine neighborhoods and meet client expectations. They also discuss the emergence of branded residences and the importance of client buy-in and strategic investment in design.Takeaways: Encourage regular collaboration and communication between the architecture and interior design teams to align on the project's North Star.Conduct thorough research on the location, history, and context of the project site to create designs that are both impactful and fitting with the surroundings.Prioritize elements that make guests feel cared for, regardless of the budget or exclusivity of the experience.Invest in high-quality design, as it can significantly enhance the financial performance of hospitality projects. Tightly manage budgets to ensure investments are spent judiciously and effectively.Be prepared for unexpected challenges, especially in adaptive reuse projects. Have mechanisms in place to manage and respond to these surprises.Keep clients informed and involved throughout the project's lifecycle to ensure continuous alignment and buy-in.Quote of the Show:“ We're bringing the same mentality and sort of rigor to every project because we think that every project can change the neighborhood that it's in.” - Ian Mills“ When you strip everything back and peel things away, hospitality is really about caring for people and fostering community.” - Becca RoderickLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-mills-a77a1a19/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becca-roderick-45405299/ Website: https://ma.com/ Shout Outs:0:48 - Four Seasons https://www.fourseasons.com/ 0:49 - St. Regis https://st-regis.marriott.com/ 0:54 - AvroKo https://www.avroko.com/ 0:55 - One Kings Lane https://www.onekingslane.com/ 9:09 - Wythe https://www.wythehotel.com/ 10:28 - The Goodtime https://www.thegoodtimehotel.com/ 10:43 - Forth Hotel https://forthatlanta.com/ 18:13 - Morris Adjmi https://www.linkedin.com/in/morris-adjmi-7295918/ 25:31 - The Founder's Dilemma 27:46 - Frank Gehry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Gehry 54:01 - Theory Building https://ma.com/theory-building.html 54:41 - 837 Washington https://ma.com/837-washington.html 56:36 - Scholastic Building https://ma.com/scholastic-building.html 56:42 - Aldo Rossi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Rossi 

Jim sits down with Susan Feldman, the founder of One Kings Lane, a luxury home decor site, and In The Groove, a digital platform and community inspiring women over 50. A self-described "late bloomer entrepreneur" who started her first company at age 53, Susan shares her journey from retail to entrepreneurship and her vision to change the narrative around aging. Drawing inspiration from her father, who earned his MFA at age 78, Susan emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, forming new friendships, and embracing technology at any age.     New podcast episodes released weekly on Thursday. Follow along with the links below: Sign up for the Celebrations Chatter Newsletter: https://celebrationschatter.beehiiv.com/    Subscribe to Celebrations Chatter on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@celebrationschatter  Follow @CelebrationsChatter on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celebrationschatter/    Follow @CelebrationsChatter on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@celebrationschatter  Listen to more episodes of Celebrations Chatter on Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/celebrations-chatter-with-jim-mccann/id1616689192    Listen to more episodes of Celebrations Chatter on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Yxfvb4qHGCwR5IgAmgCQX?si=ipuQC3-ATbKyqIk6RtPb-A    Listen to more episodes of Celebrations Chatter on Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQwMzU0MS9yc3M?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwio9KT_xJuBAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQNg  Visit 1-800-Flowers.com: https://www.1800flowers.com/    Visit the 1-800-Flowers.com YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@1800flowers  Follow Jim McCann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim1800flowers/  Follow Jim McCann on X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/jim1800flowers (@Jim1800Flowers)

Ariel Okin is the founder of her eponymous firm, Ariel Okin Interiors, a New York-based, full-service interior design firm specializing in luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality projects across the country. Ariel's signature style can be interpreted as “traditional with a twist” – warm, livable and elegant spaces, with an edited, contemporary and practical approach. A deft use of color, emphasis on clean lines, and mix of bespoke and antique items are hallmarks of her aesthetic, yet no two projects are alike; Ariel believes every home should reflect its owner. Ariel established her firm in 2016, and has since been featured and profiled in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, among others. Ariel has been recognized as one of House Beautiful's Next Wave Designers, an exclusive list of the top interior design talent in the country. Ariel has also received several prestigious industry awards, including House & Garden's “The List”, Architectural Digest's “Pro List” and Luxe Magazine's Gold List. Ariel has launched multiple capsule collections, including wallpaper lines with Chasing Paper and The Mural Source, accessories with One Kings Lane, and most recently, a lighting line with Mitzi. Ariel's first interior design book will debut with Rizzoli in Fall 2025.  Separate from her design work, Ariel helms her editorial and e-commerce site, Fenimore Lane, where she is Editor in Chief. She also hosts Fenimore Lane's popular design podcast, "Talk Shop", and leads Fenimore Lane's annual design summit at The Mayflower Inn & Spa. In addition to her work with Fenimore Lane, Ariel is a contributing writer to Vogue.com, Architectural Digest and Domino. Current residential projects range across the country, from Greenwich, CT, and Cape Cod, MA, to Palm Beach, FL, and Oyster Bay, NY, among others. Ariel lives in Westchester, NY, with her husband, two daughters, and dog, Charlie. https://www.arielokin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/arielokin/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-shop-with-ariel-okin-a-fenimore-lane-production/id1713624140

I am beyond excited and honored to share my podcast with my friend Ariel Okin, founder of Ariel Okin Interiors. Ariel's New York-based, full-service interior design firm specializes in luxury residential, commercial and hospitality projects across the country. She is based in West Chester, NY where she resides with her husband and 2 beautiful daughters. Ariel has had an incredible amount of success since launching her firm in 2016 and she handles it with the utmost humility - to the point where she probably wouldn't tell you that she has been featured in renowned publications such as Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, among others. In 2022, she was recognized as one of House Beautiful Next Wave Designers, an exclusive list of the top interior design talent in the country. She has also worked on some pretty cool projects such as Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP NYC headquarters. Her firm has also grown and evolved over the years – she has launched multiple capsule collections, including wallpaper lines with Chasing Paper and The Mural Source, accessories with One Kings Lane, and most recently, a lighting line with Mitzi. In 2020 she launched Fenimore Lane – an editorial and e-commerce site which is a collection of interior design inspiration, interviews and a shop focused on all things home and lifestyle. And as part of Fenimore Lane, In 2023 she launched her 1 st podcast called Talk Shop with Ariel – which you should definitely check out – I have listened to every single interview and I LOVE it – I not only learn more about interior design industry but also leave every conversation feeling inspired! And finally, Ariel is in the process of writing her first book – she just signed a book deal with Rizzoli. Ariel is beyond inspiring and I am so excited for you to hear her story! please enjoy! Links: Fenimore Lane: https://www.fenimorelane.com/ Ariel's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/arielokin/?hl=en

AMY NEUNSINGER is a photographer and designer from Los Angeles. Her photography and creative direction is the secret sauce behind many of today's lifestyle brands and celebrities including: Joanna Gaines, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson, Leanne Ford, Mark D. Sikes, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, Crate&Barrel, Shabby Chic and Target. Amy's personal style has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, LA Times Magazine, Domino, One Kings Lane, Decor8 and countless other publications. Amy designed and lives in one of the most photographed homes in California. Its iconic and timeless design is used as the backdrop for brands like Apple, Google, Anthropologie, Vanity Fair, Elle and Vogue.She's also the co-host of one my very favorite TV shows, Capturing Home. Watch it on the Magnolia Network.  SHOW NOTES 0:42 Who is Amy?  2:57 The TV show dream 3:48 Co hosting synergy (Amy & Kate's working relationship/friendship) 5:02 Pitching the show 7:15 The reality of a reality show 8:09 How Amy got started in photography 9:29 Freelance freedom & freelance freakout balance 11:22 Liberal arts love 12:30 For the love of travel  15:11 The real entrepreneur's journey: the power of reinvention  16:52 The role of self doubt 17:51 Make mistakes! 19:41 Golden nugget: do what you love! 20:45 Amy's upcoming podcast 21:50 The importance of our home environment 22:27 Where to find Amy   Find Amy  here:  Instagram- @amyneunsinger Websites- https://amyneunsinger.com/ https://roseandmortar.com/ Watch- Capturing Home on Magnolia Network or here   Join our community! Follow this podcast and share with a friend! Follow us on Instagram and let us know what you'd like for us to cover and any nominations for guests Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on episode and exciting events Live your life by design. 

Today's guest is Susan Feldman, founder of One Kings Lane & In The Groove. She's a born collector with retail blood and when it comes to collecting, she loves nothing more. After starting One Kings Lane in her early 50's, she got exposed to working with some of the best designers around who opened her eyes to the beauty of traveling and vintage sourcing. A host and an entertainer, she's collect a closet full of napkins, and dish sets, and boxes, and the list goes on. But these days, she's doing more curating of her collections and focusing on the things that matter. After selling One Kings Lane, she's started her next venture In The Groove targeted at inspiring women 50+ to own their age and style. As a collector, she's curating content for this demographic and there's no one better for the job. So without further adieu, this is Susan Feldman, for Collectors Gene Radio.Susan Feldman's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/susankfeldman/?hl=enIn The Groove - https://getinthegroove.com/

"We're Momming Today" with Susan Feldman, co-founder of One Kings Lane, a luxury home decor company launched in the middle of the financial crisis. Most recently Feldman founded the website "In The Groove," a destination for women older than 50. Feldman tells us how she started a business both in the depths of recession and in the background of Amazon. Plus: watch out Millennials! Feldman tells us how society, advertisers and companies ALL miss out when they ignore older women. As a society, we're aging more gracefully than ever! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people know Susan Feldman as the co-founder of One Kings Lane, a go-to destination for home and interior design shopping for millions of people… but her current passion is to shine a light on age defying women! Get In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages women as the evolving and relevant women they are. They're on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations. And Susan is the perfect example. Susan became an entrepreneur at the age of 53. Susan and I talk about her intuitive career journey, her new exciting venture and what it takes to be IN THE GROOVE after 50! Are you in the 4%? Take Liz's FREE Limiting Beliefs Quiz and find out what's holding you back! www.lizsvatek.com/quiz Be a Podcast Launch VIP! Get your Podcast up and running in 1 week! Schedule a call to learn more: https://calendly.com/lizsvatek/whiteglovelaunch-session Connect with Susan: Website: www.getinthegroove.com https://getinthegroove.com/newsletter-sign-up/ Instagram: instagram @getinthegroove1 Guest Bio: Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove, a new life-style destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages these women as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations. Prior to In The Groove, Susan was the co-founder and visionary behind One Kings Lane, the go-to destination for home decor. One Kings Lane launched in March 2009 and an industry was disrupted. Today One Kings Lane is a daily source of shopping and design inspiration for millions of people both online and offline One Kings Lane was sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq: BBBY) in June 2016. Susan remains a strategic advisor to the company. Susan has been featured in national publications including Elle Décor, House Beautiful, INStyle, New York Magazine, BusinessWeek, and The New York Times. She has appeared on Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators and NBC's The Today Show. Susan was named to Vanity Fair's “New Establishment” list twice in the past six years. Prior to co-founding One Kings Lane, Susan held executive positions in the apparel industry—at Ralph Lauren Swimwear, Polo Jeans, Warnaco/Authentic Fitness Corp., and Liz Claiborne. Susan has an MBA from UCLA's Anderson School of Management and a BA from Stanford University. Since 2013 Susan has served on the Parson Board of Governors.

Today's guest is Ariel Okin, founder of Ariel Okin Interiors. Ariel's New York-based, full-service interior design firm specializes in luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality projects across the country. Ariel's signature style can be interpreted as “traditional with a twist” – warm, livable, and elegant spaces, with an edited, contemporary and practical approach. A deft use of color, emphasis on clean lines, and mix of bespoke and antique items are hallmarks of her aesthetic, yet no two projects are alike. Ariel established her firm in 2016 and has since been featured and profiled in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, and New York Magazine, among others. In 2022, she was recognized as one of House Beautiful's Next Wave Designers, an exclusive list of the top interior design talent in the country. In 2021, she was named a House & Garden Gold List Designer, and Elle Decor declared “Okin's impeccable design efforts are striking.” In 2019, Ariel's work for Lena Dunham's West Village home graced the cover of the Fall issue of Domino; Ariel also designed the New York Headquarters for Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop that same year. Ariel has launched multiple capsule collections – in Spring 2022; she debuted a wallpaper line with The Mural Source at High Point Market; in 2021, an accessory collection with One Kings Lane; in 2020, a wallpaper collection with Chasing Paper. A lighting and rug collection and her first book are in the works for 2022/23. Separate from her design work, Ariel also helms her editorial and e-commerce site, Fenimore Lane, a menagerie of interior design inspiration, interviews, and a shop focused on all things home and lifestyle. In addition to designing, Ariel is a contributing writer to Vogue.com, Architectural Digest, and Domino. Current residential projects range across the country, from Park Avenue and Central Park West to Locust Valley, NY, and Greenwich, CT. Ariel lives in Westchester, NY with her husband, two daughters, and dog, Charlie. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/howdshedothat/support

Interior Designer's Business Blueprint  You go from a place of needing and wanting to take everything that comes your way but you can't multiply your time so taking a look at how we use it and who we spend it with matters.    Here's a glance at this episode… [04:20] Whitney and I start off talking about her own home build and project and other recent projects she is working on.    [13:23]  Whitney shares her background and path into interior design and her journey to where she is today. We talk about her work with One Kings Lane as a part of the Chasemakers team.   [29:45] We dive into the decision making process for choosing when to take on a new client, when to say no to a client and how to continue to make business decisions that support your vision.   [37:40] Whitney shares how she outsources in her business and how this helps create and keep boundaries and relationships.   [45:00] Whitney and I discuss brand identity, what it has led to and how it has elevated her business.   [53:04]  I ask Whitney about her business values and how that shows up in her business on a daily basis. [56:00] I do a rapid fire question session with Whitney to wrap the episode.   Mentioned in this episode:  JOIN: Interior Designer's Business Blueprint Farrington Lane Instagram: @farringtonlane WANT MORE?  - Template Shop - 10% off ANYTHING in the shop PODCAST10 (Limit one use per customer) - Blog - Free Resources FOLLOW ALONG - Instagram- Pinterest - YouTube ------------------------------------- ***Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts*** "I Love the Designer's Oasis Podcast"

  Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove, a new life-style destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages these women as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations. Susan was also our first podcast and we are super excited to catch up with her and In The Groove.

Direct-to-consumer. DTC. What emotional response do those words conjure for you? The formula for DTC used to be simple – spend marketing dollars to acquire new customers. Today, customer acquisition costs can be 10X higher than they used to be, so what should be the new strategy in these challenging, post-pandemic economic times? Polly Wong, president of Bellardi Wong, and our latest Retail Transformer, has the answers. Polly's agency works with the best, most successful DTC brands and she is sharing the best practices every DTC founder, brand manager, and category manager need to know to be successful in this episode! Should you open stores? Leverage print? Catalogs? Is Facebook still worthwhile? What about TikTok? Listen and find out!News alert #1: The Retail Razor Show has been nominated for The Retail Voice Award at the Vendors in Partnership Award ceremony during NRF 2023 in January in New York City! IF you're a fan of the show, please give us your vote! You can vote here: https://bit.ly/VIPretail News alert #2! We've moved up to #19 on the Feedspot Top 60 Best Retail podcasts list, so please keep those 5-star reviews in Apple Podcasts coming! With your help, we'll move our way further up the Top 20! Leave us a review to be mentioned in upcoming episodes! https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/Meet your hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2022 & 2021, RIS News Top Movers and Shakers in Retail for 2021, a Top 12 ecommerce influencer, advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, and director partner marketing advisor for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring E-Motive, and Overclocked, from the album Beat Hype, written by Hestron Mimms, published by Imuno.The Retail Razor ShowFollow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/TwRRazorConnect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazorSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTubeSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetailRazorShowRetail Razor Show Episode Page: https://bit.ly/RRShowPodHost → Ricardo Belmar,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twRBelmarConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LIRBelmarRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWRBelmarCo-host → Casey Golden,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twCaseyConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LICaseyRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWCaseyTRANSCRIPTS2E5 Retail Transformers - Polly Wong[00:00:00] Pre-Intro[00:00:00] Casey Golden: Ricardo, I've got one word for you to describe this week's show. Dtc. [00:00:06] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, so Casey, I'm thinking that's technically three words, but, but nevermind that. Um, I don't think we've done an entire show focused on DTC before, have we?[00:00:13] Casey Golden: Hey, I didn't write the script. So[00:00:21] So this is exciting and. I'm especially pumped for all [00:00:24] the DTC founders out there tuning in. This one is for you.[00:00:28] Ricardo Belmar: That's true, and honestly, if you're a direct to consumer founder listening or, or watching us on YouTube, stop right now. Go grab a pen and paper or your iPad or whatever you like to use to take notes, because believe me, you are going to be writing things down nonstop in a mad fury throughout this episode.[00:00:45] Casey Golden: Oh yeah. The tips and tricks are going to be flying. And you just don't wanna miss a[00:00:50] minute.[00:00:51] Ricardo Belmar: So should we just start the show or should we make listeners suffer a little bit more first, with more of our carefree and eloquent banter,[00:00:56] Casey Golden: Oh, you're so cruel. Let's get to the music already. [00:00:59][00:01:19] Show Intro[00:01:19] Ricardo Belmar: Hello and welcome to season two, episode five of The Retail Razor Show. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:01:25] Casey Golden: And I'm your co-host, Casey Golden. Welcome to the Retail Razor Show listeners, retail's unapologetically authentic podcast for product junkies, commerce technologists, and everybody else in retail and tech alike. [00:01:39] Ricardo Belmar: We are [00:01:40] back with another [00:01:41] episode in our Retail Transformers series, and honestly, if you thought last episode's guest, Alan Smithson was an absolutely incredible, never ending source of value on the Metaverse, wow are you gonna be blown away with today's guest and topic![00:01:54] Casey Golden: Yeah. As a founder, I'm so excited we're going to dive into this world of D to C and talk with amazing expert that's working with most of the top D to C brands out there. You would not believe how much knowledge she has to share, and that could really impact your DTC business by multiples [00:02:16] Ricardo Belmar: Indeed! Faithful followers, you will learn exactly why Polly Wong is more than meets the eye. This may go down as one of our most listened to episodes. We're gonna hear about what the right marketing and media spend mix should be for customer acquisition today. Because honestly, if you think it's the same as it was in the early days of D to C, boy are you in for a shock.[00:02:35] Casey Golden: Yeah, I mean, did you even consider print, like say catalogs? I bet you didn't. You will after this episode.[00:02:44] Ricardo Belmar: And then there's all the tips you're gonna hear [00:02:46] on growth strategies, how to activate your CRM for more profitable growth, retargeting those customers. And what about opening stores? Have you thought about where to open stores? [00:02:55] Casey Golden: There's just so much we could list. I mean, you're going to hear so many incredible [00:03:00] nuggets on marketing, roi, ROAS, and just so much more. [00:03:04] Ricardo Belmar: All right, then let's get to it. [00:03:06] Casey Golden: Let's roll.[00:03:07][00:03:12] Polly Wong Interview[00:03:12] Ricardo Belmar: And we're here with our special guest and latest retail transformer to visit the show. Polly Wong, President of Belardi Wong, which some people may know as a direct to consumer marketing agency. But more on that in a moment. First of all, welcome Polly.[00:03:26] Polly Wong: Thank you for having me.[00:03:27] Casey Golden: It's great to have you on the show. Since we first met you, we've both been looking forward to this conversation and really digging in. So excited [00:03:36] Ricardo Belmar: Polly just to get us started, why don't you give us a more complete introduction of yourself and tell us about your company and what you do.[00:03:42] Polly Wong: You know, I've been in retail for 25 years. I've had an incredible amount of experience. Really. It's both on the client side at some major retailers. I started 25 years ago at eddiebower.com. I was fortunate to work at Williams Sonoma Inc across their portfolio of brands before jumping to the dark side to the agency side, which is a lot of fun and an incredible learning curve.[00:04:06] It's like learning on steroids, I like to say. Today at Belardi Wong, we have 400 active clients, about 90% D TO C brands. Of course, D to C brands have stores as well. And then some very large retail brands that that all of you would know as well. A tremendous amount of experience in fashion, at home decor, furnishings also in some niche categories as well.[00:04:28] We definitely do tend to work with premium brands targeting an affluent consumer. So much of the vantage point that I have to share with you today is really from that angle of brands who are really targeting, you know, an affluent consumer. The folks out there buying, you know, two or $300 sweaters and expensive shoes and $5,000 sofa.[00:04:47] So I, I like to make that clearer, but we're really privileged just to have an incredible vantage point into the industry. [00:04:53] Casey Golden: Really excited to dig deeper in this. As I mentioned before, I'm very intrigued in, in, into the side of the business of marketing. Compared to a lot of the more traditional route that have been taken over the last decade. So clearly you're focused on direct to consumer brands, both old and new, but certainly more established brands.[00:05:10] I think based off of what you said, one of the areas getting a lot of press lately in the D to C space is really how the marketing spend is being shifted from Facebook, Google, versus other mediums. Can you tell us a little bit about what's happening here with D to C brands and how that's changing this marketing mix?[00:05:30] Polly Wong: Sure. So it's been a really fascinating year to watch how the Apple platform changes have really impacted all of the digital platforms. Specifically meta we've found, as an aside, we've found that really Google is quite a resilient, steady, reliable channel. You know, Google continues to make enhancements that work for advertisers.[00:05:52] Performance Max on Google has worked very well for our clients over the last several months, so, so Google's very kind of reliable and steady. Google has had 10 to 50% increase, 10 to 15% increases. And, you know, costs, but really in line with kind of all the cost increases we're seeing across the p and l as a brand or as a retailer.[00:06:12] So really the challenge on the digital side in the last year has really come from meta and the Apple platform changes basically led. To less effective targeting and less effective measurement. And at the same time that our clients have seen a less effective measurement and less effective targeting on meta, they've also seen some pretty steep double digit increases on CPMs, on meta or Facebook, if you will.[00:06:38] And so we've seen dramatic underperformance in the last year, specifically in the social landscape. And so, you know, D to C brands inherently were built on Facebook and Google. The inherent DNA, if you will, of, of D to C brands is that one, they're performance based marketers, and two, you know, they're just wholeheartedly focused on new customer acquisition.[00:07:01] And so now you've seen that this Facebook channel just, you know, one of the top two most critical channels for new customer acquisition for DTC brands has really begun to plummet in the last year. I know across our client base through August, our clients have spent 19% less this year versus last year on Meta.[00:07:21] And that's because of the significant underperformance. But obviously Meta has taken the lion share of most of the marketing dollars for D2C brands. So, the question is, where is it going? You know, where are they shifting marketing spend? And that's been really interesting to [00:07:35] Casey Golden: That's great, and you really mention it as like a CRM strategy. [00:07:39] Is that, Is that right? [00:07:40] Spending shifts and pivots[00:07:40] Polly Wong: Yeah, so I think, well, I think we can talk about kind of where they're shifting their spend, but also, you know, what are some of the, the pivots that D to C brands need to make in order to be successful. And I think most D2C brands have not realized yet that the most incredible asset that they have is the customer file, the customer database.[00:08:01] That they've built up over the last five to 10 years. Now they've spent millions and millions of dollars building their customer file. New customer acquisition always comes at a cost. It's an investment. You cannot have a profitable business when you are only focused on acquisition as a fact.[00:08:15] Casey Golden: Oh my God, can you just like, say that [00:08:17] Ricardo Belmar: we should just frame that just to make that clear for, for everyone who's doubting that [00:08:22] Casey Golden: We're putting that in bold print.[00:08:24] Polly Wong: Yes. Also I'll just go out on a limb and also say you can't have a large, scalable, sustainable business when you only have a handful of product as well, we can get to that later. But definitely you can't just single handidly focus on new customer acquisition so I actually see, you know, there's a lot of headwinds right now, but I see a major tailwind that D to C brands could lean into is really crm, right? You know, I've talked to many, many brands over the years that when you ask them, they say they spent a hundred percent of their marketing budget on acquisition, and it's almost like crm, customer retention management. It's just an afterthought, right?[00:08:59] Like, Oh, we have email now, of course they'll say, We have email and sms. But there are really five major channels in the CRM toolbox, and we don't see D to C brands leaning into that. It's a discipline and a skill set they need to evolve to very quickly because that's where the profit is going to come, as we kind of stare down some economic uncertainty.[00:09:18] So the five channels that we really think about, obviously e email. Second is sms. Some clients have leaned into it very quickly. Some have not. It's still a huge opportunity. I, for one, wondered at the beginning if really SMS would just be shifting sales from email, but we do find that SMS is an incremental revenue driver.[00:09:37] So you've got email and sms. Obviously D to C brands are pretty good at targeting their customer file on Facebook, but they let it work too often on its own. And you really have to think about the segmentation and targeting of lapse customers. You have to carve out specific marketing dollars at targeting customers who've not bought from you in over a year.[00:09:58] There's still a better focus for your marketing dollar than pure new customer acquisition. And so you really wanna target your lapse customer file, on Facebook, and you wanna make sure you're looking at the frequency and the messaging and the targeting and the testing against that segment. [00:10:13] So now hopefully you've got brands, you know, leveraging and leaning into reactivation on social. I think what we don't find enough is actually proactive spending on search with your lapse customers. Let's say that Mary Jane bought a sweater from you a year and a half ago, and now Mary Jane is on Google searching for a turquoise turtleneck sweater.[00:10:36] You should be there targeting her. You should be buying that ad against Mary's search, right? Her click, you should be targeting her. And so really targeting lapse customers when they're searching for your product is a huge opportunity. We don't see clients carving out marketing dollars to really have that kind of proactive approach at customer reactivation on search, so I think that's a low hanging opportunity.[00:11:00] And then for definitely print. So all 400, you know, retailers and brands here, at Belardi Wong, are in the mail. They're leveraging direct mail and catalogs for customer retention. It's extremely effective. And driving up purchase frequency and revenue per customer and overall lifetime value. The great thing about print is that, you know, you've got a hundred percent reach.[00:11:22] So if you want to target Mary Jane who bought from you a year and a half ago she's gotta at least touch the piece to recycle it, so you've got a hundred percent reach. All of our data over the last year as we've looked at it, we've found that if you want to target a specific customer at a specific time within social, you've got about an 18% chance.[00:11:43] Basically, you've got an 18% chance of reaching who you want. When you want to on Facebook, and that's because you're competing with other advertisers for her impression. Mary Jane your customer only has so much impressions and frequency on Facebook and you're competing with other advertisers, and especially in our case, as I said, our clients tend to target, you know, affluent consumers and so Mary Jane is a great shopper and there's a lot of advertisers who want her impressions, and so you can't be sure that you're going to reach her.[00:12:13] And on email, you know, maybe you're lucky if you've got a 20, 25% open rate, but once you start looking at your lapse customers, maybe you've got a 10 or 15% open rate. And so the only way that you could make sure that you get a hundred percent reach is in the mail. And so we see this CRM toolbox with email, sms, social, search and print really is a major opportunity for D to C brands who built very expensive customer files at this point, to really lean into that as a major growth strategy.[00:12:42] Casey Golden: It seems so basic, but yet at the same time, like, but nobody's doing it. , Right. Is to like really go back into that core of, of all those customers.[00:12:54] Ricardo Belmar: And I, and I thought that a lot of these DTC would have used search when. came up, right, to try to get that initial customer acquisition. So I, I find it kind of curious that if, maybe I'm wrong about that, but I, it seems to me that that's one of the original tactics I expect to see DTC brands use at the start, maybe they don't come back to it, to your point.[00:13:15] Polly Wong: You know, we don't see a fine level of segmentation and targeting honestly, within digital media buying. You know, I, I think about digital media agencies and I think of them as master tinkerers, and I can almost just see all the people behind the scenes, almost like behind a clock, you know, turning the dial a little bit this way and a little bit that way.[00:13:33] And it's really about bids and CPMs and it's about creative and frequency and the type of ad. It's really not about. Okay, This is our cheerleader cohort. This is our loyalist cohort. This is our, you know, former cheerleader cohort meeting. This used to be a best customer, and now she's not a best customer.[00:13:52] What percent of our spend are we going to target against her? What should be the target cost to retain? You know, the industry talks about the target cost of acquisition, you know, the cost to acquire a new customer, but you never hear anyone talk about the cost to retain a customer. And I think we're gonna have to see a major shift in how people think.[00:14:11] I think that's the one thing in my, my 25 years in retail. I think there has to be an inherent pivot for D to C brands to embrace some of the real kind of retail operation discipline that has existed, you know, for many years and has allowed companies to exist for decades and to become billion dollar retailers.[00:14:30] And that definitely includes financial planning. It includes inventory planning, merchandise planning, and definitely really thinking about, you know, your target customer and your segmentation and CRM and how you're allocating those dollars.[00:14:46] Casey Golden: I always say, if you spent [00:14:49] half as much time retaining your customers as you spent all of these resources on acquiring them, you'd have a completely different business.[00:14:58] Polly Wong: Yeah. You know, and I think we we're seeing, I think it's actually kind of exciting. There are definitely always some D to C brands who are leading in the space and we see. Really three major growth strategies and definitely activating more channels for both CRM and for active acquisition. You know, testing TikTok, testing connected TV or streaming tv, leaning into print for both acquisition and crm.[00:15:22] And so definitely activating more marketing channels is an important opportunity for D to C brands. But also, I can emphasize enough, and I touched on this earlier, as a matter of fact, the more product you put in front of. Across categories and price points, the more revenue you will drive from her. And I always tell people, I learned two things in my years, at Williams Sonoma Inc.[00:15:45] When I was on the client side. The first is that the best way to drive response rates is to have a range of product across categories and price points. So, okay, you know, she bought a sofa from you, what is she gonna buy next? And that's why you see these types of brands have an incredible assortment in tabletop and seasonal decor and all of those other categories, bed and bath.[00:16:06] The second thing I learned at Williams Sonoma I tell people, is that on my second day on the job Chuck Williams himself, so I'm dating myself a little bit, he said to me, Polly, you know how you sell a $200 toaster? You put a $400 toaster next to it? And I never forgot that [00:16:19] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. And, it completely makes sense. I mean, I to, I have to give credit to William Sonoma, right? Who has, mastered that technique of positioning and curating the right selection at different price points to drive a particular one that you might wanna drive, I think they, I've an amazing job at doing that, and that's certainly a lesson a lot of DTC brands would need to learn.[00:16:40] And, and also kind of speaks. Theory, I've always put out that, you know, so many of these DTC brands that came to be, know, is digitally native, know, wanted to just disrupt one particular product they started with that one product and I always felt that, you know, the one question that does not get asked when they're seeing some initial success, right?[00:17:02] They're getting a lot of new customers, they weren't thinking through, okay, what's the frequency with which these customers I've paid to [00:17:10] Polly Wong: Yes. [00:17:11] Ricardo Belmar: now in some way are going to buy again the [00:17:14] Polly Wong: Yes, exactly. [00:17:17] How often? ,[00:17:18] Ricardo Belmar: most things people don't buy every week.[00:17:20] Polly Wong: Absolutely. So how often do you need to buy a mattress and how often do you need to buy a suitcase? Right? Thinking [00:17:26] Ricardo Belmar: Two. two, good examples.[00:17:27] Polly Wong: popular, [00:17:28] Ricardo Belmar: good examples. [00:17:28] Adopting Basic Retail Operations[00:17:28] Polly Wong: Brands that we've seen now struggle to grow. Absolutely. You know there are some really great smart brands out there. You know, we've seen a lot of the really high growth soft goods companies, so bedding companies, you know, there's a reason why they launch into lounge wear, right?[00:17:43] There's a reason why they launch into bath, right? So you see these bedding soft good companies launch into other categories because, okay, so I bought a set of sheets. I bought, you know, a beautiful comforter, but what am I gonna buy next from you? And you've seen home brands lean into apparel.[00:18:00] You've seen apparel brands lean into home. You know, we're going to continue to see that. Absolutely. But honestly, you know, we were just putting together some strategies internally for clients cuz there are, as I said earlier, a significant amount of headwinds, I think facing brands and retailers in the next six to 12 months.[00:18:18] There's a lot of really inexpensive ways that don't require a lot of research and development that don't require a lot of product development and long timelines. We were doing an assessment for a women's apparel company. And we were looking at their tops and we were looking at tops and the price points and the sizes and the colors of their competitive set.[00:18:38] And as we were looking at the tops, we realized, you know, you sell that long sleeve basic tee in four colors, but on average your competitors sell their long sleeve basic tee in eight to 10 colors. And also you sell yours for $8 more on average. And so maybe if you could take and just add color ways, take your top selling.[00:18:59] Products and add new colorways. Think about, you know, how much would a four, $6 price cut to be competitive? What kind of incremental revenue would that bring? And I think it's that type of merchandise analysis and merchandise planning and inventory management that honestly is a discipline that D to C brands don't inherently have.[00:19:17] So it's time, as I said earlier, to hire some good old fashioned retail operations [00:19:21] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. Yeah, I think that that's an [00:19:22] That. an excellent point and [00:19:23] it's one that I think that has never been quite so obvious, right, to the DTC brands, because they had that single minded, I have this one product that we're gonna disrupt. It's this one product category, this one selection we're gonna disrupt. And there wasn't enough thought to, Well, what happens next? After you've done that? [00:19:37] I, do wanna ask you one question because you know, when Casey and I were thinking of, what we, we were gonna learn from you in this episode, and we thought, it really tells a story about that we think of as, you know, making old media, new media in a way, in a sense that as you've been describing to us now, different marketing mix and moving from a lot of pure.[00:19:57] Digital marketing spend to other perhaps more, more traditional, maybe some non-traditional, because I heard connected TV in there as well. But I'm really intrigued by the success your clients are having in print and with catalogs, which call that maybe the most traditional option a lot of brands can go with.[00:20:14] and when we've spoken to you before, you've mentioned that. When people hear catalog, sort of have an idea in their head of what that might look like. But what you're now with your, your, your clients is not exactly the same kind of format. I, I think it's a much. And maybe you could tell us a little bit more about what's evolved in this, in the print catalog space.[00:20:33] Polly Wong: Yeah. They're not your mother's catalogs anymore. You know, it used to be that you have a hundred page catalog and you've got, you know, five to 10 items per page and you put the whole store inside the catalog. And it used to be that, 80% of catalogs went to women over 55. And she only bought what she saw on the page.[00:20:51] And there's been just really a fundamental shift. First of all, there is a significant amount of print pieces folded pieces, catalogs going in home, The 20 year olds, 30 year olds, 40 year olds. And so now the catalog isn't something you, you shop from the, the catalog or the direct mail piece is a channel driver and it's driving her to the store to buy or is driving her to e-commerce to buy.[00:21:15] And over the years, as we've analyzed the results, we've seen and found that actually only about a third of the product that she buys after she gets the piece was depicted in the piece, meaning that two outta three times what she buys was not in the actual piece, but it drove her to the site or it drove her to the store.[00:21:34] So she thought she wanted one sweater, she got to the site, she bought a different sweater, So as we began to understand that there was a new purpose to print that really it was to drive her to a channel to engage and then to buy, right? Always measuring, of course, the ROAS, actually, I think it's ironic, catalogers were really the original D to C brands and catalogers were always performance based marketers.[00:21:57] So I like to throw that out there. But today, especially for our fashion clients and our home brand clients, definitely catalogs look more like look books they're more aspirational, more lifestyle photography, more storytelling. You know, we actually one of the most successful catalogs in history and the thousands and thousands and thousands of campaigns we measured, when you open up this catalog, the first two spreads are actually just really an aspirational story.[00:22:25] And yet it was extremely productive as measured by sales. And so really you're here to engage the customer and to drive her to a channel to buy, and that is the ultimate goal. Now, what we've found, depending on the product assortment, depending on the price point, depending on the target consumer, First of all, you don't have to send a full, so full, huge catalog anymore, right?[00:22:46] So most of our clients are sending catalogs that are maybe 28 or 36 pages, but not, you know, 80 plus pages. So you don't have to send her as many pages. You don't have to put the whole store. In the catalog, you wanna just say, Here's our our new products, here's our best sellers, and you wanna be compelling and you wanna send her to the channel to buy that she wants to buy in.[00:23:08] And then also we've seen a whole new lifeline because print is acting as this channel driver and you don't have to put the full assortment in front of her. We've seen an incredible amount of success with folded pieces. You know, here is our top five new products of the season. Check it out online, check it out in store.[00:23:25] And so we've found that there's a different messaging and creative strategy also because of this kind of new purpose and how consumers are interacting with print. And I should say that it, it has been an amazing ride. Really just, you know, hundreds of new brands in the mail the last couple of years.[00:23:42] But, you know, starting over a decade ago, we launched brands like Shutterfly, Minted, Revolve, Zappos, One Kings Lane. You know, we Allbirds, right? We started with Allbirds had zero customers. You know, over a decade ago we launched all of these brands into the mail. And so some folks I think already could see it, you know, early on.[00:24:03] I think what's happened is that the cost of digital marketing has become extremely competitive and saturated and promotional and expensive, and you can't always reach who you wanna reach. There's an amazing amount of real estate in print to tell your story and to put your product, and also it's effective for both.[00:24:20] Crm. I would say that mailing customers is like printing money, but also for new customer acquisition. We tend to work with premium brands and you know, to get someone to buy a $300 sweater from you when they've never heard of your brand before, the amount of real estate goes a long way in convincing new customers to buy.[00:24:36] Ricardo Belmar: That's a good point cuz in those scenarios, right, you're really asking that new customer to buy your story as much as your product.[00:24:43] Polly Wong: Absolutely. And you know, I think there's an amount of credibility and authority just as stores give D to C brands credibility. I think the same is can be set of print and I like to say that millennials can spot a manufactured brand from a mile away. And I think that there's an amount of real estate that you have to tell your story.[00:25:03] And if it's authentic, like we have clients, brands like Outer known who just have incredible, authentic story around sustainability and apparel. And a really, you know, just a huge commitment to that as a business. And they're able to build that story with their community through print [00:25:19] On Opening Stores[00:25:19] Casey Golden: one of the initiatives that's been happening lately that has me very excited, just cuz I think we all kind of started in stores, is more of these digitally native brands or pure play brands actually opening up stores and more pop up. I'm a big advocate of the in-store experience. Not that many of us have had one lately, but with the world closed for a little bit.[00:25:42] But I think it's a great opportunity to actually connect. Are you, are you helping them essentially kind of understand where they should be potentially opening up stores or opening up popups or working on that strategy based on, because you guys know so much about where the consumer lives and that community, [00:26:02] Polly Wong: Certainly you can build models regarding, you know, around trade areas to understand where your customers are at today and where your perspective best customers are at. I think to answer your original question though, you know, around just this kind of continued push of D to C brands in stores, honestly, it's really, really very simple.[00:26:26] in any category, more than 50% of sales are still in physical stores. So if you're not selling either in your own stores or on the floor at Nordstrom's, for example, if you're not building your wholesale network, then you're missing out on 50% of your market. And so that's really what it comes down to. I think one of the things that I find more encouraging today about the retail landscape than I did before the pandemic.[00:26:54] Before the pandemic. You just saw almost an absurd level of store openings from DTC brands. Brands that were suddenly opening 20, 30, 40 stores a year. When you open stores that quickly, you're not going into just a markets, you're not negotiating the best real estate deals. You aren't taking the time to build the models to understand where your customers are and where your best.[00:27:17] New perspective customers are, but I think what's great to see is I'm seeing a more cautious approach. I'm seeing the D to C brands understand they need to have a physical footprint and that maybe at the same time, now they're only opening up five to seven stores a year. They're also exploring partnerships with department stores and other retailers to be on their floor.[00:27:38] We have so many brands that we work with who sell on the floor at Anthropology, for example. And so I think that most of our clients have realized you have to have that physical presence in order to reach your customer where she's at when she's shopping, and also because it's a significant business opportunity.[00:27:55] I also think, I mean, there's no question, you know, there is, I think, better real estate deals to be had in 'A' markets because of the amount of store closings in the last couple of years, I think there are still some significant opportunities in terms of finding the right space, the right price with the right consumer.[00:28:12] And so I think that's very encouraging. I think from what I've last seen, this is gonna be the first year in a very, very long time where the number of store openings will actually outpace the number of store closings [00:28:22] Casey Golden: Yeah. I kind of saw, you know, it's nice to see that this, this natural transition, essentially it's all coming back to all these different channels and touch points where there was that moment. where it's just like you just need to be online and everybody else is doing it wrong, and then you just see it come full circle where they're starting to join. We've already went through this cycle.[00:28:45] Polly Wong: Well, you said it yourself. Yeah, you said it yourself. What's old is new again, honestly, to me, advertising on podcasts, it's radio. to me, connected TV is TV advertising, right? Like it's all we've been through these channels. Even outdoor media is having a huge resurgence right out of home media. And so I think that, you know, what it really comes down to is that the most sophisticated marketers have realized that you need a channel mix.[00:29:13] Online, offline, you need to be where your customer is at. You need to have multiple distribution channels, you need to have multiple products. And I think that the high growth brands, you know, have realized that, and I think everyone else is beginning to learn as well.[00:29:25] On marketplaces [00:29:25] Ricardo Belmar: So let me ask you too, on, on, that Polly, one of the areas that I, I think is also interesting here is how these brands leverage different marketplaces you know, within that channel mix. I mean, what, what are your thoughts there and how do you advise brands around marketplaces?[00:29:39] Polly Wong: Definitely D to C brands have had a lot of, you know, trepidation around the marketplaces. I definitely think though that they're going to be forced to consider it. we've already found is, we've just discussed that you can't have an e-commerce only business. And so we saw these e-commerce brands open up stores, and then we saw them add wholesale partners. And so now really the last major distribution channel as a source of revenue growth is the marketplaces.[00:30:03] And historically, D to C brands have been very protective of their brand's message and of their new customers. And they don't want to let anyone kind of expose their brand other than how they want it presented. However, I do think that the pressure to continue to drive revenue with all of these headwinds and because the reality is that all consumers are on the marketplaces, and you know, now we've got Macy's leaning into their marketplace.[00:30:30] I mean, every single major retailer is going to have their own marketplace online as well. I think you have to be there. I think, you know, we're finding clients kind of tiptoe into it. They're testing different strategies. They might only put part of their assortment within the marketplaces. They might actually develop a specific collection for the marketplaces.[00:30:50] So definitely I think they're cautious. But I think that they're going to be forced to consider trying it in ways they might not have a few years ago because they've gotta drive revenue growth. And because there are so many, you know, headwinds, unfortunately at the moment,[00:31:05] Retail Media Networks[00:31:05] Ricardo Belmar: So one of the other big trends that we're talking about this season on our show are retail media networks. We've, dedicated an episode on it. I was just at the grocery shop event and that was a huge, huge trend there as well.[00:31:17] So I'm curious, what, what's your recommendation for brands around you know, whether it's with the marketplaces that they may be new to or as they're getting into stores and, and wholesale agreements there? How are you advising DTC brands around retail media networks?[00:31:31] Polly Wong: You know, it's interesting. I don't think that we'll see D to C brands leverage their own assets and their own impressions and their own emails and their own social for advertising income and revenue. Because D to C brands usually are not big enough to actually make it worthwhile to suddenly open up their own assets for advertising, but certainly as it relates to the really large retailers and the real large marketplaces, I don't know why you wouldn't choose to advertise there.[00:32:01] You know, in order to make that advertising work, those platforms have to offer the level of targeting and segmentation that will drive the performance to justify the CPMs and the media spend. Why would you not test it? I mean one, I think really positive quality of DTC brands is that usually they're willing to test anything.[00:32:19] And I think in this case, not only why would you not test it and consider it, as long as you know that your target consumer is there from a sociodemographic profile perspective. But in some cases, if you are going to play, for example, on the marketplaces, you have to buy media on the marketplaces. It's not like if you build that, they will come.[00:32:37] You've gotta have the advertising dollars to actually support your sales on the marketing place on the marketplace.[00:32:42] Casey Golden: for a lot of our listeners. I'm sure they've been nodding their heads as as you speak. There's a lot of question marks though still [00:32:49] for anybody who hasn't been looking at their, their media spend in this way. What should brands be looking at a D to C or D to C brands? Be looking at a media spend breakdown.[00:33:01] You know, what portion are you seeing more of a trend? Because we see it's so scary to move a portion of your business over to something new, even if it's starting to break, There's what are, what do you see more as a breakdown? Just so people can go ahead and make the shift and just close their eyes and go[00:33:21] Polly Wong: Yeah. large brands that we see, large brands and retailers that we see doing well, that are significant in size and have e-commerce and have stores, they've really shifted to almost a 40, 40 20 marketing mix where 40% of their spend is digital marketing. 40% is offline, which could include actually tv, radio, print, out of home media.[00:33:47] And then 20% is really PR partnerships, sponsorships, influencers, you know, things around content and community. So, You know, to 40% across the digital channels, 40% across all kind of other, you know non-digital channels. And then what's really encouraging to see and smaller brands can't afford often to spend, you know, top of funnel.[00:34:12] But as a matter of fact, high growth brands do spend top of funnel. And so you'll see the. Companies are beginning to carve out 10 to 20% of their spend. So they get the pr, they get the influencers, they get the sponsorships and the partnerships that allows them to build community.[00:34:27] Launching Direct Mail[00:34:27] Casey Golden: So if there's a, if there's a direct to consumer brand right now that's listening what's the ballpark range they'd need to be? Looking at for budgeting to launch a campaign a, a direct mail campaign.[00:34:40] Polly Wong: Okay. Well, I thought you were gonna ask a bigger picture question. What percent of top line revenue do you have to spend high growth, emerging brands are spending, you know, 20 to 25% of top line revenue on marketing. Mature businesses spend closer to 10 to 15% of top line revenue on marketing and big retailers and wholesale brands might only spend, you know, six to 10% of their top line revenue on marketing.[00:35:10] But definitely if you're an emerging DTC brand today, you're definitely spending 20 to 25% of your top line revenue. So for every hundred dollars, you're spending 20 to 25 dollars. To get that. So just in terms of what you have to spend as an emerging brand to get traction. Absolutely. If you think you can build a brand from scratch that's spending, you know, $10 on the a hundred dollars, it'll never happen.[00:35:34] Unfortunately, those days are, are past us in terms of, you know, really testing print, well here at Ballardi Wong, we only, you know, we run the largest, you know, Scalable, sophisticated programs in the country. So we don't do anything small, cheaper, schlossky. So we're, we're a little bit more on the premium side here . Really to get.[00:35:52] A solid proof of concept with all of the industry best practices in place for both CRM and acquisition. You're looking at about a 75 to a hundred thousand dollars test in print and we've launched over 250 DTC brands into the mail successfully. And even little baby ones with a few thousand customers and they're all spending that much money.[00:36:11] So on their first campaign still less expensive, you know, still half as much as a three week TV campaign. So,[00:36:18] Casey Golden: mean hey, I mean, I mean that could just be one post by a tick, a certain, a couple TikTok influencers too. So, I [00:36:25] mean, you [00:36:26] know, [00:36:26] Polly Wong: That's the, you know, here's the ironic thing. You can put a beautiful full size catalog in front of a consumer for 85 cents. Your cost per click nowadays is, you know, two or $3. So the thing that's really crazy is that you can mail. 4, 5, 6 catalogs to a highly targeted audience for the cost of one click.[00:36:47] So I think that that's, you know, it seems expensive, but actually, quality touch, yes, it's [00:36:54] Casey Golden: I agree. And it's really just being able to say like, instead of spending that hundred k, the 200,000 on this, let's just go ahead and move it over here and run a test. Because I think everything that you've really kind of ran through through this conversation and what you guys are doing is just, it's, it's incredibly compelling. And it's a lot of things that potentially these customer bases or the brands are just not as familiar with because they don't have a lot of seasoned retailers in their company orgs. And so a lot of it, we see somebody doing something or like, you really only have one product. Like you do realize that there's like issues with this who gave you. You know, and then now those [00:37:43] conversations [00:37:44] Polly Wong: think, well, you know what's gonna be really interesting to see is that it's not gonna be very easy. We're already finding this. We actually do due diligence on D to C transactions because of all of our experience at Belardi Wong. And not this summer, but last summer we worked on six transactions, and this summer we didn't work on any transactions.[00:38:03] I think very quickly. It's going to be a very tough landscape for raising dollars at this moment in time. And already the industry has become a little bit weary because some of the evaluations and the losses that have happened over the last couple of years. And so I think companies are gonna have to be scrappier and smarter because it's not gonna be so easy to get someone to give you, you know, 20, $30 million just like that. [00:38:25] Casey Golden: Yeah. no, I mean yeah, I think it's great. I mean, I, I think that this is, I'm really excited to see some comments once this kind of goes, gets pushed out because I know that this is gonna be some new content that they haven't really thought about as even an option think it's [00:38:39] Using Influencers [00:38:39] Ricardo Belmar: I I, do wanna go back to one thing that you mentioned in the 40 40 20 split where you had in that 20%, you know, kind of lump together in, in pr, things like influencers, and that tends to get a lot of attention. Around, you know, what brands are spending with influencers and how they're using them.[00:38:56] Are they on TikTok yet? What? are you seeing there that's actually successful?[00:39:01] Polly Wong: You know, the truth is, is that for most clients you know, influencers can reach a small target community. But we haven't seen for most clients a huge amount of scale unless you're willing to spend, a few hundred thousand dollars, with an influencer who really has significant reach and real influence on what consumers are buying.[00:39:25] We just haven't found that for most of our clients, that actually influencers can drive any kind of sustainable scale. So maybe you pay a lot of money and you know, Mary Jane, the influencer does a series of posts maybe over two weeks about some of your new product. Maybe you get a momentary surge in sales, but it's not sustainable and you can't continue to spend those kinds of dollars for those really high touch posts. And so the one challenge that we do find with influencer marketing is it takes a lot of leg work to implement and it is often not truly scalable. It's also kind of interesting to see what's going on on TikTok, because definitely, you know, that that cut meta spend is shifting to TikTok. But TikTok is also hard to measure for the same reasons that it's hard to measure meta, right? Because of platform changes and challenges. And for the most part, because it's hard to measure the return on ad spend, on TikTok, it tends to be a top of funnel channel. Well, I can tell you that in a recession the money for top of funnel marketing is going to dry up very quickly.[00:40:37] And so you're gonna be focused on those channels that can drive real performance and ROAS because you just don't have enough funding to, to, to, to spend on those top channels. So it'll be really interesting to see, over the next six months how advertising dollars shift around. I usually feel pretty comfortable giving my predictions for retail sales and e-commerce sales, but honestly, at this point, just hand me an ball. I have [00:41:01] Ricardo Belmar: I think that's where [00:41:02] Polly Wong: I'm gonna continue to be I'm gonna continue to cross my fingers and my toes and hope that at least for our clients, that affluent consumers are still spending [00:41:09] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. And so, so on what you just said, right around top of funnel and those, is there an argument to be made that if you're going to spend on influencers or TikTok, that you're, you might wanna save that for when you have a new product launch versus just trying to drive sales of an existing product? [00:41:27] Polly Wong: Absolutely. It's not something [00:41:29] Ricardo Belmar: Right. Because you scale it right [00:41:31] Polly Wong: you're gonna turn it on. You can't, you're gonna, you're gonna turn it on maybe three or four times. You know, in the world of retail, we think about five seasons winter. Spring, summer, fall, and holiday. And so you're really going to lean in just a few weeks of each season into your influencer marketing and that spend and really, lean into your peak sales curve to drive those new product sales and to get that reach.[00:41:55] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah. If that makes sense. That makes complete sense. So, so last question for you Polly, and if, someone were to come and ask you right now, what's your top recommendation when you think about growth strategies for a DTC brand, what would you tell 'em?[00:42:07] Polly Wong: Considering the economic uncertainty, the headwinds and the rising costs across the entire p and l, I would say that my top two recommendations are to one, lean into crm. Make sure that you're activating all five channels targeting your existing customer base, and then two, Because you're targeting your existing customers, continue to focus on your product category expansion, you know, what is your range of product across categories and price points.[00:42:37] Consumers may start spending down they may be more value focused than ever. So, you know, what is your good, better, best merchandise strategy, right? Not only are you adding simple things like more color skews to your long sleeve t-shirt, but you know, is there a good, better, best strategy for your product?[00:42:53] Motorcycle clients we've have worked with have done this extremely well. There's a good, better, best motorcycle helmet and the best one has got bluetooth and all kinds of fun things in it. And in, in addition to keeping your, your, your head safe. So definitely I think, leaning into your customer file is a tremendous, profitable asset.[00:43:11] And then just giving existing customers more to buy. I do think there's plenty of time to lean into new customer acquisi. You know, as we begin to see some of the, the economic uncertainty clear up, hopefully by spring, I actually am quite confident that I do think things will level out and I think we'll be back sailing along by spring of 2023 is, is my hope.[00:43:33] So fingers crossed. [00:43:34] Ricardo Belmar: I think you maybe, may be right about that. And it kind of says that if I kind of read into, the two areas you highlighted for a lot of DTC brands, there's probably some new hires they need to look for to help them with those strategies, particularly around merchandising those new products.[00:43:47] Products like you talked about earlier.[00:43:49] Polly Wong: Absolutely. Absolutely. I think you have to, and also to pay attention to the competition. You know, it's amazing to me. I think brands do tend to be inwardly focused and. You know, maybe now people will have the time and to kind of step back and say, how does my assortment look compared to my competitors?[00:44:06] What are my price points? What are my size ranges? What are my number of colors? You know what is my returns policy? You know, how do I stand up against the competition? Everybody's gonna have to just be a little bit smarter. [00:44:16] Ricardo Belmar: I think that's another great point. I mean, I, even on for traditional retailers, I, I can't count how many times in the past I've been in, in a room with retailers and asked them, Well, when was the last time you walked one of your competitors' stores to see what they were doing? you know, I, I, I don't know sometimes whether I wanted to laugh or cry at the fact that they were just crickets in the room and nobody responded when I asked that question.[00:44:38] so there's definitely some truth to that.[00:44:40] Polly Wong: Absolutely. [00:44:43] Ricardo Belmar: Well, thank you So [00:44:44] discuss. I'm probably gonna go down as one of the, our, our most commented episodes with so much in good information and, and advice and I think really unique details that you've helped surface here for, for DTC brands as they grow into, I would call becoming a, full channel retailer in a sense.[00:45:03] and really didn't, know, cover a lot of ground around making old media, new media, like we started to talk about earlier.[00:45:09] Polly Wong: Great. Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been fun this afternoon to connect with you and I, I hope you both have a, a lovely fall season.[00:45:16] Casey Golden: Definitely. For our listeners who have been furiously taking notes during this episode, what's the best reach way for them to reach out to you or follow your company?[00:45:26] Polly Wong: Yeah, obviously we're on the social channels, but if you wanna reach out through the contact us page at Belardi Wong, if you would like to talk to me directly or have any questions or comments for me directly, I know that they'll, they'll make their way to me and I'm always happy to chat and connect.[00:45:39] Casey Golden: Great.[00:45:40] Ricardo Belmar: Well, thank you again, Polly, for joining us. We hope to have you back soon.[00:45:43] Polly Wong: Thank you so much. Have a great one.[00:45:45] Casey Golden: You too. That's a wrap, Ricardo.[00:45:48] Show Closing[00:45:48] Casey Golden: We hope you enjoyed our show and we can't ask you enough to please give us a five star rating and review on apple podcast to help us grow and bring you more great episodes. If you don't wanna miss a minute of what's next, be sure to smash that subscribe button in your favorite podcast player. And don't forget to check out our show notes for handy links and more deets. I'm your host, Casey Golden. [00:46:18] Ricardo Belmar: And if you'd like to learn more about the two of us, follow us on Twitter at Casey c golden and Ricardo underscore Belmar, or find us on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow the show on LinkedIn and Twitter at retail razor. Plus our YouTube channel for videos of each episode and bonus content. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:46:35] Casey Golden: Thanks for joining us.[00:46:36] Ricardo Belmar: And remember, there's never been a better time to be in retail. If you cut through the clutter until next time, this is the retail razor show. 

Imagine yourself on a vacation - the vacation you've always wanted after so many hard days of work expecting all the good stuff - good food, great friends, and a relaxing evening out. Then all of a sudden, an unknown incident happens that causes a major injury to you. A care-free vacation that turns into a disaster. Elana Frankel is the founder of indigonandhaze.com, author of the book,  “Women and Weed”, and the editor-in-chief of the magazine, “Women and Weed”. To name a few, she worked for One Kings Lane as a creative director, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, The New York Times, WSJ/Off Duty, New York Magazine and Oprah. Above all these, she is also a mother of two. On this episode of Good Dudes Grow, Gary and Elana talked about the traumatic incident which led to a brain injury that happened to Elana when she was on a vacation and how cannabis helped her to get back on her feet. Listen in for an episode that will demystify the therapeutic effects of cannabis.  What You'll Learn: How CBD became the alternative medication for Elana's injuries and how it differs with the other medications in terms of effectiveness and rapidness of it to take effect What were the things Elana did to change her thoughts about using CBD to treat her brain injury and how it change the way she looks at cannabis now What are the things Elana is up to now - and how the incident influenced the stuff she's been doing these days on magazine directing and as a yoga / meditation teacher And much more! Favorite Quote: “The plant is really about a holistic approach to living. So what I love about  being a yoga and meditation teacher as well as a cannabis advocate is that if you change your lifestyle and include the plant, you'll  see even more faster major changes and that the plant combination is beautiful. There are so many times that I have combined CBD and meditation classes and the people just leave completely shifted and changed.” Elana Frankel Connect with Elana:   “Women and Weed” book on Amazon  www.indigonandhaze.com How to get involved:  Gary Roberts, the host of the Good Dudes Grow podcast, is the founder and CEO of Pure Body Zen, a company based not only around creating and selling high-quality CBD products, but one that is on a mission to change the landscape on how mental health and addiction are treated. Gary has founded a non-profit called Promises Recovery Centers for those who need it as well as created the first-ever educational training facility for Physicians, Therapists, and Mental Health advocates using innovative therapeutics like psilocybin, Mdma, and LSD. You can learn more about Pure Body Zen on their site, on LinkedIn, and on Instagram. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to visit the show on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review! We love hearing from you! — We bring unbiased content educating you about Hemp CBD, Cannabis, and Innovative Therapeutics like Psychedelics. Helping people understand the benefits of Hemp CBD, Cannabis, and Psychedelics, removing the fear of the unknown, dispelling myths, and presenting facts. Are you unsure about Hemp-Derived CBD, Cannabis, and Psychedelics but are interested in learning more about the benefits of this alternative solution to big pharma? We will step out into the unknown to have a clear understanding of what is and isn't possible with Plant-Base Medicine and breakthrough therapies using Psychedelics through success stories about health, business, and more.   Are you unsure about Hemp-Derived CBD, Cannabis, and Psychedelics but are interested in learning more about the benefits of this alternative solution to big pharma? We will step out into the unknown to have a clear understanding of what is and isn't possible with Plant-Base Medicine and breakthrough therapies using Psychedelics through success stories about health, business, and more.

How is your sex drive? Just because you are over 40, does it means no more sex? Definitely not, just because you are getting older does not mean that you have to say goodbye to sex. In fact, sex not only helps us with pleasure and getting shots of dopamine, but it also has some impactful health benefits both for our mind and body. And this has nothing to do with our age. Our sexual desires are not supposed to fade away just because we are aging.   If you find that your libido is sinking, or perhaps because of perimenopause you find your hormones have made intercourse painful, then cannabis or CBD can potentially help.  Cannabis is an anti-inflammatory and contains hundreds of cannabinoids that can help with relaxing the body and mind.   This powerful plant medicine is not just about getting stoned.  It has medicinal properties to help your Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and relieve many health issues like pain, anxiety, stress, low libido, and more.   In this episode, integrative cannabis physician Dr June Chin and author of Women+Weed Elana Frankel talk about how cannabis and CBD can help you get your sexy back.     Snapshot of the Key Points from the Episode: [01:42] Dr. June and Elana explain how cannabis and CBD can help women and sexual health issues [03:08] Dr. June Chin and Elana talks about how a woman can actually ingest CBD or THC for maximum pleasure. They also explainwhat happens when a woman takes CBD, THC or a combination of both. [06:59] Elana and Dr. June elaborate to who CBD is ideal for [08:51] Dr. June and Elana talk about the effectiveness of CBD for women compared to men [11:14] Dr. June and Elana explain if there are specific CBD products in the market just for sex. How to use CBD if you are allergic? [12:55] Dr June and Elana talk about a number of ways a woman can use CBD to be sexually active again. About Dr. June Chin and Elana Frankel Dr. June Chin has specialized in integrative medicine for almost 20 years. Dr. Chin founded and operated seven bicoastal integrative medicine clinics. She has a unique perspective on cannabis-based therapies that incorporates the lessons of data science, crowd-sourced experiential knowledge, and individualized treatment strategies.  Through her work as a co-founder and advisor of several cannabis start-up companies, consultant for industry leadership, speaker at conferences internationally, and author, she has created medical cannabis protocols for the industry and internationally accepted methods for cannabinoid formulations, research, education, and training programs.  She is currently teaching Cannabis Health and Science Course at Syracuse University and was recently appointed to the Advisory Board for the New York State Governor's Office of Cannabis Management.  Dr. June created the digital course with Modern Aging - Medical Cannabis and CBD For Women's Health in 2021. Her training includes Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in California, Medical Acupuncture at Harvard University, and research at Columbia University, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Women's Health. Her work has been featured in Forbes, LA Times, CNN, and Good Morning America, among others. The book she co-authored, Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness, was published in June 2019.  Elana Frankel has been working above the ground in the Cannabis industry for the past seven years. She started an e-commerce business, Indigo and Haze; developed product; founded the magazine Women and Weed; authored a book with the same title; serves as Chief Growth Officer for MedialCannabisMentor.com; produces documentaries; writes freelance for various publications; volunteers for the Oregon Cannabis Commission, health equity sub-committee member; consults regularly for companies who value creativity; teaches yoga and meditation with a focs on Cannabis; and even worked as a dispensary associate (at the height of Covid) for Curaleaf, Hudson Valley.  Elana has been featured in the media, including CNN and The New York Times, and on various podcasts. Her writing has appeared in the WSJ/Off Duty, Cannigma.com, Architectural Digest, NY Magazine, and House Beautiful, to name a few. She has been an editor at Martha Stewart Living and served as VP. She was taking care of the creatives at One Kings Lane for over 5 years, when the company was still a start-up, developing the brand, voice, and visual identity.   How to Connect with Dr. June Chin: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-june-chin-77bbb1140/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drjunechin/?hl=en Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MedLeafRx/ Website - https://www.medleafrx.com/ www.CBDwomenhealth.co   How to Connect with Elana Frankel: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elanafrankel/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elanafrankel/?hl=en About Risa Morimoto -  Founder and CEO of Modern Aging, Risa is a certified integrative nutrition health coach. She is passionate about ensuring people live the second half of their life feeling strong, fulfilled, and empowered. Though Risa is the host of the Modern Aging YouTube Channel, she has spent most of her career behind the camera as a producer and director of documentaries (Wings of Defeat, Broken Harmony: China's Dissidents) and TV (HGTV – House Hunters International, Selling NY, Animal Planet, A&E).  Through Modern Aging, she deep dives and shares her findings on alternative, global approaches to holistic health and wellness.    How to Connect Risa Morimoto: Website - https://thisismodernaging.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisismodernaging/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_W2CNqJ6kJr5enV3gfZ-sw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thisismodernaging/

Many people take lack of sleep as a normal disorder, but they don't know the causes and how to cure it. Insomnia is persistent, and an absence of sleep can lead to severe mental and physical ailments. Many have opted for different methods to help them curb their lack of sleep, like the use of alcohol. But did you know Cannabis or CBD is the best option for this defect? Cannabis and CBD have incredible healing power and can potentially provide relief and enhance your overall well-being. Because of information overload and not knowing whom to trust, people are still confused and overwhelmed about cannabis. But, with many individuals getting trained on medical cannabis and CBD, it is slowly gaining popularity. Physicians are integrating cannabis and CBD to cure various health issues, like severe pain, anxiousness, depression, stress, perimenopause, and so much more. People are getting more aware of its potential medicinal benefits, which have assisted thousands of individuals suffering from various ailments. Subsequently, physicians are recognizing the amazing health advantages cannabis and CBD provide.  In this episode, Dr. June Chin and Elana Frankel talk about how cannabis and CBD can help us get better sleep and the ways we can improve our sleep hygiene.   Snapshot of the Key Points from the Episode: [03:22] Dr. June talks about some reasons why people lack sleep. She also explains the importance of exercising when you wake up. [04:32 ]Elana and Dr. June talks about the importance of Cannabis when having sleep issues [05:02] Elana talks about breathwork - She explains the best time to take breathwork and how it helps you cure your health issues. Elana also recommends some breathwork. [06:57] Dr. June explains what CBD does physiologically in your body to enhance relaxation and have the best sleep [08:05] Dr. June and Elana explain the effectiveness of CBD - Its impact when taken daily. Why hormonal variation impacts the efficacy of CBD? At what point should a person reach their health status to be recommended CBD? [10:40] Elana talks about the importance of reading the ingredients and researching third-party products before consuming them. [11:47] Dr. June talks about the effectiveness of CBN compared to CBD and THC. How many doses of CBN should you be taking? For people who are already taking prescription medicines or alcohol to try to help them sleep, how do they integrate Cannabis? Elana explains how consuming alcohol before sleeping affects your health and sleep disruption. [15:00] Dr. June expounds on the recommendation of stacking, how many doses one should take, and how much is recommended at the starting point. [17:00] Elana and Dr. June explains the strains of THC. How taking planned medicine can help you cooperate with a holistic lifestyle? [21:34] Dr. June and Elana explain the effects of cannabis on women compared to men. Why did they decide to focus on women's health specifically?   About Dr. June Chin and Elana Frankel - Dr. Junella Chin has specialized in integrative medicine for almost 20 years. Dr. Chin founded and operated seven bicoastal integrative medicine clinics. She has a unique perspective on cannabis-based therapies that incorporates the lessons of data science, crowd-sourced experiential knowledge, and individualized treatment strategies.  Through her work as a co-founder and advisor of several cannabis start-up companies, consultant for industry leadership, speaker at conferences internationally, and author, she has created medical cannabis protocols for the industry and internationally accepted methods for cannabinoid formulations, research, education, and training programs.  She is currently teaching Cannabis Health and Science Course at Syracuse University and was recently appointed to the Advisory Board for the New York State Governor's Office of Cannabis Management.  Dr. June created the digital course with Modern Aging - Medical Cannabis and CBD For Women's Health in 2021. Her training includes Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine in California, Medical Acupuncture at Harvard University, and research at Columbia University, Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Women's Health. Her work has been featured in Forbes, LA Times, CNN, and Good Morning America, among others. The book she co-authored, Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness, was published in June 2019.  On the other hand, Elana Frankel has been working above the ground in the Cannabis industry for the past seven years. She started an e-commerce business, Indigo and Haze; developed product; founded the magazine Women and Weed; authored a book with the same title; serves as Chief Growth Officer for MedialCannabisMentor.com; produces documentaries; writes freelance for various publications; volunteers for the Oregon Cannabis Commission, health equity sub-committee member; consults regularly for companies who value creativity; teaches yoga and meditation with a focus on Cannabis; and even worked as a dispensary associate (at the height of Covid) for Curaleaf, Hudson Valley.  Elana has been featured in the media, including CNN and The New York Times, and on various podcasts. Her writing has appeared in the WSJ/Off Duty, Cannigma.com, Architectural Digest, NY Magazine, and House Beautiful, to name a few. She has been an editor at Martha Stewart Living and served as VP. She was taking care of the creatives at One Kings Lane for over 5 years, when the company was still a start-up, developing the brand, voice, and visual identity.   How to Connect with Dr. June Chin: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-june-chin-77bbb1140/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drjunechin/?hl=en Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MedLeafRx/ Website - https://www.medleafrx.com/ www.CBDwomenhealth.co How to Connect with Elana Frankel: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elanafrankel/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/elanafrankel/?hl=en   About Risa Morimoto -  Founder and CEO of Modern Aging. She is a certified integrative nutritional health coach. She is passionate about ensuring people live the second half of their life feeling strong, fulfilled, and empowered. Though she is the host of the Modern Aging YouTube Channel, but she have spent most of her career behind the camera as a producer and director of documentaries (Wings of Defeat, Broken Harmony: China's Dissidents) and TV (HGTV – House Hunters International, Selling NY, Animal Planet, A&E). Through Modern Aging, she deep dives and shares her findings on alternative, global approaches to holistic health and wellness.    How to Connect Risa Morimoto: Website - https://thisismodernaging.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thisismodernaging/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_W2CNqJ6kJr5enV3gfZ-sw Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thisismodernaging

This Cancer Survivor Story Will Bring You To Tears (and Joy), with Complex Creatures President and Co-Founder, Tara Elmore—Do Doctors Always Know Best?  When it comes to merging Eastern and Western medical approaches, where's the gap and how can we merge them? In the West, we're accustomed to receiving chemotherapy and radiation as treatments provided by our Oncologists, Radiologists and medical teams — but is there a better way, and what if there was more to help us? Tara Elmore talks authentically and honestly about her journey going through Breast Cancer treatment upon her 5-year cancer-free remission mark and on the mishaps and holes in post-cancer care, and what led her to co-found the start-up of her sisterly co-founded company, Complex Creatures.Complex Creatures' Mission: The way we take care of — or rather don't take care of — our breasts.About our guest, Tara Elmore:Having cancer was the most unexpected gift and completely transformed me. I've always been a seeker in pursuit of understanding and connection, which began behind the camera. Over the last 15+ years I've led photo departments at One Kings Lane, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Architectural Digest, and ELLE DECOR. I love and excel at building teams and processes. On the other side of cancer,  I've sought out cutting edge research and the leading practitioners to support my own wellness. I want Complex Creatures to be the trusted resource that didn't exist for me.Website:WeAreComplexCreatures.comIG@complex__creatures—About the Host: Sara Quiriconi is an actress, artist, entrepreneur and creative storyteller, inspired and driven to empower others to be resilient, never settle, live well and live free. https://neversettle.club/http://livefreewarrior.com/https://www.instagram.com/livefreewarrior/https://www.youtube.com/c/LiveFreeWarriorSupport the show

This episode was originally released on June 16, 2021.Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove, a new lifestyle destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages their audience as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations.In this episode, Nada sits down with Susan Feldman to discuss her passion for helping women age confidently and stylishly, specifically women over 50. Susan's mantra, “Stay young at heart,” is reflected in becoming the co-founder of One Kings Lane at 53 and launching again in her 60s with In The Groove. She shares the differences between starting these two businesses and the lessons she learned along the way. Susan points out that our outlook on entrepreneurship shouldn't focus on reinventing ourselves, but instead on a new iteration of who we already are. “Keep it simple and stay focused,” says Susan, “your idea, your business doesn't need to be complicated!” Wiser words were never spoken!You can learn more about Susan and In The Groove by visiting In The Groove's website. You can follow @getinthegroove1 on Instagram and Facebook. Please follow us at @thisislibertyroad on Instagram--that's where we hang out the most. And please rate and review us —it helps to know if this podcast is inspiring and equipping you to launch and grow your ventures.

This week on the We Are Made Podcast, Imani is joined by New York based photographer Frank Frances. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, Frank always knew his destiny would include art. After working for One Kings Lane for 10 years, he set out to further explore his interest in home & interior photography. His work has been featured in AD Magazine, Elle Decor and Martha Stewart Living, he has since released his first book Remember the South in 2020. Shaped by his roots, Frank uses his experience as fuel for his creative narratives. Finding solace in elements of home, light and new beginnings. Introducing this week's origin story, Frank Frances. Find Frank and his work by clicking here. About We Are Made Studios: We Are Made Studios is a media company that serves as a gathering place for black voices, stories and their work. Created for people of color to be seen. We offer a variety of supportive tools, gatherings, & series that cater to all aspects of black life. Produced by We Are Made Radio. Subscribe: Instagram: www.instagram.com/wearemadestudios/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/wearemadestudio --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Elana Frankel, Entrepreneur and Chief Creative Officer, Indigo + Haze Elana Frankel has been working in the cannabis industry for 10+ years. She started a home grow garden club; an e-commerce business, Indigo and Haze; developed product; founded the magazine Women and Weed; authored a book with the same title; serves as Chief Growth Officer for MedialCannabisMentor.com; produces documentaries; writes freelance for various publications; volunteers for the Oregon Cannabis Commission, health equity sub-committee member; consults regularly for companies who value creativity; teaches yoga and meditation with a focus on cannabis; and even worked as a dispensary associate (at the height of Covid). Elana has been featured in the media, including CNN and The New York Times, and on various pod casts. Her writing has appeared in the WSJ/Off Duty, Architectural Digest, NY Magazine and House Beautiful. She has been an editor at Martha Stewart Living and served as VP, creative at One Kings Lane for more than 5 years, when the company was still a start-up, developing the brand, voice and visual identity. http://indigoandhaze.com @indigoandhaze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Feldman is my women in business role model. She is focused on fashion, fun, and feeling young at every age. Creator of One Kings Lane (which she sold to Bed Bath and Beyond) and In The Groove www.getinthegroove.com Susan is one step ahead of meeting a missing market niche. So cool to know her and to have her as a guide of what can be!

Today's guest, New York-based interior designer Lilse McKenna creates homes that are rooted in tradition and tailored to reflect each client's personality and lifestyle. Prior to establishing her firm, Lilse worked for esteemed interior designers Lindsey Coral Harper and Markham Roberts. She credits both designers for teaching her not only the art of decorating residential interiors but also the skills required to execute projects of all sizes in a timely and organized fashion. Layered in various furniture styles, patterns, and textures, Lilse's interiors provide her clients lasting sophistication and comfort. Lilse has been featured in House Beautiful, Real Simple Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and One Kings Lane, among others. We know you'll enjoy this conversation! It's one you'll want to share with a friend! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/howdshedothat/support

Hi everyone! Welcome to episode # 26 of the Art of Hosting Podcast. I'm your host Mary Amaechi and in today's episode, I'll share six things that you should know before and as you work with an interior designer.One of the most significant things that keep people from working with an interior designer is “not fully understanding what it means to work with an interior designer.” Working with an interior designer can be a significant turning point in transforming your home into a stunning reality. But, where do you start? How much will it cost? How do you initiate this design process? Here are 6 things you need to know before and as you work with an interior designer. Be able to describe your scope of work. Find Out How much It Will CostMake Sure that Billing and Design procedures are clarifiedCreate a Vision BoardCommunicate What Furniture Pieces Need to StayKeep an Open MindLinks Mentioned ….One Kings Lane. (2022). How to Work With an Interior Designer. Retrieved from https://www.onekingslane.com/live-love-home/how-to-work-with-an-interior-designer/. Hunter. (2015). What Is a Moodboard and how to Create One? Interior Style Hunter. Retrieved from https://interiorstylehunter.com/what-is-a-moodboard-and-how-to-create-one/. Frederick, L. (2018). How to Work With an Interior Designer. Houzz. Retrieved from https://www.houzz.com/magazine/how-to-work-with-an-interior-designer-stsetivw-vs~3293842. 

Our guest today is interior designer Jeremy Clark based out of Birmingham and Nashville. He is the founder of Jeremy D. Clark Studio; a full-service design studio specializing in luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality projects from coast to coast. His timeless style has been featured in Veranda, Southern Living, One Kings Lane, and a variety of lifestyle blogs and publications. A relatively new designer, what Jeremy lacks in experience he certainly does not lack in style and sophistication! We talk about his layered approach to colors and patterns, his love of painted floors, his tips for tablescapes, and more! What You'll Hear on This Episode: How did Jeremy get started in design? Which designers have influenced Jeremy? How does Jeremy incorporate so many layers and colors while staying neutral? More about Jeremy's Birmingham Showhouse project. When is a good time for a canopy bed? Jeremy walks us through the Nashville Condo project. Find ideas on Jeremy's Shop section of his website. Jeremy's tablescapes work in Veranda and his tips for decorating. What colors does Jeremy gravitate to? All about Jeremy's use of trim, textures, and patterns. Why Jeremy loves painted floors and how to use them right. Decorating Dilemma  Hi Liza, First of all, we are so sorry for your loss. We are going to help make this space awesome for you. You have great pieces and your space is so charming. You said the floors were beat up, but I think they fit the 1920s bungalow vibe. In terms of art, I think we should take away the petal motif above the already decorative mantle and add something simple instead. Let's keep that circular mirror there and add the art above the sideboard. While the Zoe Table is wonderful, for your specific space I would recommend a sleek, nesting coffee table that can be multi-functional. I love mismatching chairs, personally, so I would scour Facebook Marketplace for something that's patterned but still neutral so it doesn't compete with what you have. You already have lots of warm tones and wood, but to make this space even cozier I would have sofa pillows with more contrast. If you wanted to add some woven wooden shades on the windows next to the fireplace that could be really cozy. A buffet lamp just when you walk in could also add a nice, warm glow. I would also add another piece of art above the art over the sideboard to draw the eye up. Lastly, if you're in a good space to do this, some personal pictures could also be a nice way to showcase your memories. You have already done such an amazing job…and on a budget! This space looks luxurious! Mentioned in This Episode: Jeremy D. Clark Studio Jeremy Clark on Instagram Ashley Whittaker Jeffrey Bilhuber Chris Pearson Floors

About AmyAmy (she/her) has spent the better part of the last 15 years in the tech start-up world, starting off as a front-end software engineer before transitioning into leadership. She has built and led teams across the software and product development spectrum, including web and mobile development, QA, operations and infrastructure, customer support, and IT.These days, Amy is building the software engineering team at EdTech startup, Unicycle, and challenging the archetype of what a tech leader should be. She strives to be a real-life success story for other leaders who believe that safe, welcoming, and equitable environments can exist in tech. Links: Unicycle: https://www.unicycle.co AmyChanta: https://twitter.com/AmyChanta TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: This episode is sponsored by our friends at Oracle Cloud. Counting the pennies, but still dreaming of deploying apps instead of "Hello, World" demos? Allow me to introduce you to Oracle's Always Free tier. It provides over 20 free services and infrastructure, networking databases, observability, management, and security.And - let me be clear here - it's actually free. There's no surprise billing until you intentionally and proactively upgrade your account. This means you can provision a virtual machine instance or spin up an autonomous database that manages itself all while gaining the networking load, balancing and storage resources that somehow never quite make it into most free tiers needed to support the application that you want to build. With Always Free you can do things like run small scale applications, or do proof of concept testing without spending a dime. You know that I always like to put asterisks next to the word free. This is actually free. No asterisk. Start now. Visit https://snark.cloud/oci-free that's https://snark.cloud/oci-free.Corey: Writing ad copy to fit into a 30 second slot is hard, but if anyone can do it the folks at Quali can. Just like their Torque infrastructure automation platform can deliver complex application environments anytime, anywhere, in just seconds instead of hours, days or weeks. Visit Qtorque.io today and learn how you can spin up application environments in about the same amount of time it took you to listen to this ad.Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. A famous quote was once uttered by Irena Dunn who said, “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.” Now, apparently at some point, people just, you know, looked at the fish without a bicycle thing, thought, “That was overwrought. We can do a startup and MVP it. Why do two wheels? We're going to go with one.”And I assume that's the origin story of Unicycle. My guest today is Amy Chantasirivisal who is the Director of Engineering at Unicycle. Amy, thank you for putting up with that incredibly tortured opening. But that's okay; we torture metaphors to death here.Amy: [laugh]. Thank you for having me. That was a great intro.Corey: So, you are, at the time of this recording at least, a relatively new hire to Unicycle, which to my understanding is a relatively new company. What do you folks do over there?Amy: Yes, so Unicycle is not even a year old, so a company born out of the pandemic. But we are building a product to reimagine what the digital classroom looks like. The product itself was thought up right during a time during the pandemic when it became very clear how much students and teachers are struggling with converting their experience into online platforms. And so we are trying to just bring better workflows, more efficiency into that. And right now we're starting with email, but we'll be expanding to other things in the future.Corey: I am absolutely the wrong person to ask about a lot of this stuff, just because my academic background, tortured doesn't really begin to cover it. I handle academia about as well as I handled working for other people. My academic and professional careers before I started this place were basically a patchwork of nonsense and trying to pretend I was something other than I was. You, on the other hand, have very much been someone who's legitimate as far as what you do and how you do it. Before Unicycle, you were the Director of Engineering at Wildbit, which is a name I keep hearing about and a bunch of odd places. What did you do there?Amy: [laugh]. I will have to follow up and ask what the odd places are but—so I was leading a team there of engineers that were fully distributed across the US and also in Europe. And we were building an email product called Postmark, which some of your listeners might use, and then also a couple of other smaller things like People-First Jobs and Beanstalk—not AWS's Beanstalk, but a developer repository and workflow tool.Corey: Forget my listeners for a minute; I use Postmark. That's where I keep seeing you on the invoices because it's different branding. As someone who has The Duckbill Group, but also the Last Week in AWS things, it's the brand confusion problem is very real. That does it. Sorry. Thank you for collapsing the waveform on that one. And of course, before that you were at PagerDuty, which is a company that most folks in the ops space are aware of, founded to combat the engineer's true enemy: sleep.Amy: Absolutely. It's the product that engineers love to hate, but also can't live without, to some degree. Or maybe they want to live without it, but uh… [laugh] are not able to.Corey: So, I have a standing policy on this show of not talking to folks who are not wildly over-represented—as I am—and effectively disregarding the awesome stuff that they've done professionally in favor of instead talking about, “Wow, what's it like not to be a white guy in the room? I can't even imagine such a thing. It sounds hard.” However, in your case, an awful lot of the work you have done and are most proud of centers around DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tell me about that.Amy: Absolutely. I would say that it's the work that I've spent my time focusing on in recent years, but also that I'm still learning, right, and as someone who is Asian American, and also from a middle-class socioeconomic background, I have a bunch of privileges that I still have to unpack and that show up in the way that I work every day, as well. And so just acknowledging that, you know, while I spend a lot of time on DEI, still have just barely scratched the surface on it, really, in the grand scheme of things. But what I will say is that, you know, I've been really fortunate in my career in that I started in tech 15 or so years ago, and I started at a time when it wasn't super hard for someone who has no CS degree to actually get into some sort of coding job. And so I fell into my first role; I was building HTML and CSS landing pages for a marketing team, for an ISP that was based in San Francisco.So, I was cobbling together a bunch of technical skills, and I got better and better. And then I reached this point in my career where I didn't really have a lot of mentors, and so I was like, “I don't know what's next for me.” But then I am also frustrated that it is so hard for our team to get things done. And so I took it upon myself to figure out Scrum and project management type of stuff for my team, and then made the jump into people management from there. So, people management and leadership through project management.But when I look back on my career, I think about, “Oh, if I had a mentor, would that still have been my fate? Would I have continued down this track of becoming a very senior technical person and just doing that for my whole career?” Because letting go of the code was definitely a hard, hard thing. And I was lucky enough that I really did enjoy the people and the process side of all of this. And so [laugh] this relates to DEI in the fact that there's research and everything that backs this up, but that women and women of color generally tend to get less mentorship overall and get less actionable feedback about their job performance.And you think about how that potentially compounds over time, over the course of someone's career and that may be one of the reasons why women and people of color get pushed out of tech because they're not getting the support that they need, potentially. They're not getting feedback, they're not being advocated for in meetings, and then there's also all the stuff that you can add on around microaggressions, or just aggressions period, potentially, depending on the culture of the team that you're working on. And so all of those things compounded are the types of things that I think about now when I reflect on my own career and the types of teams that I want to be building in the future.Corey: Back when I was stumbling my way through piecing my career together. I mean, as mentioned, I don't have a degree; I don't have a high school diploma, as it turns out, and—that was a surprise when I discovered midway through my 20s that the school I had graduated from wasn't accredited—but I would tell stories, and I found ways to weasel my way through and I gave a talk right around 2015 or 2016, about, “Weasel Your Way to the Top: How to Handle a Job Interview,” and looking back, I would never give that talk again. I canceled it as soon as someone pointed out something that was only obvious in hindsight, that the talk was built out of things that had worked for me. And it's easy to sit here and say that, well, I had to work for what I have; none of this was handed to me. And there's an element of truth to that, except for the part where there was nothing fighting against me as I went.There was not this headwind of a presumed need for me to have to prove myself; I am presumed competent. I sometimes say that as a white guy in tech, my failure mode is a board seat and a book deal, and it's not that far from wrong. It takes, I guess, a lot of listening and a lot of interaction with folks from wildly different backgrounds before you start to see some of these things. It takes time. So, if you're listening to this, and you aren't necessarily convinced that this might be real or whatnot, talk less, listen more. There are a lot of stories out there in the world that I think that it's not my place to tell but listen. That's how I approach it.What's interesting about your pathway into management is it's almost the exact opposite of mine, where I was craving novelty, and okay, I wanted to try and managing a team of people. Years later, in hindsight—I'm not a good manager and I know that about myself, and I explicitly go out of my way these days to avoid managing people wherever possible, for a variety of reasons, but at the time, I didn't know. I didn't know that. I wanted to see how it went.First, I had to disabuse myself of this notion that, oh, management is a promotion. It's not. It's an orthogonal skill.Amy: Yes.Corey: The thing I really learning—management or not—now, is that the higher in the hierarchy you rise, if you want to view it that way, the less hands-on work you do, which means everything that you are responsible for that—and oh, you are responsible—isn't something you can jump in and do yourself. You can only impact the outcome via influence. And that was a hard lesson to learn.Amy: Right. And there are some schools of thought, though, where you can affect the outcome by control. And that's not what I'm about. I think I'm more aligned with what you're saying in terms of, it's really the influence and the ability to clear the way for people who are smarter than you to do the things that they need to do. Just get out of their way, and remove the roadblocks, and just help give them what they need. That's really, sort of like, my overall approach. But I know that there are some folks out there who lead the opposite way of, “It's my way, and I'm going to dictate how things should be done, and really you're here to take and follow orders.”Corey: It's always fun interviewing people to manage teams. “So, why do you want to be a manager?” It's, “Oh, I want to tell people what to do.” And I have to say that as an interviewer, there is nothing that takes the pressure off nearly as well as a perfectly wrong answer. And, yes, that at least to my world, is a perfectly wrong answer to this. There aren't that many pass-fail questions, but you can fail any question if you try hard enough.Amy: [laugh]. Oh, gosh, yeah, it's true. But also, at the same time, I would say that there are organizations that are built that way. Because—all it takes is the one person who wants to tell people what to do, and then they start a company, and then they hire other people who want to tell people what to do. And so there are ways where organizations like that exist and come into being even today, I would say.Corey: The question that I have for you about engineering leadership is, back when I was an engineer, and thinking, all right, it's time for me to go ahead and try being a manager—let's be clear, I joke about it, but the actual reason I wanted to try my hand at management was that I found people problems more interesting than computer problems at that point. I still do, but these days, especially when it comes to, you know, cloud services marketing and such, yeah, generally, the technical problems are, in fact, people problems at their core. But talking to my manager friends of how do I go and transition from being an engineer into being a manager, the universal response I got at the time was, “Ehh, I don't know.” Every person I knew who'd had made that transition was in the right place at the right time, and quote-unquote, “Got lucky.”Amy: Absolutely.Corey: And then once they had management on their resume, then they could go and transition back to being an IC and then to management again. But it's that initial breakthrough that becomes a challenge.Amy: Absolutely. And I fell into it as well. I mean, I got into it, partially for selfish reasons because I was, an IC, I was doing development work, and I was frustrated, and I had teammates who were coming to me and they were frustrated about how hard it was for us to get our work done, or the friction involved in shipping code. And so I took it upon myself to say, “I think I see a pattern about why this is happening, and so I will try to solve this problem for the team.” And so that's where the Agile and Scrum thing come in, and the project management side.And then, when I was at this company—this was One Kings Lane; this was, like, the heyday of flash sales websites and stuff like that, so it was kind of a rocket ship at that time—and because we were also growing so fast and I was interviewing folks as well, I just fell into this management role of, “Well, if I'm interviewing these people, then I guess I should be [laugh] managing them, too.” And that happens for so many people, similar stories of getting into management. And I think that's where it starts to go wrong for a lot of organizations because, like you said, it's not an up-leveling; it's a changing of your role, and it requires training and learning and figuring out how to be effective as a manager. And a lot of people just stumble their way through it and make a lot of mistakes—myself included—through that process.And that becomes really troubling knowing that you can make these really big mistakes, but these mistakes that you make don't affect just yourself. It's the careers of the people that you manage as well and sort of where they're headed in their lives. And so it's troubling to think that most leaders that are out there today have not received any sort of training on how to be a good manager and how to be effective as a manager.Corey: I would agree with that wholeheartedly. It seems that in many cases, companies take the best engineer that they have on their team and promote them to manager. It's brilliant in some respects in just how short-sighted it is. You are taking a great engineer and trading them for a junior and unproven manager, and hoping for the best. And there is no training on any of these things, at least—Amy: Right.Corey: —not the companies that I ever worked at. Of course, there are ways you can learn to be a better manager; there are people who specialize in exactly this. There are companies that do exactly this. But tech has this weird thing where it just tries to solve itself from first principles rather than believing for a minute that someone might possibly have prior experience that could be useful for these things. And—Amy: Absolutely.Corey: —that was a challenge. I had a lot of terrible managers before I entered management myself, and I figured, ah, I'll do the naive thing and I'm just going to manage based upon doing the exact opposite of what those terrible managers all did. And I got surprisingly far with it, on some level. But you don't see the whole picture when you're an individual contributor who's writing code—crappy in my case—most of the time, and then only seeing the aspects of your manager that they allow you to see. They don't share—if they're any good—the constraints that they have to deal with, that they're managing expectations around the team, conflicting priorities, strategic objectives, et cetera because it's not something that gets shown to folks. So—Amy: Absolutely.Corey: —if you bias for that, in my experience you become an empathetic manager to the people on your team, but completely ineffective at managing laterally or upwards.Amy: Mm-hm, absolutely. And you know, I'm exploring this idea of further. Being at a very small company, I think allows me to do that. And exploring this idea of, does it have to be that way? Can you be transparent about what the constraints are as a leader while still caring for your team and supporting them in the ways that they need and helping them grow their careers and just being open about one of the challenges that you have in building the company?And I don't know, I feel like I have some things to prove there, but I think it's possible to achieve some sort of balance there, something better or more beyond just what exists now of having that entire leadership layer typically be very opaque and just very unclear why certain decisions are made.Corey: The hard part that extends that these to me beyond that is it's difficult to get meaningful feedback, on some level, when you're suddenly thrust into that position. I also, in hindsight, realize that an awful lot of those terrible managers that I had weren't nearly as terrible as I thought they were. I will say that being on the other side of that divide definitely breeds empathy. Now that I'm the co-owner of The Duckbill Group, and we're building out a leadership team and the rest, hiring managers of managers is starting to be the sort of thing that I have to think about.It's effectively, how do I avoid inadvertently doing end-runs around people? And oh, I'm just going to completely undermine a manager by reaching out to one of their team and retasking them on something because obviously whatever I have in mind is much more important. What could they possibly be working on that's better than the Twitter shitpost I'm borrowing them to help out with? Yeah, you learn a lot by getting it wrong, and there becomes a power imbalance that even if you try your best to ignore it—which you should not—I assure you, the person who has less power in that relationship cannot set that aside. Even when I have worked with people I consider close friends, that friendship gained some distance during the duration of their employment because there has to be that professional level of separation. It's a hard thing to learn.Amy: It's a very hard line to walk in terms of recognizing the power that you have over someone's career and the power over, you know, making decisions for them and for the team and for the company, and still being empathetic towards their personal needs. And if they're going through a tough time, but then you also know from a business perspective that X, Y, or Z needs to happen, and how do you push but not push too hard, and try to balance needs of people who are humans and have things that happen and go on sometimes, and the fact that we work in a capitalist society and we still need to make money to make the business run. And that's definitely one of the hardest things to learn, and I am still learning. I definitely don't have that figured out, but I err on the side of, let's listen to what people are saying because ultimately, I'm not going to be the one to write the code. I haven't done that in years, and also I would probably suck at it now. And so it behooves leaders to listen to the people who were doing the work and to try, to the best of their abilities in whatever role whether that's exec-level leadership or mid-level… sort of like, middle management type of stuff to do what is in your power to help set them up to succeed.Corey: I want to get back a little bit to the idea of building diverse teams. It's something that you spend an inordinate amount of time and effort on. I do too. It's one of those areas where it's almost fraught to talk about it because I don't want to sound like I'm breaking my arm by patting myself on the back here. I certainly have a hell of a lot to learn, and mostly—and I'm ashamed to admit this—I very often learn only by really putting my foot in it sometimes. And it's painful, but that is, I think, a necessary prerequisite for growth. From your perspective, what is the most challenging part of building diverse teams?Amy: I think it's that piece that you said of making the mistakes or just putting yourself in a position where you are going to be uncomfortable. And I think that a lot of organizations that I've been in talk about DEI on a very surface level in terms of, “Oh, well, you know, we want to have more candidates from diverse backgrounds in our pipelines for hiring,” and things like that. But then not really just thinking about, but how do we work as a team in a way that potentially makes retention of those folks a lot harder? And for myself, I would say that when I was earlier on in all of this in my learning, I would say that I was able to kickstart my learning by thinking about my own identity, the fact that I was often the only Asian person on my team, the only woman on my team, and then more recently, the only mom on my team. And that has happened to me so many times in my career. More often than not.And so being able to draw on those experiences and those feelings of oh, okay, no one wants to hear about my kid because everyone else is, you know, busy going out to drink or something on the weekends. And like that feeling of, you know, that not belonging, and feeling of feeling excluded from things, and then thinking about how then this might manifest for folks with different identities for myself. And then going there and learning about it, listening, doing more listening than talking, and yeah, and that's, that's really just been the hardest part of just removing myself from that equation and just listening to the experiences of other people. And it's uncomfortable. And I think a lot of people are—you have to be in the right mindset, I guess, to be uncomfortable; you have to be willing to accept that you will be uncomfortable. And I think a lot of folks maybe are not ready to do that on a personal level.Corey: The thing that galls me the most is I do try on these things, and I get it wrong a fair bit. And my mistakes I find personally embarrassing, and I strive not to repeat them. But then I look around the industry—and let's be clear, a lot of this is filtered through the unhealthy amount of time I spend on Twitter—but it seems that I'm trying and I'm failing and attempting to do better as I go, and then I see people who are just, “Nope. Not at all. In fact, we're not just going to lean into bias, we're going to build a startup around it.”And I look at this and it's at some level hard to reconcile the fact that… at first, that I'm doing badly at all, which is the easy cop-out of, “Oh, well, if that is considered acceptable on some level, then I certainly don't even have to try,” which I think is a fallacy. But further it's—I have to step beyond myself on that and just, I cannot fathom how discouraging that must be, particularly to people who are early in their careers because it looks like it's just a normal thing that everyone thinks and does that just someone got a little too loud with it. And it's abhorrent. And if people are listening to this and thinking that is somehow just entrenched, and normalized, and everyone secretly thinks that… no. I assure you it is not something that is acceptable, even in the quote-unquote, “Private white dude who started companies” gathering holes. Yeah, people articulating sentiments like that suddenly find themselves not welcome there anymore, at least in every one of those types of environments I've ever found myself in.Amy: Yeah, the landscape is shifting. It's slow, but it is shifting. And, myself on Twitter, like, I do a lot of rant-y stuff too sometimes, but despite all of that, I feel like I am ultimately an optimist because I have to be. Otherwise, I would have left tech already because every time I am faced with a job search for myself, I'm like, “Should I—is this it? Am I done in tech? Do I want to go do something else? Am I going to finally go open that bakery that I've always wanted to open?” [laugh].And so… I have to be an optimist. And I see that—even in the most recent job search I've done—have seen so many new founders and new CEOs, really, with this mindset of, “We want to build a diverse team, but we're also doing it—and we're using diversity as a foundation for what we want to build; it's part of our decision-making process and this is how we're going to hold ourselves accountable to it.” And so it is shifting, and while there are those bad actors out there still, I'm seeing a lot of good in the industry now. And so that's why I stick around; that's why I'm still here.Corey: I want to actually call something out as concrete here because it's easy for me to fall into the trope of just saying vague things. I'll be specific about something, give us a good example. We've done a decent job, I think, of hiring a diverse team, but—and this is a problem that I see spread across an awful lot of companies—as you look at the leadership team, it gets a lot wider and a lot more male. And that is an inherent challenge. In our particular case, my business partner is someone who I've been close friends with for a decade.I would not be able to start a business with someone I didn't have that kind of relationship with just because your values have to be aligned or there's trouble down the road. And beyond that, it winds up rapidly, on some level, turning into what appears to be a selection bias. When you're trying to hire senior leaders, for example, there's a prerequisite to being a senior leader, which is embodied in the word senior, which implies tenure of having spent a fair bit of time in an industry that is remarkably unfriendly in a lot of different ways to a lot of different people. So, there's a prerequisite of being willing to tolerate the shit for as long as it takes to get to that level of seniority, rather than realizing at any point as any of us can, there are easier jobs that don't have this toxicity inherent to them and I'll go do that instead. So, there's a tenure question; there's a survivorship bias question.And I don't have the answers to any of this, but it's something that I'm seeing, and it's one of those once you see it, you can't unsee it any more moments. At least for me.Amy: Yeah, absolutely.Corey: Please tell me I'm not the only person who see [laugh]—who is encountering these problems. Like, “Wow, you just sound terrible.” Which might very well be a fair rejoinder here. I'm just trying to wrap my head around how to think about this properly.Amy: Yeah. I mean, this is why I was saying that I am very optimistic about [laugh] new companies that are coming—like, up-and-coming these days, new startups, primarily, because you're right that a lot of people just end up quitting tech before they get to that point of experience and seniority, to get into leadership. I mean, obviously, there's a lot of bias and discrimination that happens at those leadership levels, too, but I will say that, you know, it's both of those things. There are also more things on top of that. But this is why I'm like, so excited to see people from diverse backgrounds as founders of new companies and why I think that being able to be in a position to potentially either help fund, or advocate, or sponsor, or amplify those types of orgs, I think is where the future is that because ultimately, I think a lot of the established companies that are out there these days, it's going to be really hard for them to walk back on what their leadership team looks like now, especially if it is a sizable leadership team and they're all white men.Corey: Yeah. I'm going to choose to believe we say sizable leadership team that it's also not—we're talking about the horizontal scaling that happens to some of us, especially during a pandemic as we continue to grow into our seats. You're right, it's a problem as well, where you can cut a bit of slack in some cases to small teams. It's, “Okay, we don't have any Black employees, but we're three people,” is a lot more understandable-slash-relatable than, “We haven't hired any Black people yet and we're 3000 people.” One of those is acceptable—or at least understandable, if not acceptable—the other is just completely egregious.Amy: Yes. And I think then the question that you have to ask if you're looking at, you know, a three-person company, or [laugh] I guess, like in my case, I was looking at the seven-person company, is that, “Okay. There are currently no Black people on your team. And why is that?” And then, “What are you doing to change that? And how are you going to make sure that you're holding ourselves accountable to it?”Because I think it's easy to say, “Oh, you know, the first couple of hires were people we just worked with in the past, and they just happened to, you know, look like us and whatnot.” And then you blink becau—and you do that a handful of times, and you blink, and then suddenly you have a team of 25 and there are no people of color on your team. And maybe you have, like, one woman on the team or something. And you're like, “Huh. That's strange. I guess we should think about this and figure out what we can do.”And then I think what ends up happening at that point is that there are so many already established behaviors, and cultural norms, and things like that, that have organically grown within a team that are potentially not welcoming towards people from different backgrounds who have different backgrounds. So, you go and attempt to hire someone who is different, and they come in, and they're just sort of like, “This is how you work? I don't feel like I belong here.” And then they don't stay, and then they leave. And then people sit there and scratch their heads like, “Oh, what did we do wrong?” And, “I don't get it.”And so there's this conversation, I think, in the industry of like, “Oh, it's a pipeline problem, and if we were just able to hire a lot of people from diverse backgrounds, the problem is solved.” Which really isn't the case because once people are there and at your company, are they getting promoted at the same rate as white men? Are they staying with the company for as long? And who's in leadership? And how are you working to break down the biases that you may have?All those sorts of things, I think, generally are not considered as part of all of this DEI work. Especially when, in my experience in startups, the operational side of all that is so immature a lot of the times, just not well developed that deeper thought process and reflection doesn't really happen.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by something new. Cloud Academy is a training platform built on two primary goals. Having the highest quality content in tech and cloud skills, and building a good community the is rich and full of IT and engineering professionals. You wouldn't think those things go together, but sometimes they do. Its both useful for individuals and large enterprises, but here's what makes it new. I don't use that term lightly. Cloud Academy invites you to showcase just how good your AWS skills are. For the next four weeks you'll have a chance to prove yourself. Compete in four unique lab challenges, where they'll be awarding more than $2000 in cash and prizes. I'm not kidding, first place is a thousand bucks. Pre-register for the first challenge now, one that I picked out myself on Amazon SNS image resizing, by visiting cloudacademy.com/corey. C-O-R-E-Y. That's cloudacademy.com/corey. We're gonna have some fun with this one!Corey: I do my best to have these conversations in public as frequently as is practical for me to do, just because I admit, I get things wrong. I say things that are wrong and I'm doing a fair bit of learning in public around an awful lot of that. Because frankly, I can withstand the heat, if it comes down to someone on Twitter gets incredibly incensed by something I've said on this podcast, for example. Because it isn't coming from a place of ill intent when someone accuses me of being ableist or expressing bias. My response is generally to suppress the initial instinctive flash of defensiveness and listen and ask.And that is, even if I don't necessarily agree with what they're saying after reflection, I have to appreciate on some level the risk-taking inherent in calling someone out who is in my position where, if I were a trash fire, I could use the platform to turn it into, “All right. Now, let's go hound the person that called me out.” No. I don't do that, full stop. If I'm going to harass people, it's going to be—not people, despite what the Supreme Court might tell us—but it's going to be a $2 trillion company—one in particular—because that's who I am and that's how I roll.Whenever I get a DM—which I leave open because I have the privilege to do that—from folks who are early career who are not wildly over-represented, I just have to stop and marvel for a minute at the level of risk-taking inherent to that because there is risk to that. For me, when I DM people, the only risk I feel like I'm running at any given point is, “Are they going to think that I'm bothering them? Oh, the hell with it. I'm adorable. They'll love me.” And the fact that I'm usually right is completely irrelevant to that. There's just that sense of I don't really risk a damn thing in the grand scheme of things compared to the risk that many people are taking just living who they are.Amy: Yeah. And someone DMs you and you suppress that initial sort of defensiveness: I would say that that is an underrated skill. [laugh].Corey: Well, a DM is a privilege, too. A call in—Amy: Yes.Corey: —is deeply appreciated; no one owes it to me. I often will get people calling me out on Twitter and I generally stop and think about that; I have a very close circle of friends who I trust to be objective on these things, and I'll ask them, “Did I get this wrong?” And very often the answer is yes. And, “Well, I thought the joke was funny and I spent time building it.” “Yeah, but if people hear a joke I'm making and feel bad about it, then is it really that good of a joke or should I try harder?” It's a process, and I look back at who I was ten years ago and I feel a sense of shame. And I believe that if anyone these days doesn't, either they were effectively a saint, or they haven't grown.Amy: Yes.Corey: And that's my personal philosophy on this stuff, anyway.Amy: Yeah, absolutely. And that growth is so important. And part of that growth really is being able to suppress your desire to make it about you, [laugh] right? That initial, “Oh, I did something bad,” or, “I'm a horrible person because I said this thing,” right? It's not about you, there's, like, the impact that you had on someone else.And I've been giving this some thought recently, and I—you know, I also similarly have a group of trusted friends who I often talk about these things with, and you know, we always kind of check ourselves in terms of, did we mess something up? Did we, you know, put our foot in our mouths? Stuff like that. And think what it really comes down to is being able to say, “Maybe I did something wrong and I need to suppress that desire to become defensive and put up walls and guard and protect myself from feeling vulnerable, in order to actually learn and grow from this experience.”Corey: It's hard to do, but it's required because I—Amy: Extremely, yes.Corey: —used to worry about, “Ohh, what if I get quote-unquote, ‘canceled?'” well, I've done a little digging into this and every notable instance of this I can find is when someone is called out for something crappy, they get defensive, and they double-down and triple-down and quadruple-down, and they keep digging a hole nice and deep to the point where no one with a soul can really be on their side of this issue, and now they have a problem. I have never gotten to that point because let's be honest with you, there are remarkably few things I care that passionately about that I'm going to pick those fights publicly. The ones that I do, I am very much on the other side [laugh] of those issues. That has not been a realistic concern.I used to warn every person here before I hired them—to get this back to engineering management—that there was a risk that I could have a bad tweet and we don't have a company anymore. I don't give that warning anymore because I no longer believe that it's true.Amy: Mm-hm. Mm-hm. I also wonder about, in general, because of the world that we live in, and our history with white supremacy and oppression and all those things, I also wonder if this skill of being able to self-reflect and be uncomfortable and manage your own reaction and your emotions, I wonder if that's just a thing that white people generally haven't had a lot of practice for because of the inherent privileges that are afforded to white people. I wonder if a lot of this just stems from the fact that white people get to navigate this world and not get called out, and thus don't have this opportunity to exercise this skill of holding on to that and listening more than talking.Corey: Absolutely agree. And it gets piled on by a lot of folks, for example—I'll continue to use myself as an example in this case—I live in San Francisco. I would argue that I'm probably not, “In tech,” quote-unquote, the way that I once was, but I'm close enough that there's no discernible difference. And my social circle is as well. Back before I entered tech, I did a bunch of interesting jobs, telemarketing to pay the bills, I was a recruiter for a while, I worked construction a couple of summers.These days, everyone that I engage with for meaningful periods of time is more or less fairly tech adjacent. It really turns into a one-sided perspective. And I can sit here and talk about what folks who are not living in the tech bubble should be doing or how they should think about this, but it's incredibly condescending, it's incredibly short-sighted, and fails to appreciate a very different lived experience. And I can remind myself of this now, but that lack of diversity and experience is absolutely something where it feels like the tech bubble, especially for those folks in this bubble who look a lot like me, it is easy to fall into a pattern of viewing ourselves as the modern aristocracy where we deserve the nice things that we have, and the rest. And that's a toxic pattern. It takes vigilance to avoid it. I'm not saying I get it right all the time, by a landslide, but ugh, the perils of not doing that are awful.Amy: Agreed. And it shows up, you know, getting back to the engineering manager and leadership and org building piece of things, that shows up even in the way that we talk about career development and career ladders, for those of us in tech, and software engineering specifically for me, where we've kind of like come up with all these matrices of job levels, and competencies, all that, and humans just are so vastly different. Every person is an individual, and yet we talked about career ladders and how to advance your career in this two-dimensional matrix. And, like, how does that actually work, right?And I've seen some good career ladders that account for a larger variety of competencies than just, “Can you code?” And, “What are your system design skills?” And, “Do you understand distributed systems?” And so on and so forth, but I think a lot gets left behind and gets left on the table when it comes to thinking about the fact that when you get a group of people together working on some sort of common cause or a product, that there's so much more to the dynamic than just the writing of the code. It's how do you work with each other? How do you support each other? How do you communicate with each other? And then all my glue work—that is what I call it—like, the glue work that goes into a successful team and building products, a lot of that is just not captured in the way that we talk about career development for folks. And it's just incredibly two-dimensional, I think.Corey: One last question that I have for you before we wrap the episode here is, you spend a lot of time focusing on this, and I have some answers, but I'm very interested to hear yours instead because I assure you, the world hears enough from me and people who look like me, what is the biggest mistake that you see companies making in their attempts to build diverse teams?Amy: I would say that there's two major things. One is that there have been a lot of orgs in my own past that think about diversity, equity, inclusion as a program and not a mindset that everyone should be embracing. And that manifests itself into, sort of like, this secondary problem of stopping at the D part of D, E, and I. That's the whole, “We're going to hire a bunch of people from different backgrounds and then just we're going to stop with that because we've solved the problem.” But by not adopting that mindset of the equity, the inclusion, and also the welcoming and the belonging piece of things internally, then anyone that you hire who comes in from those marginalized or minority backgrounds is not going to want to stay long-term because they don't feel like they fit in, they don't feel like they belong.And so, it becomes this revolving door of you hire in people and then those people leave after some amount of time because they're not getting what they need out of either the role or for themselves personally in terms of just emotional support, even. And so I would say that's the problem that I see is not a numbers game—although the metrics and the numbers help hold you accountable—but the metrics and the numbers are not the end goal. The end goal is really around the mindset that you have in building the org and the way that people behave. And the way that you work together is really core to that.Corey: What I tend to see on the other side is the early intake funnels. People will reach out to me sometimes, “Hey, do you know any diverse speakers we can hire to do a speaking engagement here?” It doesn't… work that way. There's a lot more to it than that. It is not about finding people who check boxes, it is not about quote-unquote, “Diversity hires.”It's about—at least in my experience—structuring job ads, for example, in ways that are not coded—unconsciously in most cases, but ehh—that are going to resonate towards folks who are in certain cultures and not in others. It's about being more equitable. It's about understanding that not everyone is going to come across in a job interview as the most confident person in the room. Part of the talk that I gave on how to handle job interviews, there was a strong section in it on salary negotiation. Well, turns out when I do it, I'm an aggressive hard-charger and they like that, whereas if someone who is not male does that, well, in that case, they look like they're being difficult and argumentative and pushy and rising above their station. It was awful.One of the topics I'm most proud of was the redone version of that talk that I gave with a friend, Sonia Gupta, who has since left tech because of how shitty it is, and that was a much better talk. She was a former attorney who had spent time negotiating in much higher-stakes situations.Amy: Yeah.Corey: And it was terrific to see during the deconstruction and rebuilding of that talk, just how much of my own unconscious bias had crept in. It's, again, I look back at the early version of those talks and I'm honestly ashamed. It wasn't from ill will, but it's always impact over intent as far as how this has potentially made things worse. It's, if nothing else, if I don't say the right things when I should speak up, that's not great, but I always prefer that to saying things that are actively harmful. So—Amy: Absolutely.Corey: —it's hard. I deserve no sympathy for this, to be clear. It is incumbent upon all of us because again, as mentioned, my failure mode is a non-issue in the world compared to the failure mode for folks for against whom the deck has been stacked unfairly for a very long time. At least, that's how I see it.Amy: Right. And that's why I think that it's important for folks who are in positions of power to really reflect on—even operationally, right, you were mentioning your job ads, and how to structure that to include more inclusive language, and just doing that for everything, really, in the way that you work. How do decisions get made? And by whom? And why? How do you structure things like compensation? Even, like, how do you do project planning, right?Even in my own reflections, now when I think back towards Scrum and Agile and all of that, I think that the base foundation of all of that was like was good, but then ultimately the implementation of how that works at most companies is problematic in a lot of ways as well. And then to just be able to reflect and really think about all of your processes or policies—all of that—and bring that lens of equity, really, equity and inclusion to those things, and to really dig deep and think about how those things might manifest and affect people from different backgrounds in different ways.Corey: So, before we wrap, something that I think you… are something of an empathetic party on is when I see companies in the space who are doing significant DE&I initiatives, it seems like it's all flash; it feels like it's all sizzle, no steak to appropriate a phrase from the country of Texas. Is that something that you see, too?Amy: I do think that it is pretty common, and I think it's because that's… that's the easy route. That's the easy way to do it because the vanity metrics, and the photo of the team that is so diverse, and all these things that show up on a marketing website. I mean, there—it's, like, a signal for someone, potentially, who might be considering a job at your company, but ultimately the hard work that I feel like is not happening is really in that whole reflecting on the way you do business, reflecting on the way that you work. That is the hard work and it requires a leadership team to prioritize it, and to make time for it, and to make it really a core principle of the way that you build an org., and it doesn't happen enough, by far, in my opinion.Corey: It feels like it's an old trope of the company that makes a $100,000 donation and then spends $10 million dollars telling the world about it, on some level. It's about, “Oh, look at us, we're doing good things,” as opposed to buckling down and doing the work. Then the actual work falls to folks who are themselves not overrepresented as unpaid emotional labor, and then when the company still struggles with diversity issues, those people catch the blame. It's frustrating.Amy: Yeah. And as an organization, if you have the money to donate somewhere, that's great, but it can't just stop at that. And a lot of companies will just stop at that because it's the optics of, “Oh, well, we spent x millions of dollars and we've helped out this nonprofit or this charity or whatnot.” Which is great that you're able to do that, but that can't be it because then ultimately, what you have internally and within your own company doesn't improve for people from those backgrounds.Corey: I want to thank you for taking so much time to chat with me about these things. Some of these topics are challenging to talk about and finding the right forum can be difficult, and I'm just deeply appreciative that you were able to clear enough time to have that chat with me today.Amy: Yeah, thank you for having me. I mean, I think it's important for us to recognize, even between the two of us that, I mean, obviously, you as a white man have benefited a lot in this space, and then even myself as, you know, that model minority whole thing, but growing up very adjacent to white people and just being ingrained in that culture and raised in that culture, you know, that we have those privileges and there's still parts of the conversation, I think, that are not captured by [laugh] by the two of us are the nuances as well, and so just recognizing that. And it's just a learning process. And I think that everyone could benefit from just realizing that you'll never know everything. And there's always going to be something to learn in all of this. And yes, it is hard, but it's something that is worthwhile to strive for.Corey: Most things worthwhile are. If people want to learn more about who you are, how you think about these things, potentially consider working with you, et cetera. Where can they find you?Amy: So, I am on Twitter. I am the queen of very, very long threads, I should just start a blog or something, but I have not. But in any case, I'm on Twitter. I am AmyChanta, so @A-M-Y-C-H-A-N-T-A.Our website is unicycle.co, if you're thinking about applying for a role, and working with me, that would be awesome. Or just, you know, reach out. I'd also just love to network with anyone, even if there's not an open position now. I just, you know, build that relationship and maybe there will be in the future. Or if not at Unicycle, then somewhere else.Corey: And we will, of course, put links to that in the [show notes 00:48:13]. Thank you so much, once again. I appreciate your time.Amy: Thanks for having me.Corey: Amy Chantasirivisal, Director of Engineering at Unicycle. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice along with a comment pointing out that it's not about making an MVP of a bicycle that turns into a unicycle so much as it is work-life balance.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

An enlightening conversation with two women who will make you less afraid of getting older: 63-year-old Susan Feldman and 53-year-old Wendy Euler. Both women unabashedly put themselves out there as the face of their brands—both of which aim to stop age shaming. Both women experience life to the hilt and are constantly taking on new, challenging experiences—undaunted by age. In this episode, we learn the how and why—plus some things they truly love about being in their 50s and 60s. Susan Feldman is the co-founder of One Kings Lane, which she sold a few years ago, the founder of her current passion: In The Groove. It is a platform for shining a light on age-defying women, while offering advice on how to stay current on everything from tech to fashion.   Wendy Euler is a self-described “age activist and style enthusiast” and the founder of the Goodbye Crop Top platform. Wendy keeps followers entertained on Instagram with her aspirational advice on creating your own person style, regardless of age or trends. She is also a host of the 5-minute podcast, Cropped: A Midlife Minute.

The best ideas are born out of necessity and Susan Feldman's career is an ode to that notion. As the co-founder and visionary behind One Kings Lane the online go-to destination that revolutionized the way we shop for home decor and disrupted an entire industry with it's inspirational, editorial look. Upgrading from a NYC city apartment to a west coast spacious home and for the first time having the opportunity to really design a large space Susan saw the need for a curated, collective offering the chicest pieces from everyone's favorite brands and created an experience that built both a business and recognition for the brands it carried, the latter unheard of in 2009. As a former executive at Ralph Lauren and Liz Clairbourne, Susan was no stranger to the world of wholesale / retail but the home category was a totally foreign concept, but Suan's creative flair and gift for identifying the white space paid off and One Kings lane sold it just 7 years after its launch to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  Susan was 53 when she launched One Kings Lane and now at 65 Susan is the founder of a life-style destination that celebrates women and frees them from the age limits and expectations set by society. Hearing how her fabulous, fun, chic and fashion forward friends were left feeling invisible by the media and the brands that served them, Susan set out with a mission to change that and In The Groove was born.   This episode just reinforces our mantra that goals are important at any age of your journey and that as women we only get more fierce and powerful as we evolve on our journey. 

Susan Feldman is the founder of In The Groove, a new lifestyle destination for age-defying women. In The Groove is a community that celebrates and engages their audience as the evolving and relevant women they are. Founded with a sense of humor, community, and self-awareness, In The Groove is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations.In this episode, Nada sits down with Susan Feldman to discuss her passion for helping women age confidently and stylishly, specifically women over 50. Susan's mantra, “Stay young at heart,” is reflected in becoming the co-founder of One Kings Lane at 53 and launching again in her 60s with In The Groove. She shares the differences between starting these two businesses and the lessons she learned along the way. Susan points out that our outlook on entrepreneurship shouldn't focus on reinventing ourselves, but instead on a new iteration of who we already are. “Keep it simple and stay focused,” says Susan, “your idea, your business doesn't need to be complicated!” Wiser words were never spoken!You can learn more about Susan and In The Groove by visiting In The Groove's website. You can follow @getinthegroove1 on Instagram and Facebook. Don't forget to follow us at @libertyforher on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Please let us know your thoughts about this episode by using the hashtag #libertyforher and please rate and review us—it helps to know if this podcast is inspiring and equipping you to launch and grow your ventures.

Divya Demato is a rock star in the supply chain community. She has mastered the practice of merging supply chain sustainability with profitability --- no easy task in today’s economic landscape. Early on, Divya’s mother – a key role model – instilled in her a strong work ethic, authenticity, entrepreneurship, and a deep bond for her family.  When asked the best advice she ever got, Divya quickly pointed to the importance of gratitude. Divya had some empowering mentors throughout her career managing e-commerce operations for Mercantela, Walmart and One Kings Lane. Being selfless and always asking key questions such as: “What’s going on in my supply chain?” and “How can I impact the lives of women?” can improve both your personal and professional accountability. Divya founded GoodOps, a supply chain consultancy partnering with companies to architect, accelerate and scale sustainable operations. Divya is proud of her work to establish fair labor standards for factory workers and piloting advanced technologies to improve environmental impact. Divya shares her exciting journey here with WAM Podcasts’ co-host Linda Rigano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Malanca talks with Elana Frankel who is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Women and Weed, a biannual magazine that focuses on the power of personal narratives to bring a better understanding to complex cannabis issues. She is a co-founder of Indigo and Haze, a plant-based, CBD marketplace for health, wellness and living, that provides access, education and inspiration. She is a yoga teacher, as well as a meditation mentor. She is a frequent public speaker on cannabis and wellness and consults regularly with companies who value creative thinking. Elana’s previous work as a creative director, editor and writer has appeared in the Wall Street Journal’s Off Duty, The New York Times and The New York Time’s magazine, One Kings Lane, New York Magazine, Architectural Digest and Martha Stewart Living, among others.

Divya Demato is a rock star in the supply chain community. She has mastered the practice of merging supply chain sustainability with profitability --- no easy task in today’s economic landscape. Early on, Divya’s mother – a key role model – instilled in her a strong work ethic, authenticity, entrepreneurship, and a deep bond for her family.  When asked the best advice she ever got, Divya quickly pointed to the importance of gratitude. Divya had some empowering mentors throughout her career managing e-commerce operations for Mercantela, Walmart and One Kings Lane. Being selfless and always asking key questions such as: “What’s going on in my supply chain?” and “How can I impact the lives of women?” can improve both your personal and professional accountability. Divya founded GoodOps, a supply chain consultancy partnering with companies to architect, accelerate and scale sustainable operations. Divya is proud of her work to establish fair labor standards for factory workers and piloting advanced technologies to improve environmental impact. Divya shares her exciting journey here with WAM Podcasts’ co-host Linda Rigano. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am so excited to see people "aging up" these days! I have been getting emails from In The Groove for awhile and that's why I'm so excited to have a chat with the founder, Susan Feldman. She is age-defying. Susan has such an inspiring story about writing her next chapter in her 60s, transitioning from founder of One Kings Lane to building a community for women of a certain age with "Get In the Groove." Follow Susan's Work with In the Groove: Website: https://getinthegroove.com/​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getinthegroove1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getinthegro...​ Follow me on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamsenfadal​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamsenfadal/​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamsenFadal​ Website: https://tamsenfadal.com/

Imagine yourself on a vacation - the vacation you've always wanted after so many hard days of work expecting all the good stuff - good food, great friends, and a relaxing evening out. Then all of a sudden, an unknown incident happens that causes a major injury to you. A care-free vacation that turns into a disaster.   Elana Frankel is the founder of indigonandhaze.com, author of the book,  “Women and Weed”, and the editor-in-chief of the magazine, “Women and Weed”. To name a few, she worked for One Kings Lane as a creative director, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living, The New York Times, WSJ/Off Duty, New York Magazine and Oprah. Above all these, she is also a mother of two.   On this episode of Good Dudes Grow, Gary and Elana talked about the traumatic incident which led to a brain injury that happened to Elana when she was on a vacation and how cannabis helped her to get back on her feet. Listen in for an episode that will demystify the therapeutic effects of cannabis.    What You'll Learn: How CBD became the alternative medication for Elana's injuries and how it differs with the other medications in terms of effectiveness and rapidness of it to take effect What were the things Elana did to change her thoughts about using CBD to treat her brain injury and how it change the way she looks at cannabis now What are the things Elana is up to now - and how the incident influenced the stuff she's been doing these days on magazine directing and as a yoga / meditation teacher And much more!   Favorite Quote:   “The plant is really about a holistic approach to living. So what I love about  being a yoga and meditation teacher as well as a cannabis advocate is that if you change your lifestyle and include the plant, you'll  see even more faster major changes and that the plant combination is beautiful. There are so many times that I have combined CBD and meditation classes and the people just leave completely shifted and changed.”     Elana Frankel     Connect with Elana:    “Women and Weed” book on Amazon   www.indigonandhaze.com How to Get Involved:   Gary Roberts, firefighter and founder of Pure Body Zen, is committed to helping people manage everything from opiate addiction to PTSD to sleep deprivation through hemp-derived CBD. You can find Gary on LinkedIn and Instagram.    If you enjoyed this episode, head over and visit us on Apple Podcasts - leave a review and let us know what you thought! Your feedback keeps us going. Thanks for helping us spread the word!

Today I'm talking to Alabama based Interior Designer, stylist and tastemaker, Elizabeth Damrich. Elizabeth started her career in New York working in PR and Brand Strategy before moving to Charleston to pursue her lifelong passion of Interior Design full time. She now works on design projects across the country and has also built a loyal fan base on Instagram where she chronicles motherhood and life in the south through beautifully composed imagery. Elizabeth has been featured in many places, including One Kings Lane and most recently the December Issue of Southern Living Magazine. During our conversation, Elizabeth walked me through her full backstory and we also touched on reframing motherhood guilt, leaning into vulnerability, and how crucial it is to let go of perfectionism in order to live creativity fulfilled life. Follow Elizabeth! https://www.instagram.com/liz_damrich/?hl=en http://www.elizabethdamrich.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hervisionpodcast/support

Susan Feldman was 53 when she founded One Kings Lane, a go-to destination for home and interior design shopping because she couldn't find home furnishings that she liked. She cracked the code on this industry and ended up selling One Kings lane to Bed Bath & Beyond.  Our founder, Rosie speaks with Susan as she shares her latest entrepreneurial venture, In the Groove - a lifestyle destination for age-defying women which is on a mission to free women from rules, age limits, and expectations.Today, Susan talks about how and why she became an entrepreneur at 53, how she dealt with an empty nest, the advice she would've given herself before she started her companies and her words on what is a Modern Woman… Support the show (http://www.modernwoman.co/sign-up)

"It's always worth a shot, in my book, to try something that you're not sure is going to work," says Lindsay Denninger, Copy Director at Boll & Branch. Lindsay is interviewed today by fellow copywriter and co-lab connection, Julie Chen. Lindsay grew up in Long Island, NY, and studied English and Literature at Long Island University. Upon graduation during the 2008 recession, she took small jobs to advance her marketing and copywriting skills, and ultimately went to grad school where she received a Masters of Arts at Hunter College in New York City. Lindsay has a vast career in copywriting, writing content for Bustle, and for brands like Ann Taylor, Uniqlo and One Kings Lane. She eventually jumped into the freelance world but recently made the switch back over to the brand side as Copy Director at Boll & Branch. Listen along as she shares her best career advice and the major differences and challenges of Freelancing vs. Brand Copywriting.

On Ep. 2 of Undressed, Bree has a conversation with Susan Feldman! HOLD your seat belts, people. This is a fun one. You may know her as the Co-Founder of One Kings Lane, a go-to destination for home and interior design shopping for millions of people. After graduating from Stanford University and then completing my MBA at UCLA, Susan was drawn naturally to the world of retail. She spent the next 20 years working in the fashion industry until I had an “ah-ha” moment. Susan takes us on a journey in this episode so you really can understand this badass entrepreneur and how she's done it all from raising three kids to selling her company to Bed Bath & Beyond. Now that Susan is over 50, she is about age-defying women and helps women find style and their new level of confidence through her business, Get In The Groove.  Susan and Bree are sitting in her pool house after a styling appointment recording this episode. Hearing her story will make you inspired. Be confident and stylish at any age. For behind the scene looks, go to our IG @undressedpodcast. We feature pictures of Susan and her favorite looks.IG @susanfeldman Website: getinthegroove.com Have a question? Call in and leave us a message. Your question might be answered on an upcoming show! (323) 212-5905. Want a revamp in your closet and style? You can sign up for the BREE JACOBY service by going to our website breejacoby.com and a stylist will reach out to you ASAP.

Susan Feldman, Founder of In The Groove, and Co-founder of One Kings Lane, joins Heather this week to discuss launching One Kings Lane out of a personal need, her background in fashion retail, and being inspired by her father to always take the leap of faith for what you believe in which led to the creation of Get in the Groove. Thanks to our partner, Brooklinen. Visit www.brooklinen.com and use promo code inmyheart to get 10% off your first order and free shipping.

Silicon Valley veteran and entrepreneur who’s been instrumental in launching products used by ~500M monthly global users, netting $100B+ in revenue across LinkedIn, MSFT, eBay, and One Kings Lane. My mission is to inspire people to be trusted change-agents within their professional and personal lives. To create empathy-driven products that are smart, approachable, and life impacting.

Susan Feldman, the founder of One King's Lane and In the Groove, shared the story behind her title with us on October 11th, 2020.Susan is an age-defying entrepreneur who caters to age-defying women. She worked in retail for over two decades, holding executive roles for Ralph Lauren, Polo, and Liz Clairborne before deciding to try her hand at entrepreneurship. She co-founded One Kings Lane, a popular home decor and luxury site that eventually sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond; and In the Groove, a new lifestyle destination for age-defying women.SUE SAYSSusan started one business at age 53 and another at age 63! How dare anyone say that women are irrelevant after a certain age.  Susan's love of fashion, lifestyle, beauty, and wellness led her to launch a much-needed destination for women over a certain age…45 and above. It is a place where we can go for inspiration and resources that allow us to continue to learn, grow, and find things that bring us joy.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-to-watch-r/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I grew up trying so hard to please everyone. Now that I’m older, I know it’s ok to say no.Susan Feldman Susan Feldman, founder of One King’s Lane and In the Groove, shared the story behind her title with us on October 11th, 2020. Susan is an age-defying entrepreneur who caters to age-defying women. She worked in retail for over two decades, holding executive roles for Ralph Lauren, Polo and Liz Clairborne before deciding to try her hand at entrepreneurship. She co-founded One Kings Lane, a popular home decor and luxury site that eventually sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond; and In the Groove, a new life-style destination for age-defying women SUE SAYS Susan started one business at age 53 and another at age 63!  How dare anyone say that women are irrelevant after a certain age.  Susan’s love of fashion, lifestyle, beauty and wellness led her to launch a much needed destination for women over a certain age…45 and above. It is a place where we can go for inspiration and resources that allow us to continue to learn, grow and find things that bring us joy. Listen (and subscribe!) below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

Susan Feldman, founder of One King’s Lane and In the Groove, shared the story behind her titles for our Coaches Corner Podcast on Saturday, October 10th, 2020. Susan is an age-defying entrepreneur who caters to age-defying women. She worked in retail for over two decades, holding executive roles for Ralph Lauren, Polo and Liz Clairborne before deciding to try her hand at entrepreneurship. She co-founded One Kings Lane, a popular home decor and luxury site that eventually sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond; and In the Groove, a new life-style destination for age-defying women The W2W Coaches Corner is a weekly episodic podcast during which our team of experts bring you valuable insights and inspiration from their work with executives and entrepreneurs from across the country! Our coaches include BJ Gray, the founder of GrayMatter Coaching, whose experience as a top executive with Fortune 500 companies gives her a unique understanding of what both employees and companies need to be successful. She started GrayMatter Coaching to help leaders improve their inner game. Listen (and subscribe!) to this episode below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Radio.com or iHeartRadio!

From founding the wildly successful home décor e-commerce store One Kings Lane at age 53, to starting an online community for midlife women, Susan is a boundary-breaker. She shares her wild ride as an e-commerce overnight success, her advice on turning a good idea into action, the untapped market of age-defying women, and why companies need to pay attention (Hint: they represent over 70% of the USA’s wealth!)Find Susan Online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-feldman-171ab510/Instagram: @susankfeldmanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/susankfeldmanTwitter: @SusankfeldmanPinterest: @SusankfeldmanFind Get in the Groove Online:Website: https://getinthegroove.com/Instagram: @getinthegroove1Twitter: @InTheGroove1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getinthegroove1Pinterest: @inthegroove0810We Get Real AF Podcast Credits:Hosts: Vanessa Alava & Sue RobinsonVanessa AlavaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessahalava/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessahalava/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vanessahalavaSue RobinsonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-robinson-29025623/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/memyselfandfinds/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sociallysue_Audio Producer/Editor: Sam Mclean Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mcleansounds/ Website: www.inphase.bizAudio Music Track Title: Beatles Unite Artist: Rachel K. CollierYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHnYgtOn8u9YovYplMeXcw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelkcollier/ Website: https://www.rachelkcollier.comAudio Music Track (Lightning Round): Broken RadiosArtist: Stanley Gurvich, https://artlist.io/song/603/broken-radiosIntro Voice-Over Artist: Veronica HortaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicahorta/ Cover Art: Photo by Elice Moore on Unsplash Support the show (https://wegetrealaf.com/how-you-can-help)

This is the second Marketing BS podcast. Alex Norman is an old friend who co-founded TechTO, the leading tech-event company in Canada. He is also a partner with AngelList, co-founder of HomeSav and runs a micro-seed venture fund. In Part 1 we talk about Alex's career. Tomorrow in Part 2 we dive into how he grew the TechTO business. (Note: Originally the interview this week was going to be with Nick White, head of marketing for Osano, but due to some issues with the transcript I am pushing that episode to next week)This episode contains a new experiment using background music. Please let me know what you think of it. Engaging? Distracting? Comment or just hit reply.TRANSCRIPT:Edward Nevraumont: My guest today is Alex Norman. Today's episode covers his career, McGill university, Lehman Brothers, Simply Business, McKinsey, HomeSav. He's now Managing Director of Tech TO and a partner with AngelList and N49P among other things. Alex, the first time you oversaw marketing was when you were running HomeSav and you got that opportunity by starting the company yourself. How did you go about making that company happen?Alex Norman: Yeah, that's an actually really good question. I want to break it down to two things. Why did we start this company? And how I was in a position to start this company? One is I had recently been at McKinsey and I felt giving other people advice is great, but I like building something and I started looking for opportunities. My co-founders and I were spending time looking at money, different opportunities, looking at acquiring companies. Over six months we realized we all had a similar problem, finishing our houses. It sounds silly, but we all realized you buy more furniture and home decor than you think you do over your life and you constantly buy it and it was really no good solution. The brands out there were all retailers. It's a huge category with very few leaders. You had Ikea you have like a couple other like restoration hardware, but the whole process of what you buy and how you buy, it's pretty crummy experienceThen we saw there was an opportunity to change how people buy furniture and home decor and to leverage, we thought people were now becoming comfortable with the internet for purchase like this. So we found this opportunity the problem we had, we saw that there was an interesting way to insert ourselves in the value chain and use a changing environment.Now, Why I was able to set myself up to do this is a couple of things. One is, I was already 10 to 15 years in my career and I'd never, lived at my means. What I mean by that is, when I was working at McKinsey, you make a decent salary, decent bonuses. But I was consciously keeping a lot of dry powder cash there in case I ever needed it. So when it came time to starting a company, investing in a company and living with no salary, I had six figures liquid saved up. So I could deal with that immediate casual pressure. Second of all, my experiences gave me insights on knowing what starting a company looks like, the challenges that I'd face and the skills that we would need and I had found the right co-founders to do it with. So one was finding the right opportunity. The other was positioning myself in a career that I could actually jump in on the opportunity when I saw fit and also knowing what to do or believing. I knew what I needed to do.Edward: When you were there you grew the business to about 350,000 subscribers before you sold it. How did you know what you were doing on the marketing side? Because you didn't have a lot of traditional marketing experience going in.Alex: So I think some of it is intuitive. I've been around marketing functions for a long time. I had previously worked at startups in the States and UK. Where I wasn't responsible for marketing, but I was close to marketing strategy and I was building into my product, so I understood and saw what they did and watched the approach. I did a marketing major in my MBA, whether or not that's practical or not. It gives you a framework and how to think about it. Also did some marketing projects at McKinsey. So I was aware, of let's say the frameworks and strategies to use. But I think it was more just customer development and intuition are saying how the internet works. So my approach was, it was doing customer development and also from marketing channels to build a bunch of experiments in a portfolio approach.Sorry, let's take a step back and say, there was two things we had to build. We have to build a brand and awareness and we had to build, actual get transactions, either people, micro transactions to sign up, to be subscriber or to actually purchase, and I think the, transaction building the list, that was much more natural to me. We figured out who our target customers are or we had hypothesis, we test it with a bunch of different campaigns to refining to figure out a customer. Now we did research and it was 28 year old to 42 year old women living in metropolitan areas who had a white collar job and had limited time and was interested in home decor.So we figured out where we believe this woman was, what our habits were and then we did a bunch of experiments to reach out to her and run a portfolio of, different distribution channels and messaging and figured out which ones are the right ones to double down on. When we had something that was working, we put 70% of our efforts and have a portfolio of other activities that we'd keep on testing. From the branding perspective, we took a bunch of different activities and I would say that was a lot less measured. So you'd probably be disappointed in how I ran that. But it was more of, how do we get awareness and credibility by leveraging off brands that, would resonate. So we had a BizDev approach where we'd go partner with people like House & Home or Styled Home or approach not and try to do BizDev where we'd get our national post even.We'd get opportunities to get our brand in front of people and get distribution. And it was really the ability to consistently show certain type of product, a certain value proposition. We have partnerships that wouldn't necessarily drive people to sign up through email or to do purchases, but we'd give people comfort that when they saw something else and are deepen our channel they'd feel comfortable to interact with us. How do I learn to do this? This is just read a lot. So my past history taught me some of the frameworks and how to think about it and an experimenting a lot and just looking at the data, looking at what's happening and just quickly iterating and talking to a lot of other people. because there's, a lot of people doing startups that you could just reach out to for help.Edward: How did You come out of the HomeSav experience different than when you went in? Like, what did you learn there that set you up for growing free future businesses?Alex: So I think a couple of things, one is trying and understand the high level game you're playing. So this is not applicable necessarily to marketing, but we usually try to bootstrap, bootstrap, his business. People say, don't look, all your competitors are doing, but I think it's understanding the value chain and who you're competing with and what your ultimate goal for that business is in planning a bit more backwards. So, the One Kings Lane existed, they were competitor to us and there's a few others emerged like FAB, pivoted into our space and they had a lot more capital play and act a lot more irrationally. So while you don't really want to worry about your competitors, normally. The actions of people that were much significant, more well-funded to us caused us to go raise money and, change our game at the game we were playing.So I think understanding the value chain, who the competitors are and where you can compete differently. So like, what's your unique accesses and how you can compete and how that lets you either compete completely differently or where do you have to overlap and value proposition and what the implications are? I'd build a much stronger hypothesis at the beginning. I think the second thing is, a team perspective. I think strategically mistakes we did is we kept a few people that were excellent performers, but bad culturally for too long. And so they create some ill will in our culture that hurt the productivity of other people. So we had some people are excellent. They were like, they're 10 times their former at half the cost. But what we didn't realize is by having them in the company too long they infected another five, six people and hurt their, ability to deliver value.I think, the third thing is I think in the marketing channels, we did the right thing by focusing what's winning and keeping portfolio activity, because every channel or message eventually changes. The ultimate vision stays the same, the ultimate positioning stays the same or can be changed over time, much slower than the channels and distribution. So I think we did the right balance of 70% investment on what's working in 30% in experiments. I think for some of the core business, we probably should have done less experiments and double down a bit more while it was working.I think those are high levels from running business. I think it's a lot and as you scale, it's all about the people, because we got to 45 people, 50 people at one point, it became either about recruiting, about setting the culture or about handling people issues. So I think realizing that as a business scales, you want to get the right leadership set that helps. I think as leaders, the CEO or founders, you're always going to be responsible for that, but the level of the, bench strength of the management team faster, would it have been helpful.Edward: That's helpful. So I want to go back on how you got there. So I have a theory that the things people do when they're in junior high school or early in high school affect their entire lives. How did you spend your time in junior high? What were you passionate about Back then?Alex: Comic books, reading, sports. Wasn't a big athlete, but I was a big fan of the Blue Jays and the Maple Leafs.Edward: What drew you to those things? Was it the math behind the baseball? Was it the money behind the comic books? Was it the Superman jumping over buildings? What, what drew you to those things?Alex: That's a good question. So two things which I think drew to most of my activities in my life, and I wouldn't say necessarily for comic books but is, I have an inherent desire and this is something I've realized later in my life is, that I like taking stuff apart, figuring out how they work and putting it together. Not necessarily physical things, but I like understanding how things are interrelatedly work. I just have an innate curiosity to figure things out. I say I'm numerically logically inclined, but it's not necessarily like, I'm not like someone who needs to do deep calculus. I think for comic books and reading I think and just reading. I was an avid reader, comics is just, was a great way to escape. It was fun to read. Just different ways of thinking, I guess, a bit of fantasy.I think just like reading in general, just to see in different perspectives. Reading in general is just a great way to explore a world without leaving and I think comic books as a kid was something that let you do it and it was superheros, but eventually as I got older, it was like stuff like Sandman, which was, it was more mythology. So I think it's a bit of escapism, I think that it's a bit of creativity. It's just a bit of ways to see the world differently and then eventually I started buying and selling comic books and that was, it was almost as much a challenge of as much enjoyment of reading. So originally started off to pay for my comic book collection because it was spending way too much. But then it was also a way to just figure stuff out, figure out, make the business work for lack of a better word.Edward: Those skills carry forward, the stuff you developed back then, how did that affect things later in your career?Alex: So, and this is a nature versus nurture question. Most people today, especially in the tech world, don't believe there's anything as business skills. They just think that, inherently you can learn everything and I, feel that, there's like business common sense, which I think I've naturally had and this helped me, nurture it and help me bring up sooner, faster. So like I understand clearly supply and demand. Like I went there and I had these words, I understand arbitrage. I would understand basic marketing. So it taught me lots of skills. People learn in college. It taught me a lot of just experiential experiences, with a lot of concepts that are important to business. I didn't have any experience with managing team, but like at this time this was before the internet and so I would see arbitrage opportunities by reading local newspapers, for example.So I'd buy stuff in Toronto and put them for sale in the States. Vice versa, I'd see stuff for under price in the States and sell them in Toronto. I had a whole business, so I had to understand profit and loss. I had to understand, I understand supply demand. I can understand, so I think there's a lot of basic business skills that I picked up that I had advanced learning. But I also think if I look at my career, I think I just have an innate understanding of some like common sense when it comes to business.Edward: Now you went to university in Montreal, McGill. How did you come out different from that experience than when you went in?Alex: Much more global view. I think, if you asked me before McGill I'd have probably said, I'm going to be right back in Toronto, probably may, my career mission, maybe being an accountant like my father. McGill had a, it still has a very international student body. It was just eyeopening to see people from all over the world and with all different ambitions and spend time with them.Alex: I had a roommate that just moved from Delhi a few years ago, years before McGill, I spent two years living with him. I like, one of my friends originally from Hong Kong, also people from small town Ontario, which didn't have the perspective I had growing up in Toronto. So I think you go there for the education supposedly. But I think with the education you get is from your peers and they change your perspective and they change how you view the world. I went right to New York after that. If I didn't go to McGill and didn't meet the people I met, I wouldn't have had, lack of a word ambitions our desire to go to New York and I wouldn't have gone into finance. So it, it changed my whole career trajectory.Edward: So let's talk about that. So let's say you went to York, the local university in Toronto, instead of going to McGill, how do you think your life would have been different?Alex: Well, probably lived at home for those four years. So right away. That's a whole different experience because living on your own, you have to do adulting. You have to clean your house. You have to be responsible for rent. Like basic life stuff, but you're not sheltered by living home and second aspect of not living at home is you spend a lot more time doing social stuff. Like my parents really didn't care what time I came home or not but like I had car, I'm sure if I came home a few nights at three o'clock in the morning, it would have been an issue. But when you live by yourself, you are responsible of yourself. You have your own social calendar. So I think, you get a bit more responsible taking care of place and budgeting and everything like that.I think it also gives you more Liberty to do what you want without any oversight and again, I'm the oldest of five so my parents just really didn't care about me because they thought I was responsible but I don't know. But I still think there's self pressure that it opens up. I think also I do think York, two things, it doesn't have an international group of people. It's a bigger university I think student body wise, but more homogeneous and how they think and it doesn't have, also one benefit of McGill's as an international alumni base and reputation, which also has benefited me, which I think York has is a strong school, but its reputation is probably limited to the Southern Ontario region.Edward: Where would you have ended up, like you wouldn't have gone to New York, you think you would have gone and taken a job as an accountant in Toronto?Alex: Like I probably go on accounting. Maybe I'd gone to one in the Bay Street, which is okay, I think. But Bay Street it's probably better destination out on the was 20 years ago at best would have been at Bay street, but probably been an accountant or, some professional service job.Edward: After you left Lehman, you went to San Francisco and then less than a year later, you went to London. How much of that was chasing the good opportunities and jobs and how much, what was the allure of new cities in places?Alex: I'd say it's more cities and places than a good job. To give context. So this was 2000, 2001. So as a Lehman doing Tech M&A, it's funny I didn't believe in the valuations of dot-coms, but what I saw was technology was going to change how business was done. So I wanted to get close to it and at that time, the experience you get as a 22 year old at working for these dot-coms was way beyond what you'd get historically. They come in and say, run a division, run marketing. So start off, I left Lehman to go to the company in New York, which wasn't working out and there was an opportunity that came to me via several contacts to say a couple of people I knew were, moving to San Francisco once said Hey, there's a great startup that I'm going to work at why don't you apply?So I went for that job and I wanted it because it was the ability to be close to where the actual what's happening and then you have to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with San Francisco at that time from, again as going for the experience of the startup, but also experience of being somewhere other than New York and other than East coast. And it's funny, I was, it was more at that time, San Francisco was more middle America and New York is. I think it's now much more like New York than it was in 2000, 2001. So we'll come in. I was working at, I was failing for a couple of reasons. One being the CEO and founder got really sick and so she was going to basically resign and the investors want to take the money back because it was a big bet on her.So when I knew that was going to happen, I said, you know what? I want to go outside of States. I want to see a bit of the world and I actually literally reached out to a colleague of mine, a senior VP of mine that worked with me at Lehman brothers in London. He was about to start a company and one of my friends from McGill was in Hong Kong and I asked them both what opportunities do you know? A week later I was in London interviewing with this ex former senior VP from Lehman brothers, learning about his company, meeting his founders and I left London with an offer and I was there two weeks later. So it was an ability to get out of North America, see a bit of the world, get a different culture. It was also another opportunity to continue working in tech and actually a more senior role and they had an interesting idea, which was worth pursuing.Edward: It sounds like that you were at a few different places that didn't work out. What were the biggest failure points in your career? Where did things not go as expected?Alex: I guess maybe I have a growth mindset. I don't think anything was really a failure, there's companies I worked for that don't exist and didn't work. But they weren't my companies. So I think the activities I did, I think in those companies were successful, but though either a strategy wasn't right. They didn't have enough funding and I learned a lot from them. Like if I look at companies that fail, so I worked one in New York, they were the first B2B marketplace and they raised a ton of money from a bunch of notable investors. I just think the timing was off and they were trying to do too much because they raised like a hundred million dollars, but we were trying to cover 30 markets and you'd have people raise $30 million just to cover excess apparel inventory. So we were trying to do a hundred markets with not having any traction anywhere.We have competitors doing every single market and, I just want some for market, for sub markets and even when I had everything that looked like it was ready to be in place. I had supplied and a man lined up at all those things, ready to create that market. The timing wasn't there.So like I remember they did a deal with Stanley works. Stanley works is going to put $400 million of excess goods on our marketplace, we're going to help them sell it and we're going to clear it, go to implement the steel with the CFO and CTO at Stanley Works. Drive up to I think it was Connecticut. They said, "Yep, we're all for this. We know we have $400 million of excess inventory. We don't know what it is or where it is". Their technology systems were not ready and then the people that like the jobbers or buyers that are brokers are going to buy stuff still will want to do stuff offline. So half the time we even did transactions, we've done offline and recorded online. The timing was not right and we were just too spread thin to actually to make it work. So that company didn't go there.Edward: So if that company had succeeded. What would have happened to your career? You've had a very different experience going forward, what would it happen?Alex: I don't know. Like even if I stayed at Lehman instead of going there, like the good thing is every change has a compounding impact on my career. If that worked out hypothetically, I could be much wealthier than I am that. Think about it, you have a startup in 2001, let's say it works out. The IPO out of had probably enough money to make some money that, and more importantly would have been an early person that has an exit or an IPO you to be in the flow with people and that ecosystem that could have probably invested and had many more opportunities based on that. I don't know what I'd be doing. Like, I don't know if I'd be a market builder because I was responsible for four different markets here and I was getting supplies, getting demands, some partnerships to build awareness and get, I guess I was doing some marketing that I think about there.So maybe it'll start something sooner. I don't know. It's hard to know. That, interesting is also if that company was started in 2008, instead of 2001, there was a hundred employees when I was there. I'd be probably in touch with those people because I think right now, occasionally I hear from one of the people, but there wasn't a social network. You didn't have personal emails. So it would have been completely different, if I say the Lehman Brothers, I could've be there till it went bankrupt and I could have still walked away with a lot of money. I'd have probably been in New York. I'd probably had a complete different perspective on what gets me excited, probably be an investment banker for so long. Your justification life is, how much money you make, which money is important but it's not the end all be all measuring stick for my life right now. So culturally I would have been different and opportunity to be different. So it's just hard to know.Edward: Let's, jump ahead. You went to business school, spent four years at McKinsey, came back to Canada, started HomeSav, you sold it. How did you figure out what to do next after HomeSav?Alex: So I had silver bronze handcuffs. So which means, I had incentives to stay at the choir, but once you get acquired, you have pressure to perform, but it's not the same as being a founder. So that was the time to start figuring it out. I actually thought I'd just start another business by now. That's actually the first thing I started doing, I found new co-founders. I thought I had problems and I tested some ideas. So one of the key learnings also, I guess, going back to the question about HomeSav is, after being a first time founder and selling something, you realize it's a 10 to 20 year journey for a really good outcome and building a real sustainable business. Every day you can get hit in the face or I have a huge celebration within 10 minutes and so I started exploring other ideas.I went through two or three different ideas where I got a team together. We explored it and I was much more critical about what information I have to learn to make a no go or go decision and how much passion I have to have. So try to ideal around providing technology for early education like kindergartens and Montessori schools. I did another idea, can't even remember what the other, second one was? Then as a third one, which is like class pass for hair salons, you can look at my hair, you can see I'm definitely a customer for that, but actually that, that, one's actually funny. I have four sisters, a wife, a daughter, my co-founder. They're also like just, we start off with doing classical blow outs and that one actually looks successful, two months in, we had 5,000 customers paying us a hundred bucks a month.You know the accounts were horrible though and we actually got offered venture funding and I think we did for another month and a half and said, like we're not passionate about this and we don't believe fundamentally you could have a create something that delivers values for all the stakeholders. You always, having leakage at one part of this business model. So we actually put a bullet in it. So I thought was start another company right away over a series of a year, the three companies, they put bullets in all of them. I started advising startups. So it wasn't clear and then, I sort of organically found what, I had the luxury of time to figure out what I wanted to do and I followed what I'm excited aboutEdward: You ended up, Managing director, co-founding Tech TO and then becoming a partner at AngelList and then launching your own VC fund. How many more jobs are you planning to do? Can you consider being the CEO of a social network and a payments platform for them simultaneously?Alex: I'm only goal is to be as talented and connected as Jack Dorsey. It's weird because I think a lot of people believed the only way to be successful is to have a clear end set of where you want to get to and build towards it. I do believe that increase your chances of success significantly. I think the other thing with the path I follow, which makes it more difficult is if I were inherently interested in doing stuff I enjoy and doing stuff where I believe adds value and which will eventually pay for it, pay for itself. So all these things are connected and I think by giving a lot to others without expecting, anything in turn has helped me build this career path. So like Tech TO was started when Jason who we both know, Jason Goldlist came back to Toronto, said had, I'm working remotely.I'd like to get involved with the tech ecosystem, I said, here's some opportunities. There're some things you can do to help improve the culture, the Kane or the Toronto tech ecosystem and we had both experiences, he'd be in Seattle, I've been in three other startup ecosystems. What do we bring the best from organizations we saw there? We just started doing what we thought would be best for the ecosystem that got, for lack of a better word product market fit. It wasn't planning on being an organization. I was planned on me like a three hour per month give back to the ecosystem and it's grown into something much bigger. We can get that later. So I started doing that is actually what happened was the timing was before I started Tech TO I was, actually going through a series of startups that I was seeing if I want to start one up, I advising a bunch of startups.So I started doing this three hours a month and then it start getting traction. So okay let me figure out what we can do to have a bigger impact and bigger impact that continue to grow. And because of that, and we've been advising startups, eventually AngelesList was looking for someone to launch a candidate and reached out to me. I wasn't looking for anything. So if you look at Textron, we're trying to help the ecosystem by helping people get knowledge faster, learn from others, faster, meet people faster and build awareness of what's going on in Toronto. One thing I never explicitly touch was we believed it was more capitalism ecosystem, but we didn't think this organization was well positioned for that. Angels reached out to me, spent like three months talking to them, their mission as an organization, as a company, it was very aligned with what I'm trying to do with Tech TO.They had the ability to bring capital and SQL system. So there was a natural fit there and to sort of live the mission I'm trying to live in and help him with another organization. So that's why I took on the role at AngelList. Then in that draw, I'll take up both of these.I started as an angel investing and I found I had good deal flow, good judgment and I had well positioned myself again. Love say the strategic. Maybe, if I was forced, I'd say this is what I'd like to do with my life. I would have strategically taken both these roles and built these up, but it wasn't. So I said, okay, here's an opportunity for me to further align myself with the companies I'm investing in by bringing more capital, more connections to them. So I've raised the venture fund based upon the leverage, basically all the different networks and all the different skill sets and learnings I've had and have a bigger impact on the ecosystem. So while it looks like three different jobs, they're all very correlated. They have synergies for lack of a better word. Do I want to take on more roles? No. Am I taking on too much right now? Probably will there be a shift in how I allocate my time between all three? Probably there's been shifts over the last few years. It'll probably be more shifts over in the next six months.Edward: Awesome. Thanks Alex. We're going to dive into more into Tech TO when we do part two of this interview, which should be released tomorrow. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit marketingbs.substack.com

Accessory designer Joanna Buchanan developed an unmistakable vision for luxury, color, texture and pattern not only from her 20 years in the fashion retail business working at Saks Fifth Avenue and Banana Republic, but also through her Hong Kong childhood, adult years in Europe and extensive travel throughout India. For the woman who always believed that “life should be decorated and joyful,” the holiday season presented the perfect opportunity for Joanna to take her passion for home décor and accessories design to the next level via her own brand. Her first holiday collection launched exclusively on One Kings Lane in 2014 and she has continued to add an impressive collective of retailers to that list including: Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Geary’s Beverly Hills in the US and Harrods, John Lewis, and Amara in the UK.

In this episode, Anna Jones is joined by Susan Feldman, co-founder of home décor e-commerce company One Kings Lane and founder of In The Groove, a lifestyle destination for age-defying women. In their conversation, Susan details the exponential growth of the company, the experience of scaling fast, and how the business disrupted an entire industry. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Debbie Propst joined the furnishings giant Herman Miller as president of retail this January, after seven years at One Kings Lane—within a matter of weeks, her roadmap for the company hit an unexpected snag. But Debbie’s team has been pivoting to address the disruption of the coronavirus, fast-tracking digital efforts and looking for opportunities amidst the uncertainty. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about her time at One Kings Lane; the past and future of retail; and what it’s like to start a new leadership role in the midst of a crisis. This episode is sponsored by DEDON and Industry West. 

When Kristin Drohan opened her interior design business in 2005, there were a lot of furniture companies who would not sell to her. No problem —  she decided to team up with a smaller and nimbler manufacturer in North Carolina, and design a line herself. In the first part of the podcast, we share Drohan’s “Design Talk” from the November Designer Experience where she recounts starting her business, how One Kings Lane put her on the map, and how she and colleague Richelle Plett have figured out a way to circumvent the SIT test when it comes to buying upholstery. In part two, we have a follow up conversation and Drohan talks about the effects of COVID-19 on business and the status of her project with Plett.This podcast is sponsored by Houzz. 

In The Groove, a community on a mission to free women from rules and age limits, was founded by Susan Feldman, an MBA graduate of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Prior to In The Groove, Susan was the visionary behind home décor destination One Kings Lane and an executive at an array of apparel brands, from Polo Jeans to Liz Claiborne. Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand, explores some of the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large. Each week, the Elevate Your Brand podcast features an entrepreneurial special guest to discuss the past, present and future of their brand.

Susan Feldman is the co-founder and visionary behind One Kings Lane, and the Founder & CEO of In The Groove. Susan and I sat down for my very first video-recorded podcast to talk all about aging, and the effects it does and doesn't have on us as women and entrepreneurs. To check out the video of our conversation, head on over to my YouTube channel, Positively Gotham Gal Podcast.

“Getting older is like a privilege.”What made Susan believe she could start a business in the second half of her career (3:12)Why it’s so important to follow your intuition (6:03)How Susan came up with her current lifestyle business (8:01)How to jumpstart into a new chapter of your life (14:10)How to find new and upcoming trends for women in the second half of life (19:09)Susan’s experience of getting older (20:22)Daily habits that help get through challenges (21:05)How to find the courage to leave bad relationships and love yourself (22:30)How to face your fears (26:29)The value of creativity as we age (28:56)The liberation of saying no (31:10)What it means to Susan to own her throne (34:35)Links mentioned in this episode:One Kings LaneIn the GrooveWho What WearFollow SusanFollow Own Your Throne

Everyone can identify with the feeling of being invisible sometimes, but for a whole generation, that feeling may be more a matter of endurance. Unfortunately most cultures don’t value older populations as they once did, and western society is especially guilty of that. Susan Feldman was saddened when she saw a friend’s Instagram post joking about being invisible after age 50, and she decided to do something about it. Having taken two years off after launching, building and selling One Kings Lane, Susan launched a very different venture, In the Groove, a website largely focused on beauty where women of all ages can see a reflection of themselves. Filled with fashion tips, health and lifestyle information, and even a menopause registry (!), In the Groove proves that looking good is always in style. Thanks for listening! We love our listeners! Drop us a line or give us guest suggestions here, or visit https://anchor.fm/superwomen/messages on your desktop or phone to leave us a voice memo! Follow Superwomen on Instagram. Big Ideas Building an audience from nothing. [07:04] The many internal and external changes that come around age 50. [20:07] --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superwomen/support

Kansas City native and co-owner of 200 Main Vintage, Tobe Reed, reminisces on her days working at Hallmark with Meg, where Tobe worked in the lettering department and ran/founded Hallmark’s blog. We get the inside scoop on what it’s like to work at Hallmark. Tobe shares how her grandmother’s death helped her realize it was time for her to leave her corporate job for a slower, more family-centered way of life. Since leaving Hallmark, she’s had more time and energy for her business, and consequently, the business has grown with her extra attention. You can find 200 Main Vintage on One Kings Lane, Chairish, and locally in Kansas City at Golden & Pine.

The Product Podcast Interview Series. Episode 6In this episode, we explore the alternative perspectives of Product Management with Andrea Chesleigh of Boxed. With 15 years of experience under her (product) belt, Andrea has gone from an entry-level PM to VP of Product by creating impactful work at companies like Verizon, Zappos, Rent the Runway, One Kings Lane, and Boxed. See how her experience has shaped her insights, and let us know what you think of her impressive array of Product knowledge.Get the FREE Product Book here

From the Simplr studios in San Francisco, this is your weekly briefing.  IntroductionWith your E-Commerce Retail Briefing for today, Wednesday, September 25, 2019, I'm Vincent Phamvan.Amazon’s CEO announced plans to reach the goals of the Paris climate agreement ten years early in what he referred to as the Climate Pledge. The pledge maps out the company’s plan to tackle climate change in the coming years. The company has already agreed to purchase 100,000 electric vans along with promising to regularly measure and report the company’s emissions.  First, here are some retail headlines.Postmates Raising Another $225 MillionPopular food-delivery service, Postmates, confirmed raising another $225 million. The new round of funding now puts its valuation at $2.4 billion. The latest round comes ahead of their imminent IPO. According to sources familiar with the company, Postmates plans to publicly unveil its IPO prospectus this month.Bed, Bath & Beyond Launching Second-ever Private Label BrandBed, Bath & Beyond announced they’re launching their second-ever private label brand. The new line leverages the popularity of digitally native brand, One Kings Lane, which was acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2016. The new brand, One Kings Lane Open House, will be available online at both Bed Bath & Beyond and One Kings Lane.Madison Reed to Franchise Color BarsAccording to a press release, hair color brand Madison Reed plans to franchise its Color Bars through a joint venture with Franworth. A spokesperson from the company said the retailer plans to have 600 stores either sold or open by 2024. Madison Reed joins the list of direct to consumer brands who have turned to brick-and-mortar for continued growth. Last year, Casper made a similar announcement with plans to open 200 stores across North America by 2021.  Amazon Makes Climate Change Pledge Jeff Bezos, CEO of retail giant Amazon, announced plans to tackle climate change. In what he referred to as the Climate Pledge, Amazon plans to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement 10 years early. Bezos promised Amazon would measure and report the company’s emissions on a regular basis, along with implementing decarbonization strategies and altering its business strategies to offset remaining emissions. During the announcement, Bezos said he expects 80 percent of Amazon’s energy use to come from renewable sources by 2024 before transitioning to zero emissions by 2030. Amazon revealed they agreed to purchase 100,000 electric vans from manufacturer Rivian. Bezos said he expects the first vans to be on the road by 2021 and all 100,000 to be deployed by 2024. The company also announced a $100 million donation to The Nature Conservancy to form the Right Now Climate Fund which will work to protect and restore forests around the world.The plan calls for other companies to join Amazon in fighting climate change. At the National Press Club in Washington, Bezos said quote, “we want to use our scale and scope to lead the way,” end quote. Amazon will be working with companies in its supply chain to help them reach the same goals and will also meet with large corporations to get them to sign onto the agreement.  Closing Thanks for listening to the latest episode of the E-Commerce Retail Briefing. Don't forget, Simplr can help you scale up your customer service with 24/7 support. Find out more at Simplr.ai. Until next time.          

Leslee Mitchell is a photographer and content creator based in Nashville, Tennessee. She has shot everything from weddings to her ever-popular matchbox car series, interiors, and everything in between. Her work has been seen on Architectural Digest, Framebridge, One Kings Lane, and CB2. Her daily work can be seen on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/lesleemitchell/

Though Susan Feldman had worked in retail eight times (creating, among other things, swimwear for Ralph Lauren and Polo Jeans), it wasn’t until she moved to L.A., bought a home and had to decorate it that she hit it big.  “We launched One Kings Lane in five months in March 2009. We sold it to Bed Bath & Beyond which just celebrated its 10th anniversary,” Feldman tells Lesley Jane Seymour, founder of CoveyClub.com. Feldman launched Get in The Groove (https://getinthegroove.com/) as a high-to-low “Lifestyle Destination for Age-Defying Women” selling cosmetics, clothing, accessories, vibrators, even a menopause registry. “Our demo has an incredible amount of wealth,” Feldman says. “This is information and products that will keep women in the groove.” Follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/getinthegroove1/).

Susan Feldman is an age defying entrepreneur who caters to age defying women. She worked in retail for over two decades holding executive roles for Ralph Lauren, Polo and Liz Clairborne before deciding to try her hand at entrepreneurship. At a point in life when most people would be eyeing retirement Susan co-founded One Kings Lane, a popular home decor and luxury site that eventually sold to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Her newest venture is Get in the Groove, a new life-style destination for age-defying women. She thrives on creatively helping women in their golden years feel empowered by being included in fashion and trends.

Jenny is a 12 year wedding planning veteran turned interior designer re-located from SoCal to Boston. Her interior design company Palm & Prep captures the essence of fresh coastal cali living grounded with the traditional vibe of New England. At P&P she takes pride in creating spaces that are an elevated cohesive reflection of you & your family. Jenny’s work has been featured in Boston Globe Magazine, San Diego Magazine, Style me Pretty Living, HouseBeautiful.com, One Kings Lane, Real Simple, Anthropologie, and Schumacher.comDuring the show, we discuss:Switching from designing weddings on the West coast to designing homes on the East coastThe behind the scenes of restoring her current homeHow Jenny has built thriving businesses with and without the use of social mediaJenny’s thoughts around utilizing social media as a tool to help others, her relationship with the word influencer, and her desire for genuine partnershipsLetting go of the “need” to be on social media every single dayHow Jenny navigates comparison, the algorithm, and curating the perfect feed by knowing her strengths and honoring her offline achievements Jenny shares a sneak peek into future goals of hers that you don’t want to miss!Connect with Jenny:www.palmandprep.comInstagram: @palmandprepConnect with Brie: www.brieshelly.comInstagram: @brieshellyFor therapy and coaching, connect with me here!

Designer, home goods guru, and author Jennifer Adams went from making other people's beds as a housekeeping to making millions annually off her bedding and furnishings line thanks to partnerships with major retailers like Costco and One Kings Lane. Her new book Love Coming Home is one part home improvement and one part self improvement, exploring the limiting beliefs that keep people from making improvements to their home. “Ask yourself the question you asked me, ‘if I knew I couldn't fail what would I do.' And then start the basis for your business with that in mind. And then breakdown what it is you need to accomplish to make that happen and put it into small chunks like steppingstones. And then use your data, there is a lot of data at our fingertips, to first and foremost say: Am I in the right industry? Am I in an industry that has potential for growth? And then, what can be your point of difference? And then hold onto that point of difference. And then just now that entrepreneurship is an up and down rollercoaster. And because you have the ups and downs that doesn't mean you are in the wrong business, it just means you are in business. And everybody has lows that come with the highs. And just really when you are at your high that's when your business is the most at risk because we tend to think everything is great and we are not really sharpening our pencil and looking underneath the covers. And when we are at a low sometimes, we don't have the resources to grow but that's where we are at a sharpest because we are looking at all the inefficiencies and we are fired up to grow the sales and things. So just now is a normal part of business, don't get complacent at the highs when you are at the lows know that the upside will happen”…[Listen for More] Click Here for Show Notes To Listen or to Get the Show Notes go to https://wp.me/p6Tf4b-6U9

The landscape of the interior design business has been altered over the last few years. The days of buying home furnishings through a designer that were considered “trade only”, meaning items could only be purchased from a designer, have changed. Manufacturers almost exclusively sold to designers and brick and mortar furniture stores. There was generally a set retail price and designers either sold “at retail” or offered a discount. Furniture stores generally could purchase the items at a better price due to volume but didn’t normally sell things as “customized” as a designer would. Fast forward a few years and here are some changes and/or misconceptions: A. Interior Design has gone digital a) The “in-person” designer/client relationship is not necessary. b) E-Design: A client can send photos/measurements and a designer can create a space plan and links to purchase furniture on their own. c) Space planning software – you can upload a photo of a room and a user can see different room arrangements. d) Social media advertising – Furniture can be received quickly at a great price and free shipping. B. The Pros: a) A time saver b) A wide Range of product a) You may see a style you weren’t aware of b) You may see things mixed together that you would have never thought of c) Easy Comparison a) You can look at multiple vendors b) Having a manufacturer and product number can help with the search d) Ease of Accessibility a) You can access your computer from your living room, while waiting to get your oil changed or while lying in bed. e) Sales/Discounts a) Competition is fierce – you can find great deals f) Reviews a) You will hear the good and the bad and this can help you with your decision C. The Cons: a) Seeing something on a screen is not necessarily how it will look in person a) It’s hard to tell the quality Is the seat comfortable? Do the drawers open smoothly? b) It’s hard to judge the color a) All computer screens are different b) If it’s described as “navy blue” that can mean royal blue, indigo blue, etc. c) You’re not dealing with a real person a) A designer will know the manufacturers and what their strengths and weaknesses are and will ask you specific questions to help you get exactly what you want and help you avoid mistakes. d) Delivery issues a) Many of the “free shipping” options are curbside delivery b) Drivers are not able to assist you c) The item may come in pieces and need to be assembled – this can cause hours of time and frustration d) You have large amounts of packaging and cardboard to dispose of e) It can arrive late f) It can go to the wrong address e) Less freedom of customization a) You have to pick the furniture that is on the site f) Sizes/Measurements a) Most people don’t have the skill required to design a space Scale Proportion Types of quality – 8 way hand tied Performance Fabrics Making it Personal g) Reviews a) You can’t always trust these – someone may not have the same standards that you do D. Popular Online Sites: a) Wayfair b) Birch Lane c) All Modern d) Joss & Main e) Perigold f) Houzz g) Amazon h) World Market i) Modsy j) One Kings Lane k) Lulu & Georgia l) Lex Mod Designers understand how spaces flow together, how to combine fabrics and how furniture placement affects conversation. Impulse buys on furniture and accessories that you think may work in a room can add up and cost you more in the long run. To combine ideas in a cohesive way that is collected and pulled together takes experience talent and insight. That’s what designers do well.

Susan Feldman is the genius founder of One Kings Lane. She broke new ground by challenging and redefining conventional wisdom about how we shop for home decor. She’s expanded her horizons once again with the launch of “In The Groove” a new concept for “age defying women” —  a category in which Susan is most […] The post Get in the Groove with One Kings Lane founder Susan Feldman (Episode #32) appeared first on She Said / She Said.

When Susan Feldman sold One Kings Lane to Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016, she could have kicked back. Instead, she founded the on-line, platform Get in the Groove, which offers curated lifestyle articles and retail geared for the middle-aged woman. “I started hearing a lot from women that they were feeling invisible,” Susan shares. “So it’s important for women to figure out how they can stay current and 'in the know.’ Plus, there are just a lot of things that no one tells you about middle age and we need a forum for that.” In this episode, Susan addresses ways of being proactive in order to stay current, relevant and ultimately visible.

Lucy Bamman, Market Editor for Hearst Magazines ELLE Decor, Veranda and House Beautiful believes that there is something for everyone in design and decor, and part of the fun is the journey that comes along with finding it. Lucy talks with us about her role as a Market Editor, and how she got into it, what trends she is into now and how she keeps feelers open for what’s good at all times, but also is very specific about what find will work best with what publication. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: What exactly a Market Editor is, and why you can thank them for featuring the best and most unique products, ideas and trendsThe pressure (and fun) that comes with a job like Lucy’s, and what she appreciates most about sourcing for three very esteemed yet different publications and readershipsThe differentiators between her three titles at ELLE Decor, Veranda and House BeautifulThe amazing locations Lucy gets to visit on behalf of work, including Paris, Milan, and Los AngelesThe latest trends Lucy is seeing now, including moving from brass to more natural materials such as wicker and straw, and interesting color patterns and choicesHow she edits her own home when she constantly has so much input and information flying her way, and how she brings in her love of textiles in her own decoratingWhy Lucy urges us not to fear color and bold choices. Even if you turn a sofa and put it on another wall, or change the paint or throw pillows, you can completely change the whole mood and make it as sophisticated or funky as you wantHer background and education, and how she learned her practicals from Richard Keith LanghamLucy’s experience with Keith teaching her to know her colors, think like a true designer, and not be afraid to mix it all up and have funHow Lucy’s job at One Kings Lane set her up for editing and spritzing in beautiful vintage pieces to demonstrate the beauty of collecting pieces over timeTips for small spaces including the use of lower shelves under coffee tablesHow to be your own Market Editor when you don’t necessarily have the house to decorate in quite yetHow to know when to refurbish, and when to do away with the old for something new

Kelly Morris has guided thousands with her unique ability to bring forth the truths with yoga and meditation. In the wake of one of America's greatest tragedies on September 11, 2001, Kelly was chosen as the cover story for New York Magazine, as a leading light + voice of compassion at a time of great violence, fear and confusion. Kelly created The Infinity Call—a one-of-kind daily meditation experience for women around the world. It’s A LIVE broadcast for women only M-F, each session is available for 24 hours and then vanishes.  The Infinity Call has been featured in the WSJ, One Kings Lane, InStyle, The Coveteur, Well + Good and many more. As you’ll see in this interview, Kelly is direct, frank, empowered by compassion, but mostly, LOVE. She’s  like no other meditation or spiritual coach you’ve ever worked with.    What got you into meditation? Kelly has been a lifelong practitioner of yoga. She has also done studies of a certain kind and has been involved in spiritual practice. Kelly believes many yoga teachers, practitioners and a lot of people in the spiritual field do not meditate. This is because most of them haven’t been taught how to meditate properly. She was brought up and raised in a patriarchal society. She wanted to break shackles and oppose the concept of a system, society or government where men get control of everything. For Kelly, the answer lied in meditation. Through meditation, she was able to achieve a greater sense of self-consciousness for herself and for women around her. Today, she is leading a live broadcast day in day out by the name of ‘The Infinity Call’. What is ‘The Infinity Call’? Kelly believes it is difficult to start a meditation practice at home due to various reasons. Kelly started Infinity for all call which is only for women. The Infinity Call is a live broadcast that women can join from any corner of the world. It is a live guided meditation that is led by Kelly herself and the focus is to increase self-consciousness through meditation and enable women empowerment. Women can have one to one meditation session via telephone, Skype or even an in-person session if they are from New York City. Kelly says hundreds of women have joined this program. We live in a world that is actually not safe for women and Kelly hopes to make this world a safer place for women through this program. Why do you believe meditation is so important for you and for everyone else? Kelly believes that for many people meditation does not seem like something very revolutionary. This is because the whole concept of meditation revolves around an individual sitting in a corner and chanting a mantra repeatedly and or perform a ritual in complete silence. Studies suggest that human beings generate a large number of beta brain waves during everyday life when we are mostly occupied with work and when our attention is towards the outside world. Beta brainwave state is associated with paranoia, anxiety, self-doubt, and depression. People who are prone to depression or anxiety are not able to produce GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) neurotransmitter. People who are addicted to certain things like drugs, gambling or sex are also unable to produce GABA neurotransmitter in large quantity. Studies have indicated that people who meditate are able to produce high amounts of GABA neurotransmitter. Therefore, meditation can help people suffering from depression, anxiety and drug addiction. Why do you think positive affirmations do not work? Kelly believes unless you do not believe in that positive affirmation, it will never work for you. This is because you will not be able to produce the hormones and chemicals associated with that sentiment hence making it impossible for you to believe in it. If you want to raise your self-esteem and if you really want to believe in your abilities, you should first try to create the chemical consciousness inside of yourself, enable yourself to believe in it. You could do this by borrowing someone’s mojo, it could be some celebrity, your friend or a relative. How do you take your clients through a meditation session? Kelly trains her clients to retrieve their consciousness which is an individual’s greatest resource. Kelly intends to reach out to women across the world through The Infinity Call program. She says she expects women from different cultures, religion, race, country, socioeconomic status to join this program. Where do you feel your passion comes from? Kelly is deeply concerned with the ever-increasing number of women rape cases in America and around the world. She believes her true passion to work and for women, empowerment is due to the fact that women are constantly being persecuted in this patriarchal society and much needs to be done to stop this persecution. Kelly believes as a woman she can enable other women to look out for themselves, protect themselves and create awareness among other women who in turn can stand-up for their rights. Kelly believes women have the ability to heal the world. How can we connect with you? You can find more about Kelly and her work through her website. Her website’s URL is http://www.findyourinfinity.com

Join Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole as they share their insights on their recent trip to the Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville and their thoughts on antiques in today’s world of design.   Plus you’ll learn how Joann pulled her antique finds together to style her screened in porch. IN THIS EPISODE: I. What we saw at The Antiques and Garden Show of Nashville - Celebrating it’s 28th year this show is the longest-running, largest and most prestigious event of its kind in the country.  It consists of 150 exhibitors , 15,000 attendees a.  Furniture – fine antiques  - you can purchase locally or through One Kings Lane, Chairish, Everything But the House and 1st Dibs. b.  Collections – museum bees, vintage bathing suits c.  Art – Charleston Artist Collective d.  Jewelry – old coins, pins, watches e.  Unique Items – Southern Beasts f.  Concrete planters, Plants, flowers, succulents II. FURNITURE a. Why the millennial crowd doesn’t like brown b. Fine Antiques - Grandmother’s sideboard c. Kelly’s daughter Emory’s dresser d. Family silver collections III. COLLECTIONS a. MUSEUM BEES -- Bees, Scarabs, Foxes, Hound Dogs, Snakes, Frogs, etc.  – how it started – recycled antique frames from 1860-1880.  The back of the museum bees frames have the initial of the current winner of the Kentucky Derby.  2017’s winner was “Always Dreaming” - there is an “A.D” on the ones we purchased!   -- Vintage Bathing Suits – Framed -- Example: Museum bees - great idea as gifts and in galleries -- Example:  Southern Beasts – https://www.southernbeasts.com - antique dealer for 45 years, lives in Round Top Texas – quality antique fabrics , needlepoint and tapestries cover dogs, pigs, hats, deer heads b. ART -- If you haven’t already, start an original art collection -- Charleston Art Collective - Molly Wright – bottle cap art – over 4000 bottle caps -- Small pieces – great way to own original art when you can’t afford large pieces -- Galleries – mixing old with new c. JEWELRY/ACCESSORIES/HOME DECOR -- Old religious coins, pins, pocket watches, -- Coin Purse Necklaces – made from antique couture coin purses from 1830-1930 – check blog – giving rare antiques new life – http://www.storyologydesign.com -- Vintage silver trays – b/w photos put onto trays in a gallery – see blog post called “LOOK WHAT I DID “ d. SCOTT’S ANTIQUE MARKET - Atlanta -- Vintage linens -- Custom furniture – especially kitchen tables -- Start small – Kelly’s  little table in the bathroom, chairs -- Custom artisans – don’t be afraid to custom make something e. JOANN’S SCREENED IN PORCH – all the items pulled together for this space mixed with plants and flowers. – Antique sideboard painted in green lacquer.  Vintage gold mirror above sideboard to reflect the outdoors.  Old Victorian floor lamp base used as a planter.

Susan Feldman, co-founder of One Kings Lane, shares the story of how she came up with the idea for the on-line home interior and décor retailer, picked the perfect business partner, and kicked it off amidst the recession in 2007. It was quite the transition: Susan had worked for years a retail (apparel) executive but had no internet experience and minimal investment funds. From the moment Susan and her partner launched the “scrappy” start-up, it was a smash hit. With the brand's recent sale to Bed Bath & Beyond, Susan shares how she is now working to reinvent—yet again.

Jon Tutolo is the king of reinvention. The 42-year old has worked in the editorial, styling, retail and advertising worlds and even served as President of Trump Model Management. Learn how the former model agent, shopkeeper and art director took his collective experiences and crooked career path to land his dream job as creative director of One Kings Lane.

Do you have champagane taste? Most of us do!!! Don't let your penchant for beautiful things blow your budget! You can have a GORGEOUS home and not spend tons of $$$. We have lots of tips and ways to get the look without breaking the bank! Knowing what a fabulously expensive home decor piece looks like and what makes it expensive is the key to knowing what to look for in a lesser priced item. So make sure to do your homework! Mix high priced, well-made furniture with lower price well-made items! Priceless look (pun intended- lol!)! Know where you can get lower price furnishings like thrift shops, consignment shops, outlets, Amazon, Wayfair, One Kings Lane. Affiliate links We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Be sure to check out Anita's favorite things from Amazon CLICK HERE Check out Kelly's Amazon finds - nesting tables - HERE (http://mysoulfulhome.com/best-nesting-tables-for-fabulous-flexible-decor/) See Decorating Tips And Tricks episode #45  WHAT TO SPLURGE ON  and episode  #41 DO NOT SPLURGE ON THESE THINGS. One big way to have your home have a quiet elegance on a beer budget is to edit, edit, edit! Keep it simple! Less is certainly more!  See Yvonne's 10 Timeless Decor Tips HERE. See Yvonne's 10 Budget Decorating Tips. See Yvonne's How To Fake High End Decor For Less You know what would be SO awesome? If you would share Decorating Tips & Tricks with your friends. Do it in person or on Facebook using THIS LINK. It is easy just click & share DTT to your page. Thanks in advance!! x Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Leave us a review on itunes! And you can call us @ 323 480-4408 we’d love to hear from you! You can suggest a topic for us to cover or ask a question. XOXO, Yvonne, Anita and Kelly

E-commerce entrepreneur Susan Feldman describes how she and her co-founder went from bootstrapping One Kings Lane in the midst of the Great Recession, standing out from competitors in the home-decor industry by carefully curating product and focusing on creative flair, and ultimately being acquired by Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016. Feldman speaks with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig.

E-commerce entrepreneur Susan Feldman describes how she and her co-founder went from bootstrapping One Kings Lane in the midst of the Great Recession, standing out from competitors in the home-decor industry by carefully curating product and focusing on creative flair, and ultimately being acquired by Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016. Feldman speaks with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig.

E-commerce entrepreneur Susan Feldman describes how she and her co-founder went from bootstrapping One Kings Lane in the midst of the Great Recession, standing out from competitors in the home-decor industry by carefully curating product and focusing on creative flair, and ultimately being acquired by Bed, Bath & Beyond in 2016. Feldman speaks with Stanford Professor of the Practice Tina Seelig.

Interior Design & Home Decor Business Podcast   Our Favorite Friend Has a Sale: Courteney Cox Today we will be going over Courteney Cox’s Interior Design Sale at One Kings Lane. Actress Courteney Cox has an expert eye for interior design—and she’s filled her Malibu beach house with an enviable mix of Mid-Century Mod seating, sleek lighting, and bright global textiles. In the spirit of starting fresh, she’s offering up a few favorite pieces from her collection to you. Trust us: This is one sale you won’t want to miss.  Las Vegas Market Then we move to Las Vegas as we talk about Las Vegas Market (Winter Edition).   Las Vegas Market is home to two signature events each year -- Winter and Summer Markets -- as well as many off-markets events and Las Vegas Design Center, open year-round to the trade and the public.   Facebook Pixel We close the show going over how and why all design firms should be using the Facebook pixel. Start now and own your marketing in 6 months or sooner. Install video link include with Newsletter Signup at Tastefully Inspired.

EP042 - News, Amazon Grocery Pickup Amazon News Rumor: Sellers are saying they are being notified by amazon they are going to stop doing FBA off amazon. Project X - a New Grocery Pickup Store from Amazon Recap of Jason's visit to Amazon Bookstore Rumor: Amazon to launch spotify killer for echo Other News US Commerce dept said e-commerce grew 15.8%, BestBuy beat expectations in Q2 thanks to online which spiked 24% y/y Walmart beat expectations in Q2 - SSS up 1.6%, 7 straight quarters of traffic growth, e-com up 11.8% At the same time Target struggled in Q2 with SSS declining 1.1% and e-commerce grew 16% One Kings Lane sold for $30m, after being valued at $900m Has Pokemon Go peaked? Lily Pulitzer sale problems This episode is sponsored by the National Retail Federation.  The Jason and Scot show will be live podcasting at the NRF/shop.org digital summit 2016 which is in Dallas September 26-28th this year.  We have a custom discount code for our listeners. The code is JASON&SCOT, you will get a 10% discount on the full conference fee. Visit  retailsdigitalsummit.nrf.com to enter the code when you register for the show and we’ll see you there! Don't forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 42 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Wednesday, August 24th, 2016. http://retailgeek.com/podcast Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, SVP Commerce & Content at Razorfish, and Scot Wingo, Founder and Executive Chairman of Channel Advisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing.

In the investment world, Ellin Purdom is known to her clients as a Director of Client Services. But Ellin is also Catherine Hughes’ cousin and best friend. The two women grew up together in Piedmont and share memories of enjoying Catherine’s godmother’s hand-made toffee on holidays and special occasions. Ellin now lives in Marin County, California, and she and Catherine talk often, preferably over toffee. Not surprisingly, Ellin found the notion of publicizing Toffee Talk as irresistible as the candy itself. Thirty years experience in the investment advisory business have turned Ellin into a networker extraordinaire. She has deep roots in the Bay Area and loves meeting new people and helping them connect with others. Not surprisingly, Ellin has developed a passion for, and a great expertise in, marketing through social media. As Toffee Talk’s Director of Social Networking, Ellin uses Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and Google Plus to get the word out about Toffee Talk. Her efforts have gotten Toffee Talk featured in influential foodie blogs and on the Daily Grommet, One Kings Lane and Daily Gourmet online marketplaces. And whether she’s wearing her financial hat or her marketing one, Ellin chooses Toffee Talk for all her business gifts.     On Today's show Ellin will share: - What her top  business tips are for aspiring entrepreneurs - How social media has helped them expand their business - How they landed a sweet gig - GOOGLE! - How they started the business - Plus much more...

George Lange’s work as a photographer is known all over the world. He grew up in Pittsburgh and now lives in Boulder, Colorado, though his career has taken him just about everywhere. After graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design, he worked for the legendary photographers Duane Michals and Annie Leibovitz before going out on his own. Since then, his work has appeared on movie posters; billboards; in numerous platforms for many major corporations; newspapers, including The New York Times,The Chicago Tribune  and USA Weekend; and in almost every major magazine, ranging from O: The Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, People, ADWEEK, Esquire, Glamour, Parade, and GQ to Self and Sports Illustrated.  Lange has photographed everyone from Jim Carrey to Honey Boo Boo; from latex glove factories in Thailand to ice cream production in Columbus, Ohio; from the cast of Seinfeld to Cake Boss; from choreographers to jewelers. Lange is also an accomplished director, working on projects for One Kings Lane, Merrill Lynch and Jeni’s Ice Cream. His work is guided by one simple truth: an unforgettable photograph is not about what the image looks like, but what it feels like. Lange believes that when we do what we love and take pictures from the heart,  “all we’re doing is putting love out into the world” - a line heard by all subjects who have been in front of Lange’s camera.  http://www.langestudio.com/ http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/Capturing-the-moment-George-Lan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duane_Michals www.thecandidframe.com info@thecandidframe.com

One Kings Lane CEO Doug Mack talks about why mobile matters for E-commerce and why you should have a device-centric strategy.