Podcasts about Ulta

APAC stocks were mostly higher with sentiment underpinned following NVIDIA's earnings and after the Manhattan-based Court of International Trade blocked President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs.NVIDIA (NVDA) shares rose 4.9% after hours following earnings which beat on top and bottom lines despite incurring a USD 4.5bln charge in Q1; Q2 revenue outlook 45.0bln (exp. 46.4bln).US President Trump ordered US chip designers to stop selling to China, according to FT; US halts exporting aircraft engine technology and chip software to China, according to NYT.FOMC Minutes stated participants agreed they were well positioned to wait for more clarity on the outlook.European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 1.4% after the cash market closed with losses of 0.7% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include Spanish Retail Sales, Italian Industrial Sales, US GDP 2nd Estimate (Q1), Core PCE Prices (Q1), Jobless Claims, SARB Policy Announcement, Swiss & Scandinavian Holiday, Speakers including Fed's Barkin, Goolsbee, Kugler & Daly, BoE's Bailey & Breeden, Supply from Italy & US Earnings from Marvell, Costco, Dell, Gap, ULTA, Foot Locker, Best Buy & Kohl's.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Stocks boosted after NVIDIA's earnings and after the Manhattan-based Court of International Trade blocked President Trump's Liberation Day tariffs.NVIDIA (NVDA) shares +6% pre-market following earnings which beat on top and bottom lines despite incurring a USD 4.5bln charge in Q1; Q2 revenue outlook 45.0bln (exp. 46.4bln).US President Trump ordered US chip designers to stop selling to China, according to FT; US halts exporting aircraft engine technology and chip software to China, according to NYT.DXY firmer & havens broadly lag given the risk tone; USTs/XAU both in the red.Looking ahead, Highlights include US GDP 2nd Estimate (Q1), Core PCE Prices (Q1), Jobless Claims, SARB Policy Announcement, Swiss & Scandinavian Holiday, Speakers including Fed's Barkin, Goolsbee, Kugler & Daly, BoE's Bailey & Breeden, Supply from the US Earnings from Marvell, Costco, Dell, Gap, ULTA, Foot Locker, Best Buy & Kohl's.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Is it too early to buy the retail stocks? (0:30) - Finding Strong Investments Within The Retail Sector For Your Portfolio (6:30) - Tracey's Top Stock Picks  (34:45) - Episode Roundup: LEVI, LE, ULTA, TGT, DECK Podcast@Zacks.com

Erin is fresh off of baking a cake and mentally preparing for a secret LA trip. Erin conquers her fear of Ulta. A cereal brand uses a tricky but legal way to market their brand. We discuss the World Shot Put Series, Sydney McLaughlin Levrone's 100 meter sprint debut at the Grand Slam, and a runner who nabbed $285 in freebies using his wife's London Marathon medal. Erin spills the tea on a TikTok Pilates instructor's controversial rant against overweight clients and an update on a paternity fraud case with a shocking jail twist. Our “How About We Just Die” segment covers toxic chemicals in store receipts. The “No Bad” story highlights a toddler's heartwarming friendship with a wild crow named Russell. We announce plans to attend the Grand Slam, credentials or not. Also Erin is posting on Snapchat Follow us on Snapchat (@ImMrsSpaceCadet, @ScrapTownUSA).

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke break down Shopify (ticker: SHOP), a leading e-commerce platform company enabling e-commerce merchants across the world to seamlessly manage nearly every part of their business in one place. Shopify has been locked in a power struggle with Amazon, as the two present distinct visions for the future of e-commerce: Amazon tries to pull merchants to its marketplace and to conform with its standardized shopping experience, while Shopify empowers merchants to manage their own websites that go direct-to-consumer. In this episode, you'll learn how Shopify started humbly as a snowboard website, what makes Shopify such a killer app, how Shopify and Amazon compete but also have found ways to strategically co-exist, why Shopify may have multiple moats working to its advantage, and whether Shopify is attractively valued given its compelling growth prospects, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 05:30 - Why the enterprise software market was ripe for disruption. 10:50 - Shopify's origin story as a simple snowboard website in Canada. 14:47 - How Shopify's value proposition differs from Amazon. 36:42 - Why Shopify abandoned its logistics business just one year after making a major acquisition. 42:42 - How Shopify has responded to Amazon encroaching on its turf. 01:01:38 - What to make of Shopify's share split and ownership structure. 01:12:28 - Why Shopify's growth story may only be just beginning. 01:16:32 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add SHOP to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠. Business Breakdowns podcast on Shopify. Quartr's overview of Shopify. Clayton Christensen's The Innovator's Dilemma. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Nintendo⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Airbnb⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠AutoZone⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Alphabet⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Ulta⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠John Deere⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Madison Square Garden Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠sponsors⁠: CFI Education Airbnb Connect with Shawn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Daniel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠ HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠rating and review⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley break down Visa (ticker: V), the global payments powerhouse that acts as the invisible engine behind billions of transactions every day. Visa doesn't issue cards, lend money, or handle customer accounts — instead, it operates the network that connects banks, merchants, and consumers in over 200 countries. Whether you're tapping your card for a coffee, shopping online, or sending money abroad, there's a good chance Visa is taking a small slice behind the scenes. Visa is to the global economy what highways are to cars — an essential infrastructure layer that makes modern commerce move. In this episode, you'll learn how Visa evolved from a consortium of banks to a dominant public company, how it defends its massive competitive moat, where growth will come from beyond traditional card payments, whether emerging technologies like account-to-account payments pose a real threat, how to think about Visa's valuation, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 03:04 - How Visa's business model works and how it earns money from transactions17:49 - Why every player in the payment process needs Visa26:54 - Visa's origin story and how BofA's BankAmericard changed banking forever55:36 - Where Visa's growth will come from in the future47:50 -  What are Visa's Value Added Services and New Flows57:44 - Why Visa's Moat is so impenetrable1:01:31 - Who are Visa's competitors and what are the overarching risks1:10:07 - Whether Visa is attractively valued at current levels1:19:10 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add V to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠⁠⁠. Visa's latest Annual Report. Book to understand Payments: The Pay Off. The Acquired Podcast on Visa. Visa Investor Day 2025 Presentation. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: ⁠⁠⁠Nintendo⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Airbnb⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠AutoZone⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Alphabet⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Ulta⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠John Deere⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Madison Square Garden Sports⁠⁠⁠. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: • CFI Education • ⁠Airbnb Connect with Shawn: ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Daniel: ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠ HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a ⁠⁠⁠rating and review⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

In this powerful episode of Small Business PR with Gloria Chou, we're joined by the incredible Yve-Car Momperousse, founder and CEO of Kreyol Essence—the Haitian beauty brand seen on Shark Tank and now sold at Sephora, Ulta, Whole Foods, Amazon, and more.From a personal hair loss crisis to building a $50M clean beauty brand, Yve-Car shares the raw, real story of how she stayed true to her roots, served her community, and used her voice to break barriers in the natural haircare industry.This is a masterclass on mission-driven entrepreneurship, financial empowerment, inclusive leadership, and what it really takes to scale a brand from scratch.Key Lessons on Scaling a $50M Brand: Shark Tank Prep, Community-Led Growth, DEI, and Data-Driven Success for Purpose-Driven EntrepreneursHow Kreyol Essence went from humble beginnings to $50M+ in product salesWhat preparing for Shark Tank really looks like (hint: it took over a year!)The power of community-driven business and grassroots brand buildingWhy knowing your numbers is essential for BIPOC and women entrepreneursHow to measure impact and ROI beyond revenueHow Yve-Car approaches DEI, inclusion, and allyship in her businessWhy storytelling and getting “back to basics” is the future of marketingHow to turn preparation into opportunity—and opportunity into impactYve-Car Momperousse's journey—from a personal hair loss experience to building Kreyol Essence, a $50M+ natural haircare brand—is a blueprint for mission-driven entrepreneurship rooted in purpose, community, and preparation.This episode reminds us that success isn't about luck—it's about being prepared when the opportunity comes. Whether it's navigating Shark Tank, scaling in the face of supply chain chaos, or advocating for inclusive business practices, Yve-Car proves that knowing your numbers, loving your customers, and staying rooted in your culture are what truly drive sustainable growth.

In this episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis begin by dissecting the week's most important retail news, highlighting the Trump administration's UK trade deal. They discuss the more consequential negotiations with China befor examining how Chinese e-commerce giants Temu and Shein are experiencing sales drops of 17% and 23% respectively after implementing pricing changes.April's surprising 7% jump in US core retail sales indicates consumers are pulling forward purchases ahead of expected tariff impacts. The hosts discusss positive earnings news from Tapestry (Coach's parent company), which increased profit guidance despite economic uncertainty, and Warby Parker, which delivered its first profitable quarter in its history. They conclude the news segment with Skechers' unexpected $9 billion acquisition by private equity firm 3G Capital, noting that the footwear giant operates in 180 countries with 5,300 stores.The interview segment features Josh Friedman, Senior Vice President of Digital and E-commerce at Ulta Beauty. Friedman brings extensive experience from previous roles at Dell, JCPenney, and Neiman Marcus. He discusses Ulta's 35-year journey and upcoming expansion into Mexico and the Middle East, emphasizing their mission to be "all things beauty, all in one place."When asked about Ulta's success factors, Friedman points to three key elements: comprehensive brand assortment, their powerful loyalty program with 44 million members, and Ulta's collaborative company culture. Personalization is a major focus for Ulta, built on their loyalty program foundation. Friedman explains how Ulta leverages search and virtual try-on technology to help deliver relevant customer experiences. Under new CEO Kecia Steelman Ulta is recalibrating its structure and focus. Friedman shares details about their upcoming curated marketplace launch, emphasizing it will be invitation-only and focused on carefully selected beauty and wellness brands that complement their existing offerings. The marketplace will allow Ulta to test new products and extend into additional categories while maintaining quality control.  Here is a 10% off code for the CommerceNext Growth Show exclusive to Remarkable Retail listeners: REMARKABLE. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

We're gonna get people excited with this one (it's us. we're the ones who are getting excited). Back by popular demand, we're talking craft this week--digging deep into the third-act breakup, what it really means, why it's misunderstood, and why it really is essential to romance. Sarah suggests that every romance has one whether people like to admit it or not, Jen is, as always, ready to fight. Strap in! Also! It's that time of year again! Sarah has a new book out in July and is going on tour, and there is a real deal Fated Mates LIVE planned for July 8th in St. Louis, MO! Get tickets to any of these events (Jen will be at a bunch of them, and other pod friends will be popping up along the way) at sarahmaclean.net/tour!If you want more Fated Mates in your life, please join our Patreon, which comes with an extremely busy and fun Discord community! Join other magnificent firebirds to hang out, talk romance, and be cool together in a private group full of excellent people. Learn more at patreon.com.The BooksDreaming of You by Lisa KleypasSomething Wilder and Beautiful Stranger by Christina LaurenHidden Truths by Neva AltajMarrying Winterborne by Lisa KleypasForbidden by Beverly JenkinsThe Duke Who Didn't by Courtney MilanLead by Kylie ScottKiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsHow to End a Love Story by Yulin KangPainted Scars by Neva AltajMacRieve by Kresley ColeNotesWe love Sephora and Ulta, and Sarah has some faves from Dermatology Instagram, like dermangelo and drdrayzday.Sarah's on tour for These Summer Storms in July, and Fated Mates Live will be in St. Louis!! Tickets come with a copy of the book! Sarah recommends the audio of The Hero's 2 Journeys by Michael HaugeIn our discussion, we identified several types of third act break-ups: Going Home Again, Self-Sacrifice, Who am I?, and You Fucked All the Way Up. An SD card, for you youths.SponsorsDani Francis, author of Silver Elite, available in print or ebook, from Amazon,

Hide your makeup compact, 'cause Jillian Bell (Summer of 69, Kinda Pregnant) is here to help Laci give a primer on a group of criminals concealing concealer. Yup, we're talkin' cosmetics crime rings! Tune in to hear how Ulta, Sephora, and other makeup retailers have become hot targets for thieves looking to resell product. Plus, Jillian shares how she conned her high school prom limo driver. Stay schemin'! Be sure to check out Jillian's directorial debut, Summer of 69, available May 9 on Hulu! Keep the scams coming and snitch on your shady friends by emailing us at ScamGoddessPod@gmail.com.CON-gregation, catch Laci's TV Show Scam Goddess, now on Freeform and Hulu! Follow on Instagram:Scam Goddess Pod: @scamgoddesspodLaci Mosley: @divalaciJillian Bell: @jillianbell Research by Kathryn Doyle  SOURCEShttps://www.yahoo.com/news/southern-california-woman-charged-police-235537939.htmlhttps://ktla.com/news/local-news/southern-california-woman-charged-in-350000-retail-theft-bust/https://www.canyon-news.com/blanca-escobar-charged-with-organized-retail-theft/192275https://da.lacounty.gov/media/news/da-hochman-announces-charges-major-effort-combat-organized-retail-theft-macarthur-parkhttps://abc7.com/westlake-district-stolen-merchandise-raid-lapd/14183809/https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/bonsall-ulta-sephora-retail-theft-ring/3719190/https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/prada-fendi-ulta-organized-retail-theft-stolen-goods-1236737847/https://queensda.org/queens-husband-and-wife-charged-with-operating-international-stolen-merchandise-ring-out-of-kew-gardens-hills-home-and-storefront-in-dominican-republic/https://beautymatter.com/articles/ulta-and-target-address-organized-retail-theft Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link: https://siriusxm.com/scam.

Dr. Bret Nicks of the Christian Medical and Dental Association helps us look at the problems that ulta-processed foods can cause in our bodies, especially the micro-plastics and complex chemicals.  He also addresses the rise of measles and whooping cough cases. Angie Ward, author of "Beyond Church and Parachurch:  From Competition to Missional Extension," casts a vision of better collaboration between churches, and between churches and parachurch ministries around the greater goal of reaching others for Jesus.   Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley break down Mercedes-Benz (ticker: MBG), one of the world's most iconic automakers known for luxury, engineering, and performance. From the invention of the automobile to perfecting the engineering craft, Mercedes has shaped the way the world moves — and it wants to continue to do so, now with a stronger focus on EVs and in-car technology. In this episode, you'll learn how Mercedes grew out of the industrial revolution and invented the modern car, how its legacy and brand power influence the company's strategy today, how it's navigating the shift to electrification and digital software, whether Chinese EV competition is an existential threat, how Mercedes plans to monetize its own operating system, and whether the stock's high dividend yield and low valuation make it a hidden gem — plus plenty more along the way. Prefer to watch? Click ⁠here⁠ to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 11:40 - Mercedes' origin story and how it built the first automobile 18:21 - How Mercedes dominated motorsports 24:53 - How Mercedes makes money and what business segments they have 31:22 - Why Mercedes' EQ lineup has failed 32:40 - What Mercedes has changed for the new EVs 37:06 - How the industry and competitive landscape have changed 43:31 - What role China plays and how Mercedes is performing in China 58:38 - Whether Mercedes is attractively valued at its current beaten-down levels 59:35 - How Mercedes performed recently and what KPIs matter most 1:01:02 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add MBG to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, ⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠. Mercedes' latest Annual Report. CEO Ola Källenius 2022 interview on the Decoder Podcast. Value Investor's Club Pitch on Mercedes. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: ⁠Nintendo⁠, ⁠Airbnb⁠, ⁠AutoZone⁠, ⁠Alphabet⁠, ⁠Ulta⁠, ⁠John Deere⁠, and ⁠Madison Square Garden Sports⁠. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast ⁠here⁠. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our ⁠Premium Feed⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠X (Twitter)⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Facebook⁠ | ⁠TikTok⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠here⁠. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠TIP Finance⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠best business podcasts⁠. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠sponsors⁠: ⁠CFI Education⁠ ⁠Airbnb⁠ Connect with Shawn: ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Email⁠ Connect with Daniel: ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Email⁠ HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a ⁠rating and review⁠ on ⁠Spotify⁠! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

About four years ago, Glossy profiled Muneeb Shah. At the time, he was a resident who had accumulated an impressive 6 million TikTok followers. He had started posting during quarantine. Now, that number has skyrocketed to 17.9 million — plus an additional 1.1 million followers on Instagram. Recent content reveals partnerships with brands including Timeless Skin Care, No. 7 Skin Care and TirTir, to name a few. Last March, Dr. Shah debuted Remedy, his own brand, which currently offers three serums, a lip balm, a moisturizer, a dandruff shampoo, a body cream for keratosis pilaris and pimple patches. In addition, Dr. Shah serves — along with Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali — as one of Neutrogena's two Global Innovation Partners. The multi-year contract saw him co-star alongside Tate McRae in Neutrogena's recent TV commercial, which aired during the Super Bowl. In this week's Glossy Beauty Podcast episode, Sara Spruch-Feiner speaks with Dr. Shah (20:12) about his TikTok growth and the content that resonates with his following, the trials and tribulations of his first year running a brand, and the work he's doing with Neutrogena. But first, co-hosts Sara Spruch-Feiner and Lexy Lebsack chat about Ulta's consumer-facing Ulta Beauty World event in San Antonio, the retailer's partnership with Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour, and the recent layoffs at Coty and UPS.

Picture a universe where everything is dewy, radiant, and glistening—a world where skincare reigns supreme. This week, good light cosmetics founder David Yi is taking us deep inside the Skintari Galaxy for our most beauty-forward adventure yet. Topics may include: Labubu, Oompa Loompas, Pop Star Academy, JonBenét Ramsey, and major ASMR vibes. Plus, Fin's eyebrows finally have names! David is on Instagram and TikTok @seoulcialite. You can find good light cosmetics on Instagram and TikTok @goodlight.world, at goodlight.world, and nationwide at Ulta! One of Us is hosted and produced by Chris Renfro and Fin Argus. It's executive produced by Myrriah Gossett and Erica Getto for Good Get. Myrriah Gossett is our sound designer, and our theme music is produced by Fin Argus and Brendan Chamberlain-Simon. Our show art was drawn by Fin Argus, and photographed by ⁠Mike⁠ and ⁠Matt McCarty⁠. You can follow One Of Us on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠ at @oneofus.pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sumayyah Emeh-Edu (she/her) from Embedded Consulting and I recap the latest 5 Things (good vibes in DEI) in just 15 minutes. This week our conversation is about equality in aisle five, Harvard holding its ground, billion-dollar frontline brilliance—and more!Here are this week's good vibes:Love Locked In, Court Be Damned​Harvard to Trump: Not Your CampusColor Blindness? Read Between the LinesFifteen Percent and Going StrongFrontline Ideas, Billion-Dollar ImpactGood Vibes to Go: Bernadette's GVTG: I've recently re-watched Wanda Sykes' last two Netflix standup specials. She will make you laugh and make you think….my favorite kind of comic. Watch and enjoy!Sumayyah's GVTG: Take care of yourself this Mental Health Awareness Month! Find joy, find connection, put the phone down. Look for the love.Read the Stories.Connect with Sumayyah Emeh-Edu.Subscribe to the 5 Things newsletter.Watch the show on YouTube. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes in DEI every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahnke break down Comfort Systems (ticker: FIX), a specialty contracting company providing installation and maintenance services for the electrical, HVAC, and plumbing needs of schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, restaurants, data centers, manufacturing facilities, and a range of other customers. Comfort Systems is something of a serial acquirer, snapping up regional contracting companies at attractive prices and plugging them into a broader holding company structure, where management at the top can handle capital allocation across each of the subsidiaries. In this episode, you'll learn how Comfort Systems has scaled across the country and diversified its operations, how the business has used the serial acquirer playbook to compound its intrinsic value for shareholders, why the company is benefiting from major tailwinds related to AI and manufacturing onshoring in the U.S., plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 09:59 - Why Comfort Systems has benefited from a manufacturing boom in the U.S. 10:54 - How Comfort Systems is tied to the AI boom 14:40 - What the company looks for in acquisition targets 20:32 - How Comfort Systems increases its intrinsic value by supporting its subsidiary contracting businesses 35:28 - Why mechanical contracting is such a localized business 40:45 - Whether Comfort Systems can continue to compound returns going forward 1:00:13 - How to calculate returns on incremental invested capital and why it matters for shareholders 1:02:41 - What is Comfort Systems' intrinsic value per share 1:06:44 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add FIX to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. Check out the Yahoo Finance Article on FIX. Fix's latest 10K filing. CEO Brian Lane's 2022 interview on the Compounders Podcast. John Huber on calculating returns on incremental capital. Chris Mayer's book: 100 Baggers. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: Nintendo, Airbnb, AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: CFI Education Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels kick things off with a discussion about how mergers and acquisitions in the retail space are going on pause amid widespread uncertainty. Industry watchers are closely monitoring the situation, and some consumer brand investors tell Modern Retail they're “taking a beat” before pulling the trigger on new deals. The pair also analyzes Walmart's announcement that it's testing out beauty bars in some stores as part of its spring beauty sales event. While a bid to compete with the likes Target and Ulta, it's also a continuation of a strategy to up its a beauty game. It's added more than 40 premium brands in the past year, expanded assortment in our core business, and launched a beauty accelerator program. Then (17:03), in honor of Earth Month, sees Daniels sits down with Rachel Kibbe, the founder and CEO of Circular Services Group (CSG) and American Circular Textiles (ACT) for this week's featured segment. Tariff policy changes are throwing sourcing and supply chain into the spotlight, souring conversations about American manufacturing and near shoring. Advocates for circular manufacturing, or systems that can help material be reused, recycled or remade, see the potential shift to more U.S. factories as an opportunity to stand up this infrastructure. Daniels and Kibbe discuss the promise and pitfalls of circular manufacturing and what it would take to get more infrastructure and industry in place here in the U.S. And Kibbe discusses the advocacy efforts ACT is undertaking in Washington, D.C. They also lay of land of domestic manufacturing, and the challenges that businesses face if they're looking to nearshore their supply chain in an effort to avoid tariffs.

Walmart is testing a new beauty bar concept at 40 stores as part of its spring sale event, and Chris and Anne dive deep into what it means for the retailer's future (00:04). Chris highlights how this test differs from Target's Ulta partnership and lets Walmart fully own its beauty experience (01:45), while Anne shares insights from her past at Target and her shift to buying drugstore beauty via Walmart Plus (02:50). They both discuss how beauty bars create immersive, high-touch customer experiences while tackling in-store theft through controlled environments (04:00). Bonus: behind-the-scenes tidbits from their visit to Walmart's Store of the Future in Mississauga (01:07). For the full episode, head here: https://youtu.be/YZOCyd_MPhw This week's episode was brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand. #walmart #beautybar #retailinnovation #walmartplus #cosmetics #retailnews

In the latest episode of the Remarkable Retail podcast, hosts Michael LeBlanc and Steve Dennis deliver a powerhouse episode split between urgent retail news and a highly anticipated interview with returning guest Andrew Lipsman, Founder & Chief Analyst Media, Ads + Commerce, one of the world's foremost authorities on retail media networks.The episode opens with a comprehensive review of the week's most pressing economic developments. The retail industry faces mounting challenges as tariffs continue to disrupt supply chains and pricing strategies. Cross-border tourism is in sharp decline—down 37% from Canada alone—impacting major cities like New York, Miami, and San Francisco. Chair of the Federal Reserve Jay Powell warned that proposed tariffs could trigger slower growth and higher inflation, further rattling markets.The retail response? Stockpiling. Sales of big-ticket items like furniture and autos are surging as consumers rush to beat looming price hikes. Shein and Temu are already raising prices and cutting back on U.S. advertising, signalling early effects of lost de minimis exemptions. Meanwhile, luxury brands such as Hermès are increasing prices. The news also covers Ulta's paused Target expansion, sluggish leasing activity in retail real estate, and IKEA's increasing bet on small-format stores.Shifting gears, the second half of the episode features the first part of an in-depth conversation with Andrew Lipsman, who offers a masterclass on the growth and complexity of retail media networks. Andrew traces the emergence of retail media as the “third wave” of digital advertising—following search (Google) and social (Meta)—and explains how closed-loop measurement and first-party data are transforming the economics of media buying.He explores how retail media isn't just stealing share from traditional platforms but unlocking new advertiser segments, particularly among third-party sellers and challenger brands. Andrew also tackles common criticisms, including the effectiveness of point-of-purchase ads and the often-misunderstood ROAS metric.With retailers like Amazon and Walmart now generating billions in high-margin revenue through media, Andrew argues that retail media is not just an ancillary channel — it's fast becoming a core growth engine.This episode is a must-listen for retailers, marketers, and media professionals seeking clarity on the headwinds of today's economy and the structural shifts reshaping the future of retail. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling authro of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

A video of South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace (R) has surfaced interacting with someone at an Ulta when she was questioned about doing more town halls and has gone viral by her aggressive response to the person asking so how should we conduct ourselves when approaching political figures and vice versa.

Happy Monday! In this jam-packed episode, we dive into everything from the passing of Pope Francis and the wild drama surrounding who might replace him… spoiler alert: the woke crowd is circling. We talk JD Vance's Vatican meeting, Biden's awkward Easter photo, and Kurt Loder turning 80 (we're officially ancient). Then it's onto the MS-13 scandal rocking the Senate—complete with tattoos, victim cards, and major dodging from Democrats. We get into the wild comments comparing gang members to Jesus (yes, really), David Hogg's meltdown with James Carville, Jasmine Crockett crying and then getting spicy, and Nancy Mace throwing down at an Ulta. Plus, Laura Loomer's Trump obsession is back and louder than ever.AURA is your shield--so you stay protected, no matter who's watching. Visit our sponsor AURA at  https://Aura.com/Chicks to start your 14-day FREE trial today.No one eats perfectly.  Fill your nutrition gaps the easy way with Field of Greens! Use code CHICKS at https://FOGChicks.com to save 20% off your first order.Make mealtime easy with Home Chef. For a limited time, get 50% off and FREE shipping on your first box, PLUS FREE dessert with an active subscription at https://HomeChef.com/chicks18Visit https://Readywise.com and use code CHICKS10 for 10% off your entire purchase. Prepare when times are good, before things turn bad. Ready Wise Emergency Food.Get a second opinion on your portfolio today from Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review at https://KnowYourRiskRadio.com

Erin vents about her marathon training nightmare, spraining her foot before the London Marathon and landing in urgent care. Her week gets worse when her laptop's logic board fries, losing weeks of work and forcing a stressful Apple Store trip in this economy. We dive into the NFL's new rules, from overtime fairness to kickoff flair, and rant about the Eagles' Tush Push facing a potential ban. Things get wild with a team of scientists trapped in Antarctica, where one's gone rogue, threatening lives, and rescue's months away. We've decided that mascots deserves millions, and discuss the Philly Phanatic's six-figure salary. An 81-year-old birthday card exchange between best friends that's pure heart. Plus, Erin's Ulta meltdown as a “rat girl” buying hair-cutting scissors. We share some fun facts about the Masters' quirky traditions like no cell phones and collectible gnomes. Napster sells for $207 million....metaverse concerts, anyone? Packed with sports, chaos, and feels, this episode's perfect for your next run, walk, or tech induced panic. Tune in to Tune out. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.Listen now and leave a 5-star review!

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahnke break down Uber (ticker: UBER), a ubiquitous tech giant that has changed how the world travels. Uber became profitable annually for the first time in 2023, and as its user growth accelerates, the company appears to be achieving modest economies of scale, making it an increasingly attractive business. In this episode, you'll learn how Uber has scaled across the world and invested in competitors in areas it couldn't win, why Uber isn't as negatively exposed to autonomous vehicles as you might think, and why Bill Ackman invested in the company, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN Uber's playbook for global growth. Why Uber has invested in so many competitors. How Uber can actually benefit from autonomous vehicles. What it has taken for Uber to finally turn profitable. How regulatory risks are affecting the company. Why Bill Ackman invested billions in Uber. Why international growth is more profitable than U.S. growth for Uber. What is Uber's intrinsic value per share. Whether Shawn & Daniel add UBER to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. Bloomberg's reporting on how Uber bypasses minimum wage restrictions. Uber's Q4 supplemental charts presentation. The New York Times' coverage of driver lockouts. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: CFI Education TurboTax Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

In this episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand,Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga break down Ulta's surprising decision to pause its shop-in-shop rollout with Target. Despite Target touting strong beauty performance, Ulta CEO Kecia Steelman—an operations leader and former Target exec—has decided to hold at 610 locations, raising questions about store traffic, brand alignment, and future investments. Chris compares Target to a ‘Mike Dexter' moment in retail (3:00), while Anne explores how cultural sentiment and operational caution may be driving this pause (4:50).

How people buy cosmetics is changing. Crain's retail reporter Ally Marotti talks with host Amy Guth about how Chicago-based Ulta is trying to keep up.Plus: Northwestern to keep bankrolling research despite $790 million federal funding freeze, Lincoln Yards lender "as patient as we need to be" on stalled megaproject, FDA's baby formula research in Illinois gutted after RFK Jr. safety pledge and the tariff-fueled market retreat cost Chicago's pensions $1 billion.

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and ClearDemand, Chris and Anne discussed: - Ulta Beauty's decision to pause its Target shop-in-shop expansion Walmart's new Trend-to-Product AI tool to speed up product development - Sam's Club's expansion plans - DoorDash's AI enhancements to help its quick-service restaurant partners - And closed with a look at what Hy-Vee's decision to close its bars and to end its full-service dining offering means for the “experiential” retail trend There's all that, plus faceplants, crosswalk hacks, and Anne also asks Chris to design his very own Omni Talk uniform. Music by hooksounds.com

Tracklist 1. Fraser Rix - Sapphire [ The Soundgarden] 2. M.Rojas, Diego R - Lithium [The Soundgarden] 3. Abaze, Paul Arcane, JOAK - City of the Clouds (Gorkiz Remix) [UV] 4. Chris Zippel - Glossy (Simos Tagias Remix) [Particles] 5. Paul Thomas - Lights Out (Simos Tagias Remix) [Pattern] 6. Ezequiel Arias – Perfect Dream [Anjunadeep] 7. Paul Thomas, Dylhen - Cosmos (DJ Ruby Remix) [Pattern] 8. Das Pharaoh - Tempus Fugit (Extended Mix) [UV] 9. Jeff Ozmits & Miguel Ante - Dance Of Eternity (Extended Mix) [UV] 10. Blake Jarrell - Twenty Miamis Ago (Original Mix) [UV] 11. Paul Thomas & Das Pharaoh - Dale (Ruben Karapetyan Remix) [UV] 12. Alex O'Rion - Tunnel [Meanwhile] 13. Trilucid - Calling (M.O.S. Remix) [UV]

Sponsored by It's a 10 Enterprises and Carolyn Aronsonhttps://bit.ly/4iQpTyohttps://bit.ly/4khuGtThttps://bit.ly/447moixhttps://bit.ly/3XFoDWwInterview with Carolyn Aronson:Carolyn Aronson is a successful entrepreneur, philanthropist and the founder and CEO of It's A 10 Haircare, one of the only female-owned professional hair care brands in the world. She announced full ownership of It's A 10 Haircare in 2017 and bought out her partner. In addition, as of November 2020, Carolyn announced the launch of Be A 10 Cosmetics, where she is also the Founder, CEO and owner of the brand. And in 2023, was announced as a co-founder of new men's at-home hair color line, Rewind It 10 alongside her husband, Jeff Aronson and rapper, Fat Joe.A self-made entrepreneur, Aronson began her career with 20+ years as a hair stylist and salon owner and continues to hold licenses in multiple states. It's A 10 Haircare was born out of her frustration with brands that produced dozens of products with single benefits and hard-to-follow claims. She envisioned a line that was for everyone and delivered full, salon-quality results in just one bottle. She began with a star product, Miracle Leave-In, and the line quickly rose to fame through pro hair stylists, who shared the cult-favorite product with their clients. Since then, over 10 million bottles of the Miracle Leave-In are sold annually.Now a successful, global hair product company with a passionate celebrity and consumer following, It's A 10 Haircare products are sold in more than 25,000 professional independent salons and 15,000 professional salon chains like Sally Beauty, Ulta, Cosmoprof, SalonCentric, Regis and more. Furthermore, the brand also announced their launch into the extensions-space, by unveiling their line called, EX10SIONS by Carolyn. Carolyn plans to replicate the same booming success in the makeup industry with Be A 10 Cosmetics, as the brand is answering their customers' needs - the ability to achieve a flawless makeup look in 10 minutes or less. Currently, Carolyn is bringing It's a 10 global, expanding the brand into 100+ countries, including major markets from the UK to India. Some international retailers include Harrod's in the United Kingdom, and Chatters in Canada. In addition to her role as CEO and founder, Carolyn has been the face of her brand, appearing on QVC UK. With the global success of her brand, Carolyn was committed to expanding her influence in the dynamic world of haircare. After being approached by several brands over the years, she acquired Nisim® in December 2023, thanks to her belief in their science-backed formulations, which she is rebranding to Arise by the end of 2025. In January 2025, Carolyn launched Cloud Haircare – a high-performing, affordable, vegan & clean haircare line – at CloudHaircare.com, CVS stores nationwide, and CVS.com. In Q1, the brand will expand to Walmart stores and Walmart.com. With Cloud Haircare, Aronson is expanding her portfolio into the mass retail space, aiming to lead the category with innovative products at accessible prices.Carolyn has a fierce passion to create and provide value to the community, so every brand, formula and product she oversees needs to be a 10 out of 10. It's a 10 Enterprises, a collection of top-quality brands...

Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley break down Nike (ticker: NKE), the global leader in athletic footwear and apparel. With a legacy built on innovation, iconic athlete endorsements, and a brand that resonates across generations, Nike has long been a dominant force in the sportswear industry. But after years of consistent success, the company is now navigating through one of its toughest stretches in decades, facing slowing sales, margin pressure, and growing competition from younger, more trendy brands. In this episode, you'll learn why Nike's once-flawless growth story has recently hit turbulence, how its shift toward direct-to-consumer impacted its wholesale relationships, what the brand is doing to win back market share and reignite innovation, why CEO Elliott Hill is refocusing the company on core sports categories, and whether this could be the reset Nike needs to stage a long-term comeback — plus a whole lot more. Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 01:48 - How Nike went from a small retail store to the biggest brand in sportswear. 12:13 - How Nike's business is structured. 21:46 - Why Nike's management decisions caused today's challenges. 25:46 - How the new competitive landscape looks. 31:55 - Whether Nike still has a moat. 37:47 - Why Nike lost the edge on innovation. 38:55 - What Nike's new CEO is doing to turn the ship around. 46:11 - How do Nike's most recent results look. 50:39 - How to think about Nike's intrinsic value. 57:08 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add NKE to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. The World Cup 2014 Nike Commercial. Nike: From Humble Beginnings to Global Domination — We Study Billionaires podcast. Daniel Mahncke's last Pitch on Moncler. Phil Knight's Shoe Dog. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: CFI Education TurboTax Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Allison says her man of 5 years is giving her a bunch of gifts from Ulta. NBD right? Well it just so happens his ex works there! Why all the gifts all of a sudden?

What happens at The White Lotus, stays at The White Lotus. Let's recap the season 3 finale and all of the guests we met along the way this season. Plus Charli xcx ending the brat era, Beyoncé's new business venture, and more! Chapters:00:00 Introduction07:46 New Music Releases12:27 Lindsay Lohan receives Vanguard award at CinemaCon15:03 Beyoncé's haircare line ‘Cecred' drops in Ulta 18:24 Charli xcx and Lady Gaga tease their Coachella performances with billboards in the dessert 27:13 White Lotus Season 3 + Finale Recap59:44 RuPaul's Drag Race Recap01:09:49 Yes and Mess of the Week 

This week Bracha and Jackie discuss AI, a gem of a find at Ulta and new makeup trends. The girls break down THE outfit you NEED to have this yuntif, an unhinged voicemail, and royally messing up the royals (trigger warning) . Tune in for the best vibes and entertainment as you prep for Pesach.Thank you to our sponsor @hannahgabrielle.shop! Get your Skirt Pajamas and Sweat Set using code SAGC10 for 10% off!SUCH A GOOD CALL IN: 914-648-SAGC (914-648-7242)SUCH A GOOD SHIDDUCH SUBMISSION

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute:Ulta Halts Expansion of Target Shop-in-Shops – Ulta Beauty will freeze expansion at 610 Target locations in 2025 to focus on performance and customer experience, following a Q4 sales dip and shifting leadership strategy.Best Buy Unveils Shoppable Creator Storefronts – The new Best Buy Creator program lets tech influencers earn unlimited commissions by curating and selling their favorite products—offering fans a more direct path to purchase.Shein's Production Diversification Blocked by China – As U.S. tariffs loom, Shein's attempts to shift production to Southeast Asia are paused under pressure from the Chinese government, complicating supply chain strategies and IPO plans.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights. Be careful out there!

In today's episode, Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahnke break down Reddit (ticker: RDDT), an emerging social media giant. Reddit became profitable for the first time in 2024, and as its user growth accelerates, the company appears to be achieving economies of scale, making it a very promising business. In this episode, you'll learn why Reddit is such a unique social media platform, how it cultivates community and authenticity, why the company is surprisingly tied to the hype around AI, what Reddit can do to further improve its business quality, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 02:12 - Why people come to Reddit and why the platform might be very durable. 04:04 - Why Reddit is such a unique social media platform. 30:15 - How the company is tapping into AI models' demand for data to earn licensing fees. 35:12 - What Reddit is doing to revamp its advertising business. 36:28 - What underpins the symbiotic relationship between Google and Reddit. 51:12 - How Reddit uses language translation to make its content accessible to anyone worldwide. 51:35 - How Reddit can grow internationally. 1:14:50 - What is Reddit's intrinsic value per share. 1:19:36 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add RDDT to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. Join The Investors Podcast's subreddit. The Quartr blog's coverage of Reddit's business model and IPO. Reddit management's Q4 earnings AMA. Reddit CEO's interview with the WSJ. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: CFI Education TurboTax Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Feat. Josh FriedmanLive from Shoptalk Spring in Las Vegas, Phillip and Brian sit down with Josh Friedman, VP of Digital & eCommerce at Ulta Beauty, for an insider look at how one of America's leading beauty retailers is evolving its digital experience. From launching a curated, invitation-only marketplace to expanding into wellness and enhancing in-app experiences, Josh shares how Ulta is blending personalization, innovation, and culture to deepen customer relationships. If you're in ecommerce or retail, this episode is packed with insights on community, category expansion, and retail media.Extending the Endless AisleKey takeaways:Curation Over Clutter: Ulta's invitation-only marketplace prioritizes strategic brand extension over endless assortment, reinforcing its role as a tastemaker rather than a commodity platform.Wellness as a Growth Frontier: Ulta is capitalizing on consumer perception and search behavior to deepen its presence in wellness, positioning beauty and wellbeing as an integrated lifestyle category.Omnichannel Experience, Reinvented: The Ulta app serves as a central digital companion—bridging AR try-ons, real-time inventory, and event discovery to create a seamless, pre- and post-store journey.Community-Led Commerce: Ulta's growing in-app community fosters peer-to-peer engagement and brand interaction, transforming customer relationships into participatory ecosystems.Tech-Enabled Personalization at Scale: Leveraging Adobe, Miracle, and Databricks, Ulta is advancing real-time personalization, AI-powered merchandising, and a retail media network that integrates seamlessly into its broader ecommerce infrastructure.“We're not going after an endless aisle. We're really just going after an extender.” – Josh Friedman“We want the app to be the destination to have beauty and wellness.” – Josh Friedman“We owe it to our customers to requite them with a personalized experience that's relevant to them.” – Josh Friedman“Marketplace should be a gateway into experimenting, growing a bit of a business, and becoming a candidate for our physical shelves.” – Josh Friedman“We all have to understand AI-driven commerce as a totally new mode of shopping—it's not just a new channel.” – Phillip JacksonAssociated Links:Order LORE by Future CommerceCheck out Future Commerce on YouTubeCheck out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and printSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

In today's episode, Daniel Mahncke and Shawn O'Malley break down Moncler (ticker: MONC), an emerging leader in luxury outerwear. Known for its iconic down jackets, high-profile collaborations, and strategic expansion into new markets, Moncler has established itself as a powerhouse in the luxury fashion industry. As the company focuses on strengthening its direct-to-consumer model and expanding the luxury streetwear brand Stone Island, it's positioning itself for more stable and profitable growth while maintaining its exclusive brand image. In this episode, you'll learn why Moncler stands out in the luxury fashion world, how it has built a strong brand identity rooted in both heritage and innovation, why its shift toward direct sales is so important for long-term profitability, what role collaborations and limited collections play in driving demand, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 02:44 - How Moncler evolved from a French, niche skiwear brand into an Italian luxury brand. 13:10 - What makes a luxury brand successful. 26:51 - Why Direct-to-Consumer is so important for luxury brands. 34:59 - How Remo Ruffini transforms niche, local brands into global luxury brands. 49:28 - What role does Stone Island play? 49:28 - How does Moncler think about further acquisitions? 52:54 - Where does future growth come from? 01:10:52 - What are the risks in a Moncler investment? 01:26:37 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add MONC to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio. And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. What Moncler and Canada Goose are really chasing: watch the video. Moncler x Pharrell Williams Art of Terrain Experience. Daniel Mahncke's last Pitch on Nintendo. “The Luxury Strategy” book. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: Shopify CFI Education TurboTax Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Kevin and Aislinn talk about Wanderstop, the new game from the creator of The Stanley Parable Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:23: What Have We Been Up To 00:11:58: Game News 00:29:07: New Games 00:31:44: Wanderstop 01:15:33: Outro Links Pixelshire Release Date Honeymancer Early Access Release Date Space Sprouts Release Date Dave the Diver “Ichiban’s Holiday” DLC Another Harvest Moon G-Mode Game Cattle Country Optional Combat Funguys Swarm Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Kevin: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Kevin (0:00:34) Aislinn: And my name is Aislinn. (0:00:35) Kevin: And we are here to talk about cottagecore games supposedly that’s a little box. It’s whoo (0:00:40) Aislinn: Woo! (0:00:42) Kevin: I forget about that. Well, I always try to be a bit of a smart alec and adding nonsense there, but whoo (0:00:49) Kevin: Although I’m although I don’t know how much I like wooing at this game. I’m very hesitant about whoo (0:00:50) Aislinn: Woo! It’s cute, I like it. (0:00:56) Aislinn: That’s true, that’s true, you make a good point. (0:00:57) Kevin: I’m kidding. I love I love (0:00:58) Aislinn: Spoilers! (0:01:00) Kevin: We’re here to talk about wander stop the tea shop game by the I forget the actual dead team name the Stanley parable people (0:01:09) Kevin: Brace yourself because anyone who’s familiar Stanley parable knows that means things (0:01:16) Aislinn: I wholeheartedly agree. (0:01:17) Kevin: But (0:01:18) Kevin: Okay, but before we get to those things let’s talk about other things (0:01:23) Kevin: Aisling what’s what’s up? What’s been going on tell me about your sky high life? (0:01:26) Aislinn: Um, I think you already know what’s been going on. (0:01:30) Kevin: You (0:01:31) Aislinn: We’ve been very busy with work and when not working, (0:01:36) Aislinn: I’ve been very busy trying to make as much progress as humanly possible in Wandershop. (0:01:42) Kevin: Yeah (0:01:42) Aislinn: And when I’m not doing that, then I’m doing the usual like dailies on my phone of like (0:01:48) Aislinn: Pokémon Sleep, TCG Pocket. I’m hard into Neko Atsume right now. (0:01:50) Kevin: Uh-huh (0:01:52) Kevin: Okay (0:01:56) Aislinn: It’s just the original, and I want to try and get everything in Neko Atsume as much as possible. (0:01:57) Kevin: Okay, wait, what is that one do tell the name escapes me (0:02:03) Aislinn: It’s a cat collecting game. It’s a cat collecting mobile game, (0:02:07) Aislinn: and it’s literally just cat collection, and it’s so cute. It’s so cute. And there’s a new Neko Atsume (0:02:08) Kevin: oh yes okay i’m familiar with this one yes it is (0:02:14) Aislinn: that came out somewhat recently, so I’m like, I’m not gonna play that until I finish the original. (0:02:20) Aislinn: So that’s what I’ve been doing. And then if I’m not doing any of those, (0:02:22) Kevin: Sure. (0:02:25) Aislinn: that I’m doing a lot of wedding planning. (0:02:26) Aislinn: So that’s pretty much what I’ve been up to, yeah. (0:02:27) Kevin: Ahhh! (0:02:29) Kevin: Has that been on the show? Wait, has that been discussed on the show at all? (0:02:32) Kevin: I don’t, I don’t know if it… (0:02:32) Aislinn: No, it has not been discussed in the show, so. (0:02:34) Kevin: Ahh, okay, how far are we? What’s, uh, what’s our target date here? (0:02:39) Aislinn: Our tar- actually, I have not announced to, like, everyone the target date. (0:02:43) Kevin: Oh! (0:02:45) Aislinn: I’ve been keeping that, like, more on a personal note, but I can tell you June. (0:02:47) Kevin: Okay, well you got a range? (0:02:49) Kevin: Sure. (0:02:50) Kevin: Okay. Okay. Well, sure. Sure. Sure. Yeah. (0:02:52) Aislinn: Yeah, so we’re almost there. (0:02:52) Kevin: Yes. That’s correct. That’s correct. Very, um, very, very, uh, impressive dedicated you to to playing your wedding during the, the, the Go Fest this year, or whatever the thing’s called. (0:02:56) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:02:57) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:03:00) Aislinn: Literally, we’re not quite there yet. (0:03:06) Aislinn: It’s, yeah, no, each month that progresses closer and closer. (0:03:08) Kevin: Yes. That’s correct. That’s correct. Very, um, very, very, uh, impressive dedicated you to, to playing your wedding during the, the, the, the Go Fest this year, or whatever the thing’s called. (0:03:09) Aislinn: I’m like more and more just panic, panic, panic. (0:03:22) Aislinn: Well, that wasn’t that wasn’t in the works (0:03:22) Kevin: The, um, all right, but, uh, good stuff. Okay. So let’s see here. Okay. Just, just a side note on that. Have you, uh, I’d play a different kind of cat collecting game. Have you ever heard of the battle cats? (0:03:25) Aislinn: That wasn’t that wasn’t supposed to happen, but it just happened to happen and I was like well (0:03:29) Aislinn: We’re gonna see what happens with that (0:03:46) Aislinn: Um, no, what is that? I’m looking that up right now. (0:03:46) Kevin: Oh, I think I’ve talked to that on the show, but, um, (0:03:52) Kevin: you know, I’m going to tag you an image on the slack. I’m creating the, the live slack thread of me. (0:03:58) Aislinn: Wait, this looks so cute. (0:04:04) Kevin: What are you, you googled it. (0:04:04) Aislinn: I’m looking at it right now. (0:04:05) Aislinn: Yeah, of course I googled it. (0:04:08) Kevin: Okay. Because I was going to show all, but did you see the freaky ones yet? Um, yes, those are legs. Did you see the one with the buff one? That’s the last four legs. (0:04:10) Aislinn: Oh, those are legs. (0:04:19) Aislinn: I have not seen that yet. (0:04:22) Kevin: Yes. They’re kind of cute, but also terrifying. Like it’s, it’s a very cheek cheeky, like comical tone. Um, yeah. Yeah. There you go. There’s good old fish cat. And those are just the basics, right? Like this, it’s a gotcha game. (0:04:30) Aislinn: It’s a it’s a good aesthetic. I like, oh, I found the buff one. I found the buff one. (0:04:40) Kevin: So, and it’s, I think 10 years old now and they actually get a lot of crossovers. They’ve crossed over, they cross over like Hatsune Miku every six years. Um, Street Fighter was one. (0:04:50) Aislinn: Ooh. (0:04:54) Kevin: Um, Konosuba, I think lots of animes. I don’t know. Um, but it’s yeah. And on the best part, the best part about their crossover is you get both ways. You get Hatsune Miku as a playable character and then you get a cat that looks like Hatsune Miku. (0:05:00) Aislinn: You got me with Miku, that’s it. That’s the end-all for me. Miku or boss? That’s it. (0:05:13) Aislinn: Oh my god. That is wonderful. (0:05:14) Kevin: Here, I’ll see if I can find it. Um, I play that one on and off. My brother is a big, um, is a big, uh, (0:05:22) Kevin: battle cats fan more than ISO. Um, uh, but, uh, yeah, it’s, it’s a great one there. I posted a pic. You want to see it. Um, there’s your Hatsune Miku cat. Um, they literally just used the standard cat and put the costume on it. It’s, it’s hilarious. Oh, one of my favorite ones. They did Evangelion. (0:05:34) Aislinn: Oh my god! It’s so cute! It’s so good! (0:05:40) Aislinn: That’s wonderful! (0:05:46) Aislinn: Ooh, that’s sick. That’s really cool. (0:05:50) Kevin: That was a good one, that was a good one. (0:05:54) Kevin: Anyways, so anything else, I’m sorry? (0:05:55) Aislinn: Well, I will be checking out this game. (0:05:58) Aislinn: I will be checking out this game. (0:05:58) Kevin: Oh, it’s free, be warned. (0:06:02) Aislinn: Oh, perfect! That’s all I need. Free is for me. That’s it. (0:06:04) Kevin: There you go. (0:06:04) Aislinn: um that’s pretty much been it I guess actually one one little thing that I can kind of announce (0:06:06) Kevin: Aw, sick, I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Battle Cats. (0:06:08) Kevin: It’s pretty fun. (0:06:10) Kevin: Anything else you’ve been up to? (0:06:19) Aislinn: and we’re really really hoping the best so like you know how I kept saying for today like oh i (0:06:21) Kevin: Yes, to be fair, you’re always busy so that wasn’t out of the ordinary. (0:06:23) Aislinn: have i’m busy earlier in the day and that’s we’re recording at 9 p.m eastern um yeah but it’s more (0:06:33) Aislinn: fun news so hope (0:06:34) Aislinn: we will have a new kitty or two in the household here so that’s what we were doing earlier today so i’m like I i’ve been holding that like i’ve been withholding that just for like a I wanted to get your genuine reaction like first reaction to it so (0:06:42) Kevin: Oh, oh hot off the press (0:06:54) Kevin: Oh (0:06:55) Aislinn: pause cast exclusive (0:06:57) Kevin: Podcast exclusive you heard it first here. Oh, that’s okay. Okay. You said possibly multiple. Well, yeah (0:07:05) Aislinn: yeah we’re just waiting on what I i’m not saying too much just because there’s a lot of logistics which I can tell you about later there’s a lot of logistics that we’re currently figuring out but it should hopefully work out tomorrow question mark. (0:07:11) Kevin: Sure (0:07:14) Kevin: Okay (0:07:15) Kevin: Yeah as (0:07:18) Kevin: You know, well, that’s that’s exciting. I can’t wait to hear and see them and so on but but that’s good (0:07:22) Aislinn: yeah. (0:07:24) Kevin: There should be logistics involved unlike us who a guy just kind of said. Hey, you want a free cat and handed us two kittens? (0:07:26) Aislinn: absolutely. (0:07:33) Kevin: Okay, oh they they are very love yes (0:07:33) Aislinn: but they are loved and that’s all that (0:07:34) Aislinn: matters but otherwise that’s it no not by any means (0:07:40) Kevin: Yeah that and let’s be honest cats are not the hardest to take care of (0:07:44) Kevin: You know that the hard part is cat. No, no such thing as catproofing but bracing for the uncommon storm, but (0:07:52) Aislinn: Yeah, we are definitely bracing here. (0:07:54) Kevin: Oh (0:07:55) Kevin: That’s exciting. I can’t wait to hear more. Um, congratulations. Very very excited about that (0:07:57) Aislinn: Yeah! Thank you! (0:08:00) Aislinn: What about for you? (0:08:01) Kevin: Okay, um (0:08:02) Kevin: so I will (0:08:02) Aislinn: I like your just Chicago man. (0:08:04) Kevin: Yeah, so I I don’t know if I mentioned it on this show, but I started a new job (0:08:12) Kevin: About a month and a half ago started February (0:08:15) Kevin: and (0:08:18) Kevin: I’m hit the ground running. They sent me to a trade show to man a booth (0:08:22) Kevin: and that was (0:08:24) Kevin: I was there all week this past week (0:08:26) Kevin: my feet are dead (0:08:28) Kevin: I’m ready to be chopped off (0:08:30) Kevin: not my first time in Chicago (0:08:32) Kevin: I actually went to that same event (0:08:34) Kevin: two years ago but (0:08:36) Kevin: as an attendee, not an exhibitor (0:08:38) Kevin: so yeah (0:08:38) Aislinn: Uh-huh. (0:08:40) Kevin: my role is partially sales now (0:08:42) Kevin: so I actually have to go up (0:08:44) Kevin: and pitch and talk to people and so on (0:08:46) Kevin: and so forth and try to get leads (0:08:48) Kevin: so that was (0:08:50) Kevin: busy, excited, it was good work (0:08:52) Kevin: Um, yeah. (0:08:52) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:08:54) Kevin: Um, I, I, I learned a lot trial by fire, absolutely, but good times. (0:08:58) Kevin: Um, and, and there was other enjoy it. (0:09:00) Kevin: Well, it was, it was like 90% work, but there were some nice dinners. (0:09:05) Kevin: One night we hit a piano bar. (0:09:07) Kevin: That was quite fun. (0:09:08) Aislinn: Ooooh, that’s really cool. (0:09:09) Kevin: Uh, it wasn’t, it wasn’t even, it wasn’t a super classy one. (0:09:12) Kevin: Um, it was very more bar than piano, if that makes sense. (0:09:15) Kevin: But you had the guy up there playing the songs and, and, and you can make requests (0:09:19) Kevin: and there was enough space to dance, which I did. (0:09:21) Kevin: I am a dancing machine. (0:09:22) Aislinn: Bye! (0:09:22) Kevin: fun fact. (0:09:24) Kevin: so yeah so which after a full day of standing and exhibiting wasn’t the best (0:09:30) Kevin: idea of my I pre bled my feet for the next day but but so worth it yeah yeah (0:09:34) Aislinn: Eh, it’s all in good fun. It’s all in good fun! (0:09:37) Kevin: um yeah that was uh that was fun I tried the deep dish that was good weather (0:09:44) Kevin: weather was insane it was it was snowing when I landed and like the next day we (0:09:50) Kevin: We hit 70 degrees and then two days later it hailed. (0:09:50) Aislinn: Oh, my. (0:09:54) Aislinn: Oh, my. (0:09:54) Kevin: It was a roller coaster. (0:09:56) Aislinn: Oh, my. (0:09:56) Kevin: Oh, a life first. I had a hailstone land directly into my mouth. (0:10:02) Kevin: As I said, was that hail and the duke just right in there? (0:10:06) Aislinn: Why do I feel like that’s like such a you thing? (0:10:10) Aislinn: That feels like such a you thing. (0:10:10) Kevin: Yeah, that’s… that’s correct. (0:10:12) Kevin: That is 100% correct. (0:10:16) Aislinn: I’ve never heard that before. That’s amazing. (0:10:18) Kevin: Yeah. (0:10:20) Kevin: Yup. (0:10:20) Aislinn: So it sounds like you had a great time in Chicago. (0:10:24) Kevin: Yeah, it was a lot of work, but it was a legendary time. (0:10:28) Kevin: We’ll be back in two years. Next year there’s a different trade. (0:10:30) Kevin: So actually here, right here in Atlanta, home turf. (0:10:34) Kevin: So at least I don’t have to do the major travel bit, but I’m sure it will be just as busy. (0:10:40) Kevin: But yes, good times were had, success was had by kind of me. (0:10:46) Kevin: Baby salesmen on his training wheels did little salesmen. (0:10:46) Aislinn: I’m sure you did great. (0:10:52) Kevin: Aside from that, obviously (0:10:54) Kevin: not a lot of time for games. I snuck in a few of the regulars. Marvel, Snap, Rivals, Unite, here and there on different occasions and so on. (0:11:00) Kevin: That’s all fine and all. (0:11:04) Kevin: Wander Stop, like you said, trying to squeeze in as much time humanly possible. (0:11:08) Kevin: And not even just because I want to play for the show, because I just want to play more Wander Stop. (0:11:08) Aislinn: No, me too I feel that, which we’ll definitely get into. (0:11:16) Kevin: And also, for the Mario-verse over there on the other show of Rainbow Road Radio, (0:11:22) Kevin: I play (0:11:24) Kevin: I did the same Kingdom. That’s not the little Mexican (0:11:27) Kevin: Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey good times (0:11:30) Aislinn: Oh, sick. (0:11:31) Kevin: Yes, good. I love you mate. It’s all a replay (0:11:35) Kevin: But super enjoyable. I’m Mexican. What can I say? I’m super biased. They did I did Mario, Mexico (0:11:38) Aislinn: that game in general was just fantastic so i’m glad to hear that too that that section is like (0:11:40) Kevin: I have no complaints. They got him into sombrero (0:11:45) Kevin: It is yeah like (0:11:47) Kevin: What can I say what? (0:11:48) Aislinn: enjoyable for you (0:11:49) Kevin: She’s shocking this revisit to Super Mario Odyssey. Yeah, I’ve determined. It’s a good game (0:11:57) Kevin: Alright. (0:11:58) Kevin: Speaking of good games, I say that with an asterisk, or you have no idea. (0:12:02) Kevin: laughs Let’s talk about some game news. laughs Let’s talk about some announcements and such. (0:12:05) Aislinn: yeah (0:12:07) Kevin: Alright, take us away Ace with our first one. (0:12:09) Aislinn: all right so in game news the first game that I am looking at is pixel shire that’s going to be (0:12:16) Aislinn: releasing on the 8th of may and from what i’m looking at on the steam page it says that it is (0:12:22) Aislinn: an adventure farming sim 2d single player game from the developer capibits and it it really does (0:12:30) Aislinn: seem like a adventure farming sim 2d single player 2d single player game it also has notes about unique (0:12:37) Aislinn: RPG sandbox. (0:12:38) Aislinn: Which mixes Lifesim elements with town building, exploration, and combat. (0:12:46) Aislinn: And you can trade, you can do all the things that are normally in most farming sim games. (0:12:53) Kevin: that’s correct (0:12:55) Kevin: uh… I would (0:12:55) Aislinn: But it looks really cute! (0:12:56) Kevin: okay cs the first of all okay up (0:12:59) Kevin: the name I would imply it’s to be pixel art and it is cute (0:13:02) Kevin: uh… it is a a bit more chibi ask or or eight-bit than say uh… (0:13:05) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:13:08) Kevin: uh… stardew valley (0:13:09) Aislinn: It’s more round. (0:13:09) Kevin: uh… so you know (0:13:11) Kevin: uh… it’s a it’s different flavor (0:13:13) Kevin: uh… but there are some actually notable elements I think in here that (0:13:16) Kevin: they were talking about on first of all like you mentioned (0:13:18) Kevin: uh… sandbox as in (0:13:20) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft. (0:13:23) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah, I think that’s really, really cool. (0:13:24) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft. (0:13:32) Aislinn: Yeah. Mm-hmm. (0:13:53) Kevin: I would say Animal Crossing New Leaf or Minecraft. (0:13:53) Aislinn: Oh, I didn’t realize that about this game too! That’s awesome! (0:14:08) Aislinn: I agree. Yeah, I like the art style. I like the kind of, I guess you could say animal (0:14:14) Aislinn: crossing aspect, but more so, more generally, the sandbox aspect of being able to, as it (0:14:20) Aislinn: says, re-sculpt the world through terraforming. I think that’s really, really cool. And honestly, (0:14:23) Kevin: Yeah, yeah, they they emphasize on the yeah, yeah, so. (0:14:25) Aislinn: any game that has animals that you can raise to, they are so cute in this game. I love (0:14:31) Aislinn: it. So, but it looks, it looks great. Like as someone, as someone has been in a stance (0:14:36) Aislinn: of like being overwhelmed constantly by (0:14:38) Aislinn: farming games. This is this is a farming game. I know. This (0:14:40) Kevin: Welcome, welcome to the show, Eastland. (0:14:45) Aislinn: is one farming game that actually does peak more (0:14:47) Aislinn: interest versus other farming games. So yeah, big props to (0:14:48) Kevin: Yeah. (0:14:51) Aislinn: them. Looks really, really cool. (0:14:53) Kevin: I have not facepalmed the one watching the trailer. (0:14:56) Kevin: So good on you. (0:14:58) Kevin: That’s a thumbs up. (0:15:00) Kevin: No, and you know what? (0:15:02) Kevin: I’m, I may jinx it, but I didn’t see any romance in there. (0:15:06) Aislinn: I’m sure there’s romance. There’s no way there’s not. There’s no way there’s not. (0:15:06) Kevin: Free free from the shackles. (0:15:08) Kevin: No, well, either way. (0:15:13) Kevin: Oh, oh, okay. (0:15:15) Kevin: Wait, hold on one second. (0:15:16) Kevin: I just want to say, okay, sorry about that. (0:15:16) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:15:18) Kevin: The jaws theme played as my puppy entered the room. (0:15:21) Aislinn: Oh, no. (0:15:21) Kevin: Um… [laughs] (0:15:23) Kevin: Um… [laughs] (0:15:25) Kevin: Okay. Alright, what’s up next? Do tell me. (0:15:28) Aislinn: All right, so the next game that I’m looking at here is Honeymancer, and it’s coming soon to Early Access. (0:15:36) Aislinn: It’s currently on March 27th. (0:15:38) Aislinn: So, yeah, or actually, yeah, that’s what it seems to look like. March 27th, Early Access, coming soon, and also another Pixel 2D-looking situation, but this is more so the tags are Indie, RPG, Pixel Graphics, Tower Defense 2D, and it looks like this is not really a farming game at all. (0:16:01) Aislinn: And when I first looked at it with the just because of the art style alone, I was like, oh, it’s another far (0:16:06) Aislinn: I’m again, I’m like, oh, wait, no, it’s not. Wait, that’s really cool. And it’s got bees and we love bees here. So (0:16:09) Kevin: Yeah (0:16:12) Kevin: Yeah, all right, so there’s a few few things going on here right first of all the premise of bear wizard (0:16:19) Kevin: That’s pretty strong already right you’re you’re setting its own bear witch excuse me (0:16:25) Kevin: You have a one you’re shooting things in combat (0:16:28) Kevin: You’re fighting off robots invading the forest with other cute neighbor animals (0:16:33) Aislinn: which the robots look so cute by the way I just again the art style I’m just like gosh I love (0:16:35) Kevin: They do (0:16:38) Aislinn: this art style it’s so cute I’m such a sucker for good art styles yeah they do it’s so cute (0:16:40) Kevin: I (0:16:41) Kevin: Yup, it is a it is a very strong art style. Absolutely. I’m again 2d pixel, but it’s a very strong one (0:16:47) Kevin: I like how even the trees kind of look like beehives. It’s a very cute little touch (0:16:53) Kevin: yep (0:16:54) Kevin: there looks like there’s (0:16:57) Kevin: Management of some kind you’re growing flowers for bees making potions. So, you know, there’s elements of cottagecore stuff (0:17:03) Kevin: But it’s not your standard you have grandpa’s farm or whatever on which is fun (0:17:09) Kevin: Special shoutouts to the as they describe it the bee dog. There’s a large bumblebee flying you around. It’s more bee than dog (0:17:17) Kevin: we the the big question which (0:17:20) Kevin: You know, we’ll have to wait is where does it land on the Cody scale of acceptability? (0:17:25) Aislinn: I know, we’ll have to stay tuned to find out, right? (0:17:28) Kevin: Is it is it is it Cheeba fight is it cartoonified enough? (0:17:34) Kevin: But I mean, it’s a pretty big bee. So I think she’s gonna be on (0:17:36) Aislinn: It is a very big B. (0:17:39) Kevin: Bigger than you. So I think I think she’s gonna be on board with this one (0:17:40) Aislinn: It really is. (0:17:44) Kevin: But there are other non giant bees that you are helping raise. So that’s fun (0:17:49) Kevin: You know, it’s hard to tell how deep they’re going into it and unexpected to be (0:17:53) Kevin: You know for on be sim but but it looks good enough. It goes into the bear honey (0:17:59) Aislinn: Yeah, no, it looks it looks really cute. It’s hard to get much information based off of just (0:17:59) Kevin: So yeah (0:18:03) Aislinn: the Steam page, but like it looks generally really cute. We’ll see you soon in early access. (0:18:04) Kevin: Yeah (0:18:06) Kevin: Yeah (0:18:09) Aislinn: If this is your type of gameplay, I think it’s worth checking out because it just the (0:18:09) Kevin: March 27th (0:18:13) Kevin: Yeah (0:18:13) Aislinn: colors alone are like really pretty too. Yeah, I love that. Uh-huh. Yeah, they feel very anime. (0:18:15) Kevin: The colors are very well done (0:18:16) Kevin: I like the expressions on the characters and the little portraits when they’re speaking they get exaggerated in cartoonish. That’s that’s (0:18:24) Kevin: Yeah. Yeah, it’s it’s fantastic (0:18:26) Kevin: I’m right because I think that’s probably a big criticism (0:18:30) Kevin: You have a lot of these cottage cores like the this character portraits are somewhat muted a lot of times (0:18:35) Kevin: I would say this one’s going for the anime eyes and everything (0:18:39) Aislinn: Yeah, I like it. I really do like it (0:18:39) Kevin: It’s great. I have one big criticism against it though (0:18:45) Kevin: And it’s nothing the game itself done, but unfortunately the title of honeymancer actually (0:18:45) Aislinn: Oh, okay (0:18:52) Kevin: I think it’s honey wizard has already been claimed by Winnie the Pooh in the Lorkana (0:18:57) Kevin: Card game have you okay? I posted it in the thread if you’ll take a look Aislin (0:19:01) Aislinn: Let me see. (0:19:02) Kevin: Lorkana the Disney TCG came out with a card called Winnie the Pooh honey wizard and (0:19:03) Aislinn: Oh my gosh, I’ve never, (0:19:07) Aislinn: I’ve never seen Winnie the Pooh look so magical. (0:19:09) Kevin: It’s pretty amazing. It’s (0:19:12) Kevin: Possibly the best card. They’ve ever come out with and so (0:19:15) Kevin: you know you do a lot of great things honeyman sir, but (0:19:16) Aislinn: Was that a pun? (0:19:20) Kevin: You got a tall tall bar or tall bear. I guess to cross to overcome there (0:19:24) Aislinn: What was that a pun though? Is that possibly you get it the pun because you said possibly possibly (0:19:28) Kevin: Do what oh (0:19:31) Kevin: Yes, yes (0:19:35) Kevin: Okay, I guess all right there all right beautiful (0:19:37) Aislinn: We got it we got we got there one way or another we got there (0:19:39) Kevin: I like this shot of the raccoon screaming in the trailer just eyes fisheyes in different directions with full vertical mouth. It’s great (0:19:52) Kevin: Yeah, all right (0:19:55) Kevin: What a speaking of moods. What do we actually I do have a mood. I don’t know what’s next. What’s next? (0:19:58) Aislinn: The next game is the next game is Space Sprouts, an exploration puzzle physics simulation 2D (0:20:01) Kevin: No, it’s (0:20:09) Aislinn: game are the tags, and it does primarily look like it’s a puzzle game where you bend the (0:20:17) Aislinn: rule of physics, experiment with unusual gadgets, and toss everything around. (0:20:23) Aislinn: I think out of the three games that we discussed so far, I think this game feels mostly up (0:20:28) Aislinn: because I’m always down for a good puzzle game, and the fact that there is physics in this too (0:20:31) Kevin: Uh huh. Yeah, in a good way. Yeah, that that that is a very specific alliterative title (0:20:33) Aislinn: really also intrigues me. It looks like it also kind of infuriates me, but I’m kind of, (0:20:38) Aislinn: oh perfect, cozy cosmic chaos feels like the perfect description for this game. (0:20:47) Kevin: and it works. Right, so space is the key thing right here, right? We’re not we’re managing (0:20:52) Kevin: a space station. And so you’re going to have gravity physics and light bending and all (0:20:56) Kevin: sorts of nonsense. There’s all in the trailer, you see the water floating around, you have (0:21:01) Kevin: a push it or whatever. So expect space shenanigans. Um, that sounds kind of cute. Like a very muted (0:21:09) Kevin: storybook looking design for these characters. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, it is a very nice looking (0:21:12) Aislinn: Yeah, I like the colors. (0:21:15) Aislinn: I’m all about the colors of all of these games so far. (0:21:18) Aislinn: All of these games look really, really nice. (0:21:21) Kevin: game. Demo out now if you are curious and full release date in just a little over a (0:21:28) Kevin: for a week on March 31st. (0:21:30) Aislinn: Almost there! (0:21:32) Kevin: Yup, so, uh, good on you space sprouts. (0:21:35) Kevin: Um, yeah, I’m sure some people hint, hint on the show. (0:21:39) Kevin: Might like, I don’t, I, I have no idea who, but I feel like somebody (0:21:42) Aislinn: I mean, I like it, I’m interested in it. (0:21:43) Kevin: on the show will want to play. (0:21:48) Kevin: Well, oh, there we, okay. (0:21:49) Kevin: That’s one down. (0:21:50) Kevin: Let’s, let’s get another, we’ll, we’ll, we’ll see. (0:21:53) Aislinn: I might be infuriated, I don’t know, but I’m also like, it’s a good type of infuriating (0:21:57) Kevin: Well, yeah, and that’s fine. (0:21:57) Aislinn: and that’s what this game looks like, so I’m into it. (0:22:01) Kevin: I’ve had the bad period on the show many, many times, possibly more than not. (0:22:07) Aislinn: It’d really be that way. (0:22:11) Kevin: All right, next up. (0:22:12) Kevin: Ooh, this is a good one. (0:22:14) Aislinn: You take the floor. (0:22:14) Kevin: I think they’d announced it. (0:22:16) Kevin: Yeah, I think they announced it during the game awards or no. (0:22:20) Kevin: Was that the jungle DLC? (0:22:21) Kevin: I feel like this was announced at some point, but if not, we got a full, (0:22:25) Kevin: uh, a more proper breakdown of Dave, the diver DLC can’t. (0:22:31) Kevin: Stop won’t stop. (0:22:32) Kevin: I mean, I mean, they’re made by the maple story desk, so they have (0:22:35) Kevin: the money to actually never stop. (0:22:37) Aislinn: Just keep going. (0:22:37) Kevin: Um, yeah, basically. (0:22:41) Kevin: Um, and so it is a, not that it is the second, um, crossover DLC this time (0:22:46) Kevin: with the like a dragon series, AKA previously known as the Yakuza series. (0:22:51) Kevin: Um, you are teaming up with itchy bond, um, and doing all sorts of shenanigans. (0:22:57) Kevin: Are you familiar with like a dragon at all? (0:22:59) Aislinn: I am like not I’ve never played the games, but like I am familiar and I remember when I heard about this (0:23:05) Aislinn: Because I heard about this like a while ago. I don’t remember how long it was long ago. It was but I was like, what? (0:23:10) Kevin: Yeah (0:23:10) Aislinn: I was like, how did the two these two worlds collide? I need to know how these two worlds collided. This is so cool (0:23:15) Kevin: Well (0:23:19) Kevin: It is and at the same time that feels appropriate for both franchises how on earth did this happen (0:23:25) Kevin: Um, I have never played one myself, but I am also familiar very familiar with the series (0:23:30) Kevin: so introduced we have (0:23:33) Kevin: Included in all these features. We have a genuine 2d beat ’em up side scroller where you can play as Ichiban and (0:23:41) Kevin: Cobra yeah, I think it plays Cobra Wow Oh Cobra’s playable. I didn’t catch that. That’s so cool (0:23:47) Kevin: There is a karaoke minigame because if nothing else what if that was included how could this be called like a dragon? (0:23:56) Kevin: We have let’s see what else here (0:23:59) Kevin: We’ve got we got several characters from the like a dragon series as staff members for your restaurant. It’s fun (0:24:07) Aislinn: I like that there seems to be the karaoke minigame. I feel like that fear feels very, like, Yakuza-esque. (0:24:08) Kevin: Ah, junk. (0:24:11) Kevin: Yeah. (0:24:15) Kevin: Oh, yeah, it is. (0:24:17) Kevin: Um, yeah, that land that launches, uh, April 10th, not terribly far away, about two weeks away. (0:24:26) Kevin: Um, so there, there will probably be a return to David diver sometime in the future. (0:24:32) Kevin: Uh, because I’m playing this. (0:24:34) Kevin: Absolutely. (0:24:36) Kevin: Um, that looks great. (0:24:36) Aislinn: It looks great, it really does look great. (0:24:40) Kevin: So I keep an eye out and then the jungle DLC is still being worked on and coming in the future. (0:24:45) Kevin: So again, can’t stop, won’t stop. (0:24:49) Kevin: Um, Dave keeps diving and doing everyone’s work. (0:24:52) Kevin: Um, all right, let’s see next up. (0:24:55) Kevin: Another series that has not yet stopped as of now. (0:24:58) Kevin: Uh, we’ve got story of seasons or I guess this one is like harvest moon proper because it’s, it’s in Japanese as of now, um, a harvest moon G mode game. (0:25:10) Kevin: Um, it, it is a port of a phone game from, what was it like 2008, I think on the harvest moon series. (0:25:16) Aislinn: Yes, it says 2008 on the Steam page, and yeah, it’s a port coming to Steam, but… (0:25:21) Kevin: Yup. (0:25:22) Kevin: Yup. (0:25:23) Kevin: So it’s a early mobile farming game and you know, that’s, that’s cool. (0:25:27) Kevin: You can see it, you can feel it kind of GBA S graphics, um, which is fun and cute. (0:25:34) Kevin: Um, you know, too bad it’s all in Japanese. (0:25:36) Aislinn: I, you know, cause I’ve been telling myself for the past like couple weeks, like I really (0:25:36) Kevin: So, this one I won’t be playing, probably. (0:25:45) Aislinn: should actively get back into learning Japanese. Cause I was learning Japanese at one point (0:25:50) Aislinn: when I was in like first grade and then I fell off cause I was a stubborn kid, long (0:25:54) Kevin: Hmm. Okay. (laughs) (0:25:55) Aislinn: story short, but like, I don’t know. Maybe if I get back into actually learning properly, (0:26:00) Aislinn: maybe I’ll pick up this game. It looks cute, but I don’t know anything about it because (0:26:02) Kevin: yeah it does (0:26:06) Kevin: yeah we can’t read a thing on it we just (0:26:10) Kevin: it’s all I can do is point and says that looks like a harvest moon game for a (0:26:14) Aislinn: I was like, “That’s a cow! That’s chicken! That’s all I’ve got!” (0:26:14) Kevin: phone (0:26:18) Kevin: there are anime pretty people that you can probably romance (0:26:22) Kevin: yeah uh… (0:26:24) Kevin: but uh… (0:26:26) Kevin: yeah uh… releasing on steam do we have a date for that (0:26:29) Kevin: And it’s coming soon. Yeah. (0:26:30) Aislinn: As of now, we do not have a date, but regardless, if you are interested in this and you can (0:26:33) Kevin: But yeah, we, yeah. (0:26:36) Aislinn: read Japanese, even if you can’t read Japanese and you are interested in it, it is coming soon! (0:26:41) Kevin: Oh man, go back to those early 2000s when you have the fan translation from GameFacts. (0:26:47) Kevin: Good times. (0:26:50) Kevin: But but yeah, you know, one thing to note, this is a second port that they’ve done in the series, (0:26:55) Kevin: which is interesting to me, suggesting that the first one was successful enough to warrant it. (0:27:00) Aislinn: I guess so. (0:27:01) Kevin: That’s pretty cool. (0:27:02) Aislinn: I’m glad. (0:27:02) Kevin: Yeah, I know nothing either. I should’ve picked up Japanese. I’m too big of a weeb not to. (0:27:03) Aislinn: I’m glad for the people that do care about this. (0:27:05) Aislinn: I know nothing about it, but I am happy for those that care about it. (0:27:12) Kevin: I mean, I know some Japanese words. I want to make them echo the journey one day, but in due time I guess. (0:27:20) Kevin: Alright, let’s see here. Next up we’ve got info on cattle country. Yes, not Kent County. Country bigger than that. (0:27:30) Kevin: We have got (0:27:33) Kevin: They say so what interesting thing (0:27:37) Kevin: The thing probably the biggest note is, you know, they’re talking about some features and whatnot, but combat is totally optional (0:27:44) Kevin: Which is kind of wild to see in these games right cuz (0:27:48) Kevin: You know most cottagecore games following the stardew template (0:27:53) Kevin: How you know have some kind of? (0:27:56) Kevin: combat stuck in there, right (0:27:58) Kevin: And it’s you know, just because it’s optional. It’s not bad here. I’m looking that you got bows and arrows (0:28:02) Kevin: And guns and all sorts of stuff (0:28:05) Kevin: But the fact that it’s optional and they’re advertising that that’s uh, that’s pretty fun (0:28:10) Aislinn: I think it’s great yeah I i don’t know why that would put that would it’s a great it’s (0:28:15) Aislinn: it’s a great thing honestly like I have nothing else to say besides like this is something that (0:28:19) Aislinn: is a great feature because if you want to do it you can do it if you don’t want to (0:28:22) Aislinn: you just ignore it’s a win-win (0:28:24) Kevin: Yup. Yup. This is another game where it looks like you can partner up with some of your neighbors or villagers and whatnot, so that’s, that’s fun. (0:28:32) Kevin: There’s, yeah, I think we’ve talked about it before, but there’s, if you look at the trailer, there’s square dancing. They’re playing a nice Western medley song. (0:28:40) Kevin: Um, you’re, it’s very, how, it’s, it’s HANU. Um, that’s what it is. We got state coaches, we got trains, all the good stuff. (0:28:40) Aislinn: Very, it’s definitely very howdy partner. (0:28:52) Kevin: Um, they’re good at ge– (0:28:54) Kevin: Hey, howdy, hey, get your snake in your boot and keep an eye out for cattle count–country. (0:28:57) Aislinn: I mean, there’s even a character named Bandit, so take that as you will. (0:29:00) Kevin: Um, again, I don’t– (0:29:02) Kevin: Yeah, there you go! Eyes required. (0:29:07) Kevin: Alright, next up, a new game, we’ve got, uh, okay. (0:29:10) Kevin: So I started looking at this, and, you know, pre-recording, you know, going over, preparing, whatnot. (0:29:15) Kevin: And I stopped because I just kept saying, “What is this?” I needed to– (0:29:20) Kevin: to put some of that energy into the recording. (0:29:24) Kevin: We are looking at a game called “Fungi’s Swarm.” (0:29:24) Aislinn: It’s so silly. (0:29:28) Kevin: Um, so, you know, G-U-Y-S, “Sworn.” (0:29:32) Kevin: Um, it is a bullet hell game. (0:29:36) Kevin: Um, it is their first dev, uh, like, dev blog. (0:29:41) Kevin: Um, and they are showing it’s– (0:29:44) Kevin: Kinda what the whole thing, right? It is a cartoony, survivor bullet hell, where you become a fungi, (0:29:49) Kevin: wield forest-crafted weapons and unleash bonkers powers against the fire killer. (0:29:54) Kevin: So you there’s a lot going on here. There’s a mushroom guy running around. There’s pumpkin vegetable monsters and bears and like vegetables. I don’t an apple bear and an apple. (0:30:08) Aislinn: There’s a there’s an easter egg for from Coral Island of a waterfowl and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen (0:30:14) Kevin: What I didn’t see that’s incredible. That’s incredible. (0:30:20) Kevin: incredible you’re running around is your little fungus guy with (0:30:24) Kevin: giant watermelon acts like the waterman slice is bigger than you are (0:30:27) Kevin: it’s enormous there’s a great blaster gun thing you’ve got the powers like oh (0:30:34) Kevin: oh yeah that’s uh this is some good stuff there’s what is going on with this (0:30:40) Kevin: apple teeny it’s a half-eaten apple with a warm a very buff warm popping out of (0:30:45) Kevin: it you know there’s runs it’s oh it’s colorful it’s wacky it’s cartoony it’s (0:30:54) Kevin: magnificent I don’t what are these little for sanctuary pals you got like (0:30:58) Kevin: buzz balls with fruit stems there’s all block (0:31:00) Aislinn: I have no, not a single clue, but it looks like, it looks cute and fun, cozy and fun. (0:31:08) Kevin: yep yep (0:31:08) Aislinn: It looks like it’s a good balance of that, I feel like. (0:31:11) Aislinn: I feel like it does somehow fit into the Cottagecore game. (0:31:14) Aislinn: It just, it just somehow does fit, yes it is like a bullet hell game, but it still feels, (0:31:20) Aislinn: it feels like it’s going to be accessible enough to fall into the category of Cottagecore. (0:31:20) Kevin: Oh, yeah for sure. Um, it’s certainly caught my eye (0:31:27) Kevin: Obviously, we’re gonna be a ways off from this bad boy coming out, but I’m definitely keeping my out that is again fun guys swarm (0:31:35) Kevin: They’re good on you a lot of good news stories this week. Nothing. Nothing. Give me any heartache or anything (0:31:38) Aislinn: Honestly, yeah. (0:31:42) Kevin: That’s exciting stuff. Oh (0:31:45) Kevin: All right, and with that let’s talk about some let’s move on to something else exciting. Let’s talk about (0:31:50) Aislinn: Yeah. Oh my gosh. (0:31:50) Kevin: Wonder stuff, huh? (0:31:53) Kevin: Okay, so again, this is the tea shop simulator created by the Stanley parable dev team (0:32:01) Kevin: If you haven’t played Stanley parable (0:32:04) Kevin: You might want to pause go listen because I think we need to talk about it because that’s important for context (0:32:09) Kevin: and (0:32:10) Kevin: So important that acelin has actually played Stanley parable prior to the gay wonder stuff in preparation (0:32:17) Kevin: So let’s hear some thoughts (0:32:17) Aislinn: I did. Yeah, so I, yeah, once I found out that this game was being created by the people (0:32:25) Aislinn: that made Stanley Parable, I very much was like, I’ve always wanted to play Stanley Parable, (0:32:31) Aislinn: but I put that way up on my, I moved that way up for my backlog, because I knew and (0:32:35) Kevin: Uh-huh (0:32:37) Aislinn: I’ve heard great things about this game, which I think everyone knows about. If you haven’t (0:32:41) Aislinn: played the game, you still know the premise of the game and what the game is all about. (0:32:43) Kevin: John (0:32:44) Kevin: Yep for for (0:32:45) Aislinn: And I was very curious to check it out. (0:32:46) Kevin: Yeah for clarity. I have not played it myself, but as you said, I am very familiar (0:32:50) Kevin: I know all the secrets. I don’t feel free to let out whatever you want. Um, you just listener assume we’re spoiling whatever. Okay, it’s (0:32:53) Aislinn: Yeah, I played as many, spoiler warning for Stanley Parable, a very long time. (0:32:59) Kevin: Yes game that’s been out how long now (0:33:04) Aislinn: But the thing is, before I played Stanley Parable, I knew it was a strange game or a (0:33:08) Aislinn: very interesting game that a lot of people liked, but I didn’t know what the premise (0:33:11) Aislinn: of the game was. (0:33:12) Aislinn: So I went in pretty blind and it was an experience for sure. (0:33:17) Aislinn: It took me a while to get into because I was like, “What is happening?” (0:33:21) Kevin: Ha ha ha ha! (0:33:23) Aislinn: As I continued, I was like, “Okay, I’m starting to get it. (0:33:26) Aislinn: I’m starting to understand.” (0:33:27) Aislinn: And it was a very, very fun and fascinating and silly game. (0:33:33) Aislinn: And I did pretty much almost all of the endings except the ones like the, what was it, like (0:33:40) Aislinn: the baby one with like the dog and like the, you have to like stand up. (0:33:42) Kevin: Yeah, that’s correct. (0:33:44) Aislinn: You know that one, that one ending, we have to like be in the game for like three hours (0:33:47) Aislinn: or something. (0:33:49) Aislinn: I refused to do that one. (0:33:49) Kevin: Yeah, that’s correct. (0:33:50) Aislinn: I just watched it on YouTube. (0:33:51) Aislinn: I was like, “There’s no way I’m doing this.” (0:33:54) Aislinn: But just like that absurdity and like that confusion, I’m just like, “Yeah, no. (0:33:59) Aislinn: Okay. (0:33:59) Aislinn: I understand why people like this game now. (0:34:01) Aislinn: Like I have not experienced this in a game in a very, very, very long time.” (0:34:05) Aislinn: And it just took twists and turns and I was like, “Huh.” (0:34:09) Aislinn: And I was happy that I got to experience that before playing this game. (0:34:13) Aislinn: Cause I was curious if they were going to do things in this game that also (0:34:16) Aislinn: kind of caught me off guard and surprised me and that definitely did happen. (0:34:18) Kevin: All right, yep. (0:34:23) Aislinn: As a general notice, we’re not going to spoil like main plots of the game. (0:34:30) Aislinn: We may talk about a little bit of hint towards a little couple of things here (0:34:33) Aislinn: and there, but we’ll try our best to not spoil the game because both of us are (0:34:37) Aislinn: just about at the same point in the story and we both kind of share the sentiment (0:34:40) Aislinn: that we want y’all to check out the game and experience the not absurdity, but (0:34:47) Aislinn: just like the twists and turns of the game that also surprised me. (0:34:49) Kevin: Yep. (0:34:53) Aislinn: I was playing Wanderstop as I continued into it. (0:34:55) Kevin: Uh-huh. (0:34:56) Aislinn: Like it took me a while to get into Stanley Parable. (0:34:57) Aislinn: It took me a while to get into Wanderstop. (0:34:59) Aislinn: And as I continue, I was like start, I felt the same feeling that I felt when I (0:34:59) Kevin: Yeah. (0:35:03) Aislinn: was playing Wanderstop versus when I was playing Stanley Parable, but in just (0:35:04) Kevin: So. (0:35:07) Kevin: Mm-hmm. (0:35:08) Kevin: Right. (0:35:09) Kevin: Okay, so. (0:35:11) Kevin: Again, if someone who- so, that’s all great. (0:35:13) Kevin: And I appreciate you played it, ‘cause at least one of us can speak to it, but, um… (0:35:15) Aislinn: Well, you know about it too, you know. (0:35:19) Kevin: And so. (0:35:21) Kevin: Like. (0:35:22) Kevin: Maybe I don’t fully have heard everything, but the tone of Stanley Parable is almost… (0:35:29) Kevin: It’s very absurdist, very- almost adversarial in times, right? (0:35:32) Kevin: Like the narrator is constantly fighting against you, or you’re being sent down roads that are unpleasant, or so on and so forth, right? (0:35:39) Kevin: Like, it’s an enjoyable experience and a lot of fun, don’t get me, like, clearly, but… (0:35:45) Kevin: It is a very different vibe from a Cottagecore game, right? (0:35:49) Aislinn: Yes, very much so. (0:35:49) Kevin: So, when you- (0:35:51) Kevin: Right? (0:35:52) Kevin: And so when you hear they’re doing this- a tea shop simil- and they’re, you know, outright saying it’s gonna be a cozy game, like… (0:36:00) Kevin: What am I- what am I gonna do? I’m- I’m on guard, like, you’re the Stanley Parable people. (0:36:02) Aislinn: I know! (0:36:04) Kevin: I don’t believe a word you say, I am- (0:36:06) Aislinn: It literally says on the Steam page, “From the creator of the Stanley Parable.” (0:36:11) Aislinn: It’s the first line! (0:36:11) Kevin: Yep, so. (0:36:12) Kevin: Yup. (0:36:13) Kevin: So, I’m, you know, I’m coming into Wanderstop armed with a knife, just ready to fight back whatever this game’s- (0:36:19) Kevin: he’s gonna throw at me, right? (0:36:21) Kevin: Um… (0:36:22) Kevin: And, um… (0:36:24) Kevin: Well, I mean, shocker, it’s not the Stanley Parable, right? Like, some things carry over, like, it’s quality-quality writing. (0:36:31) Kevin: Excellent writing throughout, absolutely. (0:36:33) Kevin: There are some twists and turns, but it’s- it’s not in the insane, zany Stanley Parable way, it’s- it’s all, you know, in a narrative structure that- that fits it and whatnot. (0:36:46) Kevin: Um… (0:36:47) Kevin: I can confirm. (0:36:49) Kevin: I would call this a cozy game, but it’s a cozy game that sometimes pulls out a knife on you because sometimes I’m not ready for it. (0:36:54) Aislinn: Yes. (0:36:59) Aislinn: Yes. (0:37:00) Aislinn: Yes. (0:37:02) Kevin: I’ll get to that in a second, but the point being, there’s no secret endings, there’s no crazy insane tasks. (0:37:13) Kevin: And I tried, like one of the first things I did, like when you start the game you can run back into the force. I ran into the force like ten times. (0:37:19) Kevin: I was expecting something and nothing happened. I looked it up and there’s nothing, no insane hidden things like Stanley Parable, right? (0:37:30) Kevin: There’s some stuff, but nothing just completely insane. (0:37:36) Kevin: So yeah, it’s wild to see that they’re actually playing it straight. We’re getting a “cozy game”. (0:37:44) Kevin: So with that in mind, let’s talk about the premise, because I say (0:37:49) Kevin: “cozy” but there’s a big asterisk here because it is possibly one of the most “uncozy” openings to any game ever. (0:37:52) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (0:37:57) Aislinn: But I loved it. I genuinely loved it. (0:37:57) Kevin: And yes, yep. So this is, and you’re not an avatar, you’re not a Stanley, a blankly avatar more or less, you are playing a character named Alta. (0:38:09) Kevin: She is a fighter, a warrior, goes into tournaments. The story starts with her description of her wanting to be the best. (0:38:18) Kevin: she’s undefeated for like three. (0:38:19) Kevin: and she just totally off her game so what does she do she seeks out help she (0:38:21) Aislinn: Very, very long time, but yeah. (0:38:45) Kevin: He seeks out Master Winters, a legendary warrior. (0:38:49) Kevin: Who she thinks can help her get a groove back. (0:38:52) Kevin: So, Alta runs through the forest, but then at some point, her body starts to fail her. (0:38:59) Kevin: She collapses, and she wakes up in this clearing in the forest, in front of a tea shop called “Wanderstup”. (0:39:06) Kevin: She meets the proprietor, a man named Boro, who is a fantastic… (0:39:10) Aislinn: Oh, he’s wonderful. I love him. (0:39:13) Kevin: He is the complete, I would say foil, like opposite foil to Alta. (0:39:16) Aislinn: Yeah. (0:39:17) Kevin: She is the most chills (0:39:19) Kevin: Zen just goes with the flow kind of guy. He’s happy. Good luck. He always cracking jokes and whatnot. Um (0:39:24) Aislinn: So sweet (0:39:26) Kevin: He’s a wonderful man. Um, he is the one who rescued Alta (0:39:30) Kevin: explains where she is and (0:39:33) Kevin: and basically suggests for her to take a break because (0:39:38) Kevin: One of the first thing she does is try to pick her her sword and she can’t (0:39:41) Kevin: Why meanwhile borrow can pick it up. No problem. And it’s just something (0:39:46) Kevin: Something going on with Arthur. She can’t fight. She can’t… (0:39:49) Kevin: She can’t lift her. (0:39:50) Kevin: if you run back into the forest like I did you just collapse and are sent back to the clearing so (0:39:54) Aislinn: I did too for context. I also did the same thing as you, because I was like, I just need to know. (0:39:57) Kevin: Yeah (0:39:59) Kevin: Yeah, it’s though it would be that (0:40:00) Aislinn: Especially again, coming off of Stanley Parable, I was like, I just need to know. (0:40:02) Kevin: it (0:40:04) Kevin: It would be the most Stanley peril thing in the world right the run out you get it ending (0:40:08) Kevin: like absolutely, so (0:40:10) Kevin: So yeah, so that um so with you know after repeated attempts if you do or you just give up (0:40:17) Kevin: Boro suggests to Ulta to just stay there (0:40:20) Kevin: and the tea shop to help out to try to rest and recover (0:40:23) Kevin: because she’s clearly suffering from over exhaustion. (0:40:27) Kevin: And and so that and already at this very 10 minute initial premise, (0:40:33) Kevin: the game is is is going at me like directly targeting me bullseye because. (0:40:39) Kevin: So, OK, you are a hard worker. (0:40:42) Kevin: You probably relate to this. (0:40:44) Kevin: I think a lot of people from our generation, how we were raised, like, (0:40:48) Kevin: you know, we a lot of people, (0:40:50) Kevin: we’re raising the very drive, like driven generation, right? (0:40:54) Kevin: Work hard, work hard, succeed, go to the next thing, right? (0:40:56) Aislinn: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. (0:40:57) Kevin: Be the top, be first in class, right? (0:40:59) Kevin: And and I personally like my I was in the warrior, (0:41:02) Kevin: but like I graduated salutatorian in high school. (0:41:05) Kevin: Like my academic pursuits were like everything to me. (0:41:08) Aislinn: Mm-hmm. (0:41:10) Kevin: So I can relate to that very much so. (0:41:13) Kevin: And then there comes a point when life just punches you in the face (0:41:17) Kevin: And you, you know, you just, you’re, you’re knocked out a few. (0:41:20) Kevin: Notches. So I get this and I’m already very not comfortable with how personal this story has gotten. (0:41:26) Aislinn: Yeah, yeah, I really felt the anger that Alta was feeling in the beginning, not to the fullest extent, because I’m just generally not a very like angry person. But like, what, like the underlying emotions of that anger, I genuinely felt because I definitely also feel that in the sense that as a person that considers myself very hardworking as well, to be working so hard, and then to be knocked down like that, it really, really, really sucks. I get that. (0:41:34) Kevin: Yeah. Right. (0:41:54) Kevin: Yep (0:41:56) Aislinn: I definitely really felt for her right off the bat. Like immediately, I was like, Oh, this is one of those games. Oh, no, my heart. I was like, Oh, no, they really did. (0:42:00) Kevin: Yeah (0:42:04) Kevin: Yup (0:42:10) Kevin: Yup, yup. Yup. They have set the stage (0:42:15) Kevin: and and and again in right there in contrast with Boro a wonderful truly cozy character and then also the most (0:42:24) Kevin: I have possibly seen in a cottage core game (0:42:28) Kevin: But (0:42:30) Kevin: Like for me that one of the bits that really resonated is just running through the forest right getting back up going back (0:42:36) Kevin: Like I relate to that very much so to to maybe not on well (0:42:42) Kevin: Okay, I’ll say someone on the healthy levels, but or it’s let’s say it’s affected me right like I’ve definitely (0:42:47) Aislinn: We all go through it. We’re human. We all go through it. (0:42:48) Kevin: Right, right. Yeah (0:42:51) Kevin: Um, and so being forced to stop. (0:42:54) Kevin: That out of your control, that’s something I wouldn’t handle. (0:42:57) Kevin: Well, I&am

In this week's episode, we're re-airing one of our top episodes with Cassandra Thurswell, the founder of KITSCH, a global brand that creates eco-friendly hair care and beauty accessories for women. Cassandra came from a small town in Wisconsin to Los Angeles with the hopes of creating something meaningful in her life. But before launching her own business, she did whatever it took to make ends meet from working at a cupcake shop to crafting jewelry and babysitting. After seven failed attempts at various businesses, the idea for Kitsch was born. She started by hand-making her first product which was a basic but innovative knotted hair-tie in her tiny LA apartment. She was making cold calls, doing door to door sales, and whatever she could to get the brand out there all without any outside funding. Fast forward to today, the company has evolved into a multi-million dollar brand that's sold in over 27 countries and across 20,000 retail locations worldwide. You can find them at Ulta, Sephora, Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, to name a few.In this week's episode, Cassandra walks us through how following her gut over the years has truly been the key to her success – from couch-surfing to saving money for her business to working different jobs to learn the industry. She also talks about how every single job she's had in the past has helped her become a stronger business person and was the "mini MBA" she needed. She then dives into the challenges of the early days of fulfilling orders in her one-bedroom apartment and the creative tactics she used to get into retailers without any connections. We also talk about the biggest learnings she's had over 14 years of running Kitsch, the power of micro-intentions and micro-habits when creating your dream life, & so much more. In this episode, we'll talk to Cassandra about:* Her thoughts on manifestation and its role in creating success. [05:42]* The power of visualization. [13:43]* Moving to Los Angeles, being broke, living on people's couches & hustling in life. [17:49] * Kitsch creation journey and inspiration. [30:05]* Having various jobs to make ends meet and how she self-funded Kitsch. [33:54]* Retailer entry without connections. [37:44]* Getting her first large purchase order. [40:08]* The power of vision boards and future journaling. [44:07]* Her unique partnership approach [51:41]* Experiencing postpartum anxiety. [59:12]* Establishing boundaries and leaning into change & personal growth. [01:01:35]* Definition of success and how it changed over the years. [01:04:37]* Daily routine and micro intentions. [01:09:14]* The messy truth in launching a business. [01:14:15]This episode is brought to you by beeya: * Learn more about beeya's seed cycling bundle at https://beeyawellness.com/free to find out how to tackle hormonal imbalances. * Get $10 off your order by using promo code BEHINDHEREMPIRE10Follow Yasmin: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yasminknouri/* Stay updated & subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.behindherempire.com/Follow Cassandra: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cassandrathurswell/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mykitsch/* Website: https://www.mykitsch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahnke break down Hershey (ticker: HSY), a company about so much more than chocolate. From Hershey's Kisses to Reese's, Skinny Pop, and Dot's Pretzels, Hershey's is home to a number of iconic brands and is turning into an increasingly diversified snacking company. In this episode, you'll learn how Hershey's was founded, why chocolate brands are hard to scale internationally, why Hershey's is diversifying into salty snacks, what Hershey's is doing about a global cocoa shortage, plus so much more! Prefer to watch? Click here to watch this episode on YouTube. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN 00:00 - Intro 04:41 - Hershey's unique origin story 16:09 - How the company is responding to global cocoa shortages 22:19 - Why Hershey is unlikely to be acquired and its plans for growth 23:36 - The origins of Hershey's unconventional ownership structure 29:27 - Why Hershey's isn't as popular outside North America 39:53 - What made Hershey's diversify into salty snacks 42:45 - Why the stock has been so beaten up over the last 18 months 35:12 - How Hershey's stacks up against competitors 1:00:20 - What is Hershey's intrinsic value per share 1:07:44 - Whether Shawn & Daniel add HSY to The Intrinsic Value Portfolio And much, much more! *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. Hershey's 2023 pitch on the Value Investors Club Forum. Check out Poor Charlie's Almanack. The History of Hershey. Hershey's annual financial reports. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: AutoZone, Alphabet, Ulta, John Deere, and Madison Square Garden Sports. Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: Shopify CFI Education TurboTax Airbnb Connect with Shawn: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email Connect with Daniel: Twitter | LinkedIn | Email HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

In the latest edition of Omni Talk's Retail Fast Five, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Simbe, Infios and Ocampo Capital Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga discuss: Ulta Beauty going big with a new curated online marketplace—what does this mean for customers, loyalty, and retail media? Chris and Anne break down why this is a savvy move for Ulta, how Mirakl enables quick marketplace rollouts, and why 2025 is shaping up as the year of marketplace dominance in retail in this latest episode of the Omni Talk Retail Fast Five, brought to you by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios. (0:02) – Ulta Beauty's official marketplace announcement (0:20) – “Curated” marketplaces—real or just marketing? (1:02) – Why this is a smart move for Ulta's customers (2:08) – Retail media revenue and loyalty points as key drivers (3:14) – The role of Mirakl in accelerating marketplace adoption (4:30) – 2025: The year of the marketplace (Best Buy, Janie and Jack, Ulta) (5:46) – Data value in high-frequency beauty purchasing (6:03) – How Ulta's platform could attract CPG advertisers If you're in retail or beauty, this is one trend you can't afford to miss. Ulta's move could reshape the future of digital commerce in beauty and wellness. For the full episode head here: https://youtu.be/K-LainhQQyY #ultabeauty #ecommercetrends #retailinnovation #beautyindustry #retailmedia #customerloyalty #OmnichannelRetail #digitalcommerce #retailtech #beautytech

In this week's Omni Talk Retail Fast Five news roundup, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Simbe, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital and Infios, Chris and Anne discussed: - Kroger's surprising decision to create a standalone e-commerce unit - Ulta's launch of a digital marketplace with Mirakl - Wayfair's plans to open a second large format store in Atlanta - Klarna becoming Walmart's exclusive BNPL provider - And closed with a look at Wonder's acquisition spree and if its “super app for mealtime” is just bad branding of what is actually a good idea There's all that, plus Mariah Carey, Irish names, and our rankings of the best Adam Sandler movies of all-time. Music by hooksounds.coom

This week's Modern Retail Rundown kicks off with news of CVS opening mini pharmacies, as part of an overall plan to scale back its large footprint. Elsewhere, the beauty and skin-care segment is showing signs of slowing sales as brands like Futurewise shut down and Ulta reports weak growth, reflecting softness among U.S. beauty sales. Similarly, apparel retailers like American Eagle are forecasting a drop in sales during Q1, a potential harbinger of things to come.

S&P Futures are showing positive gains this morning due to expectations that a government shut down will be avoided. Senate Majority leader Chuck Shumer announced that he will be backing the bill. The announcement of press briefing in China on Monday has markets expecting stimulus action. President Trump will be at the Justice Dept this afternoon to discuss his agenda. Key economic reading for today will be the Consumer Sentiment data from the Univ of Michigan, the report will contain inflation expectations. ULTA, DOCU & SMTC are higher after releasing positive earnings last night.

S&P Futures are flat to higher this morning as the market awaits economic releases on Jobless Claims data and the Feb PPI data. Trump tariffs continue to weigh negatively on the sentiment. President Trump indicated that he would respond to the EU countermeasures. Upcoming market catalysts for next week includes the potential government shut down, NVDA CEO speech and the FOMC meeting. April 2nd remains a key date on the calendar as President Trump is expected to implement a new round of tariffs. Intel names former board member Tan as permanent CEO. FTC plans to continue with its action on big tech firms MSFT & AMZN. After the bell today, SSTC, DOCU & ULTA will be releasing earnings.

Happy Thursday!  We hope you're in the mood for some laughs today because that's what we're bringing ya!  These past couple episodes have been pretty deep and honestly we just needed to lighten the mood and have some silly conversations with our De-Influencers. We sharing funny and potentially questionable stories, opening up applications for friends with kids the same age as ours AND sharing how our Ulta meetings went. We do touch on some more serious topics like parenting post "sad" camp and Dani getting rid of (almost) all of the toxic stuff in their house, but mainly we just wanted to have some fun today so we hope you guys enjoy!! Plus we scored some great deals with a few of our favorite brands for our listeners: Use code “DEINFLUENCED” to get 15% off your Primally Pure purchase. That's www.primallypure.com and use code DEINFLUENCED, at checkout for 15% off your order. Visit premierprotein.com and go to Where to Buy to find a retailer near you or to find where to buy online. Get 50% off your first box of fresh, healthy food at TheFarmersDog.com/dani. Plus, you get FREE shipping! Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at ritual.com/DEINFLUENCED. Prioritize your sleep! Get 40% off at cozyearth.com/dani or use my code DANI at checkout. Make sure you're subscribed to our official channel on YouTube, @deinfluencedpodcast, and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your De-Influenced fix! Stay connected with us on Instagram and TikTok @deinfluencedpodcast, and as always thank you for being a part of this journey.  See you next Thursday!! Love, Dani and Jordan Produced by Dear Media

In this episode, my co-host Shika and I take a nostalgic trip into the world of cult classic cinema with a deep dive into Showgirls. From its scandalous NC-17 rating to its surprising legacy in pop culture, we break down why this film is the ultimate "so bad it's good" masterpiece.

On this week's episode of Beautiful and Bothered, Johnny and Kevin are comparing the best and the worst from Sephora and Ulta Beauty in-store brands, Sephora Collection and the newly rebranded, ULTA Beauty Collection! They also discuss their devastation following the discontinuing of the Dior Ariflash Foundation, as well as Ulta Beauty Collection continued improvement, while Sephora Collection continues to feel misguided and underwhelming! VIDEO MENTIONED:BEST of Season One Video: https://youtu.be/Hl-CWkxxyf0JOIN our PATREON Family: http://www.patreon.com/BeyondBothered

In today's episode, Stig Brodersen is talking stocks with Tobias Carlisle and Shawn O'Malley. Tobias is pitching VeriSign, a business that prints money with high certainty year after year. Stig's pick is the serial acquirer LIFCO, a wonderful company priced for perfection that he is on his watch list. Shawn's stock of choice is the compounder, Ulta Beauty.  IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 03:19 - Why Toby is bullish on VeriSign (Ticker on NASDAQ: VRSN) 07:29 - The bear case of VeriSign, including the threat of AI 26:40 - Stig's bull case is for Lifco (Ticker on the Swedish Stock Exchange: Lifco-B)  42:35 - The bear case for Lifco, including what it implies to be priced for perfection.  1:07:45 - Why Shawn has invested in Ulta Beauty (Ticker on NASDAQ: ULTA) 1:26:46 - The bear case for Ulta includes competitive pressure from Sephora and the CEO stepping down. Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Stig Brodersen's Portfolio and Track record. Listen to Mastermind Discussion Q4 2024 or watch the video.  Listen to Mastermind Discussion Q3 2024 or watch the video. Listen to Mastermind Discussion Q2 2024 or watch the video. Tune in to the Mastermind Discussion Q1 2024 or watch the video. Listen to Mastermind Discussion Q4 2023 or watch the video. Tune in to the Mastermind Discussion Q3 2023 or watch the video. Listen to Mastermind Discussion Q2 2023 or watch the video. Tune in to Mastermind Discussion Q1 2023 or watch the video. Tobias Carlisle's podcast, The Acquirers Podcast Tobias Carlisle's ETF, ZIG. Tobias Carlisle's ETF, Deep. Tobias Carlisle's book, The Acquirer's Multiple – read reviews of this book. Tobias Carlisle's Acquirer's Multiple stock screener: AcquirersMultiple.com. Tweet directly to Tobias Carlisle. Tweet directly to Shawn O'Malley. Check out The Intrinsic Value Podcast on X (Twitter). Check out all the books mentioned and discussed in our podcast episodes here. Enjoy ad-free episodes when you subscribe to our Premium Feed. NEW TO THE SHOW? Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, The Intrinsic Value Newsletter. Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs. Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: Found Netsuite Unchained Vanta The Bitcoin Way Fintool PrizePicks TurboTax HELP US OUT! Help us reach new listeners by leaving us a rating and review on Spotify! It takes less than 30 seconds, and really helps our show grow, which allows us to bring on even better guests for you all! Thank you – we really appreciate it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm