Podcast appearances and mentions of Vera Bradley

2026 Summer Appetizer Auction Day One Sponsored by Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS) Opens Thursday, July 9 at 12:00 noon ET Closes Friday, July 10 at 12:00 noon ET Opening Bids Included Appetizer Auction Rules and Information: Contact Leslie Spoone at 407 929-9837 or 407 227-4489 or email lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com with your bid. Please provide your name, phone number, email, item number and bid amount. Bids must be in $5.00 increments. • Leslie will send out Appetizer Auction information communicating the high bid on each item at 5:00pm ET, 8:00pm ET and 9:00am ET each day. After the close of each mini auction, an email will be sent announcing who has won each item. Billing for both the appetizer and Convention auction will take place starting on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, for all the winning purchases. Billing for auction items will be paused during the convention and resume on August 5, 2026. The auction items need to be paid for by August 14, 2026. ACB Auction Disclaimer The American Council of the Blind conducts fundraising auctions to provide financial support for our programs and services. We thank those individuals, organizations, and businesses who donate items for our auctions. We make every effort to ship purchased items in a timely manner. However, due to various circumstances beyond our control, it may not be possible for items to be shipped or to arrive by a specific date. To participate as a bidder, we ask that you be courteous to one another, to those who are conducting the auction and to those who will be contacting the winning bidders to arrange for payment. It is expected that any winning bidder will, after being contacted by anyone connected to the auction, provide proper billing information prior to the auction item being sent to them. If we are unable to collect the bid amount, we reserve the right to repurpose the item for the benefit of ACB. Any individual who does not comply with these rules will be prohibited from continuing to bid in this auction and may be prohibited from participating in any future auction. Day One 300 Victor Reader Stream 3 Donated by HumanWare Opening Bid $350 Enjoy having this handheld pocket-sized digital media audio player to harness the power of wireless content access that features a fully tactile interface. The Victor Reader Stream 3 is a handheld digital audio player to enjoy your media content, and this assistive device lets you listen to books, newspapers, web radio, music, podcasts, and other online resources. This is simple to use for anyone who is blind or living with a visual impairment, the Stream talking book player packs all your media into place and gives 15 hours of battery life, leaving more time to enjoy media content. 301 Movie Extravaganza Package Donated by ACB Associate Director of Development Jo Lynn Bailey-Page Opening Bid $30 Enjoy using this $50 Regal Cinemas gift card to watch the latest audio-described movies with some friends or family. Plus, that's not all, enjoy some goodies to go along with your movie! 302 Upcycled Ladybug Purse Donated by Keri Bishop of Tucson, AZ Opening Bid $30 This one-of-a-kind handbag transforms a pair of burgundy jeans into a stylish and functional accessory which is crafted with creativity and purpose. The upper portion of the jeans has been thoughtfully repurposed, preserving the original pockets that are perfect for convenient, built-in storage. A cheerful yellow accent fabric, adorned with playful ladybugs and delicate flowers, adds a bright pop of personality. The same fabric lines the interior, creating a cohesive and charming design inside and out. The adjustable strap is cut from the denim legs and allows for versatile wear. You can comfortably wear it over the shoulder or as a crossbody for hands-free ease. It has snap closures at the top to keep your belongings secure while maintaining easy access. This upcycled purse is a celebration of sustainability, craftsmanship, and whimsical style. perfect for anyone who loves unique, eco-friendly fashion and is practical and eye-catching. 303 Pampered Chef Stainless Steel Toaster Donated by Christina Brino Opening Bid $25 Our 4-slice stainless steel toaster is built for busy days, with extra-long, extra-wide slots that welcome everything from artisanal loaves to bagels, English muffins to Texas toast. Seven browning settings put you in control, so every slice comes out just the way you like it. Our bonus warming rack keeps buns and rolls perfectly toasty, cafe-style, without over-browning. Four smart functions put you in control: Bagel, Defrost, Reheat, and Cancel. Whether your bread is fresh, frozen, or already toasted, it comes out just right. Defrost takes bread and waffles from frosty to golden in one step while Reheat warms cooled toast without extra browning. This toaster has built-in cord storage that keeps counters tidy and a removable crumb tray allows for easy cleanup, and a high-lift lever ensures safe, easy removal making this toaster ready for weekday breakfasts, weekend brunches, and busy dinnertimes. 304 Two Dozen Dreamy Chocolate Chip Cookies Donated by Jack Pinnock, Owner Dreamie Cookies Opening Bid $40 These cookies were a huge hit in the ACB Holiday Auction. Enjoy the individually wrapped yummy chocolate chip cookies with your favorite beverage. Wow, they will melt in your mouth. You can share them with friends or just keep them for yourself! 305 Silver and Red Garnet Necklace and Earring Set Donated by Claudia Aff Opening Bid $25 You will look stunning in this beautiful 30-inch necklace of acrylic garnet red and filigree silver beads with matching hoop earrings. This will dress up any outfit! 306 Handmade Lap Blanket Donated by Nancy Mareno Opening Bid $25 Enjoy snuggling up with this beautiful handmade lap blanket which measures 33 inches by 29 inches. This blanket has 3 shades of pink with interspersed white. A great blanket for those cold nights! 307 Echo Spot Donated by Leslie Spoone Opening Bid $30 Enjoy this Echo Spot with a sleek smart alarm clock with Alexa and big vibrant sound. This spot will be great for you to wake up, wind down and so much more. You can personalize your display with your favorite clock face and fun colors. Just ask Alexa to play music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Ease into the day and set up an Alexa routine that gently wakes you with music and gradual light. You can also glance at the time, check reminders, or ask Alexa for weather updates. 308 $50 Amazon Gift Card Donated by Friends in Art Opening Bid $30 It is time to treat yourself to something special and here's a gift card to help you do it. $50 in spending at Amazon! 309 Cook with Confidence Using Cookie Voice Recipes Donated by Daria Axelrod Marmer Opening Bid $25 Designed specifically for blind and low vision cooks, Cookie Voice Recipes is a fully accessible, voice-controlled cooking app that provides hands-free, step-by-step recipe guidance. Ask questions while you cook, set timers, get ingredient substitutions, and even import your own recipes. This package includes a one-year Premium Subscription, providing unlimited access to voice-guided cooking, AI cooking assistance, and recipe importing features. Must be redeemed by December 2, 2026. 310 Handmade Framed Decoupage Canvasses of Colorful Collages Donated by ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs Claire Stanley Opening Bid $25 This piece of art measures 12 by 16 inches. It is framed in a light blue picture frame. The decoupage style of art includes various sizes of ovals layered on top of each other in various tones of blue, yellow, and green. The piece is covered with a final layer of gloss. What a great conversational piece! 311 ModusTech 500GB Portable Donated by The Literacy Project Pat Tussing Director Opening Bid $25 The ModusTech external hard drive delivers lightning-fast transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps with USB 3.0 technology. You can easily back up your files, transfer data, and store important documents. It's compatible with USB 2.0 and perfect for large files like HD movies, games, videos, and it has an ultra-Fast USB 3.0 Connectivity for Effortless Data Transfers. 312 $50 Darden Gift Card Donated by Cathy Spoone Opening Bid $30 Enjoy this gift card with someone special or just splurge on yourself and don't forget those scrumptious breadsticks! 313 Monet Jewelry Turtle Two Piece Jewelry Set Donated by Melissa Dubose Opening Bid $30 The two-piece jewelry set adds a playful yet polished touch to your accessories collection. This coordinated set includes a 17-inch rope chain necklace with a 2-inch extender and matching stud earrings, designed with glass accents for subtle shine. A lobster clasp closure ensures secure wear, while post-back earrings provide a comfortable fit. It's a great gift option for special occasions or everyday styling. 314 Logitech Wired Headset, Stereo Headphones with Noise-Cancelling Microphone Donated by Dan Spoone Opening Bid $25 These stereo headphones are black and have a noise-cancelling microphone, USB connection and In Line Controls. The PC headphones with plush, padded headband and ear cups provide optimum comfort. A rotating microphone minimizes background noise to provide noise-cancelling qualities resulting in clearer calls. 315 Tantalizing Homemade Candy Donated by Patty Slaby Opening Bid $40 This scrumptious homemade candy will make your get together with friends even sweeter! You can select one type of homemade candy or three different kinds. You will receive 60 pieces of candy in total from a selection of: peanut butter balls, chocolate covered potato chips, rum balls, dipped pretzels, bugles dipped in chocolate and many, many others. Patty will contact you for your selections and shipping will be determined by the weather. 316 Mary Kay Satin Hands Set Donated by Nancy Folsom Opening Bid $30 This 3-step process will leave your hands and feet feeling soft, smooth, and luxurious! The Satin Hands set softens, exfoliates, and moisturizes each time you use it. This set is great for guys and gals to help keep your hands healthy! You will love how great your hands feel! You can use it on your feet as well. 317 Fiery Dragon Print Black T shirt Donated by Blind Girl Designs Tricia Waechter Opening Bid $30 The red tactile print features the fierce head of a dragon in profile. Its jaws are open wide, exposing sharp, curved teeth as a stream of flames which pour outward. The fire is drawn with sweeping lines that curl and twist, giving a sense of movement and heat. The dragon's eye is narrow and intense, outlined with a strong stroke that adds a menacing expression. The dragon has a large horn on its snout and additionally, horns arc backward from its skull, and a row of large, jagged spines traces down the back of its neck. This t-shirt is 100% cotton, but do not size up because there is very little shrinkage when washed. Please wash inside out in cold wash and hang to dry or tumble for a few minutes to get the wrinkles out. These t-shirts come in sizes youth small through large, adult small through five XL, tall large through three XL. All sizes are unisex. The winner gets to pick their size! Enjoy your Blind Girl Designs! 318 Hand Carved Wooden Figurines Donated by DeAnna Quiet Water Noriega Opening Bid $25 Enjoy having these hand carved wooden figurines which include: a Buddha from Indonesia, a lion, a warthog, and a lioness all from Kenya. The giraffe is a soapstone also from Kenya. Wow, these will make a great conversational piece for your mantel! 319 Friday Morning Quotations Braille Book Donated by Dorlyn Catron Opening Bid $30 You will love reading the volume two Friday Morning Quotations Braille Book compiled by kay Wilson and published by The National Braille Press. Plus, enjoy a $50 Amazon card to splurge on yourself while you are reading and relaxing! 320 Chocolate Chip Bread Donated by Becky Hawkins Opening Bid $40 Indulge in this mouthwatering homemade chocolate chip bread. The bread is decadent and will melt in your mouth! What a fantastic treat to share with friends or family! 321 COSORI Air Fryer Pro Smart Donated by Carl Richardson Opening Bid $50 Enjoy this 5.8-quart air fryer which can roast and bake. The fryer has a 3-way control and a 12-in-1 customizable function. The basket is detachable, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant. You can get online recipes. This would make a fantastic gift for the chef in your household! 322 $50 Gift Card to Walmart Donated by Arkansas Quazar Chapter Opening Bid $30 Enjoy this opportunity to fill your basket with treats for your family and friends. This $50 gift card could provide a chance for a special gift for yourself! 323 Black and Silver necklace Donated by Koni Sims, ACB Board Director Opening Bid $25 You will look stunning in 16-inch necklace featuring faux onyx and crystal beads. It has a 3-inch extender. Plus, enjoy the earrings which are 2 inches long. What a special gift to give to someone special! 324 Daniel Terrico Carved Puzzle Box Donated by Connie Jacomini Opening Bid $25 The Daniel Terrico puzzle box sports a hand carved shark motif on top. It is perfect for trinkets. There are instructions for use of this puzzle box enclosed. What a fantastic gift for your favorite fisherman! 325 Two Dozen Homemade Shortbread Cookies Donated by Deb Trevino and Delaware Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired Opening Bid $40 Enjoy two dozen fresh-baked mouth-watering authentic shortbread cookies guaranteed to explode on your palate with luscious buttery goodness. These are great with milk, hot chocolate, coffee, or your favorite tea. Next to Walker's, these are the best I've ever tasted. 326 Handcrafted Crocheted Bunny Donated by Keri Bishop of Tucson AZ Opening Bid $25 Enjoy this whimsical handcrafted crocheted bunny in a blue dress which is delightfully soft and lovingly handmade. This charming, crocheted bunny is a timeless keepsake and is perfect for all ages and is carefully crafted in a creamy ivory yarn. This sweet bunny features long floppy ears, gentle blue eyes and a soft pink nose that give it an irresistibly tender expression. The bunny is dressed in a beautifully textured, sky-blue crocheted dress with ruffled sleeves and a full, flowing skirt and this bunny exudes simple elegance. A delicate satin ribbon at the waist adds a graceful finishing touch, making it as lovely for display as it is for cuddling. Whether gifted to a child, displayed in a nursery, or cherished as a collectible, this one-of-a-kind bunny brings warmth, comfort, and handcrafted artistry. 327 Bangle Bracelets and Six Pairs Post Earrings Donated by Judy Okraski Opening Bid $25 You will look stunning with these multi metal bangle bracelets which are perfect to match any outfit. Plus, six sets of post earrings. All the earrings are colorful with single smooth surface colors that include: 2 Coral, 2 blue, green, and light pink. A fantastic gift for yourself or for someone special! 328 $50 Gift Card to the Blind Kitchen Donated by Debra Erickson, Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen Opening Bid $30 Welcome to The Blind Kitchen where adaptive tools, helpful strategies, and specialized knowledge are provided to blind and vision-impaired people who want to cook safely, confidently, and independently. Debra Erickson is the Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen where she will help you enjoy splurging on either yourself or someone special with this gift card and a 30-minute consult with Debra! 329 Three Handmade Hot Pads, Protein Fudge Recipe and Amazon Gift Card Donated by Tonya Drew of Essentially Braille Opening Bid $30 Enjoy the three brown cotton magic square potholders which come in large, medium, and small. As a special treat, enjoy making a delicious protein fudge recipe for yourself or friends and family. The recipe is written in Braille on Perma Braille cards to fit in your recipe box. Also, dine or shop with a $50 Amazon gift card. 330 $100 See's Candy E Gift Card Donated by Brad and Kathy Snyder Opening Bid $60 Enjoy splurging either on yourself or friends or family with this $100 E card for See's Candy. The brand is known for its premium chocolates, truffles, brittles, and other candies. They are very yummy! 331 ACB Students Common Ground Sweatshirt Donated by Blind Girl Designs Tricia Waechter Opening Bid $30 This print features a bold, symbolic Tree of Life design in a cool teal-green tactile ink. At the heart of the artwork is a circular Celtic-style tree with flowing, interwoven branches and roots that mirror one another. The canopy forms an elegant, rounded crown, while the roots weave into intricate knot- work, visually reinforcing the message of connection and shared foundation. Arched above the tree are the words: “COMMON GROUND,” And below that is printed “common ground” in grade 1 tactile braille. Curved below the roots are the words: “DIFFERENT ROOTS” And just above these words is “different roots “in grade one tactile braille. Surrounding the circular tree design is a subtle square frame made of different style of white canes, positioned along the top, bottom, and sides. The canes form a balanced border, reinforcing themes of accessibility and inclusion. On the back, printed horizontally in the same teal ink, is the phrase “Growing towards a bright future” in a fun cursive font with grade one tactile Braille underneath it. The overall design communicates unity, diversity, inclusion, and shared humanity. Different roots, but common ground presented in a clean, high-contrast layout that stands out beautifully against the rich colored background. This cozy heavyweight crewneck sweatshirt has banded sleeves and bottom. It is made from cotton poly and will not shrink. It should be washed inside out to protect the ink and make sure it's inside out before you feel free to put it in a hot tumble dryer in order to make it nice and fluffy! These sweatshirts come in unisex sizing, youth, small through large, adult small through 5-XL, tall large through 3-XL. The winner can pick their own size! Enjoy your Blind Girl Designs! 332 Necklace and Bracelet Jewelry Set Donated by Charlotte Lang Opening Bid $25 This dainty set is classic and sparkly in black and white. Most of the set is made up of 4-millimeter faceted black spinel beads. In the center of the necklace and bracelet is a 10 millimeter round white pearl. The necklace is 18 inches long and the bracelet is 7-1/2 inches long. Both have 2-inch adjuster chains and close with lobster claw clasps. 333 Waterford Crystal Marcella Vase Donated by Connie Jacomini Opening Bid $25 The Waterford Crystal Marcella Vase is a 6-inch, high-quality, clear lead crystal vase known for its elegant design, often featuring intricate fan and wedge cuts. Typically produced in the 2010s, this hand-cut footed vase is celebrated for its clarity, weight, and ability to catch light. 334 Singing Lesson Donated by Carole Brewer Opening Bid $25 You will enjoy spending one hour on ZOOM with singer and recording artist, Carole Brewer. Learn some of Carole's many concert-tested recipes for better breathing, tone quality, and confidence building. You will receive a free copy of Carole's voice manual titled 'Cookin' Up a Song ' and explore the possibility of taking your singing up to the next level. All great singing starts here, and you can contact Carole to set up a lesson time at info@carolebrewer.com. 335 Homemade Caramel Brownies Donated by Judy Okraski Opening Bid $40 These scrumptious homemade caramel brownies come in an 8 by 11-inch pan. Pair with your favorite beverage and enjoy this delicious treat with your friends. 336 Set of Six Handknitted Dishcloths Made with love and donated by Rhonda Lang from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Opening Bid $30 Enjoy this set of six handknitted dishcloths in a variety of colors. They will bring craftsmanship and resilience to your kitchen. The dishcloths are meticulously crafted for durability and designed to manage daily cleaning tasks with ease and elegance. 337 $50 Ruth's Cris Gift Card Donated by The Literacy Project Pat Tussing Director Opening Bid $30 Enjoy splurging at convention with this Ruth's Cris gift card. You will love dining at this restaurant which offers a New Orleans-inspired menu, including seafood and signature sides and USDA Prime steaks in a sophisticated, romantic, and welcoming atmosphere. 338 Pink Macrame Apple Watch Band Donated by Keri Bishop of Tucson, AZ Opening Bid $25 This handcrafted macramé watch band is a vibrant, eye-catching accessory designed to fit Apple Watch models ranging from 38 mm through 42 mm. Made from durable 2 mm satin cord in a bright bubblegum pink, the band has a smooth, lustrous finish that adds a playful yet polished touch to any look. The design is accented with elegant ceramic beads, each hand-painted with delicate pink floral details on a clean white background. These beads provide a soft contrast to the bold pink cord, creating a charming and balanced aesthetic that highlights the handcrafted artistry of the piece. The functionality is built into the design with a fully adjustable button-and-loop closure, similar to a toggle clasp. The button side features two main cords that pass through and loop back, allowing the band to be easily lengthened or shortened. This adjustable construction ensures a comfortable, secure fit for a variety of wrist sizes while maintaining a neat and streamlined appearance and they are both stylish and practical. This macramé watch band offers a unique way to personalize your Apple Watch with a handmade accessory that combines durability, adjustability, and a cheerful pop of color. 339 Light Green Glass Bead Necklace and Earrings Donated by Claudia Aff Opening Bid $25 You will look stunning in this beautiful light green glass bead 10-1/2 inch necklace with 6 darker ceramic flower beads at the bottom. Also, matching flower bead hook earrings that measure 2 inches. What a perfect complement to that summer outfit! 340 Key West Goodies Donated by Dan Spoone Opening Bid $40 Enjoy two dozen yummy macadamia nut and chocolate chip cookies. You can either share them with a friend or just have all of them for yourself! 341 Vera Bradley Backpack Donated by Cecily Laney Nipper ACB Board Director Opening Bid $30 Want to go out in style? This slightly used Vera Bradley backpack is for you. Perfect for work or school, this 18-inch backpack with two side pockets for water or soda and two zipper pockets will comfortably hold a 16.5-inch laptop in its built-in laptop sleeve. The black background of the print sets off the vibrant pink, teal, and lime green floral print. 342 $50 Starbucks Gift Card Donated by Merrilee Hill-Kennedy Opening Bid $30 Everyone loves a good cup of coffee. It's even better with some friends or family members over some laughs! As an extra bonus, Starbucks has goodies to eat. Bid so you can enjoy all the delicious choices from a great coffee establishment. 343 Computers for the Blind Laptop Donated by Computers for the Blind Opening Bid $60 Computers for the Blind (CFTB) is dedicated to bridging the digital divide for the community of the Blind and Visually Impaired. We do this by providing affordable, accessible refurbished computers and training. The winner will receive our standard laptop which is a $250 value. The laptop includes Windows 11, 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM. To qualify for Software and Warranty, registration is required. A certificate will be included with the laptop which contains details about how to register. The winner must register within 30 days of receiving their computer. The certificate indicates the expiration date and redemption code for registration. You will receive 1-Year free license of JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion, JAWS training and 1-Year Warranty. Contact us at service@computersfortheblind.org 344 3D “we hold these truths to be self-evident” Royal Blue T-shirt Donated by Blind Girl Designs Tricia Waechter Opening Bid $30 This classic Americana white puff ink tactile print combines bold 18th century typography with raised tactile braille. This is a very similar font that was used in the typed version of the Declaration of Independence. A circle of 13 large five-pointed stars frames the entire design, creating the look of an early American flag which was inspired by the spirit of 1776 and, of course, the 13 original colonies. At the top left and right corners of the print, the years “1776” and “2026” mark the 250-year anniversary of the United States. Beneath each year is a line of raised braille dots, adding a tactile reading element that complements the18th century fonts. Centered in the middle of the print, the famous and powerful phrase from the Declaration of Independence is stacked in dramatic vintage-style lettering “WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF EVIDENT THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.” Each section of text is paired with tactile braille underneath, allowing the message to be experienced both visually and through touch. The combination of distressed colonial inspired lettering and raised puff ink creates a striking and authentic dimensional effect. Below the main statement is a horizontal divider with a centered star, followed by the words: “UNITED STATES Of AMERICA.” Again, accompanied by tactile braille beneath the 18th century authentic wording the entire print is designed in clean white puff ink for a bold raised texture that stands out. The tactile surface gives the artwork depth, accessibility, and a handcrafted feel while maintaining a strong patriotic presentation. This T-shirt is 100% cotton, but do not size up because there is very little shrinkage when washed. You should wash inside out in cold wash and hang it to dry or tumble for a few minutes to get the wrinkles out. These t-shirts come in sizes youth small through large, adult small through five XL, tall large through three XL. All sizes are unisex and the winner gets to pick their own size. Enjoy celebrating our 250th anniversary with your Blind Girl Designs!!!! 345 Homemade Triple Play Oversized Cookies Donated by Brian Charlson Opening Bid $40 Here we go again; it's time for Brian's triple play oversized cookies. Those who have won this item in the past will attest to the flavor, size, and overall quality of this perennial auction favorite. You can choose one dozen from either classic chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or peanut butter. They are packaged individually. Feel free to offer them up as additions to gift baskets or pop them in the freezer to savor them over a few months or weeks. 346 $25 Panera Gift Card and $25 Dunkin Doughnuts Gift Card Donated by Diane Scalzi and Leslie Spoone Opening Bid $30 Enjoy or share delicious soups, sandwiches, salads, and baked goods with a $25 gift card from Panera Bread. Also included is a $25 Dunkin Doughnuts gift card to enjoy with friends or family. Cards are available as electronic or physical, your choice. 347 Embroidered Apron Donated by Terry Keyson of Braille Wear Opening Bid $25 Protect your clothing while you cook by wearing this lovely knee-length maroon apron with two front pockets. It has customized embroidery that is both visual and tactile. The embroidered wording on the front of the apron in print and braille is “Serving Up 20 Years “. Wow, celebrate the auction turning 20 years with this apron and your chef will look fantastic! 348 $75 Amazon E Gift Card Donated by Blue Grass Council of the Blind Opening Bid $40 Seventy-five dollars, ready to send by email or text, It's yours in the end. A click and a smile, a gift in a flash for someone you love or your own little splash. From BCB's heart to the auction fun, Bid with cheer and may you be the one. 349 Three hours of one-on-one personal happiness coaching along with Handwritten Booklets Donated by Darian Slayton Fleming of Embrace Happiness Opening Bid $25 The booklets are entitled: My AI: Affirmations and Intentions (this booklet has 31 suggested affirmations and 31 suggested intentions. Each section is followed by instructions about how to write your own affirmations and intentions and blank pages on which you can write your own affirmations and intentions. Also, My AI: Affirming and Intentional Self Care. This booklet describes the Happy for No Reason approach to designing your own happiness and practical exercises that will help you embody happiness through intentional self-care. You can enjoy these booklets in braille, large print, or standard print. Enjoy having this time with Darian Slayton Fleming who is a Certified Happiness Trainer and Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Darian will show you how to embrace happiness in these sessions. 350 Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes Donated by Dan Spoone Opening Bid $40 Enjoy this 24-piece box of chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes. These are packed in our Ohio State Themed Buckeye box. What a yummy treat to either share with some friends or just keep them for yourself! Find out more at https://acb-convention.pinecast.co

With May the Fourth behind us and The Mandalorian and Grogu in just a few weeks, Jay has a bountiful collection of Star Wars fashion and lifestyle products for this month.   In this fully armed and operational episode of Podcast Stardust, we discuss: RockLove Jewelry discontinuing their Star Wars collection, The Nerf Herder Co. discontinuing some of its Star Wars scents, Shortalls available from Her Universe, New items from RSVLTS from May the Fourth, An Artoo inspired Loungefly Mini Backpack, The Mandalorian and Grogu food tie-ins, Mando and Grogu inspired products from Bath and Body Works, The Grogu Medallion collection from Vera Bradley, The Mandalorian and Grogu inspired nail polish from Olive and June, The potential for weddings at Galaxy's Edge, and A pop-up Star Wars speakeasy from Allusion Speakeasy.   For more Star Wars fashion and lifestyle product ideas, check out episode 1021.   Thanks for joining us for another episode! Subscribe to Podcast Stardust for all your Star Wars news, reviews, and discussion wherever you get your podcasts. And please leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts.   Find Jay and her cosplay adventures on J.Snips Cosplay on Instagram. Follow us on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube. T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, masks, and posters are available on TeePublic. Find all episodes on RetroZap.com.

When most DTC brands think about scaling, they focus on optimizing Facebook ads or expanding to new digital channels. But Jared Mehr helped build something different at Pura Vida—a wholesale empire that became 25% of their business and played a crucial role in their $135 million exit to Vera Bradley. In this episode, Jared breaks down the counterintuitive truth about wholesale: it's often more profitable than your direct-to-consumer sales, provides incredible diversification, and creates marketing lift that benefits all your channels.Starting from cold calls and trade show hustle, Jared shares the exact playbook that took Pura Vida from selling friendship bracelets in a San Diego bedroom to building relationships with thousands of retailers nationwide. Whether you're tired of being at the mercy of Zuckerberg's algorithm changes or looking to build a more attractive business for potential acquirers, this episode reveals why wholesale might be your most overlooked growth opportunity.—Sponsored by OMG Commerce - go to (https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact) and request your FREE strategy session today!—Chapters: (00:00) Intro(04:23) The Importance of Wholesale in Business(13:42) The Pura Vida Success Story(16:51) Practical Steps to Launching Wholesale(21:44) Wayflyer: Fast, Flexible Funding Designed for You(22:26) Making It Easy for Retailers to Say Yes(27:21) How to Identify Your Target Retailers(34:08) Common Mistakes in Wholesale Retail(37:51) The Role of Sales Reps(42:05) Understanding Retailer Terms(45:30) Pricing Strategies for Wholesale(51:15) Threecolts: Recover Hidden Revenue for Free—Connect With Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebrettcurry/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@omgcommerce Website: https://www.omgcommerce.com/ Request a Free Strategy Session: https://www.omgcommerce.com/contact Relevant Links:Pura Vida Bracelets: https://www.puravidabracelets.com/Jared's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredmehrSpecial Offer | Wayflyer: https://wayflyer.com/en/partners/omgcommerceSpecial Offer | Threecolts: https://www.threecolts.com/Past guests on eCommerce Evolution include Ezra Firestone, Steve Chou, Drew Sanocki, Jacques Spitzer, Jeremy Horowitz, Ryan Moran, Sean Frank, Andrew Youderian, Ryan McKenzie, Joseph Wilkins, Cody Wittick, Miki Agrawal, Justin Brooke, Nish Samantray, Kurt Elster, John Parkes, Chris Mercer, Rabah Rahil, Bear Handlon, JC Hite, Frederick Vallaeys, Preston Rutherford, Anthony Mink, Bill D'Allessandro, Stephane Colleu, Jeff Oxford, Bryan Porter and more

Hello, all you beautiful people! Seriously, long time no see! Even though we've been MIA, we are back and better than ever! First of all, who says no to an antipasto salad? Why are people STILL falling for AI, and is Vera Bradley making a comeback? We sure hope so! Does anyone else feel an immense guilt for venting to your friends? Let us know!As always, thank you all so much for the continued support! We've read all the, "where the heck are y'all" comments & messages - so it feels good to be missed! we love you all so very much! Until next time

Episode 2 of 2: Join us for an insightful conversation with ⁠Melissa Latham⁠, President and Managing Director of ⁠Global Recruiters of Lowcountry⁠, where she shares her incredible journey through the retail and fashion world beginning in Biz-eWerk's fav decade, the Awesome Eighties. In this episode, Melissa recounts her rise through the ranks, holding positions from Fourth Key to corporate Vice President at well-known brands like The Limited, Lane Bryant, Vera Bradley, and Jockey International. She also shares fascinating details about her international work experience, including traveling to Saudi Arabia and across Europe. Recently, Melissa made the leap from corporate leadership to founding an executive recruitment firm with a passion for people and the power of networking, which she identifies as the true driver of her career success. Find out how her advice to “make two friends a day" can help you build your network for long-term professional development and career growth.

Episode 1 of 2: Join us for an insightful conversation with Melissa Latham, President and Managing Director of Global Recruiters of Lowcountry, where she shares her incredible journey through the retail and fashion world beginning in Biz-eWerk's fav decade, the Awesome Eighties. In this episode, Melissa recounts her rise through the ranks, holding positions from Fourth Key to corporate Vice President at well-known brands like The Limited, Lane Bryant, Vera Bradley, and Jockey International. She also shares fascinating details about her international work experience, including traveling to Saudi Arabia and across Europe. Recently, Melissa made the leap from corporate leadership to founding an executive recruitment firm with a passion for people and the power of networking, which she identifies as the true driver of her career success. Find out how her advice to “make two friends a day" can help you build your network for long-term professional development and career growth.

Inside INdiana Business Radio for the afternoon of June 11, 2025. The CEO of Fort Wayne-based Vera Bradley is stepping down. Plus, an Indianapolis sock company is paying homage to Pope Leo XIV, and food trucks are becoming more prevalent in St. Joseph County. Get the latest business news from throughout the state at InsideINdianaBusiness.com.

ABOUT CLAIRE CODER:BIO: Claire Coder (Forbes 30under30) is a 28-year-old Thiel Fellow and founder and CEO of Aunt Flow. On a mission to make the world better for people with periods, Aunt Flow stocks public bathrooms with freely accessible tampons and pads. Through Claire's leadership, Aunt Flow launched patented tampon & pad dispensers in 60k+ bathrooms and raised $17m+ in venture capital. Coder launched her first company at age 16, designed a bag for Vera Bradley that sold out in 24 hours, and has her own line of GIFs. After getting her period in public without the supplies she needed, at 18 years old, Claire dedicated her life to developing a solution to ensure businesses and schools can sustainably provide quality period products for free in public bathrooms. Since 2016, Aunt Flow has worked with thousands of businesses and schools, including organizations like Google, Princeton University, Netflix, and 30+ professional sports stadiums, to offer freely accessible period product dispensers, filled with organic cotton tampons and pads. Aunt Flow has donated over 7 million organic cotton tampons and pads to menstruators in need since 2021. Claire's ultimate goal in life is for any menstruator to walk into any bathroom and never need to worry if they start their period, because Aunt Flow period products are freely available!Claire's story has been featured in TeenVogue, Forbes, Fortune, and she starred in TLC's Girl Starter Season 1. Claire speaks regularly surrounding her advocacy work, starting a social enterprise and journey as a female founder. For more information, please visit LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairecoder/ Websites:clairecoder.com (Personal)goauntflow.com (Company)SHOW INTROWelcome to the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast.EPISODE 78 … and my conversation with Claire Coder the Founder and CEO of Aunt Flow. On the podcast our dynamic dialogues based on our acronym DATA - design, architecture, technology, and the arts crosses over disciplines but maintains a common thread of people who are passionate about the world we live in and human's influence on it, the ways we craft the built environment to maximize human experience, increasing our understanding of human behavior and searching for the New Possible.    The NXTLVL Experience Design podcast is presented by VMSD Magazine part of the Smartwork Media family of brands.VMSD brings us, in the brand experience world, the International Retail Design Conference. The IRDC is one of the best retail design conferences that there is bringing together the world of retailers, brands and experience place makers every year for two days of engaging conversations and pushing the discourse forward on what makes retailing relevant. You will find the archive of the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast on VMSD.com.Thanks also goes to Shop Association the only global retail trade association dedicated to elevating the in-store experience. SHOP Association represents companies and affiliates from 25 countries and brings value to their members through research, networking, education, events and awards. Check then out on SHOPAssociation.orgWhen Claire Coder was 18 years old she was at an event and she used a public restroom. While there, she discovered that she had unexpectedly started her period. And… she didn't have a quarter. Why she would have needed a quarter and what happened as a result of not having one is the subject of an exceptional entrepreneurial trajectory that has changed woman's public bathrooms around the country.We'll get to all of that in a moment but first though, a few thoughts…                 *                                  *                                  *What if you had an amazing idea that you knew was a no-brainer, an idea that provided something deeply necessary, but it seemed that everyone had overlooked it.What if you had a moment of insight from a personal experience that chartered out a clear path for providing a product and service that seemed to satisfy the deeply under met needs of more than 50% of the population?And what if when you took this moment of clear mental insight to a group of venture capitalists explaining that this was not just an idea that would not only satisfy a certain customer need but that could be an extraordinarily profitable business operation but when you asked for their involvement, they simply said… “NO”.And what if you heard “NO” 86 times when trying to get people interested in supporting your idea. Would you give up? Would you have already given up after the 1st or 10th or 50th “NO”? And what if you happened to be an 18-year-old young woman with this vision and enthusiasm and the subject of your VC pitches dealt with menstruation and woman's public bathrooms... How far do you think that would have gotten you?I could focus in on this intro by talking about the thing that we don't talk about, at least as a guy I can't imagine me and my guy friends would have ever talked about…as a teen, young man or frankly even today.Which is to say… women and monthly periods. I could focus in on this somewhat taboo subject of a naturally occurring bodily function that we somehow sweep under the social discourse carpet, despite that more than 50% of the population has one every single month. Or I could talk about the strange discomfort that comes up because somehow, we've made this discussion something to be ashamed about or talked only about between mothers and grandmothers and their daughters. The strange irony here is that the other 49.53% of the North American population will end up living with, perhaps marrying and having children with the 50+ percent of the population who has their period every single month and yet, we'd prefer not to talk about it…But, if I did focus on those subjects, which by the way are not unimportant to talk about, it would potential we derail another story about a passion for entrepreneurship and the overwhelming need to address the needs of a population who are wholly unserved.It takes a lot of guts to be an entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. In fact, there are a lot of people who would say you'd simply have a few screws loose to actually want to be an entrepreneur.It's highly risky and you carry an extraordinary amount of responsibility. Everything from fundraising and decision-making, planning operations, accepting both successes and failures.When the entire enterprise is your baby, and relies on you as the key driver of the big idea, it can be incredibly emotionally taxing. The working hours can be extraordinary too. If we think that an average work week is neatly packed into 40 hours, an entrepreneur may end up spending twice or maybe even three times that amount in trying to get their business off the ground...and there's constant pressure to keep on pushing forward. One success does not necessarily guarantee the next and so there's this cycle of continuing to push and to make forward strides create product extensions and to expand the brand footprint that is unrelenting. This is especially true if folks have lent you money to get your big idea off the ground.There's also a great degree of isolation that can emerge on the entrepreneurial path. You, and often you alone, are focused on birthing your brainchild, developing it and bringing it to market. This ‘child rearing', if you will, often happens in times of extraordinary uncertainty and ambiguity. In the current state of the world we live in today, ambiguity is the name of the game. What with the pace of change exponentially increasing, government shifting the rules of the game with tariffs and regulations, funding cuts and banning more that 250 words that according to PEN AMERICA are no longer considered acceptable including:advocacy, abortion, all-inclusive, biologically female, community equity, DEI, female, inclusive, sex, sexuality, vulnerable populations, and woman or women, just to name a few. So if your big idea is squarely focused on women, menstruation and period products, I would imagine it's tricky.So, this means that you have to be built for understanding the pace of change the ability to flex and move and be resilient when things don't happen to go your way. Like for example if you are launching a new product line and a COVID pandemic hits that effectively shuts your business down.You could stop and pack up shop and be done or you could be resilient and change direction asking ‘what do people need right now?, and turn what you thought was going to be a business into a completely different thing that was not at all what you had planned in the 1st place.As an entrepreneur, you also have to wear many hats. You are at the same time the company owner, marketing and sales rep. You're dealing with HR issues, product design and materials sourcing and assortment planning.You're often doing customer service and trying to keep them satisfied while dealing with shipments that go missing or supply chains that get disrupted, because of say tariffs, for example, when your products were coming from out of the country and all of a sudden now they are more expensive than you had anticipated.And you have to be good, I mean really good, at dealing with rejection and failure.Most entrepreneurs face repeated setbacks, investor rejections, failed launches or people who just don't get what you're trying to deliver - or straight out don't like what you're trying to deliver - and reject your product and actively work against you to shut you down.Resilience and a sense of purpose when faced with strong headwinds is an absolutely essential feature of being an entrepreneur.You want to become an entrepreneur? Then you had better show up at the game with a load of mad skills so that you can weather the multiple impending storms.Now… don't get me wrong, it's not all doom and gloom. It's not all uphill struggles like Sisyphus pushing a rock up a hill only to have it roll back down again.Entrepreneurship can be incredibly rewarding. It can bring something that you are passionate about into the world. Maybe it's something that had never existed before. Maybe it satisfies the need that is self-evident but others just haven't seen it yet. But to play in the arena of entrepreneurship you need to be able to recover from failures and keep moving forward regardless of whatever the setbacks were.Because they are inevitable.No one skates happily through entrepreneurship and starting a company without stuff just going off the rails from time to time. And that requires an amazing amount of intrinsic motivation and drive. You've got to be able to get up every morning and go get it. And you've got to be able to get up and do it without anyone behind you saying ‘go team go” pushing you to do it every single day.You might need an accountability buddy. That would be good.  But in the absence of that person or group, you need to be able to be incredibly disciplined and willing to get back in the ring every day.You also have to have a certain level of risk tolerance. In fact, I would say you probably have to have a very high level of risk tolerance. No one in the entrepreneurial world makes it by being a wallflower; by being risk adverse and not wanting to step out into traffic and navigate all of the oncoming traffic.And while dancing your way through the crosswalk in oncoming traffic, you have to be pretty flexible and be willing to pivot in an oftentimes volatile environment. You also have to believe in your vision and have a well-crafted strategy to get you to the top of the mountain.Successful entrepreneurs can generally see a much bigger picture than other people. They see opportunities where others simply see closed doors and that often means when hearing “no” you don't implode like the Wicked Witch of the West when water was thrown on her, but you ask questions. Not just questions about ‘why?' but also ‘why not?'.You have to be conspicuously curious and have a compulsion to keep on asking questions, never being satisfied with the status quo.Your interpersonal skills also have to be incredibly well honed. You have to be good at networking, slapping backs, shaking hands and making people feel like they're the only people in the room who matter to you. You've got to be good at networking and pitching and you have to be an incredibly good leader which suggests that you have to be an effective communicator and be emotionally tapped in. Your EQ, as well as your IQ, has to be highly tuned.You have to carry a certain level of confidence without being arrogant.You have to believe in your ideas while staying open to feedback; weeding out what is good commentary and bad commentary.…what allows you to maintain a connection to your brand story and the products or services you believe need to be brought to market while at the same time always finding a balance between taking in what people say as constructive criticism and dismissing other commentary that doesn't seem to fit or takes you off track and away from your vision.And all of this brings us to the story of Claire Coder who at 18 years old goes into a public bathroom at an event and discovers she started her period.In an effort to have period products that met her in her moment of need, she goes to a dispenser on the wall and discovers that in order to get a tampon or pad she has to have quarter and who really carries quarters around in their pocket anymore?  At that moment Claire is faced with accepting the only option available which is to go to the free roll of toilet paper on the bathroom stall and create a makeshift tampon.At that moment Claire decides that if toilet paper and paper towel are offered at no cost in public bathrooms why should tampons and pads cost $0.25.? and why is it that the box on the wall, that has likely been there for decades and that may likely not work in any case, an acceptable solution?Claire Coder was selected as one of Forbes 30under30 and is the 28-year-old founder and CEO of Aunt Flow. On a mission to make the world better for people with periods, Aunt Flow stocks public bathrooms with freely accessible tampons and pads. Through Claire's leadership, Aunt Flow launched patented tampon & pad dispensers in 60k+ bathrooms, 150 universities, 600 schools, 28 Fortune 500 company's offices and raised $17m+ in venture capital.After getting her period in public without the supplies she needed, at 18 years old, Claire dedicated her life to developing a solution to ensure businesses and schools can sustainably provide quality period products for free in public bathrooms.Since 2016, Aunt Flow has worked with thousands of businesses and schools, including organizations like Google, Princeton University, Netflix, and 30+ professional sports stadiums, to offer freely accessible period product dispensers, filled with organic cotton tampons and pads. Aunt Flow has donated over 7 million organic cotton tampons and pads to menstruators in need since 2021. Claire's ultimate goal in life is for any menstruator to walk into any bathroom and never need to worry if they start their period, because Aunt Flow period products are freely available! Claire Coder was the opening keynote presenter at SHOP Marketplace 2025 and I caught up with her after her presentation to have a chat…ABOUT DAVID KEPRON:LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582bWebsites:  https://www.davidkepron.com    (personal website)vmsd.com/taxonomy/term/8645  (Blog)Email: david.kepron@NXTLVLexperiencedesign.comPersonal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidkepron/NXTLVL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtlvl_experience_design/Bio:David Kepron is a multifaceted creative professional with a deep curiosity to understand ‘why', ‘what's now' and ‘what's next'. He brings together his background as an architect, artist, educator, author, podcast host and builder to the making of meaningful and empathically-focused, community-centric customer connections at brand experience places around the globe. David is a former VP - Global Design Strategies at Marriott International. While at Marriott, his focus was on the creation of compelling customer experiences within Marriott's “Premium Distinctive” segment which included: Westin, Renaissance, Le Meridien, Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Design Hotels and Gaylord hotels. In 2020 Kepron founded NXTLVL Experience Design, a strategy and design consultancy, where he combines his multidisciplinary approach to the creation of relevant brand engagements with his passion for social and cultural anthropology, neuroscience and emerging digital technologies. As a frequently requested international speaker at corporate events and international conferences focusing on CX, digital transformation, retail, hospitality, emerging technology, David shares his expertise on subjects ranging from consumer behaviors and trends, brain science and buying behavior, store design and visual merchandising, hotel design and strategy as well as creativity and innovation. In his talks, David shares visionary ideas on how brand strategy, brain science and emerging technologies are changing guest expectations about relationships they want to have with brands and how companies can remain relevant in a digitally enabled marketplace. David currently shares his experience and insight on various industry boards including: VMSD magazine's Editorial Advisory Board, the Interactive Customer Experience Association, Sign Research Foundation's Program Committee as well as the Center For Retail Transformation at George Mason University.He has held teaching positions at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Department of Architecture & Interior Design of Drexel University in Philadelphia, the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (L.I.M.) in New York, the International Academy of Merchandising and Design in Montreal and he served as the Director of the Visual Merchandising Department at LaSalle International Fashion School (L.I.F.S.) in Singapore.  In 2014 Kepron published his first book titled: “Retail (r)Evolution: Why Creating Right-Brain Stores Will Shape the Future of Shopping in a Digitally Driven World” and he is currently working on his second book to be published soon. David also writes a popular blog called “Brain Food” which is published monthly on vmsd.com.  The next level experience design podcast is presented by VMSD magazine and Smartwork Media. It is hosted and executive produced by David Kepron. Our original music and audio production by Kano Sound. The content of this podcast is copywrite to David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design. Any publication or rebroadcast of the content is prohibited without the expressed written consent of David Kepron and NXTLVL Experience Design.Make sure to tune in for more NXTLVL “Dialogues on DATA: Design Architecture Technology and the Arts” wherever you find your favorite podcasts and make sure to visit vmsd.com and look for the tab for the NXTLVL Experience Design podcast there too.

Sipping the tea

Kim Tran, a bag designer with experience at Crocs, Vera Bradley, Vince Camuto, Coach and others, has some fundamental issues with the fashion industry. She believes it has stopped focusing on quality design and no longer cares about what's best for customers and employees. This realization inspired her to launch her own mission-driven bag brand, Practice. She calls the brand's no frills design “a mix between Prada and Patagonia”, and people are starting to get excited. Her best-selling product, the large Karma backpack, features a practical, minimalist design, is made in limited small batches.  Practice What You Love   https://www.practicewhatyoulove.com

Vera Bradley, the beloved purse, travel and accessory retailer, recently refreshed their brand look and strategy to increase brand awareness and expand their consumer profile. Vera Bradley's CEO, Jackie Ardrey, joins us to discuss the brand's transformation, the Vera Bradley customer and how the company stays ahead in the ever-evolving retail industry. She also shares what she loves most about working in retail and her impactful career advice. (00:00:00) Introductions(00:00:39) Highlights of the NRF Big Show (00:01:39) Ardrey's career background (00:07:50) The pace of change in retail (00:09:30) Vera Bradley's transformation journey (00:15:05) Balancing brand loyalty with an expanding customer base (00:17:49) Facing the unpredictability of consumers (00:21:39) Ardrey's best career advice The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association.Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.Resources:• verabradley.com• Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC• Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.comRelated:• What to know about the consumer in 2025Produced by Crate Media.

Vera Bradley, the beloved purse, travel and accessory retailer, recently refreshed their brand look and strategy to increase brand awareness and expand their consumer profile. Vera Bradley's CEO, Jackie Ardrey, joins us to discuss the brand's transformation, the Vera Bradley customer and how the company stays ahead in the ever-evolving retail industry. She also shares what she loves most about working in retail and her impactful career advice. (00:00:00) Introductions (00:00:39) Highlights of the NRF Big Show (00:01:39) Ardrey's career background (00:07:50) The pace of change in retail (00:09:30) Vera Bradley's transformation journey (00:15:05) Balancing brand loyalty with an expanding customer base (00:17:49) Facing the unpredictability of consumers (00:21:39) Ardrey's best career advice The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed. Resources: • verabradley.com • Get ready for Retail's Big Show in NYC • Become an NRF member and join the world's largest retail trade association • Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org • Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy • Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com Related: • What to know about the consumer in 2025 Produced by Crate Media.

On today's show, we're chatting with Erika Veurink, a writer, the founder of EV Salon, and a brand consultant who lives in Brooklyn by way of Iowa. You may know Erika from her Substack, Long Live, where she writes about clothes – mostly pre-loved – and shares secondhand shopping recommendations.  We chat about fashion writing, Nora Ephron movies as muse, and why all the best thrift shopping is here in Iowa. I think you're really gonna love it –  so let's dive right in!  DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [5:03] Erika's career journey as fashion writer, and how it led her to Long Live. [9:26] 90s J.Crew catalogs as fashion inspiration. [12:13] What Erika has learned from 3 years on Substack, writing about personal style. [17:38] Erika loves an online secondhand shop [26:16] A Vera Bradley revival? [36:50] Erika is the founder of EV Salon, a community that brings like-minded communities together for in-person connection. EPISODE MENTIONS:  @erikaveurink Long Live on Substack Erika's letter on JCREW catalogs Nora Ephron movies as a source of fashion inspiration Erika's letter about why buying more won't help Thanks, It's From eBay WORN in Des Moines BODE Sarah Spellings Sarah's piece on brown diamonds Tariro Makoni of Trademarked Mandy Lee (Old Loser in Brooklyn) - Cyclical on Substack LET'S CONNECT: 

Design your own wardrobe, thrifting  is the new best  thing, is commuting changing, the world is a big place, is Vera Bradley still cool ?   Scariest house in America. Sin city tow, storage wars, vacation house rules, industry, after truth, the wise guy.   Limiting your calories, crunchy ramen salad. Hibiscus tea, one pan garlic chicken and veggies, broccoli salad, Korean popcorn chicken.

Mariah Parsons recaps the ShopTalk Fall conference in Chicago 2024, highlighting key takeaways and experiences. The conference spanned three days, with Thursday being the busiest due to the main concert by Busta Rhymes. Key themes included the importance of in-person engagement post-pandemic, the role of AI in enhancing consumer experiences, and the growing trend of duping products. Notable sessions featured insights from industry leaders like ThredUp, Lowe's, and Winky Lux. Mariah Parsons also emphasized the value of live selling, the need for brand compliance with FTC regulations, and the innovative use of tech in retail. She concluded by sharing her excitement about new products and brands discovered at the event. Episode Timestamps: 0:05 Recap of ShopTalk Fall Conference Mariah announces this episode will be a solo recap of the ShopTalk Fall conference in Chicago. She highlights the excitement around the first fall conference and her recent move to Chicago.  4:29 Overview of ShopTalk Fall Conference Structure She notes the busiest day was Thursday due to the all-conference concert by Busta Rhymes. The conference had a main stage, showroom floor with sponsor booths, and multiple content session rooms. Attendees could choose from various sessions, and there were breaks for networking and wellness activities. 4:48 Networking and Meeting New People Mariah emphasizes the opportunity to meet many people in a short time at the conference Mariah appreciates the caliber of people brought together by ShopTalk. 15:23 Content Sessions and Key Takeaways Mariah discusses the various content sessions she attended, featuring leaders from companies like Thredup, Farm Rio, CrunchyRoll, Studs, Winky Lux, Kendra Scott, Hard Candy, Malbon Golf, David Yurman, Pandora, Tonies, Vera Bradley, Skims, Zumiez and more. She highlights the theme of activities drawing conference goers and customers alike. The core pickleball court and Dot Digital's friendship bracelet and trucker hat booths were popular activities. Lowe's keynote on in-person events and ThredUp's use of AI for image search and styling were notable takeaways. 15:23 Consumer Engagement and Retail Innovations Mariah talks about the importance of asking consumers for their opinions, as seen with GE Appliances. She mentions Winky Lux's strategy of offering free lip gloss for customer feedback. Retailers enabling tech in stores, like Ulta Beauty's skin analysis and robot application of lashes, were highlighted. The concept of "dupe shopping" and the development of dupe score technology were discussed. 21:45 Tech Innovations and Future Trends Mariah mentions the trend of reselling and trading old items, with examples from ThredUp and TipTap. Live selling, especially in Asia, was discussed as a potential future trend in the US. The importance of staying updated with Federal Trade Commission regulations was emphasized.Mariah plans to have a detailed conversation with Kae Majmundar from Sway Tech on this topic. 25:43 Fun Elements and Experiences at ShopTalk Mariah appreciates the themed elements of the conference, such as the Mission Possible theme and live band transitions. She highlights the all-women keynote panel and the women-only happy hour before the Busta Rhymes concert. The shopping experience at the Vault, featuring both up-and-coming and established brands, was a favorite part of the conference. Mariah shares her excitement about discovering new brands and meeting their founders. 31:09 Product Discoveries and Favorites Mariah lists various products she discovered at the conference, including Fun Fact Co.'s Would You Rather game and Royce Chocolates. She mentions Devine's hair and body wash, mini Mac room's nail stickers, and Elf's Power Grip Primer and Lip Oil. Other products included Erzo Laszlo's deep cleansing bar, Char Charms' tumbler and straws, and Tangle Teezer's hair brush, and more Mariah expresses her excitement to try out these products, especially during the holiday season.

While tech companies like Best Buy, Verizon, and BitCoin's Verse are refreshing their logos, women's accessory companies like Zales and Vera Bradley are introducing entire brand refreshes. Join Mark and Lorraine as they talk the differences between a brand refresh and a brand new logo. The positioning duo tackles the latest marketing overhauls, the origins of Singer Corporation, and some successful past brand refreshes.Spend 30ish with Mark and Lorraine as they talk all things marketing, advertising, and of course … positioning!

Last week, for the first time in its 40-plus-year history, the bag brand Vera Bradley revealed a 360-degree rebrand. Updates include a new logo, new products, new in-store and online experiences, and a new ambassador: actress and singer Zooey Deschanel.  Days prior, Glossy sat down with the company's president and CEO, Jaqueline Ardrey, and CMO, Alison Hiatt, to discuss how the brand's fresh look and feel play into the Project Restoration growth plan set by Ardrey last year. They also shared the challenges of reaching new audiences while retaining existing customers, and making big changes under the watchful eye of investors as a publicly traded company. 

Jacqueline Ardrey, CEO of Vera Bradley, joins the show to discuss why the company's rebrand is needed now and how they are assessing the brand's health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Water Tower Hour Podcast, Consumer Products analyst, Doug Lane, discusses our recent Consumer Products Virtual Investor Conference, as companies navigate the post-pandemic landscape with new strategies and management teams. We heard about Vera Bradley's Project Restoration, Medifast's innovative GLP-1 Lifestyle Program, and Herbalife's refreshed leadership. We also explored the strategic moves by Beachbody, Flow Beverages, 1-800-FLOWERS, and Lanvin, each poised for potential growth. Discover how these companies geared up for a brighter future, driven by resilience and innovation.

On it's latest earnings report, Vera Bradley reported net revenue for the first quarter that missed the average analyst estimate. The retailer's CEO, Jackie Ardrey sat down with Bloomberg's Katie Greifeld to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a CMO ensure the customer experience remains at the forefront of their brand's strategy? In this episode of the Modern Customer Podcast, Alison Hiatt, the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Growth Officer at Vera Bradley Designs Inc., shares her invaluable insights from her journey in marketing, including experiences with iconic brands like Starbucks and Amazon. Discover how Alison views CX as an all-encompassing concept, intertwined with brand identity, and learn how Vera Bradley leverages diverse customer engagement channels to tailor CX strategies and the art and science of understanding customer behavior. Blake Morgan is a customer experience futurist, keynote speaker, and author of three books on customer experience. Her new book is called The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules for Building A Business Around Today's Customer.

Welcome back to The Pretty Little Podcast! In this episode, Phoebe and Caroline break down episode 507 of Pretty Little Liars: The Silence of E. Lamb. Join them as they discuss West and Ciara from Summer House, whether Vera Bradley is making a comeback, and Hanna's new character arc.   TIMESTAMPS intro - 00:00:00 inside out 2 - 00:04:04 chicago - 00:16:34 ios update - 00:17:12 nick viall and natalie joy - 00:23:01 movies/the quiet place - 00:32:49 vera bradley - 00:37:19  yuck your yum - 00:38:50 rotations - 00:39:43  pll - 00:58:16

Sam Baker transforms underperforming ecommerce sites into powerful selling tools that help her clients generate double-digit incremental revenue each year. Sam's ecommerce background includes web optimization at Abercrombie & Fitch, digital marketing at Vera Bradley and consulting clients such as Under Armour and Intercontinental Hotel Group. Her consultancy specializes in A/B Testing, UX improvements, and Retention and Acquisition strategies. On this episode, Sam speaks with Jen White about how she got into a career that didn't exist when she was in college and about the challenges of moving from working a corporate job to running her own business.

We're back with Season 8 and kick it off with one of the industry's leading thought leaders--Carrie Tharp, VP Strategic Industries at Google Cloud. With her past experience in senior leadership at Fossil Group, Neiman Marcus, and Travelocity, and current board roles at the National Retail Federation, Vera Bradley, and Rue Gilt Groupe, Carrie brings tremendous perspective on where retail is headed and the challenges and opportunities brands face.In a wide ranging discussion we delve into the current state of cloud technology, where generative AI is headed (including the results of Google's new industry survey), and how retailers can accelerate their pace of transformation--including tips on how to deploy "test and learn" strategies. We also discuss specific use cases, including a recently launched partnership with Victoria's Secret to close the digital divide, expand conversational commerce, and a whole lot more.Before we dive into our typical opening segment we engage in a bit of humble-bragging sharing our own news that the pod won the top "Retail Voice" award at this year's VIP Awards show.We also announce some special pre-order bonuses for Steve's forthcomign book (see below).Then we jump into our hot takes on the week in retail news, including whether the holiday season delivered the goods or not. Then its on to good news as Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle take their sales guidance up. We follow it with bad news, however, as "new department store" concept Showfield's shuts down and competitor Neighborhood Goods retrenches. We can't miss the opportunity to talk about the success of the ludicrously capacious Stanley Quencher. We wrap up with the shocking news that physical retail is still not dead. Presented by Celonis.My new book--"Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption"--will be released March 12th. And for a limited time pre-order it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop,org, or any other retailer worldwide, and get some very special FREE bonuses.Buy 1 Copy and receive:- An exclusive PDF book excerpt- An invitation to a private pre-launch virtual event.Buy 5 Copies and receive:- All the above, plus access to a small group virtual Q&A session.Buy 25 copies or more and receive:- All the above, plus a private one-on-one 20 minute Zoom consulting or executive leadership coaching session with me.Simply email your receipt to leadersleap@sageberryconsullting.com and we will handle the rest! About CarrieInnovative Chief Digital Officer/Chief Marketing Officer with experience driving growth and business transformation in retail, consumer products and eCommerce based businesses. Creating data driven, customer centric strategies that drive growth through new customer experiences, digital innovation, and business model expansion. Currently focused on evolving retail capabilities for the new digital age - dedicated to building teams and experiences to serve customers in new and compelling ways.About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor, board member, and keynote speaker focused on strategic growth and transformation and the impact of digital disruption. He is the author of the bestselling book Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption and the forthcoming Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption , which will be published in March 2024 and is now available for pre-order at book retailers everywhere. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior contributor and on social media..Steve will be back on stage at Shoptalk in Las Vegas and we've got a special offer for our podcast listeners to save an additional 10% on registration. Retailer & Brands use Code: RBREMAR225 by going here.General Attendee: use code: GAREMAR360 here.Don't forget to join Steve's new Linked Group for his new book.Michael LeBlanc  is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practice, a keynote speaker around the world and consumer growth consultant.   He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience, and has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.  Michael is the producer and host of a network of leading podcasts including Canada's top retail industry podcast,   The Voice of Retail, plus  Global eCommerce Leaders podcast, and The Food Professor , Canada's top food industry podcasts and one of the top management podcasts in the nation according to Apple, with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois.    You can learn more about Michael  on  LinkedIn. Be sure and check out Michael's Last Request Barbecue,  his YouTube BBQ cooking channel!

Safe In Harm's Way envision a world where survivors can recognize the feelings in their relationships as the hallmark red flags of abuse, effortlessly communicate, access resources, and embark on a journey of healing without financial or logistical barriers.Our vision is driven by the urgent necessity for accessible and free or low-cost trauma-informed solutions.By nurturing diverse online communities with embedded safety mechanisms, we provide a sanctuary where survivors can explore their healing process in privacy and security.Caroline Markel-Hammond:•CEO•AUTHOR•VICTOR• Top 20 Leaders of 2022 at Women Leaders Magazine DomesticShelters.org Purple Ribbon Award Winner, Survivor of the Year 2021 Boston Scientific's Global Volunteer of the Year 2020 Vera Bradley's Inspiring Women Award Winner of 2020 Keynote speaker positively impacting 51,000 lives by Q4 of 2022. #intentionallyfearlessDM me BELIEVE to get your FREE download of 25 Immediate & ACTIONABLE ways to help your loved one break free from abuse, so that they can have health, safety and healing for themselves, their children and pets. Launched my brand on Times Square billboards, and across the country, making over ONE BILLION impressions. Took over Instagram and 4.5 MILLION accounts to highlight violence against women and children. THREE time international best selling author of “#SheWins2”, “Dragon Slayers Wear Lipstick” and “The Dragon Slayers Handbook” THAT's a dream come true.If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence please call the domestic violence hotline. 800-799-7233 or Hope House in the eastern Jackson County or Kansas City, Missouri area. 816-461-HOPE.

Imagine being a small business, fighting against the tide of big retail giants in the digital space. What if there was a platform designed to level the playing field, geared towards a community-focused digital solution for local retailers? This episode is a heart-to-heart chat with Kate Giovambattista, visionary founder of Beyond Main, who has been championing the cause of small retailers with her innovative platform. As a former Vera Bradley executive, she brings her deep insights on changing consumer behavior and the digital struggle small businesses experience. You'll learn about Beyond Main's subscription model, different from typical commission-driven models. We delve into the highs, lows, and everything in-between, of running a bootstrapped start-up. Tune in to hear about the crucial role of customer feedback in shaping the platform, and the exciting journey of onboarding 615 businesses. With perseverance, passion, and a will to support local businesses, Kate's story serves as a beacon for any small business owner seeking a digital edge or anyone curious about the dynamic world of e-commerce. 

This Halloween might be turning Boo's into Brrrrs and Lizz is not prepared to dress her summer babe for the chilly — and chilling — night. Kelly is finishing joke training with George and looking forward to some laughs one way or another. → Calling all RAV4 drivers! Kelly and Lizz would love for you to hop on over to the reviews, leave yours, and share what you love about the show. Don't forget to shout out your ride when you do. If you've ever been audacious enough to take a walk with your phone you might find today's millennial word of the day relatable. ‘Silent walking' is the new trend amongst Gen Zers who are finding they could use, as Kelly puts it, a little alone time with the noggin'.  In reel talk with Lizz and driveway dumps Vera Bradley is coming back and Kelly and Lizz are fascinated by correlations between Menstrual cycles and ugly eras.  Homemade baked goods are Kelly's base model luxury of choice this week. Her eggless blueberry muffins were a morning delight. She'll be messing up her already messy kitchen for time and time again.  Fast lane philosophy brings you an update from Kelly on the four-hour work week along with her thoughts on everyone creating an online course. Today's advice segment includes listener questions about repeating family names and purchasing used rental vehicles. Kelly shares some crucial red flags to look for on Carfax and AutoCheck reports such as accidents where airbags deployed, situations where vehicles were towed, and recurring issues after an accident.  Today's episode is brought to you by Zocdoc. When you're struggling to find a doctor who takes your insurance near you, try Zocdoc. Zocdoc helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care you need. Book an appointment in no time. With Zoc, you have a trusted guide to connect you to your favorite doctor you just haven't met yet. Millions of people have used Zocdoc's free app, to find and book a patient-reviewed doctor in their neighborhood.  → Head over to zocdoc.com/carpool to download the app and book a top-rated doctor today. Many are available within 24 hours.  In industry news, the best vehicles for doomsday include the Jeep Wrangler, Hummer, and Subaru Outback — and Lizz is ready to auto-prep. The Mazda CX 70 two-row midsize crossover is on the way. And 20 electric cars are now selling below sticker price.  A final Blake's besties honors Elizabeth's baby Lily, Megan's baby Feisty Fluff, Sarah's babies Harper and Mason, and Jessica's baby Nora Grace. Kelly and Lizz read the names of every baby whose story was shared this month and celebrate so much love while sending hugs out to all of the mama's who have experienced loss.  → To share your ditch the drive-through recipe with us, call (959) CAR-POOL and leave us a message! → Do you have a story to share about your little one who was gone too soon? Send Kelly and Lizz your pregnancy memories at hello@thecarmomofficial.com  → Write in your icks and ask for advice! Send Kelly and Lizz an email to get your question featured on the show at hello@thecarmomofficial.com  Follow the Carpool Podcast on IG Follow the Carpool Podcast on YouTube Follow Kelly on IG Follow Lizz on IG Visit thecarmomofficial.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If we aren't laughing everyday in our school or with our students, we should be. But sometimes we fail as teachers and these aren't small fails, they are epic. In this episode of the This Teacher Life podcast we are sharing some hilarious, huge teacher fails that will totally get you laughing and learning. Warning #1: Your jaw could hit the floor on a few of them so prepare your heart. Warning #2: The greatest, most ridiculous Vera Bradley story of all time is told in this episode Let's have some fun as we celebrate the struggles that we all experience from time to time. Episode Notes:  Want to Have Your BEST Year Yet Both Personally and Professionally? Check out This Awesome Opportunity:  monicagenta.com/365ofawesome Get a free PDF copy of Monica's Book Crushing It For Kids Here: http://bit.ly/MonicaGenta Needing some uplifting, awesome professional development at your school? Let's Connect:  http://monicagenta.com/pd Wheel That I Use in my Classroom: monicagenta.com/amazon Wheel of Names Digital Wheel: https://wheelofnames.com/ Connect with Monica on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/monicagentaed/ TikTok: tiktok.com/@monicagentaed Facebook: facebook.com/MonicaGentaEd Twiiter: twitter.com/monicagentaed

This week, we're sharing all of our favorite self-care tips to integrate during the semester! But first, we have a sister catch up on elementary school backpack trends (think Vera Bradley) & discussing our current uni bags. Enjoy! Products discussed: Face Mask Hair Mask Heating Pad

No media Allowed

This reprisal of our 100th episode featured Patricia Miller, co-founder of Vera Bradley. Enjoy hearing the origin story of this popular fashion company, and the life lessons learned along the way. Listen to Pat's life of significance as a grandmother, friend, designer and company leader. Note her life of collaboration in all of her roles. What a life of achievement.

Cindy Marshall is the Founder and CEO of SHINE Strategy, a strategic consulting company committed to helping brands drive profit and ROI. She is also the Chief Digital Officer at Jane, a curated marketplace with more than 2,000 shops. As an accomplished chief marketing officer, Cindy has developed working relationships with over 50 well-known brands, including Vera Bradley, Performance Bicycle, Strand Bookstore, Annie Selke, and LL Bean. Beyond her efforts as a company head, Cindy serves as a board member of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle, an elite women's society of executives at leading retailers and brands. In this episode… Direct-to-consumer (DTC) is an e-commerce marketing strategy where brands sell products directly to consumers. In addition to benefiting manufacturers, the DTC model offers consumers advantages like higher lifetime values, improved relationships, and effortless omnichannel experiences. Despite the many pros of DTC marketing, the model also presents several cons. The DTC e-commerce industry experiences widespread complications with marketing strategies such as paid search, feed optimization, and performance max campaigns. However, marketing strategists like Cindy Marshall provide solutions through the use of a roadmap. Roadmaps are campaign evaluations offering insights on brand logistics and the changes needed for business growth. The process includes strategic and content planning, data management integration, and talent solutions. In this episode of the Up Arrow Podcast, William Harris welcomes Cindy Marshall, Founder and CEO of SHINE Strategy, to talk about DTC marketing strategies. Cindy discusses the SHINE roadmap, common challenges in the retail industry, and universal e-commerce branding advice.

Does what we do really matter? Can one person make a difference? When we live intentionally, our choices impact every aspect of our lives. With that purposeful perception comes the conviction that jobs, homes, lifestyles and hobbies can and should be leveraged to their full potential and for a greater purpose than our own comfort. Victoria Duerstock is on the show today sharing about her book titled The Story of Good (EndGame Press) which includes the individual accounts of more than 30 founders that were brought together under the umbrella of "the good MRKT" – a concept store driven by the executives of Vera Bradley to provide an opportunity for consumers to purchase with a purpose. Join us as Victoria shares stories about ordinary people who long to understand their calling. Not one day in the future, but right now. Not giving everything up and living in Africa but taking what they are doing today and leveraging it in such a way it echoes in the hearts of others in an extraordinary way forever. We pray you see yourself in their stories and see how a little kindness goes a long way. Connect with Victoria: https://www.victoriaduerstock.com https://www.thestoryofgood.com/brands Victoria and End Game Press are each donating a portion of the book sales to the Dare To Do Good Fund, a charitable initiative by goodMRKT that connects creators with the resources they need to support their mission driven businesses.

It's Felicia's birthday, which means its time for her to insert one of the things she loves into the Wonkaverse! Join us as we discuss potential Muppet castings, Vera Bradley, and an update on the counterfiet Wonka bars.  To keep up-to-date on all things Wonka, be sure to follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter @wonkawatch. We'd love to hear your concerns (it'd be unhealthy if you didn't have any). Email us at wonkarapture@gmail.com If you'd like to help us keep this podcast up and running, you can visit buymeacoffee.com/wonkawatch! All supporters will get a shout out on the podcast :). If you want to check out our Muppet commentary track from a few months back, you can do so here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wonkawatch/the-muppets-2011-commentary-track  Cover Art by Reilly Branson:  https://www.instagram.com/rad_reilly/ Sources:  Crown court trial set over 'selling 1,237 boxes of fake Wonka Bars' France Takes Center Stage with Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa in Spectacular Wonka: A Journey Back to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Origins France (and Hugh Grant as Oompa Loompa) will be in the spotlight for Wonka, the film which will return to the origins of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory France Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNnWP1WoTRQ  Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:37 Wonka Watch News 09:29 Casting Wonka Watch Characters 16:05 Casting Side Characters 29:49 Casting the Kids 37:17 Other Notes 38:35 Casting Wonkas 48:55 Predictions 49:37 Outro

Kat's Parking Ticket Expense Report & Vera Bradley Outlet Sale Returns

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Ardmore Shipping CEO Anthony Gurnee (ASC) explains how he's shaped his company into a heavy hitter in the marine shipping industry.  How Yext (YEXT) is capitalizing on the current interest in artificial intelligence. How lower freight expenses and cost-cutting initiatives made a huge difference at niche-retailer Vera Bradley (VRA). Ciena Corporation (CIEN) gives us an inside look at what's really going on in the computer networking industry. The Drill Down with Cory Johnson offers a regular look at the business stories behind stocks on the move. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Good Girls are back with ballerina, Ukrainian dancer, and aerialist, Tatiana Ozaruk! In this episode, we go deep into our dance backgrounds and how they contributed to our Good Girl-ness. We also chat about being early as a personality trait, performatively wearing dance gear in public, medium ugly Vera Bradley patterns, and finding joy in movement. And then we play a Silly Little Game named by Chat GPT! Special thanks to DJ Skip to my Luke for our fabulous intro! And a HUGE thank you to the designer of our brand new logo and look, Emery Bergmann! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we will mail you a GGGS sticker! Just screenshot the review, send us a DM and an address where you would like the sticker sent! BUY SOME MERCH (shipping is always free!) Check out Tatiana and her dance company in Vogue! Follow the Good Girls on Instagram @goodgirlsgonesad And TikTok @goodgirlsgonesad And Twitter @goodgrlsgonesad Follow Tatiana @tatiana__oz Follow Becca @thebeccastephenson Follow Syd @syd.the.king --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/good-girls-gone-sad/message

Hosts Hannah Brown (@hannahabrown) and Tyler Meredith (@tylermckmeredith) had another rip roaring time recording this week yall! We kiki over daddy Pedro Pascal on SNL, how zombies are not our vibe and give our NYC and Disney trip recaps! This week on GG—Obie is HOT to us and Audrey/Max are NOT to us. We obsessed over the looks of Luna and marvel at how everyone you know is at the Tribeca Film Festival. JC tries to right many wrongs at jessica Vera Bradley's pop-up which turns out to be a hot mess. And we get in an intervention for Kate Keller which she truly needs—but will she really use her GG sorcery for good? TBD upper east siders. XOXO H&T

800+ global artisans. 2 million raised for charitable organizations. A $200 dollar investment that started it all. Griffin Thall has always been an entrepreneur.  As a teenager, he was selling a steady stream of products on eBay, earning enough cash to fund his college ventures. Now, 12 years after he co-founded and served as CEO for Pura Vida Bracelets, a company he helped grow from his dorm room into a $130 million+ company, Griffin announced he is stepping away.  In his conversation with host Ryan Berman, we'll hear some of the strategies that Griffin used to grow his tremendous brand, and why he feels there is still room for them to grow on platforms like TikTok. He also touches on why they felt Vera Bradley was the right partner to acquire the brand after interviewing 25 potential suitors. Note: This interview was conducted a week prior to Griffins departure announcement.

Welcome to Episode #11. My guest today is a friend, world class Entrepreneur and an even better person, Mr. Paul Goodman. As the CFO and Co-Founder of Pura Vida Bracelets, Paul is charged with ensuring the growth and financial success of the multimillion-dollar jewelry and lifestyle brand. www.puravidabracelets.com Immediately after graduating from SDSU, Paul and his best friend, Griffin Thall, teamed up with two Costa Rican artisans to launch the brand. Within a decade, the startup has become one of the biggest jewelry companies around, with millions of fans all across the globe. Paul is not only dedicated to building a strong brand culture both internally and externally, but he's also passionate about making an impact on the lives of other people. He helps provide full-time jobs to more than 550 artisans around the world, and the brand's Charity Collection has raised more than $4M for charitable causes and organizations. His financial acumen allowed the brand to achieve 57% year-over-year growth in 2019, while maintaining consistent levels of profitability. Paul was also instrumental in securing a $130M investment from iconic lifestyle brand Vera Bradley. Paul is a member of global leadership organization YPO and has been featured on Forbes' “30 Under 30” list. Pura Vida is one of Inc.'s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America, and was named LA Business Journal's Direct to Consumer Brand of the Year in 2019. In his spare time, Paul enjoys surfing, traveling the world and raising his daughter, Romy. Enjoy! Time Stamps: 5:18 The origin story of how Pura Vida was born 7:15 Jorge, Joaquin and the first 400 bracelets 11:14 The jar approach to inventory management 13:38 Influencer marketing before "influencers" was a thing 15:50 The Campus Rep program helps expand across the US 17:50 Their elaborate initial pricing strategy 22:20 The trade show intro that changed the game for their business 26:30 the loyalty to Jorge and Joaquin 30:35 the infamous coin flip for CEO 32:25 Establishing the Pura Vida culture and hiring throughout the years (micro to 32:32) 33:33 the transition to adding retail stores 37:20 $130 Million exit to Vera Bradley 37:49 From doubters to haters to the praise - having fun along the way 43:15 parental advice from PG! Follow Paul- LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-goodman-1721a115/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/paulgoodman/ Bryan - Insta: https://www.instagram.com/bduzco/

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, December 1st, 2022. Happy Friday Jr. everyone! Having a good week thus far I hope… hey, question for ya… Dropwave Do you have a podcast, or thinking about starting one? Does your church have a podcast feed for sermons? The Dropwave.io is for you. Cancel culture is like walking on a thin glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Every step you take could get you killed, I mean canceled. Since the beginning CrossPolitic has been working on being antifragile, so no matter what happens, our content can still be delivered to your tv and to your podcast. This past year, the Waterboy and his friend Jeremi, have been working on building a podcast hosting solution for rowdy platforms like CrossPolitic, so that you can be confident your podcast will never fall through that glass bridge. Dropwave offers seamless onboarding for shows that have been around for years to easy to use solutions for starting your own podcast. Dropwave will track all your show’s downloads by city, state, and country, and it offers network and enterprise packages for solutions like the Fight Laugh Feast Network. Free to speak, Free to podcast, free to start your journey now at www.Dropwave.io. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/house-passes-biden-backed-bill-avert-rail-strike House passes Biden-backed bill to avert rail strike The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to avert a national railroad strike, but questions remain about whether the effort can clear the 50-50 Senate. By an 290-137 vote, House lawmakers voted to pass legislation blocking nearly 100,000 railroad workers from striking in early December. Economists and the White House have warned that a railroad strike could paralyze the nation's economy ahead of the holiday season. "We must act to prevent a catastrophic strike that would touch the lives of nearly every family," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The legislation gives unionized train engineers and conductors three unpaid sick days a year for medical appointments, provided employers are given at least 30 days' notice about the time off. It's based on an agreement that railroad companies and transportation unions agreed to in September. While eight unions have already adopted the agreement, four have not. The standoff between the holdout unions and railroad companies has failed to resolve itself even as White House officials have become increasingly involved. President Biden said the failure to achieve a breakthrough forced him to ask Congress to intervene and prevent a strike. Progressives have lambasted Biden's decision to ask Congress to intervene. Far-left lawmakers, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., say Biden's request for Congress to approve legislation blocking nearly 100,000 railroad workers from striking was inappropriate given the unions were still pushing for broader paid sick leave. The House on Wednesday also passed a separate bill 221-207 giving railroad workers an additional seven days of sick leave. It remains to be seen if it will be included in the version the 50-50 divided Senate will take up. Within the upper chamber, at least 10 Republican votes are needed for the legislation to overcome a filibuster, provided all 50 Democrats fall in line. Let’s keep it within the Biden administration shall we? https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-non-binary-nuclear-official-charged-stealing-womans-luggage-airport Non-binary Biden nuclear official charged with stealing woman's luggage at airport Sam Brinton, a senior Energy Department (DOE) official, was charged with stealing a traveler's luggage in the Minneapolis airport in September, shortly before quietly taking a leave of absence. Brinton — who serves as the DOE's deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition — allegedly took a Vera Bradley suitcase worth $2,325 from the luggage carousel at the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport (MSP) on Sept. 16, according to a criminal complaint filed on Oct. 26 in Minnesota state court and obtained by Fox News Digital. Brinton had traveled from Washington, D.C., to MSP that day. After the suitcase's owner alerted police, officers reviewed video surveillance of the carousel and identified Brinton taking the luggage before removing its tag identifying the owner, the court filings stated. Law enforcement observed Brinton using the luggage during at least two other trips to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9. Then, on Oct. 9, Brinton denied stealing anything when a police officer called to discuss the incident. Brinton confirmed still possessing the suitcase. "If I had taken the wrong bag, I am happy to return it, but I don’t have any clothes for another individual," Brinton told the officer. "That was my clothes when I opened the bag." Two hours after the phone call, Brinton called the officer back and apologized for not being "completely honest." But Brinton said it was a mistake and blamed being tired for taking the wrong bag at the carousel. "DEFENDANT said when they opened the bag at the hotel, they realized it was not theirs," the court filings stated. "DEFENDANT got nervous people would think they stole the bag and did not know what to do. DEFENDANT stated they left the clothes from the bag inside the drawers in the hotel room." Brinton was ultimately charged with felony theft of a movable property without consent, a charge that could result in a five-year sentence, $10,000 fine or both. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/28/watch-kanye-canceled-by-kanye-walks-out-of-tim-pool-interview-when-asked-to-defend-his-antisemitism/ Kanye Canceled — by Kanye; Walks Out of Tim Pool Interview When Asked to Defend His Antisemitism Kanye West, the rapper and entrepreneur who has become infamous for his antisemitic views, walked out of an interview Monday evening with podcaster Tim Pool the moment the host mildly challenged his views on Jews. https://twitter.com/i/status/1597401435549110272 - Play Video The interview, which was streamed live on YouTube, included Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulous, who has recently joined West’s entourage and nascent 2024 presidential campaign. Pool allowed West to express his views, largely uninterrupted, for the first fifteen minutes of the broadcast. He claimed that his recent, controversial dinner with former President Donald Trump had been scheduled last month — apparently before West began making antisemitic comments such as the infamous “death con” tweet. The dinner was postponed until after the midterm elections; West confirmed that Trump did not know Fuentes. West claimed that it was “beautiful” that people could see how Jews — whom he referred to as “Zionists” at one stage — cancel people. Luke Rudkowski, one of Pool’s co-hosts, said that West said as he was leaving: “You don’t believe in my truths.” https://twitter.com/i/status/1597406857185832961 - Play Video News out of England… https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/britain-census-religion/2022/11/29/id/1098318/ Census: Christians a Minority in England; Non-religious Grow Fewer than half the people in England and Wales consider themselves Christian, according to the most recent census — the first time the country's official religion has been followed by a minority of the population. Britain has become less religious — and less white — in the decade since the last census, figures from the 2021 census released Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics revealed. Some 46.2% of the population of England and Wales described themselves as Christian on the day of the 2021 census, down from 59.3% a decade earlier. The Muslim population grew from 4.9% to 6.5% of the population, while 1.7% identified as Hindu, up from 1.5%. More than 1 in 3 people — 37% — said they had no religion, up from 25% in 2011. The other parts of the U.K., Scotland and Northern Ireland, report their census results separately. Secularism campaigners said the shift should trigger a rethink of the way religion is entrenched in British society. The U.K. has state-funded Church of England schools, Anglican bishops sit in Parliament's upper chamber, and the monarch is "defender of the faith" and supreme governor of the church. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the charity Humanists U.K., said "the dramatic growth of the non-religious" had made the U.K. "almost certainly one of the least religious countries on Earth." Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, one of the most senior clerics in the Church of England, said the data was "not a great surprise," but was a challenge to Christians to work harder to promote their faith. "We have left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian, but other surveys consistently show how the same people still seek spiritual truth and wisdom and a set of values to live by," he said. Almost 82% of people in England and Wales identified as white in the census, down from 86% in 2011. Some 9% said they were Asian, 4% Black and 3% from "mixed or multiple" ethnic backgrounds, while 2% identified with another ethnic group. Redballoon Not so long ago, the American dream was alive and well. Employees who worked hard were rewarded, and employers looked for people who could do the job, not for people who had the right political views. RedBalloon.work is a job site designed to get us back to what made American businesses successful: free speech, hard work, and having fun. If you are a free speech employer who wants to hire employees who focus on their work and not identity politics, then post a job on RedBalloon. If you are an employee who is being censored at work or is being forced to comply with the current zeitgeist, post your resume on RedBalloon and look for a new job. redballoon.work, the job site where free speech is still alive! www.redballoon.work https://www.boundingintosports.com/2022/11/espn-host-stephen-a-smith-apologizes-for-using-the-term-homosexual-while-discussing-profanity-laced-lamar-jackson-tweet/ ESPN Host Stephen A. Smith Apologizes For Using The Term “Homosexual” While Discussing Profanity-Laced Lamar Jackson Tweet Jackson took offense at Twitter user CastleWillKill sharing his opinion that the Baltimore Ravens should let him walk rather than pay him $250 million. CastleWillKill tweeted, “When someone is asking for over 250 mil guaranteed like Lamar Jackson … games like this should not come to Justin Tucker. Let Lamar walk and spend that money on a well rounded team.” Lamar Jackson responded with a profanity laced tweet, to which Stephen A. Smith responded to, like so: https://youtu.be/CueNCRKO3hY - Play 4:40 - 5:23 As reported by Awful Announcing, Smith would later apologize for using the term “homosexual” while discussing Jackson’s tweet. https://streamable.com/5ez4yw - Play Video There is absolutely no reason to apologize for using the term homosexual over gay. In fact, Smith should have used the word Sodomite instead.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Thursday, December 1st, 2022. Happy Friday Jr. everyone! Having a good week thus far I hope… hey, question for ya… Dropwave Do you have a podcast, or thinking about starting one? Does your church have a podcast feed for sermons? The Dropwave.io is for you. Cancel culture is like walking on a thin glass bridge over the Grand Canyon. Every step you take could get you killed, I mean canceled. Since the beginning CrossPolitic has been working on being antifragile, so no matter what happens, our content can still be delivered to your tv and to your podcast. This past year, the Waterboy and his friend Jeremi, have been working on building a podcast hosting solution for rowdy platforms like CrossPolitic, so that you can be confident your podcast will never fall through that glass bridge. Dropwave offers seamless onboarding for shows that have been around for years to easy to use solutions for starting your own podcast. Dropwave will track all your show’s downloads by city, state, and country, and it offers network and enterprise packages for solutions like the Fight Laugh Feast Network. Free to speak, Free to podcast, free to start your journey now at www.Dropwave.io. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/house-passes-biden-backed-bill-avert-rail-strike House passes Biden-backed bill to avert rail strike The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to avert a national railroad strike, but questions remain about whether the effort can clear the 50-50 Senate. By an 290-137 vote, House lawmakers voted to pass legislation blocking nearly 100,000 railroad workers from striking in early December. Economists and the White House have warned that a railroad strike could paralyze the nation's economy ahead of the holiday season. "We must act to prevent a catastrophic strike that would touch the lives of nearly every family," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. The legislation gives unionized train engineers and conductors three unpaid sick days a year for medical appointments, provided employers are given at least 30 days' notice about the time off. It's based on an agreement that railroad companies and transportation unions agreed to in September. While eight unions have already adopted the agreement, four have not. The standoff between the holdout unions and railroad companies has failed to resolve itself even as White House officials have become increasingly involved. President Biden said the failure to achieve a breakthrough forced him to ask Congress to intervene and prevent a strike. Progressives have lambasted Biden's decision to ask Congress to intervene. Far-left lawmakers, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., say Biden's request for Congress to approve legislation blocking nearly 100,000 railroad workers from striking was inappropriate given the unions were still pushing for broader paid sick leave. The House on Wednesday also passed a separate bill 221-207 giving railroad workers an additional seven days of sick leave. It remains to be seen if it will be included in the version the 50-50 divided Senate will take up. Within the upper chamber, at least 10 Republican votes are needed for the legislation to overcome a filibuster, provided all 50 Democrats fall in line. Let’s keep it within the Biden administration shall we? https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-non-binary-nuclear-official-charged-stealing-womans-luggage-airport Non-binary Biden nuclear official charged with stealing woman's luggage at airport Sam Brinton, a senior Energy Department (DOE) official, was charged with stealing a traveler's luggage in the Minneapolis airport in September, shortly before quietly taking a leave of absence. Brinton — who serves as the DOE's deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition — allegedly took a Vera Bradley suitcase worth $2,325 from the luggage carousel at the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport (MSP) on Sept. 16, according to a criminal complaint filed on Oct. 26 in Minnesota state court and obtained by Fox News Digital. Brinton had traveled from Washington, D.C., to MSP that day. After the suitcase's owner alerted police, officers reviewed video surveillance of the carousel and identified Brinton taking the luggage before removing its tag identifying the owner, the court filings stated. Law enforcement observed Brinton using the luggage during at least two other trips to Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18 and Oct. 9. Then, on Oct. 9, Brinton denied stealing anything when a police officer called to discuss the incident. Brinton confirmed still possessing the suitcase. "If I had taken the wrong bag, I am happy to return it, but I don’t have any clothes for another individual," Brinton told the officer. "That was my clothes when I opened the bag." Two hours after the phone call, Brinton called the officer back and apologized for not being "completely honest." But Brinton said it was a mistake and blamed being tired for taking the wrong bag at the carousel. "DEFENDANT said when they opened the bag at the hotel, they realized it was not theirs," the court filings stated. "DEFENDANT got nervous people would think they stole the bag and did not know what to do. DEFENDANT stated they left the clothes from the bag inside the drawers in the hotel room." Brinton was ultimately charged with felony theft of a movable property without consent, a charge that could result in a five-year sentence, $10,000 fine or both. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/11/28/watch-kanye-canceled-by-kanye-walks-out-of-tim-pool-interview-when-asked-to-defend-his-antisemitism/ Kanye Canceled — by Kanye; Walks Out of Tim Pool Interview When Asked to Defend His Antisemitism Kanye West, the rapper and entrepreneur who has become infamous for his antisemitic views, walked out of an interview Monday evening with podcaster Tim Pool the moment the host mildly challenged his views on Jews. https://twitter.com/i/status/1597401435549110272 - Play Video The interview, which was streamed live on YouTube, included Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and Milo Yiannopoulous, who has recently joined West’s entourage and nascent 2024 presidential campaign. Pool allowed West to express his views, largely uninterrupted, for the first fifteen minutes of the broadcast. He claimed that his recent, controversial dinner with former President Donald Trump had been scheduled last month — apparently before West began making antisemitic comments such as the infamous “death con” tweet. The dinner was postponed until after the midterm elections; West confirmed that Trump did not know Fuentes. West claimed that it was “beautiful” that people could see how Jews — whom he referred to as “Zionists” at one stage — cancel people. Luke Rudkowski, one of Pool’s co-hosts, said that West said as he was leaving: “You don’t believe in my truths.” https://twitter.com/i/status/1597406857185832961 - Play Video News out of England… https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/britain-census-religion/2022/11/29/id/1098318/ Census: Christians a Minority in England; Non-religious Grow Fewer than half the people in England and Wales consider themselves Christian, according to the most recent census — the first time the country's official religion has been followed by a minority of the population. Britain has become less religious — and less white — in the decade since the last census, figures from the 2021 census released Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics revealed. Some 46.2% of the population of England and Wales described themselves as Christian on the day of the 2021 census, down from 59.3% a decade earlier. The Muslim population grew from 4.9% to 6.5% of the population, while 1.7% identified as Hindu, up from 1.5%. More than 1 in 3 people — 37% — said they had no religion, up from 25% in 2011. The other parts of the U.K., Scotland and Northern Ireland, report their census results separately. Secularism campaigners said the shift should trigger a rethink of the way religion is entrenched in British society. The U.K. has state-funded Church of England schools, Anglican bishops sit in Parliament's upper chamber, and the monarch is "defender of the faith" and supreme governor of the church. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the charity Humanists U.K., said "the dramatic growth of the non-religious" had made the U.K. "almost certainly one of the least religious countries on Earth." Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, one of the most senior clerics in the Church of England, said the data was "not a great surprise," but was a challenge to Christians to work harder to promote their faith. "We have left behind the era when many people almost automatically identified as Christian, but other surveys consistently show how the same people still seek spiritual truth and wisdom and a set of values to live by," he said. Almost 82% of people in England and Wales identified as white in the census, down from 86% in 2011. Some 9% said they were Asian, 4% Black and 3% from "mixed or multiple" ethnic backgrounds, while 2% identified with another ethnic group. Redballoon Not so long ago, the American dream was alive and well. Employees who worked hard were rewarded, and employers looked for people who could do the job, not for people who had the right political views. RedBalloon.work is a job site designed to get us back to what made American businesses successful: free speech, hard work, and having fun. If you are a free speech employer who wants to hire employees who focus on their work and not identity politics, then post a job on RedBalloon. If you are an employee who is being censored at work or is being forced to comply with the current zeitgeist, post your resume on RedBalloon and look for a new job. redballoon.work, the job site where free speech is still alive! www.redballoon.work https://www.boundingintosports.com/2022/11/espn-host-stephen-a-smith-apologizes-for-using-the-term-homosexual-while-discussing-profanity-laced-lamar-jackson-tweet/ ESPN Host Stephen A. Smith Apologizes For Using The Term “Homosexual” While Discussing Profanity-Laced Lamar Jackson Tweet Jackson took offense at Twitter user CastleWillKill sharing his opinion that the Baltimore Ravens should let him walk rather than pay him $250 million. CastleWillKill tweeted, “When someone is asking for over 250 mil guaranteed like Lamar Jackson … games like this should not come to Justin Tucker. Let Lamar walk and spend that money on a well rounded team.” Lamar Jackson responded with a profanity laced tweet, to which Stephen A. Smith responded to, like so: https://youtu.be/CueNCRKO3hY - Play 4:40 - 5:23 As reported by Awful Announcing, Smith would later apologize for using the term “homosexual” while discussing Jackson’s tweet. https://streamable.com/5ez4yw - Play Video There is absolutely no reason to apologize for using the term homosexual over gay. In fact, Smith should have used the word Sodomite instead.

Pat Gray joins as the guys discuss the odd popularity of James Cameron's "Avatar." Blaze podcast host Daniel Horowitz joins to discuss the Senate passing the Respect for Marriage Act and the possible consequences of the act. Sam Brinton, a non-binary senior Energy Department official under President Biden, was recently charged with felony theft for stealing a woman's Vera Bradley suitcase from the airport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As fashion brand Balenciaga continues to face backlash for its recent disgusting ad campaign, Glenn explains how the exploitation of children became the norm for the leftist political agenda. Pat Gray joins as the guys discuss the odd popularity of James Cameron's "Avatar." Blaze podcast host Daniel Horowitz joins to discuss the Senate passing the Respect for Marriage Act and the possible consequences of the act. Stu and Jeffy discuss Don Lemon's shocking claim that CNN anchors were "never liberal" and President Trump's latest dinner with some controversial guests. Sam Brinton, a non-binary senior Energy Department official under President Biden, was recently charged with felony theft for stealing a woman's Vera Bradley suitcase from the airport. Why is Disney's latest movie bombing at the box office? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As America moves into presidential race 2024, it seems like presidential candidate Ye, formally known as Kanye West, is sucking up the media oxygen after he walked out of the "Timcast IRL" podcast. Will America elect Ye as president? Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host and Ye expert, joins to discuss why Ye is surrounding himself with people like Milo Yiannopoulos and Nick Fuentes. The Biden administration is under fire again after the first non-binary official, Sam Britton, deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition at the Department of Energy, was officially charged with felony theft for “accidentally” stealing a woman's Vera Bradley suitcase from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. Will Sam face the consequences? Former disinformation czar Nina Jankowicz is back in the news after she registers as a foreign agent to work on “gendered disinformation.” San Francisco is at it again, but this time the city isn't addressing the current poop on the street or the homeless problem, but proposing the use of robots to “deploy lethal force.” Is this crossing a moral line? As the Left continues to question identity and gender, Cambridge Dean Michael Banner is trying to make the argument that Jesus could have been “transgender.” When will the Left stop changing the past? Today's Sponsors: Text CHAD to 989898 for your free info kit on diversifying into gold. Plus, when you do it this month, by Black Friday, get a FREE GOLD BAR with every purchase that you make by December 22. Right now you can stock-up and save money – the best of both worlds. Go to http://MYPATRIOTSUPPLY.COM and you'll SAVE 25 PERCENT on a FOUR-WEEK Emergency Food Kitfrom My Patriot Supply. This amazing kit gives you breakfasts, lunches, dinners, drinks, and snacks – enough for one person for three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, singer and songwriter has died at age 79. Non-Binary Biden official, Sam Brinton, arrested after stealing a Vera Bradley suitcase from a airport baggage claim and is customer service getting worse? These stories and much more as Jack Riccardi takes on today's news with insightful commentary that includes interviews with local and national newsmakers and Jack takes your calls on the days news and hot topics.

Sometimes you get on a flight without checking luggage and then pick up someone else's Vera Bradley rolling suitcase at baggage claim. Happens to the best of us, right? Howie talks the ridiculous story about Brandon's Secretary of Energy who has been charged for major theft. Then, Howie is joined by Grace Curley to talk whales, yachts, and suspicious packages.

In recent years, servant leadership has become a buzzword. However, some people believe many executives use it as a way to appear more compassionate and humble without making any real changes. But not today's guest. Jeff Blade is the real deal. He exudes servant leadership every single day. It's part of his fabric and has made a significant impact in every organization he touches. And the list is impressive: Steak & Shake, Vera Bradley, Matilda Jane, and Herff Jones to name a few. What is servant leadership and why is it gaining popularity? During this episode, Jeff shares his insights on servant leadership, how it helped him become successful, and how it can be used to create lasting change in organizations.