The Story of a Brand

Katerina shares How they are combining science with culture to build a moat around her brand, How they are in a mission to help people form healthy habits, Why the things you do on a daily basis have the most impact on your body & mind, Why they launched an Apple App, Why people who aren't vegan, still want vegan products, What life was like immigrating from Ukraine and living in a refugee hotel, and Why guilt is the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur & mom and much much more!

In part 1 of this incredible episode, Katerina shares her journey including How she started Ritual at 4 months pregnant and Why it's so important to be transparent about ingredients, Why 1/3 of women can't fully utilize Folic Acid, Why being pregnant made her more creative, Why happiness in employees dictates the success of your business, Why being in a startup equalizes everyone, and Why being a mom is a great breeding ground for being an entrepreneur. 

In part 2, Annie Jackson shares the following: Why it's important to find passionate staff, Why Beauty can be intimidating, Why people want to replace what they use with something healthy, Why there are no hard sells at the Credo stores, it's about education, Why entrepreneurship for her is hereditary, What was the one thing that really made a difference for her brand, Why Credo isn't here to build a niche, but a movement, Advice for Millenials, Gen Z, and young entrepreneurs and much, much more. 

In part 1 of this episode, Annie Jackson shares her passion for clean beauty and Credo, including: How Credo defines Clean Beauty, Why having a physical store was vital to them, Why it's important to listen to customers and watch them interact with products first hand, Why "Fragrance" is their least favorite word and why, Why physical retail is not for everyone, and How their "Mission in Action" events allow them to tackle and discuss significant, sometimes controversial, topics and much, much more. 

Ramon Vela and Vanessa Dew discuss:  How marketing in the old days was like hand-to-hand combat, How they rode the wave of wellness, Why they wanted to be a LifeStyle brand, The 3 Ways they differentiate themselves from the competition, Their new Campaign "You Brew You", Why it's so important for them to step out of the sea of sameness, How the brand is a reflection of the founder's personalities on how they "followed their gut" to find success and why you should too. 

In part 1 of this episode, Vanessa Dew, Co-Founder of Heath-Ade Kombucha, shares her journey including How they first started the business, How three co-founders mixed personal and professional life to form a winning combination, Why people call her the "Eternal Proton", Why as an Asian American she felt pressure to NOT be an entrepreneur, and How a racist incident when she was young eventually forced her to come to terms with her identify and be a role model for other Asian Americans.

Staci shares with us the following: How she builds and maintains the relationship with her customers via social media, How she funded her startup at the beginning and her recent angel investment, How she packed the first 100,000 Sips by boxes in her living room, What entrepreneurial lesson she learned that she wasn't expecting, Why she didn't think she would get married, and how she and her husband deal with working together as a married couple and much more. 

In part 1 of this episode, Staci shares her journey including How she wanted to become the first female president when she was young, Why she refers to herself as a "Grandma Millenial", Why Millenials are driving the growth of tea, Where she got the idea for Sips by, Why Tea is a culinary endeavor, and how choosing the right tea for people is more complex than people think and how she's using AI to make the personalization experience amazing. 

In this episode, Fred shares news about his the Company's new investor, The role of investor vs. Founder, Why a company would invest in Luca & Danni, How to co-create an emotional connection with your customer, How handwritten notes are a great way to learn about the customer, and What is the vision and future for Luca & Danni.

In part 1 of this episode, Fred shares his journey including an overview of the business, how he came back to the family business, how he dealt with his brother's death and then his dad's, how building the business helped him through the tragedy, and why if you believe in something with every ounce of your being you'll find success. 

Taylor shares more of the the good, the bad, and the lessons learned in building a DTC brand in Part 2, including Why he hates working with Agencies, How he helps other DTC brand owners, What steps you can take if you don't have money to hire an agency but still need help, Advice for entrepreneurs just starting out, What to do to protect yourself from recessions, How the "grow slow, grow profitable" strategy always works, How DTC brands get themselves in trouble financially, and much more. 

Feat - How to Win as a Direct-to-Consumer Brand

In this brief special episode, we interview Rosemarie Baumler, Director of Social Media for apparel brand, Army Pink.  In this interview, you'll learn about Army Pink'smission, how they are building support for their cause, why empowering women and young girls is critical for them, and why the future looks bright for this youthful brand. Army Pink donates 100% of the proceeds from the Peacekeeper t-shirt to Peace Over Violence, providing safe transportation for a survivor to escape a violent relationship

Ramon Vela and Emmanuel discuss 1) Why trust & transparency are so important, 2) Why it's important for Yuni to make clean beauty products that are affordable and accessible for people who really need it, 3) How to make clean beauty products that are affordable and can be used for daily use, 4) Why they use only "stock packaging", 5) What are the 3 Key Factors for choosing a new channel or avenue for your clean beauty products, 6) And what are the Yuni beauty products that stand out. 

In part 1 of this episode, Emmanuel discusses: 1) Why it was important to make wellness attainable for all, 2) How they took a chance by investing in the formula vs. marketing, 3) Why it was important to create products for people like him and his wife; people who practice Yoga, wellness, meditation, mindfulness, health, and love the outdoors, 4) Why it was important to find influencers who were authentic, 5) Why it's important for people to be aligned with a brand's values and principles.