Well Made: Recent Episodes
Lumi
The people and ideas that are shaping our patterns of consumption for the better. Hosted by Stephan Ango, co-founder of Lumi.com
Since the early 2000s, Amit Sharma has worked with commerce giants like Walmart and Apple to build supply chain infrastructure. In 2012, he founded Narvar. If you've bought anything online in the past few years, you've no doubt interacted with Narvar. Brands like Sephora, Patagonia, Gap and Sonos, ship millions of products per year using Narvar's comprehensive pre-to-post-purchase software.
To fulfill the packaging piece of their pixel-to-package promise, Narvar recently acquired Lumi! In this episode, Stephan and Amit talk about the flux in consumer expectations, what it takes for brands to please customers now, and what's next for Lumi and Narvar.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
Climate anxiety is real. Expounding environmental factors and consumer guilt can make it hard to want to click on the latest climate change headline. But, climate reporter Kendra Pierre-Louis has a track record for making climate change coverage go viral. For example, she wrote a story in The New York Times about evil purple urchins.
Whenever climate change swoops in in the form of a flood, fire, or fuzzy caterpillars, Kendra is there to follow the story. Despite her "Gloom is my beat" Twitter username, Kendra has a bullish way of making you care about climate change — in her writing and in her reporting on How to Save a Planet. She does it by rooting her reporting in human stories, offering actionable solutions, and making it funny whenever possible.
On this episode, she pulls no punches and cracks lots of laughs. Get ready to get real about shifting climate responsibility from consumers to companies, devaluing oil, and being fueled by obligation over hope.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
For Emmett Shine, being in the right place at the right time was never a matter of luck — it was a matter of hustle. It was a practice in leveling up a bit before you're ready, but not overstretching.
After designing, building, and strategizing some of the most iconic modern brands — from Sweetgreen and Whole Foods to Warby Parker and Everlane — his design agency Gin Lane closed to pursue Pattern Brands. They're scaling down and venturing out to build a thoughtful collaborative of home brands that are, of course, stunningly functional and instantly essential.
In this episode, Emmett cuts right to the chase of what it took to get in the room with legacy fashion brands, the design and marketing strategy that built iconic ecommerce brands, and what he's looking for in new brands for Pattern.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
Being ingrained in the tech startup world has taken Amit Gupta down a different path than most. After selling his first company Photojojo in 2014, he started traveling, writing sci-fi, and more recently, building Sudowrite. Sudowrite is an app for creative writers that uses AI to beat writer's block.
You're probably familiar with predictive text models offering suggestions for sentences in your Gmail or text messages. Sudowrite is built off of Open AI's GPT-3 model, and it generates word patterns based on learnings from millions of sentences online.
Amit's passion for writing took him down the path to build Sudowrite. While Sudowrite predicts the paths for a most immediate future — what words could come next — Amit's optimistic sci-fi imagines a more long term future. In this episode, he talks about breaking away from the dystopian sci-fi status quo, the upside of robots writing your emails, and how to chisel away at creative blocks by using learned word patterns.
Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.
An online identity is a cyclical existence that feeds on the past. Reggie James calls the pre-Facebook internet "proto-identity." From there, we quickly excelled from profile pages to performative identity, slicing up our full self into concise slivers.
Reggie James is the CEO and founder of Eternal, a new kind of identity platform. He's rejecting the comforting nostalgia of what users have "liked," and building a new way forward. In this episode, he challenges what we think about when we think about our online identity, praises the future-thinking theories of game design, and pushes product designers to think beyond the container.
As more product categories are getting "smarter," are they actually getting better? Wires, buttons and ports are disappearing from tech devices, meanwhile microchips and apps are being introduced to products that, for decades, have worked just fine without them.
Tyler Mincey is always thinking about the long view of new products. He's brought his decade of product experience from Apple, Fictive Kin, and Pearl Automation to the VC, Bolt, and on this episode, he's disassembling generations of past products and optimistically building toward a future that he's excited to invest in.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and show notes.
Accelerated by dire circumstance, ecommerce had record growth over the past year. But behind all those order confirmations and tracking numbers, supply chains and logistics were stretched further than ever.
Returning guest Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and founder of the shipping platform, Shippo and she had a front row seat to watch the rapid growth of brands and shipping providers. In this episode, she's unpacking the past year of shipping from every perspective: consumer, brand, and carrier.
Visit the Lumi blog for links, charts, and images.
In his blog post titled My Life Countdown, Kevin Kelly cites a friend's philosophy of approaching your life's projects in 5-year chunks. His newest project, Vanishing Asia has broken this 5-year rule, clocking in at 5 decades.
Every one of his trips to Asia in the past fifty years has led to this 1000-page, three-volume book, capturing 9,000 photos. Kevin is known for being an eloquent futurist, a purveyor of tech and cool tools, and the founding executive editor of Wired. So at first glance, this project may seem like a departure from his work. But in this, his second visit on the Well Made podcast, Kevin shares how this 50-year visual anthology taps into what it means to plan for a payoff that will come after your lifetime.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
For the past few decades, Jeremiah McElwee has not only had a front row seat to some of the most significant growth in the natural products industry, he's been one of the people in the driver's seat. As part of the Thrive Market team since its origin, Jeremiah has led everything from category growth and farm partnerships to product packaging and the shoppable values.
To build patient supply chain partnerships and keep an only-the-best product catalog, Jeremiah says they have to take their time, but you wouldn't know it from their 1 million members.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
There are a number of ways that the wellness industry can feel exclusionary. Sometimes, a product's information is overly complex and other times it's pitched as a total lifestyle overhaul. But sustainable growth is often slow and healthy changes are gradual.
In the three years since launching Golde, Trinity Mouzon Wofford is perfecting her knack for balance — between accessibility and quality, between scale and mission, and between business partner and life partner.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
After 27 years as the iconic mind behind J.Crew creative, Jenna Lyons is a few months into the launch of a brand new startup – Loveseen. Of course, her decades of creative and marketing success are invaluable to her new pursuit, but she admits that she still has a lot she has to learn.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
When you order a Take Back bag from For Days, you fill it with old clothes (in any condition, from any brand), ship it back to them, and they give you store credit. But behind that very simple exchange is a complex supply chain that's built on circularity.
When founder Kristy Caylor learned that on average, each person in the US sends 70 pounds of fabric to the landfill, it was an epiphany. If you think about how to shrink your annual pile of unwanted clothes, donation, resale, and repair may come to mind. But Kristy was concerned about the items that don't have a place in any of those reuse streams, which is why For Days is focused on basics. There are no greener pastures for your old t-shirts, socks, and underwear — that is until now.
For Days launched with an in-house recovery facility where they receive, source, and grade each item they collect from their takeback program. Depending on the condition and fabric of an item, For Days will rejuvenate it for sale on their site, or ship it to downcycling partners. In this episode, Kristy talks about what it really takes to build a circular fashion brand, how to motivate consumer behavior changes, and where brands need to invest to accelerate real industry progress.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
In the summer of 2018, we talked to Hilary Milnes about how retail isn't dead but it's changing, the struggle of shuttering department stores, and innovative ways that online and offline shopping can intersect.
Over two years later, it's a case of same same but different. Hilary is still covering retail and fashion, but as the Americas Editor for Vogue Business. And now, one year into the pandemic, these trend trajectories have spiked, forcing brands to accelerate faster than anyone predicted. The customer-facing shifts came quickly — adapting to an online fashion month, pivoting retail strategies, and riding the ephemeral wave of creator-driven trends. But behind the scenes, supply chain shifts are still happening far too slow, leaving frontline fashion workers shortchanged and overworked, even amidst consumer outcries.
On this episode, Hilary Milnes has optimistic and pessimistic takes on which of these shifts will stick in a post-pandemic world. She also illuminates new opportunities or smaller fashion brands and the ever-growing, ever-elusive role of the "creator."
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
When consumers see a brand that claims to be "sustainable," reporter Alden Wicker encourages them to investigate. Every product's supply chain has different sustainability opportunities, so sustainability strategies will look different for every brand.
First, she says brands have to acknowledge that sustainability is not binary. One product can be more sustainable than another, but sustainability is an ongoing journey rather than a final destination. Next, brands need to define their sustainability strategies and what sustainability looks like to them. This requires unraveling the supply chain of each product to see the impact of your materials, manufacturing, and transit.
It's a lot to unpack, and Alden is always eager to investigate. In this episode, Alden answers the question, "What do we talk about when we talk about sustainability?" She advocates for a bigger focus on factories, warns against recycling red herrings, and confronts the challenge of assigning value to sustainability.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
When you're researching a sustainability topic, it can feel like a Russian nesting doll of rabbit holes — you often end up with more questions than when you started. The good news is, if you find yourself deliberating the gray areas of sustainability, then you're in the right place.
Ian Montgomery says that designing for sustainability is all about getting comfortable with tradeoffs. He is the founder and Creative Director of Guacamole Airplane, a design studio focused on sustainable packaging, and one of the first Lumi Experts. If you've explored the Lumi Sustainability Properties, then you're familiar with Ian's work and his knack for finding clarity, and even conviction, in sustainability's gray areas.
The first step to making Cyclon, On's recyclable shoe, was to use a single family of materials — polyamide (made from castor beans!). But that's just one piece of the cradle-to-cradle puzzle.
To capture the shoes for recycling, they've developed a subscription model and a dedicated recycling stream. Staying true to the mission, these shoes aren't recycled to turn into other plastic goods down the line — they're recycled into new Cyclon shoes.
It's an experiment that co-founder Caspar Coppetti says is aimed at not only revaluing waste in the supply chain, but slowing down our behavior of consumption. In this episode, he goes in the weeds on sourcing, manufacturing, and open source sustainability after talking about the origins of On and their unique philosophy on sponsorship.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
After four years as Slack's Head of Global Design and before taking her new role at Facebook, Kristy Tillman brought her side projects to the forefront.
Kristy has a list of impressive side projects in her creative think tank, Tomorrow Looks Bright. It's a place where she does more than invite herself to the table — she creates the table and sits at the head. Kristy's work is always driven by optimism and an urgent need for a more equitable future which doesn't start in a decade, or in a year, but tomorrow.
In this episode, Kristy talks about incentivizing diversity, acting on your values early, designing for millions of people at Slack, and before designing for 30 people with her new fellowship, Made in the Future.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
Before Rumpl, sleeping-bag-style puffy blankets were predominantly marketed to Alpine athletes. Rumpl didn't invent the category, but founder and CEO, Wylie Robinson is doing everything he can to expand it.
Wylie likes to ask people a simple question, "How many blankets do you have at home?" Then he asks, "How many of the brands can you name?" Outside of heritage brands like Pendleton or Woolrich, there is very little brand loyalty in the blanket business. Beyond that, there's little being done to bring performance textiles into the space.
On this episode, fresh off of his Shark Tank pitch, Wylie shares what he learned from being on the show, how Rumpl continues to scale and differentiate, and why the pandemic took their branding down a few notches on Maslow's hierarchy.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
By his own account, Boll & Branch founder, Scott Tannen knows that his bedding brand may not be the first that comes to mind when you think of "cool" DTCs. The branding is classic and the style feels universal, but dig into the Boll & Branch supply chain and you'll find that they're totally changing the game for how textiles can (and should) be manufactured.
Before he had a logo, or even a brand, Scott had drafted out the unwavering brand principals which deviated far from the norm of the textiles industry. Boll & Branch has adopted and created their own standards that meet or exceed qualifications for ethical labor, sustainable materials, and transparency.
As he puts it, "There are so many issues that exist within this manufacturing cycle, and if you don't break it all apart by starting from scratch, you can't fix it." Tune in to hear how Scott and his wife Missy have built a transparent supply chain that they're proud of.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
If you bought a Bellroy wallet when the company launched a decade ago, you're probably still using it. For the past ten years, while they've worked to slim down your every day carry, they've slimmed down their environmental impact behind the scenes.
CEO and co-founder Andy Fallshaw has a unique brand of optimism that's a constant ebb and flow between digging into details, and panning out to see the full picture. On this episode, he's settling into the nuance of sustainability, talking through current and future solutions that adapt and evolve. To build for sustainability, you often have to break a few paradigms along the way.
Visit the Lumi blog for links and images.
By definition, an heirloom has proved that it's resilient, timeless, and special enough to have been passed down for generations. That's how Schoolhouse started, with the discovery of a collection of cast-iron molds that stood the test of time. For the past 18 years, Schoolhouse has designed and manufactured high quality home goods with "heirloom quality" as the guiding light.
As President, Sara Fritsch works across teams to lead the company mindfully without wavering on quality. Their supply chain is a big part of their value statement and their competitive advantage. They manufacture as much as they can in the US, with the majority of their wares being manufactured and shipped from their very own factory in Portland.
With transparency and control over their supply chain, and a high mix / low volume approach to their catalog, Schoolhouse stays true to the task of making modern heirlooms.
In this episode, hear how Sara defines the criteria of making an heirloom, why employee engagement is their most important driver of success, and how — in a socially distanced era — home is more valuable than ever.
In April, Shopify launched Shop, the consumer-facing counterpart to Shopify. In the app, buyers have direct access to thousands of companies selling through Shopify. The Shop app not only connects shoppers to brands of all sizes, but it makes the checkout flows we're used to feel incredibly arduous and clunky. Even with its intuitive UI, simple payments, and transparent shipment tracking, Shop General Manager Carl Rivera says this is just version 0.5.
Since selling his company Tictail to Shopify in 2018, Carl has continued on his mission to help brands and shoppers discover each other. To make a marketplace that brings companies straight to customers without the rising costs of acquisition.
In this episode, Stephan talks to Carl about building a platform that gives brands the power of customization while giving customers the ease of streamlined simplicity. They discuss how the Shop team is prioritizing upcoming features, and why email is their main competitor. Carl also shares why the Shopify acquisition was the perfect fit and how the rapid growth of Tictail motivated him to slow down.
Visit the Lumi blog for links, images, and a full transcript.
Emily Singer is the creator of the newsletter Chips + Dips. A couple times a month, she shares news about consumer brands and marketing trends, but her insights get deeper than data. She draws perceptive connections amidst brands, but she also gets personal, making the newsletter feel like a DTC diary.
In the newsletter's 26th issue, Emily is four months into the COVID-19 pandemic and reflecting on a shift in perspective and an overall lack of excitement for new brands — How could I get excited about a skincare company’s content strategy when thousands of people were dying and when I, myself, was doing the bare minimum to care for my skin?
Emily wasn't the only one in a brand rut. If you're immersed in the world of DTC ecommerce brands, you may have noticed that many of them fall within certain archetypes. These archetypes are well documented in a Bloomberg article titled Welcome to Your Bland New World. From fonts and photography to mission and story, the opinion piece chronicles similarities that make some of these brands seem downright interchangeable — but maybe similarity is not always a bad thing.
In this episode, Emily reflects on this article, contemplating the comfort of sameness, our human inclination toward trends, why brands have to have soul, and why sometimes, toothpaste should just be toothpaste.
For images and links, go to the Lumi blog.
The slow pace of the pandemic has given many of us the opportunity to take a step back and reexamine our impact on people and the planet. This slower pace may seem counterintuitive in the face of urgent crises like climate change and systemic racism, but Céline Semaan and her team at Slow Factory have decided that it's the right pace for real, lasting progress.
Systemic change, Céline says, comes first with unlearning old systems, then relearning by way of open education. In fact, she plans to help boost the public's sustainability literacy with peer-to-peer initiatives like Study Hall, Open Education, and Landfills as Museums — an initiative to show product designers, firsthand, the impact and potential of waste (pictured above).
In this episode, Céline walks us through the perspective shift she's seen in the past nine months, and how optimism and progress can only come with discomfort.
See links and images on the Lumi blog.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we all discovered that toilet paper is a product that we've taken for granted. But since 2012, Danny Alexander, Co-founder and CPO of Who Gives A Crap has unraveled the true potential of the stuff.
From launch, Who Gives a Crap has had purpose built into their business. They donate half of all their profits to non-profit organizations that are working to improve access to hygiene, water and basic sanitation in developing countries. With a 1,100% increase in sales, that's totaling out to a staggering $4m donation this year.
On top of that, the bulk of the toilet paper they sell is made from 100% recycled paper, and the rest is made from bamboo.
Their witty toilet humor and playful patterns may not be what you'd expect from a brand so grounded in giving back, and that's exactly the idea. In this episode, Danny talks sourcing, branding, and scaling to meet the demands of a pandemic.
You can find images and link on the Lumi Blog.
In the US, more people are shopping online than ever. This stark jump in ecommerce has left a lot of industry experts asking how new ecommerce businesses can successfully launch in the midst of a pandemic, where does the ecommerce experience still falls short, and if the pandemic has permanently changed how we shop.
To answer all these questions, we're talking to Dan Frommer. Dan is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of The New Consumer where he researches and writes about why and how people spend their money. (You may remember him from Episode 94.)
Head over to the Lumi blog for links and images.
Most of the spices you buy at the grocery store are several years old, but that's only part of the problem. When Diaspora Co. founder Sana Javeri Kadri discovered how disconnected US spice pantries are from their origins, she started a company to change how we think about our spice supply chains.
Diaspora Co. is one of only a few direct trade spice companies out there, and sourcing these spices has been a lesson in disconnecting heirloom spices from the influence of Western colonization. For example, indigenous varieties of turmeric were introduced to the Western world under names which simply reduced them to a color, but with Diaspora Co., Sana is bringing story to Indian spices. In this episode, Sana shares how a more transparent supply chain can be a huge step for food justice.
Five months into a pandemic, going to the grocery store requires much more than a reusable tote. You're probably suiting up with a mask, hand sanitizer, and a grocery list to make sure that you're in and out as quickly as possible.
Ithaca Hummus can only be found in grocery stores but the founder, Chris Kirby, built the brand to be flexible so they could adapt to times like these. He's always been focused on making sustainable, scalable choices for the business, and that hasn't changed in the pandemic.
On this episode, Chris talks about how the packaging challenges of DTC made them focus their efforts on brick-and-mortar grocery, his biggest takeaways from being part of the Chobani incubator, and how they've had to shift their strategies to adapt to the new expectations of shoppers entering grocery stores.
"Intersectional environmentalist." You may have heard those two words separately, but Leah Thomas was the first person to put them together. "Intersectional" is a powerful framework that, when combined with the environmentalist movement, illuminates issues of inequity in climate change.
As Leah Thomas talks about in this episode, Eric Garner's last words, "I can't breathe" take on an even bigger meaning when considering that poor air quality disproportionately affects the lives of people of color.
Leah Thomas studied environmental science and communications before joining the team at Patagonia. With several years experience learning how to message the urgency of climate change, she started her company, Intersectional Environmentalist to provide people with resources that dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement.
In this episode, Leah talks about how intersectional environmentalism has gone viral and how she's embracing the moment to build communities and resources for progress.
One of the biggest obstacles for True Botanicals was the preconceived notion that natural products don't work as well as those riddled with toxins. To prove the potency of natural ingredients, True Botanicals invested in top notch suppliers promoting biodiversity and clinical trials to prove that these ingredients outperformed leading skincare products.
On this episode, True Botanicals founder Hillary Peterson talks customer education, pricing high performing products, her transition away from CEO, and how True Botanicals had to change their plans amid the pandemic.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
Every time you order an item from a seller on Etsy, the company offsets the emissions created from shipping that order. Since the start of this initiative in February of last year, Etsy has invested in offsetting 173,000 metric tons of CO2. While offsetting these emissions accomplishes a big goal for the Etsy Sustainability team, Director of Sustainability, Chelsea Mozen says it's not the first or last item on their to-do list.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
On our podcast, we talk about changing patterns of consumption to mitigate the risk of climate change, but we've overlooked a huge blindspot — how climate change disproportionally and profoundly harms communities of color.
Full episode transcript available.
A fridge that's full of Methodology meals isn't stacked with disposable trays. A Methodology fridge is stocked with columns of colorful foods, visible through glass jars.
Founder Julie Nguyen knows that the Methodology audience is niche — busy people who value high quality, sustainable ingredients — but since they launched five years ago, she's seen their dedicated customer base grow.
Every week with her co-founder Stephen Liu and their R&D team, Julie is sourcing new ingredients, while keeping their supply chain quality consistent. She's testing new menu items while continuing to produce customers' go-to favorites. And she's making health swaps while keeping their meals comforting and fulfilling.
In this episode, Julie talks about walking the line between keeping standards incredibly high while staying sustainable, finding a stride with automated marketing, traveling to expand the palate, and her discoveries about people's relationship with food.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
The tile industry moves slowly, but when Eric Edelson joined the Fireclay Tile team, he was set on speeding things up. They were making a phenomenal product and it felt like they’d hit their limit in wholesale. In a sort of eureka moment, Eric penned a new manifesto/business model for a going direct to consumer. That was in 2008.
With new flexibility and freedom, Fireclay Tile has experimented with all kinds of upcycled materials (from toilets to monitors), software for customization, sample processes, and sustainability initiatives. In 2015, they became the first tile company to be B Corp certified. Even in the midst of a pandemic, they didn’t lose speed. They were prepared with a plan of action, grounded in their core values: the health and safety of employees, business and client stability, love and kindness.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
If you already know that kombucha is fermented tea, you're in the minority. If you drink it, you're in an even smaller minority. In the US, only 17% of US households drink kombucha. The idea of a fermented tea made from a hunk of slimy-looking culture is not immediately appetizing, but the taste and health benefits have appealed to people for thousands of years — it's only in the past decade that it's become a mainstay in every health foods store.
When Health-Ade Kombucha launched in Los Angeles farmers' markets in 2012 Vanessa Dew and her co-founders had to explain it to health food early adopters. Fast forward eight years, and you can find their bright, colorful, nautical-themed bottles in grocery stores and health food stores across the country, but Vanessa realizes they still have a lot of space to make kombucha a household name. In this episode, Vanessa shares their strange path to kombucha, how they've seen buying habits shift dramatically since people have quarantined, and what they're doing to make kombucha as approachable as possible.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
The very nature of an emergency is that you don't know when it's coming. It's this vast unknown that paralyzes most people from making plans for worst-case scenarios. Simon Huck, CEO and co-founder of Judy says that people who are unprepared often fall victim to thinking that emergencies could never happen to them or being overwhelmed by all the preparation that has to be done. Judy’s emergency kits and preparedness content are setting out to change that.
Judy launched weeks before the spike in coronavirus cases in the U.S. On one hand, a pandemic is certainly a worst-case scenario, so the prevalence of an emergency is not hard to imagine. But on the other hand, Simon and his team had a huge responsibility to build a genuine brand that isn't fueled by hysteria, but instead, guided by facts.
In this episode, Simon shares how bite-sized guidance plays a huge part in preparedness, how COVID-19 affected their supply chain, and plans for expanding their product line.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
Another Tomorrow launched in January, and already they've built an impressive criteria of sustainability standards to keep their supply chain ethical for human, animals, and the planet. Those are the three pillars of their business.
Vanessa Barboni Hallik didn't start in fashion. She started in finance, but as she was researching more sustainable finance, she uncovered the huge disparities in the supply chain ethics of fashion fashion brands and luxury sustainable brands. The gap felt unsurmountable, but Another Tomorrow is taking on the challenge, backed by science, data, and an incredible eye for fashion design.
In this episode, Vanessa shares how are patterns of apparel consumption can shift and she takes us into the depths of a carefully considered, ethical apparel supply chain.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
Davis Smith is the founder of Cotopaxi and to grow his team, he's built an environment where people can create. One of the most physical manifestations of those creations is the Del Dia Collection of bags. They're repurposed from remnants of fabric and each bag is a one-of-a-kind colorway, designed by the craftspeople sewing them.
As they've grown for the past six years, the Cotopaxi mission to Do Good has extended to new geographies with systemic supply chain shifts to start eradicating poverty in communities around the world. In this episode, Davis shares how he's always faced tough decisions by focusing on people first.
Go to the Lumi blog for links and images.
In the midst of a pandemic, businesses and consumers are prompted to hurry up and wait. Meanwhile, the definition of essentials is governed, retail locations are ordered to close, and more and more people are out of work.
While a period of in-between can feel stagnant, Rhone founder Nate Checketts decided to take action. He recruited 20 brands to join BRANDS × BETTER — a new coalition of companies that have pledged to donate a portion of their funds to COVID-19 relief organizations. This not only supports to relief efforts, but keeps businesses up and running.
From "Not another coronavirus email" to unwavering product launches, Nate and his team at Rhone have opted for action instead of reaction and adapted with solutions that are right for their business and their customers.
Links and images on the Lumi blog: https://www.lumi.com/wellmade
With fewer cars on the road, COVID-19 could lead to the biggest drop in emissions since WWII, but this stat doesn't paint a full picture of the pandemic's environmental impact. Sustainability is complicated, and journalist Alden Wicker is an expert in navigating the nuances.
Alden worries that the strain on businesses could set back environmental progress by a decade. In Bangladesh, one million apparel factory workers have been laid off due to a shortage of new orders and huge businesses like JCPenney, Kohl's and Walmart declining to pay for orders — over $3B worth. Through the lens of sustainability, Alden is not only concerned about where those clothes might end up, but how these dire circumstances have already lead to the suspension of significant environmental regulations.
In this episode, Alden and Stephan discuss how these challenges have magnified issues in the apparel supply chain and Alden shares her three-prong solution for true environmental impact that's not solely reliant on conscious consumerism.
Find links and images for this episode on the Lumi Blog.
In many ways, the cannabis industry still feels like a grey area. That's why Recess founder Benjamin Witte didn't set out to build a brand on top of an ingredient — he wanted to build a brand on top of a feeling.
The creative community has adopted the fruit-infused CBD drink with open arms, which is very much by design. The pastel gradients, neon signs, and ephemeral imagery are all meant to evoke that easy sense of creative calm.
Lately, Benjamin has spent most of his time pushing for the FDA to issue final regulations for CBD. With clear regulations, his team has plans to expand way beyond fizzy drinks. In this episode, Benjamin shares how he hired writers to build a story driven marketing team, how he's generating the most impressions for the least amount of money, and what new products Recess has in the works.
Barkbox hasn't followed the conventional direct-to-consumer-brand growth plan. Since launching Barkbox in 2012, Henrik Werdelin and his co-founders have launched several companion brands including Super Chewer and Bark Bright — dog dental hygiene products.
These products may seem obvious, but the strategy behind them is not. Rather than expanding from dogs to other pets, Bark chose to dig deeper into the nuance of the dog space. Instead of launching these new products under the Barkbox product line, they launched them as new brands.
It's all part of the framework to innovate independently of brand clout and see if a concept can stand on its own.
In this episode, Henrik takes us through his Acorn Method and shares how the method has guided major decisions around choosing Bark's companion brands, incubating new talent, and keeping their entire team dedicated to the mission of making dogs happy.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
While it feels like a new trend, every couple decades, there is a new take on minimalism. Writer Kyle Chayka has studied minimalism's many iterations over time and he argues that our modern interpretation — one that's rooted so deeply in aesthetics — is as far as we've ever been from true minimalism.
In his first book, The Longing for Less, Kyle is on a quest to illuminate the origins of minimalism. He critiques various modern interpretations including the Marie Kondo methodology, the Wirecutter-top-pick purchases, and the sharing economy. These new philosophies and practices can all be part of a minimalist life, but Kyle believes that to be true and lasting, minimalism should be rooted in supply chain — in simplifying the steps between an item being made and an item being purchased.
On this episode, Kyle and Stephan weave their way through minimalism through the lens of stoicism, Marxism, and Bauhaus. They discuss how these movements reinterpreted minimalism within constraints of the time, and how our time of "simplified" technology puts us as far from minimalism as we've ever been.
Peter Dering knows that there's some controversy around purchasing carbon offsets, but as the founder of Climate Neutral, he thinks it's an immediate path forward. Before Climate Neutral, he founded Peak Design. He and his team design photographic accessories and outsource the manufacturing. After visiting one of his factories, he was looking around at all of the materials and energy that went into production and he started strategizing options to cut down on resources where they could, and offset carbon where they couldn't.
He and his team always made sustainability a priority, but they wanted to do more to quantify their footprint and measure improvements. Peak Design took a huge step in January by getting B Corp certified. The other huge step they took was starting the nonprofit, Climate Neutral.
Peter found out that paying to offset carbon is not an unwieldily cost — it's actually affordable. Carbon Neutral provides a consistent system to measure carbon usage and pay to offset it. Hear exactly how Carbon Neutral calculates emissions businesses, and how offsets can actually make a real impact for climate change.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
The grocery store model hasn’t adapted with how people shop. Traditional big box stores stock up on everything under the sun and rely on small margins based for big cart sizes. With traditional grocery stores struggling and US consumers being slow to adopt online grocery, Emily Schildt saw an opportunity to prioritize discovery over convenience as a way to help people find brands they actually love.
Pop-up Grocer is a highly curated 30-day activation featuring grocery brands that get an A+ for innovation, nutrition, and design. Emily has thoughtfully positioned Pop-Up Grocer to be an exciting space that leaves people wanting more. Just ahead of their Venice launch on February 7, she is sharing the careful balance between curation and discovery, the importance of location, and the paths envisions for Pop-Up Grocer in the future.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
There are dozens of tools out there to build and launch products, but Very Great has set out to launch brands — companies creating products that improve lives and keep people coming back. They're doing it with a platform that centralizes the functions of any consumer brand. From research and development, through launch and logistics, Very Great is an infrastructure to build a brand that lasts.
So far, co-founders Eric Prum and Josh Williams have helped to launch three brands in the Very Great family — W&P Design in the housewares space, Wild One in the pet space, and Courant in the tech space. Hear how Very Great ideates to create products that inspire loyal customers, their approach to building genuine brands, and their strategy to make a bullet proof supply chain.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
Fast Company Senior Staff writer, Elizabeth Segran is an expert in the cross section where fashion, technology, and ecommerce overlap. For every company that recycles innovative materials for fabric, opens an immersive retails space, or builds a sustainability initiative into their model, she's there to cover it. That's why we invited her on the show to reflect on the past couple decades of consumer trends and — more importantly — make some insightful predictions about what's to come.
On this episode, Elizabeth and Stephan weave in and out of micro and meta. Listen to hear how gradual consumer shifts have created substantial changes in what people expect of brands and which brands they're choosing to buy into.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
Phone cases don’t need to last a lifetime, but in a landfill, they might. Pela cases are made from a blend of biopolymers and flax scraps meant last a few years — basically, the lifetime of your phone. When you get a new device, you can compost the case or ship it back to Pela. As more and more consumers are choosing sustainable products, phone cases may not be obvious, but the impact is significant.
Jermey Lang founded Pela part-time, doing the initial research and development with government funding. Eight years later, they’re expanding to eyewear and other new products that are the right fit for their Flaxstic material. Hear how Pela developed Flaxstic and how they’re making a place for themselves in the responsibility economy.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
To take on their huge ambitions of making Grove Collaborative and 100-year company, CEO and Co-founder, Stuart Landesberg only looks far enough ahead to see the next milestone. He doesn't let perfection get in the way of progress.
As more and more people adopt sustainable purchasing habits, the going philosophy seems to be, do what you can and make incremental improvements right now. On this episode, Stuart talks to Stephan about how they made incremental progress to get where they are and how they plan to get where they're going.
Trade Coffee ships customers new coffee based on their tastes. It's a subscription, but CEO Mike Lackman says that part s a necessary evil. Some subscriptions help you discover new products while others help you replenish the products you already love. Trade does a bit of both.
Mike comes from an operational background and this episode is a deep dive into how Trade approaches each component of their supply chain. From the roaster dashboard to their new compostable bags, every step has been optimized to create a journey that keeps customers coming back.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
Universal Standard is creating a world where size is obsolete. To hear co-founder and Creative Director Alexandra Waldman talk about it, what they're doing at Universal Standard is overdue and obvious. She said, "All of us actually believe in the body positivity movement, [but] the brand is not about that because we do not believe that you should have to make an emotional payment to buy a frock."
It's as simple as that. But building that experience is not simple. Photographing each item on every size model is not simple. Offering free exchanges with the Fit Liberty program is not simple. All of it requires research, agility, and thoughtfulness. Listen to hear how Alexandra and her team are working to build the largest size range in the world.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
For founder Susan Tynan, the MVP version of Framebridge had to be maximum, not minimum. If they wanted people to feel confident sending invaluable art and artifacts for custom framing, there was no way around it. They had to launch knowing that they could get it all right the first time. Getting it right the first time meant building out a full factory, several rounds of fundraising, and most recently, launching two retail stores in their home city, Washington D.C.
Listen in to hear how Susan sweated the details to build confidence through experience and how she's reverting back from her tech instincts to get to the root of efficient manufacturing.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
“Ninety percent of the innovation that we're going to see over the next 10 years is going to come from backing into how we send products to someone in the mail in the most efficient way possible.”
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
At first, Magic Spoon may sound like a tough sell, but there are a few reasons why people are buying it. Nutritionally, it's more in line with a protein bar than a cereal. It's made for adults, but aesthetically it channels a childlike nostalgia. And even at $10 a box, per gram of protein, it's a pretty good deal.
This isn't the first time Gregory Sewitz and his co-founder Gabi Lewis have taken a gamble on a tough-sell protein. With their first company, Exo, they sold cricket flour protein bars. They learned a lot about regulatory challenges and supply chain complexities, then sold that company and tried their hand at cereal. High protein, low sugar, delicious, brightly colored cereal.
As Gregory plans ahead for a future on grocery store shelves, he's sharing everything they've learned in the first six months since launching.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
In most states, you can't buy liquor on the internet, but you can buy Haus. Haus exists inside a loophole of the traditional alcohol model. It bypasses all the rules of what Helena Price Hambrecht calls the alcohol mafia.
Before launching the California aperitifs brand (just a few months ago!), Helena lived many lives in tech. You may know her from Techies — her photo project spotlighting people who are underrepresented in tech. Her husband and Haus co-founder, Woody Hambrecht is a grape farmer. When you combine their shared passions and skillsets, you get Haus. Helena is using her experience in tech to guide how she markets the brand, raises money, and creates real life, lasting experiences with customers.
Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog.
It's hard to believe that Blueland only launched this year. In fact, it's hard to believe that stores are still stocked with single-use bottles of cleaner. It's definitely not easy to change consumer behavior around CPG items, but Blueland has already made a real splash with their just-add-water cleaning tablets and this is just the beginning.
We've heard how Leaf Shave, Seed, and Ollie have embraced the refill model, now, Blueland founder Sarah Paiji Yoo is sharing how she took that model and dehydrated it. Listen in to go behind the scenes of Blueland's rapid growth, the struggles to find a manufacturer for their cleaning tablets, and pitching on Shark Tank.
Find links, images, and show notes on the Lumi blog.
Most runners don't end up on a Wheaties box or an Olympic podium. Most runners squeeze in their workout before coffee or after work. Those are the runners that Tracksmith is made for.
Tracksmith has garnered a lot of attention for being the “anti-Nike,” but that certainly doesn’t mean that their customers aren’t serious about the sport. Founder Matt Taylor is on the podcast to share how Tracksmith not only captures the Amateur Spirit — they glorify it. In fact, that subdued, inviting, honest brand image is one that they hope will survive 100 years. From the photography to the product offering, every decision is forward thinking. They are strategizing for the marathon, not the sprint.
Listen in to hear how Tracksmith’s passion for honest photography has paid off, how they’ve used their Boston retail space to become a leader in the running community, and how they stay focused on the long term.
Find links, images, and show notes on the Lumi blog.
Even with sustainability being top-of-mind for many brands, ThredUp's Erin Wallace says, "We're still creating too much." This year, Burberry had so much extra inventory that they burned millions of dollars worth. ThredUp's open letter to Burberry got a ton of traction. In addition to nudging Burberry to end the practice, the letter made it clear that secondhand is a simple way to offset fashion industry waste.
If ThredUp's massive distribution center is any indication, the impact of secondhand has gone way beyond the appeal of the treasure hunt. While part of Erin's job as Brand Director is to make the treasure hunt as seamless and as fun as possible, she's also tackling the stale stigma of secondhand, and giving consumers the information they need to make more mindful purchasing decisions. It's no easy feat, but the world of secondhand is more exciting than it's ever been.
Find links, images, and show notes on the Lumi blog.
There was a time when the idea of shopping online was revolutionary. When you may have called yourself an ecommerce convert and swore to never step foot in a brick-and-mortar store ever again. But the truth is, while Prime Day gets bigger ever year, so does the line outside of Everlane's X retail stores.
Dan Frommer knows that change is the only constant in how we shop and what we buy. He launched The New Consumer to track that change. Dan used to be the editor-in-chief at Recode and a reporter at Quartz and Forbes. Now, every other week, he sends out a members-only newsletter with a real point of view to help you digest the ecommerce and retail trade headlines. He's on the Well Made podcast to give us a state-of-the-ecommerce-union report, diving deep into everything from the Harry's acquisition and CBD to globalization and tariffs.
Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.
In the U.S., federal regulations are lagging decades behind the science of the beauty industry. That's why Beautycounter hired its own lobbyist.
The last time the beauty industry had a significant regulatory update was in 1938, so Beautyconuter founder Gregg Renfrew hired Lindsay Dahl to lead the charge and bring U.S. beauty regulations into this century. As a self-proclaimed "professional agitator" and veteran public health lobbyist, Lindsay is in the trenches. She travels back and forth to D.C., holding strategic meetings with elected officials, and presenting Beautycounter's science-backed issues and proposed solutions.
In just five years since she started as the Beautycounter SVP of Social Mission, Lindsay has already helped pass laws that have changed how beauty products are regulated — and this is only the beginning.
Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.
No matter how you brew it, coffee is hot water dripped through ground beans. But somewhere down the line, good coffee started to feel out of reach, even for the everyday coffee drinker. Some coffee historians may disagree, but Tony Koecny (aka Tonx) believes that coffee's turn toward the bourgeois came with its third wave — a post-Starbucks generation of gadget obsessed brewers looking for the best quality beans.
Tony's roots in the coffee world run deep. His initial company, Tonx was the first coffee subscription around. Now, a couple years after selling Tonx to Blue Bottle, Tony launched Yes Plz. In many ways Yes Plz feels like the culmination of everything he's learned, not only about the nuances of the supply chain or the flavor complexity of different beans, but how coffee culture went wrong.
Yes Plz is on an earnest mission to make really great coffee easy to buy and brew at home. With their weekly deliveries and beautifully executed zine, Tony and his team are lowering the barrier to entry for exceptional home brewing, and they may steal back some pod coffee converts along the way.
Find links and show notes on the Lumi blog.
The way people entertain at home has completely shifted. As consumers look for opportunities to design their ideal morning coffee ritual or movie night in, they’re investing in more items that make a personal connection more attainable. Founder, Kathyrn Duryea is betting on it. She started tableware company, Year & Day, after 10 years working in ecommerce and brand marketing. Year & Day offers complete table sets of ceramic plates, bowls, and flatware. By focusing on functionality and a direct-to-consumer model, the startup encourages customers to focus on what and who is around the table.
On this episode, Kathryn and Stephan chop it up over family heirlooms and a love of entertaining at home. They dive into the “playground of industrial design” — spoons, knives, and forks (3:16), the technical nuances of glazes (8:08), and the Gardiner Museum (9:29). Kathyrn designed all Year & Day plates, flatware, and glazes herself, and partnered with artisans in Portugal. She reveals the rich history of ceramics in that region (21:00). Kathyrn talks about defining their aesthetic to resonate with modern customers (38:02) and encouraging all types of home gatherings (47:18).
Link and images from this post can be found on the Lumi blog.
In 2016, Joanna Griffiths found herself at a crossroads. Knix, the size-inclusive functional intimates apparel brand she founded three years prior, was omnichannel. They were selling online and in hundreds of retail stores, but their customers were experiencing a disconnect. That’s when Joanna took her bras and leakproof underwear brand completely online, 100% direct-to-consumer. This fresh start was a chance for Knix to transform their marketing and share honest stories directly with customers. Knix photographs their products on everyday women and they tell raw, honest stories about the messiest, unsexiest, and most humbling challenges women face.
Joanna's career has been an exercise in risk-taking. On this episode, she reveals how she's finding Knix's brand voice (13:54) and solving unsexy problems (17:10). Joanna talks about launching products on their timeline since going completely online (21:28). She explains the benefits of not raising funding (for now) (22:53) and the creative control in only answering to yourself (28:42). She shares plans for events and how to know when it’s time to walk away from pop-up experiments when they’re not working (35:08). Lastly, Stephan and Joanna talk about Knixteen, Knix’s teenage line of underwear (38:08) and her plans for the Faces of Fertility podcast (44:30).
Link and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
For the last 15 years, Manish Chandra has motivated pivotal shifts in how and where we buy things. Manish is the CEO of Poshmark, a social marketplace for people to buy and sell secondhand fashion and home goods. Long before founding Poshmark, he was creating social shopping experiences online. An engineer and marketer by trade, he believes in connecting community and technology, with people at the platform’s core. Community guides all the decisions that he makes for his company.
On this episode, Manish talks about the logistics of online consumer-to-consumer resale (7:39). He shares how Poshmark negotiated PoshPost, the first-ever USPS shipping label designed for the marketplace economy (9:19). Most ecommerce plays start on the web and then move to mobile — Poshmark bet on an iPhone app first. Hear how they design their app as the expectations for selling pre-owned items evolve (12:21). He talks about challenging linear growth (15:56) and the Marie Kondo effect (23:46). Manish wants consumers to rethink the merchandising for social (31:50), and how Poshmark facilitates discovery amidst millions of items on the platform (33:04). Finally, Manish shares how he’s fostering an authentic community (36:59) and steadily growing their big ideas, even when it means taking a step back (43:27).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Celebrating the Stories We Wear with Nellie Cohen on Well Made
- Moving the Rock from Zero to One with Ryan Babenzien on Well Made
- Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
- Oprah and Eckhart Tolle: A NEW EARTH
Links and images and can be found on the Lumi blog.
Jeffrey Hollender co-founded Seventh Generation on a mission to create home products that are better for the planet. He co-founded of Sustain Natural (with his daughter Meika) to make sex and wellness products that are healthier for women and the planet. But now, he says his product making days are over.
Now, Jeffrey spends most of his time as a professor at NYU, the co-founder of the American Sustainable Business Council, and a writer. His career path has been one of a steady zooming out. He started by facing the sustainability challenges of specific industries and products, and now he's working to fix the fundamental systems that are holding companies and consumers back. Jeffrey believes that systems thinking is invaluable, transparency is key in creating trust, and sometimes doing things the old way is best.
“Systems thinking is invaluable because it teaches us to anticipate the unintended consequences.”
In this episode of Well Made, Jeffrey starts at the beginning, sharing a bit about the teachers that put him on the path of sustainability advocacy (1:17). He talks about how education can create a fundamental shift in how we think about sustainability and how it impacted his kids’ firsthand (11:30). In his decades as a leader, Jeffrey has realized the importance of being a generalist. He shares how he prefers the generalist mentality over the specialist (12:07). Company culture was a huge focus on Jeffrey’s growth as a leader. He shares the importance of transparency and culture when building a business that’s good for people and the planet (19:31). He talks about the how systems thinking is not only a sustainable choice, but a competitive one (34:27). Jeffrey shares how he and his daughter Meika started Sustain (38:26). And finally, he talks about how he started working with Ben & Jerrys and the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility(47:07).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Function of Beauty never makes the same products twice. Each bottle of shampoo, conditioner, or leave-in is individually mixed, colored, and filled into personalized bottles for your unique hair type and goals. Every step of the process is rooted in technology. Founder, Zahir Dossa believes that lack of personalization is the biggest problem in haircare, so he rounded up the best team to tackle the problem.
On this episode, Zahir talks about creating the hair quiz behind Function of Beauty's 54 trillion product combinations (6:36). Function of Beauty is on their 100th bottling iteration. Zahir explains how they automated their hand-filled process and improved their manufacturing methods (12:27). He gives the fundamental questions that successful startups should think about (19:50) and talks about how he applies personalization to the rest of his life (23:32). He shares how individualized haircare can be limiting (28:27) and creative ways to reach new customers (29:59). He talks about his previous business, Argan Tree, and how he’s building a sustainable enterprise today (31:30). Finally, Zahir talks about perfecting their product and focusing on creating a tailored and complete haircare system (45:26).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode 75 with Nancy Walton and Caitlin Strandberg: Launching a New Unboxing
- Well Made Episode 38 with Heidi Zak: Taking Measured Risks
- Well Made Episode 43 with Rachel Blumenthal: Designing Awesome Clothes, Backed by Data
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
Most people don’t understand the muddy manufacturing process of olive oil. Aishwarya Iyer is changing that. She is the founder of Brightland, a new olive oil brand that’s grounded in honest, conscious production and local sourcing of olives. After working in public relations and marketing for startup and technology companies in New York, Aishwarya switched coasts and careers. Now, she makes fresh, traceable olive oils with farms she trusts in California. The hand-harvested oils are meant to make you feel alive, awake and nourished from deep within.
On this episode of Well Made, Aishwarya talks about building a traceable olive oil supply chain (7:14). She reveals moments of self-doubt before taking the leap of faith into entrepreneurship (8:21). A particularly warm harvest led to a switch in olive varietals. Aishwarya talks about how sharing that openly with their customers led to one of their largest sale days (12:40). She unveils how she vets her partners (15:35) and the practicalities of launching a brand (27:17). She describes the inspirations for Brightland’s photography, color palette, and white powder-coated glass bottles (29:22). Finally, Aishwarya shares her favorite ways to use Brightland (36:52) and the lasting influence of her mother’s cooking (46:13).
Also mentioned on the show
- Blue ocean strategy
- Well Made Episode 72 with Backdrop Home: Connecting with Color
- Brightland's Spotify
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
The throughline of Matt Alexander’s career is his ability to curate and create community. Three years ago, on episode four of the podcast, Matt talked about building a focused set of small retail brands. Today, he’s running Neighborhood Goods — a modern department store that’s the culmination of those early ideas. Neighborhood Goods is a unique retail experience that rotates featured brands, products, in-store activations, and ultimately, the stories they want to tell.
On this episode, Matt talks about bringing together local, digitally native, household name brands together under one showroom (9:45). Rather than sales-oriented goals, he shares his hopes for helping online brands explore offline concepts (12:55). With so many featured brands, Matt created a unified point of sale through a consistent rule set, carving out in-store quadrants, and training staff to be brand experts (17:26). Matt speaks on discovery and utility with a rotating, pop-in business model (25:02), and reveals plans for opening a second store in Chelsea Market (28:01). Finally, Matt talks about combating the noise (36:09), creating a dignified retail experience (49:59), and bringing people together (54:27).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Vertical commerce and how the next generation of retail will be built
- Well Made Episode 70 with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields
- Camp
- STORY
- b8ta
- Rothy's
- Unbranded
- Mizzen+Main
- MeUndies
- Sonos
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
As online shopping grows, ecommerce companies are struggling to make returning products as easy as buying them. Enter Happy Returns. It’s simple: buy online, return in-store at any Return Bars. You get your refund and Happy Returns handles the rest.
In 2015, after leading the in-store returns program for Hautelook and Nordstrom Rack, co-founders David Sobie and Mark Geller started Happy Returns. Their reverse logistics company addresses a unique set of consumer and retailer challenges: inconvenient mail-in returns, shrinking in-store traffic, and management of an often complicated and expensive process. By appealing to customers who want the flexibility of shopping online and returning in-person, Happy Returns is building a critical solution.
On this episode, David talks about setting the standard for in-person returns. He talks about using technology to build out physical return locations (6:24) and tracking surveys and coupons to quantify the business they drive for local partners (10:00). David dives into the logistics of returning items to their original retailers (15:36). He talks about Amazon Prime’s effect on free returns and instant refunds (33:43) and retaining customers while leading marketing operations at big ecommerce retailers (50:15). Lastly, David talks about a future in product recalls, returns disposal, and reducing packaging waste during returns (56:07).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Everlane
- Parachute Home
- How China’s Recycling Bans Have Impacted The Fate of Curbside Recycling in the U.S.
- Find a Return Bar
Links and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
A mechanical engineer by trade, co-founder Adam Simone worked for medical technology companies before bootstrapping his sustainable razor brand, Leaf Shave. After the acquisition of his first company, and a year of product refinement, Adam took his experience creating medical-grade tools to develop the refillable, plastic-free Leaf razor.
Leaf Shave’s hero product combines the form factor of a disposable cartridge shaver with the durability of a double-edge safety razor. Adam still works for a surgical tech company but hopes to take Leaf Shave full-time, for now, he’s focused on creating great facial instruments and growing the small consumer brand on its own strength.
On this episode, Adam talks about making well-designed tools (3:21). Adam tried to shoehorn a consumable business model — it didn’t work. He shares how he and his co-founder Adam Hahn found value in a focused core product (10:30). Adam talks about building brand loyalty (12:32) and innovating distribution strategy with retailers, like Package Free Shop (20:44). Adam shares why they decided to fulfill in-house and how they found a great overseas manufacturing partner (24:42). Lastly, Adam talks about robots, regulations, and applying conscious consumerism to build the Leaf Shave brand (40:40).
On this episode, Adam talks about making well-designed tools (3:36). Adam tried to shoehorn a consumable business model — it didn’t work. He shares how he and his co-founder Adam Hahn found value in a focused core product (10:45). Adam talks about building brand loyalty (12:47) and innovating distribution strategy with retailers, like Package Free Shop (20:59). Adam shares why they decided to fulfill in-house and how they found a great overseas manufacturing partner (25:00). Lastly, Adam talks about robots, regulations, and applying conscious consumerism to build the Leaf Shave brand (39:03).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode 79 with Kyle Hoff and Alex O'Dell: Sitting is Timeless
- Well Made Episode 75 with Nancy Walton and Caitlin Strandberg:Launching a New Unboxing
- Patagonia’s Plastic Packaging – A study on the challenges of garment delivery
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
Scaling a craft brand isn’t easy, not only on manufacturing, but company values and ethos. Alex Matisse's company East Fork is producing traditional pottery that’s distinctly modern while forging a big, ambitious path forward.
East Fork makes sought-after stoneware using clays from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Their minimalist mug is so popular that it sells out in minutes. East Fork plates and bowls come in seasonal glazes that mirror the energy of a family kitchen and the blanket warmth of a cup of cocoa. Co-founders Alex Matisse, his wife Connie Matisse, and friend John Vigeland are craftspeople at their core, but now they’re bringing their art to the masses by turning their simple handmade forms into scalable production methods.
On this episode, Alex shares how East Fork is growing big but staying small. Alex talks about the turning point when they bought a gas kiln from the Netherlands (7:30). He shares the insistent design process of The Mug (9:29). He gets real about the blunt impact he felt as the CEO when East Fork grew to 50 employees (10:39). He talks about keeping rituals like their bi-weekly team lunches (16:30). Alex discusses his high aspirations to grow beyond Heath and into the realm of Homer and Laughlin (18:22). He talks about why they started hiring photography and marketing roles in-house (30:02). Alex talks about standing on his own in spite of the expectations and legacy of his family name (32:25).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Heath Ceramics
- The Homer Laughlin China Company
- Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family by Bob Chapman
- Well Made Episode 45 with Helen Rice: Breathing Life into Brands
- The cut-outs by Henri Matisse
- Why funky ’70s-style fonts are popping up on brands like Chobani and Glossier by Eliza Brooke
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
Kerry Cooper has 20 years of executive retail expertise. She helped build cornerstone ecommerce platforms for Walmart and she’s lead marketing and operations for ModCloth and Levi’s. Now, as President of Rothy's, she’s stepping into a new challenge of expanding the sustainable shoe startup globally.
Rothy’s makes stylish, close-knit flats from the fibers of recycled plastic bottles. The massive appeal of their shoes goes beyond functionality, their 3D knitting is less wasteful than the cut-and-sew approach. As consumer demand for eco-conscious footwear skyrocket, Rothy’s is strategically separating themselves from the sustainable shoe pack by expanding to China where their locally owned factory churns out their slip-on by the minute.
On this episode, Kerry talks about how sustainability is sewn into Rothy’s (13:50). She shares her polarizing views on raising capital and learning from investment mishaps (15:10). She talks about building products and teams at companies of all sizes — from 60 employees to 1.5 million. (18:50). Kerry shares what she loved about leading teams at Walmart.com (22:21): the value of servant leadership (27:30) and institutionalizing correction of errors. (29:11). Lastly, she talks about how Rothy’s is finding its footing in the Chinese market (32:00) by learning how to best market to overseas customers and leaning into the digital ecosystem of WeChat, Tmall, and KOL influencers (35:21).
Also mentioned on the show:
- How China’s Recycling Bans Have Impacted The Fate of Curbside Recycling in the U.S.
- 11 Strategies to Make Your Packaging More Sustainable
- Lumi Sustainability Properties
- Well Made Episode 62 with Ryan Babenzien: Moving the Rock from Zero to One
- Wirecutter
- Rothy's is hiring!
Link and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
There are a kajillion microscopic cells in the human body, and at least half are bacteria. Seed is a life science and consumer health company exploring the vast connections between microbiomes and health. Their Daily Synbiotic is a supplement that promotes the community of microbes that dwell inside us. Ara Katz co-founded Seed when the birth of her son helped flourish her interest in the microbiome. The company is focused on educating people about the power of the microbiome.
On this episode, Ara Katz talks about translating the science of 38 trillion microorganisms living in and on our bodies (7:54). Stephan and Ara ponder panspermia (26:25) and sending bacteria to space (27:35). Ara helped produce several films before founding consumer goods companies. She shares how she directs Seed’s marketing and user design through a three-act structure (29:01). Ara reflects on normalizing bacteria (32:01) and making microbiome patties for honey bees (33:45). Stephan and Ara talk about living in a “plastiferous” time (35:19), using mushrooms-based packaging (41:57), and telling the story of our microverse (53:55).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Sender R, Fuchs S, Milo R. Revised estimates for the number of human and bacteria cells in the body (PLoS Biology, 2016)
- Human Genome Project
- Seed Reference Library
- Seed Labs
- Microbiome 101
- Seed Sustainability
- Seed is hiring!
- Shop Seed (Use code WELLMADE for 20% off your first month subscription of the Daily Synbiotic.)
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
Floyd is challenging the way people buy and keep with ready-to-assemble, flat-pack furniture. Designed in Detroit and founded in 2014, co-founders Kyle Hoff and Alex O’Dell built Floyd as a solution to disposable big-box furniture. They started by only selling a stand-alone, industrial table leg that was portable and could be clamped on any flat surface. They would slowly expand to beds, bookshelves, and tables. By building off the same sustainable and responsive design language as the Floyd leg, each new product is a considered addition for the home.
On this episode, Kyle and Alex talk about scaling international growth when their Kickstarter raised 14 times more than their original goal (6:32). Alex talks about how Grand Rapids, Michigan is the secret land of furniture (9:32), how Cranbrook Academy is a wizarding world of historical art inspiration (11:29), and how iconic Herman Miller products influences their design thinking (13:48). They talk about finding inspiration from Ikea’s experiential model while building a competitive alternative to their consumerist culture (16:23). Kyle shares how Floyd layered competencies over time to evolve from a bare-bones minimum viable product (21:41). Alex talks about aligning with your partners, dealing with rejection, and the influence of the Motor City while fundraising (30:55). Finally, Kyle and Alex talk about planning long-term (38:23) and embedding enduring value into Floyd (50:23).
Also mentioned on the Show:
- Herman Miller
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Stay Floyd
- Floyd R&D Lab
- Floyd is Hiring!
EILEEN FISHER is closing the loop on their apparel through Renew. The brand starts with high-quality fabrics and designs and takes back their used clothes in any condition. Since 2009, Renew has recovered over one million garments. The pieces go on to be cleaned, then they're resold, deconstructed and remade into new garments, or regenerated into other innovations. At their east coast recycling workshop, the Tiny Factory, Renew is developing ways to extend their products’ lifecycles while implementing ethical and sustainable systems. Cynthia Power is the Director of EILEEN FISHER Renew and she's at the frontline of Tiny Factory. By taking responsibility for what their brand puts out into the world and its end-of-life impact, Cynthia believes they can work toward a less taxing model through shared learnings.
On this episode, Cynthia talks about welcoming change and letting your interests be a career guide (2:00). She talks about the importance of labor in the apparel industry and respecting the origins of clothing (12:03). Cynthia shares the history of Renew (16:33) and gets real about the business and creative challenges of implementing renewable textile solutions for the EILEEN FISHER mainline (27:40). She explains the principles of circular fashion — keeping fabrics in use longer and at their highest value (29:15) — and continually creating best practices around manufacturing at the Tiny Factory (39:17). Lastly, Cynthia talks about EILEEN FISHER’s open source mentality (42:21) and slowly making strides toward a more responsible future.
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode 19 with Iris Alonzo: Talking Trash
- zero waste daniel
- Well Made Episode 52 with Nellie Cohen: Celebrating the Stories We Wear
- H&M Sustainability
- The Circular Design Guide
- Vision 2020
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
In 2012, Tuft & Needle co-founder JT Marino set out to fix the broken bed industry. The digitally native brand began by shipping mattresses in boxes with a focus on consumer experience. In their first six years, JT and his co-founder Daehee Park bootstrapped the company to $170M in sales, then in September 2018, they merged with the largest U.S. mattress manufacturer, Serta Simmons Bedding.
Now, as Chief Strategy Officer at Serta, JT has the challenge of retrofitting and dismantling existing systems at the traditional retailer. JT is doubling down to accelerate Tuft & Needle’s offline growth and guide Serta’s operations into the future, creating the lasting change Tuft & Needle had originally set out to achieve.
On this episode, JT talks about teaming up with their competitors to fundamentally transform the retail industry. Tuft & Needle didn’t take outside capital but pitched to VCs four times. Hear how pitching taught JT and Daehee how to build an operating plan, forecast and manage finances, and make a key executive hire (24:02). JT talks about turning down partnership opportunities and capital to stay true to their brand ethos (28:35). He emphasizes the importance of the digital customer journey (31:24) and adjusting their strategy to get ahead of the game (37:57). JT shares how they use promoter scores and customer satisfaction measurements to guide their omnichannel approach (43:16). Finally, he talks about their larger mission to transform Serta’s ecommerce channel (54:31), bringing two team cultures together (56:13), and building product companies that push the industry forward (1:01:00).
Links and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
Logistics is one of the most complex pieces of running an ecommerce company. Cost-effective shipping solutions that don’t compromise customer experience are not one-size-fits-all, and keeping up with the expectations set by Amazon Prime is a constant struggle.
Most often, 3PLs (third-party logistics service), are responsible for storing and shipping products for ecommerce. Casey Armstrong is the Chief Marketing Officer of ShipBob, a 3PL that operates a growing network of distribution centers in major U.S. cities. They’re helping ecommerce businesses run a flexible and speedy supply chain. With tools getting more sophisticated, Casey says long term success comes back to actionable customer data.
On this episode, Casey answers fundamental questions businesses should ask when outsourcing their fulfillment. He shares the cost structure of 3PLs and gives insight into best practices around geography and vendor management. Casey talks about deciding what’s important for your business when splitting inventory, kitting, and shipping cold or bulky items (9:36). He gives indicators for when an ecommerce company should outsource fulfillment (23:46). Instead of solely focusing on the top funnel, Casey gives different levers brands can pull from to improve their bottom line (37:32). With companies like Shopify and Instagram reducing barriers to stay close to the wallet, Casey and Stephan talk about the future of the ecommerce stack, navigating new technologies, and improving instant, one-click checkout (42:25).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields
- Well Made Episode 73 with Jenny Gyllander: Testing Things
- Rebel Girls Case Study
- My Calm Blanket Case Study
- iloveplum Case Study
Links and images can be found on the Lumi Blog.
We first spoke to Ollie in 2017, less than a year after they launched. Gabby Slome was on the podcast talking about building a brand on great ingredients and an innovative model for shipping ready-to-serve, refrigerated dog food. Now, two years later, Ollie is scaling to keep up with their growing customer base.
When launched, Ollie was shipping their human-grade dog food in single-use plastic trays. As their customer and canine base grew, they got the customer feedback they needed to scale and adapt their initial packaging experience. Last week, they launched a totally revamped packaging suite that uses less plastic and takes up less space.
Now, food is shipped in vacuum sealed film packs and customers can store the meals in the newly designed, reusable Pup-tainer for freshness. This fresh start for Ollie was over a year in the making. On this episode, we’re talking to Nancy Walton, Ollie’s Senior Operations Manager about the serious supply chain strategy behind this exciting milestone and their new packaging redesign.
Caitlin Strandberg is a principal investor at Lerer Hippeau, a seed investor in Ollie. She's joining Stephan on this episode to give big picture perspective on how this packaging update marks a milestone moment for Ollie, not unlike other startups at this scale.
On this episode, Nancy talks about interacting with customers early on (6:41) and adapting their cold chain (11:36) to support their growth. Caitlin shares the key indicators that it’s time to make the second bet on your minimum viable product (14:40). Nancy highlights the new Ollie unboxing (17:45), sharing how they addressed the challenges of the old packaging through user research (20:54). As the team at Ollie tested their product, their packaging solutions evolved. Nancy shares how Ollie responded with slimmed down food packs that pair with the new Pup-tainers and optimized their SKUs and spoons to address consistency in portioning and packaging waste (22:43). Nancy and Caitlin give advice on making actionable data-driven supply chain decisions (27:10). Caitlin talks about translating best practices for growing companies from early predecessors (44:53). And finally, Nancy and Caitlin talk about how creating a repeatable magical moment is the key unlock for burgeoning brands (48:11).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode 20 with Gabby Slome: Dogfooding
- Plated
- Casper
- InVision
- Stripe
- Gin Lane
- Get to Know Ollie's New and Improved Packaging
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
Protecting your skin from the sun is important, yet sunscreen is a surprisingly sleepy category. Initially conceived as a product for schools in 2007, now you can shop for Supergoop! on their website and on shelves alongside beauty products at Sephora and Nordstrom. The brand is changing the reception around suncare with first in-their-class, feel-good SPF essentials like their Superscreen moisturizer and new Shimmershades.
As President of Supergoop!, Amanda Baldwin is leading the mission-driven sunscreen brand and layering a digital footprint over top. Amanda brings a long history in operations and marketing cosmetics and luxury goods from LVMH, Estée Lauder, Dior, and L Catterton. As a former private equity investor, she brings a broad perspective to the table. Now she’s building scalable and sustainable business solutions for Supergoop!
On this episode, Amanda talks about their omnichannel strategy to avoid counterfeits (9:43). Sunscreen is a challenging category because it’s regulated by the FDA. Amanda talks about navigating regulations and getting ahead of them (16:51) by continually evolving and improving formulas (23:24). Amanda shares how to think like an investor in your career and business (28:01). She explains the power of learning all that you can while working at enterprise companies and finding your value add (33:22). Amanda admits building a team is often a trial-and-error, matchmaking process (39:46). Lastly, Amanda shares how the importance SPF use informs the exciting product innovations they’re making at Supergoop! (41:37).
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
It was Jenny Gyllander's passion for branding and her studies and experiences in venture capital that led her to start Thingtesting — an Instagram account dedicated to DTC product reviews with a twist. On the Thingtesting Instagram, Jenny, a former CMO of Slush and investor at Backed VC, offers her perspective from the lens of an everyday user and venture capitalist. A year later, she’s amassed over 22K followers, an accompanying newsletter, and website.
On this episode, Jenny illuminates on the backstory on how she found herself in marketing to venture capital to best VC on Instagram (1:56). Jenny’s tested everything from prescription face wash to probiotics, she shares the three factors she looks for as a venture capitalist (6:18). A year and a half ago, Jenny didn’t know the term DNVB was, she shares how she uses the platform as a tool for constant learning (11:55). Stephan and Jenny discuss the difference between the US and European retail market (17:23), and the problems with homogeneity in the DTC space (25:12). Jenny shares how she balances her curation (29:39). As Thingtesting grows, Jenny considers her long term plans, hoping to make product discovery easier and crowdsource feedback (33:06). Jenny questions how she’ll stay scrappy while fostering her growing community (35:02). Finally, Jenny talks about her larger role as a thingtester (42:46).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Slush
- “Dear VC, now it’s your turn to pitch” – an exploratory study on Venture Capital firms’ brand and reputation by Jenny Gyllander
- Well Made Episode 70 with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields
- The Best VC on Instagram by Hunter Walk
- Well Made Episode 62 with Ryan Babenzien: Moving the Rock from Zero to One
- Wirecutter
- Unboxing Things Show
- Well Made Episode 69 with Porter Road: Breaking Up the Meat Monopoly
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
After careers in marketing and finance and starting their own family, wife and husband co-founders, Natalie and Caleb Ebel took on their next project — making over the paint market. By painting a jargon-free consumer experience, newly launched startup, Backdrop is moving the hardware store paint chip model forward.
On this episode, Natalie and Caleb talk about their personal and working partnership (3:26). Most people can’t tell you the color or brand of the paint on their walls; Natalie and Caleb illuminate how they are creating brand affinity in the paint industry (13:17). Natalie explains how investing in their web experience and photography led to brand trust and sales (17:36). Caleb shares the design story behind the clean, gender-neutral line (31:00). Natalie reveals how they crowdsourced feedback pre-launch through a private Instagram and focus groups (34:16). Finally, they share how they use music, travel, and family to inspire their palette of paint colors. (38:35)
Also mentioned on the show:
- David McGillvray
- The Selby is Your Placeby Todd Selby
- Apartamento
- Well Made Episode 70 with Paul Munford: Building on Greenfields
- Darkroom App
- Salt & Straw
- International Rescue Committee
- Aruliden
- Unboxing Backdrop
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
Things are getting weird at Baggu, and that’s a great thing. The Standard Baggu has been around for 12 years, but the company is still finding ways to grow and experiment. By trusting their experiences, founder Emily Sugihara and her team are finding confidence and empowerment in their brand voice and values.
Baggu doubled their team size in a span of a year. On the show, hear their approach to hiring and training and implementing processes while preserving the heart of the brand with an influx of new hires (11:24). More than a decade in business, Emily illuminates how they recently delineated their company and product values (13:02). She shares how establishing those values boosted performance management and empowered more decision making among employees (19:26). Emily talks about finding freedom in their product designs through experimentation and worrying less about expectation (24:37). Baggu is taking incremental steps towards sustainability. Hear their efforts in sourcing ripstop nylon made of 40% recycled materials (34:50). Finally, Emily talks about embracing long-term thinking, growing the equity of the brand (45:59).
Follow Baggu on Instagram.
Also mentioned on the show:
- Well Made Episode 30 with Emily Sugihara: Making a Really Nice Thing
- Asana
- The Great CEO Within by Matt Mochary
- Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
- Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr
- The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson M.D.
- Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
- Katrina Lake, Stitch Fix founder and CEO, says trying to find people who fit in is the ‘anti-diversity’
- Well Made Episode 52 with Nellie Cohen: Celebrating the Stories We Wear
- Patagonia’s Plastic Packaging – A study on the challenges of garment delivery
- No online shopping company can figure out how to quit this one plastic bag
- Super Baggu
- Seminars About Long-Term Thinking Podcast
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
If you're of the modern luxury business set, chances are you're reading LeanLuxe. Launched in July 2016, LeanLuxe is an online newsletter of noteworthy developments and big picture happenings in retail.
On this episode, Editor-in-Chief, Paul Munford and Stephan Ango roundup the latest news and trends driving modern commerce. VCs poured a record $138 billion into U.S. startups last year, but were unicorn valuations and expectations realistic to begin with? Now that the dust has settled, Paul discusses the adjustments VCs are making (3:20). Stephan and Paul question if it’s getting harder to become a global brand despite greenfield opportunities in consumer products (9:07). They chew on the consumer-centric shift in commerce, arguing a more fragmented marketplace will emerge (24:14). He talks about the new problem with shopping (27:40) and the return of physical retail (37:55). They discuss brands’ challenges of creating a physical gathering place (39:01) and community-building as a distribution tool. Finally, Paul talks about the future of connecting online (45:52) and the big opportunity around niche platforms (51:44).
Follow LeanLuxe on Twitter and subscribe to the newsletter.
Also mentioned on the show:
- 2PM Newsletter
- Hims
- Procter & Gamble has acquired the startup aiming to build the Procter & Gamble for people of color
- Well Made Episode 56 with Max Temkin: Disregarding Rules
- The Trust Battery: My Interview with Shopify Founder Tobi Lütke
- Well Made Episode 54 with Studio Neat: Making Whatever You Want
- Well Made Episode 32 with Ken Tomita: Failing Without Fear
- "E-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2018 accounted for 9.8 percent of total sales."
- Well Made Episode 4 with Matt Alexander: Permission to Think Smaller
- Neighborhood Goods
- SHOWFIELDS
- Function of Beauty Innovation Lab
- thingtesting
- Angela Ahrendts: The life and rise of Apple's highest-paid executive
- Rapha Clubhouses
- Well Made Episode 53 with Eliza Blank: Cultivating a Modern Relationship with Plants
- The Sill Forum
- Winnie
- The Wing
- Girlboss Is Launching a LinkedIn-Like Platform That’s Exclusively for Women
- CrossFit and SoulCycle are becoming “churches” for millennials
- The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
While shipping meat isn’t a new concept, the guys at Porter Road are the first to bring the art of whole animal butchery to home cooks. Chris Carter and James Peisker are the co-founders of VC-backed online butcher shop, Porter Road. In 2010, after years at the back of the house, Chris and James began Porter Road as a catering business in Nashville. After realizing how difficult it was to get fresh, traceable meats, they decided to run and own their entire supply chain. While boxed and bulk meats are the industry standard, the team at Porter Road is looking to change that. They partner with regional farms and hand cut their meats and poultry in their Kentucky facility. Now, Chris and James are recreating that same local experience online.
On this episode, Chris and James talk about the decade-in-the-making evolution of Porter Road, first as a brick-and-mortar butchery and then as a vertically integrated ecommerce shop (5:33). James shares their desire for sourcing ethical foods (9:49) and hand-selecting farm partners (12:48). For Porter Road, education around whole animal butchery pushes them creatively as a business (15:08). They explain why they advocate for eating less meat and breakdown the importance of moving the meat industry in a new direction (21:31). Lastly, they talk about the logistics of shipping meat (25:57) and the challenges of packaging in the cold chain (28:45).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Food Inc.
- The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Links and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
Maude is a sex essentials company founded by brand strategist, Eva Goicochea. The brand is muted and the products are pared-down. It's is a far departure from the loud, hypermasculine messaging you see in drugstore aisles, and that's the point. From the beginning, Eva focused on creating inclusive sex products that were simply designed and intuitive to use.
When we last spoke to Eva, Maude was still pre-launch. Together, with industrial designer Dina Epstein as her co-founder, they launched the company in April 2018. By simplifying sex essentials, Maude is subtly and authentically changing an industry that has for so long looked the same.
On this episode, Eva explains the two-year long process it took to launch Maude (5:45). Eva spent 18 months fundraising over two million dollars, she shares her do’s and don’ts for finding a right partner and cold emailing investors (12:19). In the last year, Maude was featured in everything from Vogue to Fast Company, Eva spills their strategic press strategy (21:40), and how running their own survey helped them narrow in on their customers’ pain points (24:49). Stephan and Eva talk about finding your first 1,000 true fans through consistency (27:50) and empathy (36:45). Eva talks about opening their Winter Studio retail space (40:16), their future physical and digital advertising plans (42:40), and how they’re standing out on social media with educational content (43:39). Finally, Eva shares how Maude revised their packaging to fit new products variations (48:55).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Luke Ragno
- The Long Now Foundation
- Well Made Episode 6 with Kevin Kelly: Embracing the Inevitable
- The Hero’s Journey: A Voyage of Self-discovery by Stephen Gilligan and Robert Dilts
- Peer Exchange Health
- The Maudern
Link and images can be found on the Lumi blog.
Visibility is an industrial design office based in New York, co-founded by Joseph Guerra and Sina Sohrab. They create products, furniture, lighting, and spaces. The studio established an impressive roster of direct-to-consumer clients including Away, Outdoor Voices, and Harry's. Behind Visibility is an empirical approach to design, and their most recent projects demonstrate the pair’s endeavor for simple, functional objects.
On the show, Joseph and Sina walk through the step-by-step process of bringing a physical product to market. They talk about how they design the playbook that they reference throughout a project (12:42). They cover the time, costs, and vetting that happens before a project begins (20:00). Sina talks about the design considerations for new products (23:43). Joseph shares the unconventional questions (28:08) and practices (29:15) that go into user research. They talk about designing for direct-to-consumer brands (33:30). Joseph explains the sketching, rendering, and prototyping phases (38:50). Finally, they share the final milestones before a project launches (52:06).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Dims. Barbican Trolley
- Misen Cookware
- Myro
- Roll & Hill Esper Pendants
- Tectona Furniture
- Wim Appliance
- Thoroughly Considered Podcast by Studio Neat
- Well Made Episode 54 with Studio Neat: Making Whatever You Want
- Mark One Pen
- Here’s Why Juicero’s Press is So Expensive by Ben Einstein
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Bombas’ take on the tube sock is engineered for all walks of life, no matter the circumstances. After learning socks are the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters, David Heath started the premium sock brand with a giving mission. Bombas donates one pair of socks for every pair sold. The five-year-old company surpassed 10 million sock donations as of November 2018.
From the beginning, David established core values grounded in the community and customer experience. In fact, Dave was on customer service duty for the first nine months of the company, taking calls at all hours. Today, he’s piloting solutions, like the Giving Directory to connect customers to the impact a pair of socks can make. Bombas was bootstrapped on Indiegogo and springboard to success after appearing on Shark Tank, but arguably, Bombas’ growth rests on their dedication to giving.
On this episode, David recalls how a customer service call lead to their largest single investor (5:43). He shares what it takes to be a good leader at scale, his 75/25 rule, and management philosophy (11:00). David shares how Bombas builds great company culture and their best hiring practices (14:26). He describes how they used feedback to design a sock exclusively for the homeless community (24:16). David shares how he went from searching for community partners to accepting thousands of new inbound requests. (26:26). Stephan and David talk about the challenges of getting B Corporation certified (31:22) and making a social impact (35:43). He also shares the one tip for any ecommerce business appearing on Shark Tank (42:15). Finally, David talks about the tradeoffs Bombas made by planning for profitability rather than seeking venture capital (46:29).
Also mentioned on the show:
- Out of Control by Kevin Kelly
- Well Made Episode 6 with Kevin Kelly: Embracing the Inevitable
- Bombas is hiring!
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
If it’s going in, on, or around women’s bodies, you can bet Sustain Natural is making it. Meika Hollender never thought she’d start a company. She grew up seeing her father, Jeffrey Hollender found, Seventh Generation and she was in business school when their career paths aligned. Starting a sex and period essentials brand with her dad was never in Meika’s plans, but she’s taken the reigns to create more sustainable reproductive health products, inciting conversations around women’s health and sex along the way.
On this episode, Meika talks about starting a condom startup with her dad (3:59), their relationship as business partners (5:43), and talking openly about sexual health with her family (9:41). Meika describes the dramatic shift in their business since the 2016 presidential election (15:10), gets candid about the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements (17:56), and shares how they’re positioning their advocacy (22:33). Meika shares hows they’re focused on diversifying their advertising strategy when the rules are constantly changing for a brand in a sensitive space (27:52). Meika speaks on Sustain’s approach to making and selling sustainable period products (36:55) and the importance of Organic, Fairtrade, and B Corporation certifications (38:58). Finally, Meika shares how a poker game led to ThirdLove founder, Heidi Zak investing in Sustain and the lessons Meika’s learned from her (46:36).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Love Your Melon started as a university class project in Minnesota. Six years later, the brand is selling beanies, headgear, and apparel, and giving fifty percent of net profits to nonprofit charities in the fight against pediatric cancer. To date, they've given nearly $5 million dollars and over 156,000 hats to children battling cancer. Chief Operations Officer, Charlie Carlisle says the key to their growth is the mission behind their brand and the fostering key partnerships.
On this episode, Charlie talks about the rapid growth of the company (10:51) and vetting third-party collaborators early (11:50). He illuminates the three things he looks for in a good partner (12:05). Charlie talks about upcycling the billboards from their nationwide campaign (19:12) and making calculated decisions on their digital ad spend (20:27). He shares how Love Your Melon is balancing their for-profit business with philanthropy (22:02). Charlie explains how his team uses Zapier (28:50) and Google Sheets (32:39) to power their operations, and the decision to transition to an outside enterprise resource planning system (33:35). Finally, he shares what Love Your Melon is tinkering with for 2019 (37:25).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
After two failed business, Jake Kassan started MVMT. MVMT’s minimal, sleek take on watches and accessories in addition to their focused marketing gained them millions of followers. In 2013, Jake bootstrapped MVMT through Indiegogo, and this August, the five-year-old brand was acquired by the Movado Group.
Through those early ventures, Jake learned the importance of brand. For MVMT, brand informs, motivates, and guides every part of their business, especially their influencer marketing.
On the podcast, we sit down with Jake to talk about the pillars of the MVMT lifestyle (2:15) and creating aspirational content with influencers (3:53). He talks about leveraging Shopify to scale (8:59) and the tools that are important they build in-house (10:15). He shares the most valuable lessons he learned from his failed t-shirt company (31:39) and finding the backbone of a successful business (33:31). Jake talks about not pursuing outside investment (33:55), hacking the crowdfunding system (34:57), and being financially disciplined early on (39:11). Finally, he shares how MVMT will grow their offline footprint with Movado (43:01) and how he’s all in for the foreseeable future (50:08).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
After leading Entertainment Marketing at Puma and K-Swiss, GREATS co-founder, Ryan Babenzien built his own brand of premium footwear, online. Four years in, Ryan is sharing how GREATS is toeing the line of tradition and trend in retail.
On this episode, Ryan talks about scaling influence (4:16). He shares how finding the razor’s edge in growth is an exercise in brand building (10:54) and managing marketing collaborations tightly (11:30). Ryan explains what all great brands have in common (12:56), and how he found the right wholesale partner in Nordstrom (15:51). He talks about GREATS’ design ethos (18:11) and how classics will always drive volume over trends (21:09) — arguing that hype is the enemy of brand (28:27). He shares how they leverage Single’s Day even when they don’t sell overseas (35:30) and their biggest design learning (36:46). Lastly, Stephan and Ryan evaluate cost per wear (47:11) and Ryan’s own set of “greats” (49:20).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Designed to bring the expert to you, Clare simplifies the paint shopping process. The direct-to-consumer brand opts for a focused color selection, user-friendly sample swatches, and an intuitive color picking guide. By bringing together her personal and professional experiences, founder Nicole Gibbons is hoping to build a brand that’s primed for the long haul.
On this episode, Nicole explains why she choose to launch with a solution for the entire paint shopping process (6:28). She talks about predicting the lifetime value of their customer (9:56) and shaping a brand that sells to the DIY and professional markets (11:17). She shares the through line in her career (12:57) and how she built an audience at the height of the recession (17:39). She talks about exploring the licensing model, and choosing, ultimately, to operate on her terms (27:30), no matter the challenges (42:01).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Erica E. Phillips covers logistics and global supply chain for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on the latest news affecting retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods. Between increased online buying overhauling supply chain best practices and the escalating US-China trade war, we wanted to talk to her about the effects of ecommerce industry-wide.
On this episode of Well Made, Erica talks about the warehouse labor shortage, the ramifications of Amazon’s $15 minimum wage increase (2:16), and how businesses will stay competitive to fill a projected 425,000 warehouse jobs by 2019 (7:52). Erica shares how fulfillment centers are using emojis, Alexa, and applications to train new hires and boost operational productivity (19:44). Stephan and Erica consider why you’re buying stuff from companies you’ve never heard of (30:03). They dive into the security of supply chains as they discuss the Bloomberg article, "The Big Hack" (35:36). Erica talks about the tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods (45:30), the ways importers are dodging these taxes (47:20), and she questions the macroeconomic effects of the trade war (49:42).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Just a few years ago, on-demand meal delivery services were non-existent. Today, you can find brands specializing in everything from smoothies to family dinners. In a crowded space, Freshly is betting on healthy, heat-and-eat, pre-portioned meals. Since founding the subscription meal service in 2012, Michael Wystrach and Carter Comstock have used a growing cold supply chain to deliver fresh food direct-to-consumer, adopting and creating their own systems along the way.
On this episode, Michael and Carter share the secret to making fresh foods that travel well (2:11). With recent IPOs, acquisitions, and companies shuttering, Michael talks about the state of the meal kit and food subscription industry, and what it takes to be competitive in the space (3:22). They address some of the criticisms of meal delivery services (9:22). Carter talks about adopting and creating best practices for their cold supply chain (14:32). They talk about rebranding Freshly with early investments (22:26). Finally, they share the learnings that helped them pivot from a diet-specific service to a lifestyle food company (37:54) and what it’s like to work with Nestle (40:32).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
It's not always easy for women to talk and learn about their periods or reproductive health. LOLA co-CEOs and founders, Alex Friedman and Jordana Kier realized they weren't the only ones confused or curious about the products coming in contact with their bodies. So in 2015, they set out to answer a seemingly simple question: What are tampons made of? LOLA launched with organic, non-toxic cotton tampons and have since built a product line of feminine hygiene and sexual health products.
On this episode, co-founder Alex Friedman talks about validating their idea for LOLA with early focus groups (6:31). After recently raising a Series B, she shares how they pitched tampons to male investors (14:00). Alex shares how their transparency is encouraging conversations around taboo subjects (17:32). She shares how she splits roles with co-CEO, Jordana Kier (24:31) and their recent launch, SEX by LOLA (28:23). Alex shares how they put a focus on dialogue (31:00) by building a sex hotline (32:09). Lastly, she opens up about LOLA helping women find their voice (41:50).
Link and images from this post are on the [Lumi blog].
From Airbnb to Uber, creative agency Ueno is designing digital experiences for Silicon Valley's biggest tech companies. Founder Haraldur Thorleifsson is on Well Made sharing how the most important part of their process has nothing to do with design.
On this episode, Halli talks about building trust with first-time clients (14:25) and teaching brands the role of agencies (17:39). He shares how collaboration and fostering personal relationships are important to their process (21:23). He talks about not wanting to be boxed into the same design style (25:59). As Ueno continues to boom, Halli talks about restructuring their company to be autonomous without his direct oversight (27:36). At the same time, he’s learning how to encourage creativity and bring geographically spread out teams together (30:01). Finally, Halli talks about overcoming alcoholism (38:30), taking things to their extremes (39:42), and bringing his big visions for Ueno to life (40:50).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
In 2011, Max Temkin and several friends crowdfunded one of the most successful games on Kickstarter — Cards Against Humanity. On Well Made, Max is talking about Blackbox, the shipping company he co-created after realizing how difficult shipping a wildly popular physical product could be.
On this episode, Max talks about creating his own rules about doing business (4:54). He shares how they build Cards’s sometimes-inappropriate-but-always-hilarious brand of writing into the company (13:39). He shares more about Blackbox (23:30) and what they learned from shipping one of the most funded Kickstarter games (26:28). Even after rapid growth, Max talks about the growing pains of their startup (28:58). Max discusses the games he’s created and what he's playing nowadays (52:25). Finally, Max shares how a good game (and business) is all about creating a rich narrative.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
After a decade-long career in the editorial makeup industry, Gloria Noto, would found her own makeup and skincare line, NOTO Botanics, in 2016. Her all-natural full body collection of uni-sex oils, serums, and skin tints are multi-use and formulated for everyone. Her brand is a platform for education, activism, and inclusive brand messaging — all things she felt were missing in the wellness world. Even as NOTO grows, it’s Gloria’s vision of openness and authenticity that defines the line.
On this episode, Gloria talks about pursuing a creative career full-time (11:48). She shares how the makeup industry has changed with social media and paid advertising (13:53), and the importance of using queer, multi-racial, and gender-fluid imagery in the beauty space (15:16). Gloria talks about the stigma of makeup for men and aging for women (16:33). With her brand growing, she gets real about the tough manufacturing and hiring choices she’s facing (23:32). Gloria’s shares her big ideas for the future of NOTO Botanics (29:09) and how she's running an instinctive business (32:55) and embracing her whole identity (36:40).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost are the founders of Studio Neat, a design company making gadgets and tools through Kickstarter. Their first campaign, the Glif tripod mount, helped launch other Kickstarter hardware back in 2010. Since then, they’ve crowdfunded seven more projects, everything from the Cosmonaut to the Neat Ice Kit. Their products are simply designed and delightful to use.
On this episode, Tom and Dan share how a diverse product offering and slow-but-steadfast audience growth are tenets of running their business (7:00). Stephan, Tom, and Dan ponder being generalists versus specialists (12:17). Tom likens Studio Neat to a band (16:04). They talk about growing their email list through Kickstarter (21:18) and the long tail benefits of selling through Amazon (22:40). They talk about the creative process of making practical products (25:10) and how a product story is important (28:05). They explain why outsourcing works for their small operation (40:44), and finally, they talk about jealousy as a source of inspiration and motivation (48:25).
Link and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
In 2012, CEO and founder Eliza Blank bootstrapped The Sill through a Kickstarter campaign and started the ecommerce business locally — hand-delivering indoor potted plants around New York City. Six years later, The Sill is shipping everything from ferns to succulents nationwide.
When plants are your product, the information to keep them alive becomes part of the product offering. By taking the guesswork, and ultimately friction, out of buying and caring for plants, Eliza and her team are seeing the community (and sales) flourish. Their goal? To make the experience enjoyable, even for the sorest of green thumbs.
On this episode of the podcast, Eliza shares how The Sill is making the plant buying process approachable and directional through guidance and a growing supply chain (11:31). She goes through The Sill’s major business milestones and transitions (18:23), and how the brick-and-mortar business shaped how they marketed and sold their products online (20:54). She talks about outgrowing her bootstrapped business (22:31), acting on ambition (24:51), and investing in a solution-oriented online shopping experience (27:40). Finally, Eliza shares how they’re building beyond the zeitgeist of plant parenthood (41:50).
Link and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Nellie Cohen oversees Patagonia’s Worn Wear program. Worn Wear encourages people to do more with the clothing they already have through repair, reuse, and responsible recycling. They do this by offering trade-in credits for pre-owned Patagonia merchandise that’s then resold online at a discount. While a smaller operation, Worn Wear is part of Patagonia’s larger commitment to ethical environmental responsibility. More than that, the program is about the true stories of people and their Patagonia gear and preserving the planet in a small way.
On this episode of the podcast, Nellie shares the origins behind Worn Wear (6:24). She illuminates on the process of launching their ecommerce site (10:58), managing the logistics behind all the program elements (13:07), and creating cross-functional trainable systems (14:23). Nellie talks about the revenue goals of the program (17:56). Stephan asks about the organizational systems and values that enable Patagonia to implement programs like Worn Wear (23:10). Nellie shares how they’re still a scrappy startup under a larger parent company (34:43). They get big picture with sustainability in ecommerce and its impact on Patagonia (35:44); and finally, they dive into Patagonia’s case study on plastic packaging for garment delivery (38:48).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
M.Gemi releases new styles every Monday, teasing a sandal, loafer, or heel online and immediately selling out hours later. It’s a new kind of retail model they’re able to execute because of a strategic supply chain set up in Italy. President, Cheryl Kaplan says that working with this timeline helps keep the brand agile. They can turn around a customized inventory of styles and sizes based on instant data from across their channels. Setting a new standard for a responsive, data-driven shoe company, M.Gemi seem to have their hands (and feet) full.
On this episode, Cheryl talks about the flexibility and direct-response relationship they have (7:11). She gives examples of how they collect, use, and act on data (10:08). She talks about building authentic partnerships with influencers (15:47). She shares insights from her twenty-plus career in the retail industry (22:36) and lessons in working at startups (23:40). Cheryl details the logistical challenges of their weekly drop, and how it affects their different retail channels (32:54). Lastly, she explains how they’re building an engaged audience (34:57) and managing changing customer expectations (41:30).
Link and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Since joining Digiday in 2015, Hilary Milnes has worked her way from retail reporter to Managing Editor of Glossy, Digiday Media’s online publication covering the impact of technology on the fashion, beauty, and luxury industries. As the host of the Glossy podcast, she talks to founders, designers, and industry leaders at the forefront of that change. On this episode of Well Made, she’s discussing the resurgence of the retail store and where the luxury world is at in the transition from wholesale to direct-to-consumer.
On this episode, Hilary talks about brands realigning their physical retail strategy to evolve with their digital strategy (1:30). She talks about the cost of customer acquisition changing how a sustainable digital-first brand gets built. (4:13). Stephan and Hilary talk about retail concepts moving away from the showroom model (8:42), multi-brand retailers as an offline solution for brands without a large product offering (13:20), and how brands can navigate partnerships with and against Amazon (20:20). With dozens of private labels popping up, Hilary answers if Amazon can sell luxury and be a fashion destination (26:40). She illuminates on the areas brands will need to focus on in order to scale and gain exposure (36:47), and lastly, she predicts how brands will evolve in this increasingly complex digital-first world (41:55).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
To bring clarity to the kitchen drawer, Material co-founders, Eunice Byun and Dave Nguyen did two years of research, testing, and sourcing for their kitchenware brand. The result? An eight-piece Fundamentals set of multi-tasking knives, spatulas, and tongs nestled in a sleek magnetic wood base. Eunice believes narrowing in on their product offering sets themselves apart in functionality. And by ultimately focusing on the people using their products, they're laying the groundwork for a shift from incumbent kitchen brands.
On this episode of Well Made, Material CEO Eunice explains how they studied and identified core product values before designing their product (3:47). She dives into the form and function of their fundamentals set (4:41). She talks about setting themselves apart from heritage brands by telling a modern, consumer-centric story (11:19), and how they plan to do that with a new content series (12:33). She also talks about operating beyond the typical direct-to-consumer business model (20:14) and the duality of value in pricing and product design (22:02). Stephan and Eunice share their thoughts about the foodie movement and the power of Instagram in purchasing decisions (25:22), and lastly, the new traditions she hopes to create through the kitchen drawer (33:38).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
In his hyper curated newsletter, 2PM, Web Smith covers the latest ecommerce news, trends, and data insights happening in media and retail.
It’s been eight months since Web Smith was last on the podcast and a lot has changed with 2PM. He launched a paid executive membership, hired a new editor, and is releasing their first series of original content. With the ecommerce landscape shifting beyond DNVBs, it’s the perfect time to loop back and answer some questions.
On this episode, Web predicts how brands will advertise amidst Google’s shrinking reach and Safari’s expected disruption of Facebook tracking (3:57). He shares the digital and physical content strategies brands will use to acquire new customers (7:25), and his own approach to finding a formula for success (8:03). He answers who will be the biggest advertising company by 2025 (10:35) and why platforms that control conversion and commerce will win (14:20). Web talks trends we’re seeing in content and commerce, and how the New York Times is getting it right (18:19). Stephan and Web discuss Patreon (19:55), affiliate marketing strategies that are and aren’t working (24:08), and the tension for creators to operate as a business without losing their perceived status (26:14). Web shares what he’s learned adding a paid subscription model to his free newsletter (30:22), and lastly, why for DNVBs, brand matters (33:37).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
When friends and Birdies co-founders, Bianca Gates and Marisa Sharkey dove head, or rather feet first, into their shoe company, they didn’t expect they’d be outfitting royal duchess, Meghan Markle. They weren’t even sure how they were going to sell their first run of 2,000 slippers just two years ago.
Both women held highly successful jobs before turning their side hustle into a full-time operation in 2017 and they’ve used their extensive consumer sales background to grow their business incrementally.
In this episode, Bianca and Marisa talk about making their business concept a reality and taking the leap from Facebook and consulting (5:53). They share how leveraging their social networks (11:35), making key influencer marketing choices (14:35), and good timing (16:43) helped them to scale quickly. They also share some insider knowledge about the royal wedding (17:32). Bianca and Marisa talk about manufacturing for a whole new product category (24:04), operating lean (26:08), and investing in technology and data as part of their business strategy (32:15). Lastly, they talk about raising capital and the life-changing decision of entrepreneurship (36:30).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
After a career in retail sales and operations at Estée Lauder, Karen Young started Oui Shave. The ecommerce startup sells skincare and shaving tools specifically crafted for the female experience. Their rose gold safety razor is engineered to last longer and cause less irritation; when paired with their natural oils and rich balms, the whole experience is designed to elevate women's shaving.
Raised by her uncles and grandmother, Karen's first business was an homage to her grandmother's colorful home, while Oui Shave’s signature razor was inspired by her uncles’ grooming tools. From Guyana to Brooklyn, where Karen runs the business, she’s embraced the culture of bootstrapping and leans into her scrappiness.
On this episode of the podcast, Karen talks about learning from her first business, Hammocks & High Tea (7:11), and the path that led her to the beauty industry and Oui Shave (8:14). She talks about challenging behemoth companies and other direct-to-consumer brands by marketing to women (10:52) and why she’s positioning her razor as an heirloom product (14:18). She gets real about the slow and steady growth of bootstrapping (37:02) and making a purposeful choice not to fundraise right out the gate (38:01). Finally, she shares the lows (41:11) and highs (42:57) of seeing her grooming products scale beyond giant blue Ikea bags.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
From launching a creative agency to a real estate brand, Helen Rice isn’t afraid to try something new. In 2005, Helen and her husband Josh Nissenboim launched Fuzzco. From their bi-coastal offices in Charleston and Portland, Helen and her team have done branding, photography, illustration, and animation for companies like MailChimp and Google all while launching their own side projects with the same curious point of view and distinct design sense.
Pretend Store is their pop-up-experiment-turned-ecommerce shop where they sell wildly creative and collaborative products, designed in-house. Serious Buildings is a design-driven real estate investment company where Helen and her husband restore historic buildings like Fuzzco’s 9th Charleston office.
On this episode, Helen talks about creating strong brand identity systems (13:08), using design templates (16:55), and building trust through thoughtful design (10:30). Helen and Stephan discuss minimalism (18:05) and modern graphic design challenges (12:08). She shares how she balances Pretend Store as a business and passion project (39:25), how Serious Buildings began (24:40), and lastly, how she’s learning to pursue all her interests while setting boundaries (43:45).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Burrow aspired to create a couch you’d expect from high-end competitors without breaking the bank. Their biggest challenge? Shipping furniture through commercial carriers in compact boxes, quickly and for free.
To make their couch manufacturable and shippable, they had to balance form and function, to meet specific technical benchmarks. They reversed engineered their modular couch to minimize weight and fine-tuned every aspect of their product and packaging to make assembly and unboxing functional for the customer.
On this episode, co-founder Kabeer Chopra talks about designing an oversized product for efficient shipping (30:40). He talks about reducing purchasing barriers through online product pages (21:08) and offline showroom partnerships (22:27). He also shares the hardships of scaling a product from prototype to mass manufacturing (7:32), and manufacturing internationally (34:00). Finally, Kabeer shares how Y Combinator taught him to focus on learnings instead of perfectionism (11:12), and how they’re innovating their packaging design as part of their product experience (39:06).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
After 12 years and two other companies, Rachel Blumenthal landed on Rockets of Awesome — a kids clothes subscription that moms love too. Rockets of Awesome was a natural culmination of her past experiences and her new role as a mom. The brand simplifies parents’ lives by delivering a convenient, risk-free way to find stylish clothes for their children. Behind Rockets’ space-themed aesthetic and bright blue coloring box is personalization via data. From the initial style quiz to tracking what items are returned or repurchased, they’re using information to customize and improve the experience for parents and kids.
On this episode of Well Made, Rachel talks about using data to lean into product choices and mitigate risks as a startup (13:57). She gets granular about where algorithms, keep rates, and clicks drive design and operational decisions (16:57), and how they stay lean while managing inventory (19:30) and reverse logistics (23:08). Rachel also shares direct-to-customer lessons she learned from working with her husband, Neil Blumenthal, co-founder of Warby Parker (38:31). Lastly, she talks about building a brand that speaks to the current generation of parents and kids (46:38).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
FabFitFun built an extensive community of customers and influencers who share their quarterly unboxings all over social media. Daniel Broukhim is the co-CEO and co-founder of the FabFitFun. He believes bringing value to the customer through their full-size products, digital content integrations, and experiential marketing are keys to their growth.
On Well Made, Daniel joins Stephan and special guest host, Lumi founder Jesse Genet, to talk about bootstrapping their newsletter business into a physical product sold direct-to-consumer (8:36), how storytelling and building a narrative are part of the FabFitFun DNA (8:06), and why staying intentional positioned them in a crowded subscription space (13:12). They talk about the operational obstacles of curating and shipping a quarterly box (14:01) and the initial challenges of sourcing and selling brands on their business (16:05). They dive into how they’re using data to improve the box experience via personalization (19:17) and lastly, they talk about the influence of his family (28:23) and Los Angeles (37:50).
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Lauren Sherman is the Chief Correspondent at the Business of Fashion — an online publication delivering industry news on emerging and global brands, designers, and trends happening in retail. From Amazon to Allbirds, the former Forbes reporter and Editor-at-Large at Fashionista, covers why and how people are spending their money on fashion.
On this episode, Lauren talks about how traditional retailers are adapting to go direct-to-consumer, how DNVBs can succeed at physical retail, and if brand identity matters.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Tabea Soriano is the co-founder and managing partner at sustainable innovation and consulting agency Futuremade. At Futuremade she advises startups on how to integrate environmental, ethical, and socially responsible strategies into identity and business. Before starting Futuremade, she came from a decade-long product and supply chain background. As the former Head of Product at ethical fashion line, Reformation, she lead the research and development of innovative materials and design. Operationally, she helped establish a more sustainable supply chain.
On this episode, Tabea shares how brands can focus in on social and environmental issues, impactful ways to integrate sustainability, and the tools to help establish a baseline at any scale.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Maria Thomas has 20 years of tech industry experience. From Amazon to NPR to SmartThings, if there’s one through line in Maria’s career, it’s having the curiosity and vision to help brands get off the ground at an early stage. She’s a seasoned consumer internet pro who experienced the evolution from Web 1.0 to its current state, navigating brands through good and bad times.
On this episode, Maria talks about the value of a brand narrative, preparation, and seeing the potential in promising brands.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
ThirdLove set out to face two huge challenges in the bra industry: designing a fit for all women and selling it with no risk to the customer. Their solutions — the Fit Finder quiz and try-before-you-buy program — changed how people buy bras online.
Early manufacturing mistakes and marketing struggles could have spelled the end for the brand, but ThirdLove found creative, radical solutions. ThirdLove has found success in a better fitting product designed for all women, with a risk-free buying experience, and a brand voice focused on inclusivity, that’s driven by data.
On this episode, Heidi Zak talks about lessons she learned from her time at Google, experimenting with retail distribution models, marketing on television, opening a showroom, and the events that changed the course of the company.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi Blog.
Tina Sharkey has dedicated over 20 years to building purposeful online communities. From her role as CEO of the Sherpa Foundry to SVP of online messaging at AOL, she’s passionate about building platforms that enable people to tell their stories. Her latest venture is no different. In July 2017, she and co-founder, Ido Leffler, launched direct-to-consumer brand, Brandless, which sells everyday home and pantry essentials for $3. Brandless’s consumer product line covers everything from pantry goods to beauty products without the overload and markups of traditional grocery aisles.
On this episode, Tina talks about reinforcing transparency through packaging, the future of brick-and-mortar retail, and the importance of nurturing the Brandless community.
Link and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
For tech startup Meadow, there hasn’t been a more pivotal time than now. The legalization of cannabis in California marks the end of a modern prohibition era and the beginning of legal grey areas and logistical obstacles that Meadow is hoping to alleviate with their software enterprise. From seed to sale, Meadow Platform streamlines retail, operations, delivery, and data for nearly one hundred dispensaries.
On this episode, David gives a brief history lesson on the cannabis industry, shares key metrics Meadow is focused on, and tackles the stigma surrounding cannabis.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Co-founders Jesse Genet and Stephan Ango launched Lumi in 2015, and they're excited to share what's next. It's been a year since their last episode so it's a perfect time to loop back, talk about the fundraising process, and answer some of your questions.
Links and images are from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Proper Cloth uses technology to power personalization in the form of dress shirts. From the beginning, Seph used technology to guide big decisions for the brand. But even while building the software, Seph and his small team would alternate weekends, fitting clientele in their showroom. They used fittings as opportunities to gather data points and refine their platform.
Ten years later, their growth is still as calculated as ever. They're continuously improving their style quiz for a seamless fit while scaling a methodical supply chain and diversifying their catalog for a complete menswear experience.
In this episode, Seph shares his bootstrapping experience, why Proper Cloth is building their tools in-house, how they're experimenting with marketing, and what’s in store for the future.
Links and images from this post are on Lumi Blog.
Blending her experience in business development and marketing with a healthy dose of ambition, Daily Harvest CEO and founder, Rachel Drori, acquired over 100,000 customers in just three years.
After challenging herself to eat healthier, Rachel realized the problem: eating healthy takes time. Daily Harvest is the direct-to-consumer solution, using the freezer as a tool for convenience. She started out in a test kitchen, filling smoothie cups on her own, and now she's expanding her product line to bowls and sundaes using a cold supply chain, and a network of organic farmers.
On this episode, Rachel talks about reframing the freezer, fighting food fatigue, cutting through the noise of the grocery industry, and staying hungry as they scale.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog
In the last eight years, Grovemade carved out a place in the workplace and everyday essentials genre with their modern wood accessories. They started off making iPhone cases, but they’ve evolved several times since then. Their flexibility and ambition has made for a substantial, product line, complete with everything from pocket knives to wireless chargers.
In this episode, Ken talks about risks he took to invest in products, three-minute meetings, on-site customer research, and knowing when to outsource manufacturing.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Laura Behrens Wu is the CEO and co-founder of Shippo, a platform that's powering ecommerce shipping by simplifying the world of parcel delivery. From getting labels to tracking info, Shippo is a platform that's offering competitive, carrier-agnostic, parcel shipping solutions at any scale.
There is no one-size-fits-all way to ship, but customers' expectations have changed in the last few years, thanks to Amazon. Amazon has shifted the status quo, and now customers to expect free and fast delivery from businesses of all sizes, without compromising the product or process. Building for this speedy future of ecommerce is where Shippo shines, innovating to reduce friction from the time a customer checks out to the time they receive their package.
In this episode, Laura breaks down why shipping dates are pivotal for customers, and how to use shipping to differentiate and grow your brand.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Ten years ago, Baggu made eco-friendly shopping stylish. Their reusable nylon take on the disposable plastic grocery bag is strikingly simple, with new patterns every season. Founder Emily Sugihara says that working within the constraints of simplicity and affordability is where Baggu really flourishes.
On this episode of the podcast, Emily talks about designing for herself, investing in great photography, understanding the manufacturing process, the influence of Japanese culture, and thinking beyond the zeitgeist.
Links and images from this post are on the Lumi blog.
Not every startup can say that they bought back their brand after being acquired, but Richer Poorer did — just in the nick of time. The company is seven years old, but co-founder Iva Pawling admits that they're still scrappy, and they use that versatility as a tool on both their ecommerce and traditional retail platforms.
In this episode, Richer Poorer founder, Iva Pawling talks about balancing distribution channels, learning from big mistakes, making decisions based on data, making a mobile ball pit, and staying inspired amidst the chronically glamorized entrepreneur hustle.
Web Smith's past experiences in retail, tech, and ecommerce have all lead to his current role as Director of Partnerships at Cotton Bureau. This new role fits him like a glove (or a very comfy tee.) Long before Andy Dunn coined the abbreviation DNVB (Digitally Native Vertical Brand), Web was creating thoughtful content and genuine connections to sell stuff online.
From Pittsburgh, 3,000 miles from Silicon Valley, Web tracks every new brand and acquisition that pops up in ecommerce. He shares his ecommerce predictions and reflections in his newsletter, 2PM Links. It's a hyper curated digest of all the latest data and news in ecommerce.
Web's experience is deep-seeded in the place where tech, retail, and ecommerce overlap. He's worked on every side of retail from his role as the CMO at Mizzen+Main to the Director of Ecommerce at Gear Patrol. With Amazon and Wal Mart swooping up new brands, it seems like the perfect time to talk to him. It's too early to know the long term effects these acquisitions will have on the ecommerce landscape, but if anyone has an informed prediction, it's Web.
In this episode, Stephan talks to Web about what to expect from the shifting ecommerce landscape, startup disruption burnout, and how DNVBs can adapt to compete with retail giants. To get links from this episode, go to the Lumi blog
Ban.do is a lifestyle brand geared toward fun. That takes shape in the form of cheeky graphic tees, colorful planners and flashy sunglasses, born from the creative mind of Jen Gotch, the Chief Creative Officer of Ban.do.
Often, Jen's voice is synonymous with Ban.do's, but she's built an incredible list of her own 167k Instagram followers. On her feed and Instagram stories, she holds nothing back. She's extremely open about her obsessions, crushes, and deep dark late night thoughts. Even in the business of disco balls and glitter, being successful in business (and in life) requires some brutal real talk.
On this episode, Jen talks about her fearless approach to social sharing, the relentless pursuit of an audience, the crazy growth of the Ban.do, and Jen's big ideas about the future of what the brand can be. To see photos and get links from this episode, go to the Lumi blog
YACHT is Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans. They're most widely known as a band, but they make way more than music. Their latest projects have included an app for finding daily happenings in LA, a Trump urinal screen, a book about the impact of women in technology, and the preservation of musical sculpture in downtown LA.
This artistic pair has made a diverse, meticulous cannon of work under the name YACHT, and on this episode Stephan talks to them about all of it. Claire and Jona also share where they discovered their love of science fiction, and how it's impacting their view of the real world. Get links to on the blog.
Sara Hicks believes that the future of e-commerce is personalization via data, and to offer that, flexibility is key. Reaction Commerce is a versatile, real-time, open source, solution. From managing inventory to product pages and purchases, the platform is ever-evolving and scales up with your business.
On this episode of Well Made, Sara talks to Stephan about how she built Reaction Commerce, fostering communities, why the platform will always be open source, and the future of e-commerce.
In 2011, with the rise of direct-to-consumer brands like Everlane and Warby Parker, Jonathan Shokrian started MeUndies to make it easy and fun to buy underwear. Now, six years later, they're anticipated to sell 4-5 million pairs of underwear this year.
As they scale, change and flexibility are pivotal to keeping the brand fresh and their customer base engaged. Their home page changes a few times each month and they design new packaging for each season. It's all an effort to build a community and they're pushing their mission even further with a brand new rebrand.
On this episode, Jonathan talks about his early incubator days working alongside the founders of Dollar Shave Club and Dog Vacay, company culture, shifting to a more mission-based platform, and not taking things too seriously.
Galyn Bernard and Christina Carbonell met while working at a Quidsi company, Diapers.com. Four years after the 2010 Amazon acquisition, they left to start the kids clothing brand they'd always dreamed of, Primary.com — a source for affordable, foundational, quality kids basics in every size. On this episode of the podcast, Galyn and Christina share their brand principles, their newfound appreciation of a strategic supply chain, and the invaluable lessons they took away from their days at Quidsi.
Adam is the guy to make videos for Silicon Valley's star companies. In many cases, he's even the guy starring in them. His team at Sandwich Video takes on all kinds of apps, gadgets, and ecommerce products while trying to represent the people often ignored on screen. Most recently, they've even started using their talents to embark on a more social mission. He talks about all this and more on this episode of Well Made.
If being a female founder/CEO is rare, being a female founder in the sex industry would seem nearly impossible. As a severe side effect of a stage three cancer, Polly Rodriguez found herself going through menopause before she was old enough to go to a bar. To manage with the side effects, a friend advised her to buy a vibrator to deal with the drastic change in her body. She went to a Hustler Hollywood and discovered how mortifying the shopping experience was. 10 years later, she started Unbound Box — content and products to lead them to live a life that's sexually empowered.
On this episode of Well Made, Stephan talks to Gabby about the growth of human grade dog food brand Ollie since they launched in October, the research that went into their design, and what insight she brought from her days at Primary, a kids e-commerce brand.
Through good times and bad, Iris Alonzo was the Creative Director at American Apparel for 11 years, and now she’s on to her own venture with fellow American Apparel creative Carolina Crespo.
The brand is called EVERYBODY and it’s founded on unwavering principles of manufacturing practices that are good for workers and the planet. On the podcast, Iris talks about what she learned from American Apparel, the unique design process behind the clothes at EVERYBODY, and the making of their Trash Tee — the first tee made from 100% recycled cotton.
Jess is the Creative Director and co-founder of Frank Body, the signature coffee scrub brand that really pioneered a genuine, signature voice on social media, that's now a pillar of memorable customer experience. In this episode, Jess talks to Stephan from her homebase in Melbourne, Australia about launching Frank Body, crafting the signature voice of Frank, facing the challenges of the retail space, and the business books she's been reading lately.
For two years, Craig Elbert was the Vice President of Marketing at Bonobos, and now he runs a vitamin company. So, what's the connection between great trousers and daily vitamins? Besides Craig, it's the category of Vertical Commerce Brand.
Craig experienced first hand the overwhelming lack of clarity in vitamin and supplement stores. With his background at Bonobos, he saw this as an opportunity to use the direct-to-consumer, VCB model to build a brand that people loved. In this episode of Well Made, Stephan talks to Craig about and the first few months of launching of Care/Of and how he's brought his marketing experience to the world of vitamins.
Running a business for 13 years, Lumi founder Jesse Genet has learned a lot of the ins and outs of entrepreneurship. She's been an entrepreneur since she was 16, so on this episode, we fielded questions from listeners about everything from small space living (Jesse lives in an Airstream trailer) to finding the right systems for your business.
In this episode, Stephan also talks to Jesse about her recent viral essay — Running a Business with Boobs: The Things I Never Say. In 13 years of entrepreneurship, Jesse has raised over a quarter million dollars on Kickstarter, pitched on Shark Tank, participated in the Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator, and built a company into seven figure sales without a venture investment, and she hasn’t even turned 30. In her essay, she talks from firsthand experience about the five things people should never say to a female CEO.
Parachute Home redefined how we think about sheets. Turns out, thread count doesn’t matter, patterns are overrated, and all we really wanted was a comfortable place to sleep. Ariel Kaye founded Parachute for that reason and now they’re expanding their brand to bring comfort to the entire home. On this episode, she gets into the nitty gritty of what it takes build brand loyalty and manufacture comfortable home goods.
Cotton Bureau created a community of design loving t-shirt wearers to support fellow designers and find ridiculously comfy tees. Now, they’re scaling up with the help of a new space and VC funding to launch they’re new project — Blank by Cotton Bureau.
On this episode of Well Made, Cotton Bureau founders Nathan Peretic and Jay Fanelli drop the big news about why and how they're making they’re own tees from scratch, why they raised their seed round and how Pittsburgh has impacted their brand ethos.
Visit the Lumi Blog for more more on Blank by Cotton Bureau, and photos of some awesome tees.
Miki Agrawal's career as a social entrepreneur covers the three Ps — periods, pee, and poop. As you might expect, tackling the three Ps has meant breaking taboos and facing stigmas, not only in the face of skeptical consumers, but also investors.
On this episode of Well Made, Stephan talks to Miki about her fundraising challenges and how she's fueled by creating products in blue ocean markets that create a positive impact.
Visit the Lumi Blog for links to Miki's brands and images of the artful branding.
Writer Richie Siegel and Stephan talk about 2016’s big trends in the digital, direct-to-consumer market. In the past few years, with the boom of vertical commerce brands like Glossier, Everlane, and Warby Parker, the cross section of tech, retail, and fashion has been all the rage in the startup world. Instead of starting new apps, tech-inclined, business-savvy, design lovers have started direct-to-consumer brands in an attempt break down monopolies, disrupt age old supply chains, and change how consumers shop.
On this episode, Stephan talks with Richie about brands that are changing how we think about retail and e-commerce, and what we can expect in the future.
Visit the Lumi Blog for links from the episode and to Richie’s blog and podcast.
Illustrator and entrepreneur Tuesday Bassen talks to Stephan about the evolution of her work through a series of “What do I have to lose?” milestones in her life. From Nebraska to New York to Los Angeles, Tuesday has made big changes to find the wit and honesty that’s so distinct about her work.
In addition to her illustration work, Tuesday runs her online shop, Shop Tuesday and just launched her first apparel collection for fall. This summer, she opened her first brick-and-mortar shop, Friend Mart, in LA’s Chinatown.
On this episode, Stephan talks with Tuesday about she came into her signature style, built her audience, and how she continues to keep it amidst copyright battles with fashion giant Zara.
Visit the Lumi Blog for links from the episode and photos from Tuesday’s shop and her clothing line.
Grace Bonney is a blogging trailblazer. With an eye for interior design, DIY, and writing, she started Design*Sponge in 2004. It’s a super popular destination for all things creative — home, design, and entrepreneurship — that gets 1 million views daily. Now Grace has launched a new book, “In the Company of Women” talking to over 100 diverse women who have started their own creative careers and asking them really good questions.
On this episode, Stephan gets meta, asking Grace questions about those good questions — What are they? How do you ask them? And why are they important?
Visit the Lumi Blog for links to women mentioned and highlights from the episode.
Mig Reyes is a writer and traditionally trained graphic designer who found himself designing for the web before the UI and UX designers were common job titles. In addition to being the co-president of AIGA Chicago, he's formerly worked at Tock, Basecamp, and Threadless, really blazing a trail of beautiful spaces and experiences on the web. Now Mig is taking his talent and experience to Trunk Club as a design lead. On this episode of Well Made, Stephan talks to Mig about his role in the conception of these iconic web companies, and how he sees the role of the designer evolving.
Visit the Lumi Blog for examples of Mig's work and highlights from the episode.
Jeff Sheldon’s lifestyle brand Ugmonk has earned a faithful following of designers and entrepreneurs. He started the brand at the beginning of his design career and his faithful followers have been there every step of the way. In this episode, Jeff talks to Stephan about how promoting brand transparency and staying small has earned Ugmonk an ever-growing, faithful following.
Visit the Lumi Blog for photos and highlights from the episode.
Aaron Draplin is as iconic as his work for Nike, Esquire and the Obama Administration. While running his companies Draplin Design Co and Field Notes, Aaron has learned a lot about how to work hard while making lasting relationships with all the people who matter. Stephan Ango talks to him about his new book “Pretty Much Everything,” his tendency for optimism, and what how his dad shaped his personality.
Visit the Lumi Blog for the full transcript.
Kevin Kelly is founding executive editor of “Wired,” and the former editor of the “Whole Earth Catalog.” In this fast-paced episode, Stephan Ango talks to Kevin about his new book, his predictions of the future, and how we an embrace them.
Visit the Lumi Blog for the full transcript.
Eva Goicochea — web designer, brand strategist and co-founder of Tinker and Maude talks to Stephan Ango about her minimal aesthetic and the evolution of modern brands.
Visit the Lumi Blog for detailed show notes.
Matt Alexander, founder of Edition Collective talks to Stephan Ango about his growing brand and how he aspires to meet customers' needs by thinking small and staying flexible.
Visit the Lumi Blog for detailed show notes.
In our first live episode of Well Made, Stephan Ango talks to designer and entrepreneur, Mike Macadaan. Founder of leather accessories brand, This is Ground, Mike has a storied past as a product designer at AOL, Myspace and the startup incubator, Science. He shares his experiences crossing over from digital to physical design, and the challenges that come with it.
Visit the Lumi Blog for detailed show notes and pictures from our first Los Angeles meetup at Lumi HQ.
In our second episode of Well Made, Stephan Ango talks to designer and typography legend, Tobias Frere-Jones. Tobias tells us about the concept behind his new typeface Mallory. We talk to him about the personality and potential of type, and how it level the playing field in business. Type affects the impact of how we communicate and in this episode, we definitely wax poetic about our love for typography. And pangrams.
Visit the Lumi Blog for show notes and photos showcasing Mallory, made with Lumi vinyl decals, rubber stamps and silkscreen kit.
In the world of tech and design, Jeff Veen has done it all. From launching Typekit and working as Adobe's VP of Design, to his new role as Design Partner in the VC world at True Ventures. After sharing lessons from his expansive career (in the most humble way possible), Jeff talks to us about bringing better typography to the web, Adobe's acquisition of Typekit, and the role of design in modern business.
Full transcript and show notes